air dates: NBC daytime 7/30/56-10/23/59, NBC primetime 9/12/57-12/29/58, CBS daytime (The New Tic Tac Dough) 7/3-9/1/78, syndicated 9/18/78-9/86 by Colbert Television Sales & 10/10/90-9/8/91 by ITC
hosts: ('50s: Jack Barry, Gene Rayburn, Bill Wendell, Jay Jackson, Win Elliott), Wink Martindale ('78-'85), Jim Caldwell ('85-'86), Patrick Wayne ('90-'91)
announcers: [Bill Wendell, Bill McCord, Johnny Olsen] (NBC), Jay Stewart ('78-'80), [Mike Darrow, Art James, Johnny Gilbert, Bob Hilton] ('80-'81), Charlie O'Donnell ('81-'86), Larry Van Nuys ('90-'91)
The game is based on the kiddie game of tic-tac-toe. Two players, one of whom was a returning champion, faced a tic-tac-toe board, with a category in each of the 9 boxes. The champ played the Xs and the challenger played the Os. Each player in turn would select a category, and the host would read a question from that category. If the player answered correctly, that player's mark would be placed in the corresponding box and add money to the pot. However, if the center box was selected, the question would be a two-parter, but the player was given about 10 seconds to think it over. On the network versions, after both players have each taken a turn, the categories shuffled. On the syndicated versions, they shuffled after each turn. In the '90-'91 version, the player stopped the shuffling by pushing his/her plunger.
On the CBS run, if a blue box was selected, that player got the question unopposed. However if the box was black, the question was asked to both players. Whoever buzzed in with a correct answer earned the box. The syndicated versions featured special categories represented by red boxes (described below). When Wink hosted, every now/then there would be one special category on the board. When Jim hosted, every game featured 3 such categories. When Patrick Wayne (son of John Wayne) hosted, every game featured 2 special categories. The 411 on the special categories can be found here.
The first player to capture three boxes across, up and down, or diagonally won the game and the money in the pot. The values of the boxes were as follows:
$100
$300
$200
$500
NBC/CBS daytime
NBC primetime
'78-'86 (syndicated)
'90-'91
$200
$500
$300
$1,000
There was no bonus game on the NBC version. On the CBS version, the nine screens on the board were numbered 1-9. Behind the numbers were four Xs and four Os arranged so that there was only one possible way to make 3 in a row. For each X or O found, the champ was given $150. The champ could stop and take the money at any time because if one of the boxes revealed a dragon, the game ended and that money was lost. But, if the player found three of the same mark in a row, the player kept the cash and won a prize package. On the 70s/80s version the boxes concealed dollar amounts ($100, $150, $250, $300, $400, & $500.), TIC, TAC, and, of course, the dragon. Now the object was to rack up $1,000+ or find TIC and TAC w/out revealing the dragon in order to to win all that loot. If TIC and TAC were found, the champ won $1,000 and the prizes. On the '90-'91 version, the player had to choose between Xs or Os. (OH, GIVE ME A BREAK!) This time, the boxes hid Xs, Os, the dragon, and a dragon slayer. The first of the player's mark to be found netted the player $500. After that, each box selected with that same mark doubled the cash. If the dragon was found, the cash was lost and the game ended. If the player found either the dragon slayer or three of his/her mark in a row, the cash doubled and the prizes were won!
On the NBC version, the winner could either retire from the show or play against another opponent, because if the champ lost, the challenger's winnings came out of the champ's pocket!
From '78-'86, everytime a champ beat 5 challengers, (s)he won a BRAND NEW CAR!!!
On the CBS run from '78, players could stay on until defeated or until their grand total exceeded $25,000. From 1981-84, a $50,000 limit was imposed on both TTD and its sister show, The Joker's Wild.
When Wink left the show in '85 to host a game show he also created called Headline Chasers, the set underwent a makeover in addition to Jim Caldwell becoming the new host, a la Family Feud in '94, '02, and '06.
In the early '80s, if the champ avoided the dragon in the bonus game, an audience member was called on to pick a box which (s)he believed hid the dragon. If successful, (s)he earned $250 and a Dragon baseball cap. Otherwise, another spectator got a chance, with the cash prize upped by $50. Later, two audience members took turns trying to locate the dragon
