The Now You See It!/All-Star Blitz Hour

Hosts: Graham Elwood and Brooke Burns
Announcer: To be determined
Network: Any broadcast network or general-entertainment cable channel

Now You See It!

Here is a sample Now You See It! board:

Try to find the answers to these questions:

• What is the occupation of Isaac Hayes’ character on South Park?
• Which boxer bit off more than he could chew when he fought Evander Holyfield?
• In a familiar idiom, what calls the kettle black?
• What was the name of Hal Seeger’s cartoon monster of the mid-1960s?
• In the 1990s, comedian Renee Hicks was not ashamed of being what?
• What is the term for a nearly pure block of precious metal?

Teammates sit back to back on swivel chairs; the civilians can hear Elwood but cannot see the board. The first celebrity to signal after the question is read names the row (first, second, third, fourth) in which the answer appears, and turns around; his/her partner must tell Elwood the answer in that row. If the player names the wrong row or has the right row but starts at the wrong column, the opposing team gets a chance to find the answer. If both are wrong, Elwood reveals the correct answer and proceeds to the next question.

Each correct word is worth a number of dollars equal to 10 times the sum of the row number and the column number of its first letter. For example, an answer that starts in the second row and the fifth column would be worth $70. No answer will contain fewer than three letters. At the end of the half-hour, the contestant with more cash advances to the second half of the show. Both contestants keep the cash credited to them.

All-Star Blitz

The panel consists of Elwood, the celebrities from Now You See It! and one other celebrity. The four panelists are seated below the game board. The six panels of the game board split apart for All-Star Blitz, and 12 starred circles, connected by lighted crossbars, fill the gaps.

This portion of the show goes about 15 minutes without a commercial break. It also has a new element: a running dollar score for both contestants. Earning a star (i.e., agreeing with a correct answer or disagreeing with a wrong answer) is worth $25. Solving the phrase puzzle is worth $100 multiplied by the number of the current round. The contestant with more cash at the end becomes the champion and advances to the bonus round. Again, both contestants keep the cash credited to them.

The Bonus Round

Each of the three celebrity guests has a secret multiplier: 10, 25 or 50. At the start of the bonus round, the contestant chooses one celebrity. Play the normal Now You See It! solo round: The contestant must find and highlight 10 words in 60 seconds. Each word found is worth $100; the multiplier is not applied unless all 10 words are found.

Good Features

• This hybrid show combines two innovative but short-lived word games.
• All awards are cash, from promotional fees paid by advertisers. This would reduce paperwork for the production company and benefit contestants at tax time.
• The celebrity players in the first half of the show become panelists in the second half.
• The game board, which is used for both games, is certain to impress viewers — even those who recall how the top row of seats was added behind the Match Game panel for Hollywood Squares.

Bad Features

• Having one co-host idle for half the show is not good. Maybe Burns could introduce the contestants at the beginning and lead into commercial breaks during Now You See It!.
• As Michael Klauss has asked: Would networks be interested in another hourlong hybrid game show?
• There is also the problem of disparate ownership: Pearson-Fremantle owns the Goodson-Todman library, and Orion (now part of Sony Pictures) owns the Merrill Heatter game shows.