Jackpot!

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JACKPOT!

The opening titles of the 1989 versions of "Jackpot!".

Airdates: NBC January 1974 - September 1975, USA September 1985 - December 1988, Syn. September 1989 - March 1990
Hosts: Geoff Edwards, Mike Darrow
Announcers: Don Pardo, Wayne Powell, Ken Ryan, John Harris, John Harlan, Johnny Gilbert
Producers: Bob Stewart Productions (1974-1988), Bob Stewart/Sande Stewart Productions (1989-1990)

Contents

Gameplay

1974-1975 version

The 15 gallery players wait to be called on
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The 15 gallery players wait to be called on
A total of sixteen players competed. One player was dubbed the "Expert", who stood at a podium while the other 15 players sat at the other side of the stage. The Expert would select a number from 1 to 15, and that player would open his wallet and announce a dollar amount from $5 to $200, which was added to the Jackpot. A riddle was then read by the player in the gallery. (For example, "Some of us are Jumbo, and some of us end up in gumbo. What are we?") If the Expert was able to solve the riddle, he was allowed to continue playing; otherwise, he switched places with the gallery player, who became the new Expert and inherited the previous Jackpot.

One of the 15 wallets was deemed the "Jackpot Riddle". Upon finding it, the Expert was given the choice to either attempt to answer it right away, or continue exploring the gallery with the intent of building up the Jackpot. If the Expert correctly solved the Jackpot Riddle, he and the gallery player who read the riddle split the money in the Jackpot, and the Expert began a new game with a new Jackpot. If a wrong answer was given, though, the players switched places and a new game was started with the Jackpot rolling over to the next game.

At the start of each game, a "target number" was established, along with a multiplier from 5 to 50. The product of those two numbers became the "Super Jackpot" for the game, which an Expert was eligible to win if he could get the last three digits of the Jackpot to match those of the target number. In addition, "Super Jackpot Riddles" were occasionally hidden amongst the gallery, at least once in every 10 episodes. If the Expert managed to solve the Super Jackpot Riddle, he split the Super Jackpot with the player in the gallery who had been chosen last. Otherwise, play continues as normal; the Expert does not lose his spot for missing a Super Jackpot Riddle.

All 16 contestants remained on the show for the whole week. On the Friday episode, a bell would sound when time was running short, indicating that the riddle in play would be an automatic Jackpot Riddle.

1985-1988 version

In the second version of the show, the following changes were made:

  • The target number and Super Jackpot amount were no longer connected to each other.
  • When going for the Super Jackpot, the last person chosen whose riddle value was enough to hit the target number asked his/her own riddle instead of the host.
  • Various bonuses were hidden in the gallery, at least one per game. Among them were prize riddles, which won a prize for the player (now called "King/Queen of the Hill") if answered correctly; "Double Dollars" riddles, which doubled the Jackpot upon a correct answer; and "Return Trip" riddles, which often appeared on the Friday episode and gave the King of the Hill the right to play for another week.
  • Once the King of the Hill answered a Jackpot riddle, he switched places with the gallery player regardless of whether he answered correctly or not.
  • If the King of the Hill managed to avoid picking the Jackpot Riddle until the last player, $1000 was added to the Jackpot.
  • If a player managed to answer all 15 riddles in one game correctly, he also won a new car.

1989-1990 version

"For $120, this is my riddle..."
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"For $120, this is my riddle..."
During the syndicated version, the following changes were made:
  • The bonus for saving the Jackpot riddle for last was no longer in play.
  • The value of the riddle was not added to the Jackpot unless the riddle was answered correctly.
  • In addition to the prize and Double Dollars bonuses, a "Target Match" riddle could also be found in the gallery. If solved, it added enough money to the Jackpot to match the target number, giving the player an automatic chance at the Super Jackpot Riddle.
  • Both the King of the Hill and the most recently chosen gallery player got a chance to answer the Super Jackpot Riddle.

Notes

  • Towards the end of the 1975, players asked general knowledge questions instead of riddles.

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