History Series / ChainReaction

GameShow franchise created in 1980 by BobStewart (of ''Series/{{Password}}'' and ''Series/{{Pyramid}}'' fame) for Creator/{{NBC}} and hosted by Creator/BillCullen. In this game, two teams — in true Stewartian fashion, each composed of two celebrities and a civilian — competed to form a chain of eight words. Each chain would consist of two-word phrases with a common word. For instance, a completed chain might have CHAIN REACTION TIME TABLE TENNIS BALL GAME SHOW, forming the phrases of "chain reaction", "reaction time", "time table", "table tennis", etc. Given the first and last word of each chain, the teams would attempt to guess the missing words, which were revealed one letter at a time. The winners then proceeded to a BonusRound which was more of a cousin to the ''Pyramid'' format of using a long clue to describe a word, except the celebrities from the winning team constructed the clues one word at a time. This BonusRound was later adapted into its own game, a short-lived format called ''Series/{{Go}}''.

** GameShowHost: BillCullen, Blake Emmons, Geoff Edwards, Dylan Lane.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chainreaction.jpg
GameShow franchise created in 1980 by BobStewart (of ''Series/{{Password}}'' and ''Series/{{Pyramid}}'' fame) for Creator/{{NBC}} and hosted by BillCullen. In this game, two teams — in true Stewartian fashion, each composed of two celebrities and a civilian — competed to form a chain of eight words. Each chain would consist of two-word phrases with a common word. For instance, a completed chain might have CHAIN REACTION TIME TABLE TENNIS BALL GAME SHOW, forming the phrases of "chain reaction", "reaction time", "time table", "table tennis", etc. Given the first and last word of each chain, the teams would attempt to guess the missing words, which were revealed one letter at a time. The winners then proceeded to a BonusRound which was more of a cousin to the ''Pyramid'' format of using a long clue to describe a word, except the celebrities from the winning team constructed the clues one word at a time. This BonusRound was later adapted into its own game, a short-lived format called ''Series/{{Go}}''.

* RecycledSoundtrack: The theme for the first two versions had previously been used on, of all things, ''{{Supertrain}}''.
* ShoutOut: After a contestant couldn't get the word "pyramid", Bill Cullen remarked "Well, [[{{Pyramid}} the nighttime version's]] been canceled."

A later adaptation, taped in Canada, aired on USANetwork from 1986-91 with teams of two contestants each. At first, this version was hosted by Blake Emmons, a Canadian television personality and CountryMusic singer. Blake Emmons was a contestant on ''TheJokersWild'' during Bill Cullen's tenure, and lasted only a few months as host of ''Chain Reaction'' before being replaced by Geoff Edwards (who had previously substituted on the NBC version when Bill Cullen had to fill in briefly on ''Password Plus''). Because of Can Con laws, ''Chain Reaction'' had to feature a Canadian personality on camera, and as a result announcer Rod Charlebois appeared on-camera in every show for the rest of the run. This version simply offered another chain as its bonus round.

GameShow franchise created in 1980 by BobStewart (of ''{{Password}}'' and ''{{Pyramid}}'' fame) for Creator/{{NBC}} and hosted by BillCullen. In this game, two teams — in true Stewartian fashion, each composed of two celebrities and a civilian — competed to form a chain of eight words. Each chain would consist of two-word phrases with a common word. For instance, a completed chain might have CHAIN REACTION TIME TABLE TENNIS BALL GAME SHOW, forming the phrases of "chain reaction", "reaction time", "time table", "table tennis", etc. Given the first and last word of each chain, the teams would attempt to guess the missing words, which were revealed one letter at a time. The winners then proceeded to a BonusRound which was more of a cousin to the ''Pyramid'' format of using a long clue to describe a word, except the celebrities from the winning team constructed the clues one word at a time. This BonusRound was later adapted into its own game, a short-lived format called ''Series/{{Go}}''.

In 2006, {{GSN}} (formerly Game Show Network) revived the format with Dylan Lane as host. The rules stayed mostly the same, except the teams were always three men vs. three women. The format also included a small four-word "speed chain" after each solved chain, as well as a betting format in Round 4. In Round 4, contestants bet certain amounts on whether or not they would get the chain word right; unfortunately, this often led to contestants whittling away their lead on stupid guesses. This version also retained the NBC bonus round, but with slight rule changes. GSN's ''Chain Reaction'' lasted 15 episodes into its second season.

