The Joker's Wild
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
The Joker's Wild was a popular American game show of the 1970s and early 1980s.
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Broadcast History
The Joker's Wild debuted on CBS September 4, 1972, incidentally on the same day as the modern incarnation of The Price is Right. It ran for 686 telecasts until June 13, 1975 on that network. After a syndicated rerun cycle of the last CBS season proved successful in 1976, the show returned to first-run syndication in September 1977 and continued for nine seasons, lasting until September 1986. A short-lived revival ran from September 10, 1990 - September 13, 1991, also in syndication.
Jack Barry, who created the show and eventually used it to revive his partnership with longtime producer Dan Enright, hosted all versions of Joker up until his sudden death in 1984 from a heart attack; Bill Cullen hosted the remainder of the syndicated run, which proved to be "The Dean"'s last series. Pat Finn hosted the 1990 remake. Jim Peck was an occassional fill-in host for Barry and Cullen during the 1977-1986 syndicated run, beginning in 1981. Announcers for the series included Johnny Jacobs, Jay Stewart, Johnny Gilbert, Bob Hilton, Art James, Charlie O'Donnell, and Ed McKay.
Gameplay
Note: The gameplay described below represents the best-remembered format of the 1977-86 syndicated series. Any differences in alternative versions will be discussed in the appropriate section.
Main Game
Two contestants, one a returning champion, played. The challenger began the game by pulling a lever, which set three slot machine-style wheels in motion. The wheels contained five different categories and Jokers. When the wheels stopped, the player chose one of the displayed categories and had to answer a question from that category.
The value of each question was determined by how many times that category appeared on the wheels. If three different categories appeared, a question in any of the categories were worth $50. If a two of a kind and a single appeared, a question on the pair is worth $100, and a question on the single is worth $50. If a natural triple (three of a kind) is spun, the question is worth $200 and a bonus prize is awarded to anyone who spinned a natural triple. Natural pairs and triples cannot be split and have to be taken for $100 or $200 respectively.
Jokers were wild, hence the title, and can be used to match any category (thus increasing the value of the question to $100 or $200, depending on the spin) or to subsitute any category not displayed on the wheels (which is referred to going "off the board") for a $50 question with one joker or $100 with two jokers.
A question is asked to the spinner, and if answered correctly, the amount of the question is added to his/her score. If answered incorrectly, his/her opponent had a chance to answer.
If three jokers are spinned, that player won the game automatically with a correct answer to one question from any of the five categories in play. An incorrect answer continued the game.
The first player to reach $500 or more won the game, however, players were given an equal amount of turns; meaning if the challenger who spin and reached $500 or more first, the champion is given one final spin in an attempt to either tie or win the game (example, if the champion was trailing by $100, he/she must spin at least a double to tie or a triple or three jokers to win; if trailing by more than $200, the only way to win is to spin three jokers).
If both players reached $500 or more, then extra rounds were played until someone is ahead after each completed round, or if three jokers were spun and a question was correctly answered thus ending the game.
Any contestant who won five consecutive games received a new car as a bonus. Players continued on the show until defeated; and some of which won more than $25,000 in cash and prizes. One contestant, Joe Dunn, was the highest-money winner in Joker's Wild history, earning more than $66,000 in cash and prizes during a long winning streak in 1983 before forcing to retire undefeated when he went over the then-maximum limit of $50,000. Other winners, most notably Frank Dillon, Hal Sheer and Eileen Jason, went on to win well over $25,000 during its run.
Endgame ("Face the Devil")
The wheels now contained various amounts of money ($25, $50, $75, $100, $150 and $200 cards) and Devils. The object was to take spins and accumulate $1,000 or more on the wheels, which won a bonus prize package. However, if the Devil came up at any time, the game was over and the player lost whatever money he or she had built up. The player always had the option to stop after every "safe" spin and keep the money earned to that point.
A natural triple in the bonus round (three identical dollar amounts) resulted in an automatic win.
In later years, when a player stopped to take the money, host Jack Barry would encourage the player to spin to see what would have happen if he/she continued on. On one occasion, a contestant stopped, predicting that the devil would appear on the next spin, and on the "what would have happened" spin, the devil appeared.
The devil card is a drawing of a devil that resembles host Jack Barry.
Other Versions
Original 1969 pilot
This pilot episode, hosted by Allen Ludden, was very different from the eventual series. Most notable was the fact that categories on the wheels were each represented by a different celebrity panelist, each of whom asked the questions in his or her specific category. A somewhat confusing points system was used for scoring in place of money, with the first player to reach 13 points winning the game.
For a bonus round, the game's winner spun the wheels, each of which contained different prizes of various quality - anything from a five-cent piece of chewing gum to $500 cash. After the spin, the player could elect to keep the prizes shown, or give them all back for a second spin. This offer was then repeated after the second spin, but if a third spin was taken, the player was stuck with whatever prizes came up in that spin. This pilot did not feature returning champions.
