| Host | |
| Elayne Boosler | |
| Announcer | |
| John Moschitta | |
| Broadcast | |
 | |
| Packager | |
| The Hatchery/Mattel | |
OPENING SPIEL: (Insert self-introductions of celebrities and giving unusual facts) "Who's got it right? You'll find out today/tonight on BALDERDASH! Starring ELAYNE BOOSLER!"
Balderdash was a game show loosely based on the board game of the same name.
Gameplay
Two contestants faced a panel of three comedians in a game of separating fact from fiction.
Main Game
In each round, a category was given, then the contestants secretly wagered any or all of their current score along with their decision of either "truth" or "balderdash". After the contestants presented their wagers and decision, host Boosler read the question and then each of the comedians gave their answers one by one. One of the answers was the truth, the other two were bluffs, aka "Balderdash". After the answers were given, the contestants chose a celebrity and whether they thought their answer was truth or balderdash. The correct answer was then revealed & a correct decision added the wager while an incorrect decision deducted the wager. A correct "Balderdash" choice paid off at 1:1 while the truth paid off at 2:1 (doubling the wager) since only one comedian told the truth.
Round 1
To start, the contestants were spotted 250 points. They wagered as much as they wanted on the question.
Round 2
In this round, two questions were asked, and 500 points were added to the contestants' current scores. A minimum of 250 points had to be wagered on each question. If either contestant had less than 250 points after the first question, they would be forced to bet all of their points on the second question.
Round 3
In the final round, one last question (which was a visual) was asked and the contestants were given 1,000 extra points added to their score. They had to wager at least half their score on the question; the wagers and decisions were not revealed until after the correct answer was revealed, and the contestants had to bet on the truth only. The contestant with the most points at the end of this round won the game and went on to the Balderdash Barrage with the comedian of his/her choice.
Balderdash Barrage (Bonus Round)
The Balderdash Barrage was a bonus round in which the day's winning contestant, with the help of one of the day's three comedians, played for one of two prizes (one of them being a trip). The winning contestant faced 10 monitors which spelled out the show's title, nine of them hid the name of the regular prize while only one hid the trip. To narrow the playing field, the winning contestant had 45 seconds to correct a series of statements that ended in a total Balderdash word or phrase. If the contestant got stumped, he/she said "pass" and then the comedian partner took a chance to answer. If either one missed it, then another statement was read. Each correct answer eliminated a letter that hid the regular prize. Then when time ran out, the winning contestant then chose a letter and won the prize revealed. Later in the run, if the winning contestant got nine correct before time ran out, then he/she automatically won both prizes.
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Pics
Studio
Tribune Studios (now Sunset Bronson Studios)
Trivia
The set went through one small revision in the show's run, earlier episodes featured ViewSonic monitors encased by wide gray frames. Later in the run, the frames were changed to shiny black with the ViewSonic logos covered up. The cue when the truth teller is revealed was also changed.
Also the later in the run, the opening question became a question for the studio contestants. Each of them picked a star that thought told the truth and a correct choice scored 100 points to be added to the 250 given to them at the start of round one.
Inventor
Based on the board game of the same name by Mattel.
Music
Shie Kozow
The category sound effect was originally a sound intended for use on Whammy! The All New Press Your Luck that went unused.
Similar Shows
Additional Page
Tagline
"Be kind to animals & remember, "Rescued pets makes the great pets", and that's no Balderdash. See you next time!" - Elayne Boosler, (2004)