The Big Showdown part 1

[Noveltooner]

Annoucer Dan Daniel was better known to New York audiences during the 1960s as "Dandy Dan" Daniel, of the legendary "Good Guys" of WMCA-AM 570 during its rock music era. He later moved on to country music stations WHN-AM (now RadioDisney),WYNY-FM and finally, WCBS-FM. Always a class act, this was his only game show announcing gig and he had a tremndous audience warm-up. "The Big Showdown" was taped at ABC Studio TV-15 (Elysee Theater) on W. 58th Street, also home of "The 20,000 Pyramid."

[MattTheSaiyan]

The mechanical number flipping things (no, I don't know what they are actually called) are really cool, love seeing them in episodes of old game shows. They should make a comeback. Now.

[byrd56]

@MattTheSaiyan Those number-flipping things might have been called Signaltrons.

[gr8zackattack]

Is this where the lady came up with the slogan "i've fallen, & I can't get up!"

[smoothpants]

OMG! OMG! I haven't seen this in over THIRTY YEARS!!! This was one of my favorite game shows a s a little kid!

Bless you! Bless you! Bless you!

[StukInBuf]

I'd like to see a revival of combiined "Big Showdown" and "High Rollers."

Play the 2 out of 3 regular games like HR, and then the bonus is where you have to clear all the 1-9 in 60 seconds. Doubles, leading to insurance markers, add 10 seconds to your time allotment. Get all cleared off within the given time, and you win $25,000!

[gladfan1989]

Hey Jim, did you find my banana? LOL, very funny moment.

[Jaybird1103]

Jim Peck was a great game show host, but it seemed the shows he hosted were either cancelled too soon (The Big Showdown, Second Chance [became the predecessor of "Press Your Luck", and "Hot Streak" [which was the forerunner of "The Moment of Truth]), or bad executive decisions (Jack Barry picked Jim to succeed him as host of The Joker's Wild, but after Barry's death, producer Dan Enright chose Bill Cullen over Peck). You did a great job, you just never got the big break.

[sprinter82]

Anybody else wondering why this show didn't have a home-game version?

[GarfieldnPyramid]

Because the show didn't run long enough.

[taratupa73]

I actually saw this, when it was originally broadcast, back in 1974, on the first color TV I ever owned: A big 23-inch Zenith. Great memories! Thanks.

[FrogTesticle]

I love the music, perfect for disco!

[tvpirate05]

I love the dramatic freeze frame of the winning contestant in the intro (:33 mark). Pure 70s!

And this show is just pure excellence...

[robcas123]

sadly, only two episodes and some clips exists today. what a shame.

[Rlotpir1972]

It's true that only two full episodes on that show, but I feel that GSN should air them anyway to create a ideal revival of the game. Perhaps another GSN original like they did with Gambit (Catch 21).

[Hondo20132]

GSN airs rarities on special occasions. Like, they aired the huge Jackpot win from 1975 during GSN Live one time!

[fromthesidelines]

This was very briefly on ABC's 1974-'75 daytime schedule, at 2:30pm(et), eventually replaced by Regis Philbin's "THE NEIGHBORS"..

[secondchance1977]

While ABC wipes this, they let The Neighbors exist on tape. Must have been high on acid..

[Hondo20132]

And they erased Second Chance almost 2 years later. Not to mention the $10K (and half of the $20K) Pyramid. My guess was that they added a bit of stupidity stew on top.

[devares2006]

I agree it's stupid to do it, but that's how it was in the '70s. ABC and NBC erase them to tape other shows mainly because it was too expensive to buy video tapes. CBS rarely erase their game shows.

[Hondo20132]

ABC, I feel, had ton of honor for Regis.

[devares2006]

The Neighbors exists mainly because of Regis hosting it.

[StukInBuf]

This show is but one of several game shows I vaguely remember from my little boy days in Brooklyn: "Big Showdown," the "Pyramid" shows, "Split Second," "Password," and "To Tell the Truth."

Now, if someone could help me, I believe I remember a show that aired also in the early 1970s in which contestants had to run through a maze, and at certain points therein they pushed buttons on these tall podiums that revealed points, dollars, or other prizes.

Thanks for your help.

[ieeeeeeeeeeeee]

I believe it was called "The Moneymaze" or something like that.

