Figure It Out: Difference between revisions

Browse history interactively ← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisual WikitextInline

Revision as of 21:22, 7 March 2007 edit149.151.194.104 (talk) →Panelists ← Previous edit		Latest revision as of 22:03, 12 November 2024 edit undoPaytonisboss (talk \| contribs)Extended confirmed users680 editsm Reverted 1 edit by TyGuyGoingToEdit (talk) to last revision by PaytonisbossTags: Twinkle Undo Mobile edit Mobile web edit
Line 1:		Line 1:
			{{short description\|American children's panel game show}}
	{{Unreferenced\|date=October 2006}}
			{{About\|the game show}}
	{{dablink\|For the song "Figure It Out" by Lil' Chris, see ].}}
			{{Infobox television
	{{Infobox_television
	\|~~show_name~~ = Figure It Out		\| image = Figure It Out 2012.svg
			\| runtime = 24 minutes
	\|image = ]
			\| location = ], ]<br />Orlando, Florida (1997–1999)<br />]<br />Los Angeles, California (2012–13)
	\|caption = ''Figure It Out'': Wild Style contestant Brett Noble milks goat with his toes on August 4, 1999 at Nickelodeon Studios, Florida.
	\|~~format~~ = ]		\| genre = ]
			\| creator = ]<br />Magda Liolis
	\|runtime = 22 minutes
	\|~~creator~~ = ]<br>]		\| presenter = ]<br />]<br />
			\| narrated = Jeffery "J" Dumas<br />Elle Young
	\|starring = ]<br>] (1997-1999) = ]<br>] (2001)
			\| music = ]
	\|country = {{USA}}
			\| company = ]
	\|rating = {{TV-Y}}
			\| country = United States
	\|network = ] ]
			\| network = ]
	\|first_aired = ], ]
			\| first_aired = {{Start date\|1997\|07\|07}}
	\|], ] (capcom)
	\|last_aired = ], ]		\| last_aired = {{End date\|1999\|12\|12}}
			\| first_aired2 = {{Start date\|2012\|06\|11}}
	\|], ] (capcom)
			\| last_aired2 = {{End date\|2013\|07\|16}}
	\|num_episodes = 158
			\| num_seasons = 6
	\|250 (capcom)
			\| num_episodes = 233
	\|imdb_id = 0127994
	\|tv_com_id = 3302
	}}		}}
	]'''''Figure It Out''''' was a television ] hosted by ] that originally aired on ] and is now shown on ] (Nick GAS). Kids with special skills or unique achievements compete as contestants on the show while a panel of four Nickelodeon celebrities compete against the clock as they try to guess the predetermined phrase that describes the contestant's talent. This show can be considered a loose adaptation of the classic game show ].

			'''''Figure It Out''''' is an American ] that aired on ]. The original series, hosted by ], ran for four seasons from July 7, 1997, to December 12, 1999. The show was revived in 2012, with ] as host,<ref>{{cite news\|author=Lesley Goldberg\|title=Nickelodeon Revives 1990s Game Show 'Figure It Out'\|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/nickelodeon-revives-figure-it-out-297452\|work=]\|date=March 7, 2012\|access-date=2016-01-23}}</ref> with the revival airing from June 11, 2012, to July 16, 2013. The series was originally recorded at ] at ] in ]. The revival episodes were filmed on stage 19 at ] in ].<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.cattlecallauditions.com/nickelodeon-figure-it-out-figure-this-out/\|title=Nickelodeon Figure It Out: Figure This Out\|date=13 April 2012 \|access-date=2012-06-06\|publisher=cattlecallauditions.com}}</ref>
	As with most other Nickelodeon game shows, ''Figure It Out'' was filmed in front of a live studio audience at ] at ] in ].

			Children with special skills or unique achievements compete as contestants on the show while a panel of four Nickelodeon celebrities try to guess the predetermined phrase that describes the contestant's talent. The series is a loose adaptation of '']'' and '']'', both established panel shows created by ] and ].
	==Rules==
	The game is composed of two sets of three one-minute rounds per episode in which the panelists take turns asking yes-or-no questions to try to guess the contestant's talent. Each time a panelist mentions a word that is part of the phrase that describes the secret talent, the word is turned over on Billy the Answer Head (right), a game board that displays a puzzle. The solution to this puzzle is always the contestant's secret. Billy shows which words of the phrase have and have not been guessed. The contestant wins a prize after each round that his or her talent remains unguessed. After the third round, each panelist is given one final guess as to what the contestant's talent is. The game ends either when a panelist guesses the secret talent or if no panelist guesses the secret talent correctly after the "last guess" stage.

			Shortly after the series aired its last first-run episode, ''Figure It Out'' began airing repeats on ] until the network ceased at the end of 2007 (2009 on ]). Several episodes of the Sanders-hosted series also aired in 2012 as part of ], a 1990s-oriented rerun block that aired on ].
	During each round, the panelists receive one clue as a hint to one of the words of the secret phrase. The clue can take the form of physical objects, such as dates (the fruit) to indicate a clue about calendars, sounds (rarely used), or pantomime (the "Charade Brigade", usually two or three cast members, only appearing in round 3, who act out a word from the phrase).

			==Gameplay==
	Another aspect of the game show is the "Secret Slime Action." Before the second round of each game, a randomly selected member of the studio audience is revealed; that member stands to win a piece of merchandise, typically a Figure It Out-branded article of clothing (in the first season, it was a prize, such as a ] or a mountain bike). If at least one celebrity panelist performs the Action (and is subsequently "slimed") by the third round. The Secret Slime Action is typically a simple and almost guaranteed action; actions such as touching a clue, looking to the left (which was reflexive, as clues were commonly wheeled out on a small track from the contestants' left), using the phrase "are you..." or "is it..." and having a certain name were all used as actions. Some actions were even intrinsically unenforcable, such as thinking about coconuts; especially in later episodes, a successful Secret Slime Action was mostly a foregone conclusion, and the variables were only when it would be triggered, and by whom.
			Each episode has two sets of three timed rounds (originally all 60 seconds in length, for the revival series, rounds two and three were played for 45 seconds), in which the panel takes turns asking yes-or-no questions to try to guess the contestant's talent. For every "yes" answer, the panelist's turn continues. Once a panelist asks a question with a "no" answer, their turn ends and the next panelist's turn starts. If at any time a panelist cannot think of a question on their turn, they may pass their turn to the next panelist. Each time a panelist mentions a word that is part of the phrase that describes the secret talent, the word is turned over on a game board displaying the puzzle. This game board was referred to as Billy the Answer Head during the original series run and is known simply as the "It" Board in the show's later adaptation.

