Pass the Buck (game show)
"Ladies and gentlemen, these four players are about to make instant decisions under pressure. Only the last survivor will win the game and all the money on
Pass the Buck." That's the opening spiel for this short-lived
1978 13 week old game show hosted by
Bill Cullen. It was announced by
Bob Clayton, and produced by
Bob Stewart Productions. This game show aired on
CBS daytime from
April 3,
1978 until
June 30,
1978, and was the network's last game show to originate from New York. It would be replaced by the
Wink Martindale-hosted
Tic Tac Dough.
Four players competed in this game. Host Cullen reads a category aloud (Example: "Food eaten at a fast food restaurant"). The contestant's job is to give answers that fit into to that category. The order of contestants giving answers goes down the line from left to right from the host's point of view. The bank for each game starts at $100, and each correct answer adds $25 more to the bank. If at anytime an answer is repeated or the judges think an answer is dubbed incorrect, the next player in line can give one correct answer and knock that person out of the game. The player whose answer was incorrect goes to the "bullpen" and sits out the rest of the game. If that person misses in any way, the next person in line can knock out both contestants who answered wrong. If all the players alive during a question give consecutive incorrect answers for a question, that question is thrown out and play resumes with a new question. When at least one player is removed due to a bad answer, a new question is played as above. Play continues until one player is left. That last contestant standing wins all the money in the bank and plays for the "Fast Bucks" round for $5,000.
The Fast Bucks round is played on a triangular board with 4 different levels. There are 4 squares on the bottom level, 3 on the 2nd lowest level, 2 on the next level, and 1 on top. The winning player begins on the bottom row and is given a category with more defined answers (People from "
Happy Days", U.S. States etc.). The winner's job is to reveal as many of the four hidden answers on the bottom level in 15 seconds. If the contestant reveals at least one answer on that level, the contestant moves up to the next level. The process is the same for the remaining three levels. If at anytime the player does not reveal any answers on any level when time expires, the bonus round is over but receives $100 for each revealed answer on the board. But if the player revealed at least one answer on every level or all answers on one level, he/she won $5,000.
The same four players stay on the show until one of them wins the $5,000 causing the other three players to leave the show but does keep any money won up to that point. The $5,000 winnner faces three new challengers.
*
The Pass the Buck Page at the Bill Cullen Homepage*
The Pass the Buck Page @gameshowutopia.net
