Double Dare

I'd like to meet:

The main game involved two contestants who sat in isolation booths. The object of the game was to correctly identify a person, place or thing based on one-sentence clues that were given to them, one at a time, on an electronic gameboard (the correct response was shown to the home audience before the first clue was given). The clues would typically begin with obscure trivia and gradually become more direct references to the subject. A maximum of ten clues were given on one subject. If nobody gives the correct answer after ten clues, the host would reveal the subject and a new subject was played.At any time, contestants could hit a lockout buzzer to guess the subject. When a player buzzed in, his or her opponent's booth was sealed off (doors closed over the front of the booth, and the sound was turned off inside) in order to prevent him or her from hearing the guess. If correct, the contestant earned $50. If incorrect, that contestant’s booth was closed, and the opponent’s booth was reopened in order for him or her to see and hear a "penalty clue".The contestant who ultimately guessed the correct answer was then shown the next clue in the sequence, and given the opportunity to "Dare" the opponent to guess the subject based on that clue or to decline (If the correct answer was given on a penalty clue, that clue became the "dare" clue). If the contestant declined to "dare", the opponent’s booth was reopened and a new subject was played. If the contestant took the Dare, the opponent's booth was re-opened and he or she had five seconds to study the clue before Trebek asked him or her for a guess. A correct guess by the dared opponent earned $50 and a new subject was played. If incorrect, the player who made the Dare won an additional $100.If the Dare was successful, the contestant was given a chance to "Double Dare" the opponent with the next clue. This worked the same as the Dare, with the dollar values doubled ($100 if the double-dared opponent then gets the right answer, or a further $200 was won, and a total of $350 won on the question, by the player who made the Double Dare).The first player to win $500 or more won the game. Losing players kept any money earned, and received parting gifts as well.[edit] Beat the Spoilers The winner of the main game competed in a bonus round against a panel of three Ph.D.s known as "The Spoilers". Each Spoiler sat in a soundproof booth that was activated whenever clues were read to him or her.The contestant was presented with a subject and eight numbered clues randomly placed on a game board. The player selected a number to reveal a clue, and had the option to give that clue to the Spoilers, whose fields of expertise were not mentioned, or pass it on for another clue. Up to four passes were allowed. As in the main game, clues varied from trivial to fairly direct references.When the player elected to give a clue to the Spoilers, it was read to all three Spoilers, after which each one in turn was asked to provide an answer (the other Spoilers' booths were turned off while each one answered). Each time a Spoiler gave an incorrect answer, the contestant won $100. If a Spoiler guessed the subject correctly, that Spoiler won $100 and retired from the rest of the round.The player was required to give up to four clues to the Spoilers. If at least one Spoiler failed to correctly identify the subject after being given the fourth clue, the contestant won $5,000. However, if at any time all three Spoilers had guessed the subject, the round ended but the contestant kept all winnings to that point.Like most CBS game shows at the time, champions could stay on Double Dare until they were defeated or reached the CBS winnings limit of $25,000. However, the limit was enforced as soon as a contestant won a game that put their winnings over $20,000 (following in line with the ABC winnings limit of the time), as a victory against the Spoilers would put him or her over $25,000, but the contestant was still retired even if the Spoilers beat him or her.[edit] Scheduling/Ratings Double Dare replaced the popular game show Gambit on CBS' daytime lineup at 11 a.m. Eastern/10 a.m. Central. Facing NBC's strong Wheel of Fortune, it did not draw the audience Gambit had. After a move to 10 a.m. Eastern (where it went up against Sanford and Son reruns on NBC), CBS canceled Double Dare and replaced it with reruns of Here's Lucy.