Camouflage (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Camouflage is a United States
television
game show
originally produced in 1961-1962 and revived in 1980.
was created and produced by Jerry Hammer of Jerry Hammer Productions, directed by Gilbert Cates
with Don Morrow
as host, and Johnny Gilbert
as the announcer (as well as a substitute host for Morrow), with Chet Gould as the show's alternate announcer. Paul Taubman provided the show's live music. Contestants tried to find objects hidden on an electronic board by tracing the outline of the object using a wand.
The game began with Morrow telling the contestants what object to look for. He then asked them a true-false question; a countdown clock began at 10 and stopped when a contestant buzzed in. A correct answer was worth points determined by time left on the clock, and removed a piece of the camouflage; the contestant had ten seconds to find and trace the object. If s/he tried and failed, the opponent got 10 points and a chance to trace it. An incorrect answer also gave the opponent the points and control of the board. (Each contestant had a separate board which his or her opponent could not see.) To help, once a player scored 30 points in the quiz, s/he got to see what the object looked like. The first player to spot and trace the object won the game and a prize. When it was obvious that the contestant had spotted and begun to trace the object, Morrow would say, "You say it's there...it is there!"
Each game had a predetermined point value (up to 200 points), with ten points deducted from the value of the game when a contestant made an incorrect tracing or chose to pass and wait for more of the camouflage to be removed. The winner's prize was determined by that person's score in the quiz added to the points left in the overall value of the game. The day's big winner was given one more object to find in fifteen seconds for a new car. For the bonus round, none of the camouflage was removed. Contestants retired after winning the car or five games, whichever came first.
The original version of Camouflage aired from January 9, 1961 to November 16, 1962 on ABC
. From January 9, 1961 to June 29, 1962 it aired from 12 Noon-12:30 PM, Eastern; on July 2, 1962 it moved to 12:30 PM and its running time was cut to 25 minutes, with a five-minute newscast airing at 12:55. This continued for the remainder of the original show's run.
revived this show for syndication with Los Angeles
disc jockey
Tom Campbell
as host. This time around, the contestants answered general-knowledge questions for $50 apiece, and each game had a designated dollar value of $200–$1,000, with three games played per show. The bonus round was basically the same as on the original version, except there was no time limit.
After several weeks, the format was changed slightly: two contestants competed in game 1, followed by two new contestants in game 2, with the potential values of each game reduced to $200–$500 and the winner of each game playing the bonus round for an additional $1,000. The 3rd game was a playoff between the winners of the first two games, with the champion going on to play the "Super Bonus Puzzle" for the car.
Other program personnel included announcer Johnny Jacobs
and musical director Milton DeLugg
, who with his "Band with a Thug" rhythm section provided live music in the studio.
, along with the latter episode above.
reran several episodes of this version in the 1990s, along with another episode as a Game of the Week in 2000 – although they have not been rerun since.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television
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...
originally produced in 1961-1962 and revived in 1980.
1961-1962
The original game showGame 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...
was created and produced by Jerry Hammer of Jerry Hammer Productions, directed by Gilbert Cates
Gilbert Cates
Gilbert “Gil” Cates was an Award winning American film director and television producer, director of the Geffen Playhouse, and founding dean of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television...
with Don Morrow
Don Morrow
Don Morrow is an American actor and announcer. He started his broadcast career while a student at Syracuse University on the GI Bill shortly after World War II. His first job was with Syracuse's first TV station WHEN as newscaster and announcer...
as host, and Johnny Gilbert
Johnny Gilbert
John L. "Johnny" Gilbert III is an American show business personality who has worked mainly on television game shows. Originally a nightclub singer and entertainer, he has hosted and announced a number of game shows from various eras, dating as far back as the 1950s...
as the announcer (as well as a substitute host for Morrow), with Chet Gould as the show's alternate announcer. Paul Taubman provided the show's live music. Contestants tried to find objects hidden on an electronic board by tracing the outline of the object using a wand.
