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Two family teams, each with five members, are asked to guess the results of surveys, in which 100 people would be asked open ended questions (e.g. "we asked 100 people to name something associated with the country Wales" or "we asked 100 people to name a breed of dog"). Although rarely acknowledged in the show, the 100 people surveyed are invariably audience members who have volunteered before the show.
Each round begins with a member of each family (in rotation, meaning all players do this at least once) approaching the podium. As the question is read, the first of the two nominees to hit a buzzer gives an answer. If this is not the most popular answer, the other nominee is asked. The family with the more popular answer then chooses whether to "play" the question, or "pass" control to the other family.
The host then passes down the line of the controlling team, asking for an answer from each. After each answer, the board reveals whether this answer featured. If not, a "life" is lost. If a family manages to come up with all the survey answers (most commonly six in the early part of the show, reduced in number after the commercial break), they win the amount in pounds of the total number of people who had given the answers. Every time someone gives an answer that is not on the board, the family loses a life, accompanied by a large "X" on the board with the famous "uh-uhh" sound. If they lose all three lives, the other family was given the chance to "steal" by coming up with an answer that may be among those missing. If this answer is present, the other family wins the round and is said to have "stolen" the money; if not, the family who gave the three incorrect answers win the money for their correct answers.
Following three rounds before the commercial break (two rounds in series 1), "Double Money" is played. Gameplay is the same as the first rounds, but each answer is worth £2 for each person who said it, and there are generally fewer possible answers. The family who passes £300 (£200 in series 1) first go on to play "Big Money" (known in some overseas versions as "Fast Money") for the jackpot.
Big Money
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This involves two contestants from the winning family answering five questions that fit with those given by the "100 people surveyed", with the questions asked within a narrow time limit. The first contestant answers the five questions within 15 seconds; then the second contestant (who has been out of earshot) answers within 20 seconds (the extra time is available in case the contestant repeats an answer already given). If they get 200 points or more from the ten answers they win the top cash prize.
From 1994 onwards, a bonus star prize was available if all five "top" (most popular) answers were found and they had reached 200 or more points. If the family did not earn 200 points, they won £2 per point, up to £398.
All-Star Family Fortunes
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In the current all star run, Vernon Kay (who was previously a contestant on the show during the finals night of Ant & Dec's Gameshow Marathon ) presided over two celebrities and their families competing to win up to £30,000 for a charity of their choice.
Differences to the Original Civilian Shows
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The show was basically the same as the original except with these differences:
There were three rounds of Single Money and two rounds of Double Money and then the family who had the most money after this went on to play Big Money, whether or not they had reached £300.
In Big Money, a loss earned £10 times the points earned in both front and end games, up to £1,990.
The Gameboard
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The most iconic aspects of the show are the large computer screen, named "Mr Babbage" by original host Bob Monkhouse and the famous computerised "Eh-uh" sound used when wrong answers are given. Both were originally designed to appear high-tech but have since become fondly regarded for being quite the opposite (as compared to the original US Feud, which has used a video board since its 1999 revival). The computer screen name "Mr Babbage" was in recognition to the English mathematician, philosopher, inventor, and mechanical engineer who originated the concept of a programmable computer, Charles Babbage.
The 2006 version shows the use of a multi-coloured computerised scoreboard in place of the classic yellow-and-black LED version – the only other time a colour scoreboard was used was briefly in 1987 and 1988.