Host | |
Kevin Frank | |
Announcer | |
Kathy Morse | |
Broadcast | |
Global: 1987–1992 | |
Packagers | |
Northstar Syndications (1987–1989) Blair Murdoch Television (1989–1992) National T-Vision Marketing (1990-1991) |
OPENING SPIEL: Kathy: "Welcome to Kidstreet! It's the kids game where teams race for those fabulous/incredible prizes/the kids are the winners! Let's meet today's contestants! (insert names)! And now, a (great) big Kidstreet welcome for your host, Kevin Frank!"
Rest of spiel: Kevin: "Thank you! Welcome to Kidstreet!
Insert #1: We've got three teams eager to win today's race! (Audience/guys,) Do you think one of them is gonna take home today's grand prize? Audience: YEAH!
Insert #2: Hey guys, (insert riddle or joke)?" Audience: "I don't know, what?" Kevin: "(answer)!" (audience laughs)
Kidstreet was a children’s game show based on auto racing that aired on Global from 1987 to 1992. This game show was a combination of The Newlywed Game, Concentration, and I'm Telling!. The show was originally taped at CFAC-TV in Calgary, Alberta for the first four seasons. For the final season, production moved to CKVU-TV in Vancouver, British Columbia, where Frank simultaneously hosted The Next Line.
Gameplay[]
Three teams of two kids each (all siblings) sat in race cars and competed in a game that contained microphones (in early episodes). These color teams were red, green & blue. The teams competed in a game where where they had to find out how much they know about each other while trying to win prizes. Correct answers were always followed by overhead clapping, which became a trademark of the show. The reason why the contestants had to do overhead clapping is because one of the sound operators was extremely displeased about the normal clapping into the microphone because it messed up the sound mix. He then suggested that the contestants had to do overhead clapping from then on.
Main Game[]
There were three rounds (referred to as laps) and in each host Frank would ask the siblings questions about their lives and the siblings would try to match their answers for points. The points were shown on eggcrate displays behind the contestants in the back of the cars (Kidstreet was the only show in Canada to use this type of display; most other shows in Canada used a variation on the Ferranti font while most of Blair Murdoch's other shows used the Vane font in Vancouver).
Lap 1[]
One set of kid players (referred to as the drivers) were sent off stage while their sibling (referred to as passengers) answered three Newlywed Game-esque questions posed by host Frank. The answers given by the passengers acted as predictions, because when the drivers returned, they were asked the same questions. Each time the team's answers matched, they scored 1 point. After the round, Frank would interview the contestants.
Lap 2[]
This lap/round was played like the first lap/round but with two differences:
- The roles were reversed meaning the drivers became the passengers and the passengers became the drivers.
- Each match was now worth 3 points.
The Final Lap[]
This worked like the 25-point bonus question on The Newlywed Game, for in this round the roles were back to the way they were as in Round 1. The passengers were asked one final question worth 5 points, if the drivers could match the answers. The team with the most points at the end of this round won the game, and the right to play the Kidstreet Rebus. A perfect score (meaning all answers in each round were matched successfully) would be 17 points. The other two teams would receive parting gifts such as Kidstreet t-shirts, Rucanor sneakers (which host Frank wore on the show), Kidstreet watches, Toys & Wheels gift certificates, a goodies bag (which included Coca-Cola (amongst other things)), and a home game version of the show. In the event of a tie, a tie-breaker was played in the same way as a high-low question on Card Sharks to determine the winner, while the team that lost would be invited back to compete again on a future episode.
Kidstreet Rebus (Bonus Round)[]
The winning team would go on to solve a bonus puzzle called the "Kidstreet Rebus". At the rebus, they faced a grid of 25 numbered squares. To start squares were randomly revealed at the outset; the number of squares revealed was determined by how many points the winning team scored during the game (if the team achieved a perfect score of 17 points, then all 25 squares would be revealed). In the first two seasons, the winning team chose the squares themselves, and (in the second season) chose five more squares to reveal (should they have less than the perfect score). For the rest of the series, the squares were randomly selected by computer, after which the team would choose five more squares to reveal, and then they would be given 20 seconds to solve the puzzle (the clock was displayed in the form of a "gas gauge" that went down as the seconds passed). If the team solved the puzzle, they would win a grand prize package. If not, they would be given 10 seconds additionally and the audience would help them. If they solved it, they won a smaller prize for each second left over.
At the end of the show, the winners would then have a chance to gather prizes from a mass of toys assembled at the side of the stage. Typically sponsored by Toys and Wheels, the mass would feature teddy bears, cars and other toys.
Music[]
Kathy & Garnet Morse
Parts of the theme music sounded similar to Huey Lewis and the News' "Hip to be Square".
Inventor[]
Blair Murdoch
Studios[]
Calgary Television Centre, Calgary, Alberta (Seasons 1-4)
U.TV, Vancouver, British Columbia (Season 5)
Tagline[]
"Kevin: Hey, where are we always having fun?/See you next time on.... Audience: KIDSTREET! Kevin: You got it/That's right/Yeah! We'll see you again soon/next time! Bye bye!"