The Chase Australia

Did You Know?

• Anne Hegerty and Mark Labbett were unable to obtain visas to travel from Britain to Australia due to COVID-19 border closures in March 2020.
• In New Zealand, episodes of The Chase Australia originally aired weekly on TVNZ 1 and now air on TVNZ Duke.
• A localised version of the iOS and Android game from Barnstorm Games was released, featuring five chasers but excluding Cheryl Toh.

History

In mid-2014 the Seven Network considered producing a local version of The Chase after the British version performed well in the 3:00 pm timeslot since August 2013. A pilot was made on the UK set, but the network decided not to proceed. Interest revived in May 2015, and in July the Seven Network commissioned the show to replace Deal or No Deal and Million Dollar Minute at 5:00 pm, aiming to boost ratings for its 6:00 pm news. From June 2020, COVID-19 social distancing measures were implemented on set. In August 2020, production moved from Melbourne to Sydney due to Victorian restrictions. On 2 February 2021, Seven announced it had not renewed Andrew O'Keefe's contract after he was charged with domestic violence. Larry Emdur was announced as his replacement on 22 February 2021; O'Keefe's final new episode aired on 20 July 2021, and Emdur's episodes began on 26 July 2021.

Ratings

Since its launch in September 2015, the show has consistently pulled strong numbers in the 5:00 to 6:00 pm slot, regularly outperforming both Millionaire Hot Seat and 10 News First. The premiere drew 520,000 viewers in its first half-hour and 720,000 in the second, which directly competed with Millionaire Hot Seat. That performance helped Seven News reclaim the title of Australia’s most-watched news service, although by September 2017 it still lagged behind Nine News in the eastern states while leading comfortably in Adelaide and Perth. Nine responded by expanding Millionaire Hot Seat to a full hour in 2017, but The Chase Australia stayed ahead, typically winning by around 100,000 viewers, until Millionaire Hot Seat was cancelled in November 2023. Since January 2024, its direct competitor has been Nine’s Tipping Point Australia.

Beat the Chasers

In August 2020, an Australian version of Beat the Chasers was announced, featuring local chasers Brydon Coverdale, Issa Schultz, Matt Parkinson and Cheryl Toh. It premiered on 1 November 2020, airing Sundays at 7:00 pm for five weeks. A single contestant plays a Cash Builder round answering multiple-choice questions worth $1,000 each; the round ends after a miss or five correct answers, and a miss on the first question eliminates the contestant with no winnings.

The contestant then chooses to face two, three or four chasers in a timed head-to-head round; the chasers specify a time limit for themselves (up to 60 seconds) and offer larger cash prizes for facing more chasers. The offer for two chasers always equals the Cash Builder amount. The contestant's clock is set to 60 seconds; only one clock runs at a time, starting with the contestant. The side in control must answer correctly to stop their clock and pass control.

The chasers must buzz in and cannot confer. The contestant wins the offered money if the chasers' clock runs out first, or nothing if their clock runs out. The Australian version uses a tournament format: the seven contestants with the highest winnings after four episodes return for a final showdown. In the final, Cash Builder questions are worth $5,000 each; a miss on the first question eliminates the contestant with only their heats winnings.

The contestant must wager some of their heats winnings, added to their Cash Builder total, and faces all four chasers, choosing one of three money/time offers. If they lose, they forfeit the wagered portion. A second season was commissioned on 12 April 2021, with Larry Emdur as presenter, and negotiations were underway for Anne Hegerty to join the four Australian chasers.