NationMaster - Encyclopedia: The Joker's Wild

The Joker's Wild was an American television game show that aired at different times during the 1970s through the 1990s, It billed itself as the game "where knowledge is king and lady luck is queen," and was notable for being the first successful game show (earlier attempts were significantly less successful) produced by Barry-Enright Productions after their role in the quiz show scandals in the late 1950's. Jokers Wild is a rock band from mid-1960s Cambridge, England. ... Image File history File links Tjwcbs. ... Quiz show redirects here. ... Jack Barry (March 20, 1918 â€“ May 4, 1984) was an American television game show host and producer, whose career was nearly ruined in the quiz show scandal of the late 1950s but who made a remarkable comeback over a decade later. ... Jack Barry (March 20, 1918 â€“ May 4, 1984) was an American television game show host and producer, whose career was nearly ruined in the quiz show scandal of the late 1950s but who made a remarkable comeback over a decade later. ... William Bill Lawrence Frances Cullen (February 18, 1920 â€“ July 7, 1990), was an Emmy Award-winning American radio and television personality. ... Jim Peck is an American game show host, but is also known as the whispering reporter on Judge Wapners version of The Peoples Court. ... Patrick Pat Finn (born July 24, 1956 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania) is the former host of several game shows. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Charlie ODonnell (born August 12, 1932 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a television announcer best known for his work on Wheel of Fortune. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... This article is about the broadcast network. ... In the television industry (as in radio), syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast programs to multiple stations, without going through a broadcast network. ... Quiz show redirects here. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... The American quiz show scandals of the 1950s were the result of the revelation that contestants of several popular television quiz shows were secretly given assistance by the producers to arrange the outcome of a supposedly fair competition. ...

Originally, the show was simply a Jack Barry Production, but Barry added Enright's name a few years after, when the show entered syndication. Although it was a Barry & Enright-produced game show from 1977 onward, The Joker's Wild was copyrighted and a property of Jack Barry Productions during its entire run and in the 1990 version, with Barry's sons Jonathan and Douglas Barry as co-executive producers.

Hosts

Jack Barry, who created the show and eventually used it to revive his partnership with longtime producer Dan Enright, hosted all versions of the show up until his death in May 1984. Bill Cullen hosted for the remainder of the syndicated run. Although Joker is commonly named by several game show historians as the first series Jack Barry was part of following the disastrous quiz show scandals, that is not actually true. Jack Barry (March 20, 1918 â€“ May 4, 1984) was an American television game show host and producer, whose career was nearly ruined in the quiz show scandal of the late 1950s but who made a remarkable comeback over a decade later. ... Daniel Enright (August 30, 1917 - May 22, 1992) was one of the most successful game show producers in American television. ... This article is about the year. ... William Bill Lawrence Frances Cullen (February 18, 1920 â€“ July 7, 1990), was an Emmy Award-winning American radio and television personality. ... The American quiz show scandals of the 1950s were the result of the revelation that contestants of several popular television quiz shows were secretly given assistance by the producers to arrange the outcome of a supposedly fair competition. ...

Barry had hosted two earlier series (The Generation Gap and The Reel Game) prior to the premiere of Joker (the latter of the two produced and created by Barry himself), and some evidence suggests he and partner Dan Enright were "silent partners" in several game shows of the 1960s (in the United States and Canada), defying their unofficial blacklisting by the industry. Enright was brought on as executive producer of The Joker's Wild during its final CBS season. Image File history File links Barry002. ... Image File history File links Barry002. ... The Generation Gap was an American game show that aired from February 2, 1969 to May 23, 1969 on the primetime schedule of ABC. It was originally hosted by Dennis Wholey, until April 18, in which Jack Barry hosted his first national game show since his company was marred by... The Reel Game was a game show that lasted for four months from January 18, 1971 - May 3, 1971 on ABC Primetime. ...

Jim Peck began subbing for Barry beginning in 1981, which he would continue to do on occasion until Barry's death in 1984; he would also fill-in for Cullen during the final season for a few weeks in late 1986. Barry and producer Ron Greenberg wanted Peck to become Barry's successor, but after Barry died, Dan Enright gave the hosting duties to Cullen instead. This was the final game show hosted by Bill Cullen. Jim Peck is an American game show host, but is also known as the whispering reporter on Judge Wapners version of The Peoples Court. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the year. ... Ron Greenberg is an American television game show producer who worked on numerous successful network and syndicated programs of that genre from the 1960s through the 1990s. ... Daniel Enright (August 30, 1917 - May 22, 1992) was one of the most successful game show producers in American television. ...

Pat Finn hosted the 1990 remake, which lasted one season. Patrick Pat Finn (born July 24, 1956 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania) is the former host of several game shows. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ...

