1977 Second Chance Game Show

Game show episode from 1977, Second Chance. Bob wins big cash money and a boat.

[@armorybrunotjr.3204]

"Second Chance" became the prototype for "Press Your Luck".

[@fernandoifill-ruiz6410]

The Second Chance game show is the same as Press Your Luck.

[@ckfinke7625]

@@fernandoifill-ruiz6410 It was essentially a prototype, but there were several differences: -In the front game, contestants wrote down their answers and maybe took a second chance (hence the title), while on PYL, they just buzzed in on answering and let the other two give out their answers. -The board did not change itself (except for the hidden prize boxes and free spin space via an eggcrate display) and spun faster. -The Whammy from PYL was the Devil here, and they did not show any on-screen animation.

[@pinedelgado4743]

And Jim Peck was the prototype for the late Peter Tomarken!! LOL!! :) :)

[@thejoshsings894]

That’s exactly what I was thinking

[@georgef551]

@@ckfinke7625 They wanted to have "The Whammy" as the nemesis, but another word game at the time had a "Whammy" character (a lightning bolt) at theirs, so devils it was.

[@jeopardy60611]

This board spun a lot faster than the one on Press Your Luck, so Michael Larson could never stop the board on the additional spin spaces to play forever if Press Your Luck did it fast like that.

[@PREGO1966]

There was only 1 free spin space in this show, and it was always in the second round.

[@KiddBloo86]

The quality is so pristine that I almost thought I was in 1977! Thank you very much for the contribution!

[@troyhenry1551]

Pre-Press your luck!!!

[@jdb2002]

Micheal Larson would probably have made mincemeat of that board.

[@dootuss83]

Josh B Maybe. But, the pattern looks faster compared to PYL.

[@DanielSong39]

He would've hit the devil; the pattern was way too fast.

[@shutterbug_713]

Maybe.

[@DanielSong39]

It's still way too fast and getting the extra spin is much more difficult. Maybe Larson walks out with 25,000 if he's lucky.

[@DanielSong39]

Proof that sometimes technology goes backwards.

[@donmccullen1973]

13:47 Now Bob's answer is true. Just not back then.

[@willmack5909]

Jim Peck was a really terrific host. It's unfortunate he never latched on to a game show that lasted very long. This game of course evolved into the far superior Press Your Luck. The Big Showdown was a really awesome game, and it is a pity it only lasted I believe one season. Jim was also outstanding when he was a substitute host for Jack Barry on "The Joker's Wild", another game involving spins, questions, answers and devils!

[@aaronbaker5887]

Jim Peck also filled in for Bill Cullen as well.

[@freddiemartin699]

LIAR!

[@diamondking3421]

Sad that the networks wiped most of the 70s game shows.

[@joaquimpayne1774]

I don’t like devils

[@Jiltedin2007]

Was this the birth of Press Your Luck?

[@ShadowLinkxMaster]

Wow! Wow, oh wow. This is a true gem! It's amazing how in the future, the game show we all thought was completely gone and forgotten about, is back with some found episodes. I remember ten years ago, I was such a huge fan of Press Your Luck (and still am), and finding out there was a game show preceding it, with only a 30-second snippet of the pilot episode on the internet, it was an underwhelming find. I hoped for episodes to resurface and here we have another one. Thank you so much!

[@stephanierushing6566]

Well, guess what "Press Your Luck" is now on ABC, the same network that aired "Second Chance". Sidenote: Current host Elizabeth Banks was only 3 years old when this debuted.

[@georgef551]

When I first saw "Press Your Luck" as a kid, I said to my Mother that I swore I've seen this game before, a long time ago. She said I didn't, but I knew I did. Forgot what it was until I saw a Second Chance show here a few years ago. I was only 5 when it aired, but I did remember it.

[@thegameshowguy]

Me too... though I was just in high school when Second Chance aired, then I saw the advertisment in the TV guide in 1983 for the upcoming "Press Your Luck" and was like "WOW! they actually are reviving the short lived "Second Chance"- which I had liked better than the game that ended up replacing it ("The Better Sex") though I watched the latter as well.

