Open auditions for Maine eighth graders to compete on local game show
AUGUSTA—WPXT-TV is holding open auditions for the fifth season of its locally produced game show, Kick Start. The show is billed as part Double Dare, part Jeopardy for kids, and will have contestants competing in a 13-episode season for the right to appear in the finals and win a $5,000 NextGen College Investing Plan. All current Maine eighth graders interested in trying out for Kick Start should attend an open casting call on Saturday, March 16, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m, at the WPXT Studios in Westbrook.
A game for all eighth graders in the state of Maine, Kick Start is part quiz show, part creative challenge and part gooey mess! Three contestants from Maine middle schools play three challenges: The Speed Splat Throwdown, a multiple choice Q&A round where contestants hit buzzers to answer five-point questions; The Buildy Thing, like the "Odyssey of the Mind" where contestants must build, write or create something in a given amount of time; and The Pie-Q Challenge, where all contestants answer simultaneously. Ten points are awarded for each correct answer and one "X" for each incorrect answer. If a contestant gets three "X"s, they're "out," and they must face the Rabid Chicken in the "Pit of Doom" and be splatted with the disgusting pie-of-the day. The contestant with the most points at the end of the game is the winner. The game is played like a tournament with 13 episodes in a season, and the player who wins three games in a row is the grand champion and takes home the grand prize.
Kick Start is a five-time Emmy award-winning program, winning two Emmys at the Boston/New England Emmy Awards in 2012 and three in 2008. It has also been nominated for Best Children's Show.
Twenty-seven students will be selected, three players per game, for nine quarterfinal shows. The winner of each game will advance to semifinal matches, with the three winning contestants competing for the NextGen College Investing Plan.
All applicants must bring a parent or guardian to sign a release form. The WPXT studios are located at 4 Ledgeview Drive in Westbrook.
Kick Start Season 5 begins airing on Thursday, April 4, at 7:30 p.m. on WPXT, with an original episode following each week. For more information on the show, visit kickstartgame.com or contact John Marshall, Kick Start Producer and Host, at jmarshall@ourmaine.com.