* GuestHost: Geoff Edwards hosted the original version for a short time so that Bill Cullen could fill in for Allen Ludden on ''PasswordPlus''.

* ThematicThemeTune: From the GSN version: "It's guys against the girls right now on ''Chain Reaction''."

A later adaptation, taped in Canada, aired on USANetwork from 1986-91 with teams of two contestants each. At first, this version was hosted by Blake Emmons, a Canadian television personality and CountryMusic singer. Emmons was a contestant on ''TheJokersWild'' during Cullen's tenure, and lasted only a few months as host of ''Chain Reaction'' before being replaced by Geoff Edwards (who had previously substituted on the NBC version when Cullen had to fill in briefly on ''Password Plus''). Because of Can Con laws, ''Chain Reaction'' had to feature a Canadian personality on camera, and as a result announcer Rod Charlebois appeared on-camera in every show for the rest of the run. This version simply offered another chain as its bonus round.

The show has been adapted internationally, including a French-Canadian version in Quebec called ''Action Reaction'' (taped on the same set as the Emmons/Edwards run), an Italian version called ''Reazione a catena'', and a British version called ''Lucky Ladders''.

* AscendedExtra: Rod Charlebois, who would play a quick round with Geoff at the top of each show. His ascension was mostly due to Can Con laws.

* GuestHost: Geoff Edwards hosted the original version for a short time so that Cullen could fill in for Allen Ludden on ''PasswordPlus''.

* ShoutOut: After a contestant couldn't get the word "pyramid", Cullen remarked "Well, [[{{Pyramid}} the nighttime version's]] been canceled."

* UnexpectedGameplayChange: The NBC/GSN bonus round had nothing to do with the front game.
** Although, in a way, it almost does. Since you're having to form a "chain" of words to answer the question.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: In a GSN episode, the first part of the word was "Cock". The first letter of the second word was "S". Then the second letter was "U". Everyone was laughing about it and trying to avoid saying what it looked like. (The word was "Su[[spoiler:re]]".)

GameShow franchise created in 1980 by BobStewart (of ''{{Password}}'' and ''{{Pyramid}}'' fame) for {{NBC}} and hosted by BillCullen. In this game, two teams — in true Stewartian fashion, each composed of two celebrities and a civilian — competed to form a chain of eight words. Each chain would consist of two-word phrases with a common word. For instance, a completed chain might have CHAIN REACTION TIME TABLE TENNIS BALL GAME SHOW, forming the phrases of "chain reaction", "reaction time", "time table", "table tennis", etc. Given the first and last word of each chain, the teams would attempt to guess the missing words, which were revealed one letter at a time. The winners then proceeded to a BonusRound which was more of a cousin to the ''Pyramid'' format of using a long clue to describe a word, except the celebrities from the winning team constructed the clues one word at a time. This BonusRound was later adapted into its own game, a short-lived format called ''Series/{{Go}}''.

* ShoutOut: After a contestant couldn't get the word "pyramid", Cullen remarked "Well, [[{{Pyramid}} the nighttime version]]'s been canceled."

* BonusRound: The NBC and GSN runs had the players chaining together words, one at a time, to make a question. This was taken from an unsold Stewart pilot called ''Get Rich Quick!'' (1977), and spun off into ''Go'' (1983-84).
* BonusSpace: If a word had a plus sign next to it, it was worth double the normal value.
* HomeGame
* Personnel:
** TheAnnouncer: Johnny Gilbert during the NBC run, Rod Charlebois during the USA run.
** GameShowHost: BillCullen, Blake Emmons, Geoff Edwards, Dylan Lane.
** StudioAudience

* AscendedExtra: Rod Charlebois, who would play a quick round with Geoff at the top of each show. His ascension was mostly due to Can Con laws.
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: In a GSN episode, the first part of the word was "Cock". The first letter of the second word was "S". Then the second letter was "U". Everyone was laughing about it and trying to avoid saying what it looked like. (The word was "Su[[spoiler:re]]".)
* GuestHost: Geoff Edwards hosted the original version for a short time so that Cullen could fill in for Allen Ludden on ''PasswordPlus''.
* ObviousRulePatch:
** The NBC version had ''five'' bonus round payout structures. The second format had contestants start with $1 and add a half-zero for each correct response, but was changed when the most money won from this in the first week was $100.
** The GSN version began its bonus round with seven correct answers doubling the team's bank and ten correct answers tripling it. After six weeks of people stinking it up, the requirements were lowered to five (doubling) and seven (tripling).
* RecycledSoundtrack: The theme for the 80s run was borrowed from, of all things, ''{{Supertrain}}''.
* ShoutOut: After a contestant couldn't get the word "pyramid", Cullen remarked "Well, the [[{{Pyramid}} nighttime version]]'s been canceled."
* SpinOff: ''Go'' used the NBC bonus round as its main game.
* ThematicThemeTune: From the GSN version: "It's guys against the girls right now on ''Chain Reaction''."
* UnexpectedGameplayChange: The NBC/GSN bonus round had nothing to do with the maingame.
** ''Reazione a catena'' shoehorned in a round based on the unsold 1996 quiz show pilot ''Combination Lock'', which was even further removed than the 1980s bonus round.

