High School Quiz Shows

[ChuckNet]

I recall WGN carrying this show, with an African-American slant, back in the 1980s and 1990s.

Seems like KYH really did a tour of duty w/all the major Chicago commercial stations...it was on WLS by 2000, then moved over to WBBM before coming to WCIU. And it seemed to change hosts just as often...at one point, actor Greg-Alan Williams (Sgt. Ellerbee on Baywatch) was behind the podium.

Oh, it definitely has that slant...in fact, they've been using DJs from the Windy City's local hip-hop/R&B station (whose name escapes me) as announcers for the past 3 seasons or so.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

[CarbonCpy]

[quote name=\'NicholasM79\' date=\'Dec 18 2005, 12:40 PM\']And if you've had a chance to see the show lately since Diana Morgan took over as the host, it's almost as bad as that website.

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Wait, "lately?"  Was she ever good as host?  

EDIT:  Heck, she was still stumbling over questions by the time my high school's team went on the show back in '98, and that was... what? a good three, four years since she took over for what's-his-face?

EDIT PLUS:  I figured if Matt wouldn't say it, I might as well.

[Kevin Prather]

I think that Nicholas was saying that the show was bad since Diana Morgan took over, ergo, she was always bad.

[Steve McClellan]

[quote name=\'ChuckNet\' date=\'Dec 18 2005, 07:18 PM\']I'm willing to bet [New Jersey Challenge is] the same basic show as The LI Challenge[/quote]
Yup.

I wasn't able to find any online presence nor air times for Scholars' Bowl on WETP, It's Academic on WJZ, or Paterson's In the Know. Anyone got any more on any of these?

The list is up to about 30 shows now - am I the only one surprised that there are this many of them out there?

[CarbonCpy]

[quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Dec 18 2005, 11:22 PM\']I think that Nicholas was saying that the show was bad since Diana Morgan took over, ergo, she was always bad.

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It was still worth repeating, though.

[inturnaround]

[quote name=\'catkins522\' date=\'Dec 18 2005, 02:57 PM\']WBBH, aka NBC-2, has it's own high school challenge.  It's called "The A Team Challenge".

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I pity the fool who named this show.

(Yeah, it was an obvious joke. I apologize)

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'inturnaround\' date=\'Dec 19 2005, 03:12 AM\'][quote name=\'catkins522\' date=\'Dec 18 2005, 02:57 PM\']WBBH, aka NBC-2, has it's own high school challenge.  It's called "The A Team Challenge".

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I pity the fool who named this show.

(Yeah, it was an obvious joke. I apologize)

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(points left)
TTD90 room...that a-way. :-P

[Craig Karlberg]

Not only did WPBS in Watertown NY hosted "Whixz Quiz" when I was growing up in upstate New York but WPTZ-TV 5 out of Plattsburgh NY did one called "Scholars for Dollars" on Sunday nights.  Even better was my high school(St. Lawerence Central) appeared in both shows,  Too bad I couldn't find anything on Scholars for Dpllars from the Plattsburgh station's web site so I assumed it no longer exsists as a show,  I prefer Scholars ove WQ because of the fact there are no penalties for an incorrect buzz-in guess in the middle of a question.  I prefer high scores.

To take Adam's Reach For The Top a step further, I've seen that show too.  I watched the Quebec version of it.  Never realized there were other provincial versions too.  I guess that's what happens when I live a mere 27 miles from the Canadian border,

[tvmitch]

Didn't have a chance to thoroughly do a search for a post from Aaron or anyone who else lives close to my central Pennsylvania DMA, but WGAL-TV airs BrainBusters, our local high school quiz show.

Technically, WGAL, our fine NBC affiliate, is based in Lancaster, PA, but is in the same market as Harrisburg. Schools from at least 6 counties in our area play in BrainBusters, including those from Lancaster, Dauphin (state capital Harrisburg is in Dauphin County), York, and Lebanon Counties.

BrainBusters is hosted by Rich Rosen, the same dude who hosted High-Q (of which I was a contestant twice!) on local ABC outlet WHTM. This show was canned about 2002, and in 2003, Rosen got a sponsor to back his show and moved it to WGAL. As far as I know, BrainBusters has been a relative success on WGAL and is now in its third or fourth season.

Brad Rutter himself hosted "Inquisitive" on our UPN affiliate last year, which was also a high school quiz show that ran when BrainBusters didn't run. I don't know if that show is coming back or not, especially now that Mr. Rutter is in need of even less work than last year.

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'mitchgroff\' date=\'Dec 19 2005, 09:23 AM\']Brad Rutter himself hosted "Inquisitive" on our UPN affiliate last year, which was also a high school quiz show that ran when BrainBusters didn't run. I don't know if that show is coming back or not, especially now that Mr. Rutter is in need of even less work than last year.[/quote]My understanding is that Brad is the driving force behind Inquisitive, even to the point of it being self-funded.  He does it because he wants to do it, I doubt it generates ANY profit for him.

[tvmitch]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Dec 19 2005, 08:49 AM\'][quote name=\'mitchgroff\' date=\'Dec 19 2005, 09:23 AM\']Brad Rutter himself hosted "Inquisitive" on our UPN affiliate last year, which was also a high school quiz show that ran when BrainBusters didn't run. I don't know if that show is coming back or not, especially now that Mr. Rutter is in need of even less work than last year.[/quote]My understanding is that Brad is the driving force behind Inquisitive, even to the point of it being self-funded.  He does it because he wants to do it, I doubt it generates ANY profit for him.

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I was out of the loop on Inquizitive as I was doing slave-labor for CNBC last year at this time...I recall seeing some sponsors on billboards around the county when I came home a couple weekends, but I never got a chance to catch the show. Wouldn't surprise me if he did self-fund (at least in part) the show.

[Jimmy Owen]

The CBS affil in Alpena, MI, WBKB had a show also called "Knowlege Bowl" I'm not certain if it is currently in production.  The set is (or was) primitive (A lectern in the middle of two folding tables in front of an off-white curtain.)

Glad to hear the genre is thriving.  I'm guessing the format is somewhat public domain. I presume I wouldn't have to contact Don Reid or somebody if I wanted to start one in my area.

[Steve McClellan]

Just some quick stats from what I've got so far:

Shows by network affiliation:
PBS - 12
NBC - 6
CBS - 4
ABC - 3
UPN - 1

States with more than one:
PA - 5
MI - 4
OH - 3
NY - 2

Size rankings of markets with shows (of the 210 Nielsen DMAs):
1*, 4*, 5*, 8, 9, 16, 22, 23, 25, 29, 32, 41, 42, 44, 60, 65, 66, 74*, 93, 98, 102, 108, 110, 113, 178, 180, 187
*Station does not appear to serve entire market

Most surprising stat: Only 2 shows west of the Mississippi.

Seems that the markets most amenable to HS quizzes have between 250,000 and 2 million TV households. Hm.

[MarkBarrett]

Quiz Kids airs on [local independent - former NBC affliate] KRON in San Francisco at noon on Saturdays.

[vtown7]

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Dec 19 2005, 04:47 AM\'][quote name=\'inturnaround\' date=\'Dec 19 2005, 03:12 AM\'][quote name=\'catkins522\' date=\'Dec 18 2005, 02:57 PM\']WBBH, aka NBC-2, has it's own high school challenge.  It's called "The A Team Challenge".

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I pity the fool who named this show.

(Yeah, it was an obvious joke. I apologize)

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(points left)
TTD90 room...that a-way. :-P

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No, I'm thinking that given the production qualities of some of these things I hear, that you should be sent to the 1000$ Bee room.

Ha.  Now you'll all have nightmares!

Ryan