On the Spot (2011 TV series)

Last updated
On the Spot
On The Spot Logo.jpg
GenreTrivia
Written byJen Skelly
Directed byPeter McDonnell
Narrated byPete Sepenuk
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes33
Production
Executive producerPeter McDonnell
ProducerMatthew Coccoluto (assistant)
EditorMatt Fisher
Running time22 minutes
Production company Bellum Entertainment Group
Release
Original network First-run syndication
Original releaseSeptember 18, 2011 (2011-09-18)

On the Spot is an American weekly syndicated television series that debuted in September 2011. The series is produced and distributed by Bellum Entertainment Group.

Contents

Synopsis

On the Spot is a weekly syndicated trivia show that asks entertaining questions from different categories including untold history, globetrotting, origins, supernatural, in sickness and in health, myths, now and then, record setters, mad science and bad ideas. Example questions include:

Can a cow have an accent?

What came first, the color orange or the fruit?

As a kid, did Napoleon hate the French?

Was the name Google an accident?

Who got the world's longest standing ovation?

The show first aired nationally on September 18, 2011. The first 13 episodes were hosted by Eric Schwartz and included man-on-the-street segments where everyday people were asked the trivia questions (and many got the answers wrong), which led to each question being answered and explained. Later episodes had only unseen narrator Pete Sepenuk.

Episode Guide

Season 1

On The Spot premiered its first season in 2011 and aired across 90% of the United States.

Episode NumberEpisode NameAbout
101History, Transportation, AstronomyFrom Columbus to Ponce de Leon, the horse to horsepower, and Galileo to the order of the planets.
102Animals, Geography of North America, MathFrom insects to polar bears, the Great Lakes to the Not So Great Lakes, and the Pythagorean Theorem to endless Pi.
103Money, Plans, World GeographyFrom dollar bills to financial abbreviations, fruits to chromosomes, and a new ocean to a globe gone south.
104Government, Sports, MusicFrom presidents to the Supreme Court, the first Olympics to Jackie Robinson, and orchestras to air guitar.
105Climate, Language, HealthFrom the last ice age to the hottest place on Earth, an antonym for antonym to a metaphor, and calories to the secret about stretching.
106Inventors, Agriculture, MythologyFrom the light bulb to the internet, livestock to the real cash crop, and Zeus to the Minotaur.
107Explorers, Culture, EconomicsFrom the South Pole to the moon, slurping soup to feng shui, and purchasing power to monopoly.
108Human Skeleton, Visual Art, American HistoryFrom your head to your phalanges, Van Gogh to the rainbow, and the American Revolution to the industrial one.
109Natural History Early Technologies, Food ScienceFrom sabertooth cats to America's first people, the history of pencils to the history of knives, and why popcorn pops and we have only five tastes.
110Civil War, Business, WeatherFrom Lincoln to Lee, CEO's to the S&P, and tornados to the speed of lightning.
111U.S. Presidents, Chemistry, Performing ArtsFrom Obama and Reagan, hot air to hydrogen, and Chaplin to Buster Keaton.
112Medieval Times, Astronomy, EnergyFrom the Crusades to catapults, Earth's rotation to Jupiter's moons, and OPEC to windmills.
113U.S. Capitals, Oceans, DinosaursFrom the smallest capital to the highest, the Great Barrier Reef to volcanoes, and T-Rex to ancient birds.
114Sports, Geography, ScienceFrom the first Olympic gold to the oldest Olympic athlete, the longest geographical name to countries within countries, and the brains of geniuses to animals with accents.
115Health, Food, HistoryFrom your number one fear to hiccups, the history of the baker's dozen to the origin of orange, and blitzkriegs to "bless your."
116Science, People, AnimalsFrom the foundation of the universe to a jiffy, spies who become leaders to Nobel Prizes, and speedy hippos to weird pets.
117Technology, Travel, MusicFrom the first photograph to the creation of the Internet, the wonders of the world to death by lightning, and platinum albums to 5-year old composers.
118Geography, Culture, HistoryFrom the first Academy Awards to the easternmost state, pirates to the discovery of Antarctica, and unfurnished German apartments to politely sticking out your tongue.
119Health, History, ScienceThe happiest country; the word "robot"; predictions.
120Animals, History, PeopleFrom naked mole rats to the animals of 1492, the real reason it's called America to Civil War surgeries, and Charles Lindbergh to Jackie Robinson.
121Geography, Science, HealthFrom the reason North is up to the fight over the number of oceans, the history of climate change to the truth about vegetables, and the skinny on stretching to the medical benefit of hugs.
122Science, History, the ArtsFrom the reason cheese tastes good to the air pressure on Everest, the first pencil to the poleaxe, and Harry Houdini to Charlie Chaplin.

