BBC One (28 September - 21 December 2007) CBBC Channel (10 July 2008 - 4 November 2010)
Release
28 September 2007 (2007-09-28) – 4 November 2010 (2010-11-04)
Trapped! (known only in its final series as Trapped!: Ever After) is a British children'sdark fantasy-themed adventure game show that was first shown on BBC channels from 28 September 2007 through to 4 November 2010.
Plot
The show is set in a dark, six-floor fictional tower with windows which, from the opening titles, is situated on a small island in the middle of the open sea. Every episode is introduced by "The Caretaker" (played by Simon Greenall), a male world traveller who only came there for one good night's sleep, but he was imprisoned there by "The Voice" (performed by Eve Karpf in series 1 and Faith Brown from series 2 onward). To eventually earn his freedom, the Caretaker must trap as many children (referred to in the programme as "Unfortunates") as the Voice personally deems worthy.[1]
Six human children compete on each episode and are brought to the tower by another captive, "Wiley Sneak" (physically portrayed by Olly Pike). Locked in a lift-like cage and winced up by The Caretaker via a simple wheel and pully system, the children begin at the top of the tower and must journey down to the bottom; one child is eliminated or "trapped" on each floor, and the last one remaining receives the "Key of Freedom" and escapes. Sequestered in the attic of the tower, Caretaker occasionally offers English commentary and instructions while viewing the events through his "Watch Tank," a large and delicate globe mounted within a frame that gives a 360° overhead view of the relevant portion of the tower.
Trapped! (2007–2009)
Each contestant is given an earpiece receiver, or "Whisper Clip," that they must wear during the competition. Each floor of the tower poses a different challenge to the team, demonstrated by Wiley while the Caretaker provides instructions through both live commentary and pre-recorded voiceover. Before each challenge begins, one contestant is informed by The Voice, via their Whisper Clip that they have been chosen to act as a "Saboteur," and must try to make the team fail without being detected by the others. Throughout each task, The Voice guides the Saboteur via the Whisper Clip attached to their ear, advising them of the best way to successfully sabotage each task.
If the team passes the challenge, the Saboteur automatically becomes trapped on that floor and the others move down through the tower. If the team fails, each contestant casts one vote as to the Saboteur's identity; the one who receives the most votes becomes trapped, regardless of whether or not they were the Saboteur. A "draw straws" box is used in the event of a tie, and the one who draws the shortest straw is trapped.
The last two contestants compete in "The Fight for Freedom," a timed quiz consisting of alternating questions that tests their recall of the events of the episode. When time runs out, the high scorer wins the game and uses the Key of Freedom to leave the tower.
Trapped!: Ever After (2010)
Trapped!: Ever After title card
For 2010, changes were made to the format of the programme, particularly in areas of themes, the games and interaction with the Unfortunates. Introducing a brand new attic for the Caretaker, recaps were made of previously trapped unfortunates on higher floors of the tower and the appearance of the Voice was revised. The final round was revised to put both contestants in a best-of-seven Q&A round, represented by a four-step path toward the Key of Freedom; a correct answer allowed a contestant to advance one step, while a miss allowed the opponent to do so. The first one to reach the Key became the winner. In the cases of both contestants being one step away, one of them must answer their question correctly first. If both are wrong, it keeps on going until someone gets it right.
Music
The music is written by Dobs Vye, a composer who specialises in writing for television.
Cast and crew
Voice cast
Simon Greenall as Mr Caretaker (all series, all episodes)
De Mol, a Belgian reality game show franchise with a similar premise
De Verraders, a Dutch reality game show franchise with a similar premise
References
^Trapped! Full Episode - Series 1, Episode 1 (Poplar) [CBBC, 2007] | TTV, retrieved 1 January 2023Caretaker: "I only came here for a nights kip hundreds of years ago, but I've been trapped here ever since! The Voice caught me. She is a cruel mistress. I've never seen her, but you can always hear her, "talking in your noise-hole." She's promised to (eventually) let me go, but only if I help her trap as many Unfortunates as possible, in the Tower."
These lines were sometimes present in series 1, after the contestants "entered the tower", having been introduced by the caretaker while wincing them up via "The Cage", but before the caretaker explained the rules of the show.
