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The Big Showdown is one of several game shows that, in my opinion, should be ported to TNT Basic or otherwise made available to Mac OS X users. Thanks to William Sydnor Jr. for providing the screenshots.
Broadcast History
- Packager: Don Lipp-Ron Greenberg Productions
- Airdates: ABC daytime, 1974 December 23 to 1975 July 04
- Host: Jim Peck
- Announcer: Dan Daniels
- Hostess: Heather Cunningham
- Executive Producers: Ron Greenberg, Don Lipp
- Producer: Shelley Dobbins
- Director: Dick Schneider
- Set Design: Ron Baldwin
Three contestants competed in a knowledge quiz. To start the game, quizmaster Jim Peck displayed a target number (“payoff point”) and a dollar value between $25 and $500, selected at random. Peck read a jump-in question, and the first player to buzz in was allowed to answer. A correct answer gave that player one point and control of a board with six categories, each with a point value represented by a different die face. The first player to reach the payoff point exactly was awarded the cash, and another round began with a greater payoff point and a new random dollar amount. A player was not allowed to answer a question if he or she would exceed the payoff point. Halfway through the round, the categories were changed and, near the end, a 90-second speed round began, with each payoff point worth $100. After this speed round, the lowest-scoring player was eliminated and the two others advanced to the Final Showdown.
In the Final Showdown, a payoff point of 7 was established. Three new categories were revealed, worth one, two or three points. A correct answer allowed the player to choose the next category. The first player to reach the payoff point won the game, $250 in cash and the right to play the bonus round for $10,000.
For the bonus round (playable online at FLASHGames²), the contestant was escorted to a dice table. This round used two standard six-sided dice, with the sixes replaced by Show on one die and Down on the other. The player was given one roll to get Show Down for $10,000. If he failed, the number rolled became the payoff point. The player was now given 30 seconds to roll the dice as many times as possible for $250 each time the payoff point appeared. If Show Down appeared within 30 seconds, the player won $5,000 plus any cash already scored.
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James H. Vipond
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