| Wipeout | |
|---|---|
Wipeout logo. |
|
| Format | Game show |
| Created by | Bob Fraser |
| Presented by | Peter Tomarken |
| Narrated by | Jim Hackett Bob Ridgley John Harlan |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 195 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Dames-Fraser Productions Paramount Television |
| Location(s) | Paramount Pictures Studios Hollywood, California |
| Running time | approx. 22-26 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Syndicated |
| Original run | September 12, 1988 – June 9, 1989 |
Wipeout is an American game show, airing from September 12, 1988 to June 9, 1989, with Peter Tomarken as host. The series was produced by Dames-Fraser Productions and distributed by Paramount Television.
Reruns of the series later aired on the USA Network from 1989 to 1991.
Contents |
Three contestants were 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, 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.
$25 was awarded for the first correct answer, plus an additional $25 for every subsequent correct answer revealed (up to $275 for the eleventh correct answer). The round continued until either all 11 correct answers or all five Wipeouts had been found.
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.
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.
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 that the opponent also found a Wipeout, the original player attempted to fulfill the remainder of their contract by continuing to select correct answers.
The first player to win two boards won the game, a prize, and advanced to the bonus round.
The contestant was given a category and was shown a new board with twelve answers, each on their own monitor. In most versions, 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. 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, they won a new car.
Originally, there were no returning champions; later, contestants stayed on the show until they were defeated or won the bonus round, whichever came first.
A Spanish version originally called "Alta Tensión" (lit. "High Voltage"), and later "Tensión sin Límite" (lit. "Unlimited Voltage") had three separate runs: one from 1998 to 1999 hosted by Constantino Romero, one from 2006 to 2008 with Luis Larrodera, and one in 2011 with Ivonne Reyes.
Round 1 was played with three boards like the UK. For the first two boards, €100 was awarded for the first answer plus an additional €100 for every subsequent correct answer revealed, up to €1,000 for the tenth correct answer (only ten correct answers are on the board). The third board paid €200 for the first answer plus an additional €200 for every subsequent correct answer revealed (up to €2,000 for the tenth correct answer); instead of a bonus prize, one of the answers on one of the boards hid a "wild card," which preserved the money if a player found a Wipeout.
In round 2, Instead of bidding, one player selects a category, after which their opponent selects answers until finding a Wipeout, at which point their opponent takes over control of the board. A player wins the board by selecting the eighth and final correct answer. If one player finds the fourth wrong answer, their opponent automatically wins the board.
In the bonus round, seven of the answers were right, and five were wrong. Trying to turn on more than seven answers resulted in an error tone and the answer not being activated. Like in America, winning the bonus round awarded a new car.