Bowling for Dollars FAQ list
Mikey
game show, Bowling for Dollars.
Q1. What was Bowling for Dollars?
A1. A half-hour long TV game show on which ordinary people could try
their hand at winning some cash by knocking down pins. This show was
locally produced in most of the medium-sized and large cities in the
United States, and took place either in a local bowling alley or on
specially buiilt lanes right inside the studio. Its general time slot
was weeknights at 7:30 p.m., but that might have varied. The show began
in 1973, but seems to have petered out around 1978 -- though once again,
this might have varied by region. BfD's concept was developed and sold
by Bert Claster, the same person who marketed the children's show Romper
Room, which was also locally produced. (Both shows had animated
openings, and I believe it was Bert's wife Nancy who was the first Romper
Room host.)
Q2. What was BfD's opening sequence?
A2. The show began with an animation depicting a man holding a bowling
ball like a steering wheel and then rolling it down an alley. The ball
makes a strike as the multicolored pins topple in a sort of slow motion.
Then a dollar-sign pops up onscreen, then the name of the show, which
then dissolves to the live host and applause. The background of this
animation was the opening music with a locally-specific voiceover. The
shpeil would always include the line "..where the money goes up as the
pins go down." The Detroit version used to say "And now, here's the man
with all the dollars, the kingpin himself, Bob Allison" (This was before
the word "kingpin" had that unfortunate drug connotation.)
Q3. What did the set look like?
A3. Blue background with a sliding door bearing the name of the show, and
a round red Jackpot on the left wall with cut-out backlit letters that
flashed when somebody won. There was also a Pin Pal barrel in the
foreground (see below), and the host stood in the middle of the set
holding one of those large microphones of the time. The part where they
actually bowled looked like any other Brunswick or AMF lane.
At least one version of the show did a set re-design in about 1977. The
single sliding door wae replaced with open sliding doors cut out in the
shape of a bowling pin, with a white background behind the doors. The
jackpot was now just an uninspired u-shaped array of lightbulbs.
Q4. Describe the standard gameplay of BfD
A4. The host would welcome a contestant as he walked through the opening
sliding door. He would then interview him for a minute or two, usually
asking about career and hobbies. Then the host would ask "Who did you
bring with you?" The camera would then cut to the audience, which showed
the contestant's family/friends standing. "Well, there's my wife Selma
(she waves), my son Nicholas (he waves), and my brother Arnie (he
waves). Then the host would instruct the contestant to select a Pin Pal,
before sending the hime/her off to the rack with applause. Contestant
would bowl twice, and audience would applaud after each shot - regardless
of the leave. The contestant would return to the host who would hand him
a card while announcing the winnings, then walk off. Hitting the jackpot
would result in a mini-celebration at that point, usually with the
contestant's spouse or whoever joining him on the set. There were seven
contestants on each show, and at the end the host would read off the
seven who'd appear on the following show.
Q5. How were the cash prizes determined?
A5. The prize hierarchy was fairly simple. Each contestant would bowl
two balls, and won a dollar for each pin felled, e.g., if he or she got 8
pins down, the prize was $8. But, there was a $5 minimum for those rare
cases where they got less than 5 pins on two shots, and a spare or a
single strike would yield $20 bucks. Two consecutive strikes broke the
jackpot, which started at $500 and was increased by $20 each time it was
not hit. (Note that gutter balls were not uncommon on the show, but I
never actually saw two consecutive gutters aired. I wonder if it would
not be in violation of game show laws to edit one of them out and allow
an extra throw) The most frustrating situation on BfD was a strike on
the first ball, and nine on the second -- with one wobbling!
Q6. Were there any non-cash prizes as well?
A6. Yes, but these were left to the discretion of each local edition.
On the Detroit version, contestants who picked up a spare received a
dinner for two at one of three area restaurants, rotated daily. If said
spare was a split, they would tack on two large pizzas from "Buddy's", a
local pizzeria (you might think that this would be rare among
non-pro-bowlers, but they counted the baby split [2-7 or 3-10], which is
fairly easy to convert.) Contestants who got one and only one strike
earned a "pin" from the "pinboard". This was a triangular magnetic board
on the set wall with ten sliced-in-half bowling pins on it. Each pin had
a prize listed on the back as provided by a local jeweler. These were
prizes like teapots and such, but the big ticket item was a diamond ring
which was promo'd regardless of whether anyone picked it. And if someone
did hit the jackpot, they could also try for a turkey (3 consecutive
strikes), which would bring another prize like a recliner chair; this
prize was augmented every time the jackpot exceeded a multiple of $1000.
Remember, these were all in addition to the standard cash awards.
Also in Detroit, each contestant also got a few extras like an
Entertainment book. And unlike most TV games shows, I did not know of any
"home game", but when the Michigan Lottery came out with a scratch-off
game named "Bowling for Dollars", each contestant received ten tickets.
Q7. Were professional bowlers eligible as contestants?
A7. Apparently not, since most pro-bowlers would make short work of a
double (2 strikes) or even a turkey. In fact, in some of the smaller
markets, one did not even have to be a regular bowler to qualify as a
contestant. The New York edition, however, included on their contestant
application a line for one's bowling average and "Where you bowl".
Note: Once, on the Detroit edition, a contestant said during the
interview that he was on another locally produced bowling show called
"Beat the Champ".
Q8. What music or musical cues did BfD use?
A8. There were exactly two musical scores used on the show. Score #1 was
a typical game show-type theme that sounded like bowling, heavy on brass
and percussion, and was used for the show's opening and closing sequence.
A musical phrase from there was also used to introduce each contestant.
