''The Quiz Kids Challenge'' is an American television

game show A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or Let's Play, demonstrative and are typically directed b ...

that was based loosely on prior ''

Quiz Kids ''Quiz Kids'' is a radio and TV series originally broadcast in the 1940s and 1950s. Created by Chicago public relations and advertising man Louis G. Cowan, and originally sponsored by Alka-Seltzer, the series was first broadcast on NBC from Chic ...

'' programs of the past, which involved schoolchildren trying to answer questions posed to them by various adults. The show premiered in

syndication Syndication may refer to: * Broadcast syndication, where individual stations buy programs outside the network system * Print syndication, where individual newspapers or magazines license news articles, columns, or comic strips * Web syndication, ...

on September 10, 1990, and was hosted by

Jonathan Prince Jonathan Alexander Prince (born August 16, 1958) is an American actor, director, screenwriter and movie producer. Career Prince embarked on an acting career following graduation from Harvard University. His played Leo in the 1981 CBS series ''M ...

Johnny Gilbert John Lewis Gilbert III (born July 13, 1928) is an American show business personality who has worked mainly on television game shows. Originally a nightclub singer and entertainer, he has hosted and announced a number of game shows from various e ...

was the primary announcer, with

Charlie Tuna Arthur W. Ferguson (April 18, 1944 – February 19, 2016), known professionally as Charlie Tuna, was a radio personality and television host based in Los Angeles, California. Career Radio At age 16, Tuna began working at his hometown's radio s ...

also announcing. ''The Quiz Kids Challenge'' was one of five syndicated game shows that premiered in the fall of 1990 and the second to be cancelled, ending on December 28, 1990 after sixteen weeks and eighty episodes. Reruns later aired on

Game Show Network Game Show Network (GSN) is an American basic cable channel owned by Sony Pictures Television. The channel's programming is primarily dedicated to game shows, including reruns of acquired game shows, along with new, first-run original and revive ...

. The series was a production of The Guber-Peters Company and Chillmark Productions and distributed by Guber-Peters Program Sales and later by

Columbia Pictures Television Columbia Pictures Television, Inc. (abbreviated as CPT) was launched on May 6, 1974, by Columbia Pictures as an American television production and distribution studio. It is the second name of the Columbia Pictures television division Screen Gem ...

Gameplay

''The Quiz Kids Challenge'' was a different take on the original ''Quiz Kids'' concept. Instead of a panel of children answering trivia question posed to them by a series of adults, the show was conducted as a head-to-head competition where a team of three adults was pitted against a team of "Quiz Kids", schoolchildren between the ages of twelve and fourteen. A new adult team competed on each show while a team of Quiz Kids played for an entire week.

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 the money, and the opposing team got a chance to answer if a player came up with an incorrect answer. For seven of the eight categories on the board, two additional tossups were asked at $50 per correct answer. The eighth category was the "Triple Play", which only featured one tossup but paid off at $150 for the team that answered it. Once a category was played, the last player to give a correct answer chose the next category for his/her team. 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. If one of the players gave an incorrect answer, the opposing team could steal the money and control with a correct answer. 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 doubled in value every 25 seconds as the round progressed, effectively dividing the round into four parts. Each correct answer paid $50 during the first part, $100 during the second, $200 during the third, and $400 for the last part. The team in the lead when time ran out won the game. Both teams split their final totals, which were each split three ways. Since the Quiz Kids competed for an entire week, their winnings would be banked and each day for the rest of the week, the winnings would be added to any previous money won. The Quiz Kids' final tally was revealed at the end of their week, and their total was split between the three of them.

References

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