Host: Peter Tomarken
Announcer: Rod Roddy
Original Broadcast Station: CBS from September 1983-September 1986
Station currently airing: GSN (Weekdays @ 11:30 A.M. & Weekends @ 12:30 P.M.)
Anyone who's experienced the popular 80's game show "Press Your Luck" will tell you that the set was amazing, there were some memorable moments, unforgettable contestants, the poses and animations of the whammies, and of course, no show would be complete without the host, and in our case, that host is the affable and comedic Peter Tomarken.
This show began in the 1970's under another name called "Second Chance", and was hosted by Jim Peck who would later on host "The Big Showdown" on ABC. Here are some stats found on "Second Chance":
-The light patterns would bounce ever so fast with a "disco-like" sound.
-On the board were "present-like" squares and "devils" instead of "whammies".
-During the question rounds, players would write down the answers and then would be provided with three answers. Thereafter, they would decide if they want to stick with their answer or have a "second chance". In other words, changing their answer to one of the three choices provided.
-Jack Campion and Maggie Brown were contestants on "Second Chance" and would later go on to participate on "Press Your Luck".
Speaking of which, let me go ahead and explain what goes on during the show (Hint: It's not "Second Chance"). On "Press Your Luck"....
-Three contestants are given the opportunity to earn spins to take to the "Big Board".
-The show starts off with a question round followed by the "Big Board" round and whoever had the most money is the player who got to play last in the final "Big Board" round.
-During question rounds, a correct buzz-in answer gets you three spins while a correct multiple choice answer gets you one spin.
-In the "Big Board" rounds, a player has the option of passing their spins anytime during their turn, and those spins would go to the player who had the next highest amount of money.
-The player who was in the lead in the final "Big Board" round was the only one who got to keep their cash and prizes.
-Now you ask are there any consolation prizes for the other two players. Of course! If there was a returning champion, that person would leave with whatever he/she won on previous shows. If a contestant wasn't a returning champion, they would leave with something anyway.
Wait....I forgot one very important detail....
-Four whammies will put you out of the game! (but we don't want that!)
When I was in high school, my english teacher gave out topics regarding controversial or political issues. He came my way and he told me the words "scandal" and "cheating". I IMMEDIATELY knew what to do my report on, and I did it on Michael Larson along with another issue involving politics. At the time, NO ONE in my class has ever heard of the show, Michael Larson or Peter Tomarken, so of course, this was new to everyone. To be honest with everyone, I couldn't wait to tell the story to everyone, but talking in words seemed boring, so I showed the class a clip from the GSN documentary "Big Bucks: The Press Your Luck Scandal" to see who was good at paying attention just like Michael Larson did, and boy did it pay off! He walked away with over $110, 237, my opinion of this....amazing! He even got Peter himself speechless for most of that wonderful episode, and this goes to show you that ANYTHING can happen on a game show, so everyone keep your eyes peeled. (By the way, I got a "B" on this report, and I still have it with me!)
The first time I saw this show, I was but a mere teenager. I was born in the 80's and I gotta tell you that by looking at this show, the early 80's looked like a lot of energy and excitement, just like the show itself. Being the big game show fan that I am, I had always enjoyed watching this show, and to this day, I still tune in. Why, you ask? Well, refer to the beginning of this review to see why! For those who haven't watched the show yet, I highly recommend it, and until then, I'll continue counting down the days on when this show will probably release on DVD.
R.I.P. Peter Tomarken....You will always be loved by me and many others! *blows kiss*