Camouflage (TV series)
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Camouflage was a 1961-1962 game show produced by Jerry Hammer Productions, directed by Gilbert Cates and with Don Morrow as host, and Johnny Gilbert as the announcer. Contestants tried to find objects hidden on an electronic board by tracing the outline of the object using a wand.
The game began with Morrow telling the contestants what object to look for. He then asked them a true-false question; a countdown clock began at 10 and stopped when a contestant buzzed in. A correct answer scored the points showing on the clock and removed a piece of the camouflage; the contestant had ten seconds to find and trace the object. If s/he tried and failed, the opponent got a chance to trace it. To help, once a player scored 30 points in the quiz, s/he got to see what the object looked like. First player to spot and trace the object won the game and a prize. Each game had a predetermined point value (up to 200 points), with ten points deducted from the value of the game when a contestant made an incorrect tracing or chose to pass and wait for more of the camouflage to be removed. The winner's prize was determined by that person's score in the quiz added to the points left in the overall value of the game. The day's big winner was given one more object to find in fifteen seconds for a new car. The show aired from January 9, 1961-November 16, 1962 on ABC.
In 1980 Chuck Barris revived this show for syndication with Tom Campbell as host. This time around, the contestants answered general-knowledge questions for $50 apiece, and each game had a designated dollar value of $200-1000. The bonus round was the same as on the original show. This was one of the last once-a-week game shows to air in access time (7-8 Eastern, 6:30-7 Central), as most stations were switching to Monday-through-Friday shows. Consequently, Camouflage did not get a wide distribution in syndication and was canceled after thirteen weeks.
The episodes of the original version have most likely been destroyed, but tapes of the 80's version have been spotted on the trading circuit. The original version's first-anniversary show from 1962 is available on the trading circuit; it is notable because Don Morrow was on vacation that day, and announcer Johnny Gilbert filled in as host.
As of February 2007 GSN (formerly Game Show Network) is reportedly planning a new version of the show, with contestants looking for hidden words instead of hidden pictures, but nothing definite has been announced. Buena Vista Television is looking for puzzle writers, so it appears that the new version will eventually be added to GSN's schedule.
