Rodeo Drive (game show)
Encyclopedia
Rodeo Drive was a cable game show
that pitted three contestants against each other in a game based on the world famous street
of the same name. It was recorded in CBS Television City's Stage 43 in Los Angeles.
The series debuted on Lifetime on February 5, 1990, ran until August 31, 1990, and was hosted by comedienne Louise DuArt
, with Burton Richardson
as announcer. Veteran TV producer Jay Wolpert
created and produced Rodeo Drive. A 1981 pilot of the series was hosted by Peter Tomarken
, who later went on to host Hit Man
for Wolpert in 1983, but never made it to air.
If two players were tied at the end of the round, a toss-up statement about a celebrity was read. The first player to buzz in and correctly classify it as a fact or rumor scored one point (preventing any further ties involving that player) and the advantage in round 2. If incorrect, the opponent automatically earned the point and the advantage.
The player then got the chance to stroll down Rodeo Drive, which included four stores and the bank. For each store, the player had to identify a celebrity by overhearing gossip about that celebrity. Each time a celebrity was correctly identified the contestant advanced to the next store and listened to gossip about another celebrity. If the contestant was able to get through all four stores and the bank within 60 seconds, they won all the prizes and all the money in the bank. If a player ran out of time, they were allowed to choose a prize to keep from one of the stores they successfully passed, and the bank value carried over to the next show.
Champions remained on the show until defeated until winning five matches.
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 pitted three contestants against each other in a game based on the world famous street
Rodeo Drive
Rodeo Drive of Beverly Hills, California is a shopping district known for designer label and haute couture fashion. The name generally refers to a three-block long stretch of boutiques and shops but the street stretches further north and south....
of the same name. It was recorded in CBS Television City's Stage 43 in Los Angeles.
The series debuted on Lifetime on February 5, 1990, ran until August 31, 1990, and was hosted by comedienne Louise DuArt
Louise DuArt
Louise DuArt , is an American comedian and impersonator.She began her career on the children's show, The Krofft Supershow, playing Nashville, a member of the fictional band, Kaptain Kool and the Kongs; she later worked on Krofft's last kid's show, The Krofft Superstar Hour, in which Kaptain Kool...
, with Burton Richardson
Burton Richardson
Burton Merrele Richardson is an American television announcer. He announced The Arsenio Hall Show from 1989 to 1994, where he became known for his long-drawn-out introduction of the show's host: "ARSENIOOOOOOO.....
as announcer. Veteran TV producer Jay Wolpert
Jay Wolpert
Jay Wolpert is an American television producer and screenwriter.His first television appearance came as a contestant on the original version of Jeopardy! in 1969. He competed in the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions that year and won....
created and produced Rodeo Drive. A 1981 pilot of the series was hosted by Peter Tomarken
Peter Tomarken
Peter David Tomarken was an American television personality primarily known as the host of Press Your Luck.-Early life:...
, who later went on to host Hit Man
Hit Man (game show)
Hit Man is an American television game show that ran from January 3 to April 1, 1983 on NBC. Peter Tomarken hosted this Jay Wolpert production in association with Metromedia Video Productions, while Rod Roddy was the announcer.-Round 1:...
for Wolpert in 1983, but never made it to air.
Round 1
To start, a game board on a monitor behind the contestants was revealed with a list of seven hidden words connected to a famous celebrity. On his/her turn, the contestant chose a number from 1 through 7. The word was revealed to the home audience as well as their two opponents, after which the opponents secretly predicted whether the describing contestant would say the word. The first contestant received 15 seconds to describe the celebrity as much as possible. If the contestant said the chosen hidden word within 15 seconds they won the hidden point value associated with that word (anywhere from 100 to 250 points according to the difficulty of the word). If not, the contestant received five points for each of the remaining six words they did say. Afterwards, the other players' predictions were revealed. If the prediction was correct, that contestant won 50 points. Play continued until all three contestants had described one celebrity and predicted twice.If two players were tied at the end of the round, a toss-up statement about a celebrity was read. The first player to buzz in and correctly classify it as a fact or rumor scored one point (preventing any further ties involving that player) and the advantage in round 2. If incorrect, the opponent automatically earned the point and the advantage.
Round 2
The contestants were rearranged and seated from left to right in order of how they finished the first round. They were now given statements posed by the host, each one being either a fact or a rumor. Play started with the player in the lead after round 1. If the player correctly identified the statement as a fact or rumor, that player earned 100 points. An incorrect answer passed control to the second-place contestant. That player continued answering questions until they missed, at which point the third-place player gained control. An incorrect answer by the third-place player resulted in the first player gaining control again. During this stage of the game, the host, Louise Du Art, would usually do her celebrity impressions, the impression being appropriate to the subject of the statement being read. The game lasted for approximately seven minutes. Two bells indicated a two-minute warning, and when the final bells rang, the round and the game ended. The player in the lead at this point became the champion, won $500 and advanced to the bonus round. If the game ended in a tie, a tiebreaker similar to that used in Round 1 was used to determine a winner.Rodeo Drive (Bonus Round)
Before the bonus round, the winning player had an opportunity to increase the amount of money in the bank on Rodeo Drive (see below) by answering 5 questions. The contestant was given names of two celebrities and a statement. The statement could be about either celebrity A, celebrity B, or both celebrities. The bank began at $1,000 and increased by $200 for each correct answer.The player then got the chance to stroll down Rodeo Drive, which included four stores and the bank. For each store, the player had to identify a celebrity by overhearing gossip about that celebrity. Each time a celebrity was correctly identified the contestant advanced to the next store and listened to gossip about another celebrity. If the contestant was able to get through all four stores and the bank within 60 seconds, they won all the prizes and all the money in the bank. If a player ran out of time, they were allowed to choose a prize to keep from one of the stores they successfully passed, and the bank value carried over to the next show.
Champions remained on the show until defeated until winning five matches.