[@unknown-kh7dg]

@@thegameshowguy The problem with those game shows such as "Second Chance", "The Better Sex" and others after that even "The Don Ho Show", they aired at 12:00PM Noon when many of the network TV stations aired their local news at that time which meant network talk shows and game shows ended up airing on a Independent TV station or the TV that show was on, aired in late night in the wee hours of the morning, or late afternoon, or a morning time slot via one day delay.

[@unknown-kh7dg]

I meant TV network after I wrote TV in the last comment. Sorry about that.

[@ricknibert6417]

We saw it on the UHF station based in Akron. In 1997 Channel 23 became the PAX/Ion outlet for NE Ohio.

[@KevinR1138]

Wow, talk about a time capsule. I of course knew there were VHS tape machines back then, or maybe beta, but to think that one survived this long is amazing.

[@georgemaster9271]

And maybe keep this in some video cabinet for posterity.

[@VectraQS]

Speaking of which, this has to be from a Beta tape - VHS wasn't introduced until August 1977, and a U-matic tape wouldn't be in anywhere near this good a condition.

[@BigG833]

I miss Jim Peck as an ABC game show host. He's a Wisconsin native. The show "Second Chance" was probably my favorite of his shows. This show was aired during the disco heyday when I was 7 years old in 1977. The host should have asked questions about rock and disco music. 1977 was probably my favorite year in life. One song from that year was Foreigner's "Feels Like The First Time."

[@johnnysama]

Thank you for this long-lost gem! But I must say, the mood of the show is more subdued compared to PYL; and owing to the technology of the day, the board doesn't change contents (on top of that, it moves faster than it ever did on PYL). That notwithstanding, it's awesome to see how Second Chance, as a regular series, worked. Cheers. :D

[@jehobden]

Yes, I imagine Michael Larson could've mastered this board even faster than the PYL board since only the lights changed position rather than the prizes/devils.

[@illustriousrocket4476]

I assume Fremantle would own any material of this show that may have survived, since it was part of Bill Carruthers' library. If they have an episode (or if one exists in another archive like UCLA, as Mindreaders did) I would like to see it on Buzzr's Lost and Found block one day. It would be a true treasure.

[@angrybirdsfan2003]

This show was one of the many victims of ABC’s wiping policies, along with The Better S e x, Password (1971-1975), Split Second (the original Tom Kennedy version, 1972-1975), The Big Showdown, Showoffs, Rhyme and Reason, The Neighbors (hosted by a pre-WWTBAM Regis Philbin), Dream House (1968-1970 version, as well as the 1968 primetime version), The Price Is Right (Bill Cullen version, post-NBC episodes, 1963-1965), post-CBS episodes of The $10,000 Pyramid (1974-1976), pre-1978 episodes of The $20,000 Pyramid, most episodes of The Dating Game and The Newlywed Game and many others.

[@pinedelgado4743]

It's interesting that not only did the producers of PRESS YOUR LUCK pattern that game after SECOND CHANCE, it also looks like they patterned PYL's host, the late Peter Tomarken, after Jim Peck!! They looked very much alike!! ;)

[@unknown-kh7dg]

And both Jim Peck and Peter Tomarken almost sound alike too!

[@nateward9592]

They seemed a bit antsy and in a hurry to press stop, glad it changed and people relaxed and let the board run a bit on PYL and Whammy

[@muzikdude1188]

This board is just plain boring. The squares didn't change like they did on the PYL board and the cursor moves way too fast, not allowing the viewer to see what the contestant just missed out on before they stopped.

[@ShadowLinkxMaster]

muzik dude Technology back then wasn’t as advanced. Shuffling projection screens weren’t really a thing. The prize boxes used to have plenty of latency during the pilot, having to pause before seeing what was won. In the actual series, the prizes were instant, so they did improve the slides. Meanwhile the big money box had to use an eggcrate display to shuffle the increments. Once PYL aired, projection was much more perfected and the slides were able to shuffle more reliably, but as seen in early episodes, it wasn’t perfect.