Announcers

Johnny Jacobs was the original announcer of The Joker's Wild, which he served through most of its CBS run, with Johnny Gilbert and Roy Rowan filling in on occasion, as well as Marc Summers, then a page at CBS. When the series returned to first-run syndication in 1977, Jay Stewart and Johnny Jacobs became the primary announcers, alternating during the first two seasons before Stewart assumed full duties during the 1979-1980 season; Bob Hilton announced the final three months of the 79-80 season and Art James announced the 1980-1981 season, with Stewart announcing the final three months of that season as well as the 1980 ToC. In 1981, Charlie O'Donnell became the standard announcer of Barry & Enright game shows, announcing for the final five seasons. Gilbert and John Harlan would fill in for O'Donnell on occasion. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Johnny Gilbert (born July 13, 1924 in Newport News, Virginia) is a prolific American television game show announcer, best known for his over 20-year association with TVs Jeopardy!. His other credits include Sports Challenge, Camouflage, Chain Reaction, Go, Blackout, Card Sharks, Family Feud, The $25,000 Pyramid, and... Marc Summers (born Marc Berkowitz November 11, 1951 in Indianapolis, Indiana) is an American television personality, popular game show host, producer, and a two-time talk show host, perhaps best known for hosting the childrens game show Double Dare on Nickelodeon. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Bob Hilton with The Price Is Right announcer Rich Fields. ... Art James (October 15, 1929 - March 27, 2004) was best known as the announcer on the classic game show Concentration. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... Charlie ODonnell (born August 12, 1932 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a television announcer best known for his work on Wheel of Fortune. ... There have been several notable people named John Harlan: John Marshall Harlan, a former Supreme Court Associate Justice John Marshall Harlan II, Harlans grandson, who also became a Supreme Court justice John Harlan, a 20th Century television announcer This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists...

Ed MacKay, a local Los Angeles radio DJ and one-time overnight news anchor at station KNX AM-1070, announced the 1990-1991 revival. Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area City 1,290. ... For other meanings of DJ, see DJ (disambiguation). ... KNX is a Los Angeles, California, clear channel radio station operating on 1070 kHz with 50,000 watts of power from a transmitter site in Torrance, and a key West Coast station for the CBS Radio Network. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ...

Game Origins

It has been said from sources that the concept of The Joker's Wild came as early as the mid-1960s, and that Jack Barry pitched the concept to Goodson-Todman Productions (Which is where Barry worked after the scandals). G-T was not impressed with the format, so Barry eventually continued revamping Joker for several years before CBS finally gave him the green light to bring it onto its daytime schedule (following a local tryout on station KTLA in Los Angeles one year prior to debuting on CBS). The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969. ... Mark Goodson (January 14, 1915 â€“ December 18, 1992) was an American television producer born in Sacramento, California. ... KTLA, channel 5, is a television station in Los Angeles, California. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area City 1,290. ...

Studio sets

Four different studio settings were used during the course of the 1972-86 run of The Joker's Wild. In the beginning, the joker machine was surrounded by two borders that are somewhat shaped like a "C", each containing 46 red bulbs, and the category windows were surrounded by chase-light borders. The rest of the set was of a white and red configuration. When the syndicated version began airing in 1977, the set remained somewhat the same but with more red light bulbs (increased to 102 on each side) and a modified chase-light border around each of the category windows. The following year, more chase lights were added, and the red lights began flashing as well.

By 1981, the set changed to a neon-setting, designed by John C. Mula, with blue neon surrounding the joker machine. It also added audience contestant displays for the Face the Devil game, which resembled both the Joker contestant set and the Contestants' Row for The Price is Right, whose current daytime reincarnation premiered the same 1972 day as Joker on CBS. The Price Is Rights US 36th season logo. ...

Gameplay

Note: The gameplay described below represents the best-remembered format of the 1977-86 syndicated series. Any differences in alternative versions will be discussed in the appropriate section.

Main game

Two contestants, one a returning champion, played. The challenger began the game by pulling a lever, which set three slot machine-style wheels in motion. The wheels each contained five different categories and a Joker. After the wheels stopped (one at a time from left to right across the board) the player chose one of the displayed categories and had to answer a question from that category. If the player answered correctly, the dollar value of the question was added to his/her score. If they answered incorrectly, his/her opponent had a chance to answer and steal the money (and could possibly win the game if the question was enough to put him/her at or above $500.) The champion would then get to spin, pick a category and have a chance to answer a question, with the same rules applying. The game is unofficially played in "rounds", with each round completed when both the challenger and champion has spun the joker machine, similar to innings in baseball. Slot machines in the Trump Taj Mahal A slot machine (American English), fruit machine (British English), or poker machine (Australian English) is a certain type of casino game. ...

Money values

The value of each question was determined by how many times that category appeared on the wheels. If three different categories appeared, a question in any of the categories was worth $50. If a two of a kind and a single appeared, a question based on the pair was worth $100, and one based on the single was worth $50. If a natural triple (three of a kind) was spun, the question was worth $200 (originally $150, but this was increased) and a bonus prize was awarded to the player. Natural pairs and triples could not be split and had to be taken for $100 or $200 respectively.

The game's "slots" were actually three slightly modified slide projectors. Each graphic was a separate slide loaded on a metal platter (similar to a ViewMaster wheel). Electric motors would spin the platters rapidly, rotating the graphics through the gates. Unused categories were deselected by simply switching off the appropriate projectors. Turning the lamps on and off so much caused them to blow out repeatedly during tapings. View-Master reels from a German Karl May-movie. ...

Jokers

Jokers were wild, hence the show's title. The player could use them to match any displayed category to create a pair or triple, thus increasing the value of the question. They could also substitute a joker for a category in play but not displayed on the wheels (which was referred to as going "off the board") for a $50 question using one joker or $100 using two jokers. Spinning three jokers in a single spin would allow the contestant to immediately win the game, regardless of their current score. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Using jokers was optional, so players would decline to use them when the base value of a question was enough for them to win the game; that way, if the player missed the question and his opponent answered it correctly, the opponent would receive less money.

