Camouflage (1)

The picture puzzle game show where contestants try to find hidden objects within.

Broadcast
ABC January 9, 1961 - November 16, 1962 Syndication February 4, 1980 - May 2, 1980

Packagers
Camouflage Inc./Jerry Hammer Productions 1961-1962 Chuck Barris Productions 1980

Hosts
Don Morrow 1961-1962 Tom Campbell 1980

Announcers
Johnny Gilbert 1961-1962 Johnny Jacobs 1980

Premise
Two contestants battle it out for prizes simply by tracing the hidden object inside a picture drawing.

Main Game
A picture drawing was presented to the players, and the hidden object was announced. Then the host asked questions to the contestants. The first player to buzz-in with a correct answered scored, and some camouflage (portions of the picture) was taken away. The player who answered the question correctly can either find & trace the object or pass up the chance and play another question. When taking the chance, the player must trace the outline of the object. Failure to do so gave the opponent the chance to trace the object. The first player to correctly trace the object won the game.

1961 ABC Version
Contestants played for points & prizes in this version, and all toss-up questions were "true or false". Each question came with a clock which started at 10 and stopped when a contestant buzzed in. The winner of each toss-up earned as many points as there are seconds leftover, and when a contestant had 30 or more via the questions, he/she was then shown the object that person must find. Each puzzle had a point bank which started at 200 points, and decreased by 10 for every new attempt at the puzzle. Each time a contestant decided to go trace the object, he/she had 10 seconds within which to trace the object. The winner of each game not only won the remaining points in the bank, but also won a prize according to his/her overall total of the game (questions plus puzzle). The player with the most points won the match and a chance to play for a new car.

1980 Syndicated Version
There were two formats to this version.

Format #1
The game was played the same as the original, except that each round was now played for money instead of points and no prizes. The questions were no longer restricted to "true or false", the clock was removed and they were worth $50. The value of the game was a random cash value from $200-$1,000. Three games were played each show and the player with the most money at the end of the third game won the right to play for a new car.

Format #2
The format changed after a few weeks on the air. This time, two different pairs of contestants played the first two game with the winner of each game advancing to the third and final game, but not before facing a bonus picture for $1,000. The maximum value of each game was reduced to $500. The winner of the third game went on to play for a new car.

The Car Puzzle
The big winner of the day faced one last picture with one last hidden object. If the player can trace that final object correctly, he/she won a new car. In the ABC version, the championship contestant had 15 seconds to do show, but in the 1980 revival, there was no time limit.

Trivia
The 1980 revival of Camouflage was the last nighttime game show to air once a week. By that time, most other game shows switched to five times each week.

Links
Rules for both versions of Camouflage TV IV Article on the 1961 version of Camouflage Rules for the 1980 version of Camouflage Screengrabs of the 1980 Revival