Battlestars (game show)
Encyclopedia
Battlestars is an American
game show
that aired for two separate runs on NBC
during the early 1980s. The show's first run aired from October 26, 1981 to April 23, 1982. An updated version–titled The New Battlestars–ran for 13 weeks, from April 4 to July 1, 1983.
Battlestars was produced by Merrill Heatter Productions, Heatter's first show produced without Bob Quigley.
The host was Alex Trebek
and the announcers were Rod Roddy
(1981–1982) and Charlie Tuna
(1983).
The champion began the game in control (on the premiere episodes of both series, there was no champion so a coin toss determined who played at the blue or red podiums). The contestant in control pushed a plunger on his or her podium to stop a flashing randomizer, and the number it stopped on determined which celebrity would be asked a question. The questions were asked in the style of The Hollywood Squares, except that a celebrity was given two possible answers and had to choose between one or the other. Once the celebrity chose an answer, the contestant was asked whether he or she agreed or disagreed with the celebrity. A correct response meant that the contestant kept control. If the contestant was wrong, control passed to the opponent. Regardless of how the contestant in control answered, the Point of Light was lit and it was then taken out of play. However, similar to Hollywood Squares, if a miss resulted in the capture of a celebrity to an opponent by default, the Point remained in play.
If the player in control lit the last Point of Light around a celebrity, even if his or her opponent was responsible for the other two lights, the player "captured" that star. The first contestant to capture three stars won the game, $500 and played the bonus round. The losers leave with consolation prizes. Because it was possible for the champion to win the game without the challenger ever being in control, a challenger who lost in such a manner remained for the next game (a rule similar to one on the 1970s version of Break the Bank). Champions play until defeated.
If a number was attached to two or more triangles, the contestant chose which celebrity to play with, although the choice defaulted if it meant a star could be captured (unless, of course, more than one star could be captured on the play). Also, if a contestant managed to capture all six celebrities (a rare feat), he or she won $1,000 (on some episodes, this may have been replaced with a prize).
Another minor change, which had no bearing on the rules, involved the displaying of the two answer choices for the home and studio audience. The players in the studio did not see them, however.
However, if he or she gave a wrong guess or could not answer, the contestant drew up to three additional cards (one at a time) and could solicit help from the celebrities. The prize value dropped to $3,000 for the first card, then $2,000 and $1,000. If the contestant failed to identify the face after four attempts, he or she won nothing.
and switching places with Password Plus
. However, it became yet another in a long line of victims of CBS
' Price is Right
, and NBC pulled it after a six-month run.
After a retooling, the game returned one year later, at Noon/11 Central, replacing Just Men!
. Battlestars proved no match at all for CBS' The Young and the Restless
and ABC
's Family Feud
, nor was it widely cleared by local stations, which opted to show local news instead. After the program ended, the NBC death slot was occupied by The Facts of Life
for three months until Go
hit the airwaves.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
that aired for two separate runs on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
during the early 1980s. The show's first run aired from October 26, 1981 to April 23, 1982. An updated version–titled The New Battlestars–ran for 13 weeks, from April 4 to July 1, 1983.
Battlestars was produced by Merrill Heatter Productions, Heatter's first show produced without Bob Quigley.
The host was Alex Trebek
Alex Trebek
George Alexander "Alex" Trebek is a Canadian American game show host who has been the host of the game show Jeopardy! since 1984, and prior to that, he hosted game shows such as Pitfall and High Rollers. He has appeared in numerous television series, usually as himself...
and the announcers were Rod Roddy
Rod Roddy
Robert Ray "Rod" Roddy was an American radio and television announcer. He is primarily known for his role as an offstage announcer on game shows. Among the shows that he announced are the CBS game shows Whew!, Press Your Luck and The Price Is Right. On the latter two, Roddy appeared on camera on...
(1981–1982) and Charlie Tuna
Charlie Tuna
Charlie Tuna is the stage name of Art Ferguson , a radio personality based in Los Angeles, California currently working at KRTH-FM....
(1983).
Main game
Two contestants–one a returning champion–competed. The champion sat at the blue podium and the challenger at the red podium. They faced a six-member celebrity panel, who sat in a large space-like set made up of triangles. Each triangle had three numbers (1–10) attached to their points; hence, they were called "Points of Light" (1-4-5, 2-5-6, 3-6-7, 4-5-8, 5-6-9, and 6-7-10).The champion began the game in control (on the premiere episodes of both series, there was no champion so a coin toss determined who played at the blue or red podiums). The contestant in control pushed a plunger on his or her podium to stop a flashing randomizer, and the number it stopped on determined which celebrity would be asked a question. The questions were asked in the style of The Hollywood Squares, except that a celebrity was given two possible answers and had to choose between one or the other. Once the celebrity chose an answer, the contestant was asked whether he or she agreed or disagreed with the celebrity. A correct response meant that the contestant kept control. If the contestant was wrong, control passed to the opponent. Regardless of how the contestant in control answered, the Point of Light was lit and it was then taken out of play. However, similar to Hollywood Squares, if a miss resulted in the capture of a celebrity to an opponent by default, the Point remained in play.