The joker cards had a purple background with an animated Joker doing a handstand with his feet curved to the left. The word Wild appeared at the bottom of the card.

Category cards

Category cards were of various illustrations, with green, light blue, yellow, orange, pink, red and other color configurations with the name of the category displayed below. Originally, the category named appeared on the color background, but later on the category name was placed on a white box with a black border.

The windows

The game windows were surrounded by chase-light borders, with each window having an 11-bulb-by-7-bulb configuration; having a 2-on, 2-off chase light format. For a time in 1983, a 3-on, 1-off chase light sequence was used, which was common on NBC-produced game shows. These border lights would be activated when a joker appeared, or if a player selected a category. At one time, all three window lights would turn on regardless of what appeared on the board. Also, if the devil showed up at any time in the bonus game, the border lights surrounding the devil would be activated as well.

Winning the game

After each completed round, the player who reached $500 or more is declared the winner. This can be accomplished by various scenarios:

If the challenger, who spins first, reaches the target score, then the champion is given one last spin to either tie the game or win the game with a proper spin. For example, a champion trailing by $100 must spin at least a double to tie, or a triple or three jokers to win. A champion trailing by more than $200 must spin three jokers or have one of the Fast Forward Categories to allow them to catch up, or the Mystery category if in use with a proper spin. If the champion spins an amount less than needed, the game ends and the challenger becomes the new champion. If the champion spins the right combination needed to stay in the game and answers the question wrong, the game also ends.

The challenger can also win the game by answering a question missed by the champion whose value was high enough to reach $500. Otherwise, the champion has the advantage of winning, by answering a question on his spin or from a missed question from the challenger.

The game automatically ends if either player spins three jokers and correctly answers a question from any of the five categories. Only the player who spun three jokers gets a chance to answer the question; if they miss, the game continues.

If both players tied with a winning amount, extra rounds were played until someone was ahead after a completed round, or until three jokers were spun and a question was correctly answered, thus ending the game.

Any contestant who won five consecutive games received a new car as a bonus, usually a Buick Skylark or a Chevy Chevette. Players continued on the show until defeated; some repeat champions won more than $25,000 in cash and prizes.

Between 1981 and 1984, the show (as well as its sister series, Tic Tac Dough) had a winnings limit of $50,000 imposed on it (at the request of CBS, who owned quite a few stations where these shows aired), with all winnings over that amount being donated to charity, even though the program was syndicated. If that happens, the contestant automatically retires undefeated. As a result, Tournament of Champions play was discontinued. The limit prompted Barry and distributor Colbert Television Sales to sign up as many NBC affiliates as they could in order to remove the $50,000 limit (as NBC had no game show winnings limits at the time), plus have their future game show projects produced at the NBC Burbank Studios, including Hot Potato. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Endgame ("Face the Devil")

The wheels now contained various amounts of money ($25, $50, $75, $100, $150 and $200 cards) and Devils. The object was to take spins and accumulate $1,000 or more on the wheels, which won a bonus prize package valued at $3500-$5000 (including the $1000+). However, if the Devil came up at any time in one of the three windows, the game was over and the player lost whatever money he/she had built up (they do, of course, keep the $500 or more won in the regular game). The player always had the option to stop after every "safe" spin and keep the money earned to that point. In this case (or if the contestant got over $1000), the host would hand the contestant the cash one bill at a time with the audience counting it out loud, starting with $100 bills, then $50/$20/$5 bills as necessary. In one episode, the host confirmed that it was in fact real money.

This game was played in the last year of the CBS run and during the entire syndicated series. In the syndicated run, a natural triple in the bonus round (three identical dollar amounts) resulted in an automatic win - however, the cash would be a flat $1000, unless the amounts put the total over $1000. Then, the spin's value was simply added to the score. The highest amount of money that was possible to win in "Face the Devil" was $1575 ($975 in the pot plus a spin of $200/$200/$200).

Only one devil was used on the wheels; it was rotated from one window to another after each bonus game.

In later years, when a player stopped to take the money, host Jack Barry would encourage the player to spin to see what would have happened if he/she had continued spinning. On a few occurrences contestants stopped, believing the devil would come up, and it did.

Broadcast history

The Joker's Wild debuted on CBS September 4, 1972, incidentally on the same Labor Day as the modern incarnation of The Price is Right as well as Gambit. It ran for 686 telecasts until June 13, 1975 on that network, airing at 10 a.m. Eastern/9 a.m. Central. This article is about the broadcast network. ... is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the holiday in the United States. ... The Price Is Rights US 36th season logo. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

For the first two years, it faced NBC's Dinah's Place, the talk vehicle for singer/actress Dinah Shore, which gave way to the first of several revivals of Name That Tune, which Joker easily defeated in the ratings. However, when NBC moved its panel game Celebrity Sweepstakes to 10/9 in early 1975, Joker went into steep decline, ending a nearly three-year run in the summer. Its replacement, Spin-Off (like Joker, a gambling-themed game) did even worse, eventually prompting CBS to expand Price to a full hour later in the year. This article is about the television network. ... Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore February 29, 1916 - February 24, 1994) was an American singer and actress. ... Name That Tune was a television game show that put two contestants against each other to test their knowledge of songs. ... Celebrity Sweepstakes was an American television game show that aired on NBCs daytime schedule from April 1, 1974 to October 1, 1976. ... A spin-off (or spinoff) is a new organization or entity formed by a split from a larger one such as a new company formed from a university research group. ...

