It's not a pretty sight but one wrong answer and that's where you could go.

Who do you challenge, the person with the most money or someone you think might get the question wrong?

Someone had to drop...

She missed the question, forfeited her $2550 to her opponent and it looks like she's going to drop.

An overhead view during a spin.  If the person whose section is lit up is in a circle that's red, that person's chances of winning are dead.

She gave a wrong answer, survived 4 drop zones, but was out of the game a moment later, due to having no money

A player at the bonus round.  Notice the clock in the lower right hand corner uses the light border around the game area to count down the seconds.  Very cool!  To see a larger image, click on this picture.

Danny Bonaduce taking the fall.  One can hope he stays down there.

The same goes for Kato Kaelin.  Please stay down there.

Whammy! host Todd Newton tries his hand at Russian Roulette.

Broadcast History: June 3, 2002-present, Game Show Network, weeknights 10:30 PM Eastern/Pacific, weekends 11:30 PM Eastern/Pacific
Host: Mark L. Walberg, Todd Newton (April 1, 2003 ep. only)
Announcer: Burton Richardson
Executive Producer: Gunnar Wetterberg
Produced by Columbia TriStar Domestic Television

About Russian Roulette
Round one begins with four players, all given $150 and multiple choice questions worth the same amount. Before the game begins one person is chosen at random to be the first challenger. The challenger chooses an opponent, who must answer the question posed within 10 seconds. If a question is answered incorrectly by the opponent, all of his/her money is given to the challenger. The opponent must then pull a lever and risk falling through a ‘drop zone’. If the person survives the game of russian roulette, that person assumes the role of the challenger and can give the next question to any of his/her opponents. Each subsequent question in a round adds a drop zone until a maximum of 5 drop zones are in play. If no players have “fallen out” before time is up, the player with the highest score pulls the host's lever, located in the center of the stage, randomly causing one of the other three players to drop out of the game. If two or more players are tied for the lead, the host himself will pull the lever, randomly causing one of the remaining players to drop. The players left standing divide the winnings of the eliminated player. The three safe contestants move on to round two where questions are worth $200. Round 2 plays like the first round, until someone is dropped by either missing a question or due to time expiring in the round.

In round three, questions are worth $300 and the two remaining contestants now have the option to answer the question themselves or challenge the opponent. If there is a challenge and the opponent is incorrect, the challenger receives all of the money and the opponent must pull his/her lever. If the contestant chooses to answer and is incorrect, the opponent takes all the money and watches as his/her rival pulls the lever.

The final round consists of the day's winner attempting to answer five questions within 60 seconds. The questions in the final round aren't simple questions. Some questions involve rearranging words or phrases in order to identify a person, place or thing, while others involve quick math or naming a specific word in a song or poem. All answers in the final round must start with "My answer is". If all five questions are answered correctly in time, the player wins $10,000 added to the money won in the main game. One of the 6 doors opens every 10 seconds during the final round. When 60 seconds elapse, the final door opens, which is where the contestant stands during the final round. A missed answer in the final round also means the contestant falls out of the game. If the $10,000 is not won, the final player takes home his/her earnings in the first 3 rounds plus $500 for each final round question correctly answered. If the player survives and wins $10,000, he/she is given the option to play Russian Roulette one last time with the safe zones left after the 60 second question round, risking the $10,000 to win $100,000.

Season 2 changes
Russian Roulette underwent a few changes for its second season of 65 episodes, both related to game play and cosmetic changes.

Game play changes
* Questions in round 3 are worth only $250, compared to the $300 value in season 1.
* The objective of the end game is to answer 10 multiple choice questions correctly in 60 seconds. However, the answers provided are very similar to each other and could cause a contestant to stumble or accidentally choose an incorrect answer. Each correct answer is worth $300, compared to $500 for the first season end game.
Cosmetic and other changes not related to game play
* The addition of "Millionaire-like" lighting around the bridge from where the host enters.
* The open montage is different.
* There are no contestant name tags. All names are now computer generated and combined with the scoreboard.
* Before a question is asked, the drop zones are shown in the specific pattern for a certain number of drop zones, not all the drop zones displayed as a consecutive block of zones. * The music cue before playing Russian Roulette now includes some drum beats in addition to the music heard in season 1.
* The red lights displaying each drop zone are more prominent.
* There are strobe lights that flicker when the drop zones rotate.
* The length of a spin is determined by how long the handle is pulled, not randomly, as was the case in season 1.
* In the final round, the clock does not start until the first question is finished.


