Wipeout was an American game show, airing from 1988-1989, with Peter Tomarken as host. It also later became a British game show, hosted by Paul Daniels (1994-1997) and later Bob Monkhouse (1998-2003). It was a children's game show in Australia, hosted by Tony Johnston. Quiz show redirects here. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Peter David Tomarken (December 7, 1942 – March 13, 2006) was an American television personality known primarily as host of Press Your Luck. ... Paul Daniels (born Newton Edward Daniels, 6 April 1938) is a British magician and television performer. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Bob Monkhouse presenting Celebrity Squares (Image copyright British Film Institute) Robert Allen Monkhouse OBE (June 1, 1928 – December 29, 2003) was an English entertainer in the traditional sense, though primarily known as a comedian and game show host. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The American version was created by former comedy writer Bob Fraser, produced by Dames-Fraser Productions, and syndicated by Paramount Television. Bob Fraser is an American television producer, writer, and actor. ... CBS Paramount Television (formerly Desilu Productions, Paramount Television, among other companies) is an American television production/distribution company that was formed on January 17, 2006 by CBS Corporation merging Paramount Television and CBS Productions. ...

Main Game

Round One

Three contestants are 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 (signified by an animated dollar sign graphic), 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. The round continued until either all the correct answers or all the Wipeouts had been found.

Scoring

• In the US - $25 for the first answer, plus an additional $25 for every subsequent correct answer revealed, up to $275 for the eleventh correct answer.
• In the UK - £10 for the first answer, plus an additional £10 for every subsequent correct answer revealed, up to £110 for the eleventh correct answer.
• In Australia - Played in two rounds, correct answers were worth 25 points each in round one and 50 points each in round two.

"Hot Spot"

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 wile 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, 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.

Round Two

The second round was known as the "Challenge Round" in the US, "Wipeout Auction" in the UK, and "Bid for the Grid" in Australia. 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 the opponent also chose 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 and advanced to the bonus round.

The Bonus Round

The contestant was given a category and shown a new board with twelve answers each on their own monitor. Six of the twelve answers were correct. The player had to race to the monitors, touch the border around six of the monitors he or she thought had 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, he or she won the bonus prize.

The bonus prize was a car in the U.S., a trip in the U.K. and a special prize for children in Australia.

In the U.S., contestants continued to appear on the show until defeated or until winning the bonus round.

External links

• Rules for Wipeout
• The Wipeout Page at xanfan.com
• The Wipeout Page at The Gameshow Galaxy
• Wipeout at ukgameshows.com
• Fan site featuring the Australian version for children
• Clip of the Wipeout Pilot Intro
• Clip of the Aussie Wipeout Intro
• Wipeout at the National Film and Sound Archive