Rodeo Drive (game show)

Rodeo Drive is a cable game show based on the Beverly Hills street of the same name, quizzing three contestants on their knowledge of celebrities. It was recorded in CBS Television City's Studio 43 in Los Angeles.^[1]

The series debuted on Lifetime on February 5, 1990 and ran until May 4, 1990, and was hosted by comedian Louise DuArt, with Burton Richardson as announcer. Jay Wolpert created and produced the show. After the last first-run episode aired, the show went into reruns until August 31, 1990.

Format[]

Round one[]

Seven hidden words, numbered 1 through 7 and pertaining to a celebrity, were displayed on a monitor behind the contestants. The contestant in control chose a number, and the word was shown to both opponents and the home audience. He/she then had 15 seconds to describe the celebrity; saying the word awarded a point value from 100 to 250 based on its difficulty. If the contestant did not say the word, he/she received 5 points for any other hidden words that were said. Before time started, the opponents each secretly predicted whether the contestant would say the word, receiving 50 points for a correct guess. Three different celebrities were played in this round, with each contestant describing one and predicting on the other two.

If two or more contestants were tied for the lead at the end of this round, a statement about a celebrity was read as a toss-up. The first contestant to buzz-in and correctly identify it as a fact or rumor scored one point and earned the advantage; a miss awarded both to the opponent.

Round two[]

The contestants were seated in descending order of their scores from round one. Beginning with the high scorer, each was given a series of statements and had to classify them as fact or rumor. Correct answers were worth 100 points each, while a miss gave control to the next contestant in line. DuArt occasionally performed impersonations of the celebrities mentioned, and one question was related to a teaser that she gave at the beginning of the show.

This round lasted for approximately seven minutes, with a bell as a two-minute warning. When time ran out, the high scorer won $500 and advanced to the bonus round; ties were broken as in round one.

Rodeo Drive (Bonus Round)[]

The contestant had an opportunity to increase the amount of money in the bank on Rodeo Drive by answering five questions. He/she was given the names of two celebrities and a statement that was true about one, the other, or both. Each correct answer added $200 to the bank, which began at $1,000 after it was won.

The contestant then got the chance to stroll down Rodeo Drive, which included four stores (each displaying a different prize) and the bank. At each location, the contestant had to identify a celebrity based on overhearing gossip about him/her. A correct guess allowed the contestant to advance to the next location. If the contestant cleared all five locations within 60 seconds, he/she won all four prizes and the money in the bank. Otherwise, the contestant received a prize of his/her choice from the successfully cleared stores and the bank value rolled over to the next show.

Champions remained on the show until they were defeated or had played the bonus round five times.

References[]