Jackpot (game show)

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Jackpot was a television game show seen on NBC in the 1970s and the USA Network in the 1980s. The NBC version aired from January 7, 1974 until September 26, 1975, and was hosted by Geoff Edwards. A second version, produced in Canada, aired beginning in 1985 on the USA Network and was hosted by Mike Darrow. That version ended in 1989, and a third version debuted the following September in syndication, again hosted by Edwards and produced in Glendale, California. That version lasted one year, having been cancelled when its distributor went bankrupt; Bob Stewart Productions, the packager, could not find another syndicator to keep the series going. Edwards, who was also hosting Chain Reaction in Canada at the time, became the third emcee to simultaneously host a game show on both sides of the U.S./Canada border, while he handled the latter version of Jackpot! (joining Alex Trebek and Jim Perry on the list).

Jackpot! was a Bob Stewart production and was originally produced at the NBC Studios in New York City with legendary NBC voiceover man Don Pardo as the announcer. It succeeded another game show on NBC's daytime schedule, The Who, What or Where Game, hosted by Art James.

Contents 1 Gameplay 2 The Three Versions 2.1 1970s NBC Version 2.1.1 Second Format 2.2 1980s USA Version 2.3 1989 Syndicated Version 2.3.1 Special Riddles 3 More Special Riddles 4 1977 Pilot (The Riddlers) 5 1984 Pilot 6 Additional Notes 7 Home version of the show 8 Episode Status 9 External links

[edit] Gameplay

Sixteen contestants competed for one whole week, with one designated King of the Hill (Queen of the Hill for female contestants), who stood at a circular podium on the right-hand part of the stage. The other fifteen contestants were seated in three-tiered bleachers numbered 1 through 15; each had a special wallet containing a riddle and a varying cash amount. The King/Queen of the Hill selected a number, and the contestant with that number asked a riddle to this player. If answered correctly, the King of the Hill continued picking numbers; if answered incorrectly, the two contestants switched places, with the contestant who stumped him/her becoming the new King/Queen Of The Hill.

The value of the riddle increased the value of the Jackpot. If the King/Queen of the Hill selected the contestant holding the Jackpot Riddle (one per game) and answered it correctly, these two contestants split the Jackpot. If the last three digits of the Jackpot amount matched a pre-selected target number, the King/Queen of the Hill may have a chance to win a "Super Jackpot" by correctly solving a Super Jackpot Riddle, which the host asked. Either the King/Queen of the Hill or the bleacher contestant who asked the question that brought the Jackpot amount to the target number could respond. If either of them answered correctly, both split a four-to-five digit payoff.

[edit] The Three Versions

Although played the same way, each version was different in its own right.

[edit] 1970s NBC Version

• In this version the King of the Hill is called the "Expert".
• The riddles ranged in value from $5 to $200. (Multiples of $5)
• The Target number could go no higher than $995. A number from 5 to 50 was chosen at random and was multiplied with the target number to make the Super Jackpot (Ex: $500 X 30 = $15,000); if the target number hit $995 and the multiplier read "50", the Super Jackpot was automatically set at $50,000; Bob Stewart Productions simply threw in the extra $250.
• The Super Jackpot could be played for one of three ways:

1. In the earliest episodes, if a player won a Jackpot whose last three digits matched the target number, the players (whoever asked the Jackpot riddle and whoever answered it) split the Super Jackpot; in later episodes, if a player answered a riddle correctly when the last three digits matched the target number, the host would ask a riddle, and if it was answered correctly, the two players split the Super Jackpot. Note that in the NBC version, only the "Expert" could try to answer the Super Jackpot riddle.

2. Choosing the player that has the Super Jackpot Riddle.

3. Choosing the player that has the Super Jackpot Wildcard.

There were two other changes made when the Super Jackpot rule changed. Originally, the player who answered the most riddles in the week won a car; this was dropped, and instead a car was given to anyone who answered all 15 riddles in the same game. Also, after a weeklong experiment around Valentine's Day in 1974 (when it was called "The Valentine Riddle"), most games had a "Double Bonus" riddle which, if answered correctly, won the two players involved a trip, usually to somewhere in Mexico or the Caribbean. Also, the randomness of the target number changed; each number from 5 to 50 had an equal chance, except that 15 and 20 were twice as likely as the others.

