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1
The Price is Right

CBS

The Price Is Right has long been a staple of daytime and nighttime television. It has seen five incarnations: the 1956-1965 daytime version hosted by Bill Cullen on NBC and ABC, the 1972-1980 nighttime version hosted by Dennis James and Bob Barker, the 1985 nighttime version hosted by Tom Kennedy, the 1994-1995 nighttime version hosted by Doug Davidson, and the current daytime version hosted by Barker and Drew Carey. This guide covers the current daytime version. The object of The Price Is Right is to correctly guess the retail prices of items, without going over, to either win the items themselves or other prizes. At the beginning of each show, the announcer calls out the names of four contestants, imploring each to "come on down!" A prize is announced for which each contestant (one at a time) makes a bid (called the One Bid). After the host announces the actual retail price, the contestant who bid closest without going over is invited on stage to play a pricing game for a larger prize. If a contestant's bid is exactly correct, he/she wins a $500 bonus (on the Armed Forces and $1,000,000 Spectacular Specials, the bonus for an exact bid is $1000). Frequently, during Barker's tenure as host, an animal would be brought out on stage by one of the models during the One Bid prize plugs. Barker would then comment that the pet was available for adoption at an area animal shelter. He also encouraged viewers to visit their local humane society. Pricing game prizes often include cars, trips, rooms of furniture, cash, and various other items. Furs were also given away during the early years, but this practice was dropped per Barker's wishes due to his involvement with animal-rights issues. The episodes that offer furs as prizes will likely never be seen again as Barker continues to fight against their re-airing. There were over 100 total individual pricing games with 72 in the current rotation. Some games involved pricing grocery or small, everyday items. Others involved chance, deduction, skill and/or patience. Many games quickly became very popular. Contestants chomp at the bit to play such entries as Plinko, Ten Chances, Cliff Hangers, Any Number, Grocery Game, Range Game, Race Game, and many others. While each of the pricing games uses only one player, there was one game (known by fans as Bullseye 2) which used two players. This game, which was retired during the first season, had the players alternating bids on a car or boat, and the first to guess the price exactly won. The second contestant was determined by immediately playing another One Bid. Some pricing games have been retired. The reasons include frequent mechanical malfunctions, complicated rules, low odds of winning, and negative responses from viewers. Pictures, audio files, and videos of most of the retired pricing games can be seen on various fan pages on the World Wide Web. After each pricing game is played (except for the final game of the day), one more contestant is called from the audience to "come on down," and another One Bid item is shown for another chance to play a pricing game. Until the fourth season, the two contestants with the highest winnings after all three pricing games had been played went to the Showcase round. Two showcases (prize packages worth several thousand dollars) are shown, one at a time. After the first showcase is revealed, the top winning contestant has the choice to bid on the showcase or pass it to his/her opponent and force him/her to bid. The contestant coming closest to the actual retail price of his/her own showcase without going over wins their showcase. Originally, the contestant could win only his/her showcase. Early in the show's run, a stipulation was added stating that if a contestant's bid came within $100 of his/her showcase's actual retail price, they'd win everything in both showcases. In 1998, the stipulation was modified, and, now, winning contestants who are $250 or less away from the actual retail price of their showcase win both showcases. For the week of November 3-7, 1975 the show expanded from 30 to 60 minutes, following a successful week of experimental hour-long shows the week of September 8-12. A new round called the Showcase Showdown was added. After three contestants have played their pricing games, each has the chance to spin a large wheel called "The Big Wheel." The order of spinning is determined by each contestant's winnings with the player having won the least going first and the player having won the most going last. The Big Wheel contains 20 spaces with numbers in increments of five cents (not in order). Each contestant gets up to two spins in an attempt to get as close to $1.00 without going over. If he/she does not have $1.00 after the first spin, the contestant can choose to spin again to get closer to $1.00 or stop at their current score with the hope that the other contestants will either score lower or go over $1.00. Getting $1.00 exactly earns the contestant a $1000 bonus. Going over $1.00 automatically disqualifies the contestant from going any further. A one-spin spin-off is held if there is a tie between two or all three contestants. If the first two contestants go over $1.00, the third player automatically advances to the Showcase but is still entitled to one spin. After the first Showcase Showdown of each show, three more pricing games are played, followed by the second Showcase Showdown. When the Showcase Showdown was first introduced, during the experimental hour-long week, the wheel spun sideways, and there was no $1000 bonus. When the hour-long show became permanent on November 3, 1975, the $1000 bonus was added, and the current wheel debuted. Beginning in June, 1978, contestants scoring $1.00 were now allowed to spin again in an attempt to win an additional $5000 for hitting one of the green sections above or below the $1.00 space (five and 15 cents) or $10,000 for hitting the $1.00 space. During the prime time specials that first aired in 2002, contestants that hit $1.00 during the bonus spin win $100,000. During the $1,000,000 Spectacular specials airing in 2003, this bonus was increased to one million dollars. The winners of each Showcase Showdown (two per show) advance to the Showcase round. Numerous other changes have taken place through the years, and several prime time specials have aired. The Price Is Right's 5000th episode aired in March, 1998 at which time the studio at CBS's Television City where the show is shot was renamed the Bob Barker Studio. Also, the set and some of the pricing game boards went through numerous minor changes due to inflation or to give it a modern look. The bloopers that have occurred on The Price is Right are among the most celebrated in television history. In early 1976, a woman called to Contestant's Row was in the ladies' room. Her husband had to leave the studio to tell her she'd been called. At the beginning of an episode early in the sixth season, a woman's tube top slipped down as she was running toward Contestant's Row. Also during that season, a woman fainted when she learned she won her showcase ($11,000 in prizes). Other bloopers include cars with malfunctioning brakes and other prizes which give way at the wrong time. Usually, one of the models is often a victim of these unfortunate mishaps (such as Janice Pennington and Rachel Reynolds hitting the wall with the car they are revealing for the Lucky $even pricing game). Many pricing games have malfunctioned at one time or another. Many contestants spinning the Big Wheel spin it so hard that they fall to the floor. There have been a fair share of contestants who claim to or actually don't understand how to play a given game. The most notable is the Check Game (where the contestant writes in an amount that when added to the actual retail price of a prize must total between $5000 and $6000. In addition, one game was victimized by a cheater on the April 4, 2005 playing of Flip Flop (where a contestant is presented a string of two sets of two numbers, representing an incorrect price, and must correct one or both sets to win a prize). The contestant, after receiving input from the audience, pressed the reveal button without making any changes. Barker awarded the contestant the prize anyway, although many fans believe the player should have been disqualified. Some contestants eventually became celebrities - Vanna White in particular. She was called to "come on down" in June, 1980, but did not get out of Contestant's Row. Other future stars include Rick Schroeder and Linda Cardellini. Main Title Theme Song "The Price Is Right Theme" by Edd Kalehoff CBS Broadcast History September 4, 1972 - March 23, 1973 .... Monday - Friday at 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM March 26, 1973 - August 15, 1975 .... Monday - Friday at 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM August 15, 1975 - November 28, 1975 .... Monday - Friday at 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM November 3, 1975 - March 25, 1977 .... Monday - Friday at 10:00 AM 11:00 AM March 28, 1977 - November 4, 1977 .... Monday - Friday at 10:30AM - 11:30 AM November 7, 1977 - December 16, 1977 .... Monday - Friday at 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM December 19, 1977 - April 20, 1979 .... Monday - Friday at 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM April 23, 1979 -present .... Monday - Friday at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Emmy Awards Nominations Outstanding Host in a Game Show or Audience Participation Show 1975 - Bob Barker Outstanding Game Show Host 1979 - Bob Barker 1982 - Bob Barker (winner) 1985 - Bob Barker 1986 - Bob Barker 1987 - Bob Barker (winner) 1990 - Bob Barker (winner) 1991 - Bob Barker (winner) 1992 - Bob Barker (winner) 1993 - Bob Barker 1994 - Bob Barker (winner) 1995 - Bob Barker (winner) 1996 - Bob Barker (winner) 2000 - Bob Barker (winner) 2002 - Bob Barker (winner) 2003 - Bob Barker 2004 - Bob Barker (winner) 2005 - Bob Barker 2007 - Bob Barker (winner) Outstanding Game Show Host/Hostess 1984 - Bob Barker (winner) 1988 - Bob Barker (winner) Outstanding Game Show 1976 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 (winner) 1989 1990 1992 1993 1994 1995 Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show 2002 2003 2004 (winner) 2005 2007 (winner) 2008 Outstanding Technical Direction/Camera/Video for a Miniseries or a Special 1997 - The Price Is Right 25th Anniversary Primetime Specialmoreless
2
Wheel of Fortune

