A*mazing

A*mazing

Company type	Television program
Industry	Children's television, Game show
Founded	May 16, 1994 (1994-05-16)
Defunct	1998 (1998)
Headquarters	Brisbane (1994–1996), Perth (1997–1998) , Australia
Key people	James Sherry (host)
Products	Children's game show
Parent	Seven Network

A*mazing was an Australian children's television game show broadcast on the Seven Network from 16 May 1994 until 1998. The program was distinguished by its extensive and intricate maze/obstacle course set within the studio. Throughout its entire broadcast period, the show was hosted by James Sherry. Production took place at Channel 7 studios in Brisbane from 1994 to 1996, then shifted to Perth for the 1997 and 1998 seasons.

Format

The competition involved teams representing two different primary schools competing over the course of a week. Points accumulated by participants determined which school emerged victorious. Each episode included two rounds of the game "Timezone," each followed by a maze challenge, and concluded with a "computer challenge" segment featuring a video game.

Timezone

During Timezone, a 90-second timer starts as Sherry gives clues to one school's contestants to guess a word or phrase. Once correctly identified, they rush to a large floor-mounted QWERTY keyboard to spell it out. The other school then repeats this process. If the initial guess is incorrect, the clues become progressively simpler until Sherry spells out the answer. The remaining time after guessing influences both the points awarded and the amount of time allocated for the subsequent maze run.

Maze Run

Following Timezone, a single contestant from each school navigates the maze to collect letters corresponding to the answer hidden throughout various locations. Each letter gathered is worth ten points. Some letters serve as distractions and do not contribute to the score if collected.

Computer Challenge

After completing two maze runs, contestants face off in a video game challenge using Nintendo consoles sponsored by the company: initially on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (1994–1996), then on the Nintendo 64 (1997–1998). Featured games included Tetris, Donkey Kong Country, Super Mario World, Mario Kart 64, among others.

The team that wins this round receives 50 points, while the runners-up earn 25 points; in case of a tie, both teams are awarded 25 points each. Originally, winners obtained 100 points and runners-up 50.

Bonus Round

The team with the highest total score after three rounds returns for a final maze run lasting 90 seconds (extended to 120 seconds in later seasons) to collect keys. One player selects which side of the maze they will explore first; only after exiting can their teammate enter and explore the opposite side. There are seven keys concealed throughout, each valued at 100 points, including a special bonus key that grants each player an original Game Boy, later replaced by a Game Boy Pocket. Only once did contestants manage to find all seven keys within the time allowed.

If teams are tied after round three, a sudden-death question decides which team proceeds to search for keys.

At the conclusion of the week, the school accumulating the highest overall points wins a grand prize, usually consisting of educational software or encyclopedias. Additional rewards included tickets to Gold Coast’s Wet'n'Wild water park.

The Maze

The following tables present an overview of the maze layouts per season, indicating features on both left and right sides from start to finish.

Season 1

Left side	Right side
Ball pit	Steps
Mirrored doors	Pots
Toy shop	Curved red pipe
Pipe (Pirates Cove)	Stairs
Desert	Snowstorm
Ladder	Padded stairs
Bamboo walk	Penguins
Yellow slide	Ice slide
Second ball pit	Foam pit

Season 2

Left side	Right side
Aquarium	Steps
Mirrored doors	Pots
Toy shop	Curved red pipe
Pipe to Pirates Cove	Thunderbox
Desert	Firefighter's grove
Ladder	Car
Jungle walk	Padded stairs
Yellow slide	Penguins
Ball pit	Ice slide
End	Pit
	Wheelie bins

Season 3

Left side	Right side
Swiss cheese	Pet shop
Mirrored doors	Padded stairs
Laboratory	Castle platform / Zig Zag Run
Revolving pipe	Firefighter's pole
Pirates cove	Dungeon
Desert	Car
Ladder	Luggage
Bamboo walk	Toilets
Donkey Kongs	End
Slide
Ball pit

• Certain maze components remained consistent through all seasons, such as mirrored doors, pipe, pirate's cove, desert area, bamboo walk, yellow slide, and padded stairs.
• Host James Sherry entered the maze during gameplay only once in series two to retrieve keys caught in a fish net following a contestant’s attempt.
• A frequently overlooked bonus key was located inside the car.
• The briefest maze run lasted merely five seconds after a team took 85 seconds to answer and type "Todd Woodbridge," resulting in minimal points due to an incorrect letter selection.
• Towards later seasons, elements from Seven Network's Time Masters were incorporated into the maze design, including a modified Zig-Zag Run dubbed "The Wobbly Planks" and a revolving pipe called "The Groove Tube."
• The jungle obstacle introduced in the final season featured the Three Wise Monkeys, drawing inspiration from Donkey Kong.
• Peter Taylor was notable as the first contestant awarded the grand prize Game Boy.
• Early episodes contained a smoke-filled pit on the left path filled with ping-pong balls; this section was removed after two episodes due to safety concerns.