Triple Threat (game show)
Encyclopedia
Triple Threat is an American
television
game show
that pitted two teams of three generation
s against each other to test their knowledge of past and present television
, movies and music
. Produced by Television Program Enterprises, the original version aired in weekly syndication
from October 8, 1988 to October 1, 1989. A second version aired daily on the BET
cable network from September 14, 1992 to September 17, 1993.
The original version was hosted by Jim Lange
(to date, this is Lange's last game show) and sub-hosted by Alan Hunter. Spencer Christian
hosted the BET version. The original series was produced at the Aquarius Theater in Hollywood, while the 1990s run of the show was taped at NBA Entertainment Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey
. The announcers were Sam Riddle on the 1988 version (who was also a producer for the show) and John Walker
on the 1992 version. The original pilot was hosted by Sam Riddle and announced by Johnny Gilbert
, with Ben Vereen
and his daughter and Scott Baio
and his mother as the celeb duos.
In all rounds, a song and/or music video
was played, and three toss-up questions connected to the song were asked. Each question had four possible answers which were revealed one at a time. A player could buzz in with a guess at any time, as long as at least one answer had been revealed. A correct answer scored money for the team. An incorrect answer lost money, at which point the opposing team could take a chance to answer as the remaining answers were revealed. A team also lost money for buzzing in before at least one answer was revealed; if this happened, all four answers were immediately revealed and the opposing team was given a chance to answer.
played just like a relay race
. Three artists were displayed on the game board, with each having three spaces below their names. There were also two blank areas with two spaces on them, and these served as the "Out of Play" area.
One at a time, each team member was handed a card with a song title on it by Lange. They would then walk over to the board and place the card either under one of the artists' names or in the Out of Play area. This continued for 60 seconds. Each correct title paid off at $100, and once the team correctly identified all three song titles for a respective artist a series of chasing lights above the column lit up. If all nine titles were placed correctly before time ran out, the civilian player would win three times what the team had earned in the main game. On the episodes hosted by Alan Hunter, the players would have to match movies to actors appearing in them.
Using the same rules as the Lange version, all family members competed in the "Free for All" round, with each correct answer being worth 20 points. At the end of the round, the family in the lead won a prize package and advanced to the Triple Threat Relay Round.
and Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida
. Winning this round also caused the winning team to retire from the show. On some episodes, players had to match movies to actors appearing in them.
), while the second place family won a trip to Walt Disney World.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
game show
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...
that pitted two teams of three generation
Generation
Generation , also known as procreation in biological sciences, is the act of producing offspring....
s against each other to test their knowledge of past and present television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, movies and music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
. Produced by Television Program Enterprises, the original version aired in weekly syndication
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
from October 8, 1988 to October 1, 1989. A second version aired daily on the BET
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
cable network from September 14, 1992 to September 17, 1993.
The original version was hosted by Jim Lange
Jim Lange
Jim Lange is a former American game show host and disc jockey. He was particularly well known to listeners in the San Francisco and Los Angeles radio markets with stints at several stations in both markets, racking up over 45 years on the air...
(to date, this is Lange's last game show) and sub-hosted by Alan Hunter. Spencer Christian
Spencer Christian
Spencer Christian is an American television broadcaster, best known as the former weather forecaster for ABC's Good Morning America from 1986 to 1998. He currently is the weather forecaster for ABC-owned KGO-TV in San Francisco. Christian is also the author of several children's...
hosted the BET version. The original series was produced at the Aquarius Theater in Hollywood, while the 1990s run of the show was taped at NBA Entertainment Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey
Secaucus, New Jersey
Secaucus is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 16,264. Located within the New Jersey Meadowlands, it is the most suburban of the county's municipalities, though large parts of the town are dedicated to light manufacturing, retail, and...
. The announcers were Sam Riddle on the 1988 version (who was also a producer for the show) and John Walker
John Walker
-Politicians:* John Walker , U.S. Senator, public official, and soldier* John Walker , State Treasurer of Missouri...
on the 1992 version. The original pilot was hosted by Sam Riddle and announced by 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...
