Jackpot! (January 3, 1975) $38,750 Win

[@kpyng]

Hard to believe that Geoff Edwards covered the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, and was interviewed by NBC's Tom Pettit after it had just happened...

[@kevinfitzmaurice4072]

...and Don Pardo read the first NBC television bulletin about President Kennedy being shot.

[@witherblaze]

proof. show vid proof

[@epaddon]

@@witherblaze Right here at 2:07 of this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnPIZahsi8ljhJI

[@kidmack3556]

​@@witherblaze At first I thought you typed "2:07 Poof, video poof"

[@witherblaze]

@@epaddon vid is gone

[@TheAverycross]

They should revive "Jackpot"! It was a great game show...and the late Geoff Edwards and sixteen new contestants made it fun to watch every week:)

[@PREGO1966]

It WAS revised 2 times after this run, once with Edwards himself

[@danalong1237]

The 1985-88 version, aired on USA Network in America and Global in Canada, hosted by Mike Darrow (of Dream House and The $128,000 Question) and taped in Toronto (home of the 2019 NBA Champion Toronto Raptors, Renee Paquette’s favorite NBA team), is the best-known of the three incarnations!

[@georgemaster6356]

If Jackpot! Is rebooted, hopefully they'll use the original format and not anything new to kill it.

[@OnScreenThatStudios]

If 'Jackpot!' was revived, they should replace riddles and rhymes with straight yes-no, true-false, or multiple-choice general knowledge questions.

[@newstarcadefan]

@@OnScreenThatStudios Which to my knowledge, was done on this run, and killed it.

[@DDELE7]

This was amazing to watch in such great quality. In case anyone is wondering, with inflation that Super Jackpot was worth nearly $195,000 in 2021 dollars.

[@uncledaddycle]

I found this show (which I haven't seen in well over 40 years) to be exciting and laugh out loud funny. And watched the whole video without drifting off to some other clip. This should come back to TV ASAP!

[@jayjarnold]

Sad that nearly all the mid-1970s "JackPot" shows from NBC were "wiped" (videotape was reused), and the original episodes are lost. This was actually a fun show to watch, and I loved when Geoff gave what should've been the correct answer when a contestant was wrong. If the answer Geoff gave seemed awful, the camera panned right in his face during a chorus of boos from the audience. Probably Geoff's best daytime series.

[@charlestatumii]

I just commented elsewhere that this was my favorite series of his, and was arguably his best work. I might say "The New Treasure Hunt" was in second place, but sometimes the teasing could be eye-rollingly over the top. 🙂

[@2nd2nun1]

The theme music was also used in the sports show “This Week in Baseball” as intro bumper music.

[@DaveMcdon]

Jackpot! was taped in legendary Studio 8H at Rockefeller Center. This show has an air date of January 3, 1975, which means it was likely taped in late 1974. Saturday Night Live premiered in Late 1975 from 8H and has occupied the studio ever since. If you take the 30 Rock tour they take you to Studio 8H. Sometimes you get to go inside, and sometimes you can only look through the big window behind the audience risers up on the 9th floor. In either instance it's fun to see the giant studio, and envision the Jackpot! set with it's big blue cyclorama occupying that entire space. Think of how much fun those contestants must have had running back and forth in that legendary television production space. And they had no idea Saturday Night Live would soon call it home for the next 45 years.

[@rockvilleraven]

Both shows used the incomparable Don Pardo as the announcer

[@MrTechHistory]

What's really amazing is... Geoff Edwards was a DJ over KMPC Los Angeles and - he was also doing Treasure Hunt during this time out of LA. So, he had to commute 3,000 miles to do this show as well. WOW!

[@bkman222]

I attended a taping of the show around that time. They would tape on weekends given Geoff Edwards busy schedule. There was a later run of the show taped in Los Angeles.

[@dugjay]

The late Don Pardo was the announcer

[@shawnmalone9711]

I remember watching Jackpot in 1974-75. 👏👏👏👏

[@stevengolden9009]

I watched this show with my grandfather when I was younger and he actually wrote down all the riddles said on the show.

[@chicman77]

Whatta awesome memory thanx for sharing

[@Jack21Spades]

YES! I saw this show on KZbin one time a while ago, and never again. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT BACK!

[@nathanbyberg]

One of the greatest moments in tv history.

[@hasinethorpe1686]

I couldn't agree more Nathan 😊!

[@nathanbyberg]

Hasine Thorpe: Thank you!

[@glenncox5695]

@@nathanbyberg I take it, you're talking about the 2:00 minute mark! LOL!

