GET ME THE PRODUCER!

PROGRAMME 3

ACTIVITIES

Guidance

Students can be split into pairs/small groups for initial discussions and brought back together to compare answers. For some classes, whole-group discussion may be appropriate. Students will need paper, pens, and flip-chart paper.

This programme offers scope to allow students to devise, prepare and play their own quiz shows. There are sound arguments both for doing this before students see the programme and after viewing it. Teachers' response will vary according to the class concerned, timetabling constraints and practical factors. More sophisticated and mature students may prefer to have a go before they see the programme; less confident students may get ideas from watching it first. See Further activities for more discussion of devising a quiz show.

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Before viewing

Ask students who they think will be chosen as producers this week. Keep their answers and see who got them right.

After viewing

Some good advice
Clip 1: 05.34 – 06.29

• Opens with Rob saying, 'They're quite rehearsed, they know what they're doing.'
• Closes with Richard Van-Triet saying, 'They're au fait with the whole process, what you want to achieve as well.'

During this programme, the teams are given plenty of advice: 'I think you have got to make sure that your presenter is totally au fait…' Ask students to think of all the pieces of advice the teams get – and how much they ignore. What do they think of the teams in this respect?

Some good advice ignored
Clip 2: 28.05 – 29.10

• Opens with the Narrator saying, 'While Jeremy Beadle is left waiting in the Green Room…'
• Closes with Jeremy Beadle saying, 'There's an awful lot of performing at being a producer here and not a lot of producing.'

What comments would students make about Jeremy Beadle's input?

The verdict
Clip 4: 38.30 – 41.05

• Opens with the narrator saying, 'Three days ago, Greg asked the teams…'
• Closes Gina saying, 'I suppose Greg thinks he's made a mistake picking me now.'

Do students agree with Greg's, Ruth's and Jeremy S's assessments of the shows? Which team do they think produced a) a better quiz show format idea? b) a better show?

Ask students to consider who they would choose if they could pick a) the winning team, and b) the team the students would most like to be on. Are the answers the same? Are 'winners' always the people one wants as friends/colleagues? A couple of the participants (Rob and Lola) have mentioned that being liked isn't the point: doing the job successfully is. Do students agree?

Me me me
Clip 3: 43.15 – 44.10

• Opens with the narrator saying, 'Downstairs the recriminations are beginning…'
• Closes with Johnathan saying, '… if that was wrong well ****ing sue me.'

'I acted the way I felt was right for me…' What do students think about Johnathan's attitude? Is it a reasonable one when he is competing fiercely for a prize he desperately wants? What would the students do in his place?

Predictions

Who should become the producers next week?

Ask students, either individually or in their groups if appropriate, who they think at this stage a) should win (ie, their choice) and b) will win (ie, Greg Dyke's choice). Retain answers, labelled 'Programme 3 – Selection'. Revisit the students' responses after Programme 1 and 2.

Repeat after each programme for comparison and to see how the students' attitudes change as the series (and their understanding of the issues and personalities involved) develops. Can any student select the eventual winner at this stage?

Further activities

Interviewers often ask candidates to assess their own strengths and weaknesses. Students should by now be developing a clear understanding of the participants' strengths, weaknesses and personalities, and forming their own opinions about them. Students could be asked to list these (seriously, professionally and with respect) for the remaining 10 participants. They could also then draw up a similar list for themselves.

This programme offers scope to allow students to devise, prepare and play their own quiz shows. It may be advisable to lay down some ground rules about the nature of the questions and the verification of the answers. This would form the basis of an excellent Enterprise activity. In addition, the scope of the quiz could be focused to highlight a particular curriculum area – Citizenship, for example. The Home Office produces a book for foreigners hoping to achieve British citizenship – 'Life In The United Kingdom: A Journey to Citizenship' – available from the TSO website. This could be the basis of a quiz for current British citizens! Equally, a local study could form the focus for questions.

Alternately, students could be asked to invent a quiz show for younger children, or for foreign students, or for staff v parents, or sixth form v staff, as part of a school event or to raise funds. Students may be able to seek sponsorship from a variety of sources. The whole thing, from ideas, research, organisation, preparation, rehearsal, to final 'event', could be videotaped and the results could be used to compare with the Get Me the Producer shows. This will require some considerable time, either in class or out, and more materials and equipment. However, it will give students very valuable experiences and lots of enjoyment. It may be used to raise sufficient funds to cover any costs.