Wheel of Fortune is in its 26th season (2008-2009 Season) with Pat Sajak & Vanna White. Wheel debuted in 1982.Wheel of Fortune has been renewed through the 2011-2012 season.

One of the most successful game shows in history, Wheel of Fortune actually is a version of the children's game Hangman (with a large carnival wheel and prizes added). The game show, which did modestly well in the 1970s, became a worldwide phenomenon in the 1980s through syndication and made household names out of its hosts, Pat Sajak and Vanna White. Simply put, the Wheel has never stopped spinning since its premiere as an NBC daytime show that winter day in January 1975. (Ironically, the series replaced Jeopardy!, which later in 1984 when it returned, became its current companion in syndication.)

The rules of the game Three contestants -- at various times during the run, including a returning champion -- compete. The host announces a category to a mystery puzzle (person, place, thing, phrase, quotation, event, landmark, occupation, etc.). The puzzle was originally contained on a three-tier, 36-space board (in 1981, changed to a four-tier, 52-space board; and in 1997, an all-electronic four-tier, 52-space board).

The contestant selected to go first (by blind draw before the show) spin a large horizontally-situated carnival wheel containing dollar amounts and other spaces (including Bankrupt, Lose a Turn and Free Spin). If the contestant landed on a dollar amount, he/she could guess a letter thought to be in the puzzle; if it appeared, they received the cash multiplied by the number of times it appears in the puzzle (ergo, if the player guessed "T" after landing on $250, and "T" appeared twice, they received $500). An incorrect guess or landing on a penalty space (Bankrupt or Lose a Turn) caused control of the wheel to pass to the next contestant.

At any point, the contestant in control of the wheel could spin again, ask to buy a vowel (at which point $250 was deducted from their score, and only if they had at least $250) or attempt to solve the puzzle; very early in the show's run, a player had to land on a Buy a Vowel space in order to buy a vowel, but this idea was scrapped before Wheel completed its first month on the air. The Bankrupt space caused the player to lose his accumulated winnings for that round (though all previous winnings were considered safe -- hence, "Once you buy a prize, it's yours to keep").

If the player correctly guessed the puzzle's solution, he/she got to keep their accumulated winnings. Any contestant solving the puzzle and not having at least $100 (later $200 and still later, $500) was spotted that amount "on the house." Early rounds typically had lower dollar values on the wheel ($500 as a top space on round 1 early in the run/Bob Goen version, later that was changed to $750), but increased in subsequent rounds ($1,000 and $2,000 for the later rounds, to increase the excitement; $1,250 when Bob Goen hosted).

