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Legends of the Hidden Temple Genre: Children's game show Created by: David G. Stanley

Scott A. Stone

Stephen Brown Directed by: Charles Ciup (Season 1)

Glenn Weiss (Season 2-3) Hosted by: Kirk Fogg Producer(s): Scott A. Stone Executive producer(s): Scott A. Stone

David G. Stanley Starring: Kirk Fogg

as Olmec Dee Bradley Baker as Olmec Composer(s): David G. Stanley

Scott A. Stone (credited on-air to "The Music Machine") Country of origin: USA No. of seasons: 3 No. of episodes: 120 Running time: 30 Minutes Original run September 11, 1993 ( ) – November 24, 1995 ( )





This article is about the game show. For the made-for-TV movie adaptation, see Legends of the Hidden Temple (TV movie).

Legends of the Hidden Temple (sometimes abbreviated LOTHT) is an action-adventure game show for children. The show centers around a "temple" that is "filled with lost treasures protected by mysterious Mayan temple guards". Kirk Fogg hosts and serves as the teams' guide, while Dee Bradley Baker announced and voiced a talking audio-animatronic Olmec head, simply named Olmec, who "knows the secrets behind each of the treasures in his Temple". Six teams of two children, one boy and one girl, compete to retrieve one of the historical artifacts in the Temple by performing physical stunts and answering questions based on history, mythology, and geography. After three elimination rounds, only one team remains, who then earns the right to go through the Temple to retrieve the artifact within three minutes and win a grand prize.

Legends was produced by Stone Stanley Productions in association with Nickelodeon and was taped at Nickelodeon Studios at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. It aired from September 11, 1993 to November 24, 1995 in first-run and through August 30, 1998 in reruns (though it returned in May-June 2007 for a short time). From 1999 to 2007, reruns of the show aired on Nick GAS. Since 2011, it has sporadically appeared on TeenNick's The '90s Are All That and NickSplat blocks. A made-for-TV movie based on the show aired in November 2016, and a fictional version of the show was also featured in The Loud House episode "Legends".

Contents show]

The main game

Teams

In each game, six teams of two members each competed in three rounds to get to the temple.

Each team was designated a color and animal, indicated on their uniform shirts:

The Green Monkeys, Red Jaguars, and Orange Iguanas were the only teams not to use the same sound twice. The color yellow was omitted because the symbols on the uniforms were already yellow (the Silver Snakes were supposed to be yellow).

Round 1: The Moat

Round 2: The Steps of Knowledge

The first round of the show involved a stunt where the six teams had to get across a narrow swimming pool known as the "moat". And during the show's Nick Gas run the logo would be at the bottom right corner. Some of the commonly used methods included rafts, ropes, and bridges. All six teams attempted to get both members across according to the rules and punch a button, thus setting off the team's "gong". Typically, if a team member fell in the water, that partner (or occasionally both teammates) would have to go back and try again until they could get across. The first four teams to hit their gongs advanced to the second round.

Olmec begun the Steps of Knowledge by telling the remaining teams the episode's legend. After finishing, he asked the teams a series of questions to test their memories. A team that knew the answer buzzed in by hitting the button (known as an "ancient marking") on their step with their feet, and their staircase lights up so they can answer (if Olmec was still in the middle of asking the question, he would stop talking immediately). Each multiple-choice question had three possible answers. If the team answered correctly, they moved down to the next level. If a team answered incorrectly or went too long without an answer (three seconds after being called upon), the other teams would have a chance to answer. A question would be replaced if two of its three choices were eliminated by incorrect answers. The first two teams to step down to the bottom level by answering questions correctly moved on to the next round.

Round 3: The Temple Games

The Temple Games round was introduced as a turning point in the episode away from the unpredictable Moat and mind games of the Steps of Knowledge, where "the glory [went] to the fastest and the strongest." Here, the two remaining teams, most likely the Red Jaguars, Green Monkeys, or Siver Snakes, competed for as many pendants of life as possible in three physical challenges. And the Nick Gas logo would be at the upper left corner The Temple Games employed on Legends were many and varied. The first season featured more of an emphasis on teams climbing and/or crossing ramps to retrieve objects, while hindered by bungee cords attached to them. Most times the ramps were covered with soap or water to make it more difficult. The second and third seasons introduced more physical activities such as climbing, riding moving or spinning objects, or spinning a giant wheel. Temple Game challenges were either untimed or lasted for a maximum of 60 seconds (ending either when time expired or when a team completed the objective). After each challenge, the winning team (the team who completed the objective first, or, failing that, the team who made the most progress) was awarded some portion of a protective Pendant of Life. The first two challenges, which pitted a single member of a team against another, awarded a half-pendant each, and the final challenge, involving both teams in whole, awarded a full pendant. If a Temple Game ended in a tie, both teams were awarded the pendant value of that game. After these rounds, the team with the greater number of pendants went on to the final round.