[@paullarue2010]

Jim Peck was stand-in for Jack Barry, for "The Joker's Wild".

[@sabster74]

He was supposed to be Jack's successor, but the producers went with Bill Cullen instead.

[@rspallax1138]

Wow I remember this show. One episode in particular always stuck out in my mind. This pretty blond lady racked up over $25,000 in cash and prizes and was passed 2 spins and got the Devil on the last one. She looked so devastated:( So the old man who passed them won a CB radio and $200.

[@devares2006]

Morris=the original Grumpy Cat

[@NEPatriot]

The predecessor to Press Your Luck (Bill Carruthers produced both shows). Jay Stewart announces on this show. Shocked to see another episode other than the pilot and another general ep.

[@bigfoot060775]

Didn't Jay Stewart commit suicide in 1989?

[@VectraQS]

@@bigfoot060775 Yes, Stewart's daughter committed suicide in 1981, which led to him becoming an alcoholic. He himself committed suicide in 1989.

[@bigfoot060775]

@@VectraQS ,ok, that's what I thought.

[@williambone5678]

Thank you for bringing back the past and my favorite game shows!

[@abptt]

thank you so much. as a big pyl fan i can certainly appreciate this.

[@laurakruk4692]

abptt Same here!

[@zachhoran]

Something not seen in 39 years since its original broadcast. NIce upload. The game show community and the Press YOur LUck fans will be happy to see this turn up. "The late"Joan Crawford is mentioned and she died on 5/10/77, so this must have taped not too long before it aired, because the Barbara Walters special mentioned in the commercial was to air on May 31 and the announcer for it says it aired tonight. THis must be from 5/31/1977.

[@MountainHawkPYL]

You bet I'm happy!

[@MTCesquire]

Dude, get help already.

[@MountainHawkPYL]

I nominate you, Ernest. You can start with the vacuuming and dusting. :)

[@zachhoran]

Ernest might be talking to me because of my talk about sussing out the airdate of a game show older than a fair amount of the online game show community. A certain other person likes to make comments like that to me when I post KZbin game-show related comments

[@snowden67]

This show has some great things:1.) the music used when the board opens and closes between commercials is one of my favorites.2.) This board opens and closes from the middle.3.) The devil is cute - must friendlier than the one The Joker's Wild.

[@armorybrunotjr.3204]

Yes. "The Joker's Wild" devil is a mean guy. He appears in the end game where contestants spin up to $1,000 to win a parcel of prizes.

[@davidlineweaver7235]

I remember seeing the Joker's Wild Devil during that show's closing credits, under the disclaimer telling viewers that "discovery of a contestant's ineligibility will result in forfeiture of accrued winnings ..." The Devil is apparently enforcing that.

[@markschildberg1667]

I think the Joker’s Wild devil was a caricature of Jack Barry.

[@greshaminc156]

Thank you for finding the lost episodes

[@dawnparker5243]

Yeah in this game show they use Devils instead of Whammies on second chance 4 devils means you’re out of the game and on press your luck 4 Whammies means you’re out of the game

[@mauricesnell5886]

This was the original "Press Your Luck" before "Press Your Luck" actually became a show. And the rest is history.

[@CodeBleu724]

No Whammies! STOP!

[@YohnVokershow]

I wish all of the Second Chance episodes never get wiped out and I hope there's another episode gets resurfaced too.

[@ShadowLinkxMaster]

I really hope some of the music surfaces too, like the commercial break music and the consolation cue.

[@gedias1]

For the 70s, that is a heck of a lot of money up there.

[@jameschristiansen5526]

Wow clear as a bell almost well pretty much HD quality sound and picture this was awesome 1st we get a rare Alex trebek high rollers episode then not even a month later this wow thank you very much!!

[@michaelwerner5686]

Forerunner to Press Your Luck.

[@jdb2002]

5799 is like winning over 23,000 today.

[@paullarue2010]

Jim Peck is retired now.

[@blindsportslover]

Big Bucks, No Devils!

