Dave's Totally Rad 45th: Rewind Trivia Night 📼🎮
Host intro (read aloud)
"Welcome, everybody! Put on your scrunchies, pop your collars, and blow the dust out of your cartridges, because tonight we're rewinding to the 80s and 90s for Dave's 45th. There are five rounds of cartoons, sitcoms, video games, blockbusters, and mall-rat memories, so grab your team and get ready. Your teammates are the only phone-a-friend you get. Let's party like it's 1999!"
Assumptions
- Decades: An even 80s/90s split (25 questions each), with each question labeled. Pop culture is US-focused, with a few Midwest nods.
- Format: About 90 minutes. Five rounds of 10 questions, a ranking bonus, and 3 tiebreakers. There are 5 teams of about 4 people each.
- Difficulty: 40% Easy, 40% Medium, 20% Hard, so the trivia nerds and casual players both get their moments.
- Topics: Five rounds cover your six favorites. One-hit wonders and mall fads share Round 5.
- Avoided: No sports, no politics, and nothing that needs audio or images.
- Grading: Teams swap sheets and grade each other while you read the answers. That way you only need one answer sheet per team.
Run of Show
| Segment | Minutes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome & house rules | 5 | Read the intro, form 5 teams, hand out answer sheets and pens |
| Round 1: Cartoon Cereal Bowl | 12 | About 1 minute per question, then swap and grade |
| Round 2: Must-See Sitcoms | 12 | Read the answers and fun facts, then update the scoreboard |
| Scoring break | 5 | Refill snacks and announce the standings |
| Round 3: Press Start | 12 | |
| Round 4: Blockbuster Night | 12 | |
| Scoring break | 5 | Standings, plus a "Happy Birthday, Dave" moment if you like |
| Round 5: Mixtapes & Mall Rats | 12 | |
| Bonus: Rewind the Box Office | 6 | Teams rank 6 movies by release year |
| Final tally & tiebreakers | 4 | Use tiebreakers only if needed |
| Winner announcement | 5 | Crown the champs, then cake! |
| Total | 90 |
House Rules
- No phones. Phones stay face-down. Getting caught Googling costs your team 2 points.
- Teams: 5 teams of about 4. Pick one scribe per team, and they write the team name on the sheet.
- Answers: Write them on the team sheet. Once the host starts reading the answers, pens go down.
- Scoring: Each correct answer is worth 1 point. On "Name the Year" questions, the exact year gets 1 point and being off by one year gets ½ point. The bonus is worth up to 8 points.
- Close enough counts: Last names, small misspellings, and clear nicknames are fine if the host knows what you meant. Any alternate answers listed in the key count too.
- Disputes: The host decides, and the host's ruling is final. Birthday boy Dave gets one "Dave Veto" all night, which the host may honor or override for laughs.
- Ties: Closest-number tiebreakers settle a tie for first place.
The Rounds
Round 1: Cartoon Cereal Bowl 🥣
Saturday-morning (and after-school) cartoons, served with a sugar rush.
- (80s) What is the name of the evil wizard who's always trying to catch the Smurfs?
- (90s) Finish the title: "Tiny Toon ___"
- (80s) Multiple choice: Which Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle wears the orange mask? A) Leonardo B) Donatello C) Michelangelo D) Raphael
- (90s) On "Animaniacs," the Warner siblings are Yakko, Wakko, and ___?
- (80s) Which came first: "The Smurfs" cartoon or "Muppet Babies"?
- (90s) On "Rugrats," what is the name of Tommy Pickles' bossy older cousin?
- (90s) Who am I? (read all clues, then teams answer)
- I live in the town of Bluffington.
- I write all my adventures in a journal.
- My dog is named Porkchop.
- I have a huge crush on Patti Mayonnaise.
- (80s) On "Inspector Gadget," what is the name of Gadget's clever niece?
- (80s) On "ThunderCats," what is the name of the sword Lion-O carries?
- (90s) Name the year: "Batman: The Animated Series" premiered on Fox.
Round 2: Must-See Sitcoms 📺
Laugh tracks, catchphrases, and living-room couches.
- (80s) On "Cheers," what is the name of the bartender and bar owner played by Ted Danson?
- (90s) Finish the title: "The Fresh Prince of ___"
- (90s) Multiple choice: On "Friends," what is the name of the gang's coffee shop? A) Central Perk B) Monk's Café C) The Max D) Java Joe's
- (80s) Which famous twin sisters shared the role of baby Michelle Tanner on "Full House"?
- (80s) On "Family Ties," what was the name of Michael J. Fox's character?
- (90s) On "Home Improvement," what is the name of Tim Taylor's TV show-within-the-show?
- (80s) Which came first: "Who's the Boss?" or "Growing Pains"?
- (90s) Who am I?
- I'm a teacher at John Adams High.
- I have a famous mentor-and-student bond with Cory Matthews.
- I live right next door to the Matthews family.
- Kids often yell my last name over my backyard fence.
- (90s) On "Seinfeld," what is Kramer's first name?
- (80s) Name the year: "The Simpsons" debuted as its own half-hour series.
Round 3: Press Start 🕹️
Nintendo, arcades, and hours spent in front of the TV.
- (80s) In the original "Donkey Kong" arcade game, what does Donkey Kong throw at the player?
- (80s) Multiple choice: In "The Legend of Zelda," what is the name of the hero you play as? A) Zelda B) Link C) Ganon D) Epona
- (90s) Finish the title: The famously gory fighting game "Mortal ___"
- (80s) Which falling-blocks puzzle game came packed with the original Game Boy in North America?
- (90s) Which came first in the US: "GoldenEye 007" for Nintendo 64, or "Pokémon Red and Blue" for Game Boy?
- (80s) What was the name of the orange-and-gray light gun used to play "Duck Hunt" on the NES?
- (90s) In "Super Mario Bros. 3," which power-up gives Mario a raccoon tail so he can fly? 8