Choose Up Sides

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Choose Up Sides was a children's television game show that aired on NBC Saturday mornings from January 7 to March 31, 1956. It was hosted by Gene Rayburn and announced by Don Pardo and produced by Goodson-Todman Productions

The show had two teams of children compete for points that would award the winner a prize at the end of the show. Each side was represented by 4 children, usually 3 boys and 1 girl. The boys competed against each other and the girls competed against each other.

The teams were named Space Pilots and Bronco Busters. Each team had an adult assistant -- the assistant for the Space Pilots was dressed like a space commander, wearing a similar costume as you would see on Flash Gordon. The assistant for the Bronco Busters was dressed as a cowboy. The assistants introduced each contestant to Gene. When the chilren were introduced they would pull a postcard out of a space ship (for the Space Pilots) or a cowboy hat (Bronco Busters). The postcards had been submitted by children from all over the country. Gene Rayburn would read the name and address on the air from the postcard and remind the contestants that those at home were also going to get a prize if their team won.

The children competed against each other, doing stunts. The stunts were the type one might have seen on Beat The Clock (another Goodson-Todman Production). The winning team for each stunt scored 100 points. The losing team was allowed to do something else to earn 25 or 50 points. Their consolation stunt was dictated to them by a character called "Mr. Mischief", a crude figure that had been drawn on a wall that had ears and eyelids that moved. Whoever was doing the voice would challenge the contestant to complete their task before the balloon that placed in his mouth burst.

Finishing up the show was a contest called the Super Duper Do stunt. Each week a child was chosen to compete in an additional stunt for the possibility of winning a grand prize at the end of a several week period. Because the show was so short-lived, the only stunt that was done for the Super Duper Do was having contestants blow 16 sheets of paper off a podium, trying to get them to land in a wastebasket that was set in front of them. The prize promised was a television set.

If time allowed, there was the possibility that there would be a team stunt at the end of the show to allow a team to catch up on points.

The 4 children on the winning team won such prizes as watches or bicycles for their effort.