[@yaywhewclips242]

I like how the bonus board folds out. Plus thanks for the 1977 commercials!!

[@ShadowLinkxMaster]

The episode status of Second Chance is widely known to be wiped. What donned on me earlier today is how it's possible a family member can come across this thought-to-be-lost episode, and see their loved one on the game show. At the very beginning, the announcer mentions Davenia having two children, so who knows if we may get a comment from the son or daughter of her's, watching their mom on a gameshow episode that has been resurfaced.

[@kissfanmac]

Beta Sword dawned not donned!

[@sharonrobinson7992]

Unlike Press Your Luck there iz no animation like u get if u hit a whammy on this game landing a devil bankrupt a opponent 4 devil's knocks a opponent out of the game

[@danalong1237]

The theme song to Second Chance, composed by Score Productions, was previously used for the 1976 primetime version of I've Got a Secret.

[@DaniRadioCat]

The sound for the fourth Devil sounds like a weird mix of a Bankrupt on Wheel of Fortune and Price is Right losing horns ;) (also sounds like some early digital sound)

[@DaniRadioCat]

(actually now that I think of it, sounds like a sound from Atari's Gauntlet arcade game, which came out like 10 years after this show)

[@shutterbug_713]

Danika Sidoti, it'za cool sound.

[@drummerflex]

That's the sound of a 1970s analogue synth, quite possibly a Moog.

[@KiddBloo86]

The pilot used three second half of this sound for every devil hit. Although I'm surprised they didn't use the 1-3 devil sound on PYL. Love the bass guitar vs electric.

[@altfactor]

This was a precursor to "Press Your Luck".

[@jeffeastwood15]

Davenia looks like Brett Sommers.

[@KiddBloo86]

Not to mention she _____ed out. 😉

[@paullarue2010]

Yep.

[@sonicranger8481]

Big Bucks! No Devils! STOP!!!

[@paullarue2010]

5 cups gets people hyper. Dennis Hall gets hyper with chocolate.

[@redecnt2024]

I love Marion from Second Chance (now Press Your Luck) 1977 episode Aired on Buzzr in 2019

[@M200XL]

Huh? Marion was on PYL?

[@ShadowLinkxMaster]

I’m honestly surprised they didn’t reshoot the first question round. In PYL, there was at least two instances where the contestants earned so few spins, that they reshot the entire sequence so that the spin round wouldn’t be so brief. It was, however, under the permission of the contestants, since the reshoot potentially changes the eventual outcome of the game.

[@videox222ify]

game shows actually very rarely reshoot something because they don't have the money or time when it is done it is usually because something malfunctioned and they need to do it over

[@juanmatos6796]

This is just like Press Your Luck but different

[@kingporter67]

Awesome 1977 game show gem!!

[@JeremyAj72]

This is the $ 5.00 version of Peter Tamarken’s Press Your Luck.

[@Gregory_TheWatchman]

Before "Press Your Luck" there was "Second Chance". I enjoyed Press Your Luck more, even the late "Whammy"....lol The host's math is way off @ 23:02 About $3500 was needed.

[@stephanierushing6566]

Way before Elizabeth Banks, before Todd Newton, and importantly before Peter Tomarken, there was Jim Peck.

[@jdmcknight41]

is it me, or does the abc, anouncer, sound like morgan freeman...

[@videox222ify]

Jim Peck would have been such a good host for PYL

[@TheCoreyd1086]

I am surprised to see this episode. I read only the pilot episode survived and the rest were destroyed. hopefully someone out there has more to share

[@WaltGekko]

The precursor to Press Your Luck. Actually at first used to mistake Peter Tomarken (who of course famously hosted Press Your Luck in its original form) for Jim Peck.

[@SMCalif1956]

A fun little show. Too bad Atlanta's ABC station here didn't clear it (likewise, Press Your Luck didn't clear on our CBS station).

[@tyrese3745]

That would be, back in '77, WXIA-TV's "11 Alive".

[@crazyclimber80]

I greatly prefer the look of the prize spaces from the pilot episodes-- they were white boxes with a red ribbon, compared to the rather drab brown box with white ribbon here.