[edit] Production Jay Wolpert was explicitly acknowledged as the series' creator in the closing credits; Wolpert would later on create his own production company. This series also marked the debut of Jonathan Goodson as a producer. He would later serve as both the producer and executive producer of game shows for Goodson-Todman (later Mark Goodson Productions), including Card Sharks (which he is credited with co-creating, along with Chester Feldman), Child's Play, Trivia Trap, the 1989 revival of Now You See It, and the 1990 revival of Match Game. Jonathan became vice-president and chairman of MGP following his father's death in 1992. In 1996, he formed his own production company, Jonathan Goodson Productions. Markie Post, later a regular on the NBC comedy Night Court, was an associate producer on Double Dare.[edit] Theme and other sounds Virtually all of Double Dare's music and sound effects were recycled for other Goodson-Todman shows; most notably, the show's theme music, composed by Edd Kalehoff for Score Productions, was reused one year later for Card Sharks. The unique sound effect used when opening the doors of each contestant's isolation booth and clue board would go on to be used in multiple places: on the syndicated version of The Joker's Wild in the early 1980s (as the sound for a contestant's bonus round spin) and in The Price Is Right's now retired pricing game, Penny Ante. The buzzer used to signify incorrect answers from the Spoilers was later used on The Better Sex. The buzzer and losing horns heard when all three spoilers had correctly guessed the subject are still used today (and better known for their use) on The Price Is Right (albeit in an abbreviated form; this version of the Losing Horns would be used on the 1978-1981 run of Card Sharks), as is the correct answer "ding", which was used almost universally on Goodson-Todman shows which aired on CBS.[edit] Episode status The series is currently shown on GSN. The show returned to the lineup in September 2007 and currently airs at 1:00 AM and 1:30 AM Monday Eastern Time. It had been assumed that all episodes were intact, but recent observations by members of Invision's Game Show Forum show that five weeks' worth of episodes may be unaccounted for. [1] Whether they were destroyed by CBS after the show went off the air in 1977, were not kept, or just lost by GSN after their last run on the network remains to be seen.A clip from the series finale, where some risque clues to "a boomerang" were presented, appeared on VH1's Game Show Moments Gone Bananas in 2005.Double Dare is a children's game show, originally hosted by Marc Summers, that aired on Nickelodeon. The show combined trivia questions with often messy "physical challenges." It is often credited with putting the then-fledgling network on the map. An issue of TV Guide released a list of the 50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time on American Television which placed Double Dare at #29.The show originated from the WHYY-TV studios in Philadelphia in 1986. In 1987, the show temporarily moved to New York City for a special weekend edition called Super Sloppy Double Dare. The show returned to Philadelphia in 1988; by then Viacom syndicated the show to the young Fox network. In markets where there was no Fox station, the show aired on independent stations. In 1989, some episodes of Super Sloppy Double Dare were made in Philadelphia, and some were made in Orlando. The Super Sloppy format reappeared the following year, and production of the show moved to Nickelodeon Studios, where it remained until its cancellation in 1992. The final episodes aired in 1993.Main game The show begins with Marc Summers saying, "On your mark, get set, GO!" As the teams raced to complete a toss-up challenge, the announcer would quickly explain the challenge, then introduce the show. Only when one team completed it would the announcer then introduce Marc Summers.Two teams of two kids each competed for cash and prizes. Originally, both teams wore red uniforms, but after Double Dare's syndication began in 1988, one team began wearing blue uniforms.Host Marc Summers typically explained the rules of the game as follows:“ I'm going to ask you a question, and if you don't know the answer, or think the other team 'hasn't got a clue' (originally 'is stumped'), you can dare them to answer it for double the dollars. But be careful, because they can always double dare you back for four times the amount, and then you'll either have to answer the question or take the physical challenge. ”Each round began with a toss-up challenge in which both teams competed. The winner received $20 USD and control of the round. Summers would begin the round by asking trivia questions to the team that won control in the toss-up challenge. A correct answer would earn money and maintain control of the round; an incorrect response would give the other team control and, if a Dare/Double Dare was in play, the money as well.Physical challenges Physical challenges were stunts, usually messy, that a team had to perform in a specified time, usually 