However, some big-market independent stations gave the game another chance the next year. After a syndicated rerun cycle of the last CBS season proved successful in 1976, the show returned to first-run syndication (via Colbert Television Sales) in September 1977 and continued for nine seasons, lasting until September 1986, amassing 2,340 episodes, making a grand total of 3,026 telecasts. A one-season revival ran from September 10, 1990 to September 13, 1991, also in syndication. In the television industry (as in radio), syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast programs to multiple stations, without going through a broadcast network. ... Year 1976 Pick up sticks(MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see September (disambiguation). ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... For other uses, see September (disambiguation). ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... In the television industry (as in radio), syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast programs to multiple stations, without going through a broadcast network. ...

Other versions

Original 1968 pilot

The show's pilot, taped December 8, 1968 and hosted by Allen Ludden, was very different from the eventual series. Most notable was the fact that categories on the wheels were each represented by a different celebrity panelist, each of whom asked the questions in his/her specific category. A somewhat confusing points system was used for scoring in place of money: for three different categories, a question on any of the categories was worth 1 point. On a pair and a single, all questions were worth 2 points if the contestant chose to play the paired category, and 1 point if they only played the single category. For a triple, three 3-point questions were offered. Jokers, of course, represented any category the contestant chose, increasing the value of the questions if a pair or triple was formed as a result. The spinner had the option to answer any of the number of questions available depending on the spin. Full turns were used, with the player reaching 13 points or more after each full round winning the game. A three-joker spin resulted in a win if the spinner correctly answers a question from any of the five categories. is the 342nd day of the year (343rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Allen Ludden (October 5, 1918 â€“ June 9, 1981) was an American television presenter and game show host. ...

For a bonus round, the game's winner spun the wheels, each of which contained different prizes of various qualities, ranging from a five-cent piece of chewing gum to $500 cash. After the spin, the player could elect to keep the prizes shown, or give them all back for a second spin. This offer was then repeated after the second spin, but if a third spin was taken, the player was stuck with whatever prizes came up in that spin. This pilot did not feature returning champions.

A second pilot was taped a month later on January 5, 1969, but without the celebrities; Ludden simply read the questions himself. Both pilots were produced by Barry in association with the CBS Television Network, with Lee Vines announcing. is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ...

1970 pilot: The Honeymoon Game

In 1970, another pilot, albeit obscure, was shot, under the name The Honeymoon Game hosted by Jim MacKrell and produced by Jack Barry in association with Metromedia.^[1] Barry appeared before the beginning of the show, explaining that the first round was cut out before "airing" due to its weak format; it featured six couples (three competing in two separate competitions) who tried to predict how their spouses responded to a series of broad questions that gradually became more narrow, with the lowest-scoring couple in each segment eliminated. 1970s logo for WTCN-TV (now KARE) in Minneapolis, which included the corporate logo for Metromedia; this logo was also used by KTTV in Los Angeles Metromedia Producers Corporation logo Metromedia (also often MetroMedia) was a media company that owned radio and television stations in the United States from 1956...

In round 2, the four remaining couples competed against each other, again in two separate segments. Just like in the 1969 Ludden pilot, the wheels had celebrities on them, each one representing a category. After the spin, the couple selected which category they wanted. The scoring was similar to that of the Ludden pilot. Instead of Jokers on the wheel, there were "bonus" cards. If a couple spun three bonus cards, the game was ended, and they would win instantly without answering a question. Ten points or more won the game. For each bonus card spun other than the situation where the player would spin three of them in one spin, a point was automatically added to the couple's score.

Round 3 was the "deciding finals," with the two remaining couples playing to win the match. The celebrities would leave, and now MacKrell would be asking the questions. The players spun as before, in the first wheel would be the category, the second wheel would display "Take a Chance," and the third wheel would display what the question on the category spun would be worth (In a spin of "Sports/Take a Chance/$10," Jim would ask a question on sports for $10). A correct answer added the value to the couple's score. The couple then "Took a chance," as the middle window implies, and saw what was behind the slide. It could be anything from "Add $40" to "Deduct $100." If answered wrong, the amount on the first wheel was deducted from the score, however, couples did not go below 0.

The game was played until time ran out, and the couple with the highest score played the bonus round, which was similar to the first bonus round used in the later CBS series of The Joker's Wild, only difference was, the couple was given three spins instead of two (see description below). There was also a second bonus round, where the wheels displayed hearts with numbers in them (slot number 1 had 1, number 2 had 2, number 3 had 3), and the couple selected one of those three windows. Behind each window was a destination for the couple to choose for their honeymoon. "The Honeymoon Game" was intended to be a 90 minute game show (the genre's first of its kind), and though it did not sell, a number of Metromedia-owned stations did air the pilot as a one-off in the summer of 1971. Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ...

The syndicated version of The Joker's Wild did have a slight throwback to the couples concept for one week in the 1981-1982 season, when it held a "Newlywed Couples" tournament. Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ...

1971 tryout

This tryout series aired locally on Los Angeles' KTLA and aired for about three months. The tryout episodes were hosted by Jack Barry, with rules similar to the regular 1972-86 series with the following exceptions: KTLA, channel 5, is a television station in Los Angeles, California. ...

Three contestants competed in each game. Spinning three different categories and answering a question in any of the three categories were worth $25. Pairs were worth $50 and triples were worth $100, with $250 the target number to win. As before, an equal amount of turns was given. A three-joker spin resulted in an automatic win with a correct response to a question from any of the five categories in play. The bonus round was similar to that of the Allen Ludden pilot, but with more elaborate prizes.

Highlights of the 1971 tryout series were shown during Jack Barry's promos of the eventual series, which began production on CBS in 1972.

1972-1975

Initially, triples were worth $150, but soon increased to $200. Also, three Jokers originally won the game automatically, without a question being asked. From episode 1 until around mid-1973, the champion went first instead of the challenger.

Bonus rounds

The bonus round went through a few different permutations:
Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Prize Round #1 - For the first two episodes, it was a variation of the game seen in the 1969 pilot, but with only two spins allowed and most of the gag prizes replaced with decent ones. Additionally, some prizes appeared on the wheels inside of circles; if all three prizes in a spin were thus circled, the player also won a new car.

Prize Round #2 - Beginning with the third aired episode, the circles were eliminated and the car became a regular prize on the wheels (other big prizes including a boat or a trip were also added to the board on occasion).

Jokers and Devils - Beginning with the 11th aired episode, the endgame was completely overhauled again - this time, the wheels contained Jokers and Devils. The player was given up to three spins, and each time three Jokers came up, a different prize was won, increasing in value with each spin taken. If a Devil appeared, the player lost it all. Amusingly, for Christmas 1972, the graphics for this game were altered to become "Santas" (Jokers) and "Scrooges" (Devils). Originally the winning contestant got four spins with the last spin being worth a car or another big prize. For a brief period, the prize was not told until after the successful spin. In 1973, to avoid confusion between the category wheels and the bonus game reels, the Jokers in the "Jokers and Devils" era were marked with the word "Joker" instead of the word "Wild". This was implemented following a game in which the reels were not switched to the regular reels, and the champion spun three jokers to begin the game. For one game, the left window mistakenly contained a bonus game reel (one spin read, from left to right, "Joker," "Wild" and a category). Jack Barry did not mention why there was a difference between the two Jokers, or why every spin in that game began with a Joker on the left. For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ... A typical depiction of Santa Claus. ... Ebenezer Scrooge encounters Ignorance and Want in A Christmas Carol Ebenezer Scrooge is the main character in Charles Dickens 1843 novel, A Christmas Carol. ...

Face the Devil - By the end of the CBS run, the "Face the Devil" round described above had been implemented. It has been said that the Devil in the "Face the Devil" bonus game was meant to be a caricature of Jack Barry. Many contestants have told Barry that the devil resembles him. On one syndicated episode, Barry jokingly named the devil "Pierre."

Joker's Jackpot

Early in the show's run, returning champions were competing for a chance to win the "Joker's Jackpot," an accruing jackpot of cash that started at $2500. Players won this jackpot if they won four (later three) consecutive games; later on, a new automobile was added to the jackpot. However, if the champion was defeated, all of his/her cash winnings were forfeited to the Joker's Jackpot (prizes won in the bonus round was his/hers to keep). Thus, after every game, the champion decided whether to play on for a chance to win the Jackpot, or play it safe and retire from the show with his/her current winnings. The Jackpot continued to build until it reached $25,000, which was at the time CBS's maximum "winnings cap" for game show contestants.

Originally, after winning the Joker's Jackpot, the champion was retired undefeated, but later on, the rules were changed to allow champions to continue playing until either being defeated or reaching the maximum CBS winnings limit.

Upon implementation of the "Face the Devil" bonus round, the "Joker's Jackpot" was abandoned, players kept whatever they earned, while still retiring after winning $25,000, and five wins were needed to win a new automobile.

1977-1986

There were a few alterations to the syndicated show over the years. One of the most notable was the addition of a "Natural Triple Jackpot" in 1983. This was an accruing prize package offered to a contestant who had spun a triple of any category, without Jokers (at one point the jackpot reached as high as $38,000). Prior to that, a bonus prize, usually around $500 in value, was given to any contestant who spun a natural triple.

The new neon set

After the first four syndicated seasons on a red set (which had been touched up in 1978 with an overabundance of lights), in 1981 neon lights and contestant tags were added as was a completely overhauled set which had a blue background as it was in the first few seasons. During the bonus round and audience game, the chase lights would flash, and on a bonus game win, all of the lights would turn on and off at half-second intervals.

The outer chase lights, which remained intact from the previous set (as well as the chase lights around the windows), would not flash at all, except for a short time in 1981, and again regularly by 1985. The contestant's podiums and the host's podiums were surrounded by three vertical flashing jokers on each side.

Tournament of Champions

"Tournaments of Champions" were held annually between 1977 and 1980. Frank Dillon won the $50,000 and $100,000 tournaments in 1977 and 1978, respectively; Eileen Jason captured the $250,000 tournament in 1979.