In the event that the two teams' pendant totals were tied after the three games, Fogg (or, later in seasons 2 and 3) Olmec asked a tiebreaker question to determine the winner. A "tiebreaker pedestal" was brought out, and the first team to hit the button on top of their gong earned the chance to answer the question. The team would have three seconds to answer, and their first response had to be accepted. A correct answer allowed the team to go to the Temple. In Season 1, an incorrect answer (or running out of time) automatically awarded the other team passage to the Temple, but in the second and third seasons, the other team simply received an opportunity to answer the question correctly.

Round 4: The Temple

In the final round, often known as the Temple Run, the winning team took whatever Pendants of Life they had (most commonly, a full pendant and half of the second) into the temple. The temple consisted of 12 to 13 rooms, depending on the layout, each connected by a doorway which may or may not have been open during the game, depending on the setup used that day. One room in the labyrinth had the themed artifact; three rooms held Temple Guards (spotters in lavish Mayan sentinel costumes). If the winning team had an incomplete pendant, the remaining half-pendant would be in a room as well. However, if the team had only one pendant going into the temple, there would be no hidden pendant. In that case, if the second player ran into a Guard, the game would end.

The winning team had three minutes to retrieve the artifact. One player was sent in first, with a complete pendant. The second player remained outside the Temple gate to watch the first player's progress. In each room, completing a puzzle or accomplishing a task would unlock a door to another room. For example, the Shrine of the Silver Monkey held three pieces of a silver monkey statue, and completing the statue would unlock a door. The Jester's Court had buttons placed along the walls outlining images of two court jesters and one king. One of these sets of 3 buttons opened a door to an adjacent room; posing in the position of the correct outline and pressing the buttons opened the door.

When a player encountered one Guard, the player was forced to give up a full pendant in order to continue or if caught without a pendant be taken out of the temple. The second player now had the chance to enter, with all opened doors remaining open and all known Temple Guards nonexistent. If the second player possessed only half a Pendant of Life, a Temple Guard could catch him or her and end the game. To prevent that, the second player would also have to find the other half of the pendant which was hidden in the temple. It was often well-hidden and only a few contestants have found one during their run.

If either player reached the artifact (being defined as actually grabbing onto the artifact, instead of merely being in the same room with it), all remaining Guards "vanished" and all locked doors instantly opened, allowing the player to escape unhindered. Just for getting into the temple, the team automatically won a prize. If they picked up the artifact, they also would win another prize of slightly higher value. If they escaped with the artifact before time ran out, the team won a vacation (sometimes to another country), or a week at NASA's Space Camp, in addition to the two merchandise prizes. (Although not disclosed in the show, each individual winning contestant would receive two travel vouchers. Destinations varied greatly—some were within the state of Florida, while others could be in the Caribbean or Mexico. Unlike previous Nick game shows, Legends never deviated from offering a travel prize as the grand prize.)

One interesting note is the portrayal of the Temple Run. During the first season, the Temple Run would take place with only background music similar to 8-bit NES music and the clock. In the second and third seasons, the same music would play in the background, while the display included both a map and a count of the number of pendants the team had. This gave the Temple Run a feel somewhat similar to a live-action video game.

Team Statistics



Team Statistics - Season 1 Team Red Jaguars Blue Barracudas Green Monkeys Orange Iguanas Purple Parrots Silver Snakes Moat Wins 33 30 24 21 21 31 Moat Losses 7 10 16 19 19 9 Steps of Knowledge Wins 18 16 9 9 9 19 Steps of Knowledge Losses 15 14 15 12 12 12 Temple Game Wins 30 26 16 19 14 36 Temple Game Losses 24 22 11 8 13 21 Pendants Earned 21 16.5 10 13 9 25 Tiebreakers Wins/Losses 1-3 2-0 0 0 0-1 2-1 Went to the Temple 10 7 4 6 2 11 Wins 2 3 2 0 0 5 Losses 8 4 2 6 2 6 Temple Guards Encountered 20 14 9 13 4 24



Team Statistics - Season 2 Team Red Jaguars Blue Barracudas Green Monkeys Orange Iguanas Purple Parrots Silver Snakes Moat Wins 27 25 33 21 25 29 Moat Losses 13 15 7 19 15 11 Steps of Knowledge Wins 10 14 14 15 17 10 Steps of Knowledge Losses 17 11 19 6 8 19 Temple Game Wins 16 25 20 31 32 14 Temple Game Losses 14 17 22 14 19 16 Pendants Earned 12 15 13 21 21 9.5 Tiebreakers Wins/Losses 2-1 2-0 2-1 3-2 0-5 1-1 Went to the Temple 6 7 5 10 7 5 Wins 0 2 2 3 2 1 Losses 6 5 3 7 5 4 Temple Guards Encountered 16 16 8 22 16 11



Team Statistics - Season 3 Team Red Jaguars Blue Barracudas Green Monkeys Orange Iguanas Purple Parrots Silver Snakes Moat Wins 30 21 31 26 24 28 Moat Losses 10 19 9 14 16 12 Steps of Knowledge Wins 12 7 25 13 12 11 Steps of Knowledge Losses 18 14 6 13 12 17 Temple Game Wins 19 18 48 25 14 18 Temple Game Losses 17 3 27 14 22 15 Pendants Earned 13 12.5 33 17 9.5 10 Tiebreakers Wins/Losses 0-2 0-1 3-2 3-1 1-2 2-1 Went to the Temple 4 5 15 9 2 5 Wins 2 0 4 1 1 2 Losses 2 5 11 8 1 3 Temple Guards Encountered 8 13 34 18 5 8