			This game board shows which words of the phrase are guessed, along with blanks denoting words that the panel did not solve. ] and ]s, such as "of" and "an," are provided automatically. During the very early episodes of the show, synonyms of words that were on the board were accepted by the judges (e.g.: A panelist revealing the word "song" by saying the word "carol" and another episode featured a panelist revealing the word "tossing" by saying the word "throw"). This was later changed to a panelist having to say the exact word in a contestant's talent in order for that word to be revealed on the board.
	At the conclusion of the game, after the secret talent has been revealed, the contestant demonstrates or displays his or her skill and talks about it with the host and the panelists.

			The contestant wins a prize after each round that their talent remains unguessed. The prize for winning the third round is a trip. In Season 1, prizes consisted mainly of leftover props from then-defunct Nickelodeon shows such as ''Double Dare,'' ''Legends of the Hidden Temple'' and ''Global Guts.'' Merchandise prizes (such as a ]) and gift cards for stores including ], ], and ] began to appear as prizes during later seasons. If Round 3 ends with at least one word left unrevealed, each panelist takes one final guess as to what the contestant's talent is (any correct words given during the final guess are revealed, as during the game). The game ends when a panelist either guesses the secret talent or if no panelist guesses the secret talent correctly after the "last guess" stage.
	==Panelists==
	Either three or all four panelists were taken from popular Nickelodeon shows at the time. Regulars on the panel included ] and ], then of '']'', and ] of ''],'' the latter of whom was slimed especially often. The first seat on the panel was usually an older panelist, either an older actor from Nickelodeon, a non-Nickelodeon celebrity, or a member of the contestant's family.

			During each Round, the panelists receive one clue as a hint to one of the words of the secret phrase. The clue usually takes the form of physical objects - such as ] to indicate a clue about calendars - sounds (rarely used), the clue-cano (seasons 4-6), featured messy clues erupting out of the clue boxes all over the panel, making them just as messy as a sliming, especially in the Sutphen era which made the panel cautious when opening the clue boxes or pantomime (the "Charade Brigade" (Season 1-4), "Clue Force 3" (Seasons 5-6), usually two or three cast members that act out a word from the phrase during Round 3) with "Clue Force 3" pictionary was sometimes used instead of pantomime. At the start of the second and third rounds, a recap of two or three clues are shown on the monitor next to the contestant and host.
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]

			At the end of the game, after the secret talent is revealed, the contestant demonstrates or displays their skill and discusses it with the host and panel.
	==Spin-offs==
	Due to the popularity of the show, two ]s occurred. ''Figure It Out: Family Style'' (season 3; ], ]) featured 2 contestants who were related, typically parent-child or sibling-sibling; sometimes the panel would be surprised by seeing the aforementioned contestant's relative jump into the game. ''Figure It Out: Family Style'' also featured "Little Billy." If the panelists figured out the contestants' secret, they would bring out Little Billy. The panelists had to guess the one (impossible) question on Little Billy, therefore giving the contestant another chance to win a prize (usually ''Figure It Out'' apparel). ''Figure It Out: Wild Style'' (season 4; ], ]) featured solely talents involving animals; during these episodes, Billy the Answer Head was reshaped as an animal.
	Cardinal Games also adapted a '']'' board game version in 1998.

			===Secret Slime Action===
	==After Games==
			In each game, from the start of round 2, a randomly selected member of the studio audience plays for a prize (a merchandise prize, such as a Nintendo 64 or a mountain bike in season 1 or a ''Figure It Out''-branded article of clothing in seasons 2-6). If at least one or more panelists perform the Secret Slime Action, those panelists will be slimed by the end of round 3 especially when one of the panelists tries to break the rules and get a second chance (during season 1, the secret slime action could be triggered anytime after the end of round 1, including between rounds and when the contestant is performing their secret) and the audience member wins that prize. "J", the regular announcer for the original show, would disclose what the Secret Slime Action was for each episode in which he appeared.
	*Name That Thingy
	*Name That Critter
	*The Last Laugh
	*Lightning Letters
	*Drench Bench
	*Little Billy
	*The Secret Panel Match Up

			The action designated as the Secret Slime Action is typically simple and almost guaranteed: touching a clue, looking to the left, which was reflexive, as clues were commonly wheeled out on a small track from a tunnel to the panel's left; using the phrase "Are you..." or "Is it...", looking to the audience behind the panel, who was sometimes used for clues, saying "]," which panelist ] was notable for saying out loud whenever he got confused, having a certain name, and even ''being'' a panelist. For example, ] (from '']'') was slimed because the Secret Slime Action was "having a blue dog," ] (from '']'') was slimed because the Secret Slime Action was "wearing a red unitard to work", Jade Ramsey (from '']'') was slimed because the Secret Slime Action was "having an identical twin sister", ] (from '']'') was slimed because the Secret Slime Action was "being a supah ninja", and in the second game of the first episode of the 2012 Revival, the entire panel was slimed because the Secret Slime Action was "wearing underwear".
	==Slime Spewer==
	The Slime Spewer slimes the panelist(s) who perform the famous Secret Slime Action. The sound when activated sounds like an alarm ] and can be heard on the Figure It Out site on the site under Nick Gas.

