Whew!

***Whew!*** is an American game show that airs in syndication. The previous version aired on CBS from April 23, 1979, until May 30, 1980. It was hosted by Tom Kennedy and announced by Rod Roddy. The current version of Whew! was launched in 2017

The game was created by Jay Wolpert. Production was initially credited to the Bud Austin Company, then later changed to Jay Wolpert Productions in association with Burt Sugarman Inc. The current version, with Charlie Brooker as the host, and Burton Richardson as the announcer. This show is produced by FreMantleMedia of North America, and Tribune Entertainment.

## Gameplay

### Main Game

In this new version of Whew!, there is no returning champion.The game is played for 3 rounds.The gameboard consists of five rows ("levels") of five squares each, with values of $25, $50, $100, $150, and $200, and a sixth level of three squares with values of $500, $1,000, and $1,500. Two contestants are told the categories for the first two rounds of play at the start of the match. A coin toss is held before taping each episode. The winner of the coin toss decides whether he/she would play as the Charger or the Blocker for the first round, and the other contestant takes the other role. The Charger is led offstage to a soundproof booth, and the Blocker then places six blocks on the board. No more than three blocks can be placed on any of Levels 1 through 5, and no more than one on Level 6.

The Charger is then brought back onstage and given 60 seconds to advance through all six levels by correcting "bloopers"—factual statements with one word changed to create a pun. (Example: "The B&O was the first American passenger smell", with "railroad" as the correct answer.) The Charger starts on Level 1 by choosing one of its squares; if a blooper is hidden there, it is revealed on that space's trilon and read out. The incorrect word is marked with an underline, and becomes the only part that the Charger needs to correct. A correct answer allows him/her to move to the next level. Uncovering a block incurs a five-second penalty, which gets counted down by the host and the audience (and sometimes the Blocker as well) before the Charger can continue.

If the Charger believes that he/she will not have enough time to clear all six levels, and if he/she has not yet reached Level 6, he/she can call a Longshot. The clock stops, the Charger immediately advances to Level 6, and the Blocker hides one secret block on that level in addition to any that may have already been placed there. The Charger then selects one square and attempts to correct its blooper if one is to be hidden there. The Charger wins the round by either clearing all six levels or successfully completing a Longshot. If the Charger runs out of time, or either hits a block or fails to correct a blooper after calling a Longshot, the Blocker wins the round. The Charger is not allowed to call for a Longshot after reaching Level 6 or during the five-second penalty for hitting a block, but can do so at any other time, even while the host is reading a blooper riddle. And if the Charger reveals all of the spaces on a level without a correct answer, he/she is forced to immediately call for the Longshot regardless of how much time is left on the clock.

The third and final round is played with the player behind in the money he/she goes into round 3 with deciding whether that player wants to charge or block. Round 3 is played exactly like rounds 1 & 2, except all the dollar values on the board are doubled so that the person who is behind in the money department can catch up. At the end of all 3 rounds, the contestant who accumulates the most money in the game wins the match, keeps his/her money, and advances to "The Gauntlet of Villains" Bouns Round, while the runner-up receives a consolation prize, but if at the end of the game both contestants tie winning the same amount of money in the money department, there will be a sudden death toss up tie breaking blooper where both contestants stay in their round 3 roles and will have toss up buzzers standing by their podiums, and see one tie breaking toss up blooper. As soon as either contestant thinks he/she can correct the blooper, they will buzz in hitting their buzzer. The person who buzzes in first will get to answer. If that player is correct he/she will win the game and keep their money, if not his/her opponent will win the game and keep their money. Also, the contestants trade roles for the second round along the way as well; and the host reveals the category for the blooper riddles at the beginning of each round.

### The Gauntlet of Villains

This new version of the show has a new top prize of $100,000. To begin the bonus round, the contestant spins a wheel known as "The Wheel of the Gauntlet" which has big cash prizes of $25,000, $30,000, $35,000, $40,000, $50,000, $75,000, and $100,000 to determine which of those big cash prizes that person will play for in this bonus round, then he/she will stand at the beginning of a path lined with 10 wooden caricatures of stereotypical villains, each with one arm raised as a barrier. He/she will have 60 seconds, plus one extra second for every $500 earned out of a top score of $10,000 in the main game, to reach the end of the path by correcting bloopers. If the contestant either responds incorrectly or fails to respond within three seconds, the correct answer is shown on a small screen embedded in the current villain's chest and the host will read a new blooper. A correct response leads to the villain's arm being lowered so that the contestant can advance to the next one.

The contestant wins $250 for each villain passed in addition to the money they won in the main game, or the jackpot of anywhere from $25,000-$100,000 that the wheel landed on at the beginning of the bonus round for completing the Gauntlet.

The villains in the Gauntlet, from left-to-right:

1. Alphonse the Gangster
2. Bruno the Headsman
3. Mr. Van Louse the Landlord
4. Nero the Fiddler
5. Count Nibbleneck the Vampire
6. Frank and his little friend Stein
7. Kid Rotten the Gunslinger
8. Jeremy Swash the Pirate
9. Dr. Deranged the Mad Scientist
10. Lucretia the Witch