Pictionary (1997 game show)

In this version of Pictionary, two teams of three (two celebrities and one contestant) played a drawing game based on the board game. This was played similar to Win, Lose or Draw.

Main Game
The teams drew puzzles which were all phrases, and played for points in this game. Each point was worth $100 to the contestants.

Round 1 (Celebrity Round)
In round one, all four celebrities went up to the drawing board one at a time. Each celebrity had 45 seconds to draw puzzles with the same word in each. When the show started, the celebrities were given two puzzles with the same word. If the team playing with the celebrity drawer got them both, the contestant scored two points/$200 (they must get them both in order to score). Later it was changed to having the celebrity in control draw as many puzzles as he/she can during the 45 seconds with each one worth one point/$100.

Round 2 (Team Round)
In this round each team had three minutes to draw as many puzzles as they can with each one worth one point/$100. Each puzzle has a linking word connecting from one puzzle to another. Players on the team in control took turns drawing and if they can't get their teammates to say the right phrase or don't know what else to draw, they can pass and hand-off to the next player. The team in the lead went first followed by the trailing team.

The team with the most points/money at the end of the round won the game. If the game ended in a tie, host Thicke drew one more puzzle and the first team to get the puzzle won the game. Both civilian contestants got to keep all the cash won by them, but only the winning team went on to play the bonus round for a lot more cash.

Bonus Round
One member of the winning team selected by his/her teammates went up to the drawing board and drew for the next 90 seconds. Only this time instead of drawing phrases, he/she drew single words, each word connects to another. Each time the drawer's teammates said the right word, the contestant won some more money. The first three (later four) words were worth $100, the next three were worth $300, and every word from there on out was worth $1,000. There was no max cash winnings, sky's the limit in this round.

Originally there were returning champions. Champions stayed on the show until they were defeated or reached the Friday show. Two months later in the run, the champions format was dropped altogether, and two new players competed everyday.

Trivia
At the beginning of each show, the day's contestants would draw anything they want.

Former Wheel of Fortune producer Nancy Jones worked on the show.

This show was best remembered for the episode in which Erik Estrada accidentally hit Bill Maher in the nose after getting the puzzle which was "Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Old Oak Tree," though that injury was not life-threatening.

Music
Greg Edmondson

Inventor
Based on the board game of the same name by Angel Games, now Mattel & Hasbro.

Studio
CBS Television City, Hollywood, California

Links

 * Rules for Pictionary

YouTube Videos

 * Weird Al Yankovic

Full Episodes

 * Alex vs. Clarence
 * Anthony vs. Kata