Jackpot (game show)
Encyclopedia
Jackpot! is a television game show
seen in three different runs between 1974 and 1990. Geoff Edwards
hosted the original version of this Bob Stewart production from January 7, 1974 until September 26, 1975 on NBC
. A second version, produced in Canada
, aired from September 30, 1985 to December 30, 1988 on the USA Network
in the U.S. and was hosted by Mike Darrow
. A third version, again hosted by Edwards, ran from September 18, 1989 to March 16, 1990 in syndication and was filmed in Glendale, California
.
The value of the riddle increased the value of the Jackpot. If the King/Queen selected the contestant holding the Jackpot Riddle (one per game) and answered it correctly, those two contestants split the Jackpot. Depending on the rules or the situation, the King/Queen could ask the Jackpot Riddle-holder to be seated and continue the game, perhaps with other bonuses or the Super Jackpot in mind.
If the last three digits of the Jackpot amount matched a preselected target number, the King/Queen may have a chance to win a "Super Jackpot" by correctly solving a Super Jackpot Riddle, asked by the host. Either the King/Queen or the bleacher contestant who asked the question that brought the Jackpot amount to the target number could respond; if either answered correctly, both split the Super Jackpot. Occasionally, the host would notify the King/Queen if there was a riddle which would allow the preselected target number to be matched.
The largest Super Jackpot won in the format's history was $38,750, split between two players on January 3, 1975; a radio interview with Geoff Edwards for Blog Talk Radio claimed that there was an NBC episode with a $50,000 win, though this has never been proven.
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 week-long experiment in February 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.
Geoff Edwards, who worked closely with Stewart, once said that the two sat outside the NBC Rockefeller Studios dismayed following the format change, both believing that the series was at this point on its final legs. The changes were insisted upon by NBC head Lin Bolen
, who Edwards said made the change based on what several focus groups had said (mainly, that they did not like riddles).
For some episodes around this point, NBC staff announcer Wayne Howell
took over as announcer; Pardo returned for at least the finale.
s, turtleneck sweaters, and open-collared shirts).
Jackpot broke several stylistic conventions that had marked the genre since its inception in the early 1950s. Contestants were more likely than not to embrace each other (in the center of the stage, regardless of gender) after winning, instead of the customary handshake
on other shows. NBC and executive producer Stewart apparently also encouraged studio audience members to scream
and applaud in a louder-than-normal fashion. Touches like these helped market the program to a demographic of younger women and teenagers.
Daytime programming head Lin Bolen decided to place the game at 12:00 Noon (11:00 AM, Central) where the venerable Jeopardy!
had run for nearly eight years. Jeopardy! brought in audiences who did not ordinarily watch daytime television, such as businessmen and college students, due to its intellectually-challenging gameplay; these people often watched the show during their lunch hour on TV sets at restaurants, college student centers, or bars
rather than at home. The move of Jeopardy! to 10:30/9:30 would cause an audience loss that Jackpot!, aimed at a more traditional female audience, was unable to replace.
Jackpot! replaced The Who, What, or Where Game
via a scheduling shuffle with Jeopardy! and Baffle. The breakout popularity of CBS
' youth-oriented serial
The Young and the Restless
led to an erosion of Jeopardy!s audience, and the new show inherited the ratings problems. Still, Jackpot! earned respectable ratings throughout 1974; it looked at one point to be more promising than its sister show, The $10,000 Pyramid
, during the latter's final month on CBS (but before its move to ABC in May, where it became a hit). Nonetheless, Y&R would break into the daytime Nielsen
top ten by early 1975.
, a then-new audience analysis technique. Geoff Edwards stated that Bolen's group participants expressed a strong dislike for the show's foundational riddle format. Bolen accepted this judgment and gave Stewart an ultimatum – replace the riddles with a straightforward question-answer format or be canceled. In addition, Edwards was told to not question this decision or he would be replaced.
This was one of several changes instituted beginning on June 30, 1975. On July 7, the show moved back one half-hour, but the new time slot brought much stronger competition in the form of Search for Tomorrow
on CBS and ABC's All My Children
, the latter already a big hit with younger audiences.
