Break The Bank (ABC Game Shows) Questions

[TimK2003]

I had just watched the ABC BtB episode #6 that was on pageoclips.com.

Tom Kennedy told the champion and the audience that if he were to exceed ABC's winnings cap of $20,000 he would only get to keep $20,000 and would have to give up the rest.

After Tom had explained the strict $20,000 winnings cap, I had a few ponderings:  

Let's say that a contestant was at $18,000 going into the next match and the BtB Jackpot was at $7,000.  Said contestant breaks the bank for what would have been $25,000 in total.

1)  If said contestant wins $25,000 in cash & prizes, can the contestant decide what he wants to keep for the $20,000 limit?  (i.e. Contestant finishes with  $21,000 in cash/$4,000 prizes -- can he elect to take $20K in cash or must he accept the prizes he won in order of games won)?

2)  Does the Bank Jackpot revert back to the minimum $5,000 though he really only won $2,000 in the last game, or do they keep the extra $2K in the jackpot for the next match?

3) When, if ever, was the ABC cap raised?  

4) Was the ABC cap $20,000 per person, or per *family* on Family Feud when both shows were running at the same time in the Summer of '76?

[beatlefreak84]

1) If said contestant wins $25,000 in cash & prizes, can the contestant decide what he wants to keep for the $20,000 limit? (i.e. Contestant finishes with $21,000 in cash/$4,000 prizes -- can he elect to take $20K in cash or must he accept the prizes he won in order of games won)?

2) Does the Bank Jackpot revert back to the minimum $5,000 though he really only won $2,000 in the last game, or do they keep the extra $2K in the jackpot for the next match?

IIRC, the ABC payout limit was even more complicated than this....  I believe it was that, on BtB, you had to retire when exceeding $20,000, but you were allowed to keep up to $25,000 in winnings (the rest would be given to charity).

As far as the rest, I can only speculate, but I would assume that the contestant would get to choose what made up his/her $25,000, and, to avoid confusion, the jackpot would be treated as entirely won and just revert back to $5,000, even if it caused a contestant to exceed the $25,000.

Anthony

[Jay Temple]

I echo your speculation. ISTR that on Gambit, Wink told a couple that if they went over CBS' $25,000 limit, they would have to "decide what to give back."

[Ian Wallis]

I echo your speculation. ISTR that on Gambit, Wink told a couple that if they went over CBS' $25,000 limit, they would have to "decide what to give back."

Same thing on Joker's Wild when it was on CBS.  At that time, contestants couldn't win a dime over $25,000 (I'm not sure when they were allowed to keep whatever they won over that amount).  I remember at least one contestant who was only a few hundred away from the limit, and once she won the next game that put her over.  She only kept $25,000 and didn't even get to play the bonus game.

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'134239\' date=\'Oct 12 2006, 09:03 AM\']
Same thing on Joker's Wild when it was on CBS.  At that time, contestants couldn't win a dime over $25,000 (I'm not sure when they were allowed to keep whatever they won over that amount).  I remember at least one contestant who was only a few hundred away from the limit, and once she won the next game that put her over.  She only kept $25,000 and didn't even get to play the bonus game.
[/quote]
One show I recall from 1973 (presented on Game Show Network in 2001) is one in which Jack Barry told the champion that if he/she went above $25000, the player "would have to return a prize or two".

[uncamark]

It seems to me that on "Feud," the family limit was raised to either $25,000 or $40,000--haven't watched the GSN reruns in a while, so I don't remember which one for sure.

At least when the show went to CBS, they just went to a five-day limit and kept it simple.

[GS Warehouse]

My apologies for taking this thread in another direction, but since we're talking about winners' limits in this thread, I'd figure it's better to post this question here than start a new thread.  On CBS's Double Dare back in 1977, was Alan Lusher forced to retire upon reaching $20K (since beating the Spoilers one more time would have put him over $25K) or was he finally beaten?

