Catch Phrase (U.S. game show)

Catch Phrase is a syndicated U.S. game show which ran from September 16, 1985 through January 10, 1986, hosted by Art James. Two contestants competed to identify a series of animated puzzles called catch phrases to win money and prizes.

The show was not a success in America and was cancelled after thirteen weeks. Despite this, the show became a major success in other countries. A British version best known for its original host Roy Walker ran from 1986 to 2002 on the ITV network, and an Australian version primarily based on the British version aired on the Nine Network from 1997 to 2003.

Gameplay

Two contestants competed, the champion standing at the blue podium and the challenger at the red. If two new contestants appeared, a coin toss determined who stood at which podium. At the start of each round, one contestant stopped a randomizer consisting of dollar amounts by hitting his/her buzzer, which became the amount for the toss-up catch phrases.

On each toss-up, the computer slowly drew a catch phrase on the screen. When the puzzle was completed, a bell rang and the contestants could then buzz-in and guess the answer. The show's mascot, a robotic character called "Herbie" (identical to the UK show's "Mr. Chips"), occasionally appeared in a catch phrase.

Correct answers added the predetermined money amount to the bank, which was claimed by solving the Super Catch Phrase hidden behind nine squares. After correctly solving a catch phrase, a contestant could remove one of these squares by hitting his/her buzzer to stop a randomizer on one of them. Once the square was revealed, the contestant was given five seconds to think of an answer. A correct solution to the Super Catch Phrase won all the money in the bank; if incorrect, another toss-up catch phrase was played.

Several Super Catch Phrases were played according to time, and the contestant with the most money when time ran out won the game and played the bonus round. Both contestants kept their money. If the game ended in a tie, one final catch phrase was played.

Bonus Round

In the bonus game, the winning contestant faced a 5x5 board of 25 squares, each marked with a letter from A through Y. The contestant chose a letter and tried to solve a catch phrase behind it. The object of the round was to get five squares in a row (either across, up and down, or diagonally) in 60 seconds or less. Doing so won a prize package worth approximately $5,000. However, the center "M" square contained the most difficult puzzle on the board, and completing a line that included the "M" won a $10,000 prize package (which often included a car). If time expired, the contestant received $200 for each correctly-solved catch phrase. If one of the correct letters was the "M", the total was doubled.

Contestants were allowed to remain on the show until they were defeated or won five consecutive days. Any contestant who won five matches received a bonus prize.

External links

• Catch Phrase at the Internet Movie Database
• Catch Phrase at TV.com

References