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Treasure Hunt (or The New Treasure Hunt) was a United States television game show that ran in the 1950s, 1970s and 1980s. The show featured contestants selecting a treasure chest or box with surprises inside in hopes of winning large prizes or a cash jackpot.
1950s version (Treasure Hunt)
The earliest version of the show first appeared in the US from 1956 to 1959, first on ABC, later on NBC. The original show was hosted and produced by comedian Jan Murray. It involved contestants playing a quiz, with the winner going on a "treasure hunt" with a select number of treasure chests with prizes including a grand prize. The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) operates television and radio networks in the United States and is also shown on basic cable in Canada. ...
It has been suggested that NBC Radio City Studios, NBC Studios be merged into this article or section. ...
Jan Murray (October 4, 1916 - July 2, 2006) was an American stand-up comedian and actor who made his name on the Borscht Belt. ...
1970s version (The New Treasure Hunt) Producer Chuck Barris bought the U.S. Treasure Hunt format in the 1970s and revived the game in weekly syndication in 1973. This version, called The New Treasure Hunt, involved women (the producers did not allow male contestants) competing to select one of 30 boxes (also known as "Surprise Packages"), with a top prize of $25,000 hidden in one of them. Chuck Barris (born Charles Hirsch Barris in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 3, 1929) produced American game shows during the 1960s and 1970s. ...
Geoff Edwards hosted the 1970s and 1980s versions. Johnny Jacobs was the announcer for most of the 1970s/1980s versions until his death in 1982; Tony McClay, who had also worked on the 1970s run, replaced him for the remainder of the final season. Models on the 1970s version included Sivi Aberg (who would resurface after the 1970s version's finale on Barris's The Gong Show), Naome DeVargas, Jane Nelson and actress Pamela Hensley. For a number of reasons, the studio maintained extremely tight security, and thus did not allow cue cards. Geoff Edwards is an American television actor, game show host and radio personality born on February 13, 1931 in Westfield, New Jersey. ...
This article does not cite its references or sources. ...
The Gong Show was a television variety show spoof that was broadcast on NBC and in first-run syndication in the United States from 1976 until 1980. ...
Pamela Hensley is an American actress born on October 3, 1950 in Los Angeles, California. ...
If no contestant won the $25,000 by the end of the show (which was about 98-99% of the time), Edwards would ask a real-life bonded security guard, Emile Autouri, if he hid the check. Autouri's response would always be "Yes, I did". Autouri would then hand Edwards a slip of paper, and while Autouri went to retrieve the box which contained the grand prize, Edwards would open the slip of paper to reveal the number of the box. Finally, Autouri would bring the box to Edwards who would physically reveal the check inside the box, and then Edwards would replace the check in the box and Autouri would leave the set with the box.
The opening theme, closing theme, and the klunk cue were composed by Chuck Barris himself (Barris is an accomplished songwriter). However, the melodic closing theme of the 1970s Treasure Hunt, also occasionally used as a winners' cue, is formally credited to Elmer Bernstein, because of its resemblance to an instrumental passage Bernstein composed for True Grit. Some of Barris's other music used on previous game shows, such as the unsold pilot for Cop-Out, were recycled in order to save money; this was a common practice among packagers in the 1970s. Music from other sources used on the series include: Elmer Bernstein (pronounced Bern-steen[1])(April 4, 1922 – August 18, 2004) was an American composer best known for his work writing music for film and television. ...
True Grit by Charles Portis first appeared as a 1968 short story in The Saturday Evening Post. ...
"Put It Where You Want It" and "Funny Shuffle" by The Crusaders; "The Boss Walk" by The Majestics; "American Sundae" by Mark Wirtz (N.B. sometimes this song is titled as "America Sundae" as suggested by the lyrics sung in the music)
Game Show Network reran episodes of the 1980s version for a time on their regular schedule. Also, Game Show Network showed some episodes on April Fools in 2003. However, no episodes are currently scheduled for broadcast. The Game Show Network logo (1997-2004) The Game Show Network Logo (1994-1996) The Game Show Network (now known as GSN - The Network for Games) is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows, reality shows, and interactive television games. ...
Gameplay To begin, 10 female members of the studio audience were given small gift boxes. Three of these boxes contained cards with the numbers 1, 2, and 3 inside them. As host Geoff Edwards instructed them to open their boxes, the three contestants with numbers came down to the center of the stage. These three women then picked one of three jack in the boxes, the contestant with the number 1 getting first choice. The one who chose the pop-up surprise earned the right to go on the Treasure Hunt, selecting one of the thirty boxes on display. Unlike the original 1950s version, the show did not use a question-and-answer method of determining contestants; much like the similar "Let's Make a Deal", "The New Treasure Hunt" did not require special skills or knowledge at all, with contestants relying entirely on luck. An audience is a group of people who participate in and experience or encounter a work of art, literature, theatre, music or academics in any medium. ...
This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...
