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Definition

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A well-known Canadian Game Show created by the same people who created The Newlywed Game, which ran from 1974-89 on CTV, and was produced at the network's Toronto station CFTO.

Much like Wheel of Fortune (which debuted at around the same time), Definition was a game show based on Hangman, where two teams of a celebrity and civilian player competed to solve such a puzzle. Both teams alternated guessing letters that were in a puzzle on a board (accompanied by a crossword-style hint), one team member had to guess a letter which wasn't in the puzzle, after which their teammate guessed a letter that was. Successful guesses earned chances to solve, and the first to win a best-two-out-of-three became champion and played a bonus round.

Game Show Tropes in use:[]

  • Bonus Round: One more puzzle, the letters are revealed in alphabetical order. Win $10 multiplied by the number of unrevealed letters and a prize if solved.
  • Consolation Prize: For losing the Bonus Round, you get just $10. No, that's not a typo, Ten bucks.
  • Home Game: One was issued by Milton Bradley in 1981, recycling parts from their 1975 Wheel Of Fortune games. Interestingly, the box art predates the change to all-civilians.
  • Home Participation Sweepstakes: Later in the run, puzzles could also be sent in by viewers.
  • Personnel:
  • Undesirable Prize: Just about everything, given how cheap the show was.

This show provides examples of:[]

  • Ascended Extra: Jim Perry was promoted from announcer to emcee at the beginning of Season 2.
  • Hurricane of Puns: A lot of the clues were like this.
  • Long Runner: Fifteen years, making it one of Canada's longest-running game shows.
  • No Budget: The show was ridiculed by outsiders for how cheap the prizes were. Seriously, the consolation prize for losing the Bonus Round was $10. Only if you made it to the yearly Tournament Of Champions could you have an opportunity to win something half-decent, such as a car or trip.
    • While most Canadian game shows suffered from similar budget issues, Definition's case beoomes even more ironic when Jim Perry is factored in, who would end up hosting some of the United States' richest daytime game shows! (i.e. Card Sharks and Sale of the Century)
  • Real Song Theme Tune: "Soul Bossa Nova" by Quincy Jones (this wasn't the only Quincy Jones song to be a theme for a word game, though!). The show's popularity led to the song almost instantly being associated with Definition ... until a Canadian named Mike Myers thought it'd make a good theme for his new movie franchise.
    • In tribute to the show, "Soul Bossa Nova" got a Sampled Up hip-hop version, "My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style", from a Canadian group. This song became Ascended Fanon in a promo celebrating CTV Toronto's 50th anniversary, where it was used for a scene featuring clips from the show.
    • Suspiciously Similar Song: Sometime between November 23, 1979 and September 9, 1985, "Soul Bossa Nova" was replaced by a soundalike tune.
  • Trans Atlantic Equivalent: A British version ran on ITV from 1978-86, hosted by Don Moss and Jeremy Beadle.
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