[@donmccullen1973]

21:01 "Hasta Luego, Arrivederci, Bon Voyage, that means Goodbye."

[@heidifedor]

When did this evolve into Press Your Luck?

[@zachhoran]

This is rarer than the High Rollers 1975 episode since the HR episode was known to be the LA Museum of Broadcasting for some time, and some people have seen it before it hit KZbin. This and the 1974-75 nighttime syndicated Jeopardy! episode posted by CHris Foster are the two big game show rarities from this era to turn up on KZbin this year

[@thesegacampgamerandwerecam7504]

This Gameshow looks like it would become the Inspiration for "Press Your Luck"

[@PREGO1966]

That's because it was

[@tyrese3745]

21:02 NO! DAMN! The devil done "damned" Davenia. Cue "The Price is Right Losing Horns"...

[@crazyclimber80]

So happy to see this episode; thanks so much! Not only Jay Stewart announcing, but a Devil-out! Happy nostalgic fuzziness!

[@aaronbruceladner1983]

Jay Stewart was Also the Announcer on LET'S MAKE A DEAL, SALE OF THE CENTURY, and SCRABBLE

[@martinmoore2468]

@@aaronbruceladner1983 true. He was the best game show announcer of these game show.

[@unknown-kh7dg]

@@aaronbruceladner1983 Jay Stewart was also the announcer of the syndicated talk entertainment variety show "The Mike Douglas Show", and other game shows such as "It's Anybody's Guess", "The Joker's Wild", "The Hollywood Connection", "Knockout", "The Cross-Wits", "The New Tic Tac Dough", "Play The Percentages", "Bullseye", and "Blackout".

[@unknown-kh7dg]

And Martin Moore, you're right, Jay Stewart was the best announcer of those TV game shows.

[@erikpridemore3174]

This is different than Press Your Luck, but James Larson would probably know why the Devil space is different than a Whammy, but the Devil is not animated on Second Chance.

[@joerubi6249]

15:55-16:25: I was glad to see this classic 9 Lives commercial featuring Morris The 9 Lives Cat. This commercial brings me back memories of this sweet cat. 🥰

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

Lord knows I miss him.

[@chuckers40]

The precursor to CBS's and now ABC's "Press Your Luck"

[@bmasters1981]

@LittleRockElevators And as such, it came back home, and PYL is now on ABC (as Charles allen jr said).

[@taureanmay7480]

True.

[@Wizardof]

If this were made today like this but not called PYL, the sounds the board makes not being Bee Gee disco like, but be like a social media site text alert type deal.....

[@HCHaven7619]

The precursor to Press Your Luck.

[@dawnparker5243]

That game show only has devils why would the rest have whammies when people wanna devil the devil square will shine read while the rest shine white because on a devil square it shines red And a Whammies square shines white

[@TheRenard10]

A very underrated game show.

[@moviewatcher1239]

How underrated?

[@TheRenard10]

@@moviewatcher1239 so underrated, out of 5 stars, I'll get it a 3 stars.

[@moviewatcher1239]

@@TheRenard10 true but still a good show to watch

[@markschildberg1667]

But it came back and became a hit

[@moviewatcher1239]

​@@markschildberg1667really?

[@feliciahenderson4258]

Its like press your luck and whammy press your luck!!!!!!!

[@crlaw75]

I didn't know this would later evolve to "Press Your Luck".

[@paullarue2010]

The rotten Devil is toast.

[@CTubeMan]

I think the concept of the question round was good, but it seemed to be some dead time in the show. PYL has been better at that.

[@paullarue2010]

That rotten Devil appeared?! That Devil should go back to Hell.

[@juanmatos6796]

Those devils are crazy you know how they are am I right?

[@michaelfortheloss292]

The quality is fantastic!

[@bluebear1985]

This show was a pretty good idea, but it probably didn't last long on ABC because it was a little bit ahead of its time. Thankfully they worked out the kinks six years later, and people were more prepared for a game like this by then.

