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Farewell: Temptation

The last Temptation....Nine's long-running game show bows out quietly on Friday morning. Thanks for the good times Ed & Livinia!

Friday marks the last ever episode of Temptation, the game show that has, in two formats, been a part of Channel Nine for many years.

Temptation revived the Sale of the Century format in May 2005 with Ed Phillips and Livinia Nixon. After many years with Tony Barber, and subsequently Glenn Ridge, it was a risky move. But viewers warmed to the chemistry between Phillips and Nixon, who had previously done radio together.

Last year the show’s return was delayed following the on-going success of Two and a Half Men. Production of the FremantleMedia show by Nine was reduced, leaving two months of episodes in reserve, which have aired over summer.

In television most things are cyclical. There is every possibility the show could be revived one day, but unlikely to be in the format that we know. Sale of the Century, which aired from 1980 – 2001, was itself a remake of Temptation / Great Temptation which screened on Seven between 1971 – 1976.

The final episode with Ed Phillips, Livinia Nixon, Scott McGregor and Chelsey Butler airs 11:30am Friday on Nine. Here are some recent photos as a way of acknowledging its quizical fun.

TV Tonight can’t help but wonder… what if the champ turns down the prizes and says they want to “play on?”

50 Responses

  1. Was it just me or was that ending just tacked on? It almost felt like they reshot it. The winner was very smart and considering he said he didn’t have a girlfriend, I would have thought he’d give up the jewelery to come back, not that he could have! Very suss indeed!

    Eitherway, a huge loss for Nine. Wait until Two and a Half Men fails (and no doubt when they replace it with The Big Bang Theory, which will also eventually fail), they’ll bring back a new and improved Temptation. And the cycle will continue…

  2. thanks for reminding me if i didn’t read it on tv tonight i would have missed it i, wouldn’t have even know it was the last ep if i didn’t read it hear as channel nine never stated it was, at least i didn’t hear them say so.

  3. thanks for reminding me david, if i didntjust happen to vist tv tonight i would have missed, although i wouldn’t have if it ieas on a 7pm. i saw many will forget/or dont now it on at 11.30am

  4. Channel 9 sure as hell know how to Kick a Show to the Curb after countless years.. Ch9 should be blacklisted from hosting GameShows considering how they treated Temptation/Sale of the Century..

  5. The end of Temptation is such a shame, such a loss for Ch9, and more-so us viewers. They could have had an awesome, family, people, and viewer-friendly 530PM lead-in to the news, yet the money’s have decided to cut what really is, was, a great game show.

    Livinia, (who i could take or lave) and Ed (who is a game-show natural) somehow worked together so well, no doubt due to their friendship outside the studio.

    And I must admit, I will miss Scott’s shirtless modelling of whatever product or prize…

    So long Temptation.

  6. Not only do I miss out on the great chemistry between Ed and Livinia… but I will no longer be able to satisfy my Scott McGregor fix every night… sad 🙁

  7. Temptation is my favourite game show. It’s a league above Deal or No Deal that’s for sure. This is criminal. Can someone tell me why Temptation gets this shocking treatment while Celebrity Singing Bee is still going strong? Sorry Nine, you’ve lost me. Seriously, Temptation is the only Nine show I watch.

    Thanks for the reminder David, I forgot about this already and I would be absolutely spewing if I missed it.

  8. Of course i only watched it to see the hot model guy… yumm 😉

    Joking lol. The show was great and the hosts were briallian… and the model was hot 😉

  9. Thanks David for reminding me (again) the actual final ep date and time. LOL Livinia and Ed have the chemistry that TV execs dream of… a shame that Nine couldn’t find another role for them. It’s a greater shame that ratings haven’t been sufficient to fund another series. 🙁

  10. Thank god this drivel has been consigned to the history books…..very few people won anything of real value and most nights it was just an advertorial for Volvo cars. There are a million cheesy game show hosts to replace Ed & Livvii, but I do think 9 should have hired Jackie O for the final few eps…just to really hammer the last nail in the coffin…..

  11. I’ve watched Temptation/Sale since I was a kid (im in my early 20’s now) and have always enjoyed it and played along at home. It’s a really big shame that Nine has chosen to axe it.

    Hopefully once Two and a Half Men falls on its arse, they’ll consider bringing this back.

  12. I will miss Temptation as well, i always enjoyed the format (as well as Sale) Ch 9 killed 2.5 men by playing it so damn often and now they are killing a brilliant show, with brilliant hosts.

    Temptation/Ed/Livinia: We will miss you.
    Ch 9: up yours for a) canceling it, b) putting the final show in a ‘screw you’ time slot.

  13. i’m going to miss Temptation. I have watched it almost every night it has been on since the 2005 revival (from Sale of the Century).

    Although i used to watch Two and a half men, i am now sick of them.

    I know that Ed Phillips is no longer with nine, i really hope that Temptation is back in 2009, and with Ed Phillips 🙂

  14. Due to daylight saving meaning the cricket starts earlier in Brisbane, its on at the relatively ok time of 5pm here, which I can live with. Ed and Livinia are really great together.
    Oh, and David, thanks for the Scott McGregor topless shot : )

  15. And then there were none… no more question and answer type games shows left on TV apart from Jeopardy on Foxtel, but half of their questions are a little too American to answer. At our place we’ll be playing the DVD Temptation game at 7pm instead!!

  16. I quite enjoyed Temptation when it was first bought back to life in ’05, but haven’t really missed it in the 7:00pm slot.

    Ed and Livinia were really the best thing about the show… great Chemistry. Hope to see Ed back on TV some time soon (and hopefulyl not flogging stuff on the infomercials during morning TV).

  17. You’d think Nine would put it on at 5.30pm. Two & a Half Men repeats won’t last forever. These local Extra style shows will probably tank like they did 17 or so years ago.

  18. Such a shame. The only game-show I’ve ever actually enjoyed. Much more interactive (for me anyway) than Deal or No Deal type ‘number plucking’ or the tedious Rich List. I also thought that Ed and Livinia did such a great job. The show will be sorely missed in our household at least!

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