Season Two

The second season of On The Spot debuted September 16, 2012 and is currently airing across 91% of the United States.

Episode NumberEpisode NameAbout
201What It's Worth, Problem & Solution, GlobetrottingFrom the value of a first edition of the Bible to a 1943 penny, the breakfast food that can kill ants to the food you can use to shave, remove make up, and polish your shoes, and the world's most dangerous pool to its most dangerous beach.
202Mad Science, Myths, Who Said That?From a headless chicken to Martian radio signals, the truth about alligators in sewers to the man-made objects you can see from outer space, and what Juliet really means when she asks "wherefore art thou Romeo" to the real origin of the phrase, "Elementary, my dear Watson."
203Supernatural, In Sickness & In Health, Record BreakersFrom Roswell to alien radio signals, how to tame claustrophobia to that bacterial laden piece of technology in your pocket, and records broken in surfing, cookies, hula hoops, and fishing, to the hilarious story of how the Guinness Book of Records got started.
204What's In a Name, Now and Then, On the MenuFrom the origin of the words "trivia" and "sideburn," to how Vegas, the Grand Canyon, and Earth itself have changed, to unusual foods such as poutine, blood pudding, and "toad in the hole" to the Museum of Burnt Food.
205Untold History, Get Creative, OriginsFrom cannibalism to the jobs dictators had before they were dictators, to the Golden Age of Television and the "armonica" instrument, to the origins of the Pony Express, wedding gowns, candy canes, and gift shops.
206What Could Have Been, Conspiracies, Identify ThisFrom the wrong turn that started World War I and how the Titanic disaster could have been averted, to code cracking and a $2 million car, to braving Niagara Falls in a barrel and the world's biggest Ferris wheel.
207Bad Ideas, Oddities, Mad ScienceFrom plane crashes in Beverly Hills and airbag underwear, to teenage popes and wild Arizona camels, to the doctor who tested catheters on himself and superhero mice.
208Record Breakers, What It's Worth, In Sickness & In HealthFrom breaking the sound barrier on land and in the air, to selling the Eiffel Tower and the price of some very famous dentures, to working out in zero gravity and the astounding weight of all the bacteria in your body.
209Problem & Solution, Who Said That?, SupernaturalFrom the home remedy for itches to the best solutions for missing recipe ingredients, to famous quotes from comedians, politicians, writers, and actors, to the secret behind crop circles, Bigfoot, and the Loch Ness monster.
210What's In a Name?, Now and Then, MythsFrom the history of French Fries and fast food, to whether or not cell phones can pop popcorn, cause fires, and disorient planes, to the truth about ninjas, Viking warriors, and Billy the Kid.
211Untold History, Globetrotting, OdditiesFrom gladiators to an amazing escape, the world's shortest war to its longest, to the amazing sights off Route 66, zorbing, graveyards, and a petrified giant.
212What Could Have Been, Get Creative, Identify ThisFrom crazy ideas for exploring space to the amazing plan for an unsinkable aircraft carrier, the surprising uses for goat's milk and spider webs, to hybrid animals, animals that can paint, and the most extreme close-ups of everyday things.
213Origins, Supernatural, Bad IdeasFrom the first hot air balloons and submarines to the common origin of many car companies, to the time travel, superheroes, mermaids, geniuses, and immortality, to three-wheeled cars, flying cars, and the brave first test of a flight suit.
214Mad Science, Myths, Claim to FameFrom the science behind invisibility to what's really behind sightings of zombies and vampires, to the mummy's curse, presidential claims to fame, and the world's most amazing streets.

Related Research Articles

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is an international television game show franchise of British origin, created by David Briggs, Mike Whitehill and Steven Knight. In its format, currently owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Television, contestants tackle a series of multiple-choice questions to win large cash prizes in a format that twists on many game show genre conventions – only one contestant plays at a time, similar to radio quizzes; contestants are given the question before attempting an answer, and have no time limit to answer questions; and the amount offered increases as they tackle questions that become increasingly difficult. The maximum cash prize offered in most versions of the format is an aspirational value in local currency, such as one million pounds in the U.K. or 70 million rupees in India.

<i>Hollywood Squares</i> American television game show

Hollywood Squares is an American game show in which two contestants compete in a game of tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The show piloted on NBC in 1965 and the regular series debuted in 1966 on the same network. The board for the game is a 3 × 3 vertical stack of open-faced cubes, each occupied by a celebrity seated at a desk and facing the contestants. The stars are asked questions by the host and the contestants judge the truth of their answers to gain squares in the right pattern to win the game.

<i>Family Feud</i> American television game show

Family Feud is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson in which two families compete to name the most popular answers to survey questions in order to win cash and prizes.

<i>Sale of the Century</i> American game show

Sale of the Century is an American television game show that originally debuted on September 29, 1969, on NBC daytime. It was one of three NBC game shows to premiere on that date, the other two being the short-lived game shows Letters to Laugh-In and Name Droppers. The series aired until July 13, 1973, and a weekly syndicated series began that fall and ran for one season.

Ken Jennings American game show contestant, host, and writer

Kenneth Wayne Jennings III is an American game show contestant and host, author, and television presenter. He is the highest-earning American game show contestant, having won money on five different game shows, including $4,522,700 on the U.S. game show Jeopardy! which he currently hosts, sharing duties with Mayim Bialik.

<i>You Bet Your Life</i> American comedy quiz game show

You Bet Your Life is an American comedy quiz series that aired on both radio and television. The original and best-known version was hosted by Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers, with announcer and assistant George Fenneman. The show debuted on ABC Radio on October 27, 1947, then moved to CBS Radio debuting October 5, 1949, before making the transition to NBC-TV and NBC Radio on October 4, 1950. Because of its simple format, it was possible to broadcast the show on both radio and television but not simultaneously. Because many of the laughs on the television show were evoked by Groucho's facial reactions and other visual gimmicks, the two versions were slightly different. The last episode in its radio format aired on June 10, 1960. On television, however, the series continued for another year, debuting in its final season on September 22, 1960, and with a new title, The Groucho Show.

<i>Street Smarts</i>

Street Smarts is an American game show that featured two in-studio contestants trying to predict the outcome of interviews of people who were found on the street. The show, which was presented by Frank Nicotero, aired in syndication from 2000 to 2005.

<i>Get the Picture</i> (game show)

Get the Picture is an American children's game show that aired from March 18 to December 6, 1991, on Nickelodeon. Hosted by Mike O'Malley, the show features two teams answering questions and playing games for the opportunity to guess a hidden picture on a giant screen made up of 16 smaller screens. The show was taped at Nickelodeon Studios at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. The program's theme music and game music was composed by Dan Vitco and Mark Schultz, and produced by Schultz. Its tagline is The Great Frame Game.

This Week in Baseball is an American television series which focused on Major League Baseball highlights. Broadcast weekly during baseball season the program featured highlights of recent games, interviews with players, and other regular features. The popularity of the program, best known for its original host, New York Yankees play-by-play commentator Mel Allen, also helped influence the creation of other sports highlight programs, including ESPN's SportsCenter.

<i>Tic-Tac-Dough</i> American game show

Tic-Tac-Dough is an American television game show based on the paper-and-pencil game of tic-tac-toe. Contestants answer questions in various categories to put up their respective symbol, X or O, on the board. Three versions were produced: the initial 1956–59 run on NBC, a 1978–86 run initially on CBS and then in syndication, and a syndicated run in 1990. The show was produced by Barry & Enright Productions.

<i>Kaun Banega Crorepati</i> Indian game show

Kaun Banega Crorepati is an Indian Hindi-language television game show. It is the official Hindi adaptation of the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? franchise. It has been presented by actor Amitabh Bachchan since its inception, except for during the third season, which was presented by actor Shah Rukh Khan. The programme aired on Star Plus for its first three seasons from 2000 to 2007, and was commissioned by the programming team of Sameer Nair. Since 2010, it has been airing on Sony Entertainment Television and was produced by BIG Synergy from season 1 till season 10. Afterwards, the credited production companies co-producing are Studio NEXT since season 10 and Tree of Knowledge since season 11, respectively.

Trivial Pursuit is an American game show that ran on The Family Channel from June 7, 1993, to December 30, 1994. Loosely based on the board game of the same name, it was hosted by Wink Martindale with Randy West announcing.

<i>Who Wants to Be a Millionaire</i> (American game show) Game show from the United States

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is an American television game show adapted from the same-titled British program created by David Briggs, Steven Knight and Mike Whitehill and developed for the United States by Michael Davies. The show features a quiz competition with contestants attempting to win a top prize of $1,000,000 by answering a series of multiple-choice questions, usually of increasing difficulty. The program has endured as one of the longest-running and most successful international variants in the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? franchise.

<i>Weakest Link</i> (American game show) American television game show

Weakest Link is an American television game show that made its debut in 2001. It is an adaptation of the British television series of the same name.

<i>1 vs. 100</i> (American game show) American game show

1 vs. 100 is an American game show that was broadcast by NBC from 2006 to 2008 and revived on Game Show Network (GSN) with a new series, which ran from 2010 to 2011. The game features a single player competing against 100 other contestants in a trivia match. The 1 earns prize money depending on how many Mob members he or she has eliminated from the game, but loses all winnings with an incorrect answer at any point. The host of the original NBC version was Bob Saget, while Carrie Ann Inaba hosted the GSN revival.

<i>Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?</i> (American game show) American quiz game show

Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? is an American quiz game show. It originally aired on Fox where it was hosted by Jeff Foxworthy. It is produced by Mark Burnett. The show premiered as a three-day special which began on February 27, 2007, with the first two shows each a half-hour in length. Regular one-hour episodes began airing Thursdays from March 1 through May 10, and the first season continued with new episodes beginning May 31. Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? was picked up for the 2007–08 season, which began on September 6, 2007, and aired in the same timeslot. Following the end of the original run of the primetime version on September 18, 2009, a first-run syndicated version of the show ran from September 2009 to May 2011, with Foxworthy returning as host. On May 26, 2015, the program returned to Fox for a new, 4th season, with Foxworthy, again, returning as host. On February 14, 2019, it was announced that the program would be revived on Nickelodeon with new host John Cena, airing from June 10 to November 3, 2019.

Bellum Entertainment Group American television production and distribution company

Bellum Entertainment Group was a Burbank, California-based television production and distribution company.

Jeopardy! is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin. The show features a quiz competition in which contestants are presented with general knowledge clues in the form of answers, and must phrase their responses in the form of questions. The original daytime version debuted on NBC on March 30, 1964, and aired until January 3, 1975. A nighttime syndicated edition aired weekly from September 1974 to September 1975, and a revival, The All-New Jeopardy!, ran on NBC from October 1978 to March 1979 on weekdays. The syndicated show familiar with modern viewers and produced daily premiered on September 10, 1984.

<i>Lets Ask America</i> American television game show

Let's Ask America is an American interactive game show which debuted on September 17, 2012. The show features contestants who play from their homes via webcams, answering trivia questions relating to current events. On November 4, 2013, it was announced that Scripps planned to launch Let's Ask America nationwide through a distribution deal with MGM Television. Contestants participate by Skype from the comfort of their own home, an inexpensive technology negating the need for travel expenses. In sweeps months, the show features celebrity editions featuring local news talent from the stations carrying the series such as meteorologists and anchors playing the game from their station's studios for local charities.

<i>Master Minds</i> (game show) American game show

Master Minds is an American game show airing on the Game Show Network. The show debuted on June 10, 2019, under the title Best Ever Trivia Show, hosted by Sherri Shepherd and regularly featuring Ken Jennings, Muffy Marracco, Jonathan Corbblah, Arianna Haut, and Ryan Chaffee. A first season with the show retitled Master Minds debuted on April 6, 2020, hosted by Brooke Burns.

References