Score #2 was a more jubilant trumpet-and-piano theme, and was played when
someone broke the jackpot, though some versions used bits of it in other
places as well.
I've had no luck so far finding these tunes on Napster, so I'm now trying
to create MIDI equivalents using Cakewalk.
Q9. What were "Pin Pals"?
A9. Every version of the show had a unique feature called a "Pin Pal"
barrel, a transparent plastic drum mounted on a roll axis with
several doors, each in a different color. The barrel was filled up with
postcards sent in by viewers. Just before stepping up to the rack, the
host would instruct the contestant to take out a Pin Pal card from the
green or whatever color door, then read the person's name, locale, and
good luck message ("Strike it rich", "Knock 'em all down", etc.), if any.
Whatever prize the bowler won the Pin Pal won as well, except for the
Jackpot, which was actually split between the two of them. A Pin Pal was
eligible only once per show, just in case someone tried to stuff the
barrel -- I saw at least once where the host disqualified a name that had
already been picked that day. The barrel was spun at least once on each
show (on or off-camera, depending on the version) and the postcards were
dumped and replaced every few weeks or so.
Q10. Who was the host, and what channel was BfD on?
A10. Once again, this depended on the local TV station. Note that BfD was
not exclusive to any particular network (there were only 3 in the '70s),
and was even produced by a number of independent stations. Here is a
partial listing of some of the regional editions:
(additions, changes, and comments are welcome)
New York version:
Station: WOR-9 (now WWOR)
Host: Bob Murphy, a longtime announcer for the NY Mets
Alley: Madison Square Garden Bowling Center, now closed
The "sweep" at this bowling alley had "Brunswick" writted on it, as they
used Astroline-2 equipment at the time. But I noticed that one point it
was changed to read "WOR-9", probably for copyright reasons. The closing
credits included the Brunswick logo.
Detroit version:
Station: WKBD-50
Host: Bob Allison, a local radio announcer, still does Father & Son
Construction ads
Alley: Thunderbowl Lanes, in Allen Park, MI. Originally, it was at
Highland Lanes in Toledo, OH. They moved in 1974, but a mural on the
exterior wall reading "Home of Bowling for Dollars" remained in place for
some years after
Dayton, OH version
Host: David G. McFarland, a local disk-jockey. He went into the home
videotape rental business after BfD, then returned to being a DJ.
Alley: Could this have been Bowlero?
Columbus, OH version:
Station: WSYX ABC-6 (but the call letters were different at the time)
Host: Gene Fullen, with Sally Floweres
Cincinnati, OH version:
Host: Nick Clooney, father of Golden Globe winner George, and now hosts
on American Movie Classics (AMC)
Alley: The studio had two lanes built in. The news set sat on top of the
lanes.
Buffalo, NY version:
Station: Channel 2
Host: Ed Kilgore
Pittsburgh version:
Station: WTAE-TV
Host: Nick Perry, a local sports announcer
St. Louis version:
Alley: The permanent lanes adjoning The Arena. Imploded February, 1999
Someone else had a story about the Cleveland, OH version, which also had
a pair of lanes built in the studio. They said that the newscasters and
TV crew were snowed in during the Blizzard of '78, and the mini bowling
alley provided them with something to do!
Los Angeles version
Host: Chick Hearn.
Other versions of the show:
Brett A. Pasternack writes:
"I also recall seeing a Boston variant called 'Candlepins For Cash'."
Also, one report suggests that the Baltimore version of BfD used
duckpins. "Ron Riley from News Channel 8 hosted "Bowling for Dollars"
and "Duckpins for Dollars" on channel 11."
One website referrs to: "...Fox Sports producer Andy Kendall. Kendall is
the former producer of 'Bowling for Dollars'"
In the 1970's hockey movie "Slap Shot", there is a scene with a TV in the
background airing an obvious parody of BfD called "Jackpot Bowl". The
hockey team was watching because a friend of theirs was a contestant on
the show.
Q11. What ever happened to BfD?
A11. It's hard to say for sure why the show eventually died out, but my
feeling is that the novelty wore off over time, and they may have even
found it difficult to find qualified & willing contestants after a while
in the smaller markets. And let's face it, the prizes were not large, so
with inflation, it got to be hardly worth one's while to take a day off
from work to be on the show, even with a shot at the jackpot. I remember
that Detroit's version, towards the end, did a set redesign and added a
few extra gimmicks such as a "bonus ball". But in general, it is hard to
find many long- running local TV productions other than the news
(remember PM Magazine, for instance?)
Q12. My mother/father/brother/sister/husband/wife was on BfD. Where can I
get a videotape of the show they were on?
A12. It is doubtful that any studio tapes of these shows still exist,
since broadcast-qualtity videotape was still quite expensive in the
1970s, and it was a common practice to reguarly erase and reuse tapes at
the local stations, especially for shows that would likely never be rerun
again. However, the show's later years did coincide with the start of
the VCR era, so there might be some VHS or even Beta copies still
floating around somewhere. A still picture of the set can be seen at the
bowling museum in St. Louis.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Mikey
aveenyu...@aol.com
(remove "urclothes" to reply)
Zach Horan
>Pittsburgh version:
>Station: WTAE-TV
>Host: Nick Perry, a local sports
He got into some legal troubles in 1981 when he rigged the Daily NUmber so as
the Daily Number for one day would be 666. I'm pretty sure the WTAE version
ended upon Perry's arrest, or soon after. Right, Ellwanger?
