The Krypton Factor is an American game show based on the UK series of the same name. Contestants on the program were tested on their mental ability and physical skill.
The series had two separate runs. The first was a five-week limited series that aired on ABC from August 7 to September 4, 1981. The second was a weekly syndicated series that premiered on September 15, 1990 and ran until September 7, 1991.
The original Krypton Factor was produced by Alan Landsburg Productions in association with MCA Television Enterprises and was hosted by Dick Clark. The revival was produced by Kushner-Locke Productions and distributed by Western International, with Willie Aames hosting.
Gameplay
1981
Sixteen contestants competed in this five-week series, with four contestants competing in each of the first four matches and the winners of those four matches returning for the Krypton Final at the end of the series. In this adaptation, a player's score was called their "Krypton Factor," as was the case on the original UK version.
Phase I—Reflex Speed
Each player took turns playing a video game challenge where either a certain score had to be achieved within a certain time limit or the player had to stay in play for a certain amount of time. Each successful player scored five points. The games used in this round were adaptations of early Atari 2600 cartridges, such as Dodge 'Em, Outlaw, and Space Invaders; each episode featured a different game challenge.
Phase II—Mental Agility
In this round, each contestant wore headphones so only they could hear their questions. Each player in-turn was given two mental agility tests, each of which required them to mentally manipulate a series of letters, numbers, or words in a specific way. For example, a player could be asked to repeat a list of names in the reverse order they were read, or be asked to provide the end result of a long series of arithmetic operations. Only the home viewers can see the answers, while the audience in the studio can't and must remain silent, according to Clark. The first sequence, consisting of five items, was worth four points, and the second sequence, containing six items, was worth six points. If anytime any player made a mistake, they had to sit out the rest of the round. A possible total of ten points can be earned in this phase.
Phase III—Physical Ability
This round featured an obstacle course run that was pretaped in advance. Unlike the UK version, the course was designed to be fair to both men and women, so neither sex or age received a head start. The race began with a death slide into an inflatable mat, then players had to cross a pontoon bridge, crawl through tubes, drive a motor vehicle, ride a swing in order to kick down a door, and complete the course by walking in an inflatable wheel. The contestants earned points according to how they finished.
Scoring was as follows: 1st Place: 20 points 2nd Place: 15 points 3rd Place: 10 points 4th Place: 5 points
Phase IV—Observation
In the fourth round, the players were tested on memory. They were shown a scene from a current motion picture, and each player was asked a four-point question pertaining to visual or verbal detail with two possible answers and a six-point question requiring them to recall specific dialogue. Then all players were shown a lineup of six similar-looking actors, one of whom had a key part in the film clip. Each player separately locked in their guess as to the correct actor, and each player who identified the correct actor earned ten points. A possible total of 20 points can be earned in this phase.
Phase V—General Knowledge
In the final round, the contestants were asked a series of general knowledge toss-up questions in which each correct answer would usually segue to the next question. Players did not have to wait until the question was fully read to jump in, but only the first player to do so got to answer. Each correct answer was worth two points, but each incorrect answer was worth minus two points, with the values doubling to +/-4 points midway through the round.