Originally, the winnings were used to "go shopping" (i.e., purchase prizes) in one of the three revolving rooms on the set -- each containing: * Furniture -- enough to fill any room in the house, from the living room and dining room to bedroom or game room. * Appliances -- large and small, enough to make that dream kitchen or efficient laundry room. * Things for outside -- everything from swimming pools and patio furniture to barbecues, lawn games and garden equipment. * Clothing -- for every occasion. * Trips -- to any place imaginable, domestic or foreign. And don't forget the luggage and camera outfits. * Electronics -- TVs, stereos and much more! The show was among the first to offer early versions of VCRs (c. 1976), home video game units (c. 1978, Atari) and satellite dishes (late-1970s). * Gift Certificates -- everywhere to restaurants (Bonanza, Dairy Queen), clothing outlets (Casual Corner) and any other store (Western Auto). * Food -- from steaks from the Iowa Beef Council and chocolates to items from the Dessert of the Month Club. * Overall comfort and fun -- from a central air conditioning system and pinball machines to hot tubs and pizza parties. * Miscellaneous items -- everything from magazine subscriptions and collections of LPs from a record label to those famous ceramnic dalmations. and MUCH more.

There were other announced prizes, usually worth much more than in the revolving rooms. While some prizes offered during the early years were no doubt unusual (such as rare antiques and African masks), the favorite prize, of course, were the cars. In the daytime show, there were two or three available, usually, a sports model (such as a Chevrolet Camaro) and an economy model (a Chevrolet Monza), but there were also more upmarket family cars (the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme) and exotic foreign cars (a Lancia Beta coupe).

Other top-ticket items proving popular were: * Other forms of transportation -- everything from boats, motorcycles and camping trailers. There was even, at one time, a 4-seat airplane and a motorhome available! * Furs -- before the animal rights groups got their way. * Jewelry -- everything from rings, necklaces, pearls, earrings, watches and much more!

Starting in 1987 (primetime) and 1989 (daytime), the winner of a round received his accumulated bank in cash (thanks to beefs from contestants who had to pay steep taxes and preferred cash). During the shopping era, a contestant could elect to place any unused cash "on account" (which they could claim only upon winning a subsequent round AND avoiding the bankrupt space in the meantime); otherwise, unused winnings were placed on a gift certificate (usually to Gucci, Dicker and Dicker of Beverly Hills or another luxury shop seen on Rodeo Drive).

If time ran short (signified by a series of "dings"), a "speed up" round was played, wherein the host gave the wheel one final spin, with vowels worth nothing and all consonants worth whatever the host landed on. The top-winning contestant after so many rounds completed within each show was the day's champion. In case of a tie, one of several things happened, depending on the year:

* At first, all three players returned on the next show (even the third-place player). Everyone kept what they won on all shows. * Later, the two (or possibly all three) tied players played a one-round speedround to determine the champion. This format was used once the permanent bonus round was started.

End Game - The Bonus Round At first, there was no bonus round, the top winner simply returned. Starting in 1981, the champion advanced to a bonus round, where they could select a prize (always worth $1,000 or more and signified with a gold star (or announced in some other way)) and, after choosing five consonants and one vowel, had 15 seconds to solve the puzzle.

Prior to the bonus round becoming a permanent part of the game, there were several special weeks where bonus rounds were played. Games included (but not limited to):

* 1975 hour-long format Bonus Round - Played during Wheel's short-lived 60-minute format, the day's overall winner selected one of four puzzles (labeled easy, medium, difficult and hard); the level of difficulty determined the prize (e.g., an easy puzzle may have been worth a TV-stereo console, while the difficult puzzle may have won the player a new Cadillac). The player then chose four consonants and a vowel and tried to solve the puzzle within 15 seconds. This is very similar to the current bonus round, except the level of difficulty did not necessarily correspond with the prize's value.

* Any Prize in the House - The top winner simply chose a prize and they got it.

* Star Bonus - By landing on a special token on the wheel, a contestant had the opportunity to advance to a special bonus round if they were one of the runners-up. That player could become champion by solving a puzzle and winning a prize that was worth more than the amount of the first-place player's lead. As with the 60-minute format's bonus round, the prize's value corresponded with the difficulty of the puzzle.

This short-lived format wasn't always played, however, since the Star Bonus token sometimes wasn't landed on the entire show; the token could serve as insurance for a dominating player who wins the game (and possibly purchases the most-expensive prize, thereby making it unavailable for the opponents); or the expensive prize's value was not worth enough to cover the difference between the champion's winnings and his/her opponents.

The rules of other games varied, but usually, the show had a bigger prize budget than during regular weeks.

Changes through the years Many changes were made through the years, some very successful (luxury prizes in the syndicated version; $25,000 cash top bonus round prize), while others weren't (e.g., a "Doubler" token, which allowed contestants to double the potential value of the next spin; Rolf Benirschke as host of the daytime show; the infamous Megaword category, where a contestant had to correctly use the revealed word in a coherent sentence for an extra $500). Some of the more successful changes are detailed below.

* For the syndicated version, decidedly luxury prizes were often advertised ("This $41,000 customized Cadillac Seville! "A $60,000 log cabin!" "A $25,000 trip around the world!"); plus a silver $5,000 space on the wheel's third round (replacing the $2,000 daytime show top space, though early syndicated shows had both the $2,000 and $5,000 spaces). Also, a bonus prize space was added in the second round of the syndicated show (and in 1987, a different bonus to the fourth round).

* Meanwhile, in the daytime show, a "Jackpot" bonus space was added to the second round in 1987; it based at $1,000 and grew by $1,000 per show until claimed.

