Review: Treasure Mall


TREASURE MALL
Hal Sparks
Broadcast history: Syndicated June 11, 1988 - September 1988
Host: Hal Sparks
Announcer: Ed MacKay

GAME PLAY
You get a secret note slipped into your locker at school. Do you...Locking in answers Two teams of kids, boy and girl, compete. In the first part of the game, the kids predicted answers to surveys also given to children. Three possible answers were given, and each player locked in a guess as what answer was given most. Each right answer a team gives earns them a point. More questions are played until one team reaches five points. That team goes inside a store in the "Treasure Mall".

In a search of gold coins. Get all 16 and win...AN ELECTRIC CHESS SET!?!?! In the store there are four areas and each team member searches two a piece. In each area there are four coins. They find and collect as many coins as possible in 25 seconds. Any coin that doesn't go into the bucket Hal is holding does not count. After each area is searched, the coins are counted and they receive prizes equal to the amount they collected.

The process is repeated and the team with the most coins after two stores are searched wins and goes to the bonus.

In the bonus, various gift boxes are on the stage. The team searches the boxes for keys and once again, they must go into the bucket to count. After 30 seconds, each key is tried in the treasure chest. If it opens, they win a large prize package containing a trip. New contestants play each show.



NOTES
The "sister show" of "Treasure Mall" which it was often paired with in syndication was "Slime Time" hosted by comic Marty Cohen.

Hal Sparks is a comedian who went on to host "Talk Soup" on E! cable network for a short time before being ousted and eventually replaced by Aisha Tyler.

MY THOUGHTS
Ehh. Not neccesarily a break from the general kids show format, but a little different. Call it a B-squad version of "Finders Keepers". The prizes sure were cheesy.

JAY SAYS...
Cast - 0.5
Game - 1.0
Bells and Whistles - 1.0
Prize - 0.5
Tilt - 0.5

[ 03.5 ]

The survey questions weren't always inspired either. One from the premiere (also quoted in EOTVGS Volume 2) - "What would third grade boys do for $100? Shave their heads, eat earthworms, or kiss girls?" But for mainly trying to cash in on the success of other kids games at the time this one has some things about it that makes it just a tad unique. The set is pretty flashy, and some other visual elements are nice.


BACK
Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1