The combination of strong competition and the forced change in format led to the end of Jackpot! after a 21-month run on September 26, 1975. NBC's replacement, Three for the Money
, did even worse, running only nine weeks. Jackpot!s cancellation also marked the first time in NBC daytime history that no games originated from Rockefeller Center (with all taping at NBC's West Coast studios in Burbank, California
instead). Only one other network game show afterward, the Stewart-packaged Shoot for the Stars
(which was also hosted by Edwards), was taped in New York. In fact, the only other NBC daytime show to tape at Rockefeller Center for the remainder of the 1970s was the serial The Doctors. (Another World
and Somerset
recorded at off-site studios in Brooklyn
).
The series marked Don Pardo's final appearance as a regular game show announcer, having done games since the pioneering Winner Take All in 1952 (also the first game hosted by Bill Cullen
and the first TV series by Goodson
-Todman
). On October 11, 1975 – fifteen days after Jackpot!'s demise – Pardo emerged on NBC's new weekly comedy-variety series Saturday Night Live
.
Pardo would not appear on another game show until November 1988, when he announced on Wheel of Fortune
for two weeks of episodes at New York's Radio City Music Hall
.
for the Global Television Network
and aired in America on USA Network
. The 1980s Jackpot was able to avoid the nation's "CanCon
" quota system of requirements as host Mike Darrow, whose previous hosting positions (The $128,000 Question and the original Dream House) were on American productions, was born in Canada and had worked on Toronto radio in the 1960s.
All cash awards to contestants were paid in Canadian currency, which at the time was considerably weaker than the U.S. dollar. The resulting financial advantage lured packagers such as Stewart to produce games in Canada.
Ken Ryan and John Harris, Global staff voiceover artists, served as announcers on this version.
However, the show met its demise before the end of a full season not because of low ratings, but because the distributor, Palladium Entertainment, had serious financial problems. As a ploy to try to generate sponsorship cash as quickly as possible, the company forced the staff to record over 10 episodes per day for a period of over two weeks. Normally, half-hour weekday "strip" shows like these taped only three to five episodes per day, depending on the studio's schedule. By spring 1990, the company shut down its operations after declaring bankruptcy, and the remaining stations pulled Jackpot! from their schedules immediately.
Despite this, Geoff Edwards became the third game show host in the industry to simultaneously emcee a game show on both sides of the U.S./Canadian border, joining Jim Perry and Alex Trebek on this prestigious list. Edwards also hosted The Big Spin
, the weekly California Lottery program, at that time as well.
Two veteran Hollywood announcers, John Harlan
and Johnny Gilbert
(of Jeopardy!
fame), provided the voiceover for this version. Jim Perry's daughter, Erin, served as the series' associate producer.
game show Hollywood Showdown
. Its producer, Sande Stewart (son of Jackpot! creator Bob Stewart), became a production partner of his father during the 1980s.
The similar elements include the escalating jackpot with each question, and the larger-than-usual number of contestants (though not as many as the 16 on Jackpot!).
made only one edition in 1974, however with two different covers – one with just the logo, and one with a drawing of a female contestant on the cover. Other than the cosmetic difference, the game is the same in both boxes; the gameplay more closely resembles the 1980s Darrow format .
"Jet Set", composed by former Manfred Mann
member Mike Vickers
. The piece was later used as the opening theme for This Week in Baseball
.
The Russell pilot used "Spring Rain" by Bebu Silvetti
. Like many themes Stewart used on his shows, "Spring Rain" was first used in an earlier Stewart production – the one-season syndicated series The Love Experts
.
The USA and syndicated runs used the Shoot for the Stars
theme composed by Bob Cobert.
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...
seen in three different runs between 1974 and 1990. Geoff Edwards
Geoff Edwards
Geoffrey Bruce Owen "Geoff" Edwards is an American television actor, game show host and radio personality. Over the past decade and a half, he has been a writer and broadcaster on travel. He was born in Westfield, New Jersey....
hosted the original version of this Bob Stewart production from January 7, 1974 until September 26, 1975 on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. A second version, produced in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, aired from September 30, 1985 to December 30, 1988 on the USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
in the U.S. and was hosted by Mike Darrow
Mike Darrow
Darow Myhowich , January 8, 1933 – December 7, 1996) was a Canadian-American television game show host best known for hosting the 1968-1970 ABC run of Dream House, the 1985-1988 Canadian-produced run of the Bob Stewart game show, Jackpot Darow Myhowich (stage name: Mike Darow), January 8,...
. A third version, again hosted by Edwards, ran from September 18, 1989 to March 16, 1990 in syndication and was filmed in Glendale, California
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
.
