Double Dare (2)

Double Dare was Nickelodeon's most popular (and messiest) game show. Part quiz and part physical challenges. Two teams competed for cash & prizes.

(Keep in mind that this should not be confused with the short-lived 1976-77 CBS daytime game show of the same name.)

It had five incarnations during its run:

Double Dare – The original

Super Sloppy Double Dare – Extra-messy version that is more, well, sloppy

Super Special Double Dare – Two special episodes

Celebrity Double Dare – Two pilots for a proposed celebrity version

Family Double Dare – Has family teams playing

Double Dare 2000 – A short-lived revival, also with family teams playing

Main Game
The show started each episode with the host saying, "On your mark, get set, go!" The game was played in two rounds, at the beginning of each round, a toss-up challenge was played by both teams. The team that completed the toss-up earned money and control of the round.

Here are more of the rules the way Marc Summers said it:

"I'm gonna be asking you a question, and if you don't know the answer or you think the other team hasn't got a clue, you can dare them to answer it for double the dollars. But be careful, because they can always double dare you back for four times the amount, and then you would either have to answer that question or take the Physical Challenge."

And here's what the rules were talking about:

The team in control was asked a question and a correct answer won money and kept control, but an incorrect answer forfeited control to the opposing team. Here's where the daring comes in; if the team in control did not know the answer or if they thought the opposing team didn't know, all they had to do was "Dare" that opposing team, making the value of the question worth double. But if the opposing team still had no idea or vice versa, they could "Double Dare" the first team for quadruple the cash. On a dare or double dare, if the team controlling the question answered incorrectly, the money went to the daring team; on a double dare only, the controlling team could either answer the question or take the physical challenge.

Physical Challenges
The physical challenge in question was a stunt (usually messy) that had to be completed within the time limit, usually 20 or 30 seconds, although occasionally 10 or 15 seconds. All physical challenges on Double Dare 2000 were 30 seconds in length, unless a time reduction was in play due to the Triple Dare Challenge. Completing the challenge won the double dare amount, but running out of time and not completing the challenge gave the opposing team the money.

Many challenges involved filling a container past a line with one of a variety of substances including water, uncooked rice, green slime, whipped cream, and milk. Others involved catching a specific number of items before time ran out.

On Double Dare and Super Sloppy Double Dare, both contestants on a team competed in all physical challenges. For the 1988 version of Family Double Dare, all four members of a team competed in the challenges. On the 1990–1993 version of Family Double Dare and on Double Dare 2000, two members of a team competed in Round 1, and all four members competed in Round 2.

During the Nickelodeon's Super Sloppy Double Dare era, each time any team took a Physical Challenge, a home viewer's name was drawn out of a special mailbox next to Marc's podium, and then Marc would announce that viewer's name. Should the team playing the Physical Challenge complete the Physical Challenge, the chosen home viewer won an Etch-a-Sketch Animator; if not, then the viewer still won a Double Dare T-shirt.

In Double Dare 2000 in the second round, all physical challenges came with what's called the "Triple Dare Challenge". The team playing that challenge could decide to either take the "Triple Dare Challenge" or go for the normal physical challenge. When playing the "Triple Dare Challenge", if the team completed it in time, they won triple the dare value and a prize; otherwise the opposing team got the prize & money.

Scoring
Here how the players scored for success:
 * Round 1
 * Question – $10
 * Dare – $20
 * Double Dare/Physical Challenge – $40
 * Round 2
 * Question – $20
 * Dare – $40
 * Double Dare/Physical Challenge – $80

Here how the players scored in the Family Double Dare era:
 * Round 1
 * Question – $25
 * Dare – $50
 * Double Dare/Physical Challenge – $100
 * Round 2
 * Question – $50
 * Dare – $100
 * Double Dare/Physical Challenge – $200

The Triple Dare Challenge on Double Dare 2000 was worth $300.

In regular Double Dare and FOX's Family Double Dare, the toss-ups were worth the dare value; but in the Nickelodeon version of Family Double Dare and in Double Dare 2000, the toss-ups were worth the normal value of the question.

The rounds were played in an unmentioned time limit, and the round(s) ended with the sound of a double buzz. The team with the most money at the end of round two won the game although both teams got to keep the cash with (starting in 1987) a house-minimum guarantee of $100 ($200 in Double Dare 2000; $500 in FOX's Family Double Dare). On both the original and Super Sloppy Double Dare, both teams split the money. The winning team also earned the right to run the Double Dare Obstacle Course.

Obstacle Course
The winning team had 60 seconds to run through eight obstacles. In each obstacle, the goal was to perform a certain task/run through something, then grab an orange flag from a pole or attached to the obstacle or simply finding that flag. Once the player doing that obstacle got the flag, he/she had to then pass it to his/her partner. For each obstacle completed the team won a prize, and clearing the entire course (all eight obstacles) also won a grand prize.

