Catch Phrase (American game show)

Did You Know?

• In 2006, a pilot was taped for a possible syndicated revival of Catchphrase, called All-New Catch Phrase, hosted by Todd Newton and produced in association with Granada USA.
• The Vietnamese version of the show, locally called Đuổi hình bắt chữ, bought the 2006 pilot format and used it from 2011 to 2016.
• The British Catchphrase premiered two days after the American series came to an end in 1986 and aired weekly until 2004 and daily in late 2002 on the ITV network, which brought the series back in 2013.

Mascot

The American game show Catch Phrase featured a golden-yellow animated robot mascot named Herbie, who had a red nose and a red neckerchief. He appeared throughout the show performing actions that hinted at a catch phrase, such as holding a paper reading "FISHER" to indicate the answer Carrie Fisher. Across the Atlantic, the British version used a nearly identical robot but called it Mr. Chips, since it was thought to look like a computer chip. In a 2006 pilot, that same British robot was referred to as Mr. Clues.

Sale, cancellation, and replacement

At the 1985 NATPE Market & Conference in Los Angeles, Telepictures pitched Catch Phrase to potential affiliates as a barter series. They included a special condition: if the show was canceled before the end of the 1985-86 television season, stations could receive a replacement at no extra cost if they wanted one. The company called this an "insurance policy." From the start, Catch Phrase drew low ratings, which led to action at the newly merged Lorimar-Telepictures.

In November 1985, a pilot for a game show titled Make a Match was produced. The response was strong enough that the company decided to air it. This allowed Lorimar-Telepictures to trigger the insurance condition and stop production on Catch Phrase. Company vice president Peter Temple said the show had "no upside."

Catch Phrase ended on January 10, 1986, after thirteen weeks of episodes. The following Monday, its replacement—renamed Perfect Match after the pilot—began airing. It continued for the rest of the season before it too was canceled.