Win Ben Stein's Money

With the possible exception of The Millionaire, which has only been on a few times and is not a regular series. Unlike Trebek, Sajak, and all those other phonies who pretend they actually knew the answer that none of the contestants did, Ben Stein is the real deal. He plays along and admits that he doesn't always know the answers (though he knows most of em). And unlike the silly Jeopardy show, contestants dont have to phrase their answers in the form of a question (which is truly idiotic). Jimmy Kimmel (who also co hosts the immensely entertaining Man Show) is a funny guy and a good co-host too. My only objection is that the prize budget should be higher.

Forget all that I Wanna Be a Millionaire junk, this is a real game show. The only thing those other shows got going for them is that they are giving away large amounts of money. If they had the same show but only with a smaller amount of money no one would watch. On Win Ben Stein's Money it's a lot more fun. They have cool names for all the categories and it's fun to see Ben Stein pretending to be annoyed when someone takes his money. Plus how often on a gameshow do you get to compete against the host.

Win Ben Stein's Money was a novel concept for a game show: contestants compete with each other and the host in a trivia contest to win some or all of the host's $5000. The show will always be memorable for me as the only game show I can stand to watch. Most game shows are too serious to be enjoyable, and those that aim to be more entertaining are usually too obvious and cheesy.

Putting Ben Stein and Jimmy Kimmel together made this show different. Ben, aside from being very smart, is a very funny man. His boring monotone turned him into an icon through roles in Ferris Bueler's Day Off and The Wonder Years. He has the perfect voice for the crude humour of Win Ben Stein's Money. You can't help but laugh when this intelligent, dignified, expressionless and utterly uncool-looking old man swears at the judges, flips Jimmy the bird or knocks over a safe.

Jimmy Kimmel was clearly chosen to create an "Odd Couple" contrast to Ben. He has raised the bar for shockingly inappropriate comments from a game show host.

The questions are interesting, the topics are hilarious, and it's great fun to see a host actually compete with the contestants. You have to watch the end to see if Ben wins or loses. Giving Ben a vested interest in the outcome of the game adds great entertainment value because the competition brings out the best and worst in him. Truly a delightful game show experience.

This show, as other user comments will tell you, is about three contestants who go up against Ben Stein to win $5000. In the first round, Ben asks the questions and the three contestants answer. If their answers are in the form of a question, Ben affixes a "Dunce" cap to their heads. At the ends of the first round, the lowest scorer is eliminated and the money (s)he won is returned to the pot. Ben then takes that contestant's place, leaving Jimmy or Nancy to ask the questions. As Ben promises, "From this point on, I have no knowledge of the questions to be asked." The game goes on. In the event of a tie in either round, there is a tie-breaker question. After both rounds are finished, the "Best of Ten Test of Knowledge" happens. It's just Ben and the highest-scorer. Ben's isolation booth is ritzy, decorated with a painting and a beautiful background. The challenger just sits on a stool in front of a cracked wall and a light bulb hanging from the ceiling. If Ben wins, the contestant keeps the money already won from Ben. If the contestant wins, money flies from the ceiling and Ben takes some from the safe, cheerfully cursing at his loss. If there is a tie, then the contestant keeps the money already won plus $1000. I still have a "Let me watch Ben Stein in peace" ticket given to me for Christmas by my sister. I miss Jimmy, especially since I saw him on David Letterman last summer.

"Win Ben Stein's Money" was one of the best shows that aired on Comedy Central when "South Park" and "The Daily Show" were rather new. It was highly creative and almost always witty and funny. Ben Stein, best known as a character actor and commercial spokesperson with a monotone voice and tweed sweater, comes to life as both host and contestant. He and co-host Jimmy Kimmell had an excellent chemistry, and their exchanges of jokes and insults were among Comedy Central's finest moments. Very few of the questions were dumbed down for mass consumption, and the show's entertaining and quick pace made it a welcome contrast to the dull and ridiculous "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." The show did suffer a bit when Nancy Pimental took over as co-host, as she lacked Jimmy's chemistry (he later went on to co-host the insipid "Man Show"), but she was fairly competent as a comedian. Ben showed his true talent as an entertainer here, and it resulted in his short-lived spin-off, "Turn Ben Stein On." If your cable providers offer The Game Show Network, due yourselves a favor a catch a rerun of "Win Ben Stein's Money" if you're not too busy. You won't regret it.