Test Pattern (TV series)

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Host Gallagher on a halloween episode

Test Pattern was the first game show on the Canadian television channel MuchMusic in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It sometimes featured Canadian musicians who were prominent at the time. Dan Gallagher hosted the program and it was produced and directed by Sidney M. Cohen. The show was cancelled after two seasons.^{[citation needed]} Episodes currently air Mondays and Fridays on Game TV Canada.

The show was a points-based contest, with the highest scorer winning a grand prize. There were four five-time champions in the first season. These four contestants were deemed the best contestants that season, and won trips to Las Vegas, Mexico, Jamaica, and Florida. All four participated in a "Tournament of Champions " show in season two, for which the grand prize was a home stereo.

[edit] Gameplay

The main game featured a wall with a grid of nine windows with television screen facades. Each window concealled a category or other game feature. In the first and third rounds, contestants would take turns throwing a fake brick at the game board; For most screens, this would reveal a cateogry from which trivia questions would be asked to all three contestants by ring-in format. The contestants wore helmets with the buttons above the forehead; to ring in they would have to slap themselves in the head. In the first round, each was worth 10 points, and in the third round (with the board reset with new categories), each was worth 20.

The board also concealed mini-games, which that contestant would play, and a "switch" space: This space knocked the player out of the game and switched them with another contestant waiting to play. If a player was switched out in the first round, they could return if a switch was revealed in the third round.

The second round featured floor-based game wheel with eight mini-games. An audience member was selected to lie on the wheel and act as the indicator, and the wheel with the audience member was spun once by each contestant who would play the game that resulted.

The fourth and final round was a lightning round, in which the contestants donned motorcycle-style helmets outfitted with a lightbulb and a button on the forehead. Contestants had to slap the button to ring in. As many questions as possible were asked in the 58-second time limit. It's the player that has the higher score when time is up wins and comes back next show. If there is a tie between two players, one more question is asked in a sudden death fashion.

[edit] Mini-games

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Among the mini-games played were:

Pablo's Hands - The contestant would be blindfolded and have to identify a substance on Pablo's hands slime by smell, touch and/or taste.
The Hairy Back Brothers - A pair of large hirsute men would take off their shirts, revealing extremely hairy backs with several band-aids on them. The contestant had to remove a band-aid and reveal a reward or penalty.

The labels on the game wheel, which resulted in random questions or challenges, were: