Double Dare (1976 game show)

Two contestants, each in separate isolation booths, attempted to correctly identify a person, place or thing based on one-sentence clues that were given to them, one at a time, on an electronic gameboard. The correct response was shown to the home audience before the first clue was given. A maximum of 10 clues were played per subject, typically starting with obscure pieces of trivia and progressing toward more widely-known facts.

Either contestant could buzz in at any time to guess the subject, and doing so closed off the opponent's booth so that he/she could not see or hear anything. A correct guess won $50 for the contestant, while a miss closed his/her own booth and gave the opponent a chance to see the next clue (referred to as a "penalty clue") and offer a guess unopposed. If the opponent also missed, both booths were opened and play resumed with the next clue after the penalty.

When a contestant correctly identified a subject on a buzz-in, he/she was shown the next clue in sequence and could dare the opponent to answer. When a contestant gave the answer on a penalty clue, it was used for the dare since the opponent had not yet seen it. If the contestant chose to dare, the opponent's booth was opened and he/she had five seconds to study the clue before guessing. A correct answer awarded $50 to the opponent; a miss awarded $100 to the daring contestant, closed the opponent's booth again, and gave the contestant a chance to offer a double dare based on the next clue. A correct answer on a double dare awarded $100 to the opponent, and a miss awarded $200 to the double-daring contestant.

Play on a particular subject ended after any of the following occurred:

• A contestant identified the subject, but chose not to dare
• A contestant successfully dared the opponent, but chose not to double dare
• An opponent correctly identified the subject on a dare
• A double dare was played
• Neither contestant identified the subject after all 10 clues were played

The first contestant to accrue $500 or more won the game and moved on to the bonus round. Both contestants kept their accrued money, and the loser of each game also received parting gifts. Champions stayed on the show until defeated or until they surpassed CBS's maximum winnings limit (at the time $20,000 for this series). Alan Lusher was the only contestant to retire as champion after crossing the $20,000 threshold in the main game before picking up an extra $300 in the Spoilers round; he won a grand total of $20,500.[3][4]

The winner of the main game competed in a bonus round against the Spoilers, a panel of three Ph.Ds placed in separate isolation booths so that they could not see or hear each other. The booths were turned off to begin the round.

The gameboard displayed a subject and eight numbered clues (10 in the pilot) in random order of difficulty, and was placed so that the Spoilers could not see it. The contestant selected one clue at a time and, after seeing and hearing it, had to decide whether to pass it or give it to the Spoilers. He/she could pass up to four times (five in the pilot), and these clues were immediately discarded from play. If the contestant decided to give a clue to the Spoilers, their booths were turned on long enough for Trebek to read it to them. The booths were then turned on, one at a time, so that each Spoiler could guess the subject without being heard by the others. Each incorrect answer awarded $100 to the contestant, while a correct answer awarded the money to that Spoiler; he/she then took no further part in the round, and the booth was left turned on so that he/she could hear the others' guesses.

The round continued as long as at least one Spoiler failed to guess correctly. If all three Spoilers managed to identify the subject, the contestant lost the round but received any money accumulated to that point from incorrect guesses. If any of the Spoilers were unable to identify the subject after the fourth (fifth in the pilot) given clue, the contestant won $5,000.

Only once in the show's brief run did a contestant get shut out ($0) during a Spoilers round. The contestant in question was Ray Winston, during the episode originally aired January 21, 1977; in his first bonus round, he immediately used all four passes and every Spoiler guessed correctly on the first clue he had to give them. Alan Lusher, in addition to being the show's all-time winner and champion, went up against the Spoilers the most times (seven) and achieved three victories over them.