After Who Wants to Be a Millionaire hit the television networks years ago, it seemed like all of broadcast television tried duplicating the success of that show. Quiz shows are a dime a dozen, so when one finds a way to make the tired model feel refreshing, it can make for riveting television.
This is the case with the new Fox show Mental Samurai, which puts contestants in a fast-paced game of mental gymnastics for a prize of $100,000. Between the countdown clock and the jumping of one mental challenge to the next, the experience makes the normal game show tone feel like a dizzying, adrenaline filled challenge.
What is Mental Samurai?
Hosted by Rob Lowe, Mental Samurai is a game show that places contestants in a chair controlled by a robotic arm named Ava. Once the game starts, the chair turns, swivels, and disorients the contestant until landing on 1 of 4 categories including Puzzles, Memory, Sequence, and Knowledge. To make things more intense, contestants have to get through 12 of the challenges in 5 minutes.
If they get through the challenges, they win $10,000 and a chance to win $100,000 in the Circle of Samurai. In that part of the game, each question is worth $25,000 with a nail-biting 90 seconds to defeat four challenges.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X26mugxlzbE
How to get on the show Mental Samurai?
Currently, Mental Samurai is all filled for this season but the application remains online for anyone hoping to enter the mighty arm of Ava in future seasons. Those who are interested can find the link for the application here. Applicants are asked the standard screening information such as name, location, education, etc.
Further down things get interesting with questions such as “most interesting thing about you” and “biggest obstacle you’ve had to overcome.” It’s clear these questions are designed to find contestants that have tremendous backstories to bring to the show.
The application also specifies that living close to the filming of the show is not a requirement for being a contestant. If accepted, the link says “we will provide travel and accommodations.” This should be valuable news for fans who are interested around the globe.
Mental Samurai airs Tuesdays on Fox at 9/8 CST.