, with Ben Vereen
Ben Vereen
Ben Vereen is an American actor, dancer, and singer who has appeared in numerous Broadway theatre shows. Vereen graduated from Manhattan's High School of Performing Arts.- Early years :...
and his daughter and Scott Baio
Scott Baio
Scott Vincent James Baio is an American actor and television director, best known for his roles as Chachi Arcola on the sitcom Happy Days and its spin-off, Joanie Loves Chachi, and as the title character on the sitcom Charles in Charge....
and his mother as the celeb duos.
Main game
Two teams of three played, each consisting of a civilian contestant, a celebrity guest, and one of the celebrity's relatives.In all rounds, a song and/or music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was played, and three toss-up questions connected to the song were asked. Each question had four possible answers which were revealed one at a time. A player could buzz in with a guess at any time, as long as at least one answer had been revealed. A correct answer scored money for the team. An incorrect answer lost money, at which point the opposing team could take a chance to answer as the remaining answers were revealed. A team also lost money for buzzing in before at least one answer was revealed; if this happened, all four answers were immediately revealed and the opposing team was given a chance to answer.
Rounds 1 and 2
In the first two rounds, one player from each team representing his or her own generation faced off against each other. For the first round, the songs played came from their own generation and were worth $50 each, while in round two the songs came from another generation and were worth $100 each. Three songs were played in each round, one song per pair of players.Round 3 (Free for All)
The final round of the game was the "Free for All" round, so called because all six players were equipped with their own buzzers and could buzz in on every question. A series of songs were played within a set time limit, with each correct answer being worth $200. When time expired, the team with the most money won the game and advanced to the "Triple Threat Relay Round". If the game ends in a tie one final question is played. The team that buzzes in with the correct answer wins the game; if they are wrong, their opponents automatically win.Triple Threat Relay Round
The Triple Threat Relay Round was a bonus roundBonus round
A bonus round or bonus game, known in the industry as an end game, is a special round in a game show or similar contest. The bonus round usually follows a main game as a bonus to the winner of that game...
played just like a relay race
Relay race
During a relay race, members of a team take turns running, orienteering, swimming, cross-country skiing, biathlon, or ice skating parts of a circuit or performing a certain action. Relay races take the form of professional races and amateur games...
. Three artists were displayed on the game board, with each having three spaces below their names. There were also two blank areas with two spaces on them, and these served as the "Out of Play" area.
One at a time, each team member was handed a card with a song title on it by Lange. They would then walk over to the board and place the card either under one of the artists' names or in the Out of Play area. This continued for 60 seconds. Each correct title paid off at $100, and once the team correctly identified all three song titles for a respective artist a series of chasing lights above the column lit up. If all nine titles were placed correctly before time ran out, the civilian player would win three times what the team had earned in the main game. On the episodes hosted by Alan Hunter, the players would have to match movies to actors appearing in them.
BET version
Gameplay was basically the same as the original version; however, a few changes were made to the format. Instead of having celebrity guests on the teams, civilian families of three competed. In addition, the game was played for points & prizes instead of cash, and the winning family returned as champion to compete on the next show. Having aired on BET, this version focused more on Black-oriented music, TV shows, and movies.Main game
One member of each family played per song. Correct answers added points (5 in the first round, and 10 in the second), while incorrect answers lost points and gave the opposing team to answer from the remaining choices.Using the same rules as the Lange version, all family members competed in the "Free for All" round, with each correct answer being worth 20 points. At the end of the round, the family in the lead won a prize package and advanced to the Triple Threat Relay Round.
Triple Threat Relay Round
Aside from cosmetic changes to the board, the Relay Round was played the same as in the original version. Correctly guessing all nine songs for all three artists won a trip to both Disneyland in Anaheim, CaliforniaAnaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
and Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
. Winning this round also caused the winning team to retire from the show. On some episodes, players had to match movies to actors appearing in them.
Tournament of Champions
During the last week of this version, a Tournament of Champions was held; the winners won a trip to the Euro Disney Resort (now Disneyland Resort ParisDisneyland Resort Paris
Disneyland Paris is a holiday and recreation resort in Marne-la-Vallée, a new town in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. The complex is located from the centre of Paris and lies for the most part within the commune of Chessy, Seine-et-Marne....
), while the second place family won a trip to Walt Disney World.