Team Statistics - Total Team Red Jaguars Blue Barracudas Green Monkeys Orange Iguanas Purple Parrots Silver Snakes Moat Wins 90 76 88 68 70 88 Moat Losses 30 44 32 52 50 32 Steps of Knowledge Wins 40 37 48 37 38 40 Steps of Knowledge Losses 50 39 40 31 32 48 Temple Game Wins 65 69 84 75 60 68 Temple Game Losses 55 42 60 36 54 52 Pendants Earned 46 44.5 56 51 39.5 45 Tiebreaker Wins/Losses 3-5 2-1 5-3 6-3 1-7 5-3 Went to the Temple 20 19 24 25 11 21 Wins 4 5 8 4 3 8 Losses 16 14 16 21 8 13 Temple Guards Encountered 44 43 51 59 25 43

Trivia

Behind the Scenes

The show was taped in Soundstage 18 of Nickelodeon Studios at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. This soundstage is immediately stage-right of the classic "Nickelodeon" building shown at the conclusion of each episode.

The hours of taping each day ranged from around 7:00 a.m. to midnight, although those times altered between taping days.

Some of the show's Temple Runs in Season 3 were taped without an audience. This was because usually six episodes were taped a day, and all segments were done at once. That is, all moat rounds were taped, then all Steps of Knowledge rounds, then all Temple Games, then all Temple Runs. Players usually waited two hours between taping a round for their episode. The reason for no audiences, however, was because the Universal Theme Park (where the show was taped) had closed, and the audience members had been sent home.

Other than in Season 3, other Legends episodes have been recorded without an audience. Two known episodes that had a Temple Run without an audience are "The Milk Bucket of Freydís" and "Galileo's Cannonball."

episodes have been recorded without an audience. Two known episodes that had a Temple Run without an audience are "The Milk Bucket of Freydís" and "Galileo's Cannonball." Dee Bradley Baker, voice of Olmec, was also the announcer for the show.

Teams

The Green Monkeys and the Silver Snakes share the record for most temple completions over the show's three seasons, both managing eight. Yet, out of the number of times going into the Temple, the Green Monkeys had a slightly better percentage (24-21). However, the Silver Snakes had the fastest contestants on the show.

In a points system orchestrated by a fan, an entrance to the temple was worth one point, and a temple victory was worth three points. The Green Monkeys were first with 48 points; the Silver Snakes were second with 45 points; the Orange Iguanas were third with 37 points; the Blue Barracudas were fourth with 34 points; the Red Jaguars were fifth with 32 points. Last place belongs to the Purple Parrots with 20 points.

In Season One, the contestants wore colored T-shirts tucked into khaki shorts for all rounds except the Temple Run, where they changed into T-shirts tucked into yellow sweatpants. In Seasons Two and Three, the contestants wore colored T-shirts with khaki shorts for the moat crossing and Steps of Knowledge but changed into blue jeans for the Temple Games and Temple Run. Also, the helmet color changed from yellow to gold.

Temple Rooms

The first season's temple featured nine different layouts, as rooms changed almost each day of taping; the second season's temple featured five different layouts. Only Season Three's temple never changed layouts.

The only room in the temple that was featured in all 120 episodes was the Shrine of the Silver Monkey.

There were over 45 different rooms that were featured across the show's 120-episode span.

Not all actuators in the temple, when hit, would open doors. As temple layouts changed, many were removed from the temple or made completely inactive. This is made obvious with the corner doors between the Swamp area and the Ancient Warriors area (the areas directly right of the Shrine of the Silver Monkey and Tomb of the Ancient Kings/Dark Forest); despite their actuators being completely inactive for most of the series (and left with no way to traverse through them, besides), they were still opened with the other doors after a team grabbed the day's artifact.

The only two episodes where the stone wall connecting the two south-westernmost rooms could not be broken were "The Keys to the Alhambra" (Episode 8) and "The Imperial Purple Robe of Empress Theodora" (Episode 49).

One room, The King's Storeroom, was featured at two different locations in the series. In Season Two, it was located above the Swamp/Jester's Court. In Season Three, it was moved to the Observatory.

Temple Runs

Miscellaneous information

Legends was the third-longest running Nickelodeon game show in terms of episodes produced. Only Double Dare and GUTS surpassed it (by considerable margins).

was the third-longest running Nickelodeon game show in terms of episodes produced. Only and surpassed it (by considerable margins). The only regular Nickelodeon network in the world that has Legends in its regular rotation is the Japanese version of Nick.

in its regular rotation is the Japanese version of Nick. Despite being labeled as "the dreaded temple guards", occasionally the guards assisted the teams during the temple runs, such as in "Galileo's Cannonball".