[davemock]

Exactly - also on ABC, and like "Showdown" produced with the guidance of Ron Greenberg. Both were taped in NYC, "Showdown" at the Elysee Theatre (ABC Studio TV-15) and "The Money Maze" at TV-1.

[bluebear1985]

It was indeed "The Moneymaze", hosted by Nick Clooney. He was somewhat famous as a journalist, but he would father a certain son named George. I wonder what ever happened to him, hmmmmm, lol.

[gshowguy]

Nick's also famous for being a host on AMC, back when the network didn't suck.

[professor1966]

He was much more famous on local TV in Cincinnati. He hosted a talk show in the early 70s and later anchored the news on WKRC.. He gained a lot of fame for his coverage of the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire back in '77.

[StukInBuf]

Before he went to AMC, he was a reporter here in Buffalo on WGRZ in 1993/94, co-anchoring the weeknight newscasts with Laurie Lusowski.

[canbac21]

Now this is a show that should be revived! A perfect mix of strategy and luck!

[Rlotpir1972]

@canbac21 High Rollers was the closest revival.

[danixdx99]

this show was fucking good.

[Jnelson09Returns]

Why'd they have a staircase anyway? I guess it was there for a divine reason: So one of the most infamous bloopers in the genre would be preserved so we could see it 33 years later.

[mrceleb2006]

Sure, you people would applaud a lynchin'! We had one fast course of amazing grace!

[braingun64]

Wisconsin native Jim Peck presided over The Big Showdown, where three contestants answer

trivia questions in an effort to win cash just

by rolling the dice.

[shoofirbin]

those old flip displays are cool.

[secondchance1977]

if your wondering, there called Solari Boards

[RJSchex]

If you listen closely at 1:39, while Diane is speaking, you can hear Andy's score display (which had been at $775) clear itself.

[Noveltooner]

Along with "The $20,000 Pyramid", this was one of the last New York-based games before the "L.A. Purge" of all the Big Apple's shows. Like "Pyramid", this was taped at ABC Studio TV-15 (Elysée Theatre) on West 58th Street (also Dick Cavett's ABC home). It was sold when the Lincoln Square facility was completed. It was later partially demolished and became an auditorium foer a high school.

[davemock]

Right, Noveltooner - St. Thomas Choir School. And to think it took 18 years, after syndicated "$50,000 Pyramid" ended, before another game show was broadcast over the air regularly from NYC (though on the cable side MTV had "Remote Control" ). I also remember "The Moneymaze" was taped at another ABC studio, in the Upper West Side neighborhood where ABC has a number of facilities today.

[StukInBuf]

I believe, davemock, you just answered my question from just moments ago.

[Wheeloffortunefan999]

what were the amounts on the money dial?

$25-$100 in $25 increments and $500 right?

[byrd56]

$25-$50-$75-$100-$50-$500 was the pattern on the money dial.

[Sammy4549]

FALL ON DOWN, JIM!!!

[lawrenceofarabia1962]

Does this episode exist based on recording it 30 years ago, or is the original tape of this episode still exist?

[lambertman]

This is from the original master tape. It probably would also have been erased had it not been for Jim's fall.

[lawrenceofarabia1962]

Then, let's have GSN air this episode!

[Lectronimo]

Jim Peck looks much better here before his unfortunate 3's A Crowd perm a few years later.

[TVLubber]

This is the only episode known to exist aside from the pilot.

[coleyd]

I wonder if anyone has ever won the $10,000 on the first roll?

[SuperGamer7]

It certainly has happened. Unfortunately we may never see it for ourselves, and you know why.

[BlueBomber88]

it has, I believe on the 100th episode.

[thegameshowguy]

I remember seeing that episode. It must have been a Tuesday or Friday as that's when I was home from school early. The $10,000 winner was a young, personable African American lady. Jim gave her the Show-Down dice as a souvinier. (I wanted those) I can remember this event 35 years later...even the board flashing $10,900 (her total winnings)

[devares2006]

@coleyd One actually did, in fact on the 100th episode.

[coleyd]

@devares2006 Now that's a way to cap off the 100th show! It would be great to see that!

[devares2006]

@coleyd It would be. Too bad they erased it. One would think that they would save it.

[mlh53057]

@TVLubber It's a shame that the networks didn't save this stuff.