Double Dare

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This article refers to the children's game show. For other articles, including the unrelated 1976 game show for adults, see: Double Dare (disambiguation).

Double Dare
Double Dare logo, later adapted for other versions of the show until 1993.
Genre	Children's game show
Picture format	NTSC (480i)
Running time	23 minutes
Creator(s)	Geoffrey Darby Dee LaDuke Michael Klinghoffer Robert Mittenthal
Starring	Hosts: Marc Summers Jason Harris Announcers: Harvey Doc Holliday Tiffany Phillips
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
Original channel	Nickelodeon
Original run	October 6, 1986–1993
No. of episodes	original: approx. 525 revival: 65
Official website
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Double Dare was a children's game show, originally hosted by Marc Summers, that aired on Nickelodeon. It is often credited with putting the then-fledgling network on the map.

The show originated from the WHYY-TV studios in Philadelphia in 1986. In 1987, the show temporarily moved to New York City for a special weekend edition called Super Sloppy Double Dare. The show returned to Philadelphia in 1988; by then Viacom syndicated the show to the young Fox network. In markets where the Fox station wasn't owned and operated, or there was no Fox station, the show aired on independent stations. The Super Sloppy format reappeared the following year, and production of the show moved to Universal Studios Florida, where it remained until its cancellation in 1992. The final episodes aired in 1993.

Contents 1 Gameplay 1.1 Main game 1.1.1 Scoring 1.1.1.1 Double Dare and Super Sloppy Double Dare 1.1.1.2 Family Double Dare (1988) 1.1.1.3 Family Double Dare (1990-1993) and Double Dare 2000 1.2 Physical challenges 1.3 Obstacle course 2 Spinoffs 2.1 Super Sloppy Double Dare 2.2 Family Double Dare 2.3 Celebrity Double Dare 2.4 Super Special Double Dare 2.5 Double Dare 2000 2.6 Episode and rerun status 3 Set 4 Merchandise 4.1 Games and toys 4.2 Apparel 4.3 Home videos 4.4 Books 4.5 School supplies 5 Personalities 6 International versions 7 External links

[edit] Gameplay

[edit] Main game

The show begins with Marc Summers saying these six words: "On your mark, get set, GO!"

Two teams of two kids each competed for cash and prizes. Originally, both teams wore red uniforms, but after Double Dare's syndication began in 1988, one team began wearing blue uniforms.

Host Marc Summers typically explained the rules of the game as follows:

I'm going to ask you a question, and if you don't know the answer, or think the other team hasn't got a clue, you can dare them to answer it for double the dollars. But be careful, because they can always double dare you back for four times the amount, and then you'll either have to answer the question or take the physical challenge.

Each round began with a toss-up challenge in which both teams competed. The winner received $20 USD and control of the round. Summers would begin the round by asking trivia questions to the team that won control in the toss-up challenge. A correct answer would earn money and maintain control of the round; an incorrect response would give the other team control and, if a Dare/Double Dare was in play, the money as well.

[edit] Scoring

[edit] Double Dare and Super Sloppy Double Dare

Round	Toss-Up	Question with NO Dare	Dare	Double Dare
1	20	10	20	40
2	40	20	40	80

[edit] Family Double Dare (1988)

Round	Toss-Up	Question with NO Dare	Dare	Double Dare
1	50	25	50	100
2	100	50	100	200

[edit] Family Double Dare (1990-1993) and Double Dare 2000

Round	Toss-Up	Question with NO Dare	Dare	Double Dare
1	25	25	50	100
2	50	50	100	200

[edit] Physical challenges

Physical challenges were stunts, usually messy, that a team had to perform in a specified time, usually between 10 and 30 seconds. Most challenges involved filling a container past a line with one of a variety of substances; water, uncooked rice, green slime, whipped cream, and "a milk-like substance", to name a few, were common. Others involved catching a certain number of items before time ran out. "Pie in the Pants," where a contestant had to catch 3 or 4 pies in under 30 (or 20) seconds, is an example of this.