Gameplay
Sixteen contestants competed for an entire week, with one designated King of the Hill (Queen of the Hill for female contestants), who stood at a circular podium at stage-left. The other fifteen contestants, numbered 1 through 15, were seated in three-tiered bleachers. Each had a special wallet containing a riddle and a varying cash amount or the Jackpot Riddle. 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/Queen 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 selected the contestant holding the Jackpot Riddle (one per game) and answered it correctly, those two contestants split the Jackpot. Depending on the rules or the situation, the King/Queen could ask the Jackpot Riddle-holder to be seated and continue the game, perhaps with other bonuses or the Super Jackpot in mind.
If the last three digits of the Jackpot amount matched a preselected target number, the King/Queen may have a chance to win a "Super Jackpot" by correctly solving a Super Jackpot Riddle, asked by the host. Either the King/Queen or the bleacher contestant who asked the question that brought the Jackpot amount to the target number could respond; if either answered correctly, both split the Super Jackpot. Occasionally, the host would notify the King/Queen if there was a riddle which would allow the preselected target number to be matched.
The largest Super Jackpot won in the format's history was $38,750, split between two players on January 3, 1975; a radio interview with Geoff Edwards for Blog Talk Radio claimed that there was an NBC episode with a $50,000 win, though this has never been proven.
Special riddles
- Double Dollars (Syndicated)As the name implied, a correct answer to one of these riddles doubled the amount in the Jackpot at that time.
- Instant Target Match (Syndicated)If this riddle was answered correctly, the Jackpot would be automatically increased to match the Target amount, giving the King/Queen a chance to answer the Super Jackpot Riddle.
- Bonus Prize (all)A correct answer won the King or Queen of the Hill a prize.
- Return Trip (USA/Syndicated)Correctly answering this riddle resulted in both players (riddler and King/Queen) being allowed to compete in an extra week of shows.
NBC (1974-1975)
- The King/Queen of the Hill was called the "Expert".
- Riddles ranged in value from $5 to $200 in multiples of $5.
- Target numbers 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 ($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). Edwards would occasionally read a disclaimer (due to long-standing game show Federal laws) which explained that rule.
- The Super Jackpot could be played for in one of three ways:
- 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; later, 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 were answered correctly, the two players split the Super Jackpot. Note that on NBC, only the "Expert" could try to answer the Super Jackpot riddle.
- Choosing the player that has the Super Jackpot Riddle and answering correctly.
- Choosing the player that has the Super Jackpot Wildcard and correctly answering the Super Jackpot Riddle as posed by Edwards.
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 week-long experiment in February 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
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
or the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. 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.
Changes
Beginning on June 30, 1975 the format was altered for the last 13 weeks of the run.- The Target Number was dropped, and the Super Jackpot was established at random; it could be worth anywhere from $2,000 - $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 any of the remaining questions, the Jackpot was reset to $0 and a new Super Jackpot value was set. In the event that the Jackpot question was the last one found, the Super Jackpot was discarded.
Geoff Edwards, who worked closely with Stewart, once said that the two sat outside the NBC Rockefeller Studios dismayed following the format change, both believing that the series was at this point on its final legs. The changes were insisted upon by NBC head Lin Bolen
Lin Bolen
Lin Bolen is an American television executive with a long-tenured career. Bolen is most noted for her role as the NBC Daytime Television Programming Vice President, a position she held from 1972 until 1978...
, who Edwards said made the change based on what several focus groups had said (mainly, that they did not like riddles).
For some episodes around this point, NBC staff announcer Wayne Howell
Wayne Howell
Wayne Clay Howell Chappelle , known professionally as Wayne Howell, was a voice-over announcer for the NBC television and radio networks from 1947 through 1986...
took over as announcer; Pardo returned for at least the finale.
Canadian/USA Network (1985-1988)
- The riddles and Target Number returned, but there was no multiplier; the Super Jackpot was created at random. The Target Number (as on NBC) was notified by the last three digits of the current Jackpot total. The contestant whose riddle caused the target number to be hit asked his/her own riddle instead of the host. Super Jackpots ranged from $4,000 to $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/Queen 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 and third seasons, 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, with tied players splitting the money. There were two 10-week contests each season. For the final six weeks of the second season, the player answering the most riddles in a single week won a vacation package and $1,000 in cash.