			Some Actions are logically not able to be forced, such as "thinking about coconuts" or "thinking about mushroom soup." Especially in the latter seasons, a successful Action has mostly been a foregone conclusion - the variables have only been when it will be triggered, and by whom (not necessarily a panelist).
	==Current Air Times==
	''Figure It Out'' currently airs on the ] channel. The airing times, which are the same every day, are: (all times ET)
	*8:00-9:00 a.m.
	*11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
	*6:00-7:00 p.m.
	*11:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m.
	*5:00-6:00 a.m.

			When the Secret Slime Action is triggered, all play stops (including the clock) while the panelist is slimed, the action is revealed, and a replay of the sliming is shown, after which gameplay resumes. The host knows of the action and sometimes tricks the panelists into performing it by making them say or touch something (in one episode, the action was "touching your head." Sanders touched her head and said, "Have you done something with your hair?," which caused the panel to touch their heads in reaction).
	There are two episodes in each hour, each repeated three times during the day.

			====Word of Honor====
			In the 2012 revival, prior to each game, one word of either the first or second contestant's secrets may be designated as the "Word of Honor." Should the panel guess this word, the contestant is slimed.<ref>{{cite press release \|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2012/05/18/ready-set-slime-nickelodeon-premieres-figure-it-out-on-monday-june-11-at-7-pm-et-pt-339315/20120518nickelodeon01/ \|title=Ready, Set, Slime! Nickelodeon Premieres Figure It Out on Monday, June 11, at 7 P.M. (ET/PT) \|publisher=] \|date=May 18, 2012 \|access-date=2016-01-23 \|via=]}}</ref> As the contestant is slimed, gameplay and the clock are paused. Once the Word of Honor was revealed, either by a panel guess or the contestant filling in unguessed words, it would be out of play for the rest of the show.

			==Panelists==
			Either three or all four panelists are taken from Nickelodeon shows airing at the time. Regulars during the original run included '']'' cast members ], ], ] and ] (who also starred in the Nickelodeon program '']''). Bynes (occasionally), Kopelow and Tamberelli were notorious for frequently asking silly questions and acting goofy, while Denberg was the serious panelist, who asked well-thought out questions, and frequently was the one to guess the secret phrase, during the final guesses. The only four panelists who appeared on every season of the original run of the show were Kopelow, Bynes, Tamberelli, and ] (from '']'').

			The first seat on the panel was usually reserved for an adult panelist, either an adult actor from a Nickelodeon program (usually Kopelow) or a non-Nickelodeon celebrity (such as ] of '']''). In several episodes, ], rendered in ], and ], a puppet character, were panelists. In Seasons 5 and 6, the first seat was not reserved for an adult, but ] from '']'' and ] from '']'' regularly appeared in the first position. Other guest panelists included ], ] (regular on '']''), and professional wrestlers ], ] and "Hacksaw" ].
	==Trivia==
	{{toomuchtrivia}}
	* Host ] was actually slimed twice during the show's run: once as a panelist (where she was slimed four times in succession) and once as a surprise during her normal hosting duties while closing the show. Unlike her sliming as a panelist when she was wearing a jumpsuit, when Summer was slimed as the host she was in normal clothing (T-shirt, sweater vest, denim mini skirt and white ] sneakers). After the sliming, Summer said on-air, "Yugh, very funny guys, now my new outfit is ruined."<!--dude, the time when Summer was first slimed was when she was in normal clothing. The time when she was a panelist, it was the second time-->

			In one episode of the second season, for the first half, Lori Beth Denberg hosted the show and Summer Sanders was in her place as a panelist.
	* Sometimes, the Secret Slime Action would be based on one panelist's clothes, profession, character, etc. In that instance, the offending panelist was slimed at a random point in the second round. For example, when ] of '']'' was a guest on the show, the secret slime action was "Having a Blue dog", which he did have on ''Blue's Clues''. However, he was slimed about 3/4 of the way through the 2nd round. Mike O'Malley got slimed for "Wearing Orange" just one second (i.e., :59 left on the clock) into the second round.

			{\| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
	* '']'' from the eponymous Nickelodeon show was once a panelist. They had to be made in CGI and were slimed with CG slime.
			! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:28%;" \| Name
			! scope="col" colspan="6" style="width:72%;" \| Seasons
			\|-
			! scope="col" style="width:12%;" \| 1<br />(1997)
			! scope="col" style="width:12%;" \| 2<br />(1998)
			! scope="col" style="width:12%;" \| 3<br />(1998)
			! scope="col" style="width:12%;" \| 4<br />(1999)
			! scope="col" style="width:12%;" \| 5<br />(2012)
			! scope="col" style="width:12%;" \| 6<br />(2013)
			\|-
			\| scope="row"\| ]
			\| colspan=4 {{CMain}}
			\| colspan=2 {{CNone}}
			\|-
			\| scope="row"\| ]
			\| colspan=4 {{CMain}}
			\| colspan=2 {{CNone}}
			\|-
			\| scope="row"\| ]
			\| colspan=4 {{CMain}}
			\| colspan=2 {{CNone}}
			\|-
			\| scope="row"\| ]
			\| colspan=3 {{CMain}}
			\| colspan=3 {{CNone}}
			\|-
			\| scope="row"\| ]
			\| colspan=4 {{CNone}}
			\| colspan=2 {{CMain}}
			\|-
			\| scope="row"\| ]
			\| colspan=4 {{CNone}}
			\| colspan=2 {{CMain}}
			\|}