Steve
Channel 10, 7pm M-F
1975-76
Hosted by Jim Bradley; guest host Sid Perry [both Ch. 10 personalities]
Announcers: Dave Drew, then Allen Campbell [both Ch. 10 weathermen (no
AMS-certified meteorologists back then) ] Dave Drew bore a somewhat
striking resemblance to Nick Clooney.
Taped at Sunshine Bowl on US 19 south of Parkside Mall in Pinellas Park.
Pin Pal entries were also available at Eckerds, while contestant entries
were available at Sunshine Bowl and other bowling lanes in the Tampa Bay
area.
That producer's name? I'm thinking you meant Andy Kindle, who is from the
Tampa Bay area.
If I were to bring this show back alive, I'd do it like this:
It would be a syndicated program rather than a franchised local show.
Two contestants, both non-PBA/WPBA [professionals]. Each plays a 10-frame
match where only strikes count.
The first nine frames, each player gets one ball, but in the 10th, each
player gets three balls. [In traditional bowling, 12 strikes is a perfect
game]
In Frame #1, the winner of a pre-show coin toss rolls first. In each
subsequent frame, the turns alternate if the score [based on strikes] is
tied, but if one player leads, the player who's trailing rolls first.
Most strikes wins the game plus $100 for every strike and a chance to roll
three more strikes for the Jackpot, which would be 10x the amount won in the
main game. Bonus: If a player wins with 11 strikes, it's worth $1500
[Jackpot: $15,000], while a 12-strike, perfect game win is worth $2500
[Jackpot: $25,000]. The loser receives either a consolation prize valued at
$50 or less or $5 for every strike.
If the match is a runaway [one player has an insurmountable lead], it would
be played to its conclusion so as to allow for the possibility that one
player can roll, say, a perfect game.
In case of a tie, a sudden-death playoff is held. An optional rule would
call for the tie to be broken on pins felled in one or two balls rather than
strike-or-nothing.
PinPal option: One or more designated frames would be PinPal Frames, where
a person's name is drawn [not necessarily on-air] to win a special prize
should either bowler roll a strike. [a BfD T-shirt would be the consolation
prize]
But that's my proposal, and I don't have to stick with it. Comments?
steve byrd
EPaddon
>Station: WOR-9 (now WWOR)
>Host: Bob Murphy, a longtime announcer for the NY Mets
>Alley: Madison Square Garden Bowling Center, now closed
When I watched Bowling for Dollars on WOR, the host was Larry Kenney, a local
NY DJ. This was around 1976-77.
Eric Paddon
Zach Horan
>NY DJ. This was around 1976-77.
>
>
I vaguely remember Kenny hosting BFD on WOR in 1978 or 1979, it would air in
early evenings in a block including Syndie TJW.
Jeff Amdur
<aveenyu...@aol.com> wrote:
> BfD's concept was developed and sold
> by Bert Claster, the same person who marketed the children's show Romper
> Room, which was also locally produced. (Both shows had animated
> openings, and I believe it was Bert's wife Nancy who was the first Romper
> Room host.)
That's true, and their daughter Sally took Miss Nancy's place when she
retired.
I see probably every version listed in this thread except for the
original one, produced by Baltimore's Bert Claster on WBAL television,
channel 11 in Baltimore. It was originally on once a week, Thursday
nights at 8:00 (right before "You Bet Your Life") and hosted by Bailey
Goss, later by Chuck Thompson after Goss was killed in that automobile
accident in 1961. It was called "Duckpins for Dollars" since it used
the type of bowling invented in Baltimore and which at the time was the
more popular form of the sport. (I believe the Boston version was
called "Candlepins for Cash" for similar reasons).
A later incarnation was on nightly in the late 1960's at 6pm, also on
channel 11, and by that time was called "Bowling for Dollars". It was
hosted originally by Tom Cole, who was fired in 1972 or 1973 for
getting a bit too topical with contestants, asking them what they
thought of the Lt. Calley verdict the day that decision was handed
down. Cole was replaced by a rather lame disk jockey named Ron Riley,
who was subsequently replaced by the most enduring Baltimore television
personality, Royal Parker (real name Royal Pollokoff).
--
---------------------------------
Jeff Amdur
Quality foreign language instruction since 1971 (Oy, gevalt! THAT long?!?)
Quality timekeeping for sports events since 1973
Bill Newkirk
change had been made).
Bob Gregory was the host.
I don't recall off hand what center was the host for this - it was one of
the larger ones at the time (maybe Meadows or Hinkle?)
--
------------------------------------------------
Eat Spamily brand canned meat.
It's not pretty but it has a great personality
------------------------------------------------
Bill Newkirk wnew...@iu.net
Amateur Radio Station WB9IVR
Melbourne, FL
"Mikey" <aveenyu...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9032BC7585B1...@207.172.3.55...
Kris Waterman
Ah Yes Candlepins for Cash, hosted by Bob Gamere on Ch.7 during the
70's and those lanes were built in the studio with a gallery behind the
pair.
Then during the 80's Ch 25 then brought it back, usin Rico Petrocelli
as the the host and that was taped ( I believe ) at the Wal-lex lanes
in Waltham.
Anyone back me up/discredit me?
KRiS
--
JB: "Name the holiday that falls on Feb.2 every year"
Contestant:"right up there on the slide, Groundhog Day"
JB:<panicked> IS THAT A GROUNDHOG? </panicked>(From offstage "NO")
JB: I thought it was a walrus or a polar bear.
Sent via Deja.com
http://www.deja.com/
master_o...@my-deja.com
by The Joker's Wild--moved to 5:30pm from Fall 1978 to the
end of the run) on then-CBS affilate WJKW-TV8. The host
was meteorologist Dick Goddard, who is still chief
weathercaster at that channel, now owned by FOX.
