1000 Heartbeats is an American game show based on the original British format of the same name, airing on Central. The main goal of the game is to successfully complete seven rounds of various questions within the player's own 1000 heartbeats to win $50,000. The show originally premiered on October 12, 2018, and is hosted by George Clooney.
Format[]
Wearing an electronic heart-rate counter and standing on a lighted circular platform known as "The Plate," a single contestant answers questions in order to win money over a total of seven rounds. While a round is in progress, the contestant's heartbeats are continuously counted and deducted from an initial total of 1,000. If the total reaches zero, the game ends immediately, the contestant is defeated and leaves empty-handed. During gameplay, the contestant's heart rate is displayed on a monitor and relayed to a live string quartet playing the show's musical score; they adjust their tempo (beats per minute) to match the heart rate and maximise tension.
The contestant must give seven correct answers to complete Round 1, and the required number decreases by one for each subsequent round (six in Round 2, five in Round 3, etc.). Each incorrect answer deducts 50 heartbeats. The contestant may change out a question by stepping off the Plate, at a cost of 100 beats. Any correct answers given prior to stepping off are counted toward the number required to complete each round once play resumes.
Each completed round increases the contestant's winnings to as follows:
- Round 1 – $200
- Round 2 – $500
- Round 3 – $1,000
- Round 4 – $5,000
- Round 5 – $12,000
- Round 6 – $25,000
- Round 7 – $50,000
At the start of each new round, the contestant is shown an example of the game to be played and may choose to "Cash Out" with the money banked to that point rather than play on. In order to win the money, they must complete one final "Cashout Round."