Completing the stunt won the team $40 USD ($80 USD in round 2) and control of the game, otherwise the money and control went to the opposing team.

Double Dare 2000 introduced the "Triple Dare Challenge." Available only in round two, this allowed a team to make their physical challenge more difficult in exchange for six times the dare amount – $300, in this incarnation of the show – and a bonus prize. Sometimes this included shaving time off (turning a 30-second challenge into a 25-second one), or adding difficulty to the stunt (catching 5 pies instead of 4). If the team did not successfully complete the challenge, the money, the bonus prize, and control of the game went to their opponents. It should be noted that all physical challenges on Double Dare 2000 were 30 seconds in length, unless a time reduction was in play.

[edit] Obstacle course

The team with the highest score at the end of round two went on to the final challenge of the game, the Obstacle Course. The course consisted of eight obstacles which had to be completed within sixty seconds. Each obstacle had an orange flag either at the end of or hidden within it.

One team member would start at the first obstacle and upon completion, pass its flag to his partner, who would then move on to the second obstacle. The team would continue to alternate like this until they completed the course or time ran out- whichever came first.

The team won a prize for each obstacle completed. During the Fox run of Family Double Dare, cash was awarded at obstacle #7 in place of a prize, and the eighth flag won the grand prize. In the original and Super Sloppy versions, the grand prize was usually a vacation. In Fox Family Double Dare, as well as the first season of the Nickelodeon run, it was a brand new car. In 1992, it was changed back to a vacation; however, the family that won the tournament held that season had the chance to run the Obstacle Course for a car (see below).

[edit] Spinoffs

[edit] Super Sloppy Double Dare

The format of Super Sloppy Double Dare copied that of the original program, but the physical challenges and obstacle course were mostly designed with making the biggest mess possible, hence the title. Launched in 1987, it aired on the weekends on Nickelodeon and featured a home viewer contest centered around the on-stage physical challenges. To compete with other children's game shows at the time, the format returned on the air (minus the home viewer contest) in 1989.

[edit] Family Double Dare

Family Double Dare premiered on Fox on April 3, 1988, and moved to its regular Saturday night slot that week. This version featured two teams of four: two kids with two parents. The same rules used for the regular version of Double Dare applied, but more money was at stake. (See Scoring above.) The grand prize for the obstacle course was a new car or a family vacation.

Family Double Dare ended its Fox run in July 1988 after 13 episodes. Nickelodeon resumed production in 1990, and finally canceled it in 1992. Producers taped some new episodes after the cancellation. Summers himself has said about the show, "We could do reruns forever."

The final season of the Nickelodeon run ended with a Tournament of Champions. The two teams with the highest scores of the season, along with the two teams with the fastest obstacle course times, were invited back to participate in the special hour-long final episode in a battle of "Brains vs. Brawn". The two "Brains" (high scoring teams) played each other in a full game of Double Dare sans the Obstacle Course; a full game with the "Brawns" team immediately followed. The winning families from these two games then faced each other in a final full-length game (labeled "Brains vs. Brawns") to determine the grand champion, who won a large trophy and the right to run the Obstacle Course one final time for a car. The winning family, whose team moniker was "Granite Toast", indeed won the car at the end of the show.

The final original episode aired in 1993, and Family Double Dare reruns continued up to February 1999. The Fox run was distributed by Viacom.

[edit] Celebrity Double Dare

A 1988 pilot, Celebrity Double Dare was produced by Ron Greenberg and featured celebrity team captains and host Bruce Jenner, with Bob Hilton announcing. The format was also slightly different: questions had two possible answers, with each team member giving one, and the obstacle course offered a new car as the grand prize. This version was never picked up.

[edit] Super Special Double Dare

Super Special Double Dare was a short series of special Double Dare episodes featuring celebrities just like the aforementioned-above version, sport teams, cast members from other Nickelodeon shows. These episodes used two teams of four contestants, with all winnings going to charity.

