Grand Slam (British game show)

Format

The series uses a single-elimination tournament structure, with two contestants per programme. In the first round, each heat consists of five rounds: General Knowledge, Numbers and Logic, Contemporary Knowledge, Words and Letters, and a final round. Later rounds add a Keyword round between Numbers and Logic and Contemporary Knowledge, where questions share a common theme word. In each round, players take turns answering questions within a one-minute clock that counts down only for the active player.

A correct answer passes the turn; an incorrect answer gives the same contestant another question. The round ends when one player's clock reaches zero, and the other player's remaining time carries forward to the final round. The final round uses questions from all categories, starting with 30 seconds for each contestant plus accumulated time from the first three rounds. The player with time remaining at the end wins.

Each contestant has three switches per programme, allowing them to pass the turn and current question to their opponent, and switches can be used consecutively.

US TV series

A US version of Grand Slam was produced in 2007 by Michael Davies, premiering August 4, 2007 on GSN. It featured a 16-player elimination tournament with contestants who were noted winners on other game shows, but unlike the British series, they were invited and did not pay an entry fee. The winner-take-all prize was $100,000, sponsored by Sony. Dennis Miller hosted, with Amanda Byram as analyst and Pat Kiernan as Questioner. Ken Jennings won the 2007 championship, and Ogi Ogas was runner-up.