* With the syndicated show's change to an all-cash format in 1987, the bonus round changed to having four (or sometimes, as many as six) grand prizes and $25,000 cash available as prizes. Originally meant to be a month-long promotion (the "Big Bonanza of Cash" before reverting to the tried-and-true post-puzzle shopping), this well-received format allowed more rounds – save for celebrity week gabfests, always at least four – to be played. Originally, the top wheel values were set thusly:

- Round 1: $1,000. - Round 2: $2,500 (plus a bonus prize). - Round 3: $3,500. - Round 4-on: $5,000 (plus a bonus prize for Round 4 only, if time permits; sometimes, the bonus was used in Round 3 instead).

This has since been changed, with the current setup as follows:

- Round 1: $2,500, plus an $1,000 online shopping spree card that is placed on the wheel for the rest of the show a la the Free Spin, and may be picked up if a letter is correctly guessed. - Round 2: $3,500, plus a bonus prize, which remains on the wheel until a contestant picks it up. Until 2002, additional bonus prizes were placed on the wheel in subsequent rounds. – Round 3: $3,500, plus the Mystery Round spaces. - Round 4-on: $5,000, including the speed round.

* During the 1988-1989 season, the contestant was given the six most popular letters -- R, S, T, L, N and E, and asked to select three more consonants and one vowel; the bonus round time limit was then shortened to 10 seconds.

* Starting in 1989 (since $25,000 cash was far and away the most popular prize choice), the five grand prizes were placed in a blind draw, and could only be won once per week.

* In 1996, the "returning champions" idea was scrapped, with a "Friday Finals" format instituted. Three new contestants appeared Monday through Thursday, with the week's top winners returning on Friday (regardless if they were their show's top winner) to play for a jackpot prize package. The latter format lasted only a couple of seasons before it, too, was scuttled.

* In the 1990s, a Surprise space was added to the wheel, which was simply a prize that was announced only if won (usually a trip); this space has since been scrapped.

* In the mid-1990s, a Jackpot round (third round initially, later the second round) allowed a contestant to claim an accumulating jackpot -- which based at $5,000 and accumulated with each dollar space landed on -- if they landed on a Jackpot space, correctly guessed a letter and solved the puzzle all in the same turn.

* A few years after the jackpot round, a $10,000 space added to the wheel. The space was not multipliable; rather, it simply added $10,000 to the contestant's winnings if they solved the puzzle and avoided bankrupt. The space took up the center third of a standard wheel space, with two bankrupt spaces taking up the remainder (to add to the suspense). If the $10,000 part of the space was landed on and the contestant guessed correctly, it was placed face down in front of the contestant to read $10,000 (unlike the standard prize space, which was left face up).

* "Toss Up" puzzles -- to determine who started the game -- were added prior to the first and fourth rounds, starting in the 2000-2001 season, each worth $1,000; a year later, two "Toss Up" puzzles were played, once before the contestant introductions and the second (now worth $2,000) to determine first round wheel control, with the pre-fourth round "Toss Up" now worth $3,000. If a contestant made an incorrect guess, he/she was out of the remainder of the puzzle; if all the letters were filled in or everyone guessed wrong, nobody won anything and wheel control began either with the left-most contestant or wherever it left off before.

* During the 2000-2001 season, the "speed up" round was changed, wherein $1,000 was added to whatever dollar amount Sajak landed on. There was some cool music added, too.

* Changes to the Bonus Round in October 2001. The contestant spun a mini- wheel containing 25 envelopes; Sajak removed the envelope; and win or lose, revealed the prize contained within (a car, $25,000 cash or a new top prize of $100,000; the top prize was contained in just one of the envelopes). In 2002-2003, more money amounts (one each of amounts between $30,000 and $50,000, each in $5,000 increments) were thrown into the mix. There have been at least five $100,000 winners and several others who have not been quite as fortunate.

* Starting in 2002-2003, contestants who won nothing during the front game were given $500 just for playing (in addition to those lovely parting gifts).

* A new Mystery space, added in the 2002-2003 season. Played in Round 3, two such spaces were placed on the wheel, with a $500 dollar value. Contestants landing on this space guessed a letter could either spin again or risk their accumulated bank, not knowing what's on the other side of the Mystery card. It could be Bankrupt or a new car (on occasion, it could be another prize, such as a $10,000 shopping spree). If it was a car, the contestant had to solve the puzzle and avoid the Bankrupt spaces to claim the car. The other Mystery space was then put out of play, becoming a regular $500 space. In September 2004, the values of the Mystery spaces dooubled to $1,000.

• A prize puzzle, added in the 2003-2004 season. One puzzle on each show (usually the second or third round) had some connection to a prize the contestant would win for solving the puzzle. For example, a contestant solving the puzzle "Check Your Local Listings" could win a plasma wall-screen television. The set underwent some revisions, too.

Chuck and Susan and Pat and Vanna When the show started in 1975, Chuck Woolery was the host. For a brief time in the fall of 1979, Alex Trebek served as substitute host when Woolery took a leave of absence. In 1981, Woolery left for good when he was denied a pay raise (he wanted $500,000 per year, more than Merv Griffin was willing to offer. Chuck left, and Pat Sajak replaced him. Most of the Chuck Woolery episodes are hard to find, due to NBC's practice of destroying tapes from old shows. On the daytime version, ex-football star Benirschke on January 10, 1989, but he didn't work out too well. When the show moved from NBC to CBS, 6 months later, Bob Goen became the host, and was the host for two years (the show moved back to NBC in 1991 for 9 months). Pat Sajak still hosts the nighttime syndicated version.

Susan Stafford was the original "letter turner." She was replaced by Summer Bartholemew on October 22, 1982, then Vicky McCarty three weeks later. (None of the Summer Bartholemew episodes exist due to NBC's practice of destroying tapes of old shows.) On December 13, 1982, McCarty left, and Vanna White became the new permanent hostess (BTW -- Vanna's first letter turned was a "T," in the puzzle "General Hospital"). As most game show fans know, this is not Vanna's first appearance on a game show. In June 1980, 2 1/2 years before her first appearance on Wheel of Fortune, America's favorite hostess was a contestant on The Price is Right in 1980, but she never left contestant's row (BTW – as a recurring joke, TPiR former icon/host Bob Barker always wondered aloud whatever became of her).