[@damienchance4420]

poor Davenia

[@gangsnapp_yt5945]

jim was a stand in for jack in TJW. hense the devils (but more cartoonish in design)

[@crazyclimber80]

The Joker's Wild devil appeared to be an in-joke of sorts, as it greatly resembled Jack Barry himself.

[@MIKECNW]

Getting so many devils at one time? Geez!

[@juanmatos6796]

I know it's crazy right?

[@WaltGekko]

If Michael Larson had played this version and hit the free spin spot like he did in his infamous appearance on PYL, I don't think they could have so easily adjusted the patterns as they did on PYL.

[@ShadowLinkxMaster]

There was an alleged mini-Larson player that appeared on Second Chance who memorized the pattern of the board, and was able to rack up a nice chunk of change. While it was nowhere near the monstrous 100k record, it was enough for the producers to alter the patterns slightly. There’s a screenshot floating around from an early episode of Second Chance that shows the winner with up to $25,000 in winnings, which is quite a feat considering the value of the board! Who knows if this was that player?

[@illustriousrocket4476]

@@ShadowLinkxMaster When I heard this rumor many, many years ago, the claim was that the Mini-Larson won $70,000. I don't know if I believe that - if one *was* able to figure out the sole pattern Second Chance used *and* get the timing down, it could theoretically be possible, but if that really happened I find it hard to believe Bill Carruthers and his crew (including names who appear in the credit roll of this Second Chance episode) were caught so off-guard when Michael Larson struck just seven years later. If Second Chance had been beaten in the same way, I'd think they would have recognized what Michael Larson was doing immediately.

[@VectraQS]

@@ShadowLinkxMaster I heard that this rumor originated from an interview with Jim Peck that was organized by the Game Show Congress.

[@kcdennispublications]

This is press your luck

[@tnate6004]

Does ABC Television Center still exist?

[@bmasters1981]

Far as I recall it does, but it's called The Prospect Studios.

[@dawnparker5243]

Marian shields have free spin with money space

[@heidifedor]

This no fun. There’s no cartoon Whammy that comes to take your money.

[@paullarue2010]

Howdy Doody?! That program was in the 1950, but not in the 1970s.

[@armorybrunotjr.3204]

The original "Howdy Doody" ran from 1947-60. There was a new version of the classic children's show shown during the 1976-77 season.

[@jamesmoss3424]

Bob did excellent also I was born in San Diego. 😀👍

[@paullarue2010]

Hate that Devil word.

[@crazyclimber80]

Do the devils have a brighter orange flame here than later in the series?

[@thezenitsufan1249]

I think it's better than Press Your Luck

[@damienchance4420]

I hope they make the new PYL or second chance in fall 2017

[@danalong1237]

And just like Second Chance and Whammy, each episode has three new players.

[@petercolbeysgameshowmania7176]

Davenia is the only person to hit 4 Devils on Second Chance.

[@angrybirdsfan2003]

Unless all the other episodes surface…

[@bmasters1981]

And when she said on that fateful spin that she was out one way or the other (fourth Devil, or hitting any money or prize), she should have realized that such was not necessarily true-- if she was lucky enough to hit the rotating money/Free Spin space up top, she would have still had another chance.

[@petercolbeysgameshowmania7176]

@@bmasters1981 True. Regardless, she had nothing to lose, so it was worth going for it. Just didn’t work in her favor, though.

[@cutemimi25]

Talk about 4 devils, ouch.

[@juanmatos6796]

It's true what Jim Peck said if you hit 4 devils you're out of the game permanently

[@MrShadowknight2000]

Is this the inspiration for Press Your Luck

[@sydneymorris2625]

Second Chance became a different version of Press Your Luck. Wow 😳

[@xydrickutau1024]

18:56 Ciubal family the muse dash

[@crazylegskc]

Pretty good quality video for such an old and rare show!

[@MetProduct-td4rz]

Press your luck is better

[@johnnastrom9400]

Second Chance? When did they change the name to Press Your Luck?

[@johnnastrom9400]

Thanks.

[@DeadPool-XF]

I never knew that this early version of Press Your Luck existed.