Lets Make a Deal is a television game show aired in the United States. ...
Once the box was chosen and after a commercial break, the contestant had the option of taking a cash payoff (ranging from $500 to $2,000 originally; later in the run these could be worth up to $2,500), or keeping the box instead and winning whatever was inside. This could be a prize package, vacation, automobile, a check for anywhere between $5,000 and $14,000, or a worthless prize called a "klunk" (a word coined by Geoff Edwards himself, similar in meaning to that of zonks on Let's Make A Deal). One box contained a check for the grand prize of $25,000. Cash usually refers to money in the form of liquid currency, such as banknotes or coins. ...
For the magazine called automobile, see Automobile Magazine. ...
A booby prize is a joke prize, usually given in recognition of a terrible performance or a last-place finish. ...
Lets Make a Deal is a television game show aired in the United States. ...
Skits Upon making her selection, the contestant was not shown what she had won immediately; like most of the other Barris-packaged shows, the entire premise of this show was to capitalize on the female contestants' emotions. Host Edwards would engage the contestant in a comedic skit, usually using props, to intentionally mislead the contestant as to what she had finally won. Very often, a contestant would be shown a "klunk", only to have this lead to the actual prize, which could be just another "klunk", but was often much bigger. Emotion, in its most general definition, is an intense neural mental state that arises subjectively rather than through conscious effort and evokes either a positive or negative psychological response . ...
Comedy has a classical meaning (comical theatre) and a popular one (the use of humour with an intent to provoke laughter in general). ...
Sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes, or sketches, commonly between one and ten minutes long. ...
Theatrical properties, or props, are items used in stage plays and similar entertainments to further the action. ...
Edwards, an actor aside from his hosting and radio work, had to memorize up to 30 skits per episode (66 on the 1980s version) due to the lack of cue cards; according to producers, he did so through the entirety of the two series without ever making a mistake. No skit was involved when the top prize was won, other than the on-set hysterics following the revealing of the check; shrill sirens went off, confetti and balloons dropped from the ceiling, and, on a few occasions late in the run, the contestant was swarmed onstage by Barris staff members and humorously given roses. Pneumatic siren Sirens are devices making sound to alarm others, such as the air raid siren or the sirens on emergency service vehicles such as ambulances, police cars and fire engines. ...
Confetti is made up of small pieces of paper or plastic which are usually thrown at celebrations, espescially weddings. ...
Balloons, like greeting cards or flowers, are given for special occasions. ...
Species Between 100 and 150, see list A rose is a flowering shrub of the genus Rosa, and the flower of this shrub. ...
Two games were played per show, each involving one half of the studio audience (the two halves faced each other, similar to seating at a sporting event, and unlike most conventional television studios). If the check was found during the first half of the show, another was hidden for the second half; according to several fan sites, there was at least one episode in this version where the $25,000 was won twice.
At the end of each episode, if the top prize was not won, the box that had the check was revealed. But before doing so, Edwards would go on a monologue with the show's bonded security agent (in actuality, a studio security guard) named Emile Autouri in an attempt to strike a conversation with him, but to no avail. Eventually, Autouri did speak, only using the words "Yes I did" when Edwards asked him if he knew where the check was located.
Controversies An often-talked about incident on The New Treasure Hunt concerned a contestant on the 1970s version who, upon being told that she had won a vintage Rolls-Royce convertible, fainted onstage. This incident was replayed on the CBS newsmagazine 60 Minutes. Producer Chuck Barris declared his pride in the occurrence, given the show's premise. Rolls-Royce car may refer to vehicles produced by: Rolls-Royce Limited (1906-1973) Rolls-Royce Motors (1973-2003) Rolls-Royce Motor Cars (2003-present) // Rolls-Royce cars Rolls-Royce Limited vehicles 1904-1906 10 hp 1905-1905 15 hp 1905-1908 20 hp 1905-1906 30 hp 1905-1906...
CBS (an abbreviation for Columbia Broadcasting System, its former legal name) is one of the largest television networks, and formerly one of the largest radio networks, in the United States. ...
60 Minutes is an investigative television newsmagazine on United States television, which has run on CBS News since 1968. ...
Chuck Barris (born Charles Hirsch Barris in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 3, 1929) produced American game shows during the 1960s and 1970s. ...
During the 1976-77 season, Barris wanted to make The New Treasure Hunt even more sadistic, including a skit in which he would instruct Edwards to tell a contestant that she won "a brand new... car windshield!". Edwards refused, and was initially fired, but was brought back soon thereafter; he missed no episodes as a result of his protest. Some have speculated that, ethical qualms aside, Edwards recoiled at this idea because, quite understandably given a contestant's heightened emotional state, he feared possible physical harm from an enraged husband, boyfriend, or father.
Despite Edwards' very brief walkoff, Barris ended production of the show in 1977, while it was still drawing strong ratings on local stations, in order to focus on his increasingly notorious "Gong Show" on NBC and to revive "The Newlywed Game" in daily syndication. The Gong Show was a television variety show/game show spoof that was broadcast in first-run syndication in the United States from 1976 until 1980. ...
