Zero e lode!

Zero e lode!
GenreGame show
Directed byClaudia De Toma
Presented by
  • Alessandro Greco
  • Stefano Santucci (episodes 1-5) Francesco Lancia (episodes 6-25, 27-177)
  • Alessandro Migliaccio (episode 26)
Country of originItaly
Original languageItalian
No. of episodes177
Production
Production locationNaples
Running time75 minutes approx including commercials
Production companiesRai and Endemol Shine Italy
Original release
NetworkRai 1
ReleaseSeptember 11, 2017 (2017-09-11) –
June 1, 2018 (2018-06-01)

Zero e lode! (literally "Zero cum laude!") is an Italian game show adapted from the BBC's Pointless. The show was presented by Alessandro Greco and aired on Rai 1 from 11 September 2017 to 1 June 2018.

Format

Main article: Pointless § Gameplay

Zero e lode! follows the same format as its British original. There are four competing duos. All questions have been given to a hundred members of the public before broadcast, and competitors seek to give the answers that the fewest of them knew. For example, the first question on the first episode was fields of data on the Italian identity card. "Eye colour" scored 56 points, "Identifying signs" scored 39 and "Civil status" 40. "State" was a wrong answer worth 100 points, while pointless answers worth zero points included "Mayor (or delegate) signature". The duo with the highest score is eliminated.[1]

Once there are only two duos remaining, they compete in a head-to-head until one duo has won on three questions. This duo then plays for €10,000 if they can find a pointless answer for the final question. In the first episode, the question was characters from the 1975 film Fantozzi. As they did not win, the money rolled over and the next day the jackpot was €11,000.[1]

The record jackpot was on 24 May 2018, when €49,000 was shared between a duo who found a pointless answer for words in the dictionary between pesca and pesco, namely pesciera (fish bowl).[2]

History

The show was announced in August 2017 to begin on 11 September, at 2 pm.[3] The show debuted with an 11.37% audience share for its unattractive broadcast time, but this fell to 9% as audiences complained of not understanding the rules. After a week of celebrity specials, the audience reached a new record of 11.48% (1.597 million people) on 26 October.[4] The audience rose to 12-13% during a telethon week in December.[5]

The final episode of the season aired on 1 June 2018, with Greco visibly moved by the experience.[6] Days later, the show was not renewed for a second season. Greco said that he did well to increase the show's ratings, as it had feared cancellation by Christmas and the initial plan was for it to end in March.[7][8] The official explanation by Rai for the cancellation was that the audience was too male and changed the channel afterwards instead of staying to watch La vita in diretta, a talk show with a largely female audience.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b Iovane, Giorgia (11 September 2017). "Zero e Lode: spunto interessante, quiz imbarazzante" [Zero e Lode: interesting basis, embarrassing quiz] (in Italian). TV Blog. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  2. ^ "Zero e Lode: vincita record nella puntata del 24/05" [Zero e Lode: record win on 24/05 episode] (in Italian). Blasting News. 24 May 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  3. ^ Bocca, Riccardo (25 August 2017). ""Zero e lode" per Greco" ["Zero e lode" for Greco]. L'Espresso (in Italian). Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  4. ^ "Zero e Lode: record di ascolti per il quiz pomeridiano" [Zero e Lode: record audience for afternoon quiz] (in Italian). Blasting News. 27 October 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  5. ^ "Zero e Lode: torna il quiz dopo le vacanze natalizie" [Zero e Lode: the quiz returns after the Christmas holidays] (in Italian). Web Magazine 24. 27 December 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  6. ^ "Zero e Lode: le lacrime di Greco nell'ultima puntata" [Zero e Lode: Greco's tears in the final episode] (in Italian). Blasting News. 1 June 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  7. ^ "'Zero e Lode' non riconfermato, Alessandro Greco: "Grato a chi mi ha dato fiducia"" ['Zero e Lode' not renewed, Alessandro Greco: "Grateful to those who have trusted me"]. Today (in Italian). 6 June 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  8. ^ Pasqui, Giulio (5 June 2018). "Alessandro Greco, il suo Zero e Lode non riconfermato. Lui: "Non sono affatto arrabbiato, anzi sono grato a chi mi ha dato fiducia"" [Alessandro Greco, his Zero e Lode not renewed. Him: "I'm not angry at all, rather I'm grateful to those who trusted me"]. Il Fatto Quotidiano (in Italian). Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  9. ^ Duello, Gennaro Marco (20 June 2018). "Perché la chiusura di "Zero e Lode" da parte della Rai non mi convince" [Why the cancellation of "Zero e Lode" by Rai does not convince me] (in Italian). Fanpage.it. Retrieved 18 April 2021.