[mbc793]

I think on the Feud it was at $25,000 again I'm just guessing. I think they did the same (or not) when the $10,000 pyramid became the $20,000 Pyramid the same year BTB was on.

[J.R.]

Can anyone explain the reasoning behind monetary limits? Is there some major reasons why contestants couldn't win more than a certain amount?

-Joe R.

[ChuckNet]

[quote name=\'GS Warehouse\' post=\'134269\' date=\'Oct 12 2006, 01:28 PM\']
My apologies for taking this thread in another direction, but since we're talking about winners' limits in this thread, I'd figure it's better to post this question here than start a new thread.  On CBS's Double Dare back in 1977, was Alan Lusher forced to retire upon reaching $20K (since beating the Spoilers one more time would have put him over $25K) or was he finally beaten?
[/quote]

Right the 1st time...he retired w/$20.5K, to be exact.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

[DrBear]

A lot of it was aimed at the 50s scandals and big money quiz shows. After that, the networks downplayed the thousands of dollars and went more for smaller amounts of cash (you might win $500 on "Password") and prizes. This apparently eased temptations to cheat with so much on the line. Gradually, the amounts crept back up, to the point where you could have a show like $10,000 Pyramid. (An attempt was made to bring back a big-money quiz in the early 60s at ABC, but "100 Grand" died very quickly.) So the lmits were set, either in prize amounts or in time spent.

[ChuckNet]

Same thing on Joker's Wild when it was on CBS. At that time, contestants couldn't win a dime over $25,000 (I'm not sure when they were allowed to keep whatever they won over that amount). I remember at least one contestant who was only a few hundred away from the limit, and once she won the next game that put her over. She only kept $25,000 and didn't even get to play the bonus game.

A similar situation almost occured on MG '75...when champ Carol Bartos played what might have been her final Super Match, although she won $500 in the Audience Match, because her total @ that point was $20,850 and anything more would've put her over $25K, she played the Head-to-Head for $4,150(!)...however, she failed to match, and was then defeated in her next game.

When Carolyn Rasner finally became THE all-time top winner on the 2nd-to-last wk of MG '79, by then, the rule had been changed so that while you still had to retire after exceeding $25K, you could keep everything up to $35K...which worked out fine, since she wound up retiring w/$32,750.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

[Ian Wallis]

This apparently eased temptations to cheat with so much on the line. Gradually, the amounts crept back up, to the point where you could have a show like $10,000 Pyramid.

During the '60s it seemed that networks got nervous with any potential winnings over $1000.  I believe it was on that magical day of Sept 4, 1972 when CBS raised the limit to $25,000.  Jack Barry even mentioned on the first Joker's Wild broadcast that contestants could win up to that amount.

Not sure when the other networks followed suit, but I'd imagine NBC's restrictions were lifted a bit earlier as contestants were winning in the thousands on Hollywood Squares in the late '60s.

[Ian Wallis]

When Carolyn Rasner finally became THE all-time top winner on the 2nd-to-last wk of MG '79, by then, the rule had been changed so that while you still had to retire after exceeding $25K, you could keep everything up to $35K...which worked out fine, since she wound up retiring w/$32,750.

I know this has been talked about before, but I can't remember the exact date.  Does anyone know when CBS allowed you to keep anything you won over $25K, without having to give any back?  Obviously it was after '79 but before Larson.

[aaron sica]

[quote name='Ian Wallis' date='Oct 13 2006, 09:02 AM' post='134369']

During the '60s it seemed that networks got nervous with any potential winnings over $1000.  I believe it was on that magical day of Sept 4, 1972 when CBS raised the limit to $25,000.  Jack Barry even mentioned on the first Joker's Wild broadcast that contestants could win up to that amount.

Not sure when the other networks followed suit, but I'd imagine NBC's restrictions were lifted a bit earlier as contestants were winning in the thousands on Hollywood Squares in the late '60s.

Wow, imagine if the Pyramid had premiered in the '60s..."The $1,000 Pyramid", with your Winner's Circle category values being $10 on the bottom row, $20 for the middle, $30 for the top....