Battlestars (game show)

Infobox Television
show_name = Battlestars
show_name_2 = The New Battlestars
format = Game show
runtime = 30 minutes
creator = Merrill Heatter
presenter = Alex Trebek
narrated = Rod Roddy (1981-82)
Charlie Tuna (1983)
theme_music_composer = Mort Garson
language=English
location=NBC Studios, Burbank
writer = Bob Logan
Gary Johnson
country = USA
network = NBC
first_aired = October 26, 1981
last_aired = July 1, 1983
imdb_id = 0198058
tv_com_id = 7869

"Battlestars" was an American game show that aired on two separate runs on NBC during the early 1980s. The show's first run aired from October 26, 1981, to April 23, 1982; while an updated version - called "The New Battlestars" - ran for 13 weeks, from April 4 to July 1, 1983.

"Battlestars" was similar to "The Hollywood Squares" in its gameplay and use of multiple celebrities (leading some fans to dub it "The Hollywood Triangles"). The show was produced by Merrill Heatter Productions, one of Heatter's first shows produced without Bob Quigley.

The host was Alex Trebek, and the announcers were Rod Roddy (1981-1982) and Charlie Tuna (1983).

Front game format

Two contestants - one a returning champion - competed; the one in the champion's seat (on the right) was designated "blue," the other "red." They faced a six-member celebrity panel, who sat in a large space-like set made up of triangles. Each triangle had three numbers (1-10) attached to their points; hence, they were called "points of light" (1-4-5, 2-5-6, 3-6-7, 4-5-8, 5-6-9, and 6-7-10).

The contestant in control would push a plunger on his/her podium to stop a flashing randomizer, and the number it stopped on determined what celebrity would be asked a question. The questions were asked in the style of "The Hollywood Squares", except that a celebrity was given two possible answers and had to choose between one or the other. Once they did that, the contestant was asked whether he/she agreed or disagreed with the celebrity. A correct response meant that he/she kept control. If the contestant was wrong, control passed to his/her opponent. Regardless of how the contestant in control answered, the point of light was lighted and it was then taken out of play. However, similar to Hollywood Squares, if a miss would result in the capture of a celebrity to an opponent by default, the point would remain in play.

If the player in control lights the last "point of light" around a celebrity, even if his/her opponent was responsible for the other two lights, the player "captured" that star. The first contestant to "capture" three stars won the game, $500 and played the bonus round.

If a number was attached to two triangles, the contestant chose which celebrity to play with, although the choice defaulted if it meant a star could be "captured" (unless of course more than one star can be captured). Also, if a contestant managed to "capture" all six celebrities (a rare feat), he/she won a bonus prize on the original version and $1,000 cash on the 1983 revival.

One of the sound effects used was a Pac-Man-esque sound when a player captured a celebrity; the electronic "time's up" bell carried over to Scrabble sometime in 1986, used to indicate "speedword" rules were in effect. The former of the two also carried over to "Scrabble" to indicate a player guessed a word immediately after landing on a pink or blue square, resulting in bonus money, but that effect was later discontinued.

1983 changes

The rules were identical except for these minor changes:

* The object was to extinguish the points of light rather than to light them; this was merely a cosmetic change and had no bearing on the rules.

* The points of light were now extinguished regardless of the contestant's decision.

* The randomizer was only used when control passed between contestants. Upon getting a correct answer, the contestant in control simply chose a number verbally.

* The celebrity, and studio and television audiences saw two possible answers (one of them was correct). The contestant never saw them.

Bonus game format

1981-1982: 'Battlestars Two'

A famous celebrity face was completely hidden under 16 numbered blocks. The winner of the game chose three cards, which Trebek would put in a scanner on his podium. After the three blocks were removed, the contestant picked one more square that would help them most, then they had a chance to identify the celebrity for $5,000. On some episodes, the contestant's choice was made prior to drawing the three cards. If a card drawn matched the number of the square the contestant already chose to reveal, the contestant would draw another card.

However, if they gave a wrong guess or couldn't answer, the contestant drew up to three additional cards (one at a time) and could solicit help from the celebrities. The prize value dropped to $3,000 for the first card, then $2,000 and $1,000. If the contestant failed to identify the face after four attempts the contestant won nothing.

1983: 'The Main Event/Battlestars Bonanza'

The winner and the three captured Battlestars (or three of the contestant's choice if more were captured) played a three-question bonus round. Each multiple-choice question had three possible answers (everybody sees the three answers in this game). After the celebrity offered his/her choice, the contestant was asked whether he/she agreed or disagreed. If the contestant was correct in disagreeing, he/she had to choose the correct answer from the two remaining choices to win any cash.

The first two questions were played for $500 each. If the contestant answered all three questions correctly they won the "Battlestars Bonanza", a jackpot that started with $5,000 cash and a prize package (generally a combined value of $10,000 or more), with another prize added every time it was not won.

cheduling/Ratings

Probably regretting having cancelled "Squares" a year before, NBC placed the first version of "Battlestars" at 11:30 a.m./10:30 Central, replacing "Card Sharks" and switching places with "Password Plus," in the hopes that the slot, where "Squares" had run for many years, would help the new show. However, it became yet another in a long line of victims of CBS' "Price is Right," and NBC pulled it after a six-month run, leaving only "Wheel of Fortune" as the sole game on its daytime schedule for the rest of the year.

Still, NBC did not give up; after a retooling, the game returned one year later, at Noon/11 Central. Like practically all shows since "Jackpot!" in 1975, though, "Battlestars" proved no match at all for CBS' "Young and the Restless" and ABC's "Family Feud," nor was it widely cleared by local stations, which opted to show local news instead.

Trivia

Jerry Seinfeld appeared as a panelist in 1982. At the time he was a relatively unknown comic working the stand-up circuit.

Alex Trebek became the second person (after Jim Perry) to concurrently host a Canadian and an American game show; as Trebek was hosting Pitfall in Vancouver, British Columbia.

On the 1983 premiere episode of "The New Battlestars", after providing several incorrect answers, panelist Debbie Reynolds jokingly ran out of the studio, screaming and crying at the same time. When the show returned from the commercial break, security officers caught Debbie in the hallway, brought her back to the studio and put her back in her seat.

External links

* [http://www.gameshow-galaxy.net/battlestars.htm David Livingston's Battlestars Page]
* [http://basicgames.folff.com/ Download a "Battlestars" MC game from BASICGames]