Download (game show)
| Company type | Television program |
|---|---|
| Industry | Children's television game show |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Defunct | 2002 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Australia |
Download was an Australian children's television game show broadcast on the Nine Network between 2000 and 2002. The program was originally hosted by Scott McRae during its first two seasons (2000–2001). Nathan Lloyd assumed hosting duties for the third season (2001–2002), followed by Emily Jade O'Keefe in the fourth season of 2002, who co-hosted alongside Miss Bytes.
Format
The competition involved four participants engaging in a tournament format centered around word puzzles.
Initial rounds (Small Screen Game)
Each of these rounds featured two contestants. A coin toss winner selected one category from options such as Screen Dreams, Planet Earth, Sounds, True Blue, Techno, and Sweating It Out. The puzzle’s initial letter was revealed automatically. Players answered trivia questions pertaining to the chosen category; each correct response contained a letter from the puzzle. Successfully buzzing in with a right answer earned one point and revealed that letter within the puzzle. Completing the puzzle granted an additional four points and removed that category from further play. No points were given for incorrect answers or unsuccessful puzzle attempts. The first contestant to accumulate ten points or leading when time ran out moved on to the third round, while the other received consolation rewards. This segment was conducted twice per episode.
Third round (Big Screen Game)
At this stage, the two remaining contestants started with zero points and competed by unscrambling a word or phrase using up to five clues. Points were allocated depending on how quickly the correct solution was provided, beginning at five points and decreasing by one for each extra clue needed. If neither player solved the puzzle after all five clues were given, no points were awarded.
Following this phase, a 60-second lightning round took place where point values doubled—up to ten points per correct answer. The contestant with the highest total score proceeded to the bonus round. In the event of a tie, a sudden-death puzzle decided the winner: correctly buzzing in secured victory, while an incorrect or absent response resulted in the opponent winning.
The most substantial winning margin recorded was 90 points (94–4), achieved in October 2002 by 11-year-old Kavel Gounden representing Kenmore South State School.
Final round
The champion of the game then competed for bonus prizes. Initially, players chose a category before this segment; however, this step was eliminated in later seasons. The final round involved solving a four-line puzzle where contestants randomly selected nine letters placed into their correct slots. They were then given 40 seconds to solve all four puzzles, each accompanied by a single clue. Prizes were awarded for every correctly solved puzzle, provided the contestant identified either the line number or letter before answering. Only one puzzle could be attempted at a time; players could pass and return if time permitted. Successfully completing all four puzzles resulted in winning all prizes; otherwise, contestants kept any prizes earned during the round.