| Test Pattern | |
|---|---|
| Format | Game show |
| Presented by | Dan Gallagher |
| Narrated by | Bill Carroll |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Production | |
| Location(s) | MuchMusic Toronto, Ontario |
| Running time | 22–26 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Insight Ente |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | MuchMusic |
| Picture format | 480i SDTV |
| Original run | 1989 – 1991 |
Test Pattern was the first game show on the Canadian television channel MuchMusic in the late from 1989 into the early 1990s. The Music and sound man was Bill St. Amour. The show's announcer was Bill Carroll (Except for one week when Bill Nasimok took his place). It occasionally 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. Reruns currently air Mondays and Fridays on GameTV. Reruns of episodes from the show's second season also aired during the summer of 2003 on MuchMoreMusic.
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.
The main game featured a "video wall" with a grid of nine windows with television screen facades. Each window concealed a category or other game feature. In the each of the two main rounds, contestants would take turns throwing a fake brick at the game board; For most screens, this would reveal a category from which trivia questions would be asked to all three contestants by ring-in format. Each correct answer added points, while each incorrect answer deducted them. Questions in the first main round were worth 10 points, and in the second main round were worth 20 points. 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.
The most often categories are:
The show also had a round featuring a large 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 show had at least two slightly different formats: In one format, the two main rounds were the first two rounds of the game with the board in the second round remaining as it was following the first round; this was followed by the wheel round. In the second format, the first round was following by the wheel round; the board was reset for the subsequent second main round, including the switch space which was once again available. It is unknown which of these formats preceded which.
The fourth and final round of each game 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. The player with the highest score at the end of the round won the grand prize and returned on the next episode. If there was a tie between two players, a tie-breaker more question was asked.
Among the mini-games played were:
The labels on the game wheel, which resulted in random questions or challenges, were: