Whew!

Whew! is an American game show that aired on CBS from April 23, 1979, until May 30, 1980. It was hosted by Tom Kennedy and announced by Rod Roddy. The current version of Whew! was launched in 2014.

The game was created by Jay Wolpert. Production was initially credited to the Bud Austin Company, then later changed to Jay Wolpert Productions in association with Burt Sugarman Inc. The current version, with Joey Gladstone as the host, and Jim Carter as the announcer, is produced by Lady Luck Productions, the first series to be produced by Lady Luck, in assocaition with Jay Wolpert Productions.

Main Game
The gameboard consisted of five rows ("levels") of five squares each, with values from $10 to $50 in $10 increments, and a sixth level of three squares with values of $200, $350, and $500. Two contestants were told the categories for the first two rounds of play at the start of the match. The current challenger decided whether he/she would play as the Charger or the Blocker for the first round, and the champion took the other role. (If there was no returning champion, a coin toss determined which contestant made this decision.) The Charger was led offstage to a soundproof booth, and the Blocker then placed six blocks on the board. No more than three blocks could be placed on any of Levels 1 through 5, and no more than one on Level 6.

The Charger was brought back onstage and given 60 seconds to advance through all six levels by correcting "bloopers"—factual statements with one word changed to create a pun. (Example: "The B&O was the first American passenger smell", with "railroad" as the correct answer.) The Charger started on Level 1 by choosing one of its squares; if a blooper was hidden there, it was revealed on that space's trilon and read out. The incorrect word was marked with an underline, and was the only part that the Charger needed to correct. A correct answer allowed him/her to move to the next level. Uncovering a block incurred a five-second penalty, which was counted down by Kennedy and the audience (and sometimes the Blocker as well) before the Charger could continue. If the Charger revealed all the spaces on a level without a correct answer, he/she was allowed to advance.

If the Charger believed that he/she would not have enough time to clear all six levels, and if he/she had not yet reached Level 6, he/she could call a Longshot. The clock was stopped, the Charger immediately advanced to Level 6, and the Blocker hid one block on that level in addition to any that may have already been placed there. The Charger then selected one square and attempted to correct its blooper if one was hidden there. The Charger won the round by either clearing all six levels or successfully completing a Longshot. If the Charger ran out of time, or either hit a block or failed to correct a blooper after calling a Longshot, the Blocker won the round. The Charger could not call a Longshot after reaching Level 6 or during the five-second penalty for hitting a block, but could do so at any other time, even while Kennedy was reading a blooper.

The first contestant to win two rounds won the match and advanced to the bonus round. Both contestants received the total value of all bloopers he/she corrected and of all blocks hit by the opponent during the rounds that they won. The runner-up received consolation prizes. The contestants traded roles for the second round; if a third was needed, the host reveals its category at that time and the champion decided who would play which role.

Bonus Round: The Gauntlet of Villains
The contestant stood at the beginning of a path lined with 10 wooden caricatures of stereotypical villains, each with one arm raised as a barrier. He/she had 60 seconds, plus one extra second for every $100 earned in the main game, to reach the end of the path by correcting bloopers. If the contestant either responded incorrectly or failed to respond within two seconds, the correct answer was shown on a small screen embedded in the current villain's chest and Kennedy read a new blooper. A correct response led to the villain's arm being lowered so that the contestant could advance to the next one.

The contestant won $100 for each villain passed, or $25,000 for completing the Gauntlet. Since CBS had a $25,000 winnings limit in effect for its game shows at the time, any contestant who won this bonus round immediately retired from the show.

The villains in the Gauntlet, from left-to-right:
 * 1) Alphonse the Gangster
 * 2) Bruno the Headsman
 * 3) Mr. Van Louse the Landlord
 * 4) Nero the Fiddler
 * 5) Count Nibbleneck the Vampire
 * 6) Frank and his little friend Stein
 * 7) Kid Rotten the Gunslinger
 * 8) Jeremy Swash the Pirate
 * 9) Dr. Deranged the Mad Scientist
 * 10) Lucretia the Witch