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Bowling for Dollars was a 1970s-era TV game show on which ordinary people could try their hand at the sport of bowling. Contestants won cash and sometimes prizes based on how well they bowled. A game show involves members of the public or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, playing a game, perhaps involving answering quiz questions, for points or prizes. ...
Bowling ball and two pins Ten-pin bowling lane Bowling is a game in which players attempt to score points by rolling a ball along a flat surface to knock down objects called pins. ...
Unlike most TV game shows of the time, which were taped in New York or Hollywood and broadcast nationally, Bowling for Dollars was produced by local TV stations and only had contestants from the immediate area. The show was actually a franchise, created by Bert Claster of Claster Television, also the creator of Romper Room. Episodes of Bowling for Dollars were taped either in a local bowling alley, or on a pair of bowling lanes constructed right inside the TV studio. Claster Television was a television distributor founded in 1953 by Bert and Nancy Claster as Romper Room Inc. ...
Romper Room was a childrens television series which ran in the United States from 1953 to 1994. ...
The show
The show's main set consisted of a sliding door from which the host emerged, as did the contestants, one-by-one. There was also a Jackpot light with a numeric display of its value, and a Pin Pal barrel (see below). There were also stands set up for an audience.
Local editions may have varied, but there were two musical themes used. One was a custom theme for the show's opening and close (with a short phrase to introduce each contestant). The other was played when a contestant hit the jackpot, also used for commercial bumper music in some editions. The latter was an instrumental version of "Keep the Ball Rollin'" by Al Hirt, a song originally done by Jay & the Techniques. Al Hirt (November 7, 1922 – April 27, 1999) was a popular trumpeter and bandleader. ...
Gameplay As each contestant appeared, the host would interview him or her for a couple of minutes. Then the audience camera would cue as the contestant pointed out who he brought along ("There's my wife Cindy, there's my son Ralphie..."). The contestant was then instructed to pick a Pin Pal out of a large barrel, then went off to the lanes where they would bowl two shots.
A half-hour show had seven contestants.
Prizes Basically, each contestant received one dollar for each pin felled, e.g., a contestant who knocked down a total of 8 pins would receive $8, though some versions may have had a $5 minimum for less than five pins. A strike or a spare would award $20. But the real allure of the show was the jackpot, which was awarded to any bowler who got two consecutive strikes. The jackpot started at $300 or $500 (depending on the version) and was incremented by $20 each time it was not hit.
Some versions of Bowling for Dollars awarded prizes in addition to the money. In the Detroit edition of the show, a contestant who got a spare won a dinner for two at a local restaurant. If that spare was a split, they would also get two large pies from Buddy's Pizza. If the contestant got only one strike, they got to pick a pin from a "pin board" for a prize from a local jeweler; one such prize was a genuine diamond ring. Finally, if a contestant did break the jackpot, he or she got to bowl one more time, and if that was a strike they would receive yet another prize like a recliner chair or bicycle.
Pin Pals Each contestant, just before approaching the bowling lane, was instructed to randomly pick a postcard out of a large, horizontally-mounted barrel. The name on the card was then read aloud by the host. These were Pin Pal cards, allowing a viewer at home to participate in the game on TV. Whatever the contestant won the Pin Pal won also, although the jackpot may actually have been split between the two of them. Many people wrote clever messages on their Pin Pal cards, like "Strike it rich!" A Pin Pal was only eligible once per show, in case folks tried to send an overwhelming amount of postcards.
Local editions Bowling for Dollars was broadcast from TV stations serving medium to large communities all across the United States and Canada.
Baltimore There were two separate runs. Both aired on WBAL-TV Channel 11 WBAL-TV (channel 11, DTV 59), WBAL-TV 11 is the NBC affiliate for Baltimore, Maryland. ...
- This show only required contestants to make one strike for the jackpot — a significantly harder task in duckpin bowling than in standard tenpins.