			==Production==
	* In at least one episode, the Secret Slime Action was saying "I don't know," a subtle nod to '']''.
			Production on the original version of ''Figure It Out'' started on March 24, 1997, and ended a month later, at Nickelodeon Studios in Orlando, Florida, with a planned 40-episode order.<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://variety.com/1997/scene/vpage/nickelodeon-to-bow-out-1117342963/\|title=Nickelodeon to bow 'Out'\|publisher=]\|archive-date= July 27, 2018\|access-date=October 5, 2020\|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180727084753/https://variety.com/1997/scene/vpage/nickelodeon-to-bow-out-1117342963/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|url=https://variety.com/1997/scene/vpage/nick-series-booming-in-florida-1117434694/\|title=Nick series booming in Florida\|date=17 April 1997\|publisher=]\|archive-date= July 27, 2018\|access-date=October 5, 2020\|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180727054845/https://variety.com/1997/scene/vpage/nick-series-booming-in-florida-1117434694/}}</ref>

			In 2013, Sutphen confirmed via Twitter that no new episodes of the revival of ''Figure It Out'' would be produced.<ref>{{cite tweet\|author=Jeff Sutphen \|author-link=Jeff Sutphen \|user=thousand3eighty \|number=385176342678867968 \|date=October 1, 2013 \|title=@jeffreydobson unless your secrete talent is bringing canceled shows back we will not be shooting any more episodes of #FIO #sadface \|access-date=2016-01-23 }}</ref>
	* In one episode, '']'' from his eponymous show appeared as a panelist.

			==Format changes==
	* Several episodes of ''Figure It Out: Family Style'' included family members of the contestant who swore they didn't know what the contestant's secret talent was.
			]
			* Season 3 (fall 1998) — The series became ''Figure It Out: Family Style,'' featuring two or three contestants who were related, typically parent-child or siblings. Sometimes on the 2nd half, the panel can have a family member of the contestant. Sometimes, the Charade Brigade can have family members of the panelists and the host. ''Figure It Out: Family Style'' also features Little Billy. If the panelists figured out the contestants' secret, then Little Billy (a miniature version of Billy the Answer Head with hair and on wheels) would come out. Summer reads a question about the family's talent and then each panelist will try to guess one (impossible) answer. If they cannot figure it out (no panel ever did since they simply treated it as a free-for-all most times by guessing answers intended for comedic response), then the answer in Little Billy would reveal and which gives the family another chance to win a prize (usually the ''Figure It Out'' apparel used for the Secret Slime Action Rounds). For certain episodes, J's mother, Joanne Dumas filled in as the show's announcer.
			* Season 4 (fall 1999) — The show was re-titled ''Figure It Out: Wild Style'' and focused solely on talents involving animals; in addition, Billy the Answer Head was reshaped into various animals. During these episodes, the panelists went wild with hair, wigs and make-up, sporting a different, distinctive look. Sometimes, instead of J himself doing the narration work, some episodes would instead be narrated by J's dog. This is the only ''Figure It Out'' season that does not include Lori Beth Denberg, as she had moved on to work on '']''. During these episodes, seven different panelists such as Steve Burns, ], ], ], ], Kevin Kopelow and Kareem Blackwell permanently replaced Denberg in the chair she always sat in. This season also featured recurring panelist appearances from legendary animal expert and TV personality, "Jungle" ], who would be holding an animal in the first half, before having the animal taken backstage so he had a chance to be slimed with the rest of the panelists.
			* Season 5 (summer 2012) — The show reverted to its original title and ] took over as host. Elle Young took over as the announcer. The set, host, panelists, theme music and logo were all modified to serve Nickelodeon's contemporary audience. Gameplay was also slightly modified to include the Word of Honor component and to shorten the lengths of rounds two and three (originally, all rounds were 60 seconds; in the newer version, rounds two and three are 45 seconds). Also, Billy the Answer Head was changed to the "It Board," the Clue Express was renamed the "Clue Coaster" and the Charade Brigade was changed to "Clue Force III" featuring Lorenz Arnell, Gevorg Manoukian and Julia Srednicki.
			* Season 6 (fall 2012 and summer 2013) — The show was brought back after the long gap in the summer. The style of the show stays the same, but with some changes, such as a fifth seat and slime spewer added to the panel desk for the child panelist who won a summer contest to appear for one entire episode (the fifth panel desk was gone before and after the winning child's episode).

			== Famous contestants ==
	* In early episodes, contestants that won the first round were given original props from the sets of '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', and various other Nickelodeon shows.
			On April 7, 1998, future ] singer/songwriter ] was a contestant on ''Figure It Out'' when he was six years old. His talent was playing the accordion and singing.<ref>{{YouTube\|mPpjNgdT2dk}}</ref>

			], Podcaster, ] Personality, and host of ''Jim Norton & Sam Roberts'' on ], appeared on an episode in Season 2. His talent was flipping quarters off his ankle.
	* In ''Figure It Out: Family Style'', there are several episodes where Jay, the announcer, is replaced by "Jay's Mom." It may be supposed that she was replaced due to her being difficult to understand.

			] of the ] was a prize winner in episode 13 of Season 1.<ref>{{YouTube\|ogmD4ZTAx3A}}</ref>
	* Show regular ] was often slimed. Whenever he got slimed, he normally flipped his hair back towards the audience so they got some of the slime on them.

			Gentry Haukebo, ] rap artist better known as 1oK, was a contestant and prize winner in an episode during the show's fifth season.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://beautifulbizarre.net/2019/02/28/interview-with-gentry-haukebo-the-mind-behind-1ok/\|title=Interview with Gentry Haukebo: The Mind Behind 1oK\|website=Beautifulbizarre.net\|first=Caitlyn\|last=Gregson\|date=28 February 2019 \|access-date=2 April 2022}}</ref> Her talent was being a shovel racing champion.<ref>{{Cite web \|url=https://sangrechronicle.com/new-track-speed-record-timed-at-angel-fire-shovel-races/ \|title=New track speed record timed at Angel Fire Shovel Races - Sangre de Cristo Chronicle \|access-date=2019-12-30 \|archive-date=2019-12-30 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230042132/https://sangrechronicle.com/new-track-speed-record-timed-at-angel-fire-shovel-races/ \|url-status=dead }}</ref>
	* The audience members usually wore unusual hats.

