Author Topic: The Challengers (Read 3163 times)

TLEberle · « **on:** December 18, 2004, 07:15:06 PM »

More than a few tweaks were made to the 3W's revival, at various points. One thing I'm curious about is how many of them were made at the same time (Like replacing the Sprint Round with a single $100 question, and the changing of the question values) and the $10k Ultimate Challenge starting the new season (I thought there was a $50K + $5k for each miss at the very beginning, too).

If anyone can fill in the blanks, I'd appreciate it.

zachhoran · « **Reply #1 on:** December 18, 2004, 07:42:12 PM »

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' date=\'Dec 18 2004, 07:15 PM\'](I thought there was a $50K + $5k for each miss at the very beginning, too).

If anyone can fill in the blanks, I'd appreciate it.

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The first three weeks of the run saw the UC start at $50K and going up $5K each time it was played for and missed. Then they changed it to adding $1K a day until won. It hadn't been won but was played for by DOak Fairey on the Sneak Preview show for $50K, and then it went to $55K. ONce it was hit by Larry Kaplan for $60K, they reset it to $25K and it went up $1K a day until won. I never saw the Challengers after the 10/19/90 episode, as WCAU in Philly replaced it with Combs Feud at 7:30PM. The May 24 1991 episode on the trading circuit has the Sprint round to start the game, and lowered question values from earlier in the run(100-150-200 instead of 150-200-250 and 200-300-400 instead of 300-400-500), and no more Ultimate CHallenge or $10K bonus question at the end of the game for the winner.

Don Howard · « **Reply #2 on:** December 18, 2004, 10:37:08 PM »

Ah, Travis, you're talking about one of my favorite shows ever.
Boy, did it get bounced around like a pinball in many cities because of time period changes. WCMH-TV in Columbus debuted it at 7pm and moved it to 2am in January 1991. WJW-TV in Cleveland gave it the ol' switcheroo multiple times until it finally died at 5am.
The dollar values of the questions were lowered in late November or early December 1990 with the elimination of the Ultimate Challenge progressive bonus some weeks later. A couple of months after that, the $10000 final Ultimate Challenge question was eliminated. Whoever won The Final Challenge returned for the next show with no bonuses available.
Great thing about this show besides the hosting of Dick Clark {get well soon!!!}, the announcing of Don Morrow, the kick-ass theme music and a dynamite current events questioning base: Win or lose, you kept the money you made.
And, oh yes, I hear the warm-up guy was pretty good, too. Randolph East or something like that.

PYLdude · « **Reply #3 on:** December 18, 2004, 10:42:05 PM »

[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Dec 18 2004, 11:37 PM\']Ah, Travis, you're talking about one of my favorite shows ever.
Boy, did it get bounced around like a pinball in many cities because of time period changes. WCMH-TV in Columbus debuted it at 7pm and moved it to 2am in January 1991. WJW-TV in Cleveland gave it the ol' switcheroo multiple times until it finally died at 5am.
The dollar values of the questions were lowered in late November or early December 1990 with the elimination of the Ultimate Challenge progressive bonus some weeks later. A couple of months after that, the $10000 final Ultimate Challenge question was eliminated. Whoever won The Final Challenge returned for the next show with no bonuses available.
Great thing about this show besides the hosting of Dick Clark {get well soon!!!}, the announcing of Don Morrow, the kick-ass theme music and a dynamite current events questioning base: Win or lose, you kept the money you made.
And, oh yes, I hear the warm-up guy was pretty good, too. Randolph East or something like that.

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I thought they went back to the UC progressive bonus after they ditched the $10K version?

zachhoran · « **Reply #4 on:** December 18, 2004, 11:05:10 PM »

[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Dec 18 2004, 10:37 PM\']
Great thing about this show besides the hosting of Dick Clark {get well soon!!!}, the announcing of Don Morrow, the kick-ass theme music and a dynamite current events questioning base: Win or lose, you kept the money you made.
And, oh yes, I hear the warm-up guy was pretty good, too. Randolph East or something like that.

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A couple of months into the run, wasn't the current events angle scaled back? It seems to we reported on ATGS some time back that it was. The 5/24/91 episode, for example, has only two current events themed questions: a question about Lawton Chiles being governor or Florida and about Scott Turow's book Burden of Proof.