In 1980, The Joker's Wild became the first television program to advertise that it was giving away $1,000,000. It was the total purse for a special tournament of champions; the eventual winner received $500,000 of that total ($250,000, paid $25,000 annually for 10 years), half of which went to the charity of his or her choice. The remainder of the money was divided among the other participants in the tournament, depending on how they performed, with once again half of their winnings going to charity. Rob Griffin won the top prize, half of which went to the March of Dimes. Other tournaments of champions ($50,000 in 1977, $100,000 in 1978, and $250,000 in 1979) were held prior to this, but no ToCs were held after the $1,000,000 tournament. Appropriately, Barry and Enright used Stu Levin's theme from Break the Bank (which they produced in 1976 and 1977) as the special music for the tournament. Break the Bank is a title that has been used for three entirely separate American game shows throughout television history. ...

Different rules applied to Tournament of Champions play: the players played for points instead of dollars, and in the championship game, winning two games out of three were needed to win the top prize (3 out of 5 for the $1,000,000 ToC). In the event a natural triple was spun, a $500 bonus was awarded to the player for his/her charity. Players drew numbers to determine who would spin the wheels first. If player #1 (in the challenger's podium) spun three jokers and answers a question, that player's score goes to 500 points. The player who spun second would get one final turn to tie the game in that case, or win the game if trailing by less than 200 points. The player who was ahead after each completed round after the target score of 500 points was reached was declared the winner.

Other special weeks over the years included "College Week", "Couples Week", "Teen Week", and "Children's Week" (which led to the weekly syndicated Joker! Joker!! Joker!!!).

Special categories

Special categories were introduced during the course of the syndicated era; the most famous of which were the "Mystery" category & the "Fast Forward" category. Here's the rundown of the special categories:

Other popular categories over the years included "Grab Bag" which is a potluck category, "Spelling Bee", "News of the 70s", "Television", "Sex Symbols", "Scrambled Words" and "Who, What or Where?", based on the game show produced by Ron Greenberg, while serving as Jokers' Wild producer, and hosted by Art James, who served as Joker's announcer during the 1980-81 season. Bullseye, billed as the game in which daring determined the fate of the players, was the title of an American game show that aired in syndication from September 29, 1980 to September 24, 1982. ... Name That Tune was a television game show that put two contestants against each other to test their knowledge of songs. ... Ron Greenberg is an American television game show producer who worked on numerous successful network and syndicated programs of that genre from the 1960s through the 1990s. ...

One category that had a relatively short life was "Road Signs", in which a player had to identify a road sign with a symbol on it. On one occurrence in 1978, both contestants could not identify the "Two-Way Traffic" sign. One of the contestant's answers was You could pass on either side and the other was You could pass on both sides, causing Jack Barry to say, "If you two were doing that, you'd be in an accident!"

The audience game

Beginning with the 1981-82 season, an audience game was played at the final segment each show (originally two or three shows per week, including the week-ending show). Three members of the studio audience were selected by announcer Charlie O'Donnell for a chance to win bonus money and a chance to spin against the devil. Each audience member was given one spin to get as much money as possible (originally two spins were given; meaning the audience member can take another spin if he/she did not like the amount spun or wasn't enough to take the lead). The wheels contained money amounts ranging from $10 to $100, with $250 the highest amount possible in one spin (accomplished a few times). Whoever had the highest score went on to face the devil for a bonus prize and an additional $1000. In the event of a tie, a spinoff would occur, with the members winning whatever came up on the wheels, added to what they spun before. When Bill Cullen took over the reins of "The Joker's Wild" in 1984, the third contestant became a home viewer playing from his/her touch-tone telephone. The audience end game was discontinued following the 1984-85 season. Charlie ODonnell (born August 12, 1932 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a television announcer best known for his work on Wheel of Fortune. ...

Joker! Joker!! Joker!!! (1979-1981)

This was a special once-weekly version of The Joker's Wild with children for contestants and appropriately themed subject matter for questions. The format was basically the same, with only some slight alterations. In the main game, the children would play for points, not dollars, with 500 points awarding a $500 education bond, whereas losing players received a $100 education bond. In some episodes, the children's parents sometimes played the bonus round, presumably to avoid giving their kids the vice of gambling (and because the bonus round lever was too high for the average child). If the round is won, in most episodes, the parents are given the money instead of the child for some reason (the child still gets the money, though). The special categories "Mystery" & "Fast Forward" were not in use in this version, but "Multiple Choice" was still used. As before, full rounds were used, and the player who reached 500 points or more after each completed round was the winner. A three-joker spin still was worth an automatic win with one correct answer from any of the five categories in play. Vice is a practice or habit that is considered immoral, depraved, and/or degrading in the associated society. ...

This version featured many memorable exchanges between the young kids and host Jack Barry. More jokers were also added to the wheels, which Barry himself pointed out during one episode after an audience member shouted out fixed during the opening segment of that program.

A memorable moment in the kids version was when Jack Barry asked a 7-year-old contestant, Alec Green, what he wanted to be when he grew up. Alec responded that he wanted to be a game show host. When Barry asked "like me?", Alec replied, "no, Bob Barker". Alec later mentioned other hosts Bill Cullen, Wink Martindale, and Monty Hall, as well as game shows such as Chain Reaction, Card Sharks and The Price Is Right, among others (much to Barry's dismay). Chain Reaction is an American game show, where one word leads to another, and the right word leads to loads of cash. ... Card Sharks was an American television game show in which contestants guessed whether a playing card was higher or lower than the card that preceded it. ... The Price Is Right is a popular American game show based on contestants guessing the retail prices of featured prizes and other promotional products. ...

