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VITAL STATS

Lifespan: November 2001 - June 2002
Hosts: J. Keith Van Straaten, Blaine Capatch
Announcer: Tiffany Bolton
Produced by: Mark Cronin

Front Game Rules (First season)

The contestant podiums, as usualThree contestants begin the first round. To start off, the host asks four toss-up questions, each worth 5 points, and each originating from one of the resident Geeks' specialty topics (Movies, TV, Music, or the Guest Geek's subject). After that, four more questions are asked, worth 10 points each. The lowest-scoring player after this round is eliminated, a "who can come closest without going over" question is asked in case of a tie.

Which Geek will you challenge?In the second round, the two remaining contestants challenge a Geek to a showdown. For each showdown, the contestant is asked a fairly tame question, and a correct answer forces the Geek to answer a more esoteric question. If the Geek misses a question, s/he loses the challenge; if the contestant misses a question, the other player can steal 10 points with the right answer. If both the contestant and Geek survive two questions, a "Geek-off" is played, in which each side has 15 seconds to give a list of items that fit a topic. For the Geek to win the challenge, s/he must surpass the number scored by the contestant. Each contestant gets two challenges, and each Geek defeated earns 20 points the first time around, or 40 points the second time, with 10 bonus points earned for beating the Guest Geek. Once a Geek is beaten, s/he cannot be challenged again.A Geek loses his medal

Let's Geekqualize!The final part of the front game is the "Geek-qualizer". Both contestants are read a rapid-fire list of items, and must correctly identify them as pertaining to Movies, TV, or Music. Each right answer earns 10 points (with 150 points possible); missing an item or stalling for more than two seconds ends his/her chance. The player with the highest score at the end of the round wins the game.

Front Game Rules (Second season)

In the second season, the first round was tweaked. This time, a toss-up question was asked in the domain of one of the Geeks. Whoever got it right earned 10 points and challenged the appropriate Geek to another toss-up question. If successful, s/he earned another 10 points; if not, s/he lost 5. After four questions, the lowest scoring player is eliminated like before.


End Game Rules

Time for the head-to-head challengeThe champion now challenges one of the Geeks one last time. In the bonus round, the host gives both competitors a subject and the opportunity at a 1, 2, or 3-point question. In each category, the Geek may not choose an easier question than the contestant. The first player to score 7 points is the winner, and if the contestant can beat the Geek, s/he wins a prize package valued at $5000, tailored to the Geek s/he just beat.


Notes

The resident Geeks are: Mark Edward Heuck (Movies), Paul Goebel (TV), and Andy Zax (Music). In early episodes, the Music Geek position was also filled by Michael Jolley. Among the Guest Geek topics have been "Star Wars", Playboy, Toys, and "Friends".


Loogaroo Looks it Over

Beat the Geeks

Gameplay: 1 pt. (First season), 2 pts. (Second season)
The first round at the show's beginning did almost nothing to get the Geeks involved. The second season was an improvement, but now it's too short.
Host: 2 pts. (Both)
J. Keith van Straaten was as stiff as posterboard, but he did have some good presence and held his own. Blaine Capatch is more lively, but a touch on the obnoxious side.
Presentation: 2 pts.
A very nice "Fortress of Solitude" feel is conveyed by the set, music, and the robes that the Geeks wear.
Execution: 1 pt.
A $5000 prize package is a litle cheap, especially since it often consists of movie collections and stuff you might not necessarily want.
Total Score: 6-7 pts.



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