Originally, Vanna rarely spoke on-camera (though she occasionally engaged in small talk with Pat at the end of the show); back then, Sajak would be introduced and then he would introduce Vanna, who always showed off a different dress or outfit (and for the record, no, she did NOT get to keep her clothes, which always come from the most glamorous of shops). However, as Vanna gained acclaim with the viewing audience, she talked more and more. Today, both Pat and Vanna walk out together and they always conversate after each program. Vanna often does the car prize descriptions prior to each bonus round.

Charlie O'Donnell as the original announcer when Wheel of Fortune began. He left in 1982, and Jack Clark (who had earlier announced on occasion) took over full-time. Clark died of cancer in 1988 (Sajak offered a tribute to the long-time announcer in the 1988-1989 syndicated season premiere), and after a five-month stint by M.G. Kelly, O'Donnell returned, his trademark phrasing "WH-EEEEEEE-L OF FORTUNE" and "25 THOOOOOOOOOUSAND DOLLARS" intact.

Retrospectives and going on the road Several tributes to the series have been shown through the years, most commonly as part of daytime talk shows and occasional bloopers specials. During its syndicated run, Wheel of Fortune has aired two retrospectives of its own - the first in November 1998, to mark its 3,000th show; and again in November 2003, when its 4,000th show aired, as part of a series of shows taped in New York.

Speaking of which, Wheel of Fortune has gone "on the road" all over the country to tape shows. Among the first aired in November 1988, when the show taped from New York's Radio City Music Hall (legendary NBC announcer Don Pardo did voiceovers). Other cities have included (but are not limited to) Chicago, Nashville, Phoenix and Honolulu; and many of those episodes were part of special theme weeks (such as Best Friends Week) or have paired contestants with celebrities from a particular genre (e.g., NFL football players, country music stars).

From Hangman to Wheel and everything in between The idea for the game show that eventually became Wheel of Fortune grew from a game known as Shopper's Bazaar. Two such pilots were produced – one in 1973 with Woolery as host, the other (from 1974) helmed by Edd Byrnes (best known as "Kookie" from the 1958-1964 detective drama, 77 Sunset Strip). The rules for the earlier pilot, hosted by Woolery, was quite different from the game we all came to know and love (e.g., a self-spinning wheel and the host pressing a button at the contestant's direction; prize money carried over to subsequent rounds and always "at risk;" etc.).

The later pilot, hosted by Byrnes and a more talkative Stafford, was similar to what viewers first saw in 1975. When Merv Griffin Enterprises made their final plans to enter production in late 1974, a host had yet to be chosen. The story goes that Griffin's decision was made when he saw the producer's first choice, Byrnes, in the hallways prior to the taping of the first shows, repeating "A-E-I-O-U, A-E-I-O-U;" in an attempt to recall the vowels.

It's the 60-minute Wh-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-l of Fortune In December 1975, a month after The Price is Right became a one-hour show, NBC experimented with an hour-long version of Wheel of Fortune.

The game played thusly: Two sets of three contestants compete in three-round games each, as usual, with the returning champion playing in the second set of games. The top money winners of each three-round match met in a one-puzzle showdown for the right to advance to the bonus round (described above).

The hour-long Wheel of Fortune lasted but a month, and returned to the 30-minute game we all came to love by the end of January 1976. BTW, several other NBC game show hits, including The Hollywood Squares, also briefly expanded to 60 minutes as part of the networks' promotion.

Syndication Wheel of Fortune's phenomenal run in syndication almost never happened. As early as the fall of 1975, there was interest in producing a weekly nighttime show, but few syndicators were wanting to try and even fewer stations willing to buy, particularly because there were other powerhouse game shows airing (either Match Game PM or Family Feud, depending on the year) that were seen as insurmountable in the ratings.

In 1983, King World Productions – a small-time distributor that had edited Our Gang shorts for television airing – took a chance on the show ... and it paid off royally! Airing on just 59 stations when the premiere aired Sept. 19, 1983, Wheel of Fortune (often pitted against latter-day Dawson's Family Feud) quickly soared in the ratings and within two years, was airing on nearly 200 stations and began its (thus far) permanent reign as the nation's top syndicated program. Jeopardy! rates second, with Friends reruns currently the shows' closest competitor.

Wheel across the world (and (yuck) a kid's version, too) As Wheel of Fortune grew in popularity during the mid-1980s, countries all over the world began staging their own versions; each had their own "Pat and Vanna," and minor rules changes. Clips of these international versions are seen from time to time on the U.S. version.

Also, a children's version of the program under the name Wheel 2000 also aired on CBS during the 1997-1998 season (with many modifications, see page for details).

Merchandising Merchandise ... thy name is Wheel of Fortune. Even in the mid-1970s, there were two editions of the home game issued by Milton Bradley (complete with wheel, puzzle board and prize cards).

But that was just the beginning, as by the mid-1980s, there were T-shirts, key chains, calendars and even an album of prize cue music featured on the show. Vanna merchandise also appeared, including her biography "Vanna Speaks."

Home video games - from electronic hand-held units to cartridges and CD-ROMs for units that connect to TV - have also been highly popular (and have seen, in addition to subsequent editions with more puzzles and categories, special editions for children and sports fans).

And through it all, one thing has not changed -- a vowel still costs you $250 (except during the Bob Goen network era/1989-91 CBS and 1991 NBC, when those A's, E's, I's, O's and U's cost just $100).moreless
3
Soul Train

(ended 2006)

It's the SOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUL TRAIN!