Prior to the debut of Joker! Joker!! Joker!!!, The Joker's Wild featured children playing every year around Easter time beginning in 1973.

1990-1991

When "The Joker's Wild" returned to syndication in 1990, virtually everything about the show was changed. In particular, the regular questions were replaced with terms that the contestants had to define, which was used for language arts.

A tribute to Jack Barry was in place on this version; a memorial plaque placed on that version's slot machine.

Round 1

In the first round, three contestants (one a returning champion) competed to be the first to reach $500. The game began with a toss-up definition, and whoever buzzed in first with the correct answer gained control of the machine. The wheels contained various dollar amounts (generally $5-$50 in each window), with a Joker in the third window tripling the value of the first two if it came up (and giving that player 15 seconds to come up with as many correct answers as possible). After spinning, the player was given a series of rapid-fire definitions and had to figure out what those definitions referred to. Each correct answer earned the current value of the wheels. If a definition was missed, the other two players could buzz-in and attempt to steal control of the board; after this, the wheels were spun again, either by the correct answerer or (if no one had answered correctly) the controller of the last question. When one player reached the $500 target number, the low-scoring contestant was eliminated.

Round 2

The two remaining contestants advanced to the second round, which was played much like the first but with higher dollar amounts on the wheels. The contestants built on their scores from the first round and were able to choose from two categories after each spin. Additionally, an "Opponent's Choice" card could appear in the third window; as the name suggests, this gave the spinning player's opponent the choice of categories the spinner would have to answer questions from. The first player to reach $2000 won the game and kept the money. The loser left only with parting gifts.

Bonus round

In the bonus round, the champion was given up to three definitions to different words starting with the same letter. Each correct answer given within a sixty second time limit earned one spin of the wheels. The wheels, this time, contained prizes (including cash awards of $500, $1,000, and $1,500) and Jokers. The object was to get three of a kind of any prize in order to win it. After each spin, the player could "freeze" windows containing a prize he/she wanted to win, and only the unfrozen windows would continue to spin. Jokers could be used to match any prize showing; spinning three Jokers won a "Joker Jackpot" that started at $5,000 and increased by $500 each day until won. (This had to be done in one spin, as Jokers could not be frozen and had to be converted to individual prizes.) The highest the "Joker Jackpot" ever got was $36,000 in 1990.

The classic game returns

About halfway through this show's run on January 7, 1991, the front game format was reworked to incorporate elements of the original "Joker's Wild" game. Although still played with the "definition" format, categories and multiple jokers had returned to the wheels, with spins worth $25 per correct answer for a single category, $50 for a double, or $100 for a triple. In this format, the player in control continued answering questions until he or she answered incorrectly or took too long to answer, at which point an opponent could steal the money and control by supplying the correct answer. Spinning three Jokers won the contestant an automatic $250 bonus and the right to pick one of three categories for $100 a question. The winning score for the first round was increased to $1000 at this point. In addition, the pace of the game changed, games now straddled between shows. is the 7th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ...

Like the previous version, the 1990-91 revival did have audience members spin the wheels for money to fill in the remaining time of the episodes in which the main game ended sooner than expected, to avoid straddling (although some episodes did end straddling, this was prior to the format change).

Big winners

1977-1986

Joe Dunn - He was the highest-money winner (non-Tournament of Champions winnings) in Joker's Wild history, earning $66,200 in cash and prizes (including three automobiles) during a 16-game-long winning streak in 1983 before retiring undefeated when he went over the then-maximum limit of $50,000. Dunn, one of the last big winners ever, kept $50,000 of those winnings and gave the other $16,200 to charity.

Eileen Jason - She won $55,380 in cash and prizes in 1979, the highest regular-season money winner in the series' history until she was surpassed in 1983 by Joe Dunn. In addition she also won the $250,000 Tournament of Champions special that same year (She did that by having Frank Dillon lose on a spin of three different categories, needing at least a double to stay in the game, for she reached $500 first). In total, Jason won $305,880; the highest winner in the series' history (including ToC winnings). She was invited to return for the 1980 ToC, only to be eliminated in the first round of competition.

Hal Shear - Hal Shear, known for his "Lucky Suit" (which looked rather bizarre and dated, even by late '70s standards), won close to $40,000 during a winning streak of some 10 games about a year into the syndicated run. During one of Hal's games, Hal was destined to lose (trailing $500 to $200 to his opponent, Adrianne Carter), and the only thing that could save him was three jokers. He then rubbed his suit, and miraculously, he immediately spun three jokers and answered his question on the category News '78 right to continue his streak. Jack Barry, who nearly passed out after the spin, told Shear never to take the suit off for the rest of his life. Shear was the highest winner in the series until Eileen Jason surpassed him a year later.

Frank Dillon - A retired schoolteacher who became a newspaper reporter in Cleveland, Frank Dillon won the $50,000 and $100,000 Tournament of Champions specials in 1977 and 1978 respectively. In the 1979 tournament, trailing two games to one (with three out of five games needed to win the match and $250,000), Frank was trailing in game four 500 to 400, needing at least a double to stay in the game. He spun three different categories instead, giving Jason the win and $250,000. Dillon however won $5,000 and a new car and was invited to participate in the $1,000,000 Tournament, but he elected not to do so. Dillon, who died around 1997, also competed on Jeopardy! in the 1980s.

