Two one-half hour episodes of "Pawnography" have aired on the History Channel so far. It is one of the most complex game shows ever to air. This is how it works: In Round One, two contestants face Corey and Chumlee (from the show "Pawn Stars") in answering multiple-choice trivia questions worth $100 each. They also play for a item from the "personal collection" of Rick Harrison, star of "Pawn Stars". (Actually, they don't win these items or dollars, they bank them, hoping to win them later.) Some questions may be related to the item they are battling for. If a contestant wins this round, he banks the collectible item. If the "Pawn Stars" duo wins this round, the item goes back to Rick.
In between Rounds One and Two, the two contestants get a shot to bank $150 by correctly answering a multiple-choice trivia question.
In Round Two, the contestants square off against Rick for $200 per question and a shot at another collectible item. At the end of this round, the contestant with the lower score is dismissed.
The remaining contestant faces all three Pawn Stars for all the cash he has banked plus the collectibles he has banked plus another collectible item. One item they played for was an early pinball game valued at $7,000.
In Round Three, the three Pawn Stars wait in a soundproof booth while the contestant tries to answer ten questions in 60 seconds. Viewers can see how many are answered correctly, but the contestant is not told. Then Rick and his two minions try to answer the same questions while the contestant is in the booth.
Before the players are told how they scored, the host (Christopher Titus) lets them negotiate with each other. Rick, based upon how well he thinks he did and how well he thinks the contestant did, offers the contestant a dollar amount to walk away from the banked items. I should mention that Rick is a formidable opponent when it comes to trivia, especially when it relates to history or collectibles. He is not Mark Labbett ("The Beast" on the gameshow "The Chase"), but he should not be underestimated. If he feels he outscored the contestant, he will offer a small amount. The contestant will, like all negotiators, try to bluff and ask for amounts closer to what the collectible items are actually worth. If an agreed price is negotiated, that is the amount the contestant wins. If an agreed price is not negotiated, the actual scores for Round Three are revealed and winner takes all. (Yes, the contestant may walk away without any winnings.) If there is a tie, the contestant prevails.
As you can see, this is a traditional trivia game show mixed with an element of negotiation--a staple on the "Pawn Stars" show. The show is punctuated with humor from the host and from the Pawn Stars, usually in the form of zingers.
If you like trivia or the personalities of the Pawn Stars guys, you may like this show. You might also learn some history or pick up some knowledge about collectibles.