The announcer was whoever was booth announcer at TV8 that
day--the station had live announcers until 1982.
Usually it was Joe Grant, but sometimes it would be
Andy Hale, John FitzGerald, or Mike Marlier.
On the TV8 version, the jackpot started at $200 and
increased by $20 for each player who didn't roll the
two strikes. At least once the pot exceeded $3000.
Jim Ellwanger
zach...@aol.com (Zach Horan) wrote:
Don't know. I'm not originally from Pittsburgh. I only lived there
from September 1997 to February 1999, so anything that happened there in
1981 is pretty much prehistoric to me.
I'm originally from Tampa, but I'm too young to remember the local
"Bowling for Dollars" there that was already mentioned in this thread.
--
Jim Ellwanger <trai...@mindspring.com>
<http://trainman1.home.mindspring.com/> bucks the trends.
"I declare that I am England, you declare that I have drowned."
Linda
I would to add:
Dallas version:
Station:WFAA channel 8, ABC afiliate.
It was hosted by Vern Lundquist( sports director at WFAA who went on to ABC
sports) in the mid to late 1970's. I wish I could remember more about the set
etc. but maybe some other person from Dallas could fill in the details.
I met Verne when I worked at the airport in Dallas in 1981. The first thing I
said to him
was " I Loved Bowling for Dollars!" . He didnt seem too impressed. Later on I
had heard he didnt like hosting it very much.
--linda
"Meaning is where it's at..."--Bert Convy, "Semi Tough",1978
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/7011/convy.html
"See You Around the pool hall!"--Larry Blyden, WML, 1974
ToddWine
>Cincinnati, OH version:
>Host: Nick Clooney, father of Golden Globe winner George, and now hosts
>on American Movie Classics (AMC)
>Alley: The studio had two lanes built in. The news set sat on top of the
>lanes.
Kinda correct, kinda not. The host on WKRC-TV was Glenn "Skipper" Ryle.
Everything else was correct. Nick hosts a talkshow and then went on to be the
news anchor for Eyewitness 12 News.
vicste...@mailexcite.com
> Here is a
> partial listing of some of the regional editions:
> (additions, changes, and comments are welcome)
Kitchener, Ontario
Aired on: CKCO-TV
Hosted by: Wayne Kooyman, then Jeff Hutchison
Taped at: Victoria Bowlerama, then Twin City Bowl
John
Aired on WPLG ch. 10, mid-to-late 70s, and was hosted by Arnie Warren.
I can't recall where the show was taped, though (Cloverleaf Lanes,
maybe).
John
T. Jay
>
> Here is list of frequently-asked questions about that classic 1970s TV
> game show, Bowling for Dollars.
> A8. There were exactly two musical scores used on the show. Score #1 was
> a typical game show-type theme that sounded like bowling, heavy on brass
> and percussion, and was used for the show's opening and closing sequence.
> A musical phrase from there was also used to introduce each contestant.
> Score #2 was a more jubilant trumpet-and-piano theme, and was played when
> someone broke the jackpot, though some versions used bits of it in other
> places as well.
I seem to remember an additional musical cue going into commercials here
in N.E. Ohio -- an instrumental version of Jay & The Techniques "Keep
the Ball Rollin'".
> Detroit version:
> Station: WKBD-50
> Host: Bob Allison, a local radio announcer, still does Father & Son
> Construction ads
> Alley: Thunderbowl Lanes, in Allen Park, MI. Originally, it was at
> Highland Lanes in Toledo, OH. They moved in 1974, but a mural on the
> exterior wall reading "Home of Bowling for Dollars" remained in place for
> some years after.
Odd that a Detroit station would shoot the show at a facility that was
at least 50 miles from the city, let alone the TV station.
BTW, does anyone know where exactly Highland Lanes were in Toledo?
There were close to 2 dozen bowling houses there when I was in college,
but I don't remember specifically a Highland. Or was Highland what is
now called University Lanes on Bancroft St.?
> Someone else had a story about the Cleveland, OH version, which also had
> a pair of lanes built in the studio. They said that the newscasters and
> TV crew were snowed in during the Blizzard of '78, and the mini bowling
> alley provided them with something to do!
Actually, BFD had 2 incarnations on 2 different stations in Cleveland.
IIRC, the first version in the first half of the 70's was seen on
WEWS/TV-5. The host was local channel 5 weatherman, Don Webster, and
aired sometime in the late afternoon.
The 2nd version was seen on WJ(K)W/Channel 8 in the latter half of the
70s and aired in the 7PM hour. Oddly enough, the staff weatherman at
TV-8 was employed to helm the show. His name was Dick Goddard.
Both versions each had a pair of Brunswick lanes set up in their
stations for the show, which either limited or prohibited a live studio
audience. I am almost willing to bet that at least the second show was
done live as I seem to remember a live home-viewer contest.
Also, let us not forget that BFD was a franchised show, owned/produced
by Bob Claster of Claster Productions.
T. Jay
ToddWine
>WEWS/TV-5. The host was local channel 5 weatherman, Don Webster
Didn't he also do the Ohio Lottery drawings for years?
Mikey
>> Score #2 was a more jubilant trumpet-and-piano theme, and was played
>> when someone broke the jackpot, though some versions used bits of it
>> in other places as well.
>I seem to remember an additional musical cue going into commercials here
>in N.E. Ohio -- an instrumental version of Jay & The Techniques "Keep
>the Ball Rollin'".
