Rory Bremner presided over this brisk Channel 4 daytime experiment that ran for just seven weeks in early 2013. Six players stood at wedge-shaped lecterns arranged like a clock face, chasing money while a secret timer ticked down. One contestant, chosen backstage, stopped a flashing light to set the round’s length between 30 seconds and 2½ minutes, visible only to viewers at home. Each correct answer advanced a pay ladder from £50 to £300, but whoever held the buzzer when the hidden buzzer sounded left with nothing; their cash transferred to whoever had passed them control or, if they’d hogged the spotlight, vanished entirely.
Rounds two to four repeated the format, lowest score picking the next mystery duration, until only two remained. The penultimate duel froze each survivor’s clock at 60 seconds, starting with the poorer player; every right answer stopped your timer and started your rival’s, so one slip proved fatal. The survivor then faced 60 seconds to answer five questions, with the jackpot halving every ten seconds after the first 30; miss the fifth and you left empty-handed.
Objective Scotland packed 35 half-hour episodes into a single winter season, after which Channel 4 let the clock stop for good. A Vietnamese remake, Đối mặt thời gian, stretched the idea to an hour and lasted two series, but the British original never returned.
Production Details
Channel 4 / 1 Season / 35 Episodes / 2013
Created by: Paul Gilheany
Producer(s): Debi Roach
Main Cast