A later adaptation, taped in Canada, aired on USANetwork from 1986-91 with teams of two contestants each. At first, this version was hosted by Blake Emmons, a Canadian television personality and CountryMusic singer. Emmons was a contestant on ''[=~The Joker's Wild~=]'' during Cullen's tenure, and lasted only a few months as host of ''Chain Reaction'' before being replaced by Geoff Edwards (who had previously substituted on the NBC version when Cullen had to fill in briefly on ''Password Plus''). Because of Can Con laws, ''Chain Reaction'' had to feature a Canadian personality on camera, and as a result announcer Rod Charlebois appeared on-camera in every show for the rest of the run. This version simply offered another chain as its bonus round.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: In a GSN episode, the first part of the word was "Cock". The first letter of the second word was "S". Then the second letter was "U". Everyone was laughing about it and trying to avoid saying what it looked like. Turns out the word was "Sure".

** The GSN version began its bonus round with seven correct answers doubling the team's bank and ten correct answers tripling it. After six weeks of people stinking it up, the requirements were lowered to five and seven correct answers respectively.

* ThematicThemeTune: From the GSN version: "It's guys against girls right now on ''Chain Reaction''."

** ''Reazione a catena'' shoehorns in a round based on the unsold 1996 quiz show pilot ''Combination Lock'', which is even further removed than the 1980s bonus round was.

* OneSeasonWonder: The NBC version began as a MidseasonReplacement for the short-lived Goodson-Todman game ''Mindreaders'', and ran for a mere 22 weeks.

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: NBC president and CEO Fred Silverman was swift to can the Cullen version to make way for a failed DavidLetterman talk show. In a form of karma, however, a year later, Silverman was given the pink slip due to repeated programming failures (which included the aforementioned Letterman talk show) and was replaced by MTM Enterprises co-founder and president Grant Tinker.

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: NBC president and CEO Fred Silverman was swift to can the Cullen version to make way for a failed DavidLetterman talk show. A year later, Silverman was given the pink slip due to repeated programming failures and was replaced by Brandon Tartikoff.

* BonusRound: Chaining together words, one at a time, to make a question. Taken from an unsold Stewart pilot called ''Get Rich Quick!'' (1977), and spun off into ''Go'' (1983-84).

* ObviousRulePatch: The first bonus round on the NBC version had contestants start with $1 and add a half-zero for each correct response. When the most money won from this in the first week was $100, the producers discarded the half-zero element.

* RecycledSoundtrack: It reused the theme music from the infamous 1978-9 NBC flop ''{{Supertrain}}''.

* [[HeyItsThatGuy Hey It's That Theme Music]]: Reused the theme music from the infamous 1978-9 NBC flop ''{{Supertrain}}''.

* AdaptationDisplacement: Although it was rerun heavily, the NBC version's lone season was eclipsed by the five-season run of the USA version. In turn, the large gap between the Emmons/Edwards and Lane versions added a slight degree of displacement to the latter.
** Never mind that GSN had previously rerun the NBC and USA versions itself, and had been the first in America to air the Emmons episodes.

* OneSeasonWonder: The NBC version began as a midseason replacement for the short-lived Goodson-Todman game ''Mindreaders'', and ran for a mere 22 weeks.

** ''Reazione a catena'' shoehorns in a round based on the unsold 1996 quiz show pilot ''Combination Lock'', which isn't even '''close''' to the main format of ''Chain Reaction''.

* WhatAnIdiot: ''Many'' GSN-era contestants weren't the sharpest tools in the shed, often failing to guess the right word with only ''one letter'' missing or composing a sentence in the bonus round.

Not to be confused with the film starring KeanuReeves.