I just checked "Keep the Ball Rollin'" out on Amazon.com, under Al Hirt,
and that is indeed the music they used for hitting the Jackpot! Thank you
so much, I guess that saves me some time doing MIDI sequencing. And yes,
some versions did use that same music as a commercial outro bumper. In
fact, one version played a bar of it every time the contestant headed for
the lane.
>> Detroit version:
>> Alley: Thunderbowl Lanes, in Allen Park, MI. Originally, it was at
>> Highland Lanes in Toledo, OH. They moved in 1974, but a mural on the
>> exterior wall reading "Home of Bowling for Dollars" remained in place
>> for some years after.
>Odd that a Detroit station would shoot the show at a facility that was
>at least 50 miles from the city, let alone the TV station.
I'm pretty sure it was broadcast on a Toledo station at the time, as well
as having a different host; I should have made that clearer. But I
personally asked the owner of Highland Lanes about the still-visible mural
sign back in 1977, and he answered "Oh, they moved it to Detroit about 3
years ago." While there is a definite overlap between the Detroit and
Toledo TV markets, Dayton and Cincinnati are even closer, and they each had
their own BfD versions.
>BTW, does anyone know where exactly Highland Lanes were in Toledo?
It was on Airport Highway (State Route 2), about 2 blocks west of the
intersection with Byrne Rd., on the south side of the road.
>was Highland what is
>now called University Lanes on Bancroft St.?
Nope, I used to bowl there myself. There were even 6 lanes nearby in the
basement of the Student Union at the University of Toledo; a modern alley
with the latest AMF equipment of the time, yet the balls returned on the
surface.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
James Leroux
vicste...@mailexcite.com wrote:
>
> > Here is a
> > partial listing of some of the regional editions:
> > (additions, changes, and comments are welcome)
>
> Kitchener, Ontario
> Aired on: CKCO-TV
> Hosted by: Wayne Kooyman, then Jeff Hutchison
> Taped at: Victoria Bowlerama, then Twin City Bowl
Vic, correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there also a version around
here
(must have been CFPL in London), that was hosted by Tom Knowlton in the
late '80s - early '90s? I have (somewhat vague) memories of Tom hosting.
-James Leroux
Dr. Retribution
> game show, Bowling for Dollars.
*snip*
Baltimore had both Bowling for Dollars and Duckpins for Dollars. Originally
it was just Duckpins for Dollars, but they added a tenpins lane, and, if
memory serves, alternated between them (one bowler would use duckpins, the
next tenpins).
One of the GOOD AOL users
BfD show, but is there anyone who has passed through or lived in this area in
the mid to late 70s that remembers if Norfolk-Virginia Beach had a show?
The ONE and ONLY, Brandon Foster-Gray
-----------------------------------------------------------------
J-Man
The first version aired around the mid-70's on WTAF-TV 29 (now FOX owned
WTXF) with host Ron Gold (who was staff announcer at the time).
The second version aired during the 1978-79 season on WPHL-TV 17 (now
WB17 and owned by Tribune), airing weeknights at 7:00PM before Carol
Burnett & Friends (except on Mondays it aired before Let's Go to the
Races). Its host was then WFIL radio personality Tom Dooley and was
taped at Boulevard Lanes in Northeast Philadelphia, and is best
remembered for frequent appearances by the Phillies, even Julius Irving
of the Seventy-Sixers and the Phillie Phanatic.
(BTW, on that version, the Meco version of "Star Wars" played whenever
anybody got two strikes.)
Jason "J-Man" Colflesh - Claymont, DE
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
J-Man's Game Show Spectacle
http://www.geocities.com/j_colflesh/
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
master_o...@my-deja.com
He certainly did. In addition, he emceed TV5's Academic
Challenge for a long time.
ToddWine
>From: master_o...@my-deja.com
>Date: 1/24/01 9:13 PM Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: <94o23a$bs0$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>
Whatever happened to him?
Save The Midget -- Dump Rob Johnson!
the area in the 70's, but Ron DeFrance, who I know anchored sports and
did voiceovers for WROC (Ch. 8) while they were still and NBC affiliate
in the 1980's, hosted the 1st version in Rochester, NY. I'm not sure
what station it ran on, though I suspect it may have been WOKR (Ch.
13-ABC). I do know for sure that WOKR brought it back from 1985-86 with
Matt Rinadi as host. Rinaldi did mostly voiceover work for that station
as well as hosted a couple of special interest shows during the 1980's.
The 1985-86 incarnation was taped at WOKR's in-house lanes.
Mark Sinsabaugh
http://www1.50megs.com/baugh17
ZHIFOS and y-brb-2k1?
David Zinkin
Dollars in Rochester, Mark. Not only do I have vague memories of Ron
DeFrance as host, but he also hosted the Sunday morning "Rochester Area
Fun-Time Bowling" show, which IIRC used the same lanes at WOKR.
-- DZ
In article <26907-3A...@storefull-108.iap.bryant.webtv.net>,
--
David Zinkin's Happy Fun World - http://www.davidzinkin.com
The Just Barely Tolerated E.D. Donahey Site - http://www.eddonahey.tv
CompuZink Computer Consulting - http://www.compuzink.com
Chris Berry
aveenyu...@aol.com (Mikey) wrote:
>Los Angeles version
>Host: Chick Hearn.
>
Jim Lange took over from Chick Hearn at some point, and I was just young
enough to really resent the change of host, and I've never really enjoyed
Jim Lange as a result. I also remember that an AMC Pacer was offered as a
jackpot prize for a while (I believe you had to get 4 strikes in a row.) I
remember one ep where a man in a wheelchair rolled up to the foul line and
bowled 4 strikes in a row.
