Game Overview:

"Impossible" (stylized as !mpossible) is a British quiz show created by Hugh Rycroft and produced by Mighty Productions for BBC One. Hosted by Rick Edwards, the show offers contestants a chance to win up to £10,000 by answering questions. What sets it apart is that some answer choices in these questions are deliberately "impossible" or inconsistent with the given category. Additionally, episodes of "Impossible" are accessible in the United States via various over-the-top internet television services like Plex, Xumo, and The Roku Channel, each featuring its dedicated streaming channel airing episodes continuously.

Question Format:

Except for Round 2 (explained below), all questions presented in the show are multiple-choice and include three types of answers: correct, incorrect, or "impossible." Impossible answers are easily distinguishable as they don't align with the question's premise. For instance, if the question were, "Seoul is the capital of which Asian country?" answer choices might include:

In each episode, a group of contestants participates in two rounds, with one finalist getting the opportunity to compete for the £10,000 prize or a smaller daily prize pool collected during the game. Regardless of winning or not, contestants exit the show after their first attempt at the £10,000 question. Participants who haven't exhausted their eligibility return for the next episode. The number of contestants in the pool and their duration on the show has varied over the series.

Variations Over Series:

The pool of contestants and their tenure on the show has undergone some variations. Series 1 featured 30 contestants across 15 episodes. Series 2 and 3 saw the entire pool replaced every ten episodes, while Series 4 onwards replaced it every five episodes. The pool size was 24 contestants in Series 2 through Series 4 and reduced to 21 in Series 5. In Series 1, contestants remained on the show until they either won the £10,000 or made two unsuccessful attempts, which was different from subsequent series where only one attempt was allowed. Series 8 had 12 contestants due to social distancing guidelines amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In Series 1 to 3, departing contestants were replaced by new ones to maintain a consistent pool size. Starting from Series 4, the departing contestant's seat remained vacant.

Round 2 - The Qualifier and Grid:

The Qualifier is played three times, with each round split into two parts: a qualifier and the grid. Contestants aim to qualify for the Final. At the start of each Qualifier, scores are reset to zero.

In the Qualifier, the host presents five multiple-choice questions, each with three answer options. Contestants privately select their answers, earning one point for each correct response. Incorrect answers don't affect the score, but an impossible answer or failing to respond within the time limit eliminates the contestant. If only one player remains uneliminated after a question, they immediately qualify for the Grid. However, if all remaining contestants are eliminated in a single question, the entire pool re-enters the game. After the fifth question, the highest scorer advances to the grid, resolving any score ties in favor of the contestant who took the least time to lock in their answers.

In the Grid, the highest scorer picks one of four categories and views nine answers: one correct, three incorrect, and five impossible. After hearing the first part of a question, they select five answers they consider impossible. Each correct choice adds £100 to the daily prize pool and is removed from the board. Subsequently, the host presents the second part of the question with all non-impossible answers restored, and the contestant must choose the correct answer to proceed to the Final. Selecting an incorrect answer provides the runner-up/last eliminated player from the first half an opportunity to find the correct answer and advance. However, if this player selects an incorrect or impossible answer, the highest scorer progresses. If any impossible answers remain on the board and the highest scorer picks one, they are eliminated, and the runner-up gets a turn. If the runner-up also fails to select the correct answer, the host moves on to the next highest scorers until one succeeds.

Categories are removed as they are chosen, reducing the options from four to three in the second playthrough and from three to two in the third. The maximum daily prize pool is £1,500, earned by eliminating all five impossible answers in every Grid round. Contestants advancing to the Final sit out subsequent Qualifier and Grid rounds.