[edit] Double Dare 2000

Double Dare 2000 was the revived version of the show which premiered on January 22, 2000. Jason Harris hosted this version of the show; original host Marc Summers was the executive consultant.

Double Dare 2000 followed the Family Double Dare format with a revamped set and bigger physical challenges. It also featured the new "Triple Dare Challenge" option in round two, introduced "goooze", and referred to the obstacle course as the "Slopstacle Course". Some episodes were broadcast in high definition. Double Dare 2000 was cancelled in December 2000.

[edit] Episode and rerun status

All versions of Double Dare are known to still exist. Double Dare reruns have aired on Nickelodeon's digital cable network Nickelodeon GAS at some point since 1999; however, the only version currently airing is Double Dare 2000.

[edit] Set

Throughout the show's run, the set maintained a basic structure. The main part of the game was played on a stage with the host's podium at center and a timer mounted above. The contestant podiums with scoreboards behind them were set at an angle on either side of the host. Space was provided in front of all the podiums for physical challenges, and the obstacle course had space in front of that. Over time, aesthetic changes were made to the set, including:

• A glass block wall, similar to those behind the contestants' podiums, was installed behind the host's podium in 1988. This first appeared on the Fox run of Family Double Dare and remained throughout the run until 1993.
• The physical challenge floor was set two steps below the podiums during the 1989 run of Super Sloppy Double Dare. Episodes taped in Philadelphia had the physical challenge floor on the same level as the obstacle course. When the show moved to Orlando, the physical challenge and obstacle course floors became separated by one step as two different floors, essentially creating a stage with three different levels.
• The original 3-digit triangular scoreboards were tall and featured a vane-style dollar sign underneath the score. Eventually, the encircled "DD" logo replaced the dollar sign and the scoreboards were slightly shortened, which allowed the contestants and the score to be visible in the same shot. A rectangular, 4-digit scoreboard was introduced in the Fox run of Family Double Dare to accommodate potential scores of $1,000 or more. Nickelodeon's Family Double Dare initially used the 3-digit scoreboards until a team won the game with $1,050. Due to the lack of a fourth digit, only "050" could be displayed. To prevent this from happening again, the 4-digit scoreboards returned. The 3-digit boards were brought out one last time for Super Special Double Dare.
• The timer rotated on both Family Double Dare runs, the Orlando episodes of Super Sloppy Double Dare, and the run of Super Special Double Dare episodes. When not in use, the timer displayed the series logo.

The Fox run of Family Double Dare made a few set changes never seen on other versions:

• The timer had no chase lights around the digits.
• The set's chase lights were covered.
• The familiar yellow/purple checkerboard scheme was removed entirely; a confetti scheme replaced it.
• The host and contestant podiums were all plain yellow, except for the top portions which remained light blue.

Double Dare 2000 featured some notable changes to the set:

• A four-panel video screen was set behind the host's podium, and was used to display the show logo and the timer.
• The scoreboards were oval-shaped and used light-emitting diodes (LEDs). In early episodes of Double Dare 2000, the studio lights drowned out the LEDs, which made them hard to read on screen.
• There were no chase lights on the set. Instead, a wall with randomly placed lights was used behind the host podium.
• The contestant podiums were asymmetrical.

[edit] Merchandise

Double Dare's popularity led to a variety of products made available for sale.