--
Chris Berry
banjo...@earthlink.net
"People, when Columbus discovered this country, it was plum full of nuts
and berries, and I'm right here to tell you, the berries is just about all
gone." -- Uncle Dave Macon
DaveMackey
>Everything else was correct. Nick hosts a talkshow and then went on to be
>the
>news anchor for Eyewitness 12 News.
Glenn Rhyle was also one of the announcers on Nicholson-Muir's "Pay Cards" with
Art James when it taped in Cincinnati. (N-M liked taping game shows in out of
the way places, perhaps to avoid unions. The relatively undocumented "The
Shopping Game", hosted by Art James in the early 80's, taped in Nashville.)
Rhyle ranks about fourth or fifth in all-time Cincinnati personalities. The
late Bob Braun tops the list, Nick is second.
Dave
Zach Horan
>the way places, perhaps to avoid unions.
Didn't Matches N Mates tape in Cleveland. Super Pay Cards was in Montreal. The
only NM production taping in a major production city was Spin-Off(Los Angeles).
>The relatively undocumented "The
>Shopping Game", hosted by Art James in the early 80's, taped in Nashville.)
I never saw or heard of that one. By the early 80s, TNN's Fandango was taping
in Nashville.
T. Jay
>
> In article <20010124114409...@ng-ch1.aol.com>,
> todd...@aol.com (ToddWine) wrote:
> > >IIRC, the first version in the first half of the 70's was seen on
> > >WEWS/TV-5. The host was local channel 5 weatherman, Don Webster
> >
> > Didn't he also do the Ohio Lottery drawings for years?
He was the very first host of the original Ohio Lottery Show back in '74
or '75 (which was a completely different format than the current Cash
Explosion show). I can't recall if he was the first host of the nightly
number drawings of the late '70s/early 80s though.
>
> He certainly did. In addition, he emceed TV5's Academic
> Challenge for a long time.
Not to mention a local quiz show called Quick As A Wink.
T. Jay
T. Jay
He officially retired last year from WEWS after about 2 years of
semi-retirement. He now lives either in the Hilton Head or Myrtle
Beach, SC area. And like many golden-ager air personalities, he has
been hosting 1 or 2-week vacation tours abroad for those who want to
sightsee with a local star. OOooooohhh!
T. Jay
CD 101.9
"DaveMackey" <davem...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20010125061600...@ng-mk1.aol.com...
> Glenn Rhyle was also one of the announcers on Nicholson-Muir's "Pay Cards"
with
> Art James when it taped in Cincinnati. (N-M liked taping game shows in out
of
> the way places, perhaps to avoid unions. The relatively undocumented "The
> Shopping Game", hosted by Art James in the early 80's, taped in
Nashville.)
Never heard of that one...when did it air, and how was it played?
Chuck Donegan (The Curious "Chuckie Baby")
KeithD1282
>Jim Lange took over from Chick Hearn at some point....
THE Jim Lange? Jim "The Dating Game" (and many other NATIONAL game shows)
Lange?
Russell Alderson
: Glenn Rhyle was also one of the announcers on Nicholson-Muir's "Pay
: Cards" with Art James when it taped in Cincinnati. (N-M liked taping
: game shows in out of the way places, perhaps to avoid unions. The
: relatively undocumented "The Shopping Game", hosted by Art James in
: the early 80's, taped in Nashville.)
One of the more obscure memories of my first summer with cable.
Satellite Programming Network ran this in the afternoons and an auction
show some evenings. The auctioneer's patter was kinda infectious:
"Threetwentyseven gets one. Fivefortyfive gets one. SOLD eightyone
SOLD ninetyfour SOLD eighteen..."
IIRC, both shows had a home shopping element.
/\/ QWKRR128 V5.10 [R]
steven senter
have much information on it. I know it was hosted locally by Fred Broski,
who was a local weatherman as well. Coincidentally there is still a "Broski
Invitational" league at our local AMF center (AMF Northland in Kansas City
north.)
My grandfather was quite something of a bowler when he was younger, and I
know he appeared on a bowling show, but I'm not certain it was BFD. i'll
give him a call tomorrow and ask, and see what else I can ascertain about
the KC version of BFD.
Steve
"Mikey" <aveenyu...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9032BC7585B1...@207.172.3.55...
> Here is list of frequently-asked questions about that classic 1970s TV
> game show, Bowling for Dollars.
>
> Q1. What was Bowling for Dollars?
> A1. A half-hour long TV game show on which ordinary people could try
> their hand at winning some cash by knocking down pins. This show was
> locally produced in most of the medium-sized and large cities in the
> United States, and took place either in a local bowling alley or on
> specially buiilt lanes right inside the studio. Its general time slot
> was weeknights at 7:30 p.m., but that might have varied. The show began
> in 1973, but seems to have petered out around 1978 -- though once again,
> this might have varied by region. BfD's concept was developed and sold
> by Bert Claster, the same person who marketed the children's show Romper
> Room, which was also locally produced. (Both shows had animated
> openings, and I believe it was Bert's wife Nancy who was the first Romper
> Room host.)
>
> Q2. What was BfD's opening sequence?
> A2. The show began with an animation depicting a man holding a bowling
> ball like a steering wheel and then rolling it down an alley. The ball
> makes a strike as the multicolored pins topple in a sort of slow motion.
> Then a dollar-sign pops up onscreen, then the name of the show, which
> then dissolves to the live host and applause. The background of this
> animation was the opening music with a locally-specific voiceover. The
> shpeil would always include the line "..where the money goes up as the
> pins go down." The Detroit version used to say "And now, here's the man
> with all the dollars, the kingpin himself, Bob Allison" (This was before
> the word "kingpin" had that unfortunate drug connotation.)