1972-1975
Initially, triples were worth $150 instead of $200; this soon changed. Also, three Jokers originally won the game automatically, no additional questions asked. For the first several months, the champion went first instead of the challenger.
The bonus round went through a few different permutations. For the first two episodes, it was a variation of the game seen in the 1969 pilot, but with only two spins allowed and most of the gag prizes replaced with decent ones. Additionally, some prizes appeared on the wheels inside of circles; if all three prizes in a spin were thus circled, the player also won a new car. Beginning with the third aired episode, the circles were eliminated and the car became a regular prize on the wheels. Not long after that, the endgame was completely overhauled again - this time, the wheels contained Jokers and Devils. The player was given up to three spins, and each time three Jokers came up, a different prize was won, increasing in value with each spin taken. If a Devil appeared, the player lost it all. Amusingly, for Christmas 1972, the graphics for this game were altered to become "Santas" (Jokers) and "Scrooges" (Devils). By the end of the CBS run, the "Face the Devil" round described above had been implemented.
In 1973, to avoid confusion between the category wheels and the bonus game reels, the Jokers in the "Jokers and Devils" era were marked with the word "Joker" instead of the word "Wild".
Early in the show's run, returning champions were competing for a chance to win the "Joker's Jackpot," an accruing jackpot of cash that started at $2,500. Players won this jackpot if they won four consecutive games (later three plus a new automobile). However, if they were defeated, all of their cash winnings to that point were forfeited to the Joker's Jackpot (prizes won in the bonus round was his/hers to keep). Thus, after every game, the champion decided whether to play on for a chance to win the Jackpot, or play it safe and retire from the show with their current winnings. The Jackpot continued to build until it reached $25,000 or more, which was at the time CBS's maximum "winnings cap" for game show contestants.
After winning the Joker's Jackpot, the champion was retired undefeated, but later the rules changed in which champions can continue playing until either defeated or reaching the maximum CBS winnings limit. Plus any Joker's Jackpots won was his/hers to keep.
1977-1986
There were a few alterations to the syndicated show over the years. One of the most notable was the addition of a "Natural Triple Jackpot" in 1983. This was an accruing prize package offered to a contestant who had spun a triple of any category, without Jokers. Prior to that, a bonus prize, usually around $500 in value, was given to any contestant who spinned a natural triple.
Special categories were introduced during the course of the syndicated era; the most famous of which were the "Mystery" category (which if picked would double the value of the question), and the "Fast Forward" category, in which a player can answer as many questions as he/she wished...a good catch-up tool if trailing in the game. "Stumpers" was introduced in 1983, which featured questions missed by both players from previous episodes; picking that category added an extra $100 to the value of the question. Other special categories played over the years included "Bid", in which a player had to answer a certain amount of questions; "Fact or Foto", in which the player can answer a question without seeing a photo for an extra amount of money, or answer the question with the photo for the regular value of the question; and "Multiple Choice", in which a player is given three possible answers, and he/she had to choose which answer is correct.
Other popular categories over the years included "Grab Bag" which is a potluck category, "Crossword Definitions", "Spelling", "Alphabet Soup", "News of the 70s", "Television" and "Who, What or Where?".
Beginning with the 1981-82 season, an audience game was played at the final segment each show (originally two or three shows per week, including the week-ending show). Three members of the studio audience were selected for a chance to win bonus money and a chance to spin against the devil. Each audience member was given one spin to get as much money as possible (originally two spins were given; meaning the audience member can take another spin if he/she did not like the amount spinned or wasn't enough to take the lead). The wheels contained money amounts ranging from $10 to $100, with $250 the highest amount possible in one spin. Whomever had the highest score went on to face the devil for a bonus prize and an additional $1,000. When Bill Cullen took over the reins of "The Joker's Wild" in 1984, the third contestant became a home viewer playing from his or her touch-tone telephone. The audience end game was discontinued following the 1984-85 season.
Joker! Joker! Joker! (1979-1981)
This was a special once-weekly version of The Joker's Wild with children for contestants and appropriately themed subject matter for questions. The format was basically the same, with only some slight alterations. In the main game, the children would play for points, not dollars. The winning child received a $500 education bond. The childrens' parents played the bonus round, presumably to avoid giving the kids the vice of gambling.
1990-1991
When "The Joker's Wild" returned to syndication in 1990, virtually everything about the show had been changed.
In the first round, three contestants (one a returning champion) competed to be the first to reach $500. The game began with a toss-up definition, and whomever buzzed in first with the correct answer gained control of the machine. The wheels contained various dollar amounts (generally $5-$50 in each window), with a Joker in the third window tripling the value of the first two if it came up (and giving that player 15 seconds to come up with as many correct answers as possible). After spinning, the player was given a series of rapid-fire definitions and had to figure out what those definitions referred to. Each correct answer earned the current value of the wheels. If a definition was missed, the other two players can buzz in and attempt to steal control of the board, which if successful, the wheels were spinned again. When one player reached the $500 target number, the low-scoring contestant was eliminated.