20 or 30 seconds, although occasionally 10 or 15 seconds. All physical challenges on Double Dare 2000 were 30 seconds in length, unless a time reduction was in play.Most challenges involved filling a container past a line with one of a variety of substances: water, uncooked rice, green slime, whipped cream, and "a milk-like substance", to name a few. Others involved catching a certain number of items before time ran out. For example, during "Pie in the Pants," a contestant had to catch 3 or 4 pies in the specified time limit.Completing the stunt won the team money and control of the game; otherwise the money and control went to the opposing team.Double Dare 2000 introduced the "Triple Dare Challenge." Available only in round two, this allowed a team to make their physical challenge more difficult in exchange for triple the dare amount ($300) and a bonus prize. Sometimes this included reducing the time limit (turning a 30-second challenge into a 25-second one), adding an extra item to the stunt (catching 5 pies instead of 4), or increasing the overall difficulty of the stunt (blindfolding the players). If the team did not successfully complete the challenge, the money, the bonus prize, and control of the game went to their opponents.[edit] Obstacle course The team with the highest score at the end of round two went on to the final challenge of the game, the obstacle course. Regardless of the outcome, both teams keep the money they have obtained with $100 being the house minimum ($200 on Double Dare 2000 and $500 on the FOX version of Family Double Dare).The course consisted of eight obstacles which had to be completed within sixty seconds, (sixty-one seconds on NBA Allstar Double Dare, and sixty-five seconds on the christmas episode of the original Double Dare). Each obstacle had an orange flag either at the end of or hidden within it. One team member would start at the first obstacle and upon completion, pass its flag to his partner, who would then move on to the second obstacle. The team would continue to alternate like this until they completed the course or until time ran out, whichever came first.The team won a prize for each obstacle completed. During the Fox run of Family Double Dare, $2,000 in cash (plus $500 each episode until won) was awarded at obstacle #7 in place of a prize, and the eighth flag won the grand prize. In the original and Super Sloppy versions, the grand prize was usually a vacation. In Fox Family Double Dare, as well as the first season of the Nickelodeon run, it was a brand new car. In 1992, it was changed back to a vacation; however, the family that won the tournament held that season had the chance to run the Obstacle Course for a car (see below).[edit] Spinoffs[edit] Super Sloppy Double Dare (1987) The format of Super Sloppy Double Dare copied that of the original program, but the physical challenges and obstacle course were mostly designed with making the biggest mess possible, hence the title. Launched in 1987, it aired on the weekends, on Nickelodeon, and featured a home viewer contest centered around the on-stage physical challenges. This version was filmed at Unitel Studios in New York. One well known special shot during this run was Miami Vice day with the motto "Reeboks...NO SOCKS!".[edit] Super Sloppy Double Dare (1989) To compete with other children's game shows at the time, the format returned to the air (minus the home viewer contest) in 1989. This newly revamped Super Sloppy Double Dare filmed from WHYY's Forum Theatre for approximately the first 50 episodes, eventually to moving to Universal Studios in Florida to film the approximately 50 remaining episodes of this version. Many special "theme shows" were taped during the 1989 run, including "Salute to Baseball", "Backwards Day", Marc vs. Harvey", and many more.Since there were two different locations for this one version, there were noticeable set changes between the Philadelphia and Orlando-taped episodes.In Philadelphia, the timer always displayed "00" when not in use (as typical of the original Double Dare), and the background behind the center stage was colored blue-to-red.In Orlando, the timer displayed the "Super Sloppy Double Dare" logo when not in use, and turned around to show the timer's digits when needed for a physical challenge/obstacle course (as also done for FOX's Family Double Dare). Also, the contestants' lectern triangles were not lit in the center (this would also mark the last time the lecterns contained the colored triangles for any version of the show). Also, the background color scheme was different.