>
> Q3. What did the set look like?
> A3. Blue background with a sliding door bearing the name of the show, and
> a round red Jackpot on the left wall with cut-out backlit letters that
> flashed when somebody won. There was also a Pin Pal barrel in the
> foreground (see below), and the host stood in the middle of the set
> holding one of those large microphones of the time. The part where they
> actually bowled looked like any other Brunswick or AMF lane.
>
> At least one version of the show did a set re-design in about 1977. The
> single sliding door wae replaced with open sliding doors cut out in the
> shape of a bowling pin, with a white background behind the doors. The
> jackpot was now just an uninspired u-shaped array of lightbulbs.
>
> Q4. Describe the standard gameplay of BfD
> A4. The host would welcome a contestant as he walked through the opening
> sliding door. He would then interview him for a minute or two, usually
> asking about career and hobbies. Then the host would ask "Who did you
> bring with you?" The camera would then cut to the audience, which showed
> the contestant's family/friends standing. "Well, there's my wife Selma
> (she waves), my son Nicholas (he waves), and my brother Arnie (he
> waves). Then the host would instruct the contestant to select a Pin Pal,
> before sending the hime/her off to the rack with applause. Contestant
> would bowl twice, and audience would applaud after each shot - regardless
> of the leave. The contestant would return to the host who would hand him
> a card while announcing the winnings, then walk off. Hitting the jackpot
> would result in a mini-celebration at that point, usually with the
> contestant's spouse or whoever joining him on the set. There were seven
> contestants on each show, and at the end the host would read off the
> seven who'd appear on the following show.
>
> Q5. How were the cash prizes determined?
> A5. The prize hierarchy was fairly simple. Each contestant would bowl
> two balls, and won a dollar for each pin felled, e.g., if he or she got 8
> pins down, the prize was $8. But, there was a $5 minimum for those rare
> cases where they got less than 5 pins on two shots, and a spare or a
> single strike would yield $20 bucks. Two consecutive strikes broke the
> jackpot, which started at $500 and was increased by $20 each time it was
> not hit. (Note that gutter balls were not uncommon on the show, but I
> never actually saw two consecutive gutters aired. I wonder if it would
> not be in violation of game show laws to edit one of them out and allow
> an extra throw) The most frustrating situation on BfD was a strike on
> the first ball, and nine on the second -- with one wobbling!
>
> Q6. Were there any non-cash prizes as well?
> A6. Yes, but these were left to the discretion of each local edition.
> On the Detroit version, contestants who picked up a spare received a
> dinner for two at one of three area restaurants, rotated daily. If said
> spare was a split, they would tack on two large pizzas from "Buddy's", a
> local pizzeria (you might think that this would be rare among
> non-pro-bowlers, but they counted the baby split [2-7 or 3-10], which is
> fairly easy to convert.) Contestants who got one and only one strike
> earned a "pin" from the "pinboard". This was a triangular magnetic board
> on the set wall with ten sliced-in-half bowling pins on it. Each pin had
> a prize listed on the back as provided by a local jeweler. These were
> prizes like teapots and such, but the big ticket item was a diamond ring
> which was promo'd regardless of whether anyone picked it. And if someone
> did hit the jackpot, they could also try for a turkey (3 consecutive
> strikes), which would bring another prize like a recliner chair; this
> prize was augmented every time the jackpot exceeded a multiple of $1000.
> Remember, these were all in addition to the standard cash awards.
>
> Also in Detroit, each contestant also got a few extras like an
> Entertainment book. And unlike most TV games shows, I did not know of any
> "home game", but when the Michigan Lottery came out with a scratch-off
> game named "Bowling for Dollars", each contestant received ten tickets.
>
> Q7. Were professional bowlers eligible as contestants?
> A7. Apparently not, since most pro-bowlers would make short work of a
> double (2 strikes) or even a turkey. In fact, in some of the smaller
> markets, one did not even have to be a regular bowler to qualify as a
> contestant. The New York edition, however, included on their contestant
> application a line for one's bowling average and "Where you bowl".
>
> Note: Once, on the Detroit edition, a contestant said during the
> interview that he was on another locally produced bowling show called
> "Beat the Champ".
>
> Q8. What music or musical cues did BfD use?
> A8. There were exactly two musical scores used on the show. Score #1 was
> a typical game show-type theme that sounded like bowling, heavy on brass
> and percussion, and was used for the show's opening and closing sequence.
> A musical phrase from there was also used to introduce each contestant.
> Score #2 was a more jubilant trumpet-and-piano theme, and was played when
> someone broke the jackpot, though some versions used bits of it in other
> places as well.
>
> I've had no luck so far finding these tunes on Napster, so I'm now trying
> to create MIDI equivalents using Cakewalk.
>
> Q9. What were "Pin Pals"?
> A9. Every version of the show had a unique feature called a "Pin Pal"
> barrel, a transparent plastic drum mounted on a roll axis with
> several doors, each in a different color. The barrel was filled up with
> postcards sent in by viewers. Just before stepping up to the rack, the
> host would instruct the contestant to take out a Pin Pal card from the
> green or whatever color door, then read the person's name, locale, and
> good luck message ("Strike it rich", "Knock 'em all down", etc.), if any.
> Whatever prize the bowler won the Pin Pal won as well, except for the
> Jackpot, which was actually split between the two of them. A Pin Pal was
> eligible only once per show, just in case someone tried to stuff the
> barrel -- I saw at least once where the host disqualified a name that had
> already been picked that day. The barrel was spun at least once on each
> show (on or off-camera, depending on the version) and the postcards were
> dumped and replaced every few weeks or so.
