Brains & Brawn facts for kids

Brains & Brawn (1958)
Genre	Game show
Presented by	Jack Lescoulie Fred Davis
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	1
Production
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	30 minutes
Release
Original network	NBC
Original release	September 13 (1958-09-13) – December 27, 1958 (1958-12-27)

Brains & Brawn was the name of two different game shows on the NBC television channel. Both shows aired on Saturdays and had similar names. The first one was in 1958, and the second was in 1993.

The First Show (1958)

The first version of Brains & Brawn started on September 13, 1958. It was shown on NBC every Saturday night. The hosts were Jack Lescoulie and Fred Davis.

This show had two teams, each with two players. Two famous people were on the "Brain" team, and two other players were on the "Brawn" team. The show's rules were a bit confusing for viewers. Because of this, it only lasted for about three or four months before it was cancelled.

The Second Show (1993)

Brains & Brawn (1993)
Genre	Game show
Presented by	Mark-Paul Gosselaar Danielle Harris Tatyana M. Ali
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	1
Production
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	22–24 minutes
Release
Original network	NBC
Original release	July 10 (1993-07-10) – October 16, 1993 (1993-10-16)

A second version of Brains & Brawn aired from July 10 to October 16, 1993. This show was part of NBC's Saturday morning lineup for teenagers. It was hosted by Mark-Paul Gosselaar.

At first, Danielle Harris was his co-host. Later, Tatyana M. Ali took over. The show was filmed at Universal Studios in Hollywood. It featured two teams of teenagers competing in fun and fast-paced challenges. These challenges included both school-smart questions and physical activities. Music and special effects made the show even more exciting.

How the 1993 Show Worked

In the 1993 version, two teams of three teenagers played against each other. One person on each team was a celebrity captain. They competed in five different games to earn points. These points were important for the final Obstacle Course.

Here are some of the games they played:

• "2-Minute Drill" – Each player stood at a special stand. Mark-Paul would ask a question with three possible answers. Players had to quickly choose what they thought was the right answer. This round lasted for 2 minutes. Each correct answer gave the team 10 points.
• "Hockey" – One player from each team played this game. One player was the goalie, and the other tried to hit balls into their net using a hockey stick. Each team had 30 seconds to score goals. Every goal they scored earned them 10 points.
• "Swing Shot" – Two players from one team tried to throw balls through three big holes in a wall. But a player from the other team sat on a swinging pendulum in front of the holes. They tried to block the balls as they flew by. Each team had 30 seconds to play. Every ball that went through a hole earned 10 points.
• "Oddity" – Both teams looked at a board with ten rows of three items. In each row, one item was different from the others. Teams had 60 seconds to find the "oddity" in each row and move it to a special column. They got 20 points for each oddity they found correctly.
• "Volleyball" – The teams played a 3-minute game of volleyball. They earned 20 points for each score. This game was extra tricky! First, each teammate was connected to another with a bungee cord. Second, the net was a solid piece of fabric, so players couldn't see the ball through it.

After all five games, both teams went to the Obstacle Course. First, players had to run through tires. Then, they climbed a fire escape ladder. After that, they slid into a big air cushion. Next, they crossed a balance beam to reach a zip line. Finally, they got into a three-seater, pedal-powered buggy and pedaled to the finish line. The first team to cross the finish line won the course and the whole game!

The team that had more points from the earlier games got a head start in the Obstacle Course. For every 10 points they had over their opponents, they got one second of a head start.

Each member of the winning team received a Bushnell telescope as a prize.