RARE: "The Mad Dash" Pilot Hosted by Creator Sidney M. Cohen!

The first on-camera test of "The Mad Dash" wasn't hosted by Pierre Lalonde, but creator Sidney M. Cohen! Scroll down for the full story of this never-before-seen pilot episode.
Learn more about Canadian game shows: canadasgameshow...
** Back in the late 70s, Sidney M. Cohen created “The Mad Dash”, a new Game show which went on to have a successful run on TV through the mid 80's. It all started with a pilot - or demonstration show he produced as a sales tool for the concept.
Since there was little money to initially fund the project, he put together a make-shift set, filled the audience with relatives and friends and decided to host the show himself.
Once he received approval from the network to produce the series, Cohen made a number of rule changes and significant set modifications - and found a great host in Pierre Lalonde.
The original demo tape has degraded a bit, but he's had requests to post the original pilot, so here it is, we hope you enjoy it. **
“The Mad Dash” was a proudly Canadian show that brought a board game to life and half a million viewers to their TV sets every day.
Created by Montreal-born Sidney M. Cohen, the show featured a giant snakes and ladders type game board with Canadian-themed questions the audience could easily relate to.
“We didn’t disguise (this show),” says Cohen. “We were just Canadian, I didn’t care. And it didn’t hurt us one bit.”
Hosted by Pierre Lalonde, “The Mad Dash” began airing on CTV in 1978, picking up huge ratings across Canada and parts of the U.S. Its premise was simple: teams of two would face off against each other with one member as the “dasher” on the giant board and the other as the “roller” answering questions at a podium.
If the “roller” answered the question correctly, they would roll a giant dice to see how many spaces their partner would move. The spaces included everything from cash and prizes to challenges like blowing up balloons or darts. And just like a real game board, there were also spaces that would force players to go forward, go back or lose a turn.
The first “dasher” to get to the “Win” space at the end took home the cash and prizes with their partner.
“People mocked the show because it was so simple and cheesy. That’s exactly what I wanted to do,” says Cohen. “I wanted a show that everybody could play (and) everybody could laugh at the answers when they were incorrect.”
Despite its popularity, “The Mad Dash” was cancelled in 1981. It was revived years later in Poland with the new name “Duety Do Mety.”
The show featured a modernized game board and set, a kangaroo mascot and much bigger prizes like a car. Cohen went to Poland to help get the show off the ground and couldn’t believe how much it had evolved.
“I walked into the studio and was amazed to see my show in a foreign land. It was really incredible.”

[@GameShowManOne]

It's cheap. It's cheesy. It's Canadian as heck. IT'S GLORIOUS AND I WANT MORE. Bless you Sidney Cohen...and bless you, Canada's Game Shows producers!

[@zachhoran]

Maybe they could do what ABC does and bring it back on Sunday nights in Canada.

[@retroDave80]

That was 29 minutes and 16 seconds of pure Canadian awesomeness. Thanks for posting! (Love the contestant checking his fingernails during the second round. Classic!)

[@lilachesniak9687]

Looked like he wasn't interested in being there. ( fingernail guy)

[@nathanroberson8206]

I think it should be on US television. It looks like fun!

[@elliebellie7816]

Time to wake up from your coma, dear.

[@rickrhinoc9373]

THIS IS AWESOME! I'm definitely seeing a REBOOT of this show and using today's computer technology to make a virtual game board and set. The production costs can be made very cheap IMHO.

[@bluebear1985]

When this show was discussed in the documentary bit, they showed how the show's format was adapted for Poland in the late 90s. It shows Sidney Cohen visiting their set to make sure they did everything right. A couple of episodes of "Duety do Mety" are on KZbin I think.

[@bluebear1985]

This wasn't too bad for a pilot, but I can see why they made a few of the changes they did before the show made it to air. Switching some of the spaces around was a good idea so the game wouldn't be stretched out too long.

[@KiddBloo86]

I wish I could come across a clean copy of the theme song!

[@ChuckD79]

It's "Intercity", by Werner Drexler...there's definitely a clean copy available as an MP3 download somewhere, and it may or may not be on YT as well.

[@jimlange944]

LOVE IT!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!! Question though. Is the theme available at all? I would love to hear the clean version of the theme!

[@ChuckD79]

It's "Intercity" by Werner Drexler...might be available for download somewhere online.

