Le maillon faible (English translation: The weakest link) was the French version based on the Weakest Link. It first aired on July 9th, 2001 until August 12th, 2007 on TF1, hosted by Laurence Boccolini. During its six-year run, the top prize changed twice. The series started with 150,000 CFP in 2001. In series 2, the currency was converted to the euro, and the top prize was changed to 20,000 euros; it was then increased to 50,000 euros in series 4.
Trivia[]
- When Le maillon faible first went on the air back in 2001, the ratings were substantially higher compared to other weakest link versions that aired at the time, despite Laurence's rude comments. The quiz show was even successful enough to have their own board game released in 2001, along with its own video game for the PS2 and PC released by Activision in 2002. By 2004, the traditional podiums were upgraded into slightly more larger podiums. The high ratings stayed solid until around 2006. In an attempt to make a comeback, the station aired more celebrity specials (similarly to the American version) until the cancellation of the quiz show in August of 2007.
- The show celebrated its 200th episode in 2003 during its third season.