Double Dare was a children's game show, originally hosted by Marc Summers, which later moved to Nickelodeon. It is often credited with putting the then-fledgling network on the map.

The show originated from the WHYY-TV studios in Philadelphia in 1986. In 1987, the show temporarily moved to New York City for a special weekend edition called Super Sloppy Double Dare. The show returned to Philadelphia in 1988; by then Viacom syndicated the show to the young Fox network (in markets where the Fox station wasn't an O&O, or there was no Fox station, the show aired on Independent stations). The Super Sloppy format reappeared the following year, and production of the show moved to Universal Studios Florida, where it remained until its cancellation in 1992. The final episodes aired in 1993.

Gameplay
The show begins with On Your Mark, get set, go! Two teams of two kids each competed for cash and prizes. Originally, both teams wore red uniforms, but after Double Dare's syndication began in 1988, one team began wearing blue uniforms. Each round began with a toss-up challenge performed by both teams; the winner received $20 USD and control of the first round.

The host explained the rules of the game (always exactly) as follows:

I'm going to ask you a question, and if you don't know the answer, or think the other team doesn't have a clue, you can Dare them to answer it for double the dollars. But be careful, because they can always Double Dare you back for four times the amount, and then you'll either have to answer that question or take the Physical Challenge. 
In round two, dollar values for game play doubled.

A smart tactic would have been for teams to choose Dare even when knowing an answer, since they could answer it after the other team Double Dared them back for considerably more money. However, this seldom ever happened; teams almost always either answered the question up front the first time or ended up taking the Physical Challenge.


Physical Challenges
Physical challenges were stunts -- usually messy -- that a team had to perform in an allotted time, usually either 10, 15, 20 or 30 seconds. Most challenges involved filling a container past a line with a variety of substances: water, uncooked rice, green slime, whipped cream, "a milk-like substance", etc. to name a few.

Others involved catching a certain number of items before time ran out. "Pie in the Pants," where a contestant had to catch 3 or 4 pies in under 30 (or 20) seconds, is an example of this.

Completing the stunt won the team $40 USD, otherwise, the money went to the other team. (Again, the USD value of the challenge doubled in round 2.)

A later spinoff, Double Dare 2000 introduced the "Triple Dare Challenge." Available only in round two, this allowed a team to make their physical challenge more difficult in exchange for more money and a bonus prize. Sometimes this included shaving time off (turning a 30-second challenge into a 25-second one, for instance), or adding difficulty to the stunt (catching 5 pies instead of 4).





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The Obstacle Course
The team with the highest score at the end of round two went on to the final challenge of the game: The Obstacle Course. The course consisted of 8 challenges which had to be completed within 60 seconds, in the syndicated verson it was 99 seconds. Each obstacle had an orange flag either at the end of or hidden within it.

One team member would start at the first obstacle and upon completion, pass its flag to his partner, who would then move on to the second obstacle. The team would continue to alternate like this until the completed the course, or time ran out -- whichever came first.

The team won a prize for each obstacle completed. During the Fox run of Family Double Dare, cash was awarded at obstacle 7 in place of a prize, The 8th flag won the grand prize. In the original and Super Sloppy versions, it was mostly a trip. In Fox Family Double Dare, as well as the first season of the Nick run, it was a brand new car. In 1992, it was changed back to a trip. To see a list of obstacles click for Double Dare Obstacles.


Spinoffs

Super Sloppy Double Dare
The format of Super Sloppy Double Dare copied that of the original program. Launched in 1987, it aired on the weekends on Nickelodeon. To compete with other children's game shows at the time, the format returned on the air in 1989.


Family Double Dare
Family Double Dare premiered on Fox on April 3, 1988, and moved to its regular Saturday night slot that week. This spinoff featured two teams of four: two kids with two parents. The same rules used for the regular version of Double Dare applied.

More money was at stake in this version. The opening toss-up challenge netted a team $25 USD in round one. Questions started at $25 USD, went up to $50 USD on a dare, and $100 USD on a double dare or physical challenge. Dollar values doubled in round two. The grand prize for the obstacle course was a new car or a family vacation.

Family Double Dare ended its Fox run by July 1988. Nickelodeon put it back into production in 1990, and finally cancelled in 1992. Producers taped some new episodes after the cancellation. Summers himself has said about the show, "We could do reruns forever."

The final original episode aired in 1993, and Family Double Dare reruns continued up to February 1999.

The Fox run was distributed by Viacom while the Nick run was produced and distributed by Nickelodeon.


Celebrity Double Dare
A 1988 pilot, Celebrity Double Dare featured celebrity team captains and host Bruce Jenner. This version was never picked up.


Super Special Double Dare
Super Special Double Dare was a short series of special Double Dare episodes featuring celebrities just like the aforementioned-above version, sport teams, cast members from other Nickelodeon shows. These episodes used two teams of four contestants.


Double Dare 2000
Double Dare 2000 was the revived version of the show which premiered on January 22, 2000. Jason Harris hosted this version of the show; original host Summers was the executive consultant.

Double Dare 2000 followed the Family Double Dare format with a revamped set and bigger physical challenges. It also featured the new "Triple Dare Challenge" option in round two, introduced "gooze," and referred to the obstacle course as the "slopstacle course," some new obstacles, & obstacle number 7 was sometimes the last obstacle .Double Dare 2000 was cancelled in December 2000.


Rerun status
All four versions of Double Dare have aired in reruns on Nickelodeon's digital cable network Nickelodeon GAS.


Merchandise
Double Dare's popularity led to a variety of products made available for sale.


Games and Toys
Double Dare home game (tie-in with first version of Super Sloppy Double Dare), 1987 
Double Dare LCD handheld games ("Pie in the Pants," "Balloon Buster," and "Flying Sundaes"), 1988 
Double Dare jigsaw puzzle, 1988 
Double Dare computer game (IBM and Apple versions), 1989 
Wet 'n Wild Double Dare home game (tie-in with second version of Super Sloppy Double Dare), 1989 
Double Dare yo-yo, 1989 
Super Sloppy Double Dare pinball machine, 1989 
Double Dare video game (NES), 1990 
Double Dare 2000: the Game (tie-in with Double Dare 2000), 2001 

Apparel
T-shirts, available in retail stores and on Double Dare Live Tour stops 
belt buckles 
painter's caps, available on Double Dare Live Tour stops 
pajamas