Quiz Kids Challenge

The Quiz Kids Challenge is an American game show that was a take on the Quiz Kids programs of the past, which involved schoolchildren trying to answer questions posed to them by various adults.

The show premiered in syndication on September 10, 1990 and was hosted by Jonathan Prince. Johnny Gilbert was the primary announcer, with Charlie Tuna also announcing. The Quiz Kids Challenge was one of five syndicated game shows that premiered in the fall of 1990 and the first to be cancelled, ending its run on December 28, 1990 after sixteen weeks and eighty episodes. Reruns later aired on Game Show Network.

The series was a production of The Guber-Peters Company and distributed by Columbia Pictures Television.

Gameplay

The Quiz Kids Challenge featured a team of three adults playing against a team of three children referred to as the "Quiz Kids" in a general knowledge trivia game. While the idea of children playing difficult trivia questions was similar to the original Quiz Kids concept, The Quiz Kids Challenge adapted it and turned it from a panel-based game to a head-to-head game.

The Quiz Kids were of various ages, usually between 12 and 14. A team of three competed for an entire week of shows and faced a new team of adults each day.

Round one

A game board of nine monitors displayed eight categories. A random player was chosen to pick a category and a toss-up question was asked for $50. Buzzing in and answering correctly won the team $50, and the opposing team got a chance to answer if a player came up with an incorrect answer. Seven of the eight categories featured three total tossup questions, making each category worth a potential $150 for the team. The eighth category was the Triple Play category and the team that chose it got to attempt one question unopposed for $150. Control of the board was determined by who gave the last correct answer.

Later in the run, one of the categories was labeled "Viewer's Choice"; questions fitting these types of categories were based on suggestions from the home viewing audience.

Round two (Double or nothing)

In the Double or Nothing round, eight new categories were displayed on the board. The trailing team was given control of the board to start and as before, a $50 toss-up question was asked. The team that answered it could then decide to either bank the $50 or play on, and if they chose the latter option a second tossup was asked of the remaining two players. If one of them answered that question, the bank doubled to $100 and the choice was then given to the last remaining player. If that player answered a third question correctly, the team received $200 total. At any time the opposing team could steal the money and control with a correct answer, but if they did not the category was taken out of play and the player who gave the last correct answer chose a new category. The Double or Nothing round was played with a time limit, and a buzzer sounded to indicate when that limit expired.

100-Second Challenge (Final round)

The final round was a speed round that was played with four categories. To start the 100 Second Challenge, a member of the trailing team chose one of the four categories and a question in it was asked. The clock started once someone buzzed in and gave an answer. If that player answered correctly, he/she got to pick a category. If not, the opposing team was given a chance to answer. If neither team answered correctly, the category was taken off the board and replaced.

The questions increased in value as the round progressed. For the first twenty-five seconds, each question was worth $50. Every twenty-five seconds the question value doubled, so correct answers earned a team either $100, $200, or $400 depending on how much time was on the clock.

The team in the lead when the clock ran out won the game and kept their money. Since the adult team was changed daily, they simply split whatever money they won while the Quiz Kids' winnings, if there were any on a particular day, accumulated over the course of the week and their final total was split between them at the end of the week.

See also

• Quiz Kids
• Quizbowl

External links

• Rules for the Quiz Kids Challenge
• Quiz Kids Challenge at the Internet Movie Database
• Quiz Kids Challenge at TV.com