[edit] Games and toys

• Double Dare home game (tie-in with first version of Super Sloppy Double Dare), 1987
• Double Dare LCD handheld games ("Pie in the Pants," "Balloon Buster," and "Flying Sundaes"), 1988
• Double Dare jigsaw puzzle, 1988
• Double Dare computer game (C64, IBM, and Apple versions), 1989
• Wet 'n Wild Double Dare home game (tie-in with second version of Super Sloppy Double Dare), 1989
• Double Dare yo-yo, 1989
• Super Sloppy Double Dare pinball machine, 1989
• Double Dare video game (NES), 1990
• Double Dare 2000: the Game (tie-in with Double Dare 2000), 2001

[edit] Apparel

• T-shirts, available in retail stores and on Double Dare Live Tour stops
• belt buckles
• painter's caps, available on Double Dare Live Tour stops
• pajamas

[edit] Home videos

• Double Dare: The Messiest Moments, 1988
• Double Dare: The Inside Scoop, 1988
• How to Throw a Double Dare Party, 1989
• Double Dare: Super Sloppiest Moments, 1994

[edit] Books

• The Double Dare Game Book, by Daniella Burr, 1988
• The All-New Double Dare Game Book, by Daniella Burr, 1989

[edit] School supplies

• Double Dare lunchbox, featuring the Dueling D's on the Sundae Slide, 1988
• Double Dare folders, 1988

[edit] Personalities

• Marc Summers (host 1986-1993; producer 1992-1993; executive consultant 2000)
• John Harvey ("Harvey," announcer, 1986-1992)
• Robin Marella (stage assistant, 1986-1993)
• Dave Shikiar (stage assistant, 1986-1989)
• Greg Lee (contestant coordinator from 1986-1991 who would later go on to host his own game show, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? on PBS from 1991-1996.)
• Doc Holliday (announcer, 1992-1993)
• Jason Harris (host, 2000)
• Tiffany Phillips (announcer, 2000)
• Edd Kalehoff (composer, 1986-1993)
• Rick Witkowski (composer, 2000)

[edit] International versions

• Quebec, Canada - A French language version hosted by Gilles Payer, called Double Défi, which aired on TVA.
• The Netherlands - A Dutch language version called DD Show, broadcast by TROS.
• Germany - The German version Drops! was broadcast by Sat.1.
• United Kingdom - This BBC version was part of a Saturday morning block of programming called Going Live with Peter Simon.
• Australia - Several episodes of this version were taped for broadcast in the United States with the tagline "G'day U.S.A.!" One special episode featured an American team and an Australian team playing for the Kangaroo Cup. Australia also produced a version of Family Double Dare, which only lasted for three episodes, but marked the debut of veteran emcee Larry Emdur. The hosts of the regular version were Gerry Sont, then Tom Jennings, and then Simon Watt (who served as announcer during Gerry and Tom's runs). The program aired on Network Ten from 1989-1992.
• Brazil - A Portuguese language version called Passa ou Repassa (Pass or Repass). Family, celebrity and school versions were also produced. This program had a moment named "Torta na Cara" (Pie on the Face) where the teams would face off answering questions. The contestant who incorrectly answered received a pie in the face from his or her opponent. There were several hosts of this version, with Augusto "Gugu" Liberato being the most popular and longest-running of the hosts. It aired on SBT from 1987-2000.
• India - Nickelodeon India's version called Nick Dum Duma Dum, which uses the Family Double Dare format. It is hosted by Vrajesh Hirjee, a popular film and TV actor.

[edit] External links

• The Double Dare Deluge
• Double Dare(Nick)
• Welcome to Double Dare.tv

Game Shows on the Nickelodeon Network
Channels on the Nickelodeon Network: TV Land | Nick Too | Nick GAS | Nicktoons Network | Noggin / The N
Premired between 1986-1989: Double Dare | Super Sloppy Double Dare | Family Double Dare | Finders Keepers | Make the Grade | Think Fast! | You're On!
Premired between 1990-1996: Get the Picture | Nickelodeon GUTS | Global GUTS | Legends of the Hidden Temple | Nick Arcade | What Would You Do? | Wild and Crazy Kids | NickAmerica
Premired between 1997-2006: Figure It Out | Figure It Out: Family Style | Figure It Out: Wild Style | You're On! | Double Dare 2000 | Nickelodeon Robot Wars | Scaredy Camp