			Julia Srednicki, character designer for '']'' was a member of the "Clue Force 3" during the final two seasons hosted by Jeff Sutphen.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://m.imdb.com/name/nm5964231/\|title = Julia Srednicki\|website = ]}}</ref>
	* During the credits roll on versions besides ''Wild Style'', Summer polls the studio audience about unusual talents they have, usually accompanied with a demonstration.

	==~~See also~~==		==References==
			{{Reflist}}
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]

	==External links==		==External links==
			* {{IMDb title\|id=0127994\|title=Figure It Out}}
	*
	*
	*

	{{Nickelodeon Network Game Shows}}		{{Nickelodeon Network Game Shows}}
			{{Former Nickelodeon original series}}
			{{All That}}

	]		]
	]		]
			]
			]
			]
			]
			]
			]
	]		]
	]		]
	]		]
	]		]
			]
			]
			]

Latest revision as of 22:03, 12 November 2024

American children's panel game show This article is about the game show. For other uses, see Figure It Out (disambiguation).

Figure It Out

Genre	Panel game show
Created by	Kevin Kay Magda Liolis
Presented by	Summer Sanders Jeff Sutphen
Narrated by	Jeffery "J" Dumas Elle Young
Music by	Roy Harter
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	6
No. of episodes	233
Production
Production locations	Nickelodeon Studios, Universal Studios Orlando, Florida (1997–1999) Paramount Studios Los Angeles, California (2012–13)
Running time	24 minutes
Production company	Nickelodeon Productions
Original release
Network	Nickelodeon
Release	July 7, 1997 (1997-07-07) – December 12, 1999 (1999-12-12)
Release	June 11, 2012 (2012-06-11) – July 16, 2013 (2013-07-16)

Figure It Out is an American children's panel game show that aired on Nickelodeon. The original series, hosted by Summer Sanders, ran for four seasons from July 7, 1997, to December 12, 1999. The show was revived in 2012, with Jeff Sutphen as host, with the revival airing from June 11, 2012, to July 16, 2013. The series was originally recorded at Nickelodeon Studios at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. The revival episodes were filmed on stage 19 at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles.

Children with special skills or unique achievements compete as contestants on the show while a panel of four Nickelodeon celebrities try to guess the predetermined phrase that describes the contestant's talent. The series is a loose adaptation of What's My Line? and I've Got a Secret, both established panel shows created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman.

Shortly after the series aired its last first-run episode, Figure It Out began airing repeats on Nick GAS until the network ceased at the end of 2007 (2009 on Dish Network). Several episodes of the Sanders-hosted series also aired in 2012 as part of The '90s Are All That, a 1990s-oriented rerun block that aired on TeenNick.

Gameplay

Each episode has two sets of three timed rounds (originally all 60 seconds in length, for the revival series, rounds two and three were played for 45 seconds), in which the panel takes turns asking yes-or-no questions to try to guess the contestant's talent. For every "yes" answer, the panelist's turn continues. Once a panelist asks a question with a "no" answer, their turn ends and the next panelist's turn starts. If at any time a panelist cannot think of a question on their turn, they may pass their turn to the next panelist. Each time a panelist mentions a word that is part of the phrase that describes the secret talent, the word is turned over on a game board displaying the puzzle. This game board was referred to as Billy the Answer Head during the original series run and is known simply as the "It" Board in the show's later adaptation.

This game board shows which words of the phrase are guessed, along with blanks denoting words that the panel did not solve. Prepositions and articles, such as "of" and "an," are provided automatically. During the very early episodes of the show, synonyms of words that were on the board were accepted by the judges (e.g.: A panelist revealing the word "song" by saying the word "carol" and another episode featured a panelist revealing the word "tossing" by saying the word "throw"). This was later changed to a panelist having to say the exact word in a contestant's talent in order for that word to be revealed on the board.

The contestant wins a prize after each round that their talent remains unguessed. The prize for winning the third round is a trip. In Season 1, prizes consisted mainly of leftover props from then-defunct Nickelodeon shows such as Double Dare, Legends of the Hidden Temple and Global Guts. Merchandise prizes (such as a Nintendo 64) and gift cards for stores including Kids Foot Locker, Toys "R" Us, and Loew's began to appear as prizes during later seasons. If Round 3 ends with at least one word left unrevealed, each panelist takes one final guess as to what the contestant's talent is (any correct words given during the final guess are revealed, as during the game). The game ends when a panelist either guesses the secret talent or if no panelist guesses the secret talent correctly after the "last guess" stage.

During each Round, the panelists receive one clue as a hint to one of the words of the secret phrase. The clue usually takes the form of physical objects - such as dates to indicate a clue about calendars - sounds (rarely used), the clue-cano (seasons 4-6), featured messy clues erupting out of the clue boxes all over the panel, making them just as messy as a sliming, especially in the Sutphen era which made the panel cautious when opening the clue boxes or pantomime (the "Charade Brigade" (Season 1-4), "Clue Force 3" (Seasons 5-6), usually two or three cast members that act out a word from the phrase during Round 3) with "Clue Force 3" pictionary was sometimes used instead of pantomime. At the start of the second and third rounds, a recap of two or three clues are shown on the monitor next to the contestant and host.

At the end of the game, after the secret talent is revealed, the contestant demonstrates or displays their skill and discusses it with the host and panel.

Secret Slime Action

In each game, from the start of round 2, a randomly selected member of the studio audience plays for a prize (a merchandise prize, such as a Nintendo 64 or a mountain bike in season 1 or a Figure It Out-branded article of clothing in seasons 2-6). If at least one or more panelists perform the Secret Slime Action, those panelists will be slimed by the end of round 3 especially when one of the panelists tries to break the rules and get a second chance (during season 1, the secret slime action could be triggered anytime after the end of round 1, including between rounds and when the contestant is performing their secret) and the audience member wins that prize. "J", the regular announcer for the original show, would disclose what the Secret Slime Action was for each episode in which he appeared.

