The Mad Dash
Encyclopedia
The Mad Dash is a television
game show
created by Sidney M. Cohen
. It first appeared in 1978 on Canada
's CTV
network and proved to be a family favourite based on Canada's BBM ratings. It was also popular in parts of the northern United States because CTV affiliates were available to Americans living near the Canadian border both over the air and on cable; Mr. Cohen noted this on a 1979 episode. Pierre Lalonde
was the MC
, and Nick Holenreich was the announcer
for the show, which was taped at the studios of CFCF-TV
in Montreal
. The series ran until 1985. This classic series is included in the collection of Canadian icons in the 2006 feature film "Souvenir of Canada" based on the book by Douglas Coupland
.
The series currently reruns on GameTV in Canada.
. One member of each pair elected to be the "dasher" who would actually run the life-sized game board, while the "roller" remained at the host's podium. The board was a single winding path segmented into spaces which were marked to indicate the effect of landing on that space. The two dashers began the game at the "start" square of the board with the goal being to reach the "win" space at the other end of the path.
To move them along the board path, a multiple-choice question was asked of the rollers, and the first to buzz in
and answer correctly was given a roll of a die
. The die had standard pips from 1-5, indicating the number of spaces for the dasher to move, and a "$" symbol, which would add $10 to the team's bank any time it was rolled, and allow another roll. Rolling the "$" three times in a row would add a $50 bonus.
The team whose dasher reached "win" first won any cash or prizes banked during the game. Teams would have to roll the exact number required to land on "win"; a roll higher than the distance to win required the dasher to continue backwards after reaching "win". If the winning team had not banked any prizes, they were given a roll of the die mulitplied by $10, or $100 for rolling the "$". Any money was awarded in cash directly after each win. Winning teams returned to play another game with no game limit. Teams were also allowed to play another game after their first loss.
television (Duety do Mety, literally translated to "Duos to finish line") in 2002.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
game show
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...
created by Sidney M. Cohen
Sidney M. Cohen
Sidney M. Cohen is a Canadian television director specializing in live multi-camera productions requiring minimal editing and is also a TV program creator.He was born in Montreal, Quebec and began his career with CFCF-TV and later CBC Television...
. It first appeared in 1978 on Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
network and proved to be a family favourite based on Canada's BBM ratings. It was also popular in parts of the northern United States because CTV affiliates were available to Americans living near the Canadian border both over the air and on cable; Mr. Cohen noted this on a 1979 episode. Pierre Lalonde
Pierre Lalonde
Pierre Lalonde is a singer and television host from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.Pierre attended high school in the United States but returned to Canada in 1960, where he worked at radio station CKJL with his father in Saint-Jérôme, Quebec...
was the MC
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
, and Nick Holenreich was the announcer
Announcer
An announcer is a presenter who makes "announcements" in an audio medium or a physical location.-Television and other media:Some announcers work in television production , radio or filmmaking, usually providing narrations, news updates, station identification, or an introduction of a product in...
for the show, which was taped at the studios of CFCF-TV
CFCF-TV
CFCF-DT is a CTV-owned and operated station located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. The series ran until 1985. This classic series is included in the collection of Canadian icons in the 2006 feature film "Souvenir of Canada" based on the book by Douglas Coupland
Douglas Coupland
Douglas Coupland is a Canadian novelist. His fiction is complemented by recognized works in design and visual art arising from his early formal training. His first novel, the 1991 international bestseller Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, popularized terms such as McJob and...
.
The series currently reruns on GameTV in Canada.
Gameplay
Two pairs of contestants competed in a life-sized board gameBoard game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
. One member of each pair elected to be the "dasher" who would actually run the life-sized game board, while the "roller" remained at the host's podium. The board was a single winding path segmented into spaces which were marked to indicate the effect of landing on that space. The two dashers began the game at the "start" square of the board with the goal being to reach the "win" space at the other end of the path.
To move them along the board path, a multiple-choice question was asked of the rollers, and the first to buzz in
Lock-out device
A lock-out device is a system used on game shows, particularly trivia shows, to determine in real time which contestant has activated their signal first. The system is designed to detect the first signal it receives and ignore subsequent signals...
and answer correctly was given a roll of a die
Dice
A die is a small throwable object with multiple resting positions, used for generating random numbers...
. The die had standard pips from 1-5, indicating the number of spaces for the dasher to move, and a "$" symbol, which would add $10 to the team's bank any time it was rolled, and allow another roll. Rolling the "$" three times in a row would add a $50 bonus.
The team whose dasher reached "win" first won any cash or prizes banked during the game. Teams would have to roll the exact number required to land on "win"; a roll higher than the distance to win required the dasher to continue backwards after reaching "win". If the winning team had not banked any prizes, they were given a roll of the die mulitplied by $10, or $100 for rolling the "$". Any money was awarded in cash directly after each win. Winning teams returned to play another game with no game limit. Teams were also allowed to play another game after their first loss.
Spaces
Spaces on the board were of various types. Spaces with blue borders banked the prize indicated on the space; if a team landed on a prize they had already banked, they were given an additional roll. Green spaces banked an indicated money amount (or one square which doubled the team's banked money). At one point, the remaining squares were either red or yellow and had an effect on the game itself: Red spaces typically had a negative effect, such as moving backwards, or losing cash or prizes. Yellow spaces were everything else; typically squares which could result in moving forward. The spaces had effect any time they were landed on, whether the dasher was moving forwards or backwards. Some spaces on the board remained constant, while others changed from game to game. In other episodes, additional colours were used for these spaces.Common spaces
- Roll Forward - Roller rolls the die for the dasher to move forward.
- Roll Back - Roller rolls the die for the dasher to move backward.
- Roll Over - Roller rolls the die for the opposing dasher to move forward.
- Change Places - The two dashers switch places; the dasher who moved from "Change Places" is deemed to have landed on their new space, and takes its effect.
- Miss Turn - Opposing team gets a free roll.
- Back to Start - The player on the board must walk back to the START square; therefore, this is the first and only "Mad Dash" episode to say the "Treasure Of Rainbow Beard's Motto".
- Go Broke - Team loses all their banked cash, but the prizes stay up there. On some episode, when you have the insurance policy as you land on this space, you put it down on the table or on the floor and they keep the money up there.
- Return Prizes - Team loses all their banked prizes, but they keep the money up there.
- Dash - A true-or-false question is asked to the dasher. The roller rolls the die with the dasher moving forward if they gave a correct answer, and backwards if they did not.
- Breakaway - The roller rolls the die; the dasher is given that many seconds, from one to five, to run freely along the board path towards the "win" space, stopping wherever they are when the time runs out.
- Dice Game - The player at the table rolls with two dice. If it results in two $ symbols, the team gets $100 and another chance to roll. In addition, the player on the game board path moves the total number shown on the dice.
- Card Game - The roller draws from an oversized deck of playing cardPlaying cardA playing card is a piece of specially prepared heavy paper, thin cardboard, plastic-coated paper, cotton-paper blend, or thin plastic, marked with distinguishing motifs and used as one of a set for playing card games...
s. The dasher moves forward the number of spaces drawn, with ace being a one, unless a face card is drawn, in which case the roller must roll the die causing the dasher to move backwards. - Happy Birthday - The dasher spins two wheels: One wheel has five money amounts and an insurance policy. The other has all the months of the year. The team wins the money spun; if the second wheel stops on the player's birth month, the money is doubled. If the first wheel lands on the insurance policy, they receive a policy which can prevent them from losing cash or prizes later in the game.
- Pot of Gold - A series of prizes that are instantly won (not banked), win or lose, no matter the outcome of the game.
- Thin Ice - A true-or-false question is asked to the dasher. If they give a correct answer, they can take a prize from their opponent's bank. If they do not, the opposing team can take one of their banked prizes. If a correct answer is given, but the opponents have no prizes, the team is given the chance to move forward up to five squares, paying $10 per square.
- Mini-game - One space on the board requires the dasher to play a set mini-game, and is marked with the name of that game. The mini-games usually required some physical activity, including Shooting Star and The Mad Darts. The mini-game usually had a variety of possible outcomes including affecting either player's banked cash or prizes, position on the board, like Back To Start, or offering bonus rolls, like Roll Forward.
- Brains or Brawn - The dasher chooses to take either Brains - a question or Brawn - a physical stunt. If you are successful, the roller rolls the die and the dasher moves forward. If you are unsuccessful, it means that the dasher goes back.
Mini Dash
If there was too little time to play an additional game at the end of an episode, one or more audience members would be called up, one at a time, to play a Mini Dash. Each played for a different prize, and was offered a choice of five envelopes containing questions; a player would have to answer two of three correctly to win the prize. In at least some episodes, two of the five envelopes contained an instant-win and an instant-loss respectively.Other versions
The Mad Dash has also been produced internationally. The most successful new version was produced for PolishPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
television (Duety do Mety, literally translated to "Duos to finish line") in 2002.