In FOX's Family Double Dare, the seventh obstacle was the cash obstacle, which was worth between $2,000 and $5,000, depending on the episode.

In Double Dare 2000, the Obstacle Course was called the "Slopstacle Course".

1987 Double Dare Pilots
At least two pilots were made to sell a grown-up version of Double Dare to CBS. But none of them sold. One pilot was played with civilian couples, and the other saw celebrities play with civilian contestants. The game was played the same way except that there were differences between these pilots & the other versions of Double Dare:


 * The amounts were double of FOX's Family Double Dare amounts.
 * Only one toss-up challenge was played (in the first round).
 * All questions were two-parters and each player had to answer each half in order to score.
 * Teams always took turns answering questions regardless of who answered the question or not.
 * In the Obstacle Course, there were seven obstacles instead of the usual eight. The time to run the Obstacle Course was not 60 seconds, but 90 seconds. The contestant did two of the obstacles (2 & 4) while the celebrity partner did four (1, 3, 5, & 6); both players did the final obstacle (7). Instead of grabbing or finding flags, the player performing the obstacle had to hit a button by the obstacle after finishing it. The grand prize was a new car, which carried over into the Family shows.

Team Uniforms
When the show started, both teams wore red outfits despite the fact that one of the teams stood in front of a blue background. Starting in 1988, to avoid confusion, only one team was dressed in red and the other team was dressed in blue ; plus, both teams stood in front of their appropriate backgrounds except in FOX’s Family Double Dare, where the backgrounds' colors switched places.

(Family) Double Dare
Robin Marella

Dave Shikiar (1986-1990)

Jamie Bojanowski (Family Double Dare 1990, Super Special Double Dare 1992)

Chris Miles (Family Double Dare 1992)

Double Dare 2000
Jeffrey Lamar

Will Finley

Tia Marie Schroeder

Music
Main 1986 - "On Your Marc" by Edd Kalehoff

Celebrity Double Dare Pilot 1987 - Unknown

2000 - Rick Witkowski (based on "On Your Marc" by Edd Kalehoff)

Inventors
Geoffrey Darby

Michael Klinghoffer

Dee LaDuke

Bob Mittenthal

International Versions
Double Dare has also aired in these countries:
 * United Kingdom (1987-1992) (as a segment of Going Live)
 * Australia (1989-1992)
 * Brazil (1987-2000) (Passa ou Repassa)
 * Canada (French) (1989-1991) (Double Defi)
 * France (2012-present)
 * Germany (1991-1994) (Drops!)
 * India (2004) (Nick Dum Duma Dum)
 * Netherlands (1989-1990) (DD Show)

Double Dare Live Tour
While Double Dare was still going on, the show did a live tour and was shown in many cities across the United States. Both Marc Summers and Robin Marella made live appearances and the game was played like the show. However, there were some differences compared to the television version. There were no buzzers to signify that the round was over. Marc told the teams that he ran out of questions for the round. There was also no time's up buzzer when doing physical stunts, Marc called time for the teams. There was also no winning bells to signify the team had won the stunt or completed the obstacle course, Marc determined which team had won. Summers also encouraged the audience to cheer on their teams before the game started, but he had one very important rule; not to shout any answers out after questions were read. If anyone shouted out the answers, questions would be dropped. Summers would also tell the audience to be quiet during the game to remind them not to help. If this continued, the teams would be disqualified. Sometimes before the show, Marc would go out into the audience and talk with them. The obstacle course was the same, however the obstacles were downsized so that they could fit onto the stage. There was also a live version of Family Double Dare as well.

Additional Pages
Double Dare (2)/DD In Popular Culture

Double Dare (2)/Catchphrases

Double Dare (2)/Merchandise

Double Dare (2)/Gallery

Double Dare (2)/Video Gallery

Trivia
Double Dare returned as a stage show at the Nickelodeon Suites Hotel in Orlando, Florida in 2012, but it ceased in 2016 due to the reformation of the hotel simply being a Holiday Inn. Shortly after, the stage show moved to Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota under the new name, Double Dare Challenge!

Carmen Sandiego host Greg Lee was originally a contestant coordinator and audience warmup on the show.

It has been announced that Double Dare might be coming back. It has not been decided yet. A petition has been made to support the revival. UPDATE: After much speculation, Double Dare will be making its comeback this summer.

Links

 * doubledare.tv
 * DoubleDareSupersite.com
 * Joey's Double Dare Page
 * The Double Dare Slopsite
 * Rules for Double Dare (2)
 * Jay's Double Dare (2) Page
 * Rules for the Celebrity Double Dare Pilot
 * Josh Rebich's Double Dare Rule Sheets
 * A blog about "Double Dare"