- In the final season, there was "The $50,000 Riddle". These riddles were considerably harder than the ones usually asked, and all players who correctly answered them split $50,000. At the end of that season, three people successfully solved the riddle, and each won $16,666.66.
- Starting in season two (as in the NBC version), any player who answered all fifteen riddles without a miss won a new car.
Syndicated (1989-1990)
- The value of the riddle could only be added to the Jackpot if the riddle was answered correctly.
- If the King/Queen 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 $50 to $200.
- Instant Target Match riddles would allow a player answering that riddle the right to go for the Super Jackpot, as the value of the Jackpot would be increased to have the last three digits match the target number.
- Double Dollars riddles doubled the value of the Jackpot if answered correctly.
NBC (1974-1975)
Probably more than any other show, Jackpot! marked a shift in style among daytime network games from hard quizzes hosted by middle-aged men in business suits to a youth orientation and specialty themes. The contestants were dressed casually, as was host Edwards (who frequently wore leisure suitLeisure suit
A leisure suit is a casual suit consisting of a shirt-like jacket and matching trousers, often associated with American-influenced fashion and fads of the 1970s.-History:...
s, turtleneck sweaters, and open-collared shirts).
Jackpot broke several stylistic conventions that had marked the genre since its inception in the early 1950s. Contestants were more likely than not to embrace each other (in the center of the stage, regardless of gender) after winning, instead of the customary handshake
Handshake
A handshake is a short ritual in which two people grasp one of each other's like hands, in most cases accompanied by a brief up and down movement of the grasped hands.-History:...
on other shows. NBC and executive producer Stewart apparently also encouraged studio audience members to scream
Scream
Scream may refer to:*Vociferation, a loud vocalization*The Scream, a famous painting by Edvard Munch-Amusement rides:* Scream! , a roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain...
and applaud in a louder-than-normal fashion. Touches like these helped market the program to a demographic of younger women and teenagers.
Daytime programming head Lin Bolen decided to place the game at 12:00 Noon (11:00 AM, Central) where the venerable Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
had run for nearly eight years. Jeopardy! brought in audiences who did not ordinarily watch daytime television, such as businessmen and college students, due to its intellectually-challenging gameplay; these people often watched the show during their lunch hour on TV sets at restaurants, college student centers, or bars
Bars
-Plurals:*Dessert bars*Parallel bars or uneven bars, apparatus in men's or women's gymnastics, respectively*The quality of the reception on a mobile phone-Place names:*Bars County, a former Kingdom of Hungary county in present-day Slovakia...
rather than at home. The move of Jeopardy! to 10:30/9:30 would cause an audience loss that Jackpot!, aimed at a more traditional female audience, was unable to replace.
Jackpot! replaced The Who, What, or Where Game
The Who, What, Or Where Game
The Who, What, or Where Game was an American television game show that was broadcast weekdays on NBC from December 29, 1969 to January 4, 1974...
via a scheduling shuffle with Jeopardy! and Baffle. The breakout popularity of CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
' youth-oriented serial
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
led to an erosion of Jeopardy!s audience, and the new show inherited the ratings problems. Still, Jackpot! earned respectable ratings throughout 1974; it looked at one point to be more promising than its sister show, The $10,000 Pyramid
Pyramid (game show)
Pyramid is an American television game show which has aired several versions. The original series, The $10,000 Pyramid, debuted March 26, 1973 and spawned seven subsequent Pyramid series...
, during the latter's final month on CBS (but before its move to ABC in May, where it became a hit). Nonetheless, Y&R would break into the daytime Nielsen
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
top ten by early 1975.
Cancellation
In reaction, Bolen decided to revamp Jackpot! by making use of a focus groupFocus group
A focus group is a form of qualitative research in which a group of people are asked about their perceptions, opinions, beliefs and attitudes towards a product, service, concept, advertisement, idea, or packaging...
, a then-new audience analysis technique. Geoff Edwards stated that Bolen's group participants expressed a strong dislike for the show's foundational riddle format. Bolen accepted this judgment and gave Stewart an ultimatum – replace the riddles with a straightforward question-answer format or be canceled. In addition, Edwards was told to not question this decision or he would be replaced.
