Shop 'til You Drop (version 2)

"Shop 'Til You Drop" is an American game show which has aired on a number of cable television networks and in syndication. The show premiered in July 1991 and has been running since.

The series was hosted by Pat Finn from 1991 to 2003, and since then by J.D. Roberto. Co-hosts/announcers include Mark L. Walberg (1991-1994), Jason Grant Smith (1997-1998), Dee Bradley Baker (1998-2003) and Don Priess (2003-present).

From 1991-2003, the backdrop of "Shop 'Til You Drop" was set in a 10-store California shopping mall. From 2003 onward, the set changed to a superstore (a la Wal-Mart or Target).

Rules

Stunt rounds

Even though the backdrop changed, the format of "Shop 'Til You Drop" – a hybrid of two better-known game shows – "The Price is Right" and "Beat the Clock" – has remained pretty much intact during its run.

Two teams of two contestants (almost always male-female) competed in this quiz/stunt show. Nearly all of the stunts were one-minute mini-games, which tested popular culture and consumer knowledge.

The host read the names of two stunts. The team chosen to go first chose one and, after hearing its description, could do the stunt or pass it to the opposing team. Stunts have varied widely through the years, but now more or less involve the host annoucing a category and the team answering questions appropriate to the topic; or describing a product and the team required to guess whether another product was higher or lower than the first one. In earlier years, "Beat the Clock"-esque stunts were also played (such as the female partner stuffing three balloons in her husband's pair of oversized trousers without breaking any).

Successfully completing the stunt allowed the team to pick a prize from one of the on-stage departments (or in the earlier "mall" format, from one of the stores). One of the prizes hid a "Shopper's Special," which was a mini-vacation.

Two stunt rounds were played, with the first worth 100 points and the second worth 200 points.

Shopper's Challenge

Round 3 was the "Shopper's Challenge," a 90-second series of rapid fire questions, again related to entertainment and shopping. Correct answers were worth 50 points each, with the male and female halves switching places after each question.

The team in the lead at the end of the round won the game and advanced to the bonus round

Bonus Round

The bonus round was a shopping-spree type round, where the team tried to build a prize package of at least $2,500 in 90 seconds. One of the team members was the shopper (usually but not always the female) while the male half was the runner.

One at a time, the team opened one of six packages on a table, each concealing a prize. The shopper decided whether to keep the gift or exchange it with another gift from one of the stores/departments. If they decided to exchange it, the runner scurried to one of the stores (or departments in later episodes) for another prize. In either case, the runner had to take the item to a table on one side of the set and hit a plunger before the shopper could open another box.

After all six boxes had been exchanged/kept, or if the 90-second time limit expires, the host and announcer describe the prizes and add up each item's retail price. The couple kept everything they selected, but if they exceeded the $2,500 limit, the couple won a trip. Note: During the show's first season, the couple only needed to obtain $1,000 in prizes.

Network history

Through the years, "Shop 'Til You Drop" has aired on a number of cable networks, including Lifetime (1991-1994), Family Channel (1997-1998) and Pax (since 2000). Reruns of the Lifetime version also aired in syndication during the mid-1990s.