Time Machine (game show)
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
| The Magnificent Marble Machine | |
| Format | Game Show |
| Run time | 30 minutes (per episode) |
| Creator | Reg Grundy |
| Starring | John Davidson as the host; Charlie O'Donnell as the announcer |
| Country | USA |
| Network | NBC |
| Original run | January 1985 – April 1985 |
| No. of episodes | undetermined |
"Time Machine" was a short-lived American game show where contestants competed to answer trivia questions about popular culture and recent history to win prizes. The show starred John Davidson and ran on NBC from Janaury to April 1985.
"Time Machine" was part of a wave of trivia-based game shows, all which attempted to duplicate the recent success of "Jeopardy!." The series' most notable feature was its set, which rotated 360 degrees from a lower platform to the main stage as the show began.
Most of the questions used on "Time Machine" focused on nostalgia, popular culture and recent (usually post-World War II) history, and more specifically, what year a particular event occurred.
Several mini-games — a la "The Price is Right" — were played, with two players each. Some of the games included:
- The "Jukebox Game" – A year was given (e.g., 1961) and contestants had to guess whether a hit song occurred before or after (for instance, "The Battle of New Orleans," hit BEFORE (1959)).
- The "Tube Game" – Questions centered around television and when a particular show was on (e.g., the year is 1966, and the clue was "The Brady Bunch" (premiered AFTER (1969)).
- "Decades" – Players had to guess when a particular event occurred (e.g., "Sputnik 1 launched" occurred in 1957).
Other games centered around news events, sports and other entertainment genres.
The winners from each of those rounds competed against a returning champion in a question and answer-type quiz. The winner of that round played a bonus round.
Two different bonus games were used during the show's run, played thusly:
- January to early February – Davidson read a list of items, all of which occurred in a specific year — e.g., Bobby Fischer wins the United States Chess Championship, John Birch Society formed, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," Elvis Presley drafted and "The Chipmunk Song." If the contestant correctly identified the year (1958), he/she won a bonus prize.
- Early February-April – A specific year was given (e.g., 1971) and up to four questions relating to whether a certain event happened before or after that year were read (e.g., Henry Kissinger named Secretary of State, AFTER (it happened in 1973)). Four correct answers won the player a new car, while an incorrect answer before then stopped the game.
The critics were not kind to "Time Machine;" apparently, neither were viewers, who opted for "The $25,000 Pyramid" instead. The show lasted just more than three months.
