Download (game show) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Download |
|
|---|---|
| Genre | Game show |
| Directed by | Leo Flynn |
| Presented by | Scott McRae (2000-2001) Nathan Lloyd (2001-2002) Emily Jade O'Keefe (2002) |
| Narrated by | Bianca Dye (2000-2002) Miss Bytes (2002) |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 257 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Bill Davidson |
| Producer(s) | Tony Ryan |
| Production location(s) | Brisbane, Queensland |
| Camera setup | Steve Atkinson |
| Running time | 21 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Becker Entertainment |
| Release | |
| Original network | Nine Network |
| Picture format | 4.3 PAL |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 14 February 2000 – Late 2002 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Now You See It |
Download was an exciting Australian children's game show. It aired on the Nine Network from 2000 to 2002. The show featured word puzzles and trivia challenges.
Scott McRae was the host from 2000 to 2001. Nathan Lloyd took over in 2001 and 2002. Emily Jade O'Keefe hosted the final season in mid-2002. A special co-host named Miss Bytes also appeared on screen in the studio during the last season.
Contents
How the Game Was Played
Download was a tournament-style game show. Four contestants competed in different rounds. The goal was to solve word puzzles and earn points.
Small Screen Game: Rounds 1 & 2
In the first two rounds, two contestants played against each other. A coin toss decided who chose the first category. Categories included "Screen Dreams," "Planet Earth," and "Techno."
To "download" a letter for the puzzle, a contestant answered a trivia question. The answer to the question always contained the letter needed. If a contestant buzzed in first with the correct answer, they earned 1 point. The letter was then placed into the puzzle.
Solving the entire word puzzle earned 4 extra points. This also removed that category from play. If a contestant answered incorrectly, they got no points. The first player to reach 10 points or more won the round. They moved on to the next stage. The other contestant received consolation prizes. This round was played twice.
Big Screen Game: The Final Showdown
The two winners from the "Small Screen Game" faced off here. Their scores were reset to zero. In this round, contestants saw a scrambled word or phrase. They received up to five clues to help them unscramble it.
The first contestant to buzz in with the correct word earned points. The fewer clues given, the more points they got. For example, if they solved it with the first clue, they got 5 points. Each extra clue reduced the points by one. If no one solved the word after five clues, no points were given.
The game ended with a 60-second lightning round. In this fast-paced part, points for unscrambled words were doubled! The player with the most points at the end won the game. They then advanced to the bonus round. If there was a tie, one final puzzle was played. The first to solve it won!
A contestant named Kavel Gounden set a record in October 2002. He was 11 years old and won by 90 points! His final score was 94 to 4.
The Bonus Round: Win More Prizes!
The winner of the "Big Screen Game" moved on to the bonus round. This was their chance to win extra prizes.
In the first two seasons, the player chose a category. This rule was removed for the third season. The bonus round featured a puzzle with four lines. The contestant chose nine letters without seeing them. These letters were then placed into the correct spots in the puzzle.
Once the letters were in place, the contestant had 40 seconds. They had to solve all four puzzles. There was one clue for each puzzle. To get credit, they had to say the line number before the word. They could only solve one puzzle at a time. If they were stuck, they could "pass" and return to a puzzle later.
Contestants won a prize for every puzzle they solved correctly. If they solved all four puzzles, they won all four prizes! If not, they still kept the prizes for the puzzles they did solve.
Fun Facts About Download
- The show was so popular that it was rerun on the Disney Channel from 2004 to 2007.
- Even after the show ended in 2002, some extra episodes were broadcast on the Nine Network between 2003 and 2005. These often featured Nathan Lloyd and Emily Jade O'Keefe as hosts.
- Download had its own website from 2000 to 2002. It was a cool place for fans to visit! The website closed down in 2003.
- The large television screens used in the studio were provided by a company called Fujitsu.
- A special computer program called Eyecon ran the game show. It controlled all the sounds, buzzers, score displays, and graphics you saw on screen!
