Many game shows are a half-hour. Some might extend to an hour. But just how long is the new NBC show, "The Million Second Quiz"? A million seconds, sure, but what does that translate to in days and hours?
TODAY's Savannah Guthrie met up with show host Ryan Seacrest at the set of the new program, and she had done the math.
"So, this is kind of your home for the next, what, 11 days, 13 hours, 46 minutes, and 40 seconds?" Guthrie asked Seacrest.
"Oh, really well-studied, Savannah," retorted Seacrest.
She knew that fact, but how would Guthrie do on the show itself? She first checked out the five-story hourglass-shaped set, which includes pods where the contestants sleep while being watched by cameras.
"I don't know how much sleep you're gonna get," said Seacrest. "You're in a fishbowl here."
The new program lets contestants win $10 a second for answering trivia questions and is played 24 hours a day (though just an hour per day is aired). Guthrie didn't make that kind of time commitment, but she did take a seat in the "Money Chair" and took a shot at a few questions.
Guthrie knew what board game was banned in Cuba (Monopoly) and could identify three given phrases as names of Girl Scout cookies. But she flubbed another question, not knowing that the item Australians call "fairy floss" is what we call "cotton candy."
"Let's say you won the bout," said Seacrest generously. "Then you go on to face your next challenger. We'll be right back. And you keep making money."
Contestants who can't compete in person can try the game on a smart phone app. And if they shine on the app, it may turn into a ticket to fame and fortune — and a visit to New York.
"You can compete by playing on the app; (if) they get a certain number of points, they're eligible (to appear on the show)," Seacrest said. "And each night, we're going to be at someone's house to bring them to New York City the next day for the show."
"Million Second Quiz" premieres Sept. 9 on NBC at 8 p.m.