If the player in control lit the last Point of Light around a celebrity, even if his or her opponent was responsible for the other two lights, the player "captured" that star. The first contestant to capture three stars won the game, $500 and played the bonus round. The losers leave with consolation prizes. Because it was possible for the champion to win the game without the challenger ever being in control, a challenger who lost in such a manner remained for the next game (a rule similar to one on the 1970s version of Break the Bank). Champions play until defeated.
If a number was attached to two or more triangles, the contestant chose which celebrity to play with, although the choice defaulted if it meant a star could be captured (unless, of course, more than one star could be captured on the play). Also, if a contestant managed to capture all six celebrities (a rare feat), he or she won $1,000 (on some episodes, this may have been replaced with a prize).
1983 changes
The rules were identical except for these minor changes:- The object was to extinguish the Points of Light rather than to light them. This was merely a cosmetic change and had no bearing on the rules.
- The Points of Light were now extinguished regardless of whether or not the contestant's decision was correct.
- The randomizer was only used when control passed between contestants. Upon getting a correct answer, the contestant in control simply chose a number verbally.
Another minor change, which had no bearing on the rules, involved the displaying of the two answer choices for the home and studio audience. The players in the studio did not see them, however.
1981–1982: Battlestars Two
A famous celebrity face was completely hidden under 16 numbered blocks. The winner of the game chose three cards, representing three blocks on the board, which Trebek inserted into an electronic scanner on his podium. After the three blocks were removed, the contestant verbally picked one more square that would help him or her most. On some episodes, the contestant's choice was made prior to drawing the three cards. If a card drawn matched the number of the square the contestant already chose to reveal, the contestant drew another card. The contestant then had a chance to identify the celebrity for $5,000.However, if he or she gave a wrong guess or could not answer, the contestant drew up to three additional cards (one at a time) and could solicit help from the celebrities. The prize value dropped to $3,000 for the first card, then $2,000 and $1,000. If the contestant failed to identify the face after four attempts, he or she won nothing.
1983: The Main Event/Battlestars Bonanza
The winner and the three captured Battlestars (or three of the contestant's choice if more were captured) played a three-question bonus round. Each multiple-choice question had three possible answers which were displayed to both the contestant and the celebrity in play. After the celebrity offered his or her choice, the contestant was asked whether he or she agreed or disagreed. If the contestant was correct in disagreeing, he or she had to choose the correct answer from the two remaining choices to win any cash. Each correct answer earned $500. If the contestant answered all three questions correctly, he or she won the "Battlestars Bonanza", a jackpot that started with $5,000 and a prize package (generally a combined value of $10,000 or more), with another prize added each time it was not won.Broadcast History
NBC scheduled the first version of Battlestars at 11:30 a.m./10:30 Central, replacing Card SharksCard Sharks
Card Sharks is an American television game show created by Chester Feldman for Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions. Two contestants compete for control of a row of oversized playing cards by answering questions posed by the host and then guessing if the next card is higher or lower in value than...
and switching places with Password Plus
Password Plus and Super Password
Password Plus and Super Password are American game shows that are revivals of the game show Password. Both Password Plus and Super Password had the same format other than some subtle changes....
. However, it became yet another in a long line of victims of CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
' Price is Right
The Price Is Right (U.S. game show)
The Price Is Right is an American game show which was created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Contestants compete to identify the pricing of merchandise to win cash and prizes. The show is well-known for its signature line of "Come on down!" when the announcer directs newly selected contestants to...
, and NBC pulled it after a six-month run.
After a retooling, the game returned one year later, at Noon/11 Central, replacing Just Men!
Just Men!
Just Men! was a game show that aired on NBC Daytime from January 3 to April 1, 1983. The show starred Betty White, who won an Emmy award for her work on the show, with Steve Day announcing.-Gameplay:...
. Battlestars proved no match at all for CBS' The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
and ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Family Feud
Family Feud
Family Feud is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Two families compete against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey question posed to 100 people...
, nor was it widely cleared by local stations, which opted to show local news instead. After the program ended, the NBC death slot was occupied by The Facts of Life
The Facts of Life (TV series)
The Facts of Life is an American sitcom that originally ran on the NBC television network from August 24, 1979 to May 7, 1988. A spin-off of the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, the series' premise focused on Edna Garrett as she becomes a housemother at the fictional Eastland School, a prestigious...
for three months until Go
Go (game show)
Go is an American television game show created by Bob Stewart and aired on NBC from October 3, 1983 to January 20, 1984. The show featured two teams, each composed of four contestants and a celebrity. The teams had to construct questions one word at a time to convey a word or phrase to their...
hit the airwaves.