It has been suggested that NBC Radio City Studios, NBC Studios be merged into this article or section. ...
The Newlywed Game was an American television game show where newly-married couples answered questions to find out how well the husband and wife knew each other. ...
1980s version (Treasure Hunt) The New Treasure Hunt returned in daily syndication in 1981, with Edwards again as host; however, there were some notable differences. First, the title was shortened to the original 1950s name, Treasure Hunt. There were now 66 surprise packages on stage, and instead of a flat $25,000, there was now a growing jackpot that started out at $20,000 and increased by $1,000 every day that it was not won. Once the jackpot reached $50,000, it remained at this amount until someone finally won it. Jackpot is: A former British comic. ...
Geoff Edwards returned as host. The model on the 1980s version was Jan Speck, who later had acting roles in several 1980s movies. Chuck Barris had no direct involvement in the 1981-82 version other than packaging it (he shared executive-producer credit with Budd Granoff this time around), and Edwards has stated in recent years that, because of Barris's abstinence from direct involvement, he enjoyed this version more than he did the initial 1973-77 version. Geoff Edwards is an American television actor, game show host and radio personality born on February 13, 1931 in Westfield, New Jersey. ...
Chuck Barris (born Charles Hirsch Barris in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 3, 1929) produced American game shows during the 1960s and 1970s. ...
Again, two games were played per show, one with each half of the audience. In this version, the female members of the studio audience were given balloons. One of these balloons contained a card with a star on it. On Geoff's cue, the contestants popped the balloons; the lady with the star came down to center stage where she then faced the previous game's winner. There were now only two jack-in-the-boxes, with the challenger receiving the choice between them. As in the 1970s version, the contestant who had the pop-up surprise in her jack-in-the-box went on the Treasure Hunt. Balloons, like greeting cards or flowers, are given for special occasions. ...
In this version, probably due to it being shown as a five-day-a-week "strip" instead of once a week, the prizes were of significantly lesser value; however, winning the right to go on the Treasure Hunt also guaranteed a contestant the opportunity to play the next game for a chance to go on another one. The player selected from one of the 66 boxes, and again was given the opportunity to sell the box back to Edwards. However, the cash payoff was now only worth between $500 and $1,000. In addition, the extravagant prizes that characterized the 1970s version were gone. Winning contestants frequently only won one or two appliances, a trip, or a small room package; the cars were scaled back to inexpensive models (especially the Chevrolet Chevette); there were also no longer checks worth less than the grand prize. However, a 52-day cruise valuing over $18,000 was offered regularly, and was won at least once. The klunks, of course, remained. The word appliance has several different areas of meaning, all usually referring to a device with a narrow function: One class of objects includes items that are custom-fitted to an individual for the purpose of correction of a physical problem, such as prosthetic and orthotic appliances. ...
The Chevrolet Chevette was Chevrolets version of GMs worldwide T platform of the 1970s, which was also sold as the Vauxhall Chevette, Opel Kadett, Isuzu Gemini and the Holden Gemini, among others. ...
Memorable contestants At least four women in the 1980s version won the jackpot: - Diana Arispi, $23,000;
- Becky Jacke, $20,000;
- Rose Evans, $50,000;
- Linda Sullivan, $21,000.
On one episode, when the jackpot was $46,000, a woman named Michelle Heron took the cash payoff instead, only to find out that her box contained the grand prize check for $46,000. This caused her husband, who encouraged his wife to take the sure thing, to walk out of the studio, upset. Several weeks later, a contestant passed up the $50,000 grand prize before it was finally won by a Jamaican contestant, Rose Evans. Upon hearing the news that she had won it, she proceeded to bear-hug Edwards and pick him up and down a few times in the excitement of winning the jackpot. Edwards had a similar situation occur years earlier in the 1970s version when another Jamaican contestant found the box with a check for $25,000.
Other memorable moments At the end of the show, if the check was not won, Geoff again visited with Emile Autouri to find out where the check was hidden, and again Autouri remained speechless except for saying "Yes I did". On this version, Edwards would also bring small children up to try to get Emile to crack a smile, but still to no effect. Autouri, however, did play on to Geoff's teasing several times, once pretending to fall asleep while Geoff was talking to him. After a $20,000 win in the second game, he responded "Yes I shall" when Geoff asked him to get another check ready for the next show. Finally, Emile broke character and asked for a cue card, catching Edwards totally off guard (this might be an inside reference to the fact that cue cards were still not allowed on the set.) Cue cards are cards that help a person to remember. ...
See also Linda de Mol hosts the original version of Deal or No Deal, entitled Miljoenenjacht Deal or No Deal is a television game show format owned by Netherlands-based production company Endemol, known for creating such shows as Big Brother and Fear Factor. ...
Lets Make a Deal is a television game show aired in the United States. ...
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