[@nathanbyberg]

@@glenncox5695: No I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about the big money win

[@glenncox5695]

@@nathanbyberg Big money win - $38,750. "Fairies?!?" - Priceless! LOL! :)

[@pebmets]

Need to bring this game back with these same rules, (target number, multiplier, amounts added before riddle was revealed, and so on). This was a great game. Fun and exciting.

[@KrakenMan5853]

I would've started each game with $100 in the Jackpot. Also, a riddle in the Super Jackpot gateway wallet, so the expert must still solve two riddles: the one the player holds (Target match or Super Jackpot gateway) and the one Geoff holds, to win the Super Jackpot. Finally, Jackpot riddler and Expert switch places regardless of solving the riddle or not.

[@ccie12933]

I hope she did have many happy years in that house.

[@kidmack3556]

I was surprised when she said "Down payment" My father bought a huge house in '74 for approximately $29,000 I'm assuming that she is probably going to purchase a home in Queens or suburban Connecticut. Were they really that much, even back then?

[@hasinethorpe1686]

I am happy the pair won close to almost $39,000 cash congrats 😊!

[@slupa]

At 10:00, she goes from pure joy to looking like she's going to be physically ill back to pure joy again in less than a minute. Great clip.

[@jerwar933]

Hands down this is one of my all-time favorite game shows, but since I was born in 78, I was only able to watch the version that aired on USA, which at that time, was the original version to me. Geoff Edwards was definitely one of the best game show hosts and he was fun to watch in this episode. I would love to see this make a comeback today and use the exact same format in all aspects. The questions are what made the show because they made you think so critically so quickly! Maybe it's just me but riddles are my favorite!

[@dkcocopun]

I remember watching this show. I was about 15. this sure takes me back!

[@zaius316]

Sounds like they’re using the This Week in Baseball theme.

[@AlleyCat67]

I've been trying to remember this literally for years.... The only thing I could really remember was the way the 15 people were set up on those risers.... Then I stumbled across this video and it all came back. Thanks for helping me solve a riddle that's been bugging me for the longest time!

[@OtakuLogan2017]

The guy who shouted "JACKPOT!" in the open held the Super Jackpot riddle. Coincidence?

[@bruce415]

Thank you for uploading this , what a great quality copy too!! This was my favorite version of Jackpot!

[@mrceleb2006]

NBC had the richest game shows of the 1970s, folks...like this one!

[@tnawcwvictoria]

I agree, I thought NBC Version was way better than the USA Cable Network Version and the syndicated version

[@mrbob8618]

Ending theme song was also used on This Week in Baseball

[@pebmets]

Geoff Edwards was such a great host especially for this show.

[@roysorgo]

Biggest super jackpot I recall was 995 x 50 for $49,750. Not won. Great show, great concept. Indeed should be revived. RiP Geoff and Don. Both in 2014.

[@christopherdunne7848]

I read somewhere that if ever it was 995 X 50, it wpuld automatically be rounded up to $50K, because only 3 digits were in the target number.

[@altfactor]

For some reason, Geoff Edwards' explanation of the answer to the "Super Jackpot" riddle got clipped out. The riddle was "I'm a Carpenter and he's a Shepard, but we were both in the same line of work. What line of work were we in?". The answer was "Astronauts": Both Alan Shepard and Scott Carpenter were members of the Mercury 7. Shepard also landed on the moon in early 1971, when he hit a golf ball on the surface of the moon (he's best remembered for this). I don't think anyone at NBC knew this yet, I believe both Shepard and Carpenter would be involved in the network's coverage of the joint U.S. Russian Apollo/Soyuz space mission that summer; Shepard worked alongside Jim Hartz and John Chancellor on NBC television' while Carpenter worked with Jay Barbree an Russ Ward on NBC Radio.

[@thezenitsufan1249]

This aired the same day the original Jeopardy with Art Fleming (and also announced by Don Pardo) ended it run of nearly 11 years.

[@steve760]

And on the subject of Don Pardo... SNL debuted this season!

[@gladfan1989]

Exciting, yet downright hilarious. Thanks for uploading.

[@allankelly2500]

Well....that gives new meaning to Friar...Tuck...

[@mixon270]

all i can say is wow, imagine this show being back on the air again

[@rbrucewilliams2924]

Too bad Geoff had to make that promo announcement for “another world” expanding to a one hour format. That’s the kind of change that eroded daytime and slowly took a number of game shows off the schedule.

[@johnlewinski6359]

And talk shows were taking over too.

[@tnate6004]

I loved game shows and soap operas in the 70s and 80s. It was originally an economic decision to expand serials to an hour, because one, one hour soap is cheaper to produce than two half-hour ones. It worked for awhile but ended up being one of the things that doomed soaps.