[edit] Second Format

For the last 13 weeks, the format was altered with these changes:

• The Target number was dropped, and the Super Jackpot was established at random; it could be worth anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000.
• Riddles were dropped in favor of straight general-knowledge questions.
• When the Jackpot question was found, the Expert could either try to answer it, or go for the Super Jackpot by answering all remaining questions in the game, including the Jackpot question. If the player missed the Super Jackpot question, the Jackpot was wiped out, so it was hard to build a Jackpot. If, however, the Jackpot question was the last one found, the Super Jackpot was discarded.

[edit] 1980s USA Version

• The riddles and the Target number returned, but there was no multiplier; the Super Jackpot was created at random. The target number (as in the original) was notified by the last three digits of the current Jackpot total. Super jackpots ranged from $2,000-$9,950.
• The Jackpot started at $100.
• Riddles were valued anywhere from $50 to $300.
• If the Jackpot riddle was found and attempted, the King of the Hill and the person with the Jackpot riddle had to trade places regardless if the riddle was answered correctly or incorrectly.
• If the Jackpot riddle was not found until the last player, an extra $1,000 was added to the Jackpot.
• In the second season, there was a "$10,000 Riddler Contest" in which the player who answered the most riddles correctly over a period of ten weeks won a bonus of $10,000.
• In the final season of the Darrow version, there was a special riddle called "The $50,000 Riddle". These riddles were much harder than the ones usually asked, and all players who correctly answered them split $50,000. Three players shared the $50,000 prize. On one of the weeks episodes during that season only 1 contestant solved the $50,000 riddle correctly and walked away with the money all by themselves.
• Starting in season two, any player who ran the table (answered all fifteen riddles without a miss) won a new car.

[edit] 1989 Syndicated Version

• In this version, the value of the riddle could only be added to the Jackpot if the riddle was answered correctly.
• If the King of the Hill "ran the table" (answered all fifteen riddles without a miss), $1,000 was added to the Jackpot.
• Super Jackpots ranged on this version from $10,000 to $25,000.
• Riddles ranged from $100-200.

[edit] Special Riddles

• One special riddle was a "Double Dollars" riddle; as the name implied, a correct answer to one of these riddles doubled the amount in the Jackpot at that time.
• There was also an "Instant Target Match" riddle; if this riddle was answered correctly, the Jackpot would be automatically increased to match the Target amount, thus giving the King/Queen of the Hill a chance to answer the Super Jackpot Riddle.

[edit] More Special Riddles

These appear in more than one version:

• Bonus Prize Riddles (all three versions) - A correct answer won the King or Queen of the Hill a prize.
• Return Trip (USA and Syndicated versions) - Correctly answering this riddle resulted in that player being allowed to compete in an extra week of shows.

[edit] 1977 Pilot (The Riddlers)

Two years after Jackpot! ended, Bob Stewart produced a pilot involving riddles called The Riddlers with David Letterman as host. The basic format for The Riddlers had five civilian contestants who shared a common occupation compete against five celebrities for an entire week. Letterman would read the first riddle of the day to the team who lost the previous game (or if it was the first show of the week, the civilians). A correct answer allows the first player on that team to ask a riddle to the next person and then on down the line and back. If a mistake is made, control goes to the other team and the process is repeated. The first team to get to nine points wins the game, $500, and a chance for an additional $2,000. In the end game, the winning team has to answer increasingly difficult riddles for $100, $200, $300, $400, and $1,000 respectively. Game Show Network aired this unsold pilot on October 28, 2000. An unusual footnote to this pilot is that it was taped at NBC's studios in Burbank, California. After The $50,000 Pyramid ended in 1981, Bob Stewart began working out of California full-time.

