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loogslair.com Is that your final answer?


VITAL STATS

Lifespan: December 1996 - April 1997
Host: Greg Fitzsimmons
Co-stars: Dave Attell, Heather Blaze, Tom Cohen, Shonda Farr, Paul Kozlowski, Emmy Laybourne, Matt Price ("The Brain")
Produced by: Michael Dugan

Front Game Rules

Let's check today's categories... Four players competed for the whole week. In the first round, eight categories were shown, and a player chose one of them. (The first pick went to yesterday's "Dunce," as described below, or the winner of a straw draw. Early in the run, the day began with the "Control question," which decided who'd pick first. More often than not, the category to the CQ was also the answer.) The player who buzzed in with the right answer for the first question won 100 points and was entitled to a bonus question for 200 points. Answering the bonus correctly gave you an opportunity at the "Big Gamble" question, worth 300 points if answered correctly, but would cost you 300 points if you missed. Missing a question gave the other players a chance to buzz in. The contestant podiums
I'm the Brain! At the end of the round, whoever had the lowest score of the day was eliminated and labeled the "Dunce," while the three remaining players stayed in contention for Round 2. During the second round, questions were of double value (200, 400, +/-600), "The Brain" (an on-stage monitor played by Matt Price) chose the categories, and if the three players couldn't get the answer, the Dunce could steal the points. After two rounds, the lowest scorer of the three remaining contenders was out, and the last two players took part in a 60-second (later 45-second) speed round known as the "Brainstorm." During the Brainstorm, answers were +/-200 points each. The leader after the Brainstorm advanced to the bonus round.

End Game

The champion was given 45 seconds (later 60) to answer 10 questions in their "Savant category," which was their area of expertise (and ranged from World Geography to the movie "Back to the Future"). Early in the run, each correct answer won 200 points, answering 10 questions won a prize.

Each players' points were compiled for the whole week. On Fridays, point values for the first two rounds were doubled (200, 400, +/-600 in Round 1; 400, 800, +/-1200 in Round 2), and the top two finishers after Round 2 took part in the Double Grand Savant Round. In the DGSR, both players were grilled on their Savant category, with answers worth 1000 points each. The player with the most points at the end of the week won the grand prize.

A player gets grilled in the Cylinder of Shush

Loogaroo Looks it Over

The best game show MTV has aired. Granted, the competition isn't exactly stiff ("Trashed" and "The Blame Game" leap into mind), but even so the format was developed to perfection. Although Debt had reintroduced the concept of specialty categories, Idiot Savants refined it. Greg Fitzsimmons hosting work was a little stiff, it's still pretty darn good. The only problem was the constant format tweaking. Don't let the score fool you - this show ought to go down as a 10.

Idiot Savants

Gameplay: 3 pts.
Host: 2 pts.
Presentation: 2 pts.
Execution: 1 pt.
Total Score: 8 pts.



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