Click (game show)
Encyclopedia
Click is an American television game show
based around computer
s and the then-relatively novel medium of the Internet
. The youth-oriented series was created by Merv Griffin
and hosted by Ryan Seacrest
.
It aired in syndication from September 6, 1997, to August 1999; reruns aired for several years on Game Show Network
.
In each round, the contestants stood at podiums facing a large video wall (which acts as a computer), each screen of that wall had an icon with a symbol representing a category on it. A flashing cursor bounces around the board and stops when someone "clicks the mouse" (pushing down a large red button in the center of the podium at the central station) A question is then read, and teams earned cash for correct answers.
Two main categories (called "Stations") were featured in the first season; regular knowledge categories were answered at "The Motherboard", the station where teams played the game.
During the second season, regular questions were no longer at the motherboard; instead they were now at another station called "Hard Drive". One player stood at the motherboard clicking while his/her partner ran to one of the three stations. Also, the "Word Wizard" was renamed the "Chat Room". The "Web Site" stayed the same.
After several questions, an off-stage voice yelled, "SWITCH! SWITCH! SWITCH!" Then the players swapped places with their teammates and more questions were asked. At the end of the round, the top scoring team won the game and played the bonus round. All three teams kept their money. The losing teams also received consolation prizes.
In case of a tie for first place, or a three-way tie at the end, one final question was asked, and the team who buzzed in with a correct answer moved on to the bonus round.
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
based around computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
s and the then-relatively novel medium of the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. The youth-oriented series was created by Merv Griffin
Merv Griffin
Mervyn Edward "Merv" Griffin, Jr. was an American television host, musician, actor, and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer who went on to appear in movies and on Broadway. From 1965 to 1986 Griffin hosted his own talk show, The Merv Griffin Show on Group W Broadcasting...
and hosted by Ryan Seacrest
Ryan Seacrest
Ryan John Seacrest is an American radio personality, television host, network producer and voice actor. He is the host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest, a nationally syndicated Top 40 radio show that airs on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles and throughout the United States and Canada on Premiere Radio Networks,...
.
It aired in syndication from September 6, 1997, to August 1999; reruns aired for several years on Game Show Network
Game Show Network
The Game Show Network is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and casino game shows. The channel was launched on December 1, 1994. Its current slogan is "The World Needs More Winners"...
.
Gameplay
Three teams (green, red, and yellow) of two teenagers played three rounds, where the aim was to answer questions worth varying amounts of money.In each round, the contestants stood at podiums facing a large video wall (which acts as a computer), each screen of that wall had an icon with a symbol representing a category on it. A flashing cursor bounces around the board and stops when someone "clicks the mouse" (pushing down a large red button in the center of the podium at the central station) A question is then read, and teams earned cash for correct answers.
Two main categories (called "Stations") were featured in the first season; regular knowledge categories were answered at "The Motherboard", the station where teams played the game.
Website
Possible topics included:- E-Mail—identifying a famous person who wrote a fictional e-mail. Moved to Chat Room for season two.
- Click Pix—A picture clue was given for a question.
- Click Video—A video clue was given to the question.
- Sound Bytes—Audio clues were used for questions.
- Home Page—Identifying a topic from a series of clues, grouped into a "home page" format. Added during the second season.
Word Wizard/Chat Room
Topics included:- Spell Check—Searching for a misspelled word in a sentence.
- Dictionary—Choosing the correct spelling, among a choice of three. Used in season one only.
- Funetics—Identifying license plate-type puzzles, or a word spelled phonetically. Used in season one only.
- Instant Message—Identifying who is online, via a fictional instant message. Also added during the second season.
Round One
Each team takes turns facing the computer. They each have 60 (originally 90) seconds to answer as many questions as possible. The value of the questions are $25, $50, $75 or $100. One icon on the board is called "Double Click", where the team can double their current score with a correct answer. A team earned $100 if they had no money after a Double Click answer.During the second season, regular questions were no longer at the motherboard; instead they were now at another station called "Hard Drive". One player stood at the motherboard clicking while his/her partner ran to one of the three stations. Also, the "Word Wizard" was renamed the "Chat Room". The "Web Site" stayed the same.
Round Two
Starting with the lowest-scoring team, each team keeps control of the mouse as long as they answer questions correctly. If at anytime they miss a question, the opposing teams at the main podiums can buzz in and steal control. Landing on a "Virus" ("Crash" in the second season) meant a question was asked to the teams at the podiums for control. If neither team got the question right, the first team kept control. Question values are still worth anywhere from $25–$100.Round Three—Speed Round
Host Seacrest now controlled the mouse, because all three teams had a chance to play every question. One member of each team stood at a different station while their partners remained at the podiums. After the station or category was chosen, the player at the appropriate place would hear the question and have a chance to answer for $100. A wrong answer meant that the players at the podiums would have a chance to buzz in and take the money.After several questions, an off-stage voice yelled, "SWITCH! SWITCH! SWITCH!" Then the players swapped places with their teammates and more questions were asked. At the end of the round, the top scoring team won the game and played the bonus round. All three teams kept their money. The losing teams also received consolation prizes.
In case of a tie for first place, or a three-way tie at the end, one final question was asked, and the team who buzzed in with a correct answer moved on to the bonus round.