Inside the hole
I have received several inquiries from visitors asking where dropped people end up once they become a victim of russian roulette. The fall is approximately 3 feet onto deep, soft padding. In season 1, the drop was 6 feet. To the left is what a falling contestant looks like from underneath the set.

Nobody knows what areas are safe until the lever is pulled. The handles are connected to a computer which randomizes outcomes until the moment the handle is pulled.

No major injuries have been caused by dropping down the hole. One contestant twisted an ankle but it was not serious. The contestants sign lengthy waiver forms, relieving Game Show Network and the show's producers of all liability.

About Mark L. Walberg
Mark L. Walberg has been a fixture on television game shows for over a decade, having been the announcer on Shop 'Til You Drop, and the host of USA Gonzo Games and The Big Date. Recently, Walberg emceed FOX's popular reality series Temptation Island and its sequel, Temptation Island 2. Mark also had a talk show in the mid-1990s (the appropriately titled The Mark Walberg Show) and was the warm-up talent on almost 50 shows. Walberg operates GlugginMarx Productions, Inc. with partner and former game show host and two-time contestant Mark DeCarlo. Walberg, whose career began as a gopher with dick clark productions, is married and has two children.

Russian Roulette Interactive
Russian Roulette Interactive is available during all airings. To play Russian Roulette Interactive, visit
Game Show Network between 5 and 15 minutes before the episode starts. If you're a first time player, I'd suggest visiting the site 15 minutes before the game begins, in case you have to install Shockwave components before the game starts.

Russian Roulette's interactive game is similar to the TV show but with a few differences.

* The base value of each question is worth the same amount as the dollar amount of the question in that round i.e. round 1 questions are worth 150 points, round 2 200, round 3 300, but the points for the question drop with each second. The faster you lock in your answer, the more points you'll score with a correct answer.
* After each question in the first 3 rounds, you can play russian roulette against the house. Surviving russian roulette means you earn the value of the questions in the round multiplied by the number of drop zones. For example, surviving 4 drop zones in round 2 would be worth 800 points (200 points per question in round two x 4 drop zones). If a drop zone stops on your wedge, your score is reset to zero.
* You can select which of the 6 areas on the game board you want to stand in for each spin.
* Miscellaneous questions and polls during the game are worth bonus points.
* The questions in the final round are worth up to 300 points, with points being deducted for each second it takes to answer.
* The final spin is worth 5000 points. The number of drop zones in the final round is equal to the number of incorrect answers given during the final round plus 1.

Miscellaneous info
* The 5th aired episode was a "special" celebrity episode, even though only one of the 4 players could be considered a celebrity. The contestants on that episode were Kristin Malia from E!, Ken Taylor from the TV Guide Channel, Danny Bonaduce, and Gayle Anderson, a news personality in Los Angeles.
* The premiere had a contestant winning $10,000 but opting not to go for the grand prize. It's a shame, since he would've won the $100,000, despite having only one safe zone.
Maria Lay, the first female grand prize winnerTodd Truley, the 2nd $100,000 winnerThe first big winner, Al* So far, 3 people have taken home the $100,000 grand prize. Al Winchell's big win aired on July 12, 2002, while Todd Truley's take aired on August 5, 2002. Season 2's sole $100,000 winner is Maria Lay, whose win aired on December 9, 2002.

Russian Roulette links
Gunnar Wetterberg Productions
The official Russian Roulette page at gameshownetwork.com
Game Show Network's Russian Roulette Interactive message board
Season 2 contestant Joe Van Ginkel's Russian Roulette experience


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Pictures from Russian Roulette are (c) 2002-03 Gunnar Wetterberg Productions. No challenge to ownership is implied in any capacity.