Child's Play (game Show) Article Index for
Child's Play
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Child's Play (game Show)





MAIN GAME

Two contestants competed. The object of the game was to correctly define words based on videotaped definitions given by Elementary School -age children. The game was played in two rounds.


Round 1

In the first round, a word was given to the home audience, and a video clip of a child defining that word was played. ''(For example: "It's when you run around and wave your arms back and forth." '''Answer:''' Arms race.)'' Any incriminating words were censored.

Once the clip ended, the contestant had a chance to guess the word; a correct response earned one point. If he/she was incorrect, his/her opponent viewed a clip of another child defining the same word. If the opponent was wrong, control passed back to the first contestant, who saw one final clip (usually of a younger child, and the answer usually not that hard to guess by this point). If he/she was still wrong, Cullen announces the correct answer and no points were awarded.

The first round continues, with the players alternating control on words, until the first commercial breeak.


Round 2: Fast Play

The second round was known as the "Fast Play" round. Both contestants were given the opportunity to guess what word the child was defining by hitting a Buzzer to interrupt the video clip and guess the word. If the contestant was correct, he/she received two points; if incorrect, the rest of the clip was played and the opponent was given a chance to guess.

The contestant with the highest score when time expired won $500 and played the bonus round.


BONUS ROUND

Two different bonus round formats were played during the year-long run of ''Child's Play'', each described below:


Format 1: Triple Play

The contestant had given 45 seconds to guess six words correctly. Each word had three written definitions by three different children ("Child A," "'''Child B'''," and "'''Child C'''"). Each correct guess was worth $100, while getting all six before time expired gave the contestant $5,000.


Format 2: Turnabout

Instituted about halfway through the show's run. Five children were brought into the studio, and the contestant had to describe seven words to the children within 45 seconds. The contestant won $100 for each word that a child guessed correctly, while the children split $100. Seven correct guesses gave the contestant $5,000 while the children split $1,000.

In both formats, Cullen would supply the correct answers for each word that was missed.


EPISODE STATUS

All episodes of ''Child's Play'' exist, and Rerun s have aired on GSN .


MISCELLANEOUS

  • This was the first game show ever to be billed as "a Mark Goodson television production," three years after the death of Goodson's longtime partner, Bill Todman .

  • Bill Cullen promoted ''Child's Play'' during a guest appearance on '' The Price Is Right '' with Bob Barker in 1982. This was the only time Cullen appeared on the modern version of the show that he hosted from 1956 to 1965 .

  • Tara Reid and Breckin Meyer were among the children giving clues to contestants.

  • This was Bill Cullen 's second-to-last network game show, before hosting '' Hot Potato '' for NBC . He took over for The Joker's Wild in 1984 following the death of longtime TJW host Jack Barry . Bill hosted Joker's Wild until 1986.

  • In addition to this, this was the last Goodson show that Cullen would host. He later would appear on two more Goodson shows: '' Trivia Trap '', where he participated in a charity game with Tom Poston and Jamie Farr on his team, and as a celebrity player on '' Super Password ''.

  • The German version ''Dingsda'' (engl. dingus) has been a success on ARD for twelve years (1986-1998).



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