Wipeout (1999 game show) facts for kids

Wipeout was a fun Australian game show that aired on the Seven Network. It ran from February 15, 1999, to November 24, 2000. The show was based on an earlier American version with the same name. Tony Johnston was the host of the Australian show.

What made this version special was that it had children as contestants. Instead of winning money, kids earned points. This was because of a law in Australia and Europe. This law stops children from winning cash prizes on game shows. After the show stopped making new episodes, old ones were shown again until 2004.

How to Play Wipeout

The game had different rounds where contestants tried to score points. The goal was to avoid "Wipeouts" and get the most points.

First Two Rounds: Points and Puzzles

In the first two rounds, players faced a board with answers.

• Each board had 12 correct answers and 4 "Wipeouts."
• Correct answers were shown with checkmarks.
• "Wipeouts" were shown with crosses, often appearing with a cool explosion!
• In the first board, each correct answer was worth 25 points.
• In the second board, correct answers were worth 50 points.
• After a player chose an answer, it was immediately the next contestant's turn.
• There was also a "Bonus" spot. If a player landed on it, they got extra points.
• At the end of each round, the player with the lowest score was out of the game.

Tie-Breaker Challenge

If two or more players had the same low score, they played a tie-breaker.

• They saw a special board with 12 answers.
• Eight answers were right, and four were wrong.
• The tied players took turns picking answers.
• The first player to pick a "Wipeout" was eliminated. The other player moved on!

Third Round: Bid for the Grid

This round was called "Bid for the Grid." It was a bit like an auction.

• There were 12 answers on the board.
• In early shows, 8 were right and 4 were wrong.
• Later, it was an even split: 6 right and 6 wrong.
• Contestants secretly decided how many correct answers they thought they could find in a row. This was their "bid."
• They had five seconds to think and lock in their bid.
• The player with the highest bid got to play. If bids were tied, the player who entered their bid faster played.
• The player who won the bid had to find that many correct answers in a row. They could not hit a "Wipeout."
• If they succeeded, they won the board!
• If they hit a "Wipeout," the other player got a chance. That player only needed to find one correct answer to win the board.
• If the stealing player also hit a "Wipeout," the game went back to the first player.
• The first player to win two out of three boards won the game. They then got to play the bonus round!

Bonus Round: Win it in a Minute

The winner of the main game got to play the "Win it in a Minute" bonus round.

• The contestant chose one of two categories.
• They had 60 seconds (one minute) to find six correct answers.
• These answers were hidden on a grid of 12 possible answers.
• Players entered their guesses on a large keypad.
• Then, they had to run to a buzzer to check their answers.
• If a player picked more than six answers, a computer voice would say, "Too many, too many!" The buzzer would not work until they fixed it.
• If the contestant found all six correct answers in time, they won a big prize! The prize changed sometimes, which made it exciting.