[@charlesmeadows6285]

Good thing Jackpot! aired on NBC4 something WSM-TV was at that time.Unfortunately,the same couldn’t be said for Jeopardy! hosted by Art Fleming since the station didn’t give on its Noon show.

[@jamespfitz]

Gotta love the regional accents among the contestants. All gone today.

[@kcindc5539]

$38,750 in 1975 = $194,500 in 2021. Nice payout! And gawd those noo yawk / noo joyzee accents are the sound of my childhood. I miss those days. BONUS TRIVIA - the 1974-1975 season of Jackpot was shot studio 8H at Rockefeller Center. Just a few months later that would become the home of a brand new live-broadcast sketch comedy program currently in its 46th season on NBC

[@derekjtaylor]

$38,750 in 1975 is worth $185,000 in 2020.

[@drewconway7135]

8:30 Answer given was Baltimore Orioles, but wouldn’t St. Louis Cardinals have also been a valid answer?

[@christopherdunne7848]

Sure. No reason to get in trouble with lawyers here!

[@VandelayIndustries61]

Absolutely. Two years too early for the Toronto Blue Jays though lol.

[@nflmlbclassics]

Adjusted for inflation, if she answered the same "Super Jackpot" riddle in 2019, she'd have won over $185,000 dollars. No wonder she was SO excited on this one.

[@taureanmay7480]

Bob Stewart's a Genius.

[@taureanmay7480]

Jackpot ! ! !.

[@markschildberg1667]

He was the single most creative talent in the history of game shows. Besides Jackpot, he created To Tell the Truth, The Price Is Right, Password, Pyramid, and many other great games.

[@ConradMason-ei8hm]

I have an aircheck tape of Jim Lange when he was a Morning DJ in San Fran. & Edwards gave him a surprise call & was talking about a big Tennis match with a bunch of well known stars playing that took place around the July 4th holiday back in 71.

[@michaelhealy1767]

It's from Friday January 3 1975 and also has a clip of gene Rayburn match game cbs on nbc one of the 1st time match game went on The same 2 stations a promo for whell of fortune was on this as well

[@andrewpadaetz5549]

Wheel replaced Jeopardy on the NBC schedule starting that Monday, 1/6/75.

[@taureanmay7480]

It's True.

[@dynamo805]

The This in Week Baseball Theme?!? Who knew!

[@christopherdunne7848]

It's called "Jet Set," and should be available here on YT in full. I believe Bob Cobert wrote it, but I could be wrong.

[@danalong1237]

It was actually composed by Michael Vickers, formerly of Manfred Mann. Sample Opening: “How ya doin’? This is Mel Allen, and we got a baggage full of stuff ready for you! The defending World Series Champion Boston Red Sox are running out of time to repeat as World Champions, but has time run out for them? The Chicago Cubs are on a roll right now, but do they have what it takes to win their second World Series in 4 years? And Bryce and Kayla Harper become the proud parents of a new baby boy. We’ll have the latest on this late-breaking story. So get your baggage ready! Cause we got a cabin to go to right now on This Week in Baseball!”

[@pernelldh]

Was Before Six, a sister company to After Six? After Six was the wardrobe furnisher for Geoff Edwards when he hosted The New Treasure Hunt.

[@quizmaster85]

0:18 - An exciting sign of *more* excitement to come at 9:58...!

[@jmiller297]

"FAIRIES?!?!" #IMDEAD x-D x-D

[@gladfan1989]

ROFL, it floored me, too

[@brianjohnson7]

Fantastic ep; thanks!

[@nextbarker2702]

The NBC Jeopardy aired its "Final Jeopardy!" on this date.

[@Mrtv1017]

this show was recently aired on USA during the 80's

[@danalong1237]

And in syndication (in that case, Louisville’s WBNA-TV Channel 21) from 1989-90.

[@Drchainsaw77]

That's recently? I mean, *I* remember it, but still!

[@kennethhuang371]

THAT MUST BE THE BIGGEST “JACKPOT” EVER WON ON NBC: $ 38,750! HOW DID YOU FIND THAT??? RIP GEOFF EDWARDS. Kenneth Huang. 8/16/23.

[@usa02]

January 3, 1975 was also the same day that the final episodes of the original "Jeopardy!" with the late Art Fleming and "Name that Tune" hosted by the late Dennis James aired and were replaced by "Wheel of Fortune" by original hosts Chuck Woolery and Susan Stafford and "Blank Check" hosted by the late Art James, three days later. RIP Geoff Edwards and Don Pardo

[@jamesklatt]

Worst mistake Lin Bolen made, along with the malfunctioning marble machine, the (not so) fun factory, and the gong show (which was too controversial for daytime audiences). Bringing back Jeopardy (for a short run) and the addiction of card sharks and a improved edition high rollers helped NBC get back their back to the top of the daytime ratings.