[edit] Family Double Dare Family Double Dare (1988) logoFamily Double Dare premiered on Fox on April 3, 1988, and moved to its regular Saturday night slot that week. This version featured two teams of four: two kids with two parents. The same rules used for the regular version of Double Dare applied, but more money was at stake. (See Scoring above.) The set of Fox's Family Double Dare from 1988.Family Double Dare ended its Fox run in July 1988 after 13 episodes. After the first order of episodes were produced, FOX insisted upon producing specials, such as WWF Wrestlers vs. Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. Since Viacom (Nickelodeon) was in charge of production and wanted to keep it a kid-related show, they refused the idea. When an argument struck between the two stations, Nickelodeon walked out on FOX, ending its production. Nickelodeon resumed production in 1990, and finally canceled it in 1992. Producers taped some new episodes after the cancellation. Summers himself has said about the show, "We could do reruns forever."The final season of the Nickelodeon run ended with a Tournament of Champions. The two teams with the highest scores of the season, along with the two teams with the fastest obstacle course times, were invited back to participate in the special hour-long final episode in a battle of "Brains vs. Brawn". The two "Brains" (high scoring teams) played each other in a full game of Double Dare sans the Obstacle Course; a full game with the "Brawns" team immediately followed. The winning families from these two games then faced each other in a final full-length game (labeled "Brains vs. Brawn") to determine the grand champion, who won a large trophy and the right to run the Obstacle Course one final time for a car. The winning family, whose team moniker was "Granite Toast", indeed won the car at the end of the show. The final original episode aired in 1993, and Family Double Dare reruns continued up to February 1999 on Nickelodeon. From Feb 1999 until November 1, 2005 Family Double Dare was on Nick GaS daily. The Fox version of Family Double Dare hasn't aired since. It was also producedCelebrity Double Dare A 1988 pilot, Celebrity Double Dare is produced by Ron Greenberg and featured celebrity team captains ; it was hosted by Bruce Jenner, with Bob Hilton announcing. The format was also slightly different: questions had two possible answers, with each team member giving one, and teams did not keep control after correctly answering a question. The obstacle course was basically the same, except the players hit a buzzer after completing each obstacle rather than grabbing a flag, and a new car was the grand prize. The team that made it to the obstacle course on this version won the grand prize. This version was never picked up.[edit] Super Special Double Dare Super Special Double Dare is a short series of special Double Dare episodes featuring celebrities, sport teams or cast members from other Nickelodeon shows. These episodes used two teams of four contestants, with all winnings going to charity. One Special was NBA All Star Double Dare and the other was just entitled Super Special Double Dare with the Girls from Clarissa/Welcome Freshmen vs. the boys. 2 civilian kids were also on each team. On NBA All Star Double Dare the time on the Obstacle Course was 61 seconds, and the team that made it to the obstacle course won the grand prize.Double Dare 2000 Double Dare 2000 was the revived version of the show, which premiered on January 24, 2000. Jason Harris hosted this version of the show; original host Marc Summers was the executive consultant. Double Dare 2000 followed the Family Double Dare format with a revamped set and bigger physical challenges. It also featured the new "Triple Dare Challenge" option in round two (which would be worth $300 and an additional prize), introduced "goooze", and referred to the obstacle course as the "Slopstacle Course". Five episodes were shot in high definition with a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9 as a promotion for sponsor Sony. Double Dare 2000 was cancelled in December 2000. During the "back to" and "up next" bumpers of Double Dare 2000 on Nick GAS, the show's tagline is The Mess For The New Millennium. Currently, Double Dare 2000 is being aired in order according to the original air dates and episode numbers.A pipe from the "Baked Alaska Pipeline" obstacle from the obstacle course can be seen in the exit area to Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast at Universal Studios Florida. One episode had an all-star battle between stars of the 2000 movie, Snow Day, versus the stars of The Amanda Show. This started the friendship between Drake Bell and Josh Peck, which would lead to Josh joining The Amanda Show as well as their own series, Drake & Josh.Set changes Throughout the show's run, the set maintained a basic structure. The main part of the game was