The game began with Morrow telling the contestants what object to look for. He then asked them a true-false question; a countdown clock began at 10 and stopped when a contestant buzzed in. A correct answer was worth points determined by time left on the clock, and removed a piece of the camouflage; the contestant had ten seconds to find and trace the object. If s/he tried and failed, the opponent got 10 points and a chance to trace it. An incorrect answer also gave the opponent the points and control of the board. (Each contestant had a separate board which his or her opponent could not see.) To help, once a player scored 30 points in the quiz, s/he got to see what the object looked like. The first player to spot and trace the object won the game and a prize. When it was obvious that the contestant had spotted and begun to trace the object, Morrow would say, "You say it's there...it is there!"
Each game had a predetermined point value (up to 200 points), with ten points deducted from the value of the game when a contestant made an incorrect tracing or chose to pass and wait for more of the camouflage to be removed. The winner's prize was determined by that person's score in the quiz added to the points left in the overall value of the game. The day's big winner was given one more object to find in fifteen seconds for a new car. For the bonus round, none of the camouflage was removed. Contestants retired after winning the car or five games, whichever came first.
The original version of Camouflage aired from January 9, 1961 to November 16, 1962 on 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...
. From January 9, 1961 to June 29, 1962 it aired from 12 Noon-12:30 PM, Eastern; on July 2, 1962 it moved to 12:30 PM and its running time was cut to 25 minutes, with a five-minute newscast airing at 12:55. This continued for the remainder of the original show's run.
1980
On February 4, 1980 Chuck BarrisChuck Barris
Charles Hirsch "Chuck" Barris is an American game show producer, film director and presenter best known for hosting The Gong Show and creating The Dating Game. Barris, a survivor of lung cancer, is also an author and claims to have worked for the CIA.-Early career:Barris was born in Oakland, New...
revived this show for syndication with Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
Tom Campbell
Tom Campbell (radio personality)
Tom Campbell is an American radio announcer and commercial voiceover talent.After serving in the United States Air Force, Campbell was hired for his first radio job, at KEEL in Shreveport, La., by Al Hart, who would later become a newscaster and radio personality in San Francisco.Campbell...
as host. This time around, the contestants answered general-knowledge questions for $50 apiece, and each game had a designated dollar value of $200–$1,000, with three games played per show. The bonus round was basically the same as on the original version, except there was no time limit.
After several weeks, the format was changed slightly: two contestants competed in game 1, followed by two new contestants in game 2, with the potential values of each game reduced to $200–$500 and the winner of each game playing the bonus round for an additional $1,000. The 3rd game was a playoff between the winners of the first two games, with the champion going on to play the "Super Bonus Puzzle" for the car.
Other program personnel included announcer Johnny Jacobs
Johnny Jacobs
John Byron Jacobs was an American television announcer, often for Chuck Barris productions...
and musical director Milton DeLugg
Milton DeLugg
Milton DeLugg is an American composer and arranger.-Biography:A talented accordionist, he appeared in short Soundies musicals and occasional movies . He quickly became a successful arranger and composer...
, who with his "Band with a Thug" rhythm section provided live music in the studio.
Scheduling/Ratings
This was one of the last once-a-week game shows to air in access time (7:00-8:00 PM Eastern, 6:00-7:00 PM Central), as most stations were switching to Monday-through-Friday "strip" shows. Consequently, Camouflage did not get wide distribution in syndication and was cancelled on May 2.ABC
The original series is most likely destroyed, with only two episodes known to exist (both from 1962) – January 8 (the first-anniversary show, with Gilbert guest-hosting) and April 27 (promotes the short-lived game show Window Shopping "coming up next"). A third episode held by the UCLA Film and Television ArchiveUCLA Film and Television Archive
The UCLA Film and Television Archive is an internationally renowned visual arts organization focused on the preservation, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles. It holds more than 220,000 film and television titles and 27 million feet of...
, along with the latter episode above.
1980
The series is likely extant, given that Game Show NetworkGame Show Network
The Game Show Network is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and casino game shows. The channel was launched on December 1, 1994. Its current slogan is "The World Needs More Winners"...
reran several episodes of this version in the 1990s, along with another episode as a Game of the Week in 2000 – although they have not been rerun since.