Bowling for dollars promo tv commercial 1977

[Mpoconnor7]

I remember back in the mid late 70's, Bowling for Dollars in Pittsburgh was hosted by a guy named Nick Perry, who went to prison because he helped to fix the PA Lottery daily number drawing in 1980.

[StukInBuf]

Any chance for the opening theme of "Bowling for Dollars"? I recall 2 versions in 1978 or so.

[wmbrown6]

Based on the "More for You" slogan, this promo would've doubtless been 1978-79.

[altfactor]

"Bowling For Dollars" was franchised by the same people who franchised "Romper Room".

Each station would produce it's own version.

Here in Boston, where candlepin bowling is much bigger than tenpin bowling, a candlepin version of "bowling For Dollars", titled "Candlepins For Cash", was hugely popular in the mid-1970's.

[tyrese3745]

Are you sure this promo was from 1977??? Looks more like the 1979-80 season to me.

[johnissoevil]

@tyrese3745 There was no 79-80 season of BfD in New York. In fall 1979, Tic Tac Dough replaced BfD on channel 9.

[melbavideos]

We had Bowling for Dollars in Dallas (WFAA-TV, ABC affiliate) and the host was Vern Lundquist! Obviously he moved on to much bigger and better things with a long, ongoing career as a top sportscaster.

[soulseek1111]

Wow I had forgotten all about this show. I remember watching this when i was 6 years old, my God where has time gone!

[adelgado75]

Wow, I remember this show.

[stooge81]

Wait a second...

What about Ralph Kiner? Bob Murphy? You know...the NY Mets announcers? They both hosted BFD also. I can almost hear Murphy now, with that trademark voice, wearing those cheesey plaid suits. Now that was BFD...

[WhatsAYak]

Yeah, they did the first version of BfD on WOR, which ran earlier in the decade.

[tieran2009]

@stooge81 Yes, but Larry Kinney, who was also a radio DJ for 1050 WHN at the time, was also a Very Good host.

[StukInBuf]

I once saw the bowling alley where the BFD show was set. On Thanksgiving weekend 88, I was with my dad and sibs as we took the subway on a visit to grandma's in Brooklyn, and walked to Madison Square Garden. The bowling alley looked just like what the BFD ad here shows.

[SDS1582]

Anyone know how to get the actual episodes of this show? My dad was on this in Detroit and he won the jackpot. I'm too young to have ever seen it but I want to find the footage.

[johnissoevil]

My 9 should do a one time only special celebrating its past, including shooting an episode of BfD for the modern audience. Of course, Rupert and Fox doesn't care as much about WNYW's or WWOR's history as Tribune does about WPIX's history.

[prausch65]

That's because WPIX has always emphasized quality programming and respects its past.

[johnissoevil]

Indeed.  WTXF in Philadelphia is the same way, they used to be a great station as TV-29, but then came 1995, and Mr. Murdoch got his hands on that station.

[Imajica69]

It's Liono! Thundercats HOO!

[Alexltavares]

Wow I remember that promo from Cahannel 9. I was five years old in '77. Anyone remember Romper Room on channel 9?

[unclevanya]

Romper Room and Bowling for Dollars occupied 2 corners of the same small studio back then. I actually went to a taping when my brother-in-law was a contestant.

[wmbrown6]

Might that explain why, when William F. Buckley, Jr.'s "Firing Line" originated from WOR's studios from 1966 to 1971, there was a black background?

[prausch65]

New York Indie station Channel 9, this show was pure campiness with that cheap set.

[Reg197844]

You're so right. That studio looked like local access cable. We used to watch B-f-D every night at 7:30. My parent's friend was actually a contestant on an episode. She choked though.

[prausch65]

Do you remember "Uncle Floyd" on UHF channel 68.

[Reg197844]

Sure, Floyd was a classic. The shabby production was all part of the campiness of the show.

[WhatsAYak]

Indeed...for those of you wondering, Floyd's spent the last several years hosting The Italian-American Serenade on WVIP-FM in New Rochelle...having worked there for 3 years now, I occasionally see him there, dropping off material for an upcoming show.

[WhatsAYak]

And for those of you wondering, BFD host Larry Kenney has since gone onto greater fame as longtime producer of radio's Imus In the Morning.