| Runtime: | 30 minutes |
| Creator: | David H. Higgins |
| Director: | Chris Darley |
| Presenter: | David Sidoni |
| Executive Producer: | Dick Clark Thomas F. Frank Kurt Brendlinger J D Roth |
| Company: | Slam Dunk Productions Dick Clark Productions |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Network: | Disney Channel |
Mad Libs is an American children's game show based on the book/word game series. It aired on the Disney Channel from July 26, 1998 to mid-1999 (with a "special pilot" that aired in February 1997),[1] and was hosted by David Sidoni.[2] Dick Clark and J. D. Roth produced the show.
Mad Libs pitted two teams of two kids (each with one boy and one girl on the red and blue teams), in a series of physical/mental-related challenges that pertain to the formula of the Mad Libs books, while trying to score points and win prizes.
In round one, a home viewer recited a Mad Lib that he/she wrote beforehand. That Mad Lib became a physical game, where the objective was to make the most progress within a 45-second time limit or to be the first team to complete the stunt. The team who won the stunt were awarded 20 points. If there was a tie, both teams got the points.
In this two-minute round (2:30 in earlier episodes), the contestants would come up with a series of words that would fit a category given by Sidoni, controlling a white ball (referred to on air as the "hot potato") and passing it back and forth.
The process continued until one team gave a word that did not fit the category, repeated a word (including a different form of the same word), passed the hot potato without answering, or ran out of time. When one of those violations occurred, the other team received five points, after which another category was played in the same manner. If time for the round ran out when a category was in play, no points were awarded to either team.
Both teams competed in a physical game, consisting of anything from picking nose hairs to grabbing mohawks while being strapped to a mailbag, to grab items needed to create a Mad Lib. Each item in the game had a word on it, and the object was to get four words in four categories. Doing so completed the Mad Lib and earned the winning team 20 points.
In this deciding round, Sidoni read a series of statements with a crazy word inserted in each one. The contestants buzzed in to correct those statements with the right word. If the buzz-in contestant answered incorrectly, the opposing team got a chance to answer. After each statement, the contestants at the buzzers switched places with their partners. Each correct answer was worth ten points. The round was played for 90 seconds, and the team with the most points when time ran out won the game. If both teams tied, one last Mixed-Up Mad Lib was read, and the first player to buzz-in and correct the statement won; otherwise his/her opponents automatically won. The winning team proceeded to the bonus round while the losing team went home with parting gifts.
In the Maximum Mad Lib, the team decided who would give and who would receive. The giving player during the last commercial break placed five words (given to that player via envelope) anywhere in the five clue areas. After the break, the giver was given 90 seconds to get his/her partner to say those words. Sidoni gave the category to each word.
The clue areas varied each episode, and the actions involved the giving player performing an unusual event, such as saying the word with a mouth stuffed full of marshmallows, licking frosting and spelling the word with their tongue, miming the word or singing out a description.
Each time the receiver said a word, the team won that word. They could pass on a word and return to it if time permitted. If an illegal clue was given, the word was removed from play. When time ran out, the words were inserted into the Mad Lib and were individually checked after it was read. One of the five words was dubbed the grand prize word and if the team solved that word, or if they solved all five words before time expired, they won the grand prize. Otherwise, they received a consolation prize.