Five Fun Facts about FORTUNE HUNTER

[@Musicradio77Network]

Honorable Mention: It shared with another game show which was a pilot called “Fortune Hunters” from 1983 hosted by Bob Hanley.

[@RyanBlazeheart]

I was watching Price is Right since I was a baby and don't remember this game very much.

[@kyleboulanger170]

Maybe because it was rarely won & it was retired in the summer of 2000 after only 3 years of being played because Bob realized it was a dumpster ❤‍🔥🔥.

[@MyGuyJustinH]

I think that 1/2 off is the spiritual successor to Fortune Hunter, IMO.

[@davidhudnall6802]

I agree to disagree. Fortune Hunter was my favorite game from the 1990s because of its novel concept of using actual prizes, instead of small prizes, to win money. One issue was the inconsistent reveal depending upon if the game was won or not. I always thought that the silver box podiums from prizes 1 & 2 should have been side by side. The same with boxes 3 & 4. That way it would be easier for the home audience to see the prices up close without using a camera that quickly panned the entire stage during the reveal. The upbeat music cue was an added bonus.

[@heatwave]

Fortune Hunter - My least favorite game....my very favorite music cue. So glad you mentioned it.

[@johnwiesner9590]

That 33% win percentage is more than four times better than the 8% in It's In The Bag, which was mentioned in a video a few days ago.

[@msxvideo]

Something tells me they just used that as an excuse to justify getting rid of it.

[@dtmusclefan]

I’m surprised you didn’t mention that it was another pricing game that shared it’s name with an unsold pilot.

[@msxvideo]

Aww, I wish I knew that! I would have ran with it.

[@MyGuyJustinH]

Yes, there was an unsold pilot called Fortune Hunters.

[@dtmusclefan]

This is the pilot in question kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6G0dGl6pJ6mkKssi=Cd41Vsj-sSS1xKcS

[@SlobbyMcSlob]

Even for 1998, $5000 is hardly a “Fortune”

[@meyerj75]

Before this game ever had its birth in the spotlight, I was already pissed off on what happened to Holly Hallstrom after her dismissal that I completely stopped watching it with only a few episodes watched in 1997 alone including one playing (and one which generated a $16,000 winner) of It's In The Bag. So this game as well as all subsequent games including those in the Drew Carey era are a mystery to me. Like the way Stromboli put Pinocchio in a bird cage, Bob Barker's treatment on Holly Hallstrom will never be forgiven and never will be healed either.

[@colleen4ever]

But Bob Barker's dead now, you can watch again now that Drew Carey is the host

[@meyerj75]

@@colleen4ever I have since Drew took over Bob's duties. He made a successful transition in keeping the PIR legacy going and seems like a proper gentleman to those around him including his contestants, models, and even George Gray himself.

[@JohnathanWilliamson849]

You simps are something else I tell you.

[@darrylh1971]

You didn't mention the Fortune Hunter boxes were almost like the New Treasure Hunt/Treasure Hunt 1981 boxes.

[@msxvideo]

I'm not familiar with that show.

[@meyerj75]