Pop music has always had shows like American Bandstand to sing its praises, but R&B music had to wait a while for its own major weekly showcase. Just the same, Soul Train proved to be well worth the wait when it hit the airwaves in the 1970s. This weekly extravaganza, which showed off the latest and greatest in soul music and dance moves, became a national sensation in the mid-1970s and became a pop culture juggernaut that broke new ground for African-American entertainment.

Soul Train was the brainchild of radio announcer Don Cornelius. After studying broadcasting in college, Cornelius got a job at WVON, one of Chicago's most popular urban radio stations. During this time, he pondered breaking into television with a dance and music show from an African-American perspective. In 1969, he produced a pilot episode and dubbed it "Soul Train" after a local radio promotion he had done in Chicago. The pilot impressed the Sears Roebuck Company, which gave Cornelius some funding in exchange for the rights to use Soul Train to promote a line of record players. With this help, Cornelius launched Soul Train on WCIU-TV, a Chicago UHF station. It premiered on August 17, 1970 as a weekday series airing from 4:30-5:30pm. Cornelius himself hosted the dance-stravaganza, which took place on a club-set. The show featured performances by soul music acts, appearances by guest hosts, and scorching dance numbers from the Soul Train Gang. Local word-of-mouth made Soul Train a big hit in Chicago, which won it another sponsor in The Johnson Products Company, makers of Afro-Sheen.

Soul Train's relationship with The Johnson Products Company also helped it make the move from local television to syndication. With this company's financial backing, Cornelius moved the show to Hollywood and got it into television syndication in the fall of 1971. Only seven cities were on the initial lineup, but the Soul Train quickly picked up steam and began playing in new cities as its reputation spread. Pretty soon, people all over the country were enjoying the funky thrills that only Soul Train could provide. By the mid-1970s, Soul Train was a force to be reckoned with. Each week, the latest hits and coolest dances were served up in a slick package that had kids of all ages and races dancing around the TV-room floor. Cornelius cut a stylish, unflappably cool figure as the host, making him an often-imitated icon in the entertainment community. Music groups clamored for an appearance on Soul Train, since it was practically a free ticket to r&b (and often pop) chart success. Today, many critics fondly remember Soul Train as the television show that did the most to bring African-American popular culture into American households.

As the 1980's began, Soul Train was as popular as ever. Tribune Entertainment, a Chicago-based company, became the exclusive distributor of the show and helped launch The Soul Train Music Awards. This yearly awards gala has become one of the most popular and respected awards ceremonies for r&b musicians and now enjoys "institution" status in the music world. The success of this awards show has also led to other popular Soul Train spin-off specials like The Soul Train Lady Of Soul Annual Awards Special and The Soul Train Christmas Starfest.

In the 1990s, Don Cornelius stepped down as Soul Train host and passed the role to others. Guest hosts were used from 1993-97 (seasons 23 through 26). Mystro Clark became host in 1997. Following him, was Shemar Moore who hosted seasons 29 through 32. Dorian Gregory is the current Soul Train host. Cornelius remains active as an executive producer for the show, which shows no signs of slowing down. With r&b music more popular than ever in the mainstream, viewers everywhere continue to shake their groove thing to the churning wheels of the Soul Train.

Soul Train continued with new episodes through the 2005-06 season. The final, first-run episode aired on March 25, 2006. The 2006-07 season began with repeats from 2005-06. As of December 9, 2006, the series has been retitled The Best of Soul Train and features c episodes from the 1970s and 1980s. 1970's & early 1980's Soul Train airdates On this guide, we've listed the earliest known airdates for episodes 1 - 163. The original Los Angeles airdates are listed for episodes 164 - 366 (Dec. 27, 1975 - June 20, 1981). In the 1970s through the early '80s, the episode airdates varied from city to city. Instead of using communications satellites, tapes of the episodes were mailed directly to individual TV stations. And once a station aired an episode, the tape would then be forwarded to a station in another city. (This practice, called "bicycling," was common with most 1970s first-run syndicated shows.) Sometime in the early 1980s, Tribune Entertainment began using satellites to distribute Soul Train resulting in standard airdates across the country.

Find at what television station and time the train pulls up to your TV: http://tv.tribune.com/showfinder/search/1,1001,soultrain,FF.html

Contributors to this guide include: --Nick Puzo (Nickfresh) - editor of the Soul Train Yahoo Group --Jabar Robbins (Calatine9) --Robert Spiegel --Edward Loney ("ehloney")moreless
4
The Dating Game

ABC (ended 2000)

