Quicksilver (game show)
Encyclopedia
Quicksilver was a game show hosted by Ron Maestri that aired on USA Network
from June 27, 1994 to October 13, 1995. For its first month, it was paired with another Stone-Stanley game show Free 4 All
which aired immediately after Quicksilver on the network's afternoon game show block. However, Free 4 All proved less successful and was cancelled after only four months and only Quicksilver remained until the network ended its game show block for good.
A player buzzing in before the question was finished might choose Monty Hall
, thinking the question would have been completed with "...he gave the contestants the choice of the money or what was behind the curtain." That contestant then missed out on the rest of the question. The correct answer was "picador," a play on the similar-sounding phrase "pick a door." Most questions had misleading wording and pun answers given in this format, known as a "swerve" in quiz bowl culture.
The first player to buzz-in with a correct answer got 25 points, but an incorrect answer locked that player out for the rest of the question.
After every three questions, four new answers were revealed. Five packets of questions and answers were played in round one.
In the second half of the round, the eight answers from the first half were answers for the second half. Each correct answer was worth 100 points, and there were two "Quicksilver" answers to be found. A "Quicksilver" answer was worth 200 points and potentially the bonus prize if it wasn't claimed earlier. The player that answered a "Quicksilver" question in this round was given the chance to bet up to 400 points on a follow-up question.
After each question, the correct answer disappeared from the board. After the second set of eight questions were asked, or if time ran out, the round and the game were over and the player with the most points won the game and a prize. If there was a tie at the end of round three, those tying played one final question with the two remaining answers.
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
from June 27, 1994 to October 13, 1995. For its first month, it was paired with another Stone-Stanley game show Free 4 All
Free 4 All
Free 4 All was a short-lived Stone-Stanley game show hosted by Mark Walberg that aired on USA Network from June 27 to November 4, 1994. For its first month, it was paired with another Stone-Stanley game show Quicksilver which aired immediately before Free 4 All on the network's afternoon game show...
which aired immediately after Quicksilver on the network's afternoon game show block. However, Free 4 All proved less successful and was cancelled after only four months and only Quicksilver remained until the network ended its game show block for good.
Gameplay
Quicksilver was a basic question-and-answer game contested among three players. Most of the questions had pun-typed answers meaning that the answers to questions typically became completely different than what the contestants expected.Round one
Four words or phrases were revealed at the start. These words or phrases were the answers to three questions in a packet. Maestri began reading a question, and players buzzed-in whenever they wanted, knowing that an early buzz-in meant they would miss out on crucial information. For example:
Given these choices: Monty HallMonty HallMonte Halperin, OC, OM , better known by the stage name Monty Hall, is a Canadian-born MC, producer, actor, singer and sportscaster, best known as host of the television game show Let's Make a Deal.-Early life:...
, Picador, Pandora's BoxPandora's boxPandora's box is an artifact in Greek mythology, taken from the myth of Pandora's creation around line 60 of Hesiod's Works and Days. The "box" was actually a large jar given to Pandora , which contained all the evils of the world. When Pandora opened the jar, all its contents except for one item...
and Trading Places
And this question: "On the game show Let's Make a DealLet's Make a DealLet's Make a Deal is a television game show which originated in the United States and has since been produced in many countries throughout the world. The show is based around deals offered to members of the audience by the host. The traders usually have to weigh the possibility of an offer being...
...this is what host Monty Hall would ask players to do."
A player buzzing in before the question was finished might choose Monty Hall
Monty Hall
Monte Halperin, OC, OM , better known by the stage name Monty Hall, is a Canadian-born MC, producer, actor, singer and sportscaster, best known as host of the television game show Let's Make a Deal.-Early life:...
, thinking the question would have been completed with "...he gave the contestants the choice of the money or what was behind the curtain." That contestant then missed out on the rest of the question. The correct answer was "picador," a play on the similar-sounding phrase "pick a door." Most questions had misleading wording and pun answers given in this format, known as a "swerve" in quiz bowl culture.
The first player to buzz-in with a correct answer got 25 points, but an incorrect answer locked that player out for the rest of the question.
After every three questions, four new answers were revealed. Five packets of questions and answers were played in round one.
Round two
Five answers were revealed at the start with one answer being dubbed the "Quicksilver" answer ("Mystery Blank" on some episodes). Correct answers were worth 50 points, and right answers were removed and replaced with a new answer. If the contestant that buzzed-in first thought the correct answer was not on the board, the contestant called out "Quicksilver" and gave the correct answer. A correct "Quicksilver" judgment was worth 100 points and a bonus prize if it was the first one in the game. In addition, the player that answered a "Quicksilver" question in this round was given the chance to bet up to 200 points on a follow-up question pertaining to the actual "Quicksilver" answer. An incorrect answer or running out of time deducted the points from the player's score. After that the "Quicksilver" answer was replaced with a regular one. The round ended after 12 questions were played.Round three
In the first half of the final round, the board began empty, and filled with the eight answers to eight questions in part one. Right answers were worth 75 points at that time.In the second half of the round, the eight answers from the first half were answers for the second half. Each correct answer was worth 100 points, and there were two "Quicksilver" answers to be found. A "Quicksilver" answer was worth 200 points and potentially the bonus prize if it wasn't claimed earlier. The player that answered a "Quicksilver" question in this round was given the chance to bet up to 400 points on a follow-up question.
After each question, the correct answer disappeared from the board. After the second set of eight questions were asked, or if time ran out, the round and the game were over and the player with the most points won the game and a prize. If there was a tie at the end of round three, those tying played one final question with the two remaining answers.