Balderdash (game show)

Infobox Television
show_name = Balderdash


caption =
format = Game Show
runtime = 30 min
starring = Elayne Boosler
John Moschitta
theme_music_composer =
opentheme =
endtheme =
country = US
network = PAX TV
first_aired = August 2, 2004
last_aired = February 4, 2005 (reran until April 22, 2005)
imdb_id = 0420367
tv_com_id = 28620

"Balderdash" was a short-lived game show based on the board game Balderdash, that aired on PAX TV during the 2004-2005 season. It was hosted by Elayne Boosler and announced by John Moschitta.

Gameplay

Two contestants faced a panel of three comedians in a game of separating fact from fiction.

The main game

In each round, a category was given, then the contestants secretly wagered any or all of their current score along with their decision of either "truth" or "balderdash". After the contestants presented their wagers & decision, host Boosler read the question and then each of the comedians one by one gave their answers. One of the answers was the truth, the other two were bluffs aka "Balderdash". After the answers were given, the contestants decided which comedian told the truth or which comedian bluffed. Then the correct answer was revealed & a correct decision added the wager while an incorrect answer deducted the wager. A correct "Balderdash" choice paid off at 1:1 while the truth paid off at 2:1 (doubling the wager) since only one comedian told the truth.

Round one

To start, the contestants were spotted 250 points. They wagered as much as they wanted on the question.

Round two

In this round, two more questions were asked, the contestants were given 500 more points added to their current scores. They wagered no less than 250 points, and on the second question of the round if either contestant had a score below 250, he/she had to go all in.

Round three

In the final round, one last question was asked and the contestants were given 1,000 extra points added to their score. They had to wager at least half their score on the question; the wagers were not revealed until after the correct answer was revealed, and the players must bet on the truth. The player with the most points at the end of that round won the game and went on to the Balderdash Barrage with the comedian of his/her choice.

Balderdash barrage

The Balderdash Barrage was a bonus round in which the day's winning player with the help of one of the day's three comedians played for one of two prizes (one of them being a trip). The winning player faced 10 monitors which spelled out the show's title, nine of them hid the name of the regular prize while only one hid the trip. To narrow the playing field, the winning player had 45 seconds to correct a series of statements that ended in a total Balderdash word or phrase. If the player got stumped, he/she said pass and then the comedian partner took a chance to answer. If either one missed it, then another statement was read. Each correct answer eliminated a letter that hid the regular prize. Then when time ran out, the winning player then chose a letter and won the prize revealed. But if the winning player got nine correct before time ran out, then he/she automatically won both prizes.