THE DATING GAME was and still is by all accounts, the premiere game show for singles. It was the forerunner for many imitators such as "Love Connection", MTV's "Singled Out" and numerous others. But they all have the same influence: Chuck Barris, the creator of the one that started it all! "THE DATING GAME" first premiered on December 20-24, 1965 on abc-TV and remained a fixture on the network in both daytime and nighttime incarnations through the rest of the 1960s and well into the 1970s. Jim Lange, fresh from his announcing duties with Tennessee Ernie Ford stepped through the flower-speckled rotating partitions for the first of many, many times shortly before Christmas 1965. The game play was simple. On one side you had 3 bachelors answering questions from a girl on the other side of the partition (each not being able to see the other). The girl was given a certain amount of time to ask as many questions as she could to the 3 bachelors. More often than not the questions would be of a quirky nature. (E.G.: "If we were marooned on a desert island, what would be the first thing you'd do and why?"). During a commercial break, the girl would think about which bachelor she'd select. When the show returned, Jim would have her announce her choice. After meeting the 2 boys she didn't select, she's meet her date at which point Jim would tell them where they were going for their dream date. On less frequent occasions, the roles were reversed. To wit, the game would feature a boy selecting 1 from the 3 Bachelorettes. The show became an enormous hit with young viewers. (In fact, in light of its success, Baskin-Robbins named an ice cream flavor in honor of the show.) And over the years, the show featured many stars of the day (Burt Reynolds, Paul Petersen and even Dick Clark showed up) as well as newcomers who would in later years become big stars in their own right (John Ritter, Teri Garr, Tom Selleck and Farrah Fawcett were among these.) The show left abc-TV on July 2-6, 1973, but stayed in syndication for another year (1973-1974) before leaving the airwaves altogether. Creator Chuck Barris brought the show back again 4 years later with Lange as host from 1978 to 1980. Along with an updated version of "The Newlywed Game" and 2 new shows, ("The Gong Show" and "The $1.98 Beauty Show") "The Dating Game" returned to syndicated in 1978, only this time with a more adult-oriented borderline dialogue format--perhaps in an effort to recapture the same audience that had grown up watching THE DATING GAME in the 1960s. The newer version- along with Jim Lange's gaudy red tuxedo- lasted for 2 years until local stations finally got tired of the protesting phone calls. Once again, the show featured both present-day and future stars such as Jaye P. Morgan, Bob Saget and Murray "The Unknown Comic" Langston. THE DATING GAME was all but forgotten until the mid-80s, when Barris decided to do it yet again. An all new 80s update of "The Dating Game (The All-New DATING GAME)" premiered on syndicated on September 8-12, 1986, but this time the hosting duties were handled by Elaine Joyce (Lange was busy at the time hosting "The $1,000,000 Chance Of A Lifetime"). This version lasted for three years with Joyce hosting the 1st season and Jeff McGregor hosting the last 2 Seasons and again as in the previous 2 incarnations, the show featured present and future stars. (Among the future stars was Oscar-winning actor Cuba Gooding, Jr.!) The Program Demised on September 8, 1989. Now... as for the NINETIES update? Well... I don't know terribly much about it except for the following: By the time the 90s rolled around, Chuck Barris sold the rights to all his shows to Columbia-Tristar Television. A newer, corporate-whitewashed version of the DATING GAME was released on September 9-13, 1996 and packaged with another updated version of "The Newlywed Game", this time with Chuck ("Love Connection") Woolery (1st Host is Whose Line is it Anyway (US) Brad Sherwood for the 1st Season for the difference) and outside of the quizzer and the respective suitors & suitorettes not being able to see one another, the rules were almost completely overhauled and all ended the show on September 15, 2000. But if you're a game show retrophile like me, you would have to agree that there's just no Dating Game without Jim Lange with or without the awful tux. And now you don't have to suffer from Lange withdrawal because Game Show Network has some episodes to show you... And HEEEEEEEE-RE THEY ARRRRRRRR-RE! Now you can see the classic Jim Lange episodes of the original DATING GAME on The Game Show Network- in particular, the ones that featured present-day and future superstars. You can see them Saturday and Sunday nights at 11:30pm on GSN. Enjoy them if you can... and if you can't stay up that late, TAPE THEM... LIKE ME!! (Dates with celebrities are always subject to their availability.) THE BROADCAST HISTORY of THE DATING GAME: December 20, 1965-March 31, 1967 at 11:30am-12Noon on ABC-TV April 3, 1967-July 12, 1968 at 4:00-4:30pm on ABC-TV July 15, 1968-July 6, 1973 at 2:30-3:00pm on ABC-TV. On 1st Run Syndicated from September 10, 1973-September 15, 2000.moreless
5
Match Game '73

CBS (ended 1979)