The action designated as the Secret Slime Action is typically simple and almost guaranteed: touching a clue, looking to the left, which was reflexive, as clues were commonly wheeled out on a small track from a tunnel to the panel's left; using the phrase "Are you..." or "Is it...", looking to the audience behind the panel, who was sometimes used for clues, saying "I don't know," which panelist Danny Tamberelli was notable for saying out loud whenever he got confused, having a certain name, and even being a panelist. For example, Steve Burns (from Blue's Clues) was slimed because the Secret Slime Action was "having a blue dog," Alex Heartman (from Power Rangers Samurai) was slimed because the Secret Slime Action was "wearing a red unitard to work", Jade Ramsey (from House of Anubis) was slimed because the Secret Slime Action was "having an identical twin sister", Ryan Potter (from Supah Ninjas) was slimed because the Secret Slime Action was "being a supah ninja", and in the second game of the first episode of the 2012 Revival, the entire panel was slimed because the Secret Slime Action was "wearing underwear".

Some Actions are logically not able to be forced, such as "thinking about coconuts" or "thinking about mushroom soup." Especially in the latter seasons, a successful Action has mostly been a foregone conclusion - the variables have only been when it will be triggered, and by whom (not necessarily a panelist).

When the Secret Slime Action is triggered, all play stops (including the clock) while the panelist is slimed, the action is revealed, and a replay of the sliming is shown, after which gameplay resumes. The host knows of the action and sometimes tricks the panelists into performing it by making them say or touch something (in one episode, the action was "touching your head." Sanders touched her head and said, "Have you done something with your hair?," which caused the panel to touch their heads in reaction).

Word of Honor

In the 2012 revival, prior to each game, one word of either the first or second contestant's secrets may be designated as the "Word of Honor." Should the panel guess this word, the contestant is slimed. As the contestant is slimed, gameplay and the clock are paused. Once the Word of Honor was revealed, either by a panel guess or the contestant filling in unguessed words, it would be out of play for the rest of the show.

Panelists

Either three or all four panelists are taken from Nickelodeon shows airing at the time. Regulars during the original run included All That cast members Amanda Bynes, Lori Beth Denberg, Kevin Kopelow and Danny Tamberelli (who also starred in the Nickelodeon program The Adventures of Pete & Pete). Bynes (occasionally), Kopelow and Tamberelli were notorious for frequently asking silly questions and acting goofy, while Denberg was the serious panelist, who asked well-thought out questions, and frequently was the one to guess the secret phrase, during the final guesses. The only four panelists who appeared on every season of the original run of the show were Kopelow, Bynes, Tamberelli, and Irene Ng (from The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo).

The first seat on the panel was usually reserved for an adult panelist, either an adult actor from a Nickelodeon program (usually Kopelow) or a non-Nickelodeon celebrity (such as Taran Noah Smith of Home Improvement). In several episodes, CatDog, rendered in CGI, and Cousin Skeeter, a puppet character, were panelists. In Seasons 5 and 6, the first seat was not reserved for an adult, but Matt Bennett from Victorious and Ciara Bravo from Big Time Rush regularly appeared in the first position. Other guest panelists included Coolio, Colin Mochrie (regular on Whose Line Is It Anyway?), and professional wrestlers Chris Jericho, The Giant and "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan.

In one episode of the second season, for the first half, Lori Beth Denberg hosted the show and Summer Sanders was in her place as a panelist.

Name	Seasons
Name	1 (1997)	2 (1998)	3 (1998)	4 (1999)	5 (2012)	6 (2013)
Danny Tamberelli	Main				Does not appear
Kevin Kopelow	Main				Does not appear
Amanda Bynes	Main				Does not appear
Lori Beth Denberg	Main			Does not appear
Ciara Bravo	Does not appear				Main
Matt Bennett	Does not appear				Main

Production

Production on the original version of Figure It Out started on March 24, 1997, and ended a month later, at Nickelodeon Studios in Orlando, Florida, with a planned 40-episode order.

In 2013, Sutphen confirmed via Twitter that no new episodes of the revival of Figure It Out would be produced.

Format changes

Season 3 (fall 1998) — The series became Figure It Out: Family Style, featuring two or three contestants who were related, typically parent-child or siblings. Sometimes on the 2nd half, the panel can have a family member of the contestant. Sometimes, the Charade Brigade can have family members of the panelists and the host. Figure It Out: Family Style also features Little Billy. If the panelists figured out the contestants' secret, then Little Billy (a miniature version of Billy the Answer Head with hair and on wheels) would come out. Summer reads a question about the family's talent and then each panelist will try to guess one (impossible) answer. If they cannot figure it out (no panel ever did since they simply treated it as a free-for-all most times by guessing answers intended for comedic response), then the answer in Little Billy would reveal and which gives the family another chance to win a prize (usually the Figure It Out apparel used for the Secret Slime Action Rounds). For certain episodes, J's mother, Joanne Dumas filled in as the show's announcer.
Season 4 (fall 1999) — The show was re-titled Figure It Out: Wild Style and focused solely on talents involving animals; in addition, Billy the Answer Head was reshaped into various animals. During these episodes, the panelists went wild with hair, wigs and make-up, sporting a different, distinctive look. Sometimes, instead of J himself doing the narration work, some episodes would instead be narrated by J's dog. This is the only Figure It Out season that does not include Lori Beth Denberg, as she had moved on to work on The Steve Harvey Show. During these episodes, seven different panelists such as Steve Burns, Shane Sweet, Erin J. Dean, Christy Knowings, Irene Ng, Kevin Kopelow and Kareem Blackwell permanently replaced Denberg in the chair she always sat in. This season also featured recurring panelist appearances from legendary animal expert and TV personality, "Jungle" Jack Hanna, who would be holding an animal in the first half, before having the animal taken backstage so he had a chance to be slimed with the rest of the panelists.
Season 5 (summer 2012) — The show reverted to its original title and Jeff Sutphen took over as host. Elle Young took over as the announcer. The set, host, panelists, theme music and logo were all modified to serve Nickelodeon's contemporary audience. Gameplay was also slightly modified to include the Word of Honor component and to shorten the lengths of rounds two and three (originally, all rounds were 60 seconds; in the newer version, rounds two and three are 45 seconds). Also, Billy the Answer Head was changed to the "It Board," the Clue Express was renamed the "Clue Coaster" and the Charade Brigade was changed to "Clue Force III" featuring Lorenz Arnell, Gevorg Manoukian and Julia Srednicki.
Season 6 (fall 2012 and summer 2013) — The show was brought back after the long gap in the summer. The style of the show stays the same, but with some changes, such as a fifth seat and slime spewer added to the panel desk for the child panelist who won a summer contest to appear for one entire episode (the fifth panel desk was gone before and after the winning child's episode).

