 We begin Cult Classics Month with
an overlooked, underappreciated gem: Jay
Wolpert's "Whew!" Take one part close calls, mix
in some narrow escapes, and sweeten with
split-second decisions. What you have is a stew
of strategy, knowledge, danger, and drama.
Chico Alexander
daytime editor
 Who knew that malapropism and cardboard
villains would make for an engaging favorite?
Surely CBS didn't when it aired the game in
1979. Some people don't even know now. What
follows is an anatomy of a cult favorite, as we
dissect the appeal of this game. What would be
the wiser move would be to begin at the
beginning: with Rod Roddy saying, "Close calls,
narrow escapes, split second decisions, and
$25,000 in cash! A combination guaranteed to
make you say... WHEW!"
Close calls and narrow
escapes
The game began at 10:30a on April 23, 1979 on
CBS' daytime block, right after an "All in the
Family"
rerun and right before "The Price is Right." The
game promised heart-stopping thrills and a
fast-paced game, culminating in an end game that
was typical of many word games of that era. Two
players, a Blocker and a Charger, would vie for
the right to challenge "The Gauntlet of
Villains" for a $25,000 payoff. The Blocker
would predetermine which six of the twenty-eight
game squares would be penalty squares. The
Charger would then try to charge at least one
square for each of six levels in a minute. Doing
so would win the game. Two games won the match
and a right to play for the big money.
�Whew!� was as much about strategy and
psychology as it is about knowledge. It was, of
course, not a simple zero-sum quiz show. Anyone
who hit - and repeatedly hit - Blocks could be
hesitant to choose another square, especially in
a high-risk, high-stress competition against the
clock as much as it is against another player.
As evidenced by their TV Guide ad, producers
and CBS executives were banking on more than
just dramatic elements in the game. They were
out for a winner, and they thought that putting
the game within "two old friends", they would
get just that. "All in the Family" was a
prime-time powerhouse in the 1970s, having been
adapted from the Thames Britcom, "Till Death Us
Do Part". "The Price is Right" was growing by
leaps and bounds. It is still unequivocally
running as one of the gems on CBS' daytime
schedule.
Unfortunately, "Whew!" would not be that
case.
When "Whew!" became "What?"
Sally White was one of two contestants that
were frequent viewers of the "Whew!" page set up
by former contestant Randy Amasia. "I was
waiting during the interim period when they
decided to bring in celebrities to beef up the
ratings," White said. "As it turned out, I would
have fared much better had Roxie Roker not been
my partner. She missed almost every question, as
I recall. But I did receive several thousand
dollars worth of consolation prizes (including a
refrigerator/freezer)."
As was the case with several games in the
1970s and 1980s, and even today, a decline in
the ratings led to the analyzing of the tape to
see if star power could "beef up the ratings".
In 1980, CBS decided to let celebrities play the
game with civilian partners. The gambit did
little, if any, to the ranks, and, on the
morning of May 30, 1980, a year, a month, and a
week to the day after the first episode, CBS
aired the final episode.
The tape
 In
1996, Randy Amasia, a market research analyst
from Northridge, CA, who had been on the show
seventeen years prior, opened up a site for the
show after having discovered the newsgroup of
alt.tv.game-shows. Fan appeal came to the
forefront as he posted a request: "If anyone has
the August 26, 1979 episode where I win $26,190,
please e-mail me to set up a trade." He
explained in the account of his adventure on the
show (where he defeated two-time champion Pat
Aiello), "I jumped off stage, the audio man
removed the wireless mic from me, and I hugged
the Program Practices rep, then I hugged Kerry,
who escorted me back to the Green Room to bask
in the wild applause of my fellow contestants.
Even Jay Wolpert came down from the control room
and shook my hand!"
In his search, he explained the schematics of
the game which made it such a challenge to
compete. Strategy and rules were published to
the finest detail. Programmer and freelance
producer John Ricci, Jr., even created an Amiga
version of the game. All this time, Randy was
still anxiously awaiting the tape of his
episode.
The episode was found in late 2001, and has
been a fixture in the taping circuit ever since.
He arranged for a tape to be sent to him. Sadly,
he never received it. Having been diagnosed with
cancer, he died at age 42, literally within an
hour of getting the episode.
More to the appeal
"Whew! is known for the Gauntlet of Villains
and some great music from the one and only Alan
Thicke," says Mike Klauss, who inherited
the Whew! page from Randy and now maintains it as part of his
Jay Wolpert Collection. Alan Thicke, who would
gain bigger fame as Jason Seaver on "Growing
Pains", wrote several theme songs, among his
most noticeable was "Diff'rent Strokes" and
the first theme to "Wheel of Fortune."
Mike goes on, "The fast pace of the game
never kept the home viewer bored. In addition,
the often very humorous bloopers were
entertaining and occasionally challenging." This
increased the play-along factor, a mainstay in
many quiz shows. "Whew! also attracted a wide
range of demographics. Kids from the 70s
remember the Gauntlet, while high schoolers
through adults remember the fast game pace." It
had something for everyone, but opposite "Family
Feud", ratings would tell a different story.
Jay Wolpert would go on to create and produce
more shows, such as 1982's "Hitman" and 1998's
"Match Game", but this was one of his favorites
- a sentiment shared with much of the fan
community.
And for the record, the Villains, in order,
were: Alphonse the Gangster, Bruno the Headsman,
Mr. Van Louse the Landlord, Nero the Fiddler,
Count Nibbleneck the Vampire, Frank and his
little buddy Stein, Kid Rotten the Gunslinger,
Jeremy Swash the Pirate, Dr. Deranged the Mad
Scientist, and Lucretia the Witch.
On the web: Whew! @ the
Jay Wolpert Collection (thanks for the use
of the pictures) |
A
Combination Guaranteed To Make You Say...