played on a stage with the host's lectern at center and a timer mounted above. The contestant lecterns with scoreboards behind them were set at an angle on either side of the host. Space was provided in front of all the lecterns for physical challenges, and the obstacle course had space in front of that. Over time, aesthetic changes were made to the set, including:A glass block wall with lights behind them, similar to those behind the contestants' lecterns, was installed behind the host's lectern in 1988. This first appeared on the Fox run of Family Double Dare, was used during the 2nd half of syndicated run of Double Dare, and remained throughout the run until 1993. From 1986-1988, a Red triangle was on the front of both contestant lecterns. When the show entered syndication later in 1988, the triangle on the Blue team's lectern changed to match their respective color. On both the Fox and Nickelodeon versions of Family Double Dare and Super Special Double Dare, the show's logo appeared in the place of a triangle on the contestant lecterns. The physical challenge floor was set two steps below the lecterns during the 1989 run of Super Sloppy Double Dare. Episodes taped in Philadelphia had the physical challenge floor on the same level as the obstacle course. When the show moved to Orlando, the physical challenge and obstacle course floors became separated by one step as two different floors, essentially creating a stage with three different levels. The original 3-digit triangular scoreboards were tall and featured a vane-style dollar sign underneath the score and was both red. Eventually, the encircled "DD" logo replaced the dollar sign and the scoreboards were slightly shortened, which allowed the contestants and the score to be visible in the same shot. The blue scoreboard was add during the first Super Sloppy Double Dare run and returned at the beginning of the syndicated run of Double Dare to match their respective color. A rectangular, 4-digit scoreboard was introduced in the Fox run of Family Double Dare to accommodate potential scores of $1,000 or more. Nickelodeon's Family Double Dare initially used the 3-digit scoreboards until a team won the game with $1,050. The timer rotated on the Fox version of Family Double Dare and in the 1992 season of the Nickelodeon run of Family Double Dare, the Orlando episodes of Super Sloppy Double Dare, and the run of Super Special Double Dare episodes. When not in use, the timer displayed the series logo (earlier, it displayed "00"). The Fox run of Family Double Dare made a few set changes never seen on other versions:The timer had no chase lights around the digits. The set's chase lights were covered. The familiar yellow/purple checkerboard scheme was removed entirely; a confetti scheme replaced it. The host and contestant lecterns were all plain yellow, except for the top portions which remained light blue. Double Dare 2000 featured some notable changes to the set:A four-panel video screen was set behind the host's lectern, and was used to display the show logo and the timer. The scoreboards were oval-shaped and used light-emitting diodes (LEDs). In early episodes, the studio lights drowned out the LEDs, particularly on the blue team's side. This made the numbers hard to read on screen. There were no chase lights on the set. Instead, a wall with randomly placed lights was used behind the host lectern. The contestant lecterns were asymmetrical.[edit] Music All of the original Double Dare music was composed by Edd Kalehoff (coincidently, he created the theme for the 1976 version of Goodson-Todman's Double Dare) and was basically the same throughout the show's run with some minor changes to the music. From 1986 to 1988, the music had a synth lead. Then, from 1988, starting with Fox Family Double Dare and the 2nd half of the syndicated run of Double Dare, til the end of the run, all of the music was remixed with a horn lead (however, the 1986 variation theme was used for the opening from 1988 to 1990). For Double Dare 2000, the music was composed by Rick Witkowski with a surfer feel for the show; however, the theme song had the same melody from the original.Episode status All episodes and versions of Double Dare still exist, and have been seen on Nick GAS. One episode of the Fox version of Family Double Dare aired on Nick GAS once. However, for the final two years of the channel's existence, the only version of Double Dare to air was Double Dare 2000.With the conversion of the Nick GAS channel to "the N" format on December 31, 2007, Double Dare and all of its revivals' re-runs are no longer aired anywhere to this day.CBS Paramount Television, the successor to the old Viacom owns all versions of the show, as well as the concept for any future revivals