This was one of several changes instituted beginning on June 30, 1975. On July 7, the show moved back one half-hour, but the new time slot brought much stronger competition in the form of Search for Tomorrow
Search for Tomorrow
Search for Tomorrow is an American soap opera which premiered on September 3, 1951 on CBS. The show was moved from CBS to NBC on March 29, 1982. It continued on NBC until the final episode aired on December 26, 1986, a run of thirty-five years. At the time of its final broadcast it was the...
on CBS and ABC's All My Children
All My Children
All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
, the latter already a big hit with younger audiences.
The combination of strong competition and the forced change in format led to the end of Jackpot! after a 21-month run on September 26, 1975. NBC's replacement, Three for the Money
Three for the Money
Three for the Money was a short-lived American game show produced by Stefan Hatos-Monty Hall Productions that aired on NBC for nine weeks from September 29 to November 28, 1975...
, did even worse, running only nine weeks. Jackpot!s cancellation also marked the first time in NBC daytime history that no games originated from Rockefeller Center (with all taping at NBC's West Coast studios in Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
instead). Only one other network game show afterward, the Stewart-packaged Shoot for the Stars
Shoot For The Stars
Shoot for the Stars is a game show created and produced by Bob Stewart, and aired on the NBC television network. The show aired from January 3 to September 30, 1977, and was produced in New York City...
(which was also hosted by Edwards), was taped in New York. In fact, the only other NBC daytime show to tape at Rockefeller Center for the remainder of the 1970s was the serial The Doctors. (Another World
Another World (TV series)
Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
and Somerset
Somerset (TV series)
Somerset is an American television soap opera which ran on NBC from March 30, 1970 until December 31, 1976. The show was a spinoff of another NBC serial, Another World.-Overview :...
recorded at off-site studios in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
).
The series marked Don Pardo's final appearance as a regular game show announcer, having done games since the pioneering Winner Take All in 1952 (also the first game hosted by Bill Cullen
Bill Cullen
William Lawrence Francis "Bill" Cullen was an American radio and television personality whose career spanned five decades...
and the first TV series by Goodson
Mark Goodson
Mark Goodson was an American television producer who specialized in game shows.-Life and early career:...
-Todman
Bill Todman
William S. "Bill" Todman was an American television producer born in New York City. He produced many of television's longest running shows with business partner Mark Goodson.-Early life:...
). On October 11, 1975 – fifteen days after Jackpot!
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
.
Pardo would not appear on another game show until November 1988, when he announced on Wheel of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune (U.S. game show)
Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin, which premiered in 1975. Contestants compete to solve word puzzles, similar to those used in Hangman, to win cash and prizes determined by spinning a large wheel. The title refers to the show's giant carnival wheel that...
for two weeks of episodes at New York's Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
.
Canadian/USA Network (1985-1988)
The program was recorded in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
for the Global Television Network
Global Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
and aired in America on USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
. The 1980s Jackpot was able to avoid the nation's "CanCon
Canadian content
Canadian content refers to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission requirements that radio and television broadcasters must air a certain percentage of content that was at least partly written, produced, presented, or otherwise contributed to by persons from...
" quota system of requirements as host Mike Darrow, whose previous hosting positions (The $128,000 Question and the original Dream House) were on American productions, was born in Canada and had worked on Toronto radio in the 1960s.
All cash awards to contestants were paid in Canadian currency, which at the time was considerably weaker than the U.S. dollar. The resulting financial advantage lured packagers such as Stewart to produce games in Canada.
Ken Ryan and John Harris, Global staff voiceover artists, served as announcers on this version.
Syndicated (1989-1990)
This version was mainly seen on low-rated independent stations instead of network affiliates. Jackpot! was usually sent to non-peak times, such as late nights.However, the show met its demise before the end of a full season not because of low ratings, but because the distributor, Palladium Entertainment, had serious financial problems. As a ploy to try to generate sponsorship cash as quickly as possible, the company forced the staff to record over 10 episodes per day for a period of over two weeks. Normally, half-hour weekday "strip" shows like these taped only three to five episodes per day, depending on the studio's schedule. By spring 1990, the company shut down its operations after declaring bankruptcy, and the remaining stations pulled Jackpot! from their schedules immediately.
Despite this, Geoff Edwards became the third game show host in the industry to simultaneously emcee a game show on both sides of the U.S./Canadian border, joining Jim Perry and Alex Trebek on this prestigious list. Edwards also hosted The Big Spin
The Big Spin
The Big Spin is the California Lottery's first television game show. Originally a Fred Tatashore production, it was later an Alexander Media Services production, followed by a production of Cal Image, and then finally a Jonathan Goodson Production....