[@martinfelsenfeld6012]

And Wheel of Fortune has been on TV ever since--in case you forgot! Some-day You Tube will come up with all those other old Jackpot episodes from 1974, as another person requested. Note that the numbers turned from left to right, starting with a blank, followed by 1 to 9, and then to 0 (zero). That's eleven options for each rotating digit! Geoff Edwards also hosted Lucky Pair, a forgotten game show that aired in Los Angeles in the late 60's-early 70's!

[@deerfish3000]

SUPER JACKPAAAAHHHT!!! 🤪 $38,000 back then would be about $210,000 now.

[@joefagan6244]

In Philadelphia Pennsylvania this air on KYW TV Channel 3. Now CBS since 1995.

[@mrceleb2006]

NBC game shows (like this one) were much richer than those on CBS and ABC, which had winnings limits set back in the 1970s!

[@angrybirdsfan2003]

Funny thing is that if this had aired on CBS, that $38,750 win would’ve obviously been over the $25,000 limit!

[@herestoyoudoc]

@@angrybirdsfan2003the Expert and the panelist split the award so not necessarily

[@manidig]

Does anyone know the title of the theme music? It's canned music "Production music." This particular song was also used for a while on "This Week In Baseball" in the mid 70s.

[@ccie12933]

"Jet Set"

[@richerdchikosky7558]

sounds like I am watching this week in baseball

[@pinedelgado4743]

This was the last episode of JACKPOT with Geoff Edwards on NBC. The following Monday, WHEEL OF FORTUNE made its debut.

[@samturner64]

False. Jeopardy's last day was Jan 3. Jackpot continued until September.

[@christopherangel6690]

This needs a comeback. If I were host I'd wear that same Geoff Edward's outfit! Haha

[@josephwright1519]

Average household income in 1974 in the US was $11,100. $38,750 was a life-changing sum of money then

[@MMB18abel]

Would love for ABC to reboot this for their Fun and Games schedule. My choice for host/hostess would be Ali Wentworth, funny and cheerful.

[@jamesmoss3424]

The two that hit the super jackpot did good and whatever happened to those two that won it.

[@christopherdunne7848]

Unless it’s on a separate YT clip (just the Super Jackpot part), I am 99% sure that Kevin posted comments here. Sad not to see them here now.

[@spwash1000]

9:58 SUPER JACKPOT!!!!!

[@southpolaroid5]

A S T R O N A U H T !!??!

[@Rlotpir1972]

< cue fire alarm and sirens >

[@chrysrhykyscalhoun9812]

Funny that this episode is in its entirety but I can see reasons why. Two to be exact. The Super Jackpot win that is now in 2024 dollars $226000, and that fairy comment that gave me a hell of a chuckle. Can't believe that fairy got slipped by, and I know the SJWs will say it's offensive. Poppycock. I got a good laugh. Nothing wrong with it.

[@VandelayIndustries61]

I understand only 2 episodes of this show survive? Also interesting is the fact that the theme music was later co-opted by the iconic syndicated "This Week in Baseball" show with Mel Allen that ran from 1977 into the 2000s.

[@MountainHawkPYL]

And now it's time for this week's Volkswagen Quiz.

[@stevejorfi9086]

SUPER JACKPOT!!!!

[@collegeman1988]

I remember seeing this game show in the summer of 1974 when I was 6 years old, but I couldn't remember the name of it. Thanks KZbin!

[@Nickrj3]

I’m guessing the jackpot wasn’t won on the show before this since it started at $1985 here with only 4 numbers gone.

[@glenncox5695]

2:00 HILARIOUS!!

[@JasonA.Routhier-vw1wd]

Too bad on Geoff Edwards other show The New Treasure Hunt that they couldn.t make the grand prize between $50,000 & $100,000.

[@christopherangel6690]

That's about $203,000 today

[@Diskoboy1974]

I'm curious as to what this was recorded with. We all know NBC wiped the masters. And the first Betamax recorders didn't hit the market for another 4 months. Home recording was almost unheard of at this time.

[@samturner64]

Somehow the original master tape made it into the circuit. It's complete with the slate, "apparently" this is episode #249.

[@artkurtz9238]

@@samturner64 Yes. Good someone thought to save the master for the big win!

[@brandonpotter4915]

This should come back as a kids game show

[@ruthbarron625]

Great idea.