Rob Griffin - Rob won the $1,000,000 Tournament of Champions in 1980. By doing so, Griffin earned $25,000 a year for a decade, with $250,000 awarded to his favorite charity, March of Dimes. March of Dimes official logo March of Dimes is the name of health charities in both the United States and Canada. ...

1990

Thomas Van Dyke - Holds the record for most money won with $55,562 and for most appearances on this version of the show, with 13 wins under his belt.

Signature phrases

Jack Barry was known for many pet phrases on The Joker's Wild, including his traditional introduction ("Thank you very much, and a most cordial welcome once again to The Joker's Wild") and his asking the contestants if they could return on the next program--which they would, of course, 20 minutes after taping of the previous episode ended! These were traits Barry used during most of his career, probably habits developed in the days when his shows aired live.

In other media

This article is about the American television series. ... For other uses, see Electronic music (disambiguation). ... Album cover art from The In Sound from Way Out! The musical duo Perrey and Kingsley (Jean-Jacques Perrey, b. ... Alan Thicke (born Alan Willis Jeffrey on March 1, 1947 in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian actor, songwriter, game show host and talk-show emcee. ... The Riddlebox is an album by the Insane Clown Posse. ... Insane Clown Posse (commonly known as ICP) is an American rap duo originally from Wayne, Michigan but formed in the Detroit neighborhood of Delray. ...

Adaptations

For the Oakland Athletics outfielder, see Milton Bradley (baseball player) The Milton Bradley Company is an American game company established by Milton Bradley in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1860. ... Philips HQ in Amsterdam Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Royal Philips Electronics N.V.), usually known as Philips, (Euronext: PHIA, NYSE: PHG) is one of the largest electronics companies in the world, founded and headquartered in the Netherlands. ... CD-i or Compact Disc Interactive is the name of an interactive multimedia CD player developed and marketed by Royal Philips Electronics N.V. CD-i also refers to the multimedia Compact Disc standard utilized by the CD-i console, also known as Green Book, which was co-developed by... Wink Martindale entering on Tic Tac Dough Wink Martindale (born Winston Conrad Martindale on December 4, 1933 in Jackson, Tennessee, USA) is a disc jockey and television game show host. ... Charlie ODonnell (born August 12, 1932 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a television announcer best known for his work on Wheel of Fortune. ... Marc Summers (born Marc Berkowitz November 11, 1951 in Indianapolis, Indiana) is an American television personality, popular game show host, producer, and a two-time talk show host, perhaps best known for hosting the childrens game show Double Dare on Nickelodeon. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Episode status

All episodes survive, including the first two years of the CBS version, which was once thought to have been destroyed until the episodes were found at New York's WCBS-TV in 2000. The CBS and first syndicated run have been shown on GSN (GSN still has the 1974-75 CBS installments in its vault) and are currently held by Sony Pictures Television. The 1990 version is held by CBS Television Distribution and StudioCanal via the latter's acquisition of the library of Carolco Pictures (later 20th Century Fox), which distributed this version. USA Network aired reruns of Joker between 1991 and 1994. This article is about the state. ... WCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... The Game Show Network (GSN) is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and interactive television games. ... The Game Show Network (GSN) is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and interactive television games. ... SPT logo Sony Pictures Television, Inc. ... CBS Television Distribution is a United States and Global television distribution company, a merger of the television distribution arms of CBS Paramount Domestic Television, CBS Paramount International Television and King World. ... StudioCanal (aka Le Studio Canal, Canal Plus, Canal + Distribution, and Canal+ Image S.A.), is a French-based production and distribution company that owns the third-largest film library in the world. ... The classic 1988 Carolco Pictures logo. ... Twentieth (20th) Century Fox Film Corporation (known from 1935 to 1985 as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation) is one of the six major American film studios. ... USA Network is a popular American cable television network with about 89 million household subscribers as of 2005. ...

References and notes

External links

Categories: Articles needing additional references from November 2007 | Game shows | American game shows | Barry-Enright game shows | Kline & Friends game shows | CBS network shows | USA Network shows | First-run syndicated television programs | Television series by Sony Pictures Television | 1972 television program debuts | 1991 television program series endings | 1970s American television series | 1980s American television series | 1990s American television series | 2000s American television series Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Wikiquote is one of a family of wiki-based projects run by the Wikimedia Foundation, running on MediaWiki software. ...

Contents

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Announcers

Game Origins

Studio sets

Gameplay

Main game

Money values

Jokers

Category cards

The windows

Winning the game

Endgame ("Face the Devil")

Broadcast history

Other versions

Original 1968 pilot

1970 pilot: The Honeymoon Game

1971 tryout

1972-1975

Bonus rounds

Joker's Jackpot

1977-1986

The new neon set

Tournament of Champions

Special categories

The audience game

Joker! Joker!! Joker!!! (1979-1981)

1990-1991

Round 1

Round 2

Bonus round

The classic game returns

Big winners

1977-1986

1990

Signature phrases

In other media

Adaptations

Episode status

References and notes

External links

Hosts