Broadcast History: January 14, 1980-June 20, 1980, NBC daytime
Host: Bill Cullen
Substitute Host: Geoff Edwards
Announcer: Johnny Gilbert
Executive Producer: Bob Stewart
Packager: Bob Stewart Productions
Chain Reaction is a classic but short lived word game. Each team has 2 celebrity players and 1 civilian player. The game starts with one word or phrase revealed at the top of the chain and another word or phrase at the bottom of the chain. The 6 words that fill the rest of the chain are all related to each other in some way. |
A fault is the cause of an earthquake. |
The scoring is one point per letter in a correct answer. If there is a plus sign on a line and that word is worth double points. 50 points wins the game and earns the winner $250 (later changed to $100) and an opportunity to play the bonus game. The losing player receives $5 per point earned. It was changed to "parting gifts" with the advent of the third bonus round.
The goal in the end game was for the 2 celebrity players to form a question using one word at a time. The contestant had one chance to answer the question after one of the celebrities hit a bell. The way the end game was played did not change but there were 4 scoring methods in CR's 5 month NBC run.
Version 1 At the start of the round, $1 was given to the contestant. For every correct answer, a half zero was given. Hence, the contestant won $10 for 2 or 3 right answers, $100 for 4 or 5, $1000 for 6 or 7, and $10,000 for 8 correct answers. 60 seconds was given in this bonus round. It was incredibly difficult to win at least $1000. | Version 2 I call this the generous bonus round. In 90 seconds, the contestant had to give 9 correct answers. The scoring was the following:
It certainly made up for the lack of money won during the first version of the end game. |
Versions 3 & 4 In 90 seconds, a contestant had to get 10 correct answers. For each of the first 9 correct responses, the player got $100. The 10th answer was worth $10,000. After only a few episodes, the scoring system was modified again. This time, the $100 won during the main game was placed on the scoreboard. The contestant had to get only 9 correct answers in 90 seconds for $10,000. |
Original air dates | Celebrity guests | Miscellaneous notes |
Week 1 Jan. 14-18, 1980 |
Patty Duke Astin, Joyce Bulifant, Fred Grandy, Nipsey Russell | Only week with half zero bonus round |
Week 2 Jan. 21-25, 1980 |
Joyce Bulifant, Didi Conn, Jay Johnson, Robert Mandan | First week with the second bonus round format |
Week 3 Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 1980 |
Elaine Joyce, Vicki Lawrence, Richard Paul, Nipsey Russell | |
Week 4 Feb. 4-8, 1980 |
Joanna Gleason, Michael McKean, Jo Anne Worley, Richard Paul | |
Week 5 Feb. 11-15, 1980 |
Peggy Cass, Fred Grandy, Robert Mandan, Shelley Smith | |
Week 6 Feb. 18-22, 1980 |
Jay Johnson, Lois Nettleton, Soupy Sales, Debralee Scott | First week with the third bonus round format |
Week 7 Feb. 25-29, 1980 |
Bart Braverman, Anita Gillette, Lois Nettleton, Soupy Sales | |
Week 8 Mar. 3-7, 1980 |
Joanna Gleason, Robert Mandan, Debralee Scott, Robert Walden | First week with modified third bonus round |
Week 9 Mar. 10-14, 1980 |
Brian Patrick Clarke, Anita Gillette, Allen Ludden, Betty White | |
Week 10 Mar. 17-21, 1980 |
Anita Gillette, Fred Grandy, Gina Hecht, Nipsey Russell | |
Week 11 Mar. 24-28, 1980 |
Patty Duke Astin, Brian Patrick Clarke, Joanna Gleason, Nipsey Russell | |
Week 12 Mar. 31-Apr. 4, 1980 |
Joyce Bulifant, Jay Johnson, Judy Norton-Taylor, Robert Pine | |
Week 13 Apr. 7-11, 1980 |
Jack Carter, Wesley Eure, Vicki Lawrence, Gina Hecht |
Geoff Edwards hosts Chain Reaction these 2 weeks |
Week 14 Apr. 14-18, 1980 |
Constance McCashin, Richard Paul, Robert Walden, Jo Anne Worley | |
Week 15 Apr. 21-25, 1980 |
Didi Conn, Elaine Joyce, Ken Kercheval, Robert Mandan | |
Week 16 Apr. 28-May 2, 1980 |
Daryl Anderson, Jay Johnson, Susan Richardson, Betty White | |
Week 17 May 5-9, 1980 |
Steve Kanaly, Sharon Spelman, Sal Viscuso, Jo Anne Worley | |
Week 18 May 12-16, 1980 |
Brian Patrick Clarke, Anita Gillette, Ken Kercheval, Judy Norton-Taylor | |
Week 19 May 19-23, 1980 |
Wesley Eure, Anita Gillette, Vicki Lawrence, Ron Silver | |
Week 20 May 26-30, 1980 |
Brian Patrick Clarke, Nipsey Russell, Sharon Spelman, Laurie Walters | |
Week 21 Jun. 2-6, 1980 |
Daryl Anderson, Alison Arngrim, Gina Hecht, Nipsey Russell | |
Week 22 Jun. 9-13, 1980 |
Vicki Lawrence, Robert Mandan, Judy Norton-Taylor, Richard Paul | |
Week 23 Jun. 16-20, 1980 |
Joyce Bulifant, Jay Johnson, Ron Silver, Betty White |