The two remaining contestants advanced to the second round, which was played much like the first, with higher dollar amoounts on the wheels, and a choice of one of two categories after each spin. The first to reach $2,000 or more won the game.
In the bonus round, the champion was given up to three definitions to different words starting with the same letter. Each correct answer given within sixty seconds earned one spin of the wheels. The wheels, this time, contained prizes and Jokers. The object was to get three of a kind of any prize in order to win it. Jokers could be used to match any prize showing; spinning three Jokers won a "Joker's Jackpot" that started at $5,000 and increased by $500 each day until won.
About halfway through this show's run, the front game format was reworked to incorporate elements of the original "Joker's Wild" game. Although still played with the "definition" format, categories at least had returned to the wheels - $25 for a single, $50 for a double, $100 for a triple. Spinning three Jokers here won an automatic $250 bonus and 15 seconds to answer as many "definition" questions as possible. The winning score for the first round was increased to $1,000 at this point.
Thomas Van Dyke holds the record for most money won and for most appearances on this version of the show.
Notes
- As he had done in the past, Jack Barry would begin each broadcast by saying Thank you and a most cordial welcome to The Joker's Wild. And at the end of each broadcast, Jack would ask the players to come back on the next show...which they would, of course...some 20 or 30 minutes later with new wardrobe for the next taping.
- In the mid-1990s, Philips produced two games for its ill-fated CD-i platform based on The Joker's Wild. These games featured "real" hosts and were based more or less on the first syndicated series. Wink Martindale "hosted" the first and best-known of these games (with Charlie O'Donnell as the announcer), while Marc Summers could be found on a special "Junior" edition of the game. Martindale incidently was among the first candidates to host the original series when networks were still not 100 percent sold on Jack Barry as host due to his involvement in the quiz show scandals of the 1950s.
- Board game manufacturer Milton Bradley produced four editions of The Joker's Wild home game, the fourth of which was actually branded for Joker! Joker! Joker!.
- Although Joker is commonly named by several game show historians as the first series Jack Barry was part of following the disastrous quiz show scandals, that isn't actually true. Barry had hosted two earlier series (The Generation Gap and The Reel Game) prior to the premiere of Joker (the latter of the two produced and created by Barry himself), and some evidence suggests he and partner Dan Enright were "silent partners" in several game shows of the 1960s (both in the United States and Canada), defying their unofficial blacklisting by the industry. Enright was brought on as executive producer of The Joker's Wild during its final CBS season.
- In 1980, The Joker's Wild became the first television program to advertise that it was giving away $1,000,000. It was the total purse for a special tournament of champions; the eventual winner received $500,000 of that total, half of which went to the charity of his or her choice. The remainder of the money was divided among the other participants in the tournament, depending on how they performed, with once again half of their winnings going to charity. Other tournament of champions were held prior to this, but no ToCs were held after the 1980 tournament.
- Beginning in 1981, Jack Barry on occasion would follow the same path as Bob Barker, encouraging all pet owners to have their pets spaded or neutured at the end of show.
- The 1990-91 version of The Joker's Wild paid tribute to Jack Barry with a memorial plaque placed on that version's slot machine.
- There has been many instances in which a contestant, faced with either losing the game or spinning three jokers in order to win, actually spinned three jokers. One contestant, Hal Sheer, rubbed his suit, and spinned three jokers, causing host Jack Barry to pass out temporarily. Afterwards, Barry told Sheer never to take that suit off again for the rest of his life. Joe Dunn was also faced with a similar situation like Sheer on two different occasions, and spun three jokers to continue on as champion.
- Although it was a Barry & Enright-produced game show from 1977 onward, The Joker's Wild was copyrighted and a property of Jack Barry Productions during its entire run and in the 1990 version, with Barry's sons John and Douglas Barry as co-executive producers.
- The theme music of the show's first incarnation was titled "The Savers." It originally appeared on the 1967 release, Spotlight On The Moog (Kaleidoscopic Vibrations) by electronic music arists Perrey and Kingsley. A second theme, composed by Alan Thicke was introduced in 1974, titled Joker's Jive, and would be used for the 1974-75 season and for the closing of the first syndicated season. Both versions would be replaced in 1978 with the so-called Whistle Theme, composed by Hal Hidey.
- It was rumored that the aforementioned original opening and closing themes were used on the final broadcast with Jack Barry as host in mid-1984, in tribute to the newly-deceased host.
Episode status
All episodes survive, including the CBS version which was once thought to be lost forever until the episodes were found at WCBS-TV in 2000. The CBS and first syndicated run have been shown on GSN.
External links
- The Joker's Wild homepage (http://sbentley.esmartdesign.com/tjwhome.html) (unofficial)
- Game Show Galaxy: The Joker's Wild (http://www.gameshow-galaxy.net/TJW1.htm)
- Game Show Utopia" The Joker's Wild (http://gameshowutopia.com/jokerswild.htm)