This is the classic version of the ultimate classic game show that most people came to know and love. Originally intended to be simply an expanded CBS-TV remake of the popular 1962-1969 NBC-TV game show called The Star-Studded Big Money Match Game 73 (and it's annual updates) soon grew into a bonafide, no-holds-barred comedy fest, full of innuendos, double-entendres, pouting celebrities and much more debuts including one as the show's return on June 25-29, 1973 on CBS-TV. Host Gene Rayburn played straight man to the antics of the 6-star panel but frequently aided the fun. The game itself was straightforward. 2 contestants that's including a returning champion are competed. The challenger chose 1 of the questions (marked "A" & "B") in 2 rounds (marked "1" & "2") for which Rayburn read the question. While the questions were rather pedestrian early in the run (e.g., "Name a foreign car"), the questions quickly grew wild and wacky. Frequently, the questions involved a recurring list of characters such as Dumb Donald, Weird Willie and Old Man Periwinkle (the latter brilliantly portrayed by Rayburn); celebrities, politicians and news events of the time were also the butt of many of the questions. For example: "Wendy the waitress really likes it if you give her good tips. Give her a $10 bill, she'll put a sliced cherry in your drink. Don't tip her and she'll put in a _____." It was that blank that the six(6) celebrities separately wrote in on index cards. The contestant then was asked for his/her answer. One by one, Rayburn – who frequently critiqued the contestant's answer (he or she might say "cherry bomb" or "cyanide," which would be the definitive answer, while "dirt" would be a rotten answer) – then the audience critized each celebrity for his or her answer. The player scored 1 point for every match. Two rounds were player with the challenger going 1st in the second round of questions (or the champion if the challenger matched all 6 stars); celebrities who matched a player in the first round didn't participate in the second-round question for that contestant. The player in the lead after two rounds wins the game and $100 and played the Big Money Super Match. A tie-breaker round was played if necessary with gameplay like as before. If the tie wasn't broken after two(2) tie-breaker rounds, then a sudden-death fill-in-the-blank tiebreaker was played. A fill-in-the-blank phrase (e.g., _____ Bunny) was shown; each player wrote their response and the celebrities were polled from the audience for their answers. The first to match won the game. In the highly unlikely event that both players provided the same answer or there still was not a match, then (after a typical Rayburn comment like, "Gee, we're really doing well, aren't we?") the sudden-death tie-breaker was played again until there was a match. The sudden-death format was used right away for ties in the weekly syndicated Match Game PM (because of time constraints) that started in the 1975-1976 season only regulars Richard Dawson, Brett Somers and Charles Nelson Reilly played. The Super Match was played in 2 parts. In the 1st part (dubbed Audience Match), Rayburn read a fill-in-the-blank phrase in which had been given to a previous studio audience of 100 people (e.g., Cookie ______). The contestant asked 3 celebrities 1 at a time for suggested answers after which he or she could choose one or come up with one of his or her own. The three top answers were listed, with the No. 3 choice worth $100, the second-most popular worth $250 and the top choice worth $500. If the champion matched one of the top 3 answers, he/she won that amount of money and played the Head-to-Head Match for 10 times their winnings (equals ergo: $1000, $2500 or $5000). The player chose a celebrity, who was given another fill-in-the-blank phrase as before. If there was an exact match, the champion wins the Big Money. Even if the player didn't match, the champion kept his/her Audience Match winnings and faced a new challenger. Players returned until defeated or surpassing CBS's $25,000 winnings limit (done just once in March 1979). Richard Dawson was initially the only regular Match Game 73 celebrity; Charles Nelson Reilly and Brett Somers became regulars in September 1973. Dawson was far and away the most popular Head-to-Head Match celebrity partner (one history of the show reported he was responsibile for greater than $1 million in the champion's winnings). In 1976 as the show then called Match Game 76 Dawson parlayed his success in the highly-successful ABC-TV run of Family Feud. On June 28, 1978...The Star Wheel was added to the Super Match on Match Game 78 which the contestant spun to determine his or her celebrity partner. If the wheel stopped on certain areas of the wheel called the gold star area (designated "double"), the player played for 20 times their Audience Match cash (up to $10,000 on the CBS-TV show; $20,000 on Match Game PM); otherwise, they played for their regular jackpot. Some fans of the show believe the addition of the Star Wheel hastened Dawson's departure from the show on August 23, 1978 and though that's purely speculation. Match Game 73 as fans came to know, had many classic moments during its 7 Season run on CBS-TV (too many to list here). The show also spawned a successful syndicated entry (the once-a-week Match Game PM, which offered even higher cash prizes). After the CBS-TV show (and then called Match Game 79) ended its run on April 20, 1979. 5 Months later it continued its life as a 5-day-a-week entry on September 10-14, 1979 that series continued through September 10, 1982. A short-lived pairing with The Hollywood Squares in 1983-1984 on NBC-TV plus 2 self-contained revivals (ABC-TV in 1990-1991 and Syndicated TV in 1998-1999), soon followed. None managed to recapture the audience (or particularly in the latter version, the magic) of the one-of-a-kind original. Reruns of the classic Match Game 73 have perpetually been among the highest-rated shows on Game Show Network (now GSN). THE BROADCAST HISTORY of MATCH GAME 73: June 25-December 31, 1973 at 3:30-4:00pm on CBS-TV MATCH GAME 74: January 2-December 31, 1974 at 3:30-4:00pm on CBS-TV MATCH GAME 75: January 2-August 15, 1975 at 3:30-4:00pm on CBS-TV August 18-November 28, 1975 at 3:00-3:30pm on CBS-TV December 1-31, 1975 at 3:30-4:00pm on CBS-TV MATCH GAME 76: January 2-December 31, 1976 at 3:30-4:00pm on CBS-TV MATCH GAME 77: January 3-November 4, 1977 at 3:30-4:00pm on CBS-TV November 7-December 16, 1977 at 11:00-11:30am on CBS-TV December 19, 1977-January 3, 1978 at 4:00-4:30pm on CBS-TV MATCH GAME 78 : January 4, 1978-January 2, 1979 at 4:00-4:30pm on CBS-TV MATCH GAME 79 : January 3-April 20, 1979 at 4:00-4:30pm on CBS-TV. Syndicated on every TV Market from September 10, 1979 to September 10, 1982 and Distributed By JIM VICTORY TELEVISION, INC. "MATCH GAME 73-79" is A MARK GOODSON-BILL TODMAN PRODUCTION in association with The CBS-TV Network.moreless
6
World Series of Poker

ESPN

The World Series of Poker is the Super Bowl of poker. It consists of over 55 events and as of 2007 is broadcast on the ESPN cable network.
7
Hollywood Squares, The (1966)

NBC

The Hollywood Squares is a classic 1966 game show that mixes trivia with the classic strategy game, tic-tac-toe. Two contestants go head-to-head to try to get three Xs or Os in a row on a giant tic-tac-toe board. But it's not as easy as it sounds. Each space on the giant board contains a celebrity, who answers a trivia question whenever a contestant tries to win their space. The celebrity may know the answer to the trivia question, or they may make something up. The contestant has to decide whether the celebrity is answering truthfully or not, and they only get to occupy that space on the board if they choose correctly. The Hollywood Squares offers a chance to see some of Tinsel Town's biggest stars at their least scripted. This inventive game show became known for the unpredictability of the stars, who used the show to exhibit their real selves, without any media exaggeration. The Hollywood Squares featured many celebrities, including Billy Crystal, Vincent Price, Aretha Franklin, Joan Rivers, Eva Gabor, Don Knotts, and many more.moreless
8
Amateur's Guide To Love

CBS (ended 1972)
9
Get Rich Quick

A&E (ended 1977)

game show which lasted just one episode
10
Celebrity Tennis

(ended 1974)

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