A national obsession and appointment viewing, Emma Gleason wonders what’s behind it all. An entrée to the 6pm news and a national pastime, what is it about British quiz show The Chase UK that has up to 10% of Kiwis tuning in? Launching in the United Kingdom in 2009, the quiz show is now 17 seasons in, and its cast of formidable characters include Mark “The Beast” Labbett, Anne “The Governess” Hegerty and Paul “The Sinnerman” Sinha. It hit New Zealand screens for the first time in December 2012, airing on Saturday afternoons, before moving to weekday mornings.
By July 2014 it had secured 4.30pm, before moving to the coveted 5pm slot. In 2020 it began airing seven days a week, fortuitously timed as the country moved into our first Covid-19 lockdown on March 21.
We became glued to our screens (there wasn’t much else to do) and daily routines centred around government briefings and 6pm news broadcasts. Between them was The Chase UK ..