[edit] 1984 Pilot

In 1984, an unsold pilot was produced for CBS, with Nipsey Russell as host. In this version, the Jackpot started at $150, and that amount was added to the Jackpot for every correct answer to each riddle. There was no Super Jackpot in this version. If the King of the Hill found the Jackpot riddle last, an additional $5,000 was added to the Jackpot. The winning players (the King of the Hill and the player who posed the Jackpot riddle) played a bonus round called "Riddle-Grams", which was played like Bob Stewart's short-lived 1977 game show Shoot For The Stars (both the show and pilot bonus would later become the 1986 short-lived Bob Stewart produced game show Double Talk). The winning players had 60 seconds to solve seven word puzzles known as "riddle-grams" (ex.: "Freezing Dollars", which would be a "riddle-gram" for "Cold Cash"). Each correct answer was worth $100, and successfully solving all seven split $5,000 between the two winners ($2,500 per player). This pilot episode was the only attempt to add a bonus round to the show's format.

The theme music used on the 1984 pilot was "Spring Rain" by Silvetti Ripple.

[edit] Additional Notes

Perhaps the first version of the show became most noteworthy for the casual style of dress worn by both contestants and host Edwards, who frequently decked himself in leisure suits, turtleneck sweaters, and open-collared shirts. All of these were promiment men's fashions at the time; Edwards' clothing choices represented a radical departure from the typical attire of male television hosts, who almost always wore business suits previously. NBC daytime programming head Lin Bolen also had several other hosts, such as Bill Cullen and Dennis James, try out the casual look during that time period. Other hosts who would follow this trend, on and off, over the years include Jim Perry in Canada (hosting Definition) and Chuck Woolery.

Geoff Edwards commuted to New York to tape 10 episodes of Jackpot! every two weeks on a Friday and/or a Saturday, then return to Los Angeles to host his regular morning show on KMPC AM-710 as well as working on Treasure Hunt. In a 2006 interview, Edwards would sleep often while in flight between L.A. and New York.

Contestants also were more likely than not to embrace each other (regardless of gender) after winning, instead of the customary handshake on other shows. NBC and executive producer Stewart also encouraged studio audience members to scream and applaud in a louder-than-normal fashion. These touches helped market the program to a demographic of younger women and teenagers.

The first theme to the 1974-75 show was titled "Jet Set" by Mike Vickers. This is stock music from KPM records. It was later replaced by another Vickers entry, "Gathering Crowds". Since 1977, both pieces have been used for the baseball highlights show This Week in Baseball. "Jet Set" (first the original recording, then later reworkings) has been the opening theme, and the original recording of "Gathering Crowds" has been the closing theme. The theme used for the 80s versions was composed by Bob Stewart composer Bob Colbert. It was originally used on the game show Shoot for the Stars.

Jackpot! achieved some moderate success in the early months of its run. However, it premiered at 12:00 Noon, where the venerable Jeopardy! had run for nearly a decade, and some longtime fans of the older show decried NBC's relocation of their favorite program. Some of those viewers began defecting to a relatively new soap opera on CBS, The Young and the Restless, which became a strong ratings sensation in part because of this rescheduling. Although Jackpot! had a good lead-in with Hollywood Squares and faced ABC's Password during its period of ratings slippage and eventually fatal move to an all-celebrity format, it never attained anything like the audience share Jeopardy! enjoyed. By early 1975, NBC and packager Bob Stewart began adjusting the game (see above for Format #2 on the 1970s version); however, on July 7 the network moved the show down a half-hour to 12:30 P.M., and shaved five minutes off the end of the show in order to accommodate a five-minute newscast anchored by Edwin Newman. Not surprisingly, against CBS' Search for Tomorrow and ABC's All My Children, the show would raise the white flag in September. Three for the Money, a Stefan Hatos-Monty Hall-produced game hosted by sportscaster Dick Enberg, replaced it and ran for just two months.

The 1989 version was cancelled because the syndicated company which produced the show went bankrupt.

[edit] Home version of the show

Milton Bradley made only one edition of the NBC version in 1974; However, the company created two covers for the game: one with just the logo, and one with a contestant on the cover. Other than that, the game is the same.

[edit] Episode Status

• NBC Version - every episode but two was destroyed by the network, according to host Geoff Edwards.
• USA and Syndicated versions - All episodes exist and have been aired on GSN.

[edit] External links

• Geoff Edwards Fan Page (includes Jackpot pages)
• Chuck Donegan's Jackpot page
• Tammy Warner's Jackpot page
• David's 70s Jackpot page
• Rules for Jackpot
• Another Jackpot Rules Page