Famous contestants

On April 7, 1998, future country music singer/songwriter Hunter Hayes was a contestant on Figure It Out when he was six years old. His talent was playing the accordion and singing.

Sam Roberts, Podcaster, WWE Personality, and host of Jim Norton & Sam Roberts on Sirius XM, appeared on an episode in Season 2. His talent was flipping quarters off his ankle.

Marcus Stroman of the New York Yankees was a prize winner in episode 13 of Season 1.

Gentry Haukebo, Albuquerque rap artist better known as 1oK, was a contestant and prize winner in an episode during the show's fifth season. Her talent was being a shovel racing champion.

Julia Srednicki, character designer for OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes was a member of the "Clue Force 3" during the final two seasons hosted by Jeff Sutphen.

References

Lesley Goldberg (March 7, 2012). "Nickelodeon Revives 1990s Game Show 'Figure It Out'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
"Nickelodeon Figure It Out: Figure This Out". cattlecallauditions.com. 13 April 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-06.
"Ready, Set, Slime! Nickelodeon Premieres Figure It Out on Monday, June 11, at 7 P.M. (ET/PT)" (Press release). Nickelodeon. May 18, 2012. Retrieved 2016-01-23 – via The Futon Critic.
"Nickelodeon to bow 'Out'". Variety. Archived from the original on July 27, 2018. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
"Nick series booming in Florida". Variety. 17 April 1997. Archived from the original on July 27, 2018. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
Jeff Sutphen (October 1, 2013). "@jeffreydobson unless your secrete talent is bringing canceled shows back we will not be shooting any more episodes of #FIO #sadface" (Tweet). Retrieved 2016-01-23 – via Twitter.
Video on YouTube
Video on YouTube
Gregson, Caitlyn (28 February 2019). "Interview with Gentry Haukebo: The Mind Behind 1oK". Beautifulbizarre.net. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
"New track speed record timed at Angel Fire Shovel Races - Sangre de Cristo Chronicle". Archived from the original on 2019-12-30. Retrieved 2019-12-30.
"Julia Srednicki". IMDb.

External links

Figure It Out at IMDb

v t e Nickelodeon game shows
BrainSurge Double Dare Figure It Out Finders Keepers Get the Picture Keep It Spotless Legends of the Hidden Temple Make the Grade Massive Monster Mayhem My Family's Got Guts Nick Arcade Nickelodeon All-Star Challenge Nickelodeon Guts Nickelodeon Robot Wars Nickelodeon's Unfiltered Paradise Run Scaredy Camp Think Fast Tooned In Webheads What Would You Do? Wild & Crazy Kids You're On!
List of Nickelodeon programs Nick GAS

