Wipeout (1988 game show)

Infobox Television
show_name = Wiping out


caption =
format = Game Show
picture_format =
runtime = 30mins (inc. adverts)
creator = Bob Fraser
starring = flagicon|USA: Peter Tomarken flagicon|UK: Paul Daniels (1994 - 1997) Bob Monkhouse (1998 - 2002) flagicon|AUS: Tony Johnston
channel = flagicon|USA: Syndication flagicon|UK: BBC1 flagicon|AUS: Seven Network
first_aired = flagicon|USA: September 12, 1988 - September 8, 1989 flagicon|UK: 25 May, 1994
last_aired = 3 December, 2002 flagicon|AUS: 1999 - 2000
num_series =
num_episodes = flagicon|USA: 195 flagicon|UK: 495 flagicon|AUS: TBC
country = USA
producer = flagicon|USA: Paramount Television flagicon|UK: Action Time flagicon|AUS: Southern Star
related =
imdb_id =

"Wipeout" was an American game show, airing from 1988 to 1989, with Peter Tomarken as host. It also later became a British game show, hosted by Paul Daniels from 1994 to 1997 and later with Bob Monkhouse from 1998 to 2002. It was a children's game show in Australia from 1999 to 2000, hosted by Tony Johnston.

Episodes of the British version of the show hosted by Paul Daniels are currently being re-broadcast on the digital television station Challenge.

Main Game

Round One

Three contestants are presented with a category and a board of sixteen screens consisting of eleven correct answers and five incorrect answers (dubbed "Wipeouts"). The contestant farthest to the left chose an answer and, if it was correct (signified by an animated dollar sign graphic, a star, or a check mark, depending on the version), earned money and kept control of the game. However, if the contestant selected a Wipeout, the contestant lost the money accumulated to that point and control passed to the next player in line. After a correct answer, a contestant could choose another answer or pass control to the next player. Contestants were required to select at least one answer before passing control. The round continued until either all the correct answers or all the Wipeouts had been found.

coring

*In the US - $25 for the first answer, plus an additional $25 for every subsequent correct answer revealed, up to $275 for the eleventh correct answer.
*In the UK - £10 for the first answer, plus an additional £10 for every subsequent correct answer revealed, up to £110 for the eleventh correct answer. Three boards are played; scores are cumulative (money won on a previous board can be lost on a later board).
*In Australia - Played in two rounds (with "twelve" correct answers and four Wipeouts in each), correct answers were worth 25 points each in round one and 50 points each in round two. Also, after an answer, play immediately goes to the next player.

"Hot Spot"

Behind one of the correct answers was a "Hot Spot". Finding the Hot Spot awarded a trip or other bonus prize to the contestant. However, in order to win the prize, a contestant must avoid selecting a Wipeout and be one of the two players advancing to round two. If the contestant found a Wipeout while holding the Hot Spot, the Hot Spot was placed behind one of the remaining correct answers.In the UK if it was behind a Wipeout it would be a bad prize (eg can of oil and lollipop) and a good prize if behind a correct answer (eg designer bags). They also instantly won the prize if they won or not.In Australia, it was simply called the "Bonus."

After the first round, the two highest-scoring players kept their money and advanced to round two. In the event of a tie for second place (usually when two players finished with no money), a tiebreaker board presented with 12 answers, eight correct and four Wipeouts. A coin flip determined which player selected first. The players alternated choosing answers until one found either a Wipeout (and lost) or the eighth correct answer (and won). The survivor advanced to round two. In Australia, there were 6 correct answers and six wipeouts. In addition, play goes first for the next person in line.

Round Two

The second round was known as the "Challenge Round" in the US, "Wipeout Auction" in the UK, and "Bid for the Grid" in Australia. A board with twelve answers was shown to the contestants containing eight correct answers and four Wipeouts. Players alternated bidding based on the number of correct answers they could find. Bidding continued until one player challenged another or until the maximum bid of eight correct answers was given. If the player with the higher bid was able to complete the contract, they won the round. However, if a player found a Wipeout, their opponent could steal the round by providing just one correct answer. In the event the opponent also chose a Wipeout, the original player attempted to fulfill the remainder of their contract by continuing to select correct answers. In Australia, contestants had five seconds to look for answers, after that, each contestant makes a silent bid by pressing a number on their keypad. The player with the highest bid gets to play the board. If both players bids are the same, the first player to make a bid got to play first. This normally meant that players already made their bid during the five seconds of looking for the answers to ensure they get to play the board.

The first player to win two boards won the game, a prize, and advanced to the bonus round.

The Bonus Round

The contestant was given (or in some versions, chose) a category and was shown a new board with twelve answers; each on their own monitor. Six of the twelve answers were correct. The player had to race to the monitors, touch the border around the monitors that he or she thought had the correct answers, then race back and hit a plunger. (In Australia and in the Daniels UK version, the player entered his or her answers on an oversized keypad, instead of at the screens.) The Australian version allowed players to turn on more than six answers, although a computerized voice would warn them that too many answers were active and should they try and hit the plunger, it would not respond. The UK show required exactly six answers to be lit before validation. Upon hitting the plunger, the number of correct answers was revealed, and if it was less than six, the player had to race back to the board and make changes. If the contestant found all six correct monitors lit in 60 seconds or less, he or she won the bonus prize.

The bonus prize was a car in the US, a holiday in the UK, and a special prize in Australia.

In the US, contestants continued to appear on the show until defeated or until winning the bonus round.

External links

About the US version

* [http://www.loogslair.net/wiki/index.php?title=Wipeout Rules for Wipeout]
* [http://www.xanfan.com/wipeout/index.htm The Wipeout Page at xanfan.com]
* [http://www.gameshow-galaxy.net/wipeout.htm The Wipeout Page at The Gameshow Galaxy]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv7GtCi4jBk Clip of the Wipeout Pilot Intro]

About the UK version

* [http://www.ukgameshows.com/page/index.php/Wipeout Wipeout at ukgameshows.com]

About the Australian version

* [http://members.iinet.net.au/~powney/gameshow/wipeout1999.htm Fan site featuring the Australian version for children]
* [http://austvhistory.com/shows/wipeout00.rm Clip of the Aussie Wipeout Intro]
* [http://colsearch.nfsa.afc.gov.au/nfsa/search/display/display.w3p;adv=yes;group=;groupequals=;holdingType=;page=0;parentid=;query=456871;querytype=;rec=0;resCount=10 Wipeout at the National Film and Sound Archive]