>
> Q10. Who was the host, and what channel was BfD on?
> A10. Once again, this depended on the local TV station. Note that BfD was
> not exclusive to any particular network (there were only 3 in the '70s),
> and was even produced by a number of independent stations. Here is a
> partial listing of some of the regional editions:
> (additions, changes, and comments are welcome)
>
> New York version:
> Station: WOR-9 (now WWOR)
> Host: Bob Murphy, a longtime announcer for the NY Mets
> Alley: Madison Square Garden Bowling Center, now closed
> The "sweep" at this bowling alley had "Brunswick" writted on it, as they
> used Astroline-2 equipment at the time. But I noticed that one point it
> was changed to read "WOR-9", probably for copyright reasons. The closing
> credits included the Brunswick logo.
>
> Detroit version:
> Station: WKBD-50
> Host: Bob Allison, a local radio announcer, still does Father & Son
> Construction ads
> Alley: Thunderbowl Lanes, in Allen Park, MI. Originally, it was at
> Highland Lanes in Toledo, OH. They moved in 1974, but a mural on the
> exterior wall reading "Home of Bowling for Dollars" remained in place for
> some years after
>
> Dayton, OH version
> Host: David G. McFarland, a local disk-jockey. He went into the home
> videotape rental business after BfD, then returned to being a DJ.
> Alley: Could this have been Bowlero?
>
> Columbus, OH version:
> Station: WSYX ABC-6 (but the call letters were different at the time)
> Host: Gene Fullen, with Sally Floweres
>
> Cincinnati, OH version:
> Host: Nick Clooney, father of Golden Globe winner George, and now hosts
> on American Movie Classics (AMC)
> Alley: The studio had two lanes built in. The news set sat on top of the
> lanes.
>
> Buffalo, NY version:
> Station: Channel 2
> Host: Ed Kilgore
>
> Pittsburgh version:
> Station: WTAE-TV
> Host: Nick Perry, a local sports announcer
>
> St. Louis version:
> Alley: The permanent lanes adjoning The Arena. Imploded February, 1999
>
> Someone else had a story about the Cleveland, OH version, which also had
> a pair of lanes built in the studio. They said that the newscasters and
> TV crew were snowed in during the Blizzard of '78, and the mini bowling
> alley provided them with something to do!
>
> Los Angeles version
> Host: Chick Hearn.
>
> Other versions of the show:
> Brett A. Pasternack writes:
> "I also recall seeing a Boston variant called 'Candlepins For Cash'."
>
> Also, one report suggests that the Baltimore version of BfD used
> duckpins. "Ron Riley from News Channel 8 hosted "Bowling for Dollars"
> and "Duckpins for Dollars" on channel 11."
>
> One website referrs to: "...Fox Sports producer Andy Kendall. Kendall is
> the former producer of 'Bowling for Dollars'"
>
> In the 1970's hockey movie "Slap Shot", there is a scene with a TV in the
> background airing an obvious parody of BfD called "Jackpot Bowl". The
> hockey team was watching because a friend of theirs was a contestant on
> the show.
>
> Q11. What ever happened to BfD?
> A11. It's hard to say for sure why the show eventually died out, but my
> feeling is that the novelty wore off over time, and they may have even
> found it difficult to find qualified & willing contestants after a while
> in the smaller markets. And let's face it, the prizes were not large, so
> with inflation, it got to be hardly worth one's while to take a day off
> from work to be on the show, even with a shot at the jackpot. I remember
> that Detroit's version, towards the end, did a set redesign and added a
> few extra gimmicks such as a "bonus ball". But in general, it is hard to
> find many long- running local TV productions other than the news
> (remember PM Magazine, for instance?)
>
> Q12. My mother/father/brother/sister/husband/wife was on BfD. Where can I
> get a videotape of the show they were on?
> A12. It is doubtful that any studio tapes of these shows still exist,
> since broadcast-qualtity videotape was still quite expensive in the
> 1970s, and it was a common practice to reguarly erase and reuse tapes at
> the local stations, especially for shows that would likely never be rerun
> again. However, the show's later years did coincide with the start of
> the VCR era, so there might be some VHS or even Beta copies still
> floating around somewhere. A still picture of the set can be seen at the
> bowling museum in St. Louis.
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> - Mikey
John
>> Station: WOR-9 (now WWOR)
>> Host: Bob Murphy, a longtime announcer for the NY Mets
I remember the host being one Larry Kenney, who later went on to star in the
cartoon THUNDERCATS and be part of the DON IMUS SHOW on radio (MSNBC shows the
show). Daughter Kerri was on Comedy Central's VIVA VARIETY, and she is a
recurring voice in the current BUZZ LIGHTYEAR series.
Also, I remember the format being you have to get two strikes to win the
progressive jackpot. There may have been a T-shirt and Pin Pal element.
Bruce
instal...@gmail.com
conv...@aol.com
calvinhow...@gmail.com
The Enforcer
> My mother played on bowling for dollars her name is Geraldine howell. It was aired in Milwaukee wisconsin.
If you have Facebook, you might join Game Show News. The real deal is there.
mrrem...@gmail.com
James Fabiano
I'll trade BTW for the Bowling for Dollars episode from WOR in New York where a contestant dropped the ball on his foot and let out several expletives, none of which were censored. Actually, this may have been on the same day WOR aired the infamous Joker's Wild episode where Jack Barry told the audience not to fuck with him!
Bl0atGermsL0bstr
As for BfD, I only have episodes of the Chicago version. By the time I got WOR on cable, they only had Tic Tac Dough and Bullseye in the morning.
