''Don Adams' Screen Test'' is an American

game show A game show (or gameshow) is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment where contestants compete in a game for rewards. The shows are typically directed by a game show host, host, who explains the rules of the program as well as commentating a ...

that aired in syndication for one season. It was hosted by actor

Don Adams Donald James Yarmy (April 13, 1923 – September 25, 2005), known professionally as Don Adams, was an American actor. In his five decades on television, he was best known as bumbling Maxwell Smart (Secret Agent 86) in the television situa ...

and the announcer was Charlie O'Donnell.

Gameplay

The game involves two 15-minute periods, in which a contestant would be asked to act out or re-enact a famous Hollywood movie scene (such as the race scene from the 1964 movie ''

Viva Las Vegas ''Viva Las Vegas'' is a 1964 American rock and roll musical film directed by George Sidney, written by Sally Benson, choreographed by David Winters, and starring Elvis Presley, Ann-Margret, Cesare Danova, William Demarest and Nicky Blair ...

''). They would then be helped out by Adams and guest celebrities who appeared on the show. Usually, Adams would direct; however, on occasion, he would act along with the contestant and the guest celebrity, and another celebrity would direct. Blunders such as forgotten lines, failures of props, and celebrities ad-libbing would provide additional comedy. A second contestant would do the same. At the end, both contestants would see their screen tests, and the contestant whose screen test was judged to be better by a well-known director (different for each episode) was declared the winner and given a walk-on part on an upcoming movie or television show.

Episode status

The series is held in its entirety (including the hour-long

pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...

taped May 16, 1975) by Universal TelevisionClip of an episode, posted by a staff member who worked on the series
/ref> but has not been seen since its original airing.

Notes

References

* ''The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows'', 2nd ed., 1995, Schwartz, Ryan, and Wostbrock

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0070985 1975 American television series debuts 1976 American television series endings 1970s American comedy game shows American English-language television shows First-run syndicated game shows Television series by Universal Television