Time Masters (game show)
Time Masters is an Australian children's game show hosted by Tony Johnston from 1996-1998 on the Seven Network,[4] in 3 seasons at the beginning Tony would meet the two teams of two schoolkids. In 1998, the show ended and was replaced with Wipeout a year later also hosted by Johnston.
| Time Masters | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Game Show |
| Created by | Michael Boughen Wayne Cameron[1][2] |
| Directed by | Robert Burton |
| Creative director | Michael Boughen |
| Presented by | Tony Johnston |
| Narrated by | Mark Malone |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 195 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Wayne Cameron Michael Boughen |
| Producer | Bob Gillow |
| Production locations | Brisbane, Queensland (1996) Perth, Western Australia (1997-1998) |
| Running time | 26 minutes |
| Production company | Southern Star Group |
| Release | |
| Original network | Seven Network |
| Picture format | 4:3 PAL |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 1 April 1996[3] – 1998 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | A*mazing |
| Followed by | Wipeout |
Season One
Brain Strain
Each team were asked questions and then had to negotiate an obstacle course of "The Wobbly Planks" then round a corner and go into "The Groove Tube" to get to a board at the top of the course and hit one of the six possible answers and had 120 seconds to get as many as possible. Then repeated with the other team.
Round Two
This round consisted of a Concentration style puzzle clue which spelled out the answer needed and one player from each team would run from one end of the studio to the other collecting plastic balls with letters printed on them, while the other would arrange them in the correct order. In a race to the finish.
Round Three
Was usually an Arcade Drving Game the closest placed to first won. The game was called Cyber Cycles by Namco.
Season Two and Three
Slam Dunk
Instead of Brain Strain was Slam Dunk. One player would sit out that round. Again with 6 answers to choose from the player was now charged with throwing the basketball through the corresponding hoop number to get the question right. A member from the rival school (but not one of the players) would be brought on and sit in the SLAM DUNK chair and if the player managed to get all 6 answers correct they would be dunked into a vat of water.
Scramble
A prototype Go Go Stop board, similar in vein to Wipeout, which replaced Time Masters and was originally also hosted by Tony Johnston, the player who sat out the first game is brought in to play this one. It was 5 squares across by 9 high with the task being get to the top as quick as possible by answering a series of questions each time you hit a blocking square.
Round Three
It was usually an Arcade Driving Game, one in particular Manx TT, wherein the closest placed to first won.
Trivia
- The show was rerun in 1999-2003 on Disney Channel.
- This show was the second and final spin off kids game show for A*mazing.
References
- Business Review Weekly (Volume 18, Issues 34-42 ed.). Fairfax Media group. 1996. p. 35. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
Southern Star Concept, a game-show company, was set up in 1994 as a joint venture with Wayne Cameron and Michael Boughen. It is making the children's game shows Amazing and Time Masters for Seven,
- Groves, Don (7 April 1994). "New Oz TV Star is born". Variety. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
Australian film and TV producer/distribber[sic] Southern Star group is beefing up its gameshows and light entertainment output via a new division, Southern Star Concept. It’s a co-venture with Concept Television Prods., headed by former Reg Grundy execs Michael Boughen and Wayne Cameron, who have produced 14 TV series in the past eight years.[...]he new alliance’s first ventures are[...]and a children’s education computer game show, “A*MAZING” for Australia’s Seven network.
- "Program Highlights (Melbourne, March 30-April 5)". TV Week (1996: March 30-April 5). Pacific Publications Pty Ltd. 30 March 1996. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
Monday:[1 April 1996] Children’s game show Time Masters (4pm, Seven) debuts, hosted by Tony Johnston.
- Melpo (30 June 2018). "The Best Aussie Kids Game Shows from the '90s". Cactus Pop 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
Before Go Go Stop, there was Time Masters. The game Scramble asked contestants a question and showed them flashes of a green path on the light-up game board. Then they raced up, stepping on the the[sic] correct path on the floor and pressed buttons to select the right answers on the board at the top. A basketball round encouraged some unhealthy rivalry by dunking a kid from the opposing school in a water tank. The final challenge was a Daytona-style arcade game that probably ate up the show’s whole budget.