Hot Seat (game show)
Encyclopedia
Hot Seat is an American game show
which aired on ABC
from July 12 to October 22, 1976. The series was created by Heatter-Quigley Productions
, which at this point were best known for creating Gambit
and The Hollywood Squares
.
Jim Peck
was the host, with Heatter-Quigley veteran Kenny Williams
as the announcer.
The spouse sitting in the "hot seat" would have their emotions measured by an electronic GSR
device. Each question would have two choices. The player at the podium would select one answer and the spouse would respond to each choice with a negative response. The arch above the "hot seat" would feature a meter which indicated which answer was more of a lie; the answer that was the most true (the one which had the most lights lit up) was considered the correct answer.
The three questions were worth $100, $200, and $400. The couple with the most money at the end of the show could take either an additional $500 or play the bonus round for a trip and a new car. Whichever option was not chosen went to their opponents.
This difference would not have been so notable, however, had the show not pulled what was essentially a double-cross – the third prize (the iron with board) was modeled by a young lady wearing a bikini. The wife, obviously not knowing what was going on, chose the third prize based on her husband's reaction (obviously lying greatly about not wanting the model). After the wife came out of the booth, she screamed in agony upon seeing what the show had pulled.
due to network practices. One episode, believed to be the Premiere, exists on the trading circuit in fair quality.
The term "Hot Seat" would later be used as the contestant's seat on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
which aired on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
from July 12 to October 22, 1976. The series was created by Heatter-Quigley Productions
Heatter-Quigley Productions
Heatter-Quigley Productions was an American television production company that was launched in 1960 by two former television writers, Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley....
, which at this point were best known for creating Gambit
Gambit (game show)
Gambit is a television game show, created by Wayne Cruseturner and produced by Heatter-Quigley Productions, that originally ran on CBS from September 4, 1972 to December 10, 1976. A slightly retooled version, Las Vegas Gambit, aired on NBC from October 27, 1980 to November 27, 1981, originating...
and The Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares is an American panel game show in which two contestants play tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The "board" for the game is a 3 × 3 vertical stack of open-faced cubes, each occupied by a celebrity seated at a desk and facing the contestants...
.
Jim Peck
Jim Peck
James Edward "Jim" Peck is an American television and radio personality based in Milwaukee and is perhaps best known for his time as a game show host.-Early career:...
was the host, with Heatter-Quigley veteran Kenny Williams
Kenny Williams (announcer)
Kenny Williams was an American television announcer from the late 1940s to 1980s. He was best known as the announcer of many game shows produced by Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley . He also appeared on screen as "Kenny the Cop" on Video Village and Shenanigans...
as the announcer.
Gameplay
Two married couples played against each other one at a time. One of the spouses had to guess what the other would say when asked a round of three questions.The spouse sitting in the "hot seat" would have their emotions measured by an electronic GSR
Galvanic skin response
Skin conductance, also known as galvanic skin response , electrodermal response , psychogalvanic reflex , skin conductance response or skin conductance level , is a method of measuring the electrical conductance of the skin, which varies with its moisture level...
device. Each question would have two choices. The player at the podium would select one answer and the spouse would respond to each choice with a negative response. The arch above the "hot seat" would feature a meter which indicated which answer was more of a lie; the answer that was the most true (the one which had the most lights lit up) was considered the correct answer.
The three questions were worth $100, $200, and $400. The couple with the most money at the end of the show could take either an additional $500 or play the bonus round for a trip and a new car. Whichever option was not chosen went to their opponents.
Pilot
The pilot, taped on January 17, 1976, was played the same as the series with the exception of the bonus round – the husband sat in front of a turntable, while the wife saw the lie-detector reactions in another isolation booth. The husband would be shown three prizes (in this case, a washer/dryer combo, an expensive sports car, and a cheap iron with ironing board), and (much like the rest of the game) had to say "No, I would not like that prize" for each one. After all three prizes were presented, the wife picked which prize to keep.This difference would not have been so notable, however, had the show not pulled what was essentially a double-cross – the third prize (the iron with board) was modeled by a young lady wearing a bikini. The wife, obviously not knowing what was going on, chose the third prize based on her husband's reaction (obviously lying greatly about not wanting the model). After the wife came out of the booth, she screamed in agony upon seeing what the show had pulled.
Episode status
The series is believed to be destroyedWiping
Wiping or junking is a colloquial term for action taken by radio and television production and broadcasting companies, in which old audiotapes, videotapes, and telerecordings , are erased, reused, or destroyed after several uses...
due to network practices. One episode, believed to be the Premiere, exists on the trading circuit in fair quality.
The term "Hot Seat" would later be used as the contestant's seat on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?