HIT MAN
Broadcast history:
NBC Daytime January 3, 1983-April 1, 1983
Host: Peter Tomarken
Announcer(s): Rod Roddy
Three new players start off, with a champion watching offstage. A short film, narrated by Tomarken, presents information on a subject to the four participants. Then, rapid-fire questions are asked to the three contestants. The first to buzz-in gets to answer. Each correct response advances their character one step closer to the finish line, with five steps between the start and end. A wrong answer locks that player out from the next question. The first to move five steps wins $300. The other two compete for second place and $200. Those two players go to the second round.
The champion competes against the two winners. Another short film is shown. Then, "hitmen" are given to each player. The champ gets seven, the $300 winner gets 4 and the $200 winner gets 3. The top winner from round one chooses to go first or second. Then, a question is asked between the two players competing. Whoever buzzes-in with the right answer first knocks one of the opponent's hitmen out. A player continues to face the champ as long as they answer correctly. If they miss, the other player takes on the champ. If the champion manage to knock out all 7 of the players' hitmen, they retain. Or, the player who knocks out the champ's 7th hit man becomes the new champ.
The winner takes on the Triple Crown. Several columns, one with 5 spaces, two with 4, two with 3 spaces, two with 2 and one column with a single space are shuffled into eight slots. The contestant turns their back to the board. They pick a slot, and answer questions about both short films. Each right answer fills a space in that column, a wrong answer closes that column from further play. Filling one column is worth $1,000, two columns $2,000 and three is retires the player with $10,000.NOTES
This was Peter Tomarken's first game show.
The show's brief run already keeps it from being reshown, but royalty costs for some of the footage used in the films makes it even harder.
This show is famous for its finale sendoff. In place of a regular contestant call, Rod Roddy exclaimed "If you want to be a contestant on 'Hit Man,' forget it!!"
Game show announcer Randy West was the final champ, but did not win $10,000.
MY THOUGHTS
This joins the ranks of other Jay Wolpert shows that didn't click with the audience. And like its brothers, this show was great. The short films had humor all over the place and they were informative. Since a select group of players moved on in each round, competition was tense, leading to exciting buzzer battles. Peter is surprisingly good on the reading, something he stumbled a bit on during the run of "Press Your Luck."
JAY SAYS...
Cast - 2.0
Game - 1.5
Bells and Whistles - 1.5
Prize - 1.5
Tilt - 2.0