[@kingporter67]

This was from 1978, it is a very rare game show, however, it is a great game show!

[@Mishi45]

Thank you so much Sidney and Canada's Game Shows!

[@TheRecordSaver]

@17:59, 'one' groove is incorrect.. the right answer is TWO- one on each side.

[@KiddBloo86]

I forgot about that! 🤦‍♂️🤣

[@denislafontaine9820]

Right! Question should have been, _How many groves are there on one side of a record."

[@Netstryke]

Dare I say it.....Reboot?!

[@OnScreenThatStudios]

I think this pilot of this game show was taped in early 1978.

[@armorybrunotjr.3204]

This series looks like a reincarnated version of "Video Village" (1960-62).

[@rodney1279TheFlip]

Great video!

[@mg2779]

Filmed at none other than CFCF-12 when they were at 405 Ogilvy Ave.

[@stephaniestavropoulos1639]

This opening {the looks of it,} reminds me of another game show.I want to say it was the version of Beat the Clock hosted by Gene Wood.

[@bluebear1985]

It's a possibility, considering the early 70s version of Beat the Clock was also taped in Montreal, maybe in the same studio.

[@KiddBloo86]

1979 Monty Hall version

[@dannydougin3925]

Was this on long? I can't see it being on air long at all! But Brad is handsome at least.

[@marcpower4167]

Ran for 3 years. 390 episodes. It was actually very popular despite the shoestring budget.

[@LeotheTiger1234]

What's the name of the theme song? I'd love to have it in my playlist of tunes.

[@bryanlaw9262]

I’m part of a game show forum called Net Game Central where I started hosting my own version. I even installed a bonus round to it. You’re all welcome to come see it.

[@gilwood7530]

This guy is very JOHN BELUSHI !!! NUBAR ??? He acts like he couldn't give a damn

[@jsmith5212]

I like how american game shows where giving away trips or thousand of dollars as opening prizes in the 70 while this show grand prize was 100 bucks

[@someguy23475]

Canada has a tenth of the population of the US. Even today, their budgets are not even close to their US counterparts. Still, they came up with some great games, this being one of them.

[@markschildberg1667]

It’s not the prizes that make a game show great. It’s the game.

[@AllRequired]

Well, why not?

[@jordanmajmudar331]

Tell me if I am talking out of my hat. He wasn't a bad host....does it seem he has a Pierre Lalonde feel?

[@someguy23475]

You could tell Cohen preferred producing. He’s robotic as a host, and obviously hosting the test show to save money (don’t blame him). Pierre Lalonde was perfect- a lighthearted host for a lighthearted game.

[@marcpower4167]

@@someguy23475 Sidney has said the pilot was produced on a shoestring, a lot of cardboard set pieces, the audience was filled with friends and family and yes he hosted himself because he couldn't afford to hire a host.

[@setheriah]

What happened to the premiere where they got back to start like 3 times..

[@Uzumakipavel]

0:11 so what's that chaos on intro means and was it recorded for intro only?

[@cornwalldragon4617]

Just for the intro only.

[@PieFights]

@@cornwalldragon4617 I never really understood the intro anyways

[@01chippe]

How could this be the pilot episode when the host mentioned the first couple were returning champs and won cash and prizes on previous shows?

[@gamblincabbie9505]

Cause it was made up to show who the pilot would be pitched to pick up the show how contestants, champions etc would be handled by the show.

[@TrainmasterCurt]

Why was this cancelled?

[@elliebellie7816]

You really have to ask that question?

[@denislafontaine9820]

If this was the Pilot, how is it that there are returning champions (the couple on the left) who are congratulated early on about their previous winnings? Still, it was great fun to watch. I used to attend tapings of several game shows at CFCF-12's studio at 405 Ogilvy Avenue.

[@semplenyc]

typically shows have multiple episodes that are pilots.

[@marcpower4167]

It's a common practice, pilots do this to show potential stations that there will be returning champions.

[@elliebellie7816]

I have the same question....

[@blues713317]

How is this a pilot when it features a returning team?! lol

[@williambone5678]

This show looks fun, but why are the prizes so damn cheap?

[@gamblincabbie9505]

Cause it's a Canadian show for Canadian airing only.

[@MikeElmore]

WOW that toupee!

[@tedrowland8672]

GO DONNA!!

[@Ryanmo97]

Is it just me or does Sydney look a little like Brett Butt?