- Bowling for Dollars
- Tom Cole, then Ron Riley, then Royal Parker
Duckpin bowling is a variation of Ten-pin bowling and is popular along the eastern coast of the United States, from Maryland through southern New England. ...
Charles L. Chuck Thompson (June 10, 1921 – March 6, 2005) was an American sportscaster best known for his broadcasts of the National Football League Baltimore Colts and Major League Baseballs Baltimore Orioles. ...
Boston This edition was titled Candlepins for Cash and had two separate runs Candlepin Bowling pins are specified as 15-3/4 inches (400 mm) in height and almost 3 inches (76 mm) in diameter at the center. ...
- 1st run
- Station: WNAC-TV Channel 7
- Host: Bob Gamere
- Site: Lanes in the basement of the studio
- 2nd run
- Station: WXNE-TV Channel 25
- Host: Rico Petrocelli
- Site: Wal-lex lanes in Waltham, MA (closed)
- (The show moved to channel 25 in 1982 when new channel 7 owners WNEV decided not to renew the show)
- The 2006 show Candlepins For Dollars airing on WLVI Channel 56 is not related to this format.
WHDH-TV, 7NBC, is the NBC affiliate in the Boston, Massachusetts television market. ...
WFXT is an American television station which uses the on-air brand Fox 25. ...
Americo Peter Rico Petrocelli (born June 27, 1943 in Brooklyn, New York) is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman who played his entire career in the American League for the Boston Red Sox (1963-1976). ...
1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
WLVI (WB 56) is the The WB television affiliate serving Boston, Massachusetts. ...
Buffalo - Station: WGR-TV Channel 2 (Now WGRZ-TV)
- Host: Ed Kilgore
- Site: In studio. (It's believed that the set shared the same studio with the news set.)
WGRZ-TV is the NBC affiliate in Buffalo, New York. ...
Cincinnati - Station: WKRC Channel 12
- Host: Glenn Ryle
- Site: In studio. The news set sat atop the lanes. There was also a daytime version that featured only lady bowlers called "Strikes And Spares" hosted by Jerry Thomas (who still works at WKRC radio in Cincinnati)
- The show first ran on WKRC for a 13-week trial run in the fall of 1971.
- The show re-appeared on September 3, 1972, Mon-Fri at 7:00 PM following repeats of Hogan's Heores
- The show later was moved to 6:30 PM, replacing Hogan's Heroes, when Mike Douglas Show moved to 7:00.
- The last weeknight program was Thanksgiving night 1975.
- The show was cancelled by then WKRC Program Manager, Gus Bailey.
- Fill ins for Glenn Ryle included WKRC weatherman Mike Fenwick, sports reporter Dale Conquest, but the main substitute was Jerry Thomas, who is mentioned above.
- WKRC began a Saturday afternoon show in 1976, hosted by Dick Schorr of WTVN-TV (now WSYX)of Columbus, Ohio. WKRC and WTVN were both owned at the time by Taft Broadcasting. Schorr hosted the WTVN weeknight edition. The WKRC Saturday shows were pre-recorded, the weeknight shows with Glenn Ryle were live.
WKRC is a set of radio and television stations based in Cincinnati, Ohio, owned by Clear Channel Communications. ...
Cleveland Had two separate runs of Bowling for Dollars. Both used in-studio lanes. - 1st run
- Station: WEWS Channel 5
- Host: Don Webster
- 2nd run
- Station: WJW Channel 8
- Host: Dick Goddard
WEWS (Channel 5) is the local ABC network affiliate in Cleveland, Ohio. ...
WJW, also known on-air as FOX8, is a television station in Cleveland, Ohio, broadcasting on VHF channel 8. ...
Columbus, OH - Station: WTVN Channel 6 (Now WSYX)
- Host: Dick Schorr, Gene Fullen with Sally Flowers
- Site: Two in-studio lanes
WSYX, ABC6 is the ABC television affiliate in Columbus, Ohio. ...
Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas WFAA is the ABC affiliate serving the Dallas/Fort Worth DMA with its transmitter located in the Cedar Hill. ...
Verne Lundquist (born July 17, 1940 in Duluth, Minnesota) is currently a journalist for CBS. Before working for CBS, he worked as sports anchor for WFAA-TV in Dallas and in Austin, Texas for KTBC, as well as being the radio voice of the Dallas Cowboys. ...
Grand Prairie is a city located in Dallas county, with a significant overlap into Tarrant, and a minor overlap into Ellis counties. ...
Look up PBA in Wiktionary, the free dictionary PBA is the ICAO code for PB Air The TLA PBA may stand for: Palm Beach Atlantic University Professional Bowlers Association Partial-birth abortion Philippine Basketball Association Pantip Basketball Association Patrolmens Benevolent Association Provincetown-Boston Airlines Police Benevolent Association Thalys PBA...
Dayton, OH Station: WLWD (now WDTN) - Host: David G. McFarland
- These shows were live from the WLWD studios.
- The show aired Mon-Fri at 7:00 PM.
Detroit - Station: WDIV Channel 4
- Host: Bob Allison
- Site: Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park
- Originally at Highland Lanes in Toledo, OH
WDIV (Local 4) is the NBC television station based in Detroit, Michigan. ...
Flint - Station: WJRT Channel 12
- Host: Ed Phelps
- Site: Unknown; likely taped at a bowling center
WJRT-TV (ABC 12) is the American Broadcasting Company-owned and operated television station in the Flint-Saginaw-Bay City, Michigan television market. ...
Kansas City - Station: KMBC Channel 9
- Host: Fred Broski
- Site: Originally at King Louie West, then in studio
KMBC-TV, KMBC-TV 9 is the ABC affiliate in Kansas City, Missouri (and also for Kansas City, Kansas) owned by Hearst-Argyle Broadcasting. ...
Los Angeles This redirect page is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ...
Francis Dayle Chick Hearn (27 November 1916 - 5 August 2002) was an American sportscaster. ...
Milwaukee 1st station - WVTV Channel 18(1972-1975)
- Site: Red Carpet Lanes North(Now closed)
2nd station WVTV (Channel 18) is a television station located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ...
- WISN-TV Channel 12(1975-1978)
WISN-TV (Channel 12) is a television station located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ...
Minneapolis/St. Paul - Station: KSTP
- Host: Tom Ryther
- Site: Various
KSTP is the call sign used for a set of television and radio stations with studios in Saint Paul, Minnesota. ...
New York WWOR-TV, channel nine, is currently the New York City affiliate station of the UPN television network. ...
Robert Allan Murphy (September 25, 1924 – August 3, 2004) was an American sportscaster who spent 50 years doing play-by-play of Major League Baseball games on television and radio. ...
Larry Kenney (born August 5, 1947) is an American actor best known for his classic voiceover work. ...
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, known colloquially simply as The Garden, has been the name of four arenas in New York City, United States. ...
Philadelphia - Stations: WTAF-TV (now WTXF-TV); WPHL-TV
- Host: Dick Schoor (WTAF), Tom Dooley (WPHL)
The WTAF version was taped at their studios in the basement of their Center City studios, while the WPHL version was taped at Boulevard Lanes in Philadelphia. WTXF-TV, FOX29 is the FOX television affiliate serving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, owned by FOX Broadcasting. ...
WPHL-TV (Philadelphias WB 17) is the television station affiliated with The WB television network in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ...
Pittsburgh - Station: WTAE Channel 4
- Host: Nick Perry
WTAE-TV is the ABC affiliate serving the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. ...
Tampa-St. Petersburg - Station: WTSP Channel 10
- Host: Jim Bradley
- Site: Sunshine Bowl in Pinellas Park (closed, following hurricane damage in 2004 and, during rebuilding, a fire in 2005)
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