SmartAsk

SmartAsk is a Canadian quiz show which ran for three seasons on CBC Television. The show was taped in front of a live audience, with the players sitting on a tiered set. The SmartAsk tournament was described by Ralph Benmergui, the show's executive producer, on TSN's Off The Record as being "Reach for the Top on acid," although in practice this largely involved crude humour, especially as the show went on and ratings sagged. The show did not return for a fourth season, but did generate a community that went on to develop a Canadian "quiz bowl" community at several university campuses.