[@MrRemark21]

Because most of these episodes were erased from NBC daytime, they could rescue all the “Jackpot!” NBC daytime episodes by the television time machine.

[@christopherdunne7848]

Sorry, but this as far as I know was the only full episode that survived "wiping," a common practice in television back then (see Wikipedia on "Wiping"). Also....later on, the riddles were gone and replaced with Hollywood Squares-style questions, which was their "jump-the-shark" moment. I watched this show, at least when I wasn't in school.

[@jackbagley640]

Wonder what Kevin said that made Geoff laugh?!

[@JasonA.Routhier-vw1wd]

My VERSION of Jackpot would be much different! I would have 2 contestants answer riddles correctly to spell the word JACKPOT! For each correct riddle & a letter is $1,000 & for all 7 letters $25,000 then to the bonus game for $100,000 & A NEW CAR!!

[@nextbarker2702]

That's because NBC didn't have money limits back then.

[@MountainHawkPYL]

8:30 That riddle had two possible answers. Three years later, it would have three.

[@markamarka2204]

9:58 Super Jackpot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@ericsamuelson5656]

How many of you as a kid yelled "jackpot"

[@yaywhewclips242]

This was rebooted in the early 1990s in syn

[@irvinklugh8858]

LOVE IT

[@dapikafreak6340]

That blonde lady is frickin lucky

[@Ultraandfinalirairabou]

9:58 *SUPER JACKPOT!!*

[@StFidjnr]

0:45 how emotional for geoff

[@hotroddaddy-et4xg]

i am the bear the others call whitey..polar bear?? SPIRIT bear !!

[@plushbatfan]

R.I.P. Geoff Edwards

[@jamesmoss3424]

He was a good game show host ever. 😀👍

[@baylee03]

9:57 - Business is about to pick up.

[@pika23]

The gal @6:34 sounded like Edith and Gloria from all in the family

[@49yroldotaku]

I call bull funky on that! #3 had $40???

[@altfactor]

This show should be brought back (with of course, with a new host) in it's original format, with two exceptions: Contestants wouldn't share the "Jackpots" and "Super Jackpots". Instead, for example, if a "Jackpot" is $1,700, both the contestant correctly answering the "Jackpot riddle" and the contestant asking it would each win $1,700; and if a "Super Jackpot" is $38.750, and if it's correctly answered, then both the contestant correcting answering a "Super Jackpot riddle" would each win $38,750. With inflation being what it has been since 1974-75, producers of the revival certainly could afford to do it. The second exception is that there would be a "Super Jackpot Riddle" every week, so every group of sixteen contestants would have a shot.

[@thanayuthjames]

NICE!

[@roaddjack2404]

only on a game show can you get away with picking up a strange woman you don't know and give her a huge spinning hug!!

[@christopherdunne7848]

Truly one of my favorite game show moments....and you could tell it was spontaneous----no play-acting.

[@danbarker4857]

Monday on NBC saw a brand new and popular game show still on today in nighttime.

[@ronatopaz2793]

“Gay guys… fairies” … oh dear. How dated are we!!

[@gfalcon]

Look at how Geoff's dressed, what with that gold medallion. I'm sure it was that pain-in-the-ass lady executive at NBC who made him dress like that

[@epaddon]

Yes, Lin Bolen totally forbade him to wear a tie while hosting. All of his game shows after that, he went back to dressing normally again

[@petermoran2832]

Great day for game shows! Terrible day for men's wardrobe- especially for Geoff Edwards!

[@byrd56]

Blame that bad wardrobe idea on NBC daytime programmer Lin Bolen. As for Geoff, consider that he also wore tuxes on "The New Treasure Hunt" in weekly nighttime syndication during that same era.

[@lsmftymf]

Geoff Edwards' wardrobe is exactly what I remember the most about this game show. Made him look similar to then-American Basketball Association head coaches Larry Brown and Doug Moe.

[@aaronbruceladner1983]

9:57

[@JasonA.Routhier-vw1wd]

Is that the late Geoff Edwards?! Where.s his tuxedo from Treasure Hunt?! Or is that Paul Lynde.s twin brother?! By the way Robin Hoods FAIRIES?! HAHA 😂 I.ll bet Archie Bunker & Paul Lynde would of had a ball with that.

[@christopherdunne7848]

That wardrobe was the result of a mandate by NBC’s head of daytime programming, Lin Bolen. She also meddled in the Jackpot! format, changing feom riddles to Hollywood Squares-esque questions. Within months, Jackpot! was history.

[@mikefreeman7192]

380,750

[@jaremieortiz7843]

Goff Edwards