THE JOKER'S WILD
airdates: CBS daytime 9/4/72-6/13/75, syndicated 9/77-9/86 by Colbert Television Sales & 9/90-9/91 by Orbis Communications
hosts: Jack Barry ('72-'75 & '77-'84), Bill Cullen ('84-'86), Jim Peck (sub-host '81-'86), Pat Finn ('90-'91)
announcers: Johnny Jacobs ('72-'79), Roy Rowan, Johnny Gilbert, Jay Stewart ('77-'80, '81), Bob Hilton ('80), Art James ('80-'81), Charlie O'Donnell ('81-'86), Ed McKay ('90-'91)
Two players faced a giant slot-machine-like board. Each player, in turn, pulled his/her own lever which spun the category wheels. Five categories were shown to the players at the start of the game. If 3 different categories came up, the player selected one of the categories. If (s)he correctly answered a question from that category, (s)he scored $50. If not, the other player got a chance to answer. If a pair of one category and a single of another came up, the player could try the single for $50 or the pair for $100. If three of the same category came up, a correct answer from that category scored $200 ($150 in the first few weeks of the CBS run). There were also Jokers on the wheels which served as wild cards. They could become any category the player wished. The player could even "go off the board" and use any of the categories not displayed on the Joker Machine. In the syndie run, three of the same category with no Jokers ("Natural Triple") won a prize. Each player would be given an equal number of turns at the machine. The first player to score $500+ in proper turn won the game and kept the money. Another way to win the game was to get 3 Jokers on one spin and answer one question correctly from any of the 5 categories. Doing so bumped that player's score up to $500. In either case, if the challenger reached $500+ first, the champion was given one last chance to catch up or, if possible, win the game. In the early weeks of the CBS run, 3 Jokers on one spin automatically won $500 and the game. Beginning in '78, $500+ or a correct answer with 3 jokers ended the game instantly.
In the first bonus game, the winner was allowed two spins of the Joker Machine. On the wheels this time were prizes ranging in value from $10-$999. The player could take the prizes that came up on the first spin or refuse them and take what came up on the second spin. On the first two shows, some prizes were circled. If three circled prizes came up on any spin, the player won those prizes and a new car. After the first two shows, the circles were ditched and the car became one of the prizes on the third wheel. Other big prizes such as a boat, a trip, or a fur coat would be included.
After a mere two weeks, the prizes were replaced by Jokers and the Devil. Every time the player spun three Jokers, a prize was awarded to the player, who could take that prize and split or spin again for another prize. However, if the Devil came up, any prizes earned were lost and the game ended. At first, the player was allowed up to 4 spins, with the last spin being played for a car, boat, or other big prize. Later, it was changed to 3 spins with the last spin being for any big prize, but not for a car.
In the last season of the CBS run, as well as for the entire syndie run, the Jokers were replaced by cash amounts from $25-$200. Every time three amounts came up, the total was added to the bonus bank. The player could stop at any time and take the cash or try to rack up more money at the risk of losing it all to the Devil. If the player racked up $1,000+, (s)he won $2,500-$4,000 in prizes in addition to the cash. On the syndie run, three of the same amount ("natural triple") automatically won the player a grand along with the prizes.
The first two years of the CBS run featured the Joker's Jackpot, which started off at $2,500 and grew to a maximum of $25,000 (CBS' winnings limit back then). After the champ played the bonus game, (s)he could either retire from the show or play against another challenger. If (s)he chose to continue playing, (s)he would risk all cash won in the main games. Any bonus game winnings were kept no matter what happened. But if the champ lost, his/her entire cash winnings went into the Joker's Jackpot. If a champ could go for broke and win 4 straight games (later 3), (s)he won the Joker's Jackpot in addition to all previous winnings and retired undefeated. Not long afterward, each champ who won 3 games won the JJ and kept everything (s)he won up to that point, no matter what, and could continue until (s)he won $25,000. After the "Jokers/Devils" bonus game was changed to "3 spins allowed", a new car would be awarded in addition to the JJ. When the money/devil version of "Face the Devil" came around , the Joker's Jackpot was canned, and winning 5 games in a row also won a new car.
From '81-'84, a champ could continue until winning $50,000+, with every dollar over $50k being donated to his/her favorite charity.
On the disastrous '90s version, three players competed in the first round. A toss-up question was read and the first player to buzz in with a correct answer got to spin the Joker Machine (which looked much more like a giant slot machine). On the machine were dollar amounts from $5-$50. The Joker could only show up on the third wheel. The total amount on the machine would be the value of each correct answer. The player is given a word, term or name, and the player must give the correct definition. The player continued until answering incorrectly, in which case, the other two players could buzz in and steal control of the Joker Machine. If the Joker came up, the total of the other two windows was tripled and the player had 15 seconds to give as many correct definitions until missing one or until time ran out. The first player to reach $500+ and the player in second place moved on to the next round. In round 2, the player in control spun and then selected from one of 2 categories. However, if "Opponent's Choice" came up in the third window, the spinner's opponent chose the category. A wrong answer gave the opponent a chance to take control. The first player to win $2,000+ moved on to the bonus round.
In the bonus round, the champ was given 60 seconds to identify as many words as possible, all of which began with the same letter. A maximum of three definitions would be read for each word. Each correct answer earned one spin of the Joker Machine. When time ran out, the player had to try to match three of the same prize in each window in the spins allowed, thereby winning that prize. The player could (un)freeze windows at any time. The Jokers, of course, were wild. If a Joker and two different prizes came up, the Joker was replaced by one of those two prizes as selected by the player. If three Jokers came up on one spin, (s)he won the Joker Jackpot, which started at $5,000 with $500 added each day until won.
Midway through this run, the front game became more like the original format. The player who spun the Joker Machine still answered questions from the same category until missing one. If the player spun three different categories, (s)he picked one and each question was worth $25, a pair of the same category was worth $50/question, a triple meant $100/pop. Three Jokers netted the player $250 and the player then selected from one of 3 categories for $100/question. The first player to reach $1,000+ and the second-placer moved on. The two remaining players competed until one player won $2k+. The bonus round remained the same.
OTHER TIDBITS:
Jack Barry hosted Twenty-One on NBC in the late '50s. The show was later cancelled after falling victim to the Quiz Show Scandals in the fall of '58. He and his partner Dan Enright also created Concentration. After the scandals, NBC Productions bought the rights to the latter show. Jack also hosted The Reel Game and The Generation Gap prior to hosting TJW. He suffered a heart attack and croaked on 5/4/84 while jogging in Central Park.
From '79-'81, a syndicated kids' version aired called Joker Joker Joker. The kids played the front game but were joined by a parent for the bonus round. In the front game, 500+ points won that child a $500 savings bond, with the loser receiving a $100 bond.
From '81-'86, an audience game would be played at the end of each show. Three audience members were called to spin the Joker Machine. On the wheels were dollar amounts from $10-$100. Each player took one spin and kept that money no matter what happened. Whoever won the most money got a chance to spin against the Devil for $1,000+ and a prize package. From '84-'86, one at-home viewer played by touch-tone phone.
Pat Finn acheived better success with Shop 'Til You Drop on Lifetime and later on PAX.