| "THESE ARE THE FIVE NUMBERS OUR PLAYERS WILL USE. THEY COULD MEAN A FORTUNE FOR THE CHECK WRITER PLAYING THESE CHALLENGERS IN THIS GAME OF E. S. P. WHERE THE STUDIO AUDIENCE CAN ALSO WIN FABULOUS PRIZES PLAYING..." BLANK CHECK A Jack Barry Production air dates: 1/6-7/4/75 on NBC daytime host: Art James announcer: Johnny Jacobs HOW TO PLAY: Six contestants competed for an entire week to "write" checks which could add up to a fortune. For the first game of each week, a "check writer" would be selected at random. The players would be shown a series of five digits. The five challengers would listen to two words or definitions, both of which were connected by a certain word. The first challenger to identify the word would have the chance to become the new check writer. (S)he would guess as to which digit the "check writer" has secretly selected. If correct, the challenger then became the new writer. Otherwise, the digit selected by the writer became the "ones" digit in the check. For the next number, the next challenger would guess from the remaining four digits. If unsuccessful here, the digit selected by the "writer" became the "tens" digit in the writer's check. If the "writer" was successful in stumping yet another challenger for a third digit, that number became the "hundreds" digit. If at any time a number was guessed correctly, the "writer" earned the amount of the check, without the number which was guessed correctly, and the challenger became the new "check writer". In order to play for a "thousands" digit, the "writer" must outwit a member of the studio audience chosen at random. After being shown four prizes, the audience member secretly chose one of those prizes. The "writer" then guessed which prize was selected. If unsucessfulI, the prize selected by the audience member went to the audience member. If, at any time, the "writer" selected a chosen prize, the audience part of the game was over, but the audience member kept any prizes won along the way. If the audience member stumped the "writer" three times, the audience member won all four prizes. The "writer" then stepped down, and the first of the five challengers to correctly guess the word which connected two words/phrases became the new "writer". OTHER TIDBITS: Upon the cancellation of Blank Check, Art James returned the following Monday as the host of The Magnificent Marble Machine. The Blank Check pilot featured Quincy Jones' funky instrumental "Chump Change", which became the theme from Now You See It. The theme to the series run was composed by Alan Thicke, who is better known for starring as Jason Seaver on ABC's hit sitcom Growing Pains. This theme was also used as a prize cue on Wheel of Fortune during Chuck Woolery's days as its host. Back to my game show joint or my homepage. |