Wipeout (1988 game show)

American first-run syndicated game show (1988-1989)

This article is about the 1988 syndicated show. For the 2008 ABC show, see Wipeout (2008 game show). For the 2021 TBS show, see Wipeout (2021 game show).

Wipeout

Genre| Game show
Created by| Bob Fraser[1]
Directed by| Jerome Shaw[1]
Presented by| Peter Tomarken
Narrated by| Jim Hackett
Robert Ridgely
John Harlan
Theme music composer| Otis Conner[1]
Country of origin| United States
No. of episodes| 195
Production
Executive producers| Rob Dames
Bob Fraser
Producer| Bill Mitchell[1]
Production locations| Paramount Pictures Studios
Stage 30
Hollywood, California
Running time| approx. 22–26 minutes
Production company| Dames-Fraser Productions
Original release
Network| Syndication
Release| September 12, 1988 (1988-09-12)[1] –
June 9, 1989 (1989-06-09)

Wipeout is an American game show. Contestants competed to eliminate correct answers to trivia questions from a game board without eliminating incorrect answers, known as "wipeout"s. It aired from September 12, 1988, to June 9, 1989, with Peter Tomarken as host. The series was produced by Dames-Fraser Productions, and was distributed in first-run syndication by Paramount Domestic Television.

## Main game

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### First round

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Three contestants competed on each episode. Initially, each game featured three new contestants. After several weeks, a returning champion and two new contestants competed.

The contestants were given a category and shown 16 possible answers on a four-by-four grid of monitors. Eleven answers were correct, while the five incorrect ones were referred to as "wipeouts". The contestant in the leftmost position began the round. The contestant in control chose one answer at a time; each correct answer awarded money, while finding a wipeout reset the score to zero and ended his/her turn. After each correct answer, the contestant could either choose again or pass control to the next contestant. The first correct answer of the round was worth $25, and the value of each subsequent answer increased by $25, with the last one worth $275.

The round ended once all eleven correct answers were found or if all five wipeouts had been selected. The two contestants with the highest money totals kept their earnings and continued on, while the third place contestant left with consolation prizes. If there was a tie for low score, the tied contestants were given a new category and shown 12 answers (eight correct, four wipeouts). They alternated choosing one answer at a time, with a coin toss to decide who would start, and the first contestant to find a wipeout was eliminated. If all eight correct answers were found, the contestant who gave the last one advanced.

One of the eleven correct answers was referred to as the "Hot Spot", with a bonus prize attached to it. Once the Hot Spot was uncovered, Tomarken would take a token from inside his podium and place it on the desk of the contestant that found it. In order to win the Hot Spot prize, a contestant had to both be in possession of the token at the end of the round and have a high enough score to advance to the Challenge Round. If the contestant holding the Hot Spot uncovered a wipeout, the token was taken away and another answer was designated as the Hot Spot.

### Challenge Round

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The two remaining contestants advanced to the Challenge Round, playing for a bonus prize and to become the day's champion.

For each category in the Challenge around, the contestants were shown a board with 12 answers, eight correct and four Wipeouts, and they bid back and forth as to how many correct answers they thought they could name. Bidding ended when one contestant either reached the maximum of eight or challenged the other. If the high bidder successfully completed the bid, he/she won the board. One mistake allowed the opponent a chance to steal the board by giving one of the remaining correct answers still on the board. If the opponent could not do so, the high bidder was given another chance to fulfill his/her bid.

The Challenge Round was played as a best two-of-three. The high scorer from the first round started the bidding on the first board, while his/her opponent led off for the second. If a third board was needed, the contestant that lost the previous board was given first bid. The first contestant to win two boards became champion.

### Bonus round

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The bonus round used a grid of 12 monitors arranged in three rows of four. The champion attempted to win a new car by identifying six correct answers in a category within sixty seconds. After the champion was shown the category and twelve possible answers, he/she selected six. The champion touched the border on the outside of the corresponding monitor and the screen illuminated. Once six monitors were lit, the champion ran and hit a buzzer to lock in the answers. If there were less than six correct, Tomarken told the champion how many he/she had correctly chosen and the champion made changes. The process repeated until all six correct answers were found or time ran out. If the champion managed to find all six answers within the time limit, he/she won the car and retired undefeated. Otherwise, the champion returned until beaten.

## Broadcast

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Reruns of the series later aired on the USA Network from 1989 to 1991.[1]

## International versions

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Country  | Local name  | Host  | Network  | Years aired

|
|
|
|

Australia | Wipeout | Tony Johnston | Seven Network | 1999–2000
Germany | Riskier Was! | Gundis Zámbó | Sat.1 | 1993–1995
Greece | Risko | Giorgos Polixroniou  | Mega Channel | 1995–1997
Indonesia | Sapu Bersih | Harry de Fretes  | TPI | 1997–1998
Netherlands | Denktank | Kas Van Lersel | RTL 4
RTL 5
Veronica | 1994–1999
Norway | Askeladden | Finn Schau  | TV 2 | 1992–1993
Spain[2][3] | Alta Tensión | Constantino Romero (1998–1999)
Luis Larrodera (2006–2008)
Christian Gálvez (2021–2022)  | Antena 3
Cuatro
Telecinco
Telemadrid | 1998–1999
2006–2008, 2021–2022
2021
2024 TBA
Tensión sin Limite | Ivonne Reyes | Veo 7  | 2011
Alta Tensió | Nelo Gómez  | À Punt  | 2024–present
United Kingdom[4] | Wipeout | Paul Daniels (1994–1997)
Bob Monkhouse (1998–2002)  | BBC1 | 1994–2002

## References

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1. ^ a b c d e f Schwartz, David; Ryan, Steve; Wostbrock, Fred (1999). The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows (3 ed.). Facts on File, Inc. pp. 264–265. ISBN 0-8160-3846-5.
2. ^ "Cuatro recupera el concurso 'Alta tensión'". FormulaTV. 27 January 2006.
3. ^ "'Tensión sin límite' regresa a la parrilla de Veo7 con nuevas entregas". formulatv.com. 23 March 2011.
4. ^ "Wipeout – BBC One London – 3 January 1997 – BBC Genome". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 23 February 2017.

## External links

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* Wipeout (1988–1989) at IMDb

*[No.]: Number