, the weekly California Lottery program, at that time as well.
Two veteran Hollywood announcers, John Harlan
John Harlan (announcer)
John Harlan is an American television announcer who has worked on numerous television projects for over 40 years, particularly game and variety shows....
and Johnny Gilbert
Johnny Gilbert
John L. "Johnny" Gilbert III is an American show business personality who has worked mainly on television game shows. Originally a nightclub singer and entertainer, he has hosted and announced a number of game shows from various eras, dating as far back as the 1950s...
(of Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
fame), provided the voiceover for this version. Jim Perry's daughter, Erin, served as the series' associate producer.
Hollywood Showdown
Elements of Jackpot! would resurface on January 23, 2000 in the GSNGame Show Network
The Game Show Network is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and casino game shows. The channel was launched on December 1, 1994. Its current slogan is "The World Needs More Winners"...
game show Hollywood Showdown
Hollywood Showdown
Hollywood Showdown is an American game show that aired on both PAX and Game Show Network from January to November 2000, then again until April 2002. Reruns aired on GSN again from September 2004 to April 2005 plus June 2006 and June 2007 on TV Guide Network...
. Its producer, Sande Stewart (son of Jackpot! creator Bob Stewart), became a production partner of his father during the 1980s.
The similar elements include the escalating jackpot with each question, and the larger-than-usual number of contestants (though not as many as the 16 on Jackpot!).
Home version
Milton BradleyMilton Bradley Company
The Milton Bradley Company is an American game company established by Milton Bradley in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1860. In 1920, it absorbed the game production of McLoughlin Brothers, formerly the largest game manufacturer in the United States, and in 1987, it purchased Selchow and Righter,...
made only one edition in 1974, however with two different covers – one with just the logo, and one with a drawing of a female contestant on the cover. Other than the cosmetic difference, the game is the same in both boxes; the gameplay more closely resembles the 1980s Darrow format .
Theme
Jackpot! used several different themes during its runs; the Edwards-hosted versions used the instrumental theme musicTheme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
"Jet Set", composed by former Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann was a British beat, rhythm and blues and pop band of the 1960s, named after their South African keyboardist, Manfred Mann, who later led the successful 1970s group Manfred Mann's Earth Band...
member Mike Vickers
Mike Vickers
Mike Vickers is a British musician who came to prominence as guitarist, flautist and saxophonist with the 1960s band, Manfred Mann. He originally played flute and saxophone but with the increasing popularity of guitars in bands it was decided that Manfred Mann should have a guitarist in its line-up...
. The piece was later used as the opening theme for This Week in Baseball
This Week in Baseball
This Week in Baseball is a weekly television program, originally designed to show highlights of the previous week's Major League Baseball action. TWIB debuted in .-Genesis of the series:...
.
The Russell pilot used "Spring Rain" by Bebu Silvetti
Bebu Silvetti
Juan Fernando Silvetti Adorno , professionally known as Bebu Silvetti or simply Silvetti, was an Argentine pianist, composer, conductor, arranger and record producer...
. Like many themes Stewart used on his shows, "Spring Rain" was first used in an earlier Stewart production – the one-season syndicated series The Love Experts
The Love Experts
The Love Experts was a show that was part talk show and part game show that ran from September 11, 1978 to September 7, 1979. It was hosted by Bill Cullen and Jack Clark was the announcer. The show was created by Bob Stewart...
.
The USA and syndicated runs used the Shoot for the Stars
Shoot For The Stars
Shoot for the Stars is a game show created and produced by Bob Stewart, and aired on the NBC television network. The show aired from January 3 to September 30, 1977, and was produced in New York City...
theme composed by Bob Cobert.
Episode status
- NBC: All but two episodes were destroyedWipingWiping 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...
, according to host Geoff Edwards. A $38,750 Super Jackpot is won on one of them (aired January 3, 1975). - The Riddlers: Both pilots exist; GSNGame Show NetworkThe Game Show Network is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and casino game shows. The channel was launched on December 1, 1994. Its current slogan is "The World Needs More Winners"...
aired Pilot #1 on November 26, 1998 and October 28, 2000. Pilot #2 is held at the UCLA Film & Television Archive. - 1984 Pilot: This episode also exists, and circulates among collectors.
- USA/Syndicated: Both runs are intact, and have been seen on GSN.