Seven Joins CBS on Fremantle Quiz Format Stacks of Cash

Australia's Seven Network has ordered its own version of Stacks of Cash, joining CBS in the United States on Fremantle's new quiz format.

Seven has commissioned a six-part series, while CBS has commissioned 10 one-hour episodes hosted by Mike O'Malley, according to Variety. Fremantle handles global distribution for the show and will take it to buyers next.

The game is physical as well as quiz-based. Six contestants answer questions to win giant shapes with cash values printed on them.

Then comes the tower. A giant claw lowers each shape into place, and players build upwards to bank money. If the tower falls, that contestant is out.

The show was created and is produced by Eureka Studios. The underlying format, meaning the show idea that can be remade country to country, was developed by Eureka Studios Group Pty Ltd and Seven Network (Operations) Limited.

Executive producers are Chris Culvenor, Paul Franklin, Rikkie Proost, Sonya Wilkes, David Tibballs, Ves D'Elia and Ed Egan.

All three versions so far were made in one place. The CBS, Seven and Portuguese editions were shot at the same dedicated production hub in Portugal, using the same built set.

Portugal aired first. Stacks of Cash made its European debut on TVI, where the launch episode took a No. 1 primetime timeslot rating. Multiple episodes later ranked as TVI's No. 1 show of the day.

That shared hub is a deliberate cost saver. One set serves three productions, with crews and kit centralised rather than rebuilt in each market. Fremantle has used the same model before on its formats Holey Moley and The Tunnel.

Fremantle will now shop Stacks of Cash more widely at Mipcom, the annual TV market in Cannes where broadcasters and streamers buy formats and finished shows.

What makes this stand out is speed. Two English-language orders plus a working European edition give international buyers ratings to look at and a production line already running.