Celebrity Charades
Encyclopedia
Celebrity Charades is a series which originally aired from January to September, 1979 as a syndicated series throughout the United States
.
, along with his dummy
Squeaky, and Dick Patterson was the announcer. The series was modeled after the 1962-1964 TV show Stump The Stars, which itself is a successor of the long-running Pantomime Quiz of the 1950s.
Much like the earlier versions, the show consisted of two teams of four celebrities attempting to act out comedic phrases, with the team who manages the better time by the end of the show receiving $500 for their favorite charity.
The series was produced by Fein-Schwartz Productions, in association with Columbia Pictures Television
. Music was provided by Score Productions, and would be recycled for other game shows: a re-arranged version of a commercial cue later became the theme to Mindreaders
, while a re-arranged version of the main theme with a faster tempo was used during the pricing game Switcheroo
on the Tom Kennedy version of The Price is Right
.
. The show stemmed from a private series of parties hosted by actor Chad Lowe
and his wife, actress Hilary Swank
.
the title. The team member who guesses correctly subsequently runs to the central location where someone is waiting with the second answer to be guessed. This goes on for five answers. When all answers are guessed, the team must come up with the common theme that chains the answers together. The first team to do so wins the round.
There is no prize awarded to the winner. Instead, all participants agreed to donate their appearance fee to a charity of their choice.
in the fall of 1997, after which the show was pulled off of the schedule for unknown reasons, although a random episode from later in the show's run was aired as a GSN Game of the Week in 1999.
The AMC version exists in its entirety.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Original version
The original version was hosted by Jay JohnsonJay Johnson (ventriloquist)
Jay Johnson is a ventriloquist best known for his role on the television show Soap. He played Chuck Campbell, a ventriloquist who believed his puppet Bob was real and demanded everyone treat Bob as human...
, along with his dummy
Dummy
Dummy may refer to:*Military dummy:**dummy round—a cartridge that is inert, i.e. contains neither primer nor gunpowder**decoy—fake military equipment intended to deceive the enemy...
Squeaky, and Dick Patterson was the announcer. The series was modeled after the 1962-1964 TV show Stump The Stars, which itself is a successor of the long-running Pantomime Quiz of the 1950s.
Much like the earlier versions, the show consisted of two teams of four celebrities attempting to act out comedic phrases, with the team who manages the better time by the end of the show receiving $500 for their favorite charity.
The series was produced by Fein-Schwartz Productions, in association with Columbia Pictures Television
Columbia Pictures Television
Columbia Pictures Television was the second name of the Columbia Pictures television division Screen Gems . The studio changed its name on September 4, 1974.-1974-1982:...
. Music was provided by Score Productions, and would be recycled for other game shows: a re-arranged version of a commercial cue later became the theme to Mindreaders
Mindreaders
Mindreaders is a game show produced by Goodson-Todman Productions which aired on NBC from August 13, 1979 through January 11, 1980. Although NBC originally agreed to a 26-week run, the network canceled Mindreaders after 22 weeks...
, while a re-arranged version of the main theme with a faster tempo was used during the pricing game Switcheroo
Switcheroo
A switcheroo is a sudden unexpected variation or reversal often associated with a joke . It is often used colloquially to refer to an act of intentionally or unintentionally swapping two objects....
on the Tom Kennedy version of The Price is Right
The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right is a television game show franchise originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, and created by Bob Stewart, and is currently produced and owned by FremantleMedia. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also includes merchandise such as video games, printed...
.
AMC version
The second (and most recent) version aired five episodes from June 20 to 24, 2005 on the AMC television network in AmericaUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The show stemmed from a private series of parties hosted by actor Chad Lowe
Chad Lowe
Charles Conrad "Chad" Lowe is an American actor. He is the younger brother of fellow actor Rob Lowe. He won an Emmy Award for his supporting role in Life Goes On as a man suffering with HIV. He has also had recurring roles on ER, Melrose Place, and Now and Again...
and his wife, actress Hilary Swank
Hilary Swank
Hilary Ann Swank is an American actress. Swank's film career began with a small part in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and then a major part in The Next Karate Kid , as Julie Pierce, the first female protégé of sensei Mr. Miyagi...
.
Gameplay
On the show, celebrity teams of five were sent into two separate rooms. In each round of play, a set of five movie titles to be guessed are predetermined by the producers. One person from each team is given the first title; then each must run to a section of the house where his/her teammates are waiting, then pantomimePantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
the title. The team member who guesses correctly subsequently runs to the central location where someone is waiting with the second answer to be guessed. This goes on for five answers. When all answers are guessed, the team must come up with the common theme that chains the answers together. The first team to do so wins the round.
There is no prize awarded to the winner. Instead, all participants agreed to donate their appearance fee to a charity of their choice.
Episode status
The status of the original version is unknown; the first three episodes (all with the same celebrities) were aired by GSNGame 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"...
in the fall of 1997, after which the show was pulled off of the schedule for unknown reasons, although a random episode from later in the show's run was aired as a GSN Game of the Week in 1999.
The AMC version exists in its entirety.