Nickelodeon game shows

v t e Former Nickelodeon original programming
1970s debuts	Pinwheel (1977–1991) Nickel Flicks (1979–1980) America Goes Bananaz (1979–1980) By the Way (1979) Video Comic Book (1979–1981)
1980s debuts	Livewire (1980–1985) First Row Features (1980–1982) Special Delivery (1980–1993) Kids' Writes (1981–1983) Standby...Lights! Camera! Action! (1982–1987) You Can't Do That on Television (1982–1990) The Third Eye (1983) Mr. Wizard's World (1983–1990) Nick Rocks (1984–1989) Out of Control (1984–1985) National Geographic Explorer (1985–1986) Double Dare (1986–1993; 2000; 2018–2019) Rated K: For Kids by Kids (1986–1988) Finders Keepers (1987–1988) Don't Just Sit There! (1988–1991) Kids' Court (1988–1989) Total Panic (1989–1990) Think Fast (1989–1990) Make the Grade (1989–1990) Hey Dude (1989–1991) Eureeka's Castle (1989–1991)
1990s debuts	Wild & Crazy Kids (1990–1992; 2002) Outta Here! (1990–1991) Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1990–2000; 2019–2022) Fifteen (1991–1993) Get the Picture (1991) Clarissa Explains It All (1991–1994) Welcome Freshmen (1991–1994) Salute Your Shorts (1991–1992) Doug (1991–1994) Nickelodeon Launch Box (1991–1994) Rugrats (1991–2004) The Ren & Stimpy Show (1991–1996) What Would You Do? (1991–1993) Nick Arcade (1992) Nick News with Linda Ellerbee (1992–2015) Roundhouse (1992–1994) Nickelodeon Guts (1992–1996) Weinerville (1993–1997) Legends of the Hidden Temple (1993–1995) Rocko's Modern Life (1993–1996) The Adventures of Pete & Pete (1993–1996) All That (1994–2005; 2019–2020) Nickelodeon All-Star Challenge (1994) The Secret World of Alex Mack (1994–1998) My Brother and Me (1994–1995) Allegra's Window (1994–1997) U to U (1994–1996) Gullah Gullah Island (1994–1998) Aaahh!!! Real Monsters (1994–1997) Space Cases (1996–1997) The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo (1996–1998) The Off-Beats (1996–1999) Kenan & Kel (1996–2000) Blue's Clues (1996–2006) Hey Arnold! (1996–2004) KaBlam! (1996–2000) The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss (1996–1998) The Angry Beavers (1997–2003) Figure It Out (1997–1999; 2012–2013) The Journey of Allen Strange (1997–2000) CatDog (1998–2005) Oh Yeah! Cartoons (1998–2001) You're On! (1998) Cousin Skeeter (1998–2001) The Wild Thornberrys (1998–2004) Animorphs (1998–1999) Rocket Power (1999–2004) 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd (1999–2002) The Amanda Show (1999–2002) Little Bill (1999–2004)
2000s debuts	Caitlin's Way (2000–2002) The Brothers García (2000–2004) Dora the Explorer (2000–2019) Noah Knows Best (2000) As Told by Ginger (2000–2006) Taina (2001–2002) The Fairly OddParents (2001–2017) Invader Zim (2001–2002; 2006) Oswald (2001–2003) Action League Now! (2001–2002) The Nick Cannon Show (2002–2003) ChalkZone (2002–2008) The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius (2002–2006) Nickelodeon Robot Wars (2002) Scaredy Camp (2002–2003) Oobi (2003–2005) All Grown Up! (2003–2008) My Life as a Teenage Robot (2003–2009) Romeo! (2003–2006) Drake & Josh (2004–2007) Whoopi's Littleburg (2004) Danny Phantom (2004–2007) Blue's Room (2004–2007) LazyTown (2004–2007) Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide (2004–2007) Unfabulous (2004–2007) The Backyardigans (2004–2013) Zoey 101 (2005–2008) Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005–2008) Catscratch (2005–2007) Go, Diego, Go! (2005–2011) The X's (2005–2006) Mr. Meaty (2005–2009) Wonder Pets! (2006–2016) Just for Kicks (2006) Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! (2006–2010) Just Jordan (2007–2008) The Naked Brothers Band (2007–2009) El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera (2007–2008) Tak and the Power of Juju (2007–2009) iCarly (2007–2012) Back at the Barnyard (2007–2011) Ni Hao, Kai-Lan (2008–2011) Dance on Sunset (2008–2009) The Mighty B! (2008–2011) My Family's Got Guts (2008–2009) True Jackson, VP (2008–2011) The Penguins of Madagascar (2008–2015) The Fresh Beat Band (2009–2013) The Troop (2009–2013) Fanboy & Chum Chum (2009–2014) BrainSurge (2009–2014) Big Time Rush (2009–2013)
2010s debuts	Team Umizoomi (2010–2015) Victorious (2010–2013) Planet Sheen (2010–2013) T.U.F.F. Puppy (2010–2015) House of Anubis (2011–2013) Supah Ninjas (2011–2013) Bubble Guppies (2011–2023) Winx Club (2011–2016) Bucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures (2011–2013) Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness (2011–2016) Fred: The Show (2012) How to Rock (2012) The Legend of Korra (2012–2014) You Gotta See This (2012–2014) Robot and Monster (2012–2015) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012–2017) Marvin Marvin (2012–2013) Monsters vs. Aliens (2013–2014) Sanjay and Craig (2013–2016) Sam & Cat (2013–2014) AwesomenessTV (2013–2015) The Haunted Hathaways (2013–2015) Instant Mom (2013–2015) The Thundermans (2013–2018) Every Witch Way (2014–2015) Wallykazam! (2014–2017) Breadwinners (2014–2016) Webheads (2014–2015) Henry Danger (2014–2020) Dora and Friends: Into the City! (2014–2017) Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn (2014–2018) Max & Shred (2014–2016) 100 Things to Do Before High School (2014–2016) Bella and the Bulldogs (2015–2016) Mutt & Stuff (2015–2017) Make It Pop (2015–2016) Harvey Beaks (2015–2017) Fresh Beat Band of Spies (2015–2016) Talia in the Kitchen (2015) Pig Goat Banana Cricket (2015–2018) Shimmer and Shine (2015–2020) Game Shakers (2015–2019) WITS Academy (2015) Paradise Run (2016–2018) School of Rock (2016–2018) The Other Kingdom (2016) The Dude Perfect Show (2016–2019) All in with Cam Newton (2016) Crashletes (2016–2020) Legendary Dudas (2016) Jagger Eaton's Mega Life (2016–2017) Rusty Rivets (2016–2020) Lip Sync Battle Shorties (2016–2019) Bunsen Is a Beast (2017–2018) Nella the Princess Knight (2017–2021) Welcome to the Wayne (2017–2019) Sunny Day (2017–2020) I Am Frankie (2017–2018) Top Wing (2017–2020) The Adventures of Kid Danger (2018) Knight Squad (2018–2019) Keep It Spotless (2018) Star Falls (2018) Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2018–2020) Butterbean's Café (2018–2020) Cousins for Life (2018–2019) Abby Hatcher (2019–2022) The Substitute (2019–2021) Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? (2019) Middle School Moguls (2019) The Casagrandes (2019–2022) America's Most Musical Family (2019–2020) Top Elf (2019–2020)
2020s debuts	It's Pony (2020–2022) The Crystal Maze (2020) Danger Force (2020–2024) Group Chat (2020) Nickelodeon's Unfiltered (2020–2021) Santiago of the Seas (2020–2023) Unleashed (2020) Side Hustle (2020–2022) The Astronauts (2020–2021) Tooned In (2021–2022) Drama Club (2021) The Barbarian and the Troll (2021) Middlemost Post (2021–2022) That Girl Lay Lay (2021–2024) Warped! (2022) Face's Music Party (2022–2023) Monster High (2022–2024) The Really Loud House (2022–2024) Erin & Aaron (2023)

v t e All That
Cast members
Episodes	Season 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Franchise	All That: The Album (1996) All That: Fresh out the Box (1998) R U All That? (2003)
Spin-off series and films	Action League Now! The Amanda Show Kenan & Kel The Nick Cannon Show Good Burger Good Burger 2
Related series	KaBlam! Figure It Out Oh Yeah! Cartoons
See also	The '90s Are All That

Categories: