Tipping Point (game show)

Format

The coin pusher machine consists of two shelves filled with flat circular counters; the upper shelf moves slowly back and forth, while the lower one is stationary. The rear face of the machine is divided into four "drop zones," each of which contains a pachinko-like pegboard. Contestants answer questions to win counters, then choose a drop zone to use in releasing them into the machine. The goal is to have the counters land flat on the upper shelf so that its retraction will cause them to push other counters over its front edge, leading them in turn to push still others into a red "win zone" beneath the lower shelf. Contestants win £50 for each counter that drops into the win zone during their turn. Any counters that enter this zone when the machine is not in play, excluding the final round, are "ambient drops" and are removed from the machine with no effect on scoring. Counters that bounce out of the machine and onto the floor are treated as if they had landed in the win zone.

Three "mystery counters" were added in series 2, coloured black and bearing a question mark; at the start of the game, two are on the upper shelf and one is on the lower. If a mystery counter enters the win zone, the contestant in control of the machine wins a prize (picnic concert tickets, weekend holiday, etc.). Two counters marked "×2" were added in series 5, one each on the upper and lower shelves, which double the value of the counters that land in the win zone on that same drop. Any counters of either type that fall into the win zone as an ambient drop are replaced in the machine, at the position they occupied before falling. If a contestant wins a mystery prize, it is theirs to keep regardless of the outcome of the game.

A "ghost drop" occurs when a counter drifts forward as it falls through a drop zone, until its face makes contact with the clear plastic sheet covering the front of the zone. The resulting friction can greatly slow the counter or even stop its descent altogether for a very short period of time. Ghost drops, mistimed drops, and unexpected bounces can lead to a counter landing on the upper shelf so that it partially overlaps or "rides" on others; such plays rarely trigger falls into the win zone, adversely affecting the contestant's turn.

At the end of each round, the lowest-scoring contestant is eliminated from the game and forfeits all their money. In the event of a tie for low score, or if all contestants are tied, a sudden-death toss-up is used to break the tie. A correct buzz-in answer allows the contestant to advance, while a miss eliminates them.

Round 1

The four contestants are each given three counters at the start of this round. A series of toss-up questions is asked, and the first contestant to buzz-in may answer. A correct response allows the contestant to either play one of their own counters or force an opponent to play one instead, based on their judgment of how likely the machine is to pay out on that turn. The playing contestant chooses one of the four drop zones and releases the counter into the machine by pressing their buzzer. Once a contestant runs out of counters, they may not answer any more questions.

A contestant who buzzes-in with an incorrect answer loses one counter, which is placed into a penalty pot. If the pot contains any counters at the end of the round, they are all put at stake on one final toss-up open to all contestants. An incorrect buzz-in answer on this question freezes the contestant out, and a new question is asked to the others. If the pot remains empty after all contestants have used their counters, the round ends at that point.

Round 2

Each contestant answers 30 seconds of rapid-fire general knowledge questions and receives a counter for each correct answer, then uses these counters in an attempt to win more money. The leader at the end of Round 1 decides who will play first; after the chosen contestant has finished their turn, the higher-scoring of the other two decides who will play next. In case of a tie at any point, the first tied contestant who gave a correct answer in Round 1 has priority.

Round 3

In Round 3, the two remaining contestants are asked six questions alternately, three to each contestant, and the leader at the end of Round 2 decides who will start. After hearing a question, the contestant in control may either answer or pass to the opponent. One counter is awarded for each correct answer, while a miss awards it to the opponent. Each counter is used as soon as it is earned. If the contestants are tied going into this round, the one who had a higher score at the beginning of Round 2 decides who will start.

Final round

The contestant is given a jackpot counter, larger than the others used in the game and coloured gold with a red star, and chooses a zone from which to drop it into the machine. The goal of this round is to win a £10,000 jackpot by getting the counter into the win zone. The contestant is given a list of six categories and must answer one multiple-choice question from each, in any order; all questions have three answer options. For each category, the contestant chooses whether to play for one (easy), two (medium), or three counters (difficult). A correct answer awards the selected number of counters, which the contestant immediately plays in the machine.

Counters that drop into the win zone during this round are worth £50 apiece, and the mystery and double counters are still in effect. Ambient drops are not voided in this round, but are added to the contestant's winnings. If the jackpot counter enters the win zone, the contestant's cash total is augmented to £10,000; this prize is not affected by any double counters that drop on the same turn.

If the contestant fails to recover the jackpot counter after using up all six categories, they may either end the game at this point and keep all winnings, or trade the accumulated money for three more counters. In the former case, if the jackpot counter is at the bottom shelf, the contestant is offered a chance to play the three counters and see if they would have been able to win the jackpot. In the latter case, all counters except the one for the jackpot become worthless, and the contestant forfeits all their money if it remains in the machine.

Tipping Point: Lucky Stars

A series of 12 celebrity episodes under the title Tipping Point: Lucky Stars aired on ITV, beginning on 9 June 2013. The programme was shown in the primetime slot rather than the usual 4:00pm daytime slot for the regular programme. Two further series have since aired, in the summer of 2014 and the autumn of 2016.

The celebrity episodes feature some changes to the ordinary format:

1. There are only three contestants rather than four.
2. Each contestant plays on behalf of a selected charity.
3. All cash values are doubled: £100 for normal and mystery counters, and £20,000 for recovering the jackpot counter.
4. Double counters are not present in the machine.
5. All three contestants play the first two rounds.
6. Mystery counters award either a small joke prize, a cash bonus (not counted in the scoring), or a question about the playing contestant that allows them to play another counter by giving a correct answer.
7. The losing contestants after rounds 2 and 3 still take home the money they have accumulated for their chosen charities. If a contestant is eliminated with a total of zero, an undisclosed donation is made to his or her charity.
8. In the final round, if the contestant trades the money in but loses, his or her charity still receives £1,000.

Notable episodes

Merchandise

The official Tipping Point app for iOS was released by Barnstorm Games on 30 March 2014. The Android version was later released on 3 April 2014. An electronic board game based on the show was released in 2015 by John Adams under its Ideal Games brand.