all in the game that’s just over their heads:
Premiere: 1985 April 08At one end of the set was Marshall between the contestants. At the opposite end were four panelists, seated beneath the puzzle board. Above each panelist was a column of three stars. The puzzle could comprise between two and six words, and was hidden on the board above the panelists.
Players chose stars from the 12 on the board, by the name of the panelist and whether the star was on the top, middle or bottom. Marshall read a question, and the panelist responded in the spirit of The Hollywood Squares. The contestant was then asked to agree or disagree. If the player was correct, he or she won the star and got another turn. An incorrect judgment gave control to the other player.
When the four corners of a box were lighted and the player rendered a correct judgment on a panelist’s response, the projectionist revealed the letters or word inside the box. The contestant was then given the opportunity to guess the puzzle. (The number of words in the puzzle was revealed to the home viewers, but not to the contestants.) When a player correctly solved a puzzle, he or she was credited with a game, but the show did not keep a dollar score. The first player to win two games got a prize, became the champion and advanced to the Blitz Bonanza round for a cash jackpot.
After four spins, the player was given the choice of trying to solve or giving back the prize for a fifth spin. A correct solution was worth a cash jackpot that started at $10,000 and increased by $2,500 each time it was not won. The four celebrities also wrote down their solutions to the puzzle, so if the contestant could not give a correct solution, it would still be worth $250 for each panelist who had the right solution. Michael Klauss used to have a RealVideo compilation of Blitz Bonanza wins by contestant Chris Baker.