Catchphrase is an American game show which ran from September 16, 1985, through January 10, 1986, in syndication. The object of the show was to solve "catch phrases", which were animated picture puzzles designed to represent objects or sayings. Art James was the host of the show, his last game show hosting job before he retired from television, and John Harlan was the announcer. The program was created by Steve Radosh and produced by Pasetta Productions, with Telepictures distributing.

Although Catchphrase did not succeed in its American run, the format found success in other countries. The British Catchphrase premiered two days after the American series came to an end in 1986 and aired weekly until 2004 and daily in late 2002 on the ITV network, which brought the series back in 2013. In Australia, the show premiered in 1997 on Nine with former Aussie Wheel of Fortune host John Burgess presiding, and was known as Burgo's Catch Phrase from 1999 until it ended in 2004.

Gameplay

Two contestants competed, one usually a returning champion. The champion stood behind a blue podium while the challenger stood behind a red podium.

At the beginning of each round, nine dollar amounts were displayed on a large video screen and one contestant hit his/her buzzer to stop a randomizer and set the value of each catch phrase. Values ranged from $100 (originally $50) to $200 in the first round and steadily increased over the course of the game. The challenger set the value for the first round, and the trailing contestant after each round set the value for the next one.

Each catch phrase was slowly drawn on the video screen by a computer system, and a bell would ring to indicate when contestants could buzz in. A correct response added money to the bank, while a miss allowed the opponent to guess. If a contestant buzzed in before the bell, the opponent was allowed to see the entire catch phrase before offering a guess.

A correct answer gave the contestant a chance to solve the Super Catch Phrase, a completed picture hidden behind a grid of nine squares. He/she hit the buzzer to stop the randomizer and reveal the lit square, then had five seconds to study the puzzle and offer a guess. A correct solution awarded all the money in the bank to the contestant, while a miss or failure to respond carried no penalty. If a contestant was unable to solve the Super Catch Phrase after revealing the last square, the opponent was given a chance to do so; if neither of them could solve it, the bank carried over to the next round.

The game continued in this manner until time was called. If this happened during a round, the Super Catch Phrase was revealed one square at a time and the first contestant to buzz in and solve it won the bank. An incorrect guess allowed the opponent to see the entire puzzle before guessing.

The contestant in the lead at the end of the game won the championship and advanced to the bonus round. If the game ended in a tie, a sudden-death playoff was used to determine the winner. Both contestants kept their accumulated money, and the loser also received parting gifts.

Bonus Round

The champion faced a 5-by-5 grid of 25 squares, each marked with a different letter from A through Y. Each square hid a different catch phrase, with the one behind M (at the center of the board) being the most difficult. The champion would call out letters one at a time, with the goal to correctly guess five catch phrases in a line going horizontally, vertically, or diagonally within sixty seconds. The champion could make as many guesses as he/she wanted at a catch phrase, and could also pass on and return to any catch phrase.

The bonus round had two prizes to play for, one worth approximately $5,000 and the other worth approximately $10,000. If the champion made a line that did not include the M, he/she won the less expensive prize. If the champion made a line that did include the M, he/she won the more expensive prize. If he/she could not complete the line in sixty seconds, the champion was awarded $200 as a consolation for every catch phrase he/she solved before time ram out. If the champion solved the M catch phrase, the consolation amount doubled to $400 per catch phrase.

Any contestant who won five consecutive games was retired as an undefeated champion and received an additional prize. At various points during the show's run, this prize was a car, $10,000 in cash,^[1] or one of the larger merchandise prizes featured in the bonus round.^[2]

In the first taped episodes of the show, which aired in December 1985, the bonus round was played under the same basic rules, but with a different set of prize levels. A line of five that did not include the M still won a prize worth roughly $5,000, but if that square was used, the champion received his/her choice of three prizes worth over $10,000 each. Each square also hid a small prize; if the champion did not win the round, he/she received the prizes for all claimed squares.

Mascot

Catchphrase used an animated robot named Herbie as a mascot. He was colored golden yellow with a red nose and red neckerchief, and made frequent appearances throughout each game performing some sort of action as part of a catch phrase. For instance, Herbie would be seen carrying a piece of paper with the word "FISHER" written on it and the solution to the catch phrase would be Carrie Fisher.

The British series had a robot mascot that looked almost identical to Herbie, but instead the producers named him "Mr. Chips", as he was thought to resemble a computer chip. In the 2006 pilot, he was referred to as "Mr. Clues".

Sale, cancellation, and replacement

When Catchphrase was presented for potential affiliates at the 1985 NATPE Market & Conference in Los Angeles, Telepictures offered it as a barter series with a condition that, should it be cancelled before the 1985-86 television season ended, the stations airing it would receive a replacement at no additional cost if they wanted one. The company referred to this as an "insurance policy".

Catchphrase‘s ratings were low from the start, prompting action at what was now Lorimar-Telepictures. In November 1985, a pilot for a game show called Make a Match was shot, and the response was strong enough that the company wanted to put it on the air. The decision enabled Lorimar-Telepictures to invoke the condition and cease production on Catch Phrase, which company vice president Peter Temple said was showing “no upside”.^[3]

Catchphrase came to an end on January 10, 1986, after thirteen weeks of episodes. The following Monday, its replacement series, which had its name changed to Perfect Match following the pilot, began airing; it, too, would eventually be cancelled.

2006 pilot

In 2006, a pilot was taped for a possible syndicated revival of Catchphrase, called All-New Catch Phrase. Hosted by Todd Newton and produced in association with Granada USA, the pilot ultimately did not sell.^[4][5]

International versions

Status

•   Currently broadcasting
•   Formerly broadcast
•   Upcoming or returning