When 'Sale of the Century' Became 'Temptation': An Australian TV Deep Dive

Temptation: The Untold Story of Australia's High-Stakes Quiz Revival

For decades, 5:30 pm on weekdays in Australia was owned by one show: *Sale of the Century*. The fast-paced quiz format, the glamorous hosts, and the lure of winning "the lot" made it an institution on the Nine Network. When it finally wrapped up in 2001, it left a massive void in the TV landscape. But you can't keep a good format down. In 2005, it returned, slicker, faster, and with a name that perfectly captured the new psychological edge: *Temptation*.

While fundamentally the same show, *Temptation* was very much a product of its time. It took the beloved *Sale* format and injected it with a modern dose of reality-TV-inspired drama. Running from 2005 to 2009, it was a bold attempt to recapture the magic for a new generation, hosted by the smooth Ed Phillips and the effervescent Livinia Nixon, with the unmistakable voice of John Deeks remaining as the announcer.

From an Iconic 'Sale' to a New 'Temptation'

The original *Sale of the Century*, hosted famously by Tony Barber and later Glenn Ridge, was a powerhouse. Its 1980-2001 run made it one of the longest-running game shows in Australian history. The decision to end it was controversial, but by the early 2000s, ratings had softened. Network executives believed the format was tired and that audiences wanted something new.

After a four-year hiatus, the Grundy Organisation (by then owned by FremantleMedia) pitched a revival. The core concept remained: three contestants answer trivia questions to earn money on their scoreboards. But the revival needed a new angle. The "shopping" aspect of the original, where contestants could buy prizes, was rebranded to be the central conflict of the show. Thus, *Temptation* was born. The name itself shifted the focus from merely "buying" to the psychological torment of "risking."

The show launched on May 30, 2005, to significant fanfare. The network invested heavily in a futuristic, glossy set, sharp graphics, and a dramatic soundtrack. It was designed to be *Sale* on steroids—louder, brighter, and with higher stakes.

The Rules of the Game: How It Worked

At its heart, *Temptation* followed the classic rules. Three contestants started with a score of $20. Ed Phillips would fire off general knowledge questions, each worth $5. A correct answer added $5 to their score, but an incorrect answer—famously accompanied by a "whoops!" sound effect—deducted $5.

The speed of the game was relentless, broken up only by specific, high-stakes segments designed to ramp up the tension.

The most crucial of these was the "Gift Shop" (later just "The Shop"). At various points, Ed would halt the game and offer a contestant—usually the one in the lead—a prize. This prize would be offered at a significant "discount" from their score. For example, a $1,000 television might be offered for just $15 off their score. This was the core "temptation." Should the contestant take the guaranteed prize, crippling their score and possibly costing them the game, or should they resist the temptation and keep their score intact to try and win the night?

This single mechanic created immense drama. Viewers at home would yell at the screen, watching contestants agonise over the decision. It was a brilliant piece of game show design that lived up to the show's title.

Other familiar segments returned under new names. The "Who Am I?" segment became the "Fame Game," where contestants buzzed in to guess the identity of a celebrity based on a series of cryptic clues. The final 60-second "Fast Money" round, where questions were worth $5, remained the key battleground to decide the night's winner.

The Ultimate Prize: The Vault and 'The Lot'

Winning a single night on *Temptation* wasn't the end goal. The nightly winner became the carry-over champion and would return the next episode. The *real* prize was winning five consecutive nights (this number occasionally changed for special events).

Upon winning their fifth night, the champion was taken to the centre of the studio to face "The Vault." This was the modern equivalent of *Sale's* famous bonus round. The champion was presented with three choices:

But there was a catch. To win "The Lot," the contestant had to answer one final, difficult question. Get it right, and they walk away with everything. Get it wrong, and they lose it all—even the car and the cash they could have taken. They would leave only with the prizes they had won in the Gift Shop during their five-night run. This final, agonising decision was the peak of the show's drama.

The Faces: Ed Phillips and Livinia Nixon

A huge part of the revival's initial success was the chemistry of its hosts. Ed Phillips, already a familiar face from his time on shows like *Big Brother*, was a polished, professional, and empathetic quizmaster. He managed the pace of the game brilliantly and handled the contestants' moments of stress with a comforting Aussie charm.

Livinia Nixon, the network's weather presenter, stepped into the co-host role. More than just a "prize model," Livinia engaged with the contestants, presented the Gift Shop items, and added a warmth and glamour that balanced Ed's straight-man role. Together, they formed a likeable and credible team that audiences quickly embraced.

The 2007 Revamp: 'The New Temptation'

By 2007, the show was a solid ratings performer but was facing intense pressure from the Seven Network's runaway hit, *Deal or No Deal*. In an attempt to revitalise the brand and fight back, the Nine Network launched a major revamp.

The show was renamed *The New Temptation*, and the set was given a dramatic overhaul, favouring cool blues and metallic silvers. The rules were also tweaked: questions were now worth $10 instead of $5, raising the stakes and the potential scores. This change, however, also meant the penalty for a wrong answer was a harsher $10 deduction.

This revamped version also introduced new special series, such as the "Quizmaster" tournament, which pitted former *Temptation* champions against champions from other quiz shows like *Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?* Another popular special was "The Ashes," where Aussie champs faced off against contestants from the UK version of the show.

Despite the flashy changes, the revamp failed to halt the ratings slide. The name *The New Temptation* was quietly dropped, and the show reverted to its simple *Temptation* title, but the writing was on the wall.

The Final Buzzer: Why It Ended

The 5:30 pm timeslot is one of the most brutal battlegrounds in Australian television. It serves as the crucial lead-in to the 6:00 pm news, which is a network's flagship bulletin and primary revenue source. Losing the 5:30 slot means the news starts on the back foot, which can have a domino effect on the entire evening's programming.

*Temptation* was locked in a head-to-head war with *Deal or No Deal*, and *Deal* was winning. Seven's simple, emotionally-driven format of opening briefcases proved more appealing to the early evening audience than *Temptation's* more traditional, intellect-based quiz.

In late 2008, rumours of its cancellation began swirling. The Nine Network confirmed the decision, and the final episode of *Temptation* aired on January 23, 2009. After nearly four years and over 700 episodes, the revival was over. The network replaced it with a short-lived revival of *Name That Tune*, and later, *Hot Seat*—a modified, single-player version of *Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?* which finally stabilised the timeslot for Nine.

The Enduring Legacy

Though its run was much shorter than its predecessor, *Temptation* holds a significant place in Australian TV history. It proved that a classic format could be successfully updated for a modern audience, blending nostalgia with new-school psychological drama. It was a high-quality, big-budget production that respected its audience's intelligence while providing genuine, high-stakes entertainment.

Today, the format lies dormant in Australia. While game shows remain popular, the trend has shifted away from fast-paced trivia and towards physical challenges (*Ninja Warrior*) or celebrity-driven panel shows (*Have You Been Paying Attention?*). Yet, the core concept of *Sale of the Century* and *Temptation*—fast questions, big prizes, and the agonising choice of risk versus reward—is timeless. It’s a format that many Aussie fans believe is just waiting for the right moment, and the right hosts, to be tempted back onto our screens once more.