Get the Picture (game show) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Get the Picture |
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| Created by | Marjorie Cohn |
| Developed by | Gwen Billings Herb Scannell |
| Presented by | Mike O'Malley |
| Narrated by | Henry J. Waleczko |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 115 |
| Production | |
| Production location(s) | |
| Running time | approx. 23 minutes |
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| Original network | Nickelodeon |
| Picture format | NTSC (480i) |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | March 18 – December 6, 1991 |
Get the Picture was a fun American game show for kids. It aired on Nickelodeon from March 18 to December 6, 1991. Mike O'Malley was the host. The show had two teams who answered questions and played games. Their main goal was to guess a hidden picture. This picture was shown on a giant screen made of 16 smaller screens.
The show was filmed at Nickelodeon Studios. This studio is located at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Dan Vitco and Mark Schultz created the show's music. The show's catchy slogan was The Great Frame Game.
There were two seasons of Get the Picture. The first season had 40 episodes. These were filmed in the spring of 1991. The second season had 75 episodes. They were filmed in the summer of the same year.
Contents
How to Play the Game
Two teams of two players competed on Get the Picture. One team wore orange jumpsuits. The other team wore yellow jumpsuits.
The main goal was to guess hidden pictures. These pictures were on a 16-square video wall. Teams also answered general knowledge questions. Correct answers helped them get chances to guess the picture. The game had two main rounds.
Round 1: Connect the Dots
In the first season, this round showed an outline of dots. These dots represented something in a certain group. For example, it might be an animal or a famous place.
Teams answered general knowledge questions. A correct answer earned them $20. It also let them choose a square on the video wall. When a square was picked, its dots connected to the puzzle. The team then had five seconds to guess the picture. Guessing correctly earned $50. An incorrect guess made them lose $20. There was no penalty if a team chose not to guess.
The round continued until time ran out. If a picture was still being played, squares were revealed one by one. This continued until a team guessed correctly for $50. Teams could make multiple guesses without penalty.
Power Surges in Round 1
Sometimes, teams found special "Power Surges" on the board. These were hidden randomly. In Round 1, a Power Surge let the team play a bonus game. They could win $20 and see a real part of the picture. This was better than just seeing connected dots.
Each picture had two Power Surges hidden. All Power Surges in this round involved answering questions. If a team failed a Power Surge, the other team got the money and the square.
Round 2: Dots
The second round showed an actual image. This image was hidden behind the video wall. Each square had numbers on its four corners. Questions in this round had two, three, or four possible answers.
If a team answered correctly, they won $40. They could then connect lines on the board. The number of lines matched the number of correct answers. When all four dots around a square were connected, that part of the image was shown.
Pictures in Round 2 were worth $75. Incorrect guesses still cost $20. One Power Surge was hidden on the board. These Power Surges were played on the main stage. They involved players doing fun physical activities. These activities helped reveal parts of a picture puzzle.
If time was running out, the puzzle was revealed square by square. This continued until a team guessed correctly for $75. The team with the most money when time ran out won the game. They moved on to the bonus round, called "Mega Memory." Both teams kept the money they won. The losing team got at least $100 and some other prizes.
If there was a tie, one final puzzle was played. The first team to guess it correctly won the game.
Physical Activities (Season 1)
Most physical Power Surges involved players doing tasks. These tasks helped them reveal pieces of a picture. After finishing the Power Surge, the team had one chance to guess the picture for $40. If they failed, the other team got the $40.
- Toss Across: Teams had 30 seconds to toss computer chips. They tried to flip over nine game pieces. The pieces had numbers, symbols, or the Get the Picture logo. The goal was to show the numbers.
- Ring Toss for Pieces: Teams threw rings over spots on a computer motherboard. The spots were not in order.
- Putting for Pieces: This was like mini golf. Teams putted into nine holes.
- Shuffling for Pieces: Teams shuffled large floppy disks. They tried to land them on special spots in numerical order.
- Jigsaw Puzzle: Teams had 45 seconds to put together a jigsaw puzzle. They took pieces from a stand and placed them on a giant board. After time ran out, or if they finished, they guessed what the puzzle showed.
Mega Memory: The Bonus Round
The winning team played on a nine-square board. This board hid nine pictures. All pictures were related to a special theme. The pictures were shown for ten seconds. The team's job was to remember where each picture was.
Players used a nine-numbered keypad. Each picture was behind a number. For 45 seconds, Mike O'Malley read clues. The team hit the number they thought matched the correct picture. Teams were encouraged to take turns.
For each correct match, up to six, the team split $200. The seventh and eighth matches won them merchandise prizes. If a team matched all nine pictures before time ran out, they won a grand prize!
Season Two Changes
The rules changed a bit for Season Two:
- The game was played for points instead of money.
- A "toss-up" picture was played at the start for 20 points.
- All Power Surges were based on knowledge. An extra Power Surge was added in Round 2. All Power Surges took place on the main stage.
- The time limit in Mega Memory was shorter, at 35 seconds. Teams split $100 for each of the first six matches.
- Teams used blue plunger buzzers instead of computer keyboard buzzers. They also wore nametags on their jumpsuits.
- The podium where contestants stood was redesigned. It had a much bigger Get the Picture logo.
- The "connect the dots" intro from Season One was removed. Instead, they showed a quick look at the first toss-up puzzle.
- It was more common in Season Two to show a screenshot of a completed puzzle. This happened even if the audience had already seen it finished.
Reruns
Get the Picture stopped making new episodes on December 6, 1991. However, reruns aired every week until March 13, 1993. The show also aired on Nick GAS. This was from its launch on March 1, 1999, until it closed on December 31, 2007. You could also watch episodes on Nick's TurboNick service from 2007 to 2009.
International Versions
The United Kingdom had its own version of the show. It aired on Nickelodeon UK. Peter Simon was the host. The Netherlands also had a version called Snap Het. It aired on Nickelodeon Netherlands.
