The Krypton Factor was a British game show, hosted by Gordon Burns, which ran from 1977 to 1995 on ITV. Four contestants would compete in several different games, some studio-bound, some not. Each was introduced by the distinctive K logo, which would morph into a symbol for the round. Some of the games were changed during the run of the series, but the qualities they purported to test remained the same:
- Mental agility - often a memory test.
- Response - latterly (and most famously) this consisted of each player taking turns on a flight simulator and being marked by an actual flight instructor.
- Observation - this involved watching a specially made video clip.
- Physical ability - probably the most memorable of the rounds, this involved the contestants racing to complete an army assault course , including cargo nets, rope swings and a rope slide. Unlike the village fête version, however, this finished with a plunge into muddy water.
- Intelligence - a 2- or 3-dimensional puzzle where shapes had to be put together to fill a rectangular grid or make a cube.
- General knowledge - a quickfire round.
In the first five games, 10 points were awarded to the winner, then 6, 4 and 2 to the remaining contestants. In the final game 1 (later 2) points were awarded for each correct answer.
The show was produced by Granada Television. Rumours of a revival on the BBC never materialised.
Two short-lived U.S. versions aired. In 1981, Dick Clark hosted a 6-week summer series on ABC. In 1990, Willie Aames hosted a syndicated version for children. A version in production by Fox TV was never shown to the public.
A NZ edition was screened from 1987 to 1991.
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