@@msxvideo (The New) Treasure Hunt was a game show developed by the late Chuck Barris that had two successful runs in syndication (1973-1977 for a total of 120 episodes and 1981 for 85 more) and was hosted by also the late Geoff Edwards (Jackpot, The New Chain Reaction) and had developed a cult following, mostly children who remember watching this on Saturday afternoons right after Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids. A total of 20 selected females (yes, no males) are selected and are handed out mini boxes or balloons depending on the version and a total of 6 in a 1970s episode are selected if there's had a card with a number on it whereas in the 1980s version, only 2 are selected if the balloon they popped had a "star" inside. All selected contestants are asked to be on stage to select a jack in a box and the one that selected the box with a clown or flower gets to go on a treasure hunt for a chance to win anywhere from $25,000 (1973-77) or a growing jackpot between $20,000 to $50,000. Before choosing a box, she is shown a few prizes behind the three big doors (sometimes on stage) that she could win and Geoff also mentions that there are checks of lesser value than the grand prizes as well as "Klunks" a la Let's Make A Deal's own Zonks that are hidden in the surprise packages which were 30 in the 1970s version and 66 in the 1980s. After the selection, a mandatory 15 minute break is established even though the home viewer sits through less than 2 minutes of commercials before Geoff opens up a card that can range anywhere from $200 to $2500 depending on the version. He then gives the contestant the cash Joker's Wild style and tells her if she wants to keep the money or go for the contents of the box with he always states, "Could be a prize, could be a klunk, could be $25,000!". After the decision had been made, Geoff peeks in and the outcome varies from this point on. If it's not the grand prize, Geoff would elaborate the contestant into various skits that may resemble fairy tales, comedic relief, get rich quick schemes, or instant klunks that later build up towards either an even bigger klunk or a big prize like a car or trip for example. If the check is inside, Geoff would start a conversation with the contestant for a minute before screaming "You just won, $25,000!!!!!!" with confetti and balloon all over the place. In the 1970s version, the check was found 11 times and only the first and last times were it turned down. In consolidation, two contestants Carol and Henrietta received $1000 and $1800 respectively. In the 1980s version despite the odds increased by 120%, the check was found 6 times and only twice had it been turned down ($46,000 & $50,000), The 4 amounts in which was claimed were in order ($23,000, $20,000, $50,000 (then, the most ever won in a single episode by a contestant, and $21,000). Two games were played in this manner followed by a few prize cues announced mostly by Johnny Jacobs before resorting to Geoff and a bond security agent Emile Aturi who sports a black derby hat and a ZZ Top like beard and only responds with "Yes, I did" when asked if he was the one that hid the check either though only once he dropped out of character he responded with something different and another time, he said "Yes, I shalL" following the one with the $20,000 win. Despite heavy scrutiny Barris' shows had in the past, Tresure Hunt was the more proper show he ever established (the other one being the more obscure Camoflage). (The New) Treasure Hunt got a reboost in popularity in reruns in encore presentation style on the CBN where it aired for nearly a year in both versions from 1983-1984, around the same time Geoff Edwards was also hosting a video game based show "Starcade" so not only was he developing a young audience on that show but kids were also watching Treasure Hunt every day at 6 PM on CBN as well similar to the current audience of Wheel Of Fortune since its inception in syndication at that time. It was barely seen on GSN with only more than a handful of episodes aired and was not treated as a "regular" series on the network as both The Dating and Newlywed Games had. It also marked the first time producer Chuck Barris was seen on camera in both the pilot and a 1975 episode promoting his upcoming show "The Gong Show" perhaps in which after Geoff asks him how he was doing, Chuck socks him with a pie. That episode along with one of the klunk highlights did on CBN repeats but remains elusive afterwards. Still, (The New) Treasure Hunt remains and still is the most popular underrated game show in Chuck Barris' library of shows.

[@meyerj75]

@@msxvideo (The New ) Treasure Hunt was a game show developed by Chuck Barris and hosted by Geoff Edwards which always has female contestants playing on stage for a chance to win luxury items and a check in the amount of $20,000-$50,000 depending on the version. The bond agent featured on the show was Emile Aturi who always responds at the end of each episode with "Yes, I did" when asked if he did hid the check with at least one in which he dropped out of character and said something different.

[@jamesmoss3424]

Fortunate Hunter was before 1/2 off.

[@CCrawford522]

I always liked this game, although I was 10/11 when it was played, so what do I know. lol

[@michaelswink5606]

I liked this game because it was different. It beats the "Is the actual price higher or lower?" gameplay of so many others. Comparing it to 1/2 Off, I hate that game.

[@theweysermanisback5205]

I don’t remember this game.

[@meyerj75]

It's 1/2 Off, only worse.

[@HCHaven7619]

A pity. I really did like the game's concept, but it was executed poorly.

[@tnate6004]

Don't remember it but that set is trash. Given what you said about the game, sounds like a ceremonial burning was in order.