Wipeout (1988 U.S. game show)
| Wipeout | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Game show |
| Created by | Bob Fraser[1] |
| Directed by | Jerome Shaw[1] |
| Presented by | Peter Tomarken |
| Narrated by |
Jim Hackett Bob Ridgely John Harlan |
| Theme music composer | Otis Conner[1] |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 195 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Rob Dames Bob Fraser |
| Producer(s) | Bill Mitchell[1] |
| Location(s) |
Paramount Pictures Studios Stage 30 Hollywood, California |
| Running time | approx. 22-26 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Dames-Fraser Productions Paramount Television[1] |
| Distributor | Paramount Domestic Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | Syndicated |
| Original release | September 12, 1988[1] – June 9, 1989 |
Wipeout is an American game show that aired 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 Domestic Television.
Reruns of the series later aired on the USA Network from 1989 to 1991.[1]
Main game
First round
Three contestants competed on each episode. Initially, each game featured three new contestants. After several weeks, the show instituted a returning champion policy.
The players were given a category and shown 16 possible answers on a 4-by-4 grid of monitors. Eleven answers were correct, while the five incorrect ones were referred to as "Wipeouts." (In one episode, Tomarken accidentally referred to them as "Whammies" from Press Your Luck, a game show he had previously hosted.) The contestant in the leftmost position began the round.
The contestant in control chose one answer at a time; each correct answer awarded money, while finding a Wipeout reset the score to zero and ended his/her turn. After each correct answer, he/she could either choose again or pass control to the next contestant. The first correct answer of the round was worth $25, and the value of each subsequent answer increased by $25, with the last one worth $275.
When either all of the correct answers or all of the Wipeouts had been found, the round ended and the two highest-scoring contestants kept their money and advanced to the Challenge Round. If there was a tie for low score, the tied players were given a new category and shown 12 answers (eight right, four Wipeouts). They alternated choosing one answer at a time, with a coin toss to decide who would start, and the first contestant to find a Wipeout was eliminated. If all eight correct answers were found, the contestant who gave the last one advanced.
"Hot Spot"
A "Hot Spot" bonus prize was hidden behind one of the correct answers. If a contestant found it, he/she could win the prize by avoiding a Wipeout for the rest of the round and being one of the two who advanced to the Challenge Round. Finding a Wipeout forfeited the prize, which was then hidden behind one of the remaining correct answers.
Challenge Round
The contestants were shown a board with 12 answers, eight correct and four Wipeouts, and they bid back and forth as to how many correct answers they thought they could name. Bidding ended when one contestant either reached the maximum of eight or challenged the other. If the high bidder successfully completed the bid, he/she won the board. One mistake allowed the opponent a chance to steal the board with one correct answer; however, if the opponent hit a Wipeout, the high bidder could resume trying to fulfill the bid.
The high scorer from the first round started the bidding on the first board, while his/her opponent led off for the second. If a third board was needed, a coin toss decided who would start the bidding.
The first contestant to win two boards won the game, received a prize, and advanced to the bonus round.
Bonus round
Instead of using the 4-by-4 monitor grid from the main game, the bonus round used a grid of 12 larger monitors, arranged in three rows of four. The contestant was given a category and shown 12 answers, six of which were correct. He/she had 60 seconds to find the correct answers; to do so, he/she ran across the stage and touched the edges of the monitors for the answers he/she thought were correct. In order to change an answer, the contestant had to touch its edge to turn off its light, then touch a different one to turn it on. Once the contestant had six answers lit, he/she ran back to press a button and find out how many were correct, but not specifically which ones. He/she could make changes and press the button as often as time allowed. Tomarken demonstrated the process for the contestant before the round began, using a sample category and set of answers.
If the contestant found all six correct answers within 60 seconds, he/she won a new car and retired from the show as an undefeated champion. If not, he/she returned to play again on the next episode.
Versions outside the US
| Country | Local Name | Host | Network | Year Aired |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Australia |
Wipeout | Tony Johnston | Seven Network | 1999-2000 |
 Germany |
Riskier Was! | Gundis Zámbó | Sat.1 | 1994-1995 |
 Greece |
Risko | Giorgos Polixroniou | Mega Channel | 1995-1997 |
 Netherlands |
Denktank | Kas Van Lersel | RTL 4 RTL 5 Veronica |
1994-1999 |
 Spain |
Alta Tensión | Constantino Romero Luis Larrodera |
Antena 3 Cuatro |
1998-1999 2006-2008 |
| Tensión sin Limite | Ivonne Reyes | VEO7 | 2011 | |
 United Kingdom |
Wipeout | Paul Daniels (1994-1997) Bob Monkhouse (1998-2002) |
BBC1 | 1994-2002 |
Australia
Germany
The German version is called Riskier Was! (lit. Risk Something!) aired on Sat.1 hosted by Gundis Zámbó aired on Sat.1 from 1994 to 1995. Unlike other international versions of Wipeout, this version alone had a blue cartoon Rhino as the mascot of the show.
Greece
The Greek version is called Risko aired on Mega Channel from 1995 until 1997, hosted by Giorgos Polixroniou.
Netherlands
The Dutch version is called Denktank (lit. Think Tank) aired on RTL 4, RTL 5 & Veronica from 1994 until 1999, hosted by Kas Val Lersen.
Spain
A Spanish version originally called "Alta Tensión" (lit. "High Voltage"), and later "Tensióm sin Límite" (lit. "Unlimited Voltage") had three separate runs: one from 1998 to 1999 on Antena 3 hosted by Constantino Romero, one from 2006 to 2008 on Cuatro with Luis Larrodera as host, and one in 2011 on Veo7 with Ivonne Reyes as host.
Format changes
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.