Pass the Buck

Network: CBS (Repeats: Game Show Network)

Running Years: April 1976-June 1976

Host: Bill Cullen

Announcer: Bob Clayton

Producer: Bob Stewart

Yet another one of the "best forgotten game shows of all-time," "Pass the Buck" combined general knowledge with, well, the spelling bee! Contestants would try to list items and pray that their items were on the list because, if they weren't, then they'd get knocked out into oblivion! Well, not really, but they'd have to leave the game rather quickly! Sound like fun?

RULES:

Four players competed. To start the game, $100 was put in the bank and then a question with multiple answers, such as "Name a five-letter word beginning with S" or "Name a country located in Europe" was asked by the host.

Going down the line, each contestant gave an answer. If the contestant gave an acceptable answer (a judge with a list of acceptable answers backstage either rang a bell or a buzzer depending on the answer), then that player was safe for that round and $25 was added to the bank.

If the player gave an incorrect answer and/or took too long to give an answer, then he/she was put in danger of being knocked-out. If the next player in line gave a correct answer, then the incorrect player was knocked out of the game. If the next player in line also gave an incorrect answer, then the next player could eliminate both with a correct answer.

The round ended when a player(s) was knocked out, there were no more answers left to give (I can't remember this ever happening), or all players in the game gave wrong answers for one round.

Each round started with a new question, and as many rounds were played until one player remained. That player then won all of the money in the bank and a chance to play the bonus round. The other three stood in the "bullpen" and watched the winner take on the bonus round.

BONUS ROUND ("Fast Bucks Jackpot"):

The champion then went to the bonus round to try and win $5,000.

A question was read to the player, and four answers were covered up on the board. The contestant had 15 seconds to reveal all four; doing so won the $5,000. If not, though, then he/she won $100 for every revealed answer and another chance, pending he/she revealed at least one answer.

The next question had three answers with the same scoring system. If at least one answer was revealed, then he/she could move up to a question with two answers, and, if one answer was revealed there, one more question was asked with one answer.

So, in essence, getting all of the possible answers on any question won $5,000; if not, then he/she won $100 for every answer revealed.

Now, here comes the confusing part: If the contestant won the $5,000, then he/she returned to play against three new players; otherwise, he/she played against the same players again (that's why the contestants stayed on stage during the bonus round). That champ could then return and play until he/she won either $25,000 or until defeated.

SOME UNUSUAL TRENDS:

This has to be one of the only game shows where you could lose multiple times and STILL be able to come back and play again! Not only that, but the champ had to win the bonus round to get three new players. I don't know but if I were the champ playing against three awful players, wouldn't it be better for me to throw the bonus round so I can keep playing them?

Sometimes, Bill Cullen would try to add contestants' totals on stage without a cue card, and it would show at times that Bill wasn't exactly a mathematician!

It sometimes is a surprise that this show didn't succeed because its follow-up was quite the success: "The Price is Right!"

MY REVIEW:

Overall, this wasn't that bad of a show. It did have its flaws, though, which could probably explain its very quick demise (minimum 13 week run). First off, though, let's look at the good: Bill Cullen was great, as always, the game was a new brand of trivia and a fresh format, and contestants could have multiple chances to win. However, there were flaws-a-plenty here: the bonus round determined the outcome of the game, for the most part (it's a BONUS round, which means it should have no impact on the game!), the set was pretty bad (very little color/imagination to it and very dark), and the judge seemed to use varying times to accept answers throughout even each question. Despite these flaws, though, the show was still watchable, and I enjoyed it!

My Grades:

Game Play: A- (A pretty good game with an interesting format: how long can you keep the list going?)

Host: A+ (Despite an obvious lack of math skills, Bill Cullen still holds his title of "Dean of Game Shows" here with his overall wit and charm!)

Set: C (It looked like the set was put together in seconds flat, and the lighting was pretty bad. Get some more color onto that set!)

Execution: C+ (The fact that the bonus round determined the game caused me to take off a lot of points here! The judges' times didn't help either!)

Play-Along Factor: A (You can decently play along with this game; can you keep the list going longer than the contestants? Moreover, can you nail the hidden answers in the bonus round?)

Overall Grade: B

This really isn't as bad a show as I make it out to be; I, for one, particularly enjoyed the show. Before you immediately say it sucked because of the rules, watch at least one episode of it and see the game in action; it's actually pretty fun to watch and play along with!

I'M PASSING THE BUCK TO YOU SO I CAN GO HOME!