TKO 1989 - Pilot 4

WTXF-DT4 Allentown/Philadelphia (UHF Channel 38)
A Mark Goodson Television Production
Courtesy: FremantleMedia North America
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[@bmhedgehog2]

I miss you Peter. This is an interesting show where all 3 players play for the week. A rarity in its own right. LOL Mark Goodson seen in the intro.

[@jackbusby9602]

"Press Your Luck" is not my favorite gameshow. I really like trivia questions. But my favorite PYL moment was when (on either Christmas Eve or Christmas), Peter and his little twin daughters had a moment together on camera before the game began. That was sweet. I was impressed.

[@iammenuru]

This is a great pilot. Too bad it didn’t get picked up. I think this would of done well!

[@DorvellTStewart]

A lot of pilots weren't picked up, particularly over the course of the mid/late 80s when game shows started to fade from network daytime TV. It's a shame, really, as a lot of them were quite good.

[@SP84Fanatic]

I really like this pilot. It borrows the "define the initials" format from Blockbusters and combines it with elements of Jeopardy! to make a unique quiz. Also, strategy is at play with the Knockouts, and could make for exciting finishes at the end. As others have mentioned, not having a bonus round is a minus. Probably the only one that could work would be the Gold Run from Blockbusters. While it is unique to have the same contestants on for five days a week, I think having a daily champion would have been better, to give more people the chance to play. There could also be an occasional tournament featuring some of the best players.

[@lynettepalecek3141]

This show is not at all like "Jeopardy." The game show "Jeopardy" required a lot more intelligence than this show did. "TKO" was too easy and boring.

[@zacheryalderton7797]

I love this show

[@marcomacias3960]

it feel like a combination of Jeopardy and Blockbusters' Gold rush

[@lynettepalecek3141]

I disagree. It wasn't like "Jeopardy" at all.

[@akampfer]

That Andrea sure looked a lot like Mark Goodson.

[@MitchellHang]

That's because it's ACTUALLY Mark Goodson.

[@KiddBloo86]

I read your sarcasm lol.

[@ryanstrnad8442]

@@KiddBloo86 nice to see Tomerken doing something for Goodson. Had the "the planets would've aligned" Tomerken could've succeeded Barker in The Price is Right IMO.

[@charlesg9865]

@@ryanstrnad8442 He died befiore bob retired..

[@ryanstrnad1852]

@@charlesg9865 hence me saying "had the planets would've aligned". If Bob would've say retired earlier, Peter mayve had a chance. I think Eubanks also could've been good for TPiR as well. Wouldve taken no later than a mid-90's leaving for Barker to have happened IMO -for either guys.

[@losttribe3001]

So funny I came across this today. Jeopardy’s final clue recently was about how I Love Lucy was not able to use the word “pregnant” and had to use the French term for it.

[@LittleRockElevators]

The pilot is not too bad. It is a combination of Jeopardy! and Blockbusters. I saw that they used the lights from Now You See It (Henry version) when the contestants buzzed in and the theme was later used for Illinois Instant Riches.

[@lynettepalecek3141]

I disagree. It wasn't like "Jeopardy" at all.

[@Bigstaxx3381]

that same theme was used for Illinois Instant Riches

[@andrewschroy6368]

And the Body Talk pilot. And Bonus Bonanza in Massachusetts.

[@preschoolguy2010]

Is it just me or did Goodson have a thing for reusing his music and sound effects often?

[@sha11235]

Why not? All producers do that.

[@garryjohnson4578]

Derrick Hill my home state lottery game show

[@gilberttorres5775]

Score Productions used the TKO theme also for Illinois Instant Riches

[@Brundall525]

The score is also used for "Bonus Bonanza" and the very-short-lived Goodson show "Body Talk".

[@bluebear1985]

@@Brundall525 I think that was so short-lived that it didn't make it past the pilot stage either.

[@anotherguy2741]

Remakes of Mark Goodson's classic shows 'seemed to better than his new shows, even at that time.

[@TonyKanameKuran]

Jeopardy! + Blockbusters = TKO

[@DougMorris1045]

+TonyKanameKuran Category titles are a little reminiscent of Trivia Trap's $1000 race.

[@TonyKanameKuran]

Doug Morris I see that... and agree on that.

[@georgemaster6826]

You're so right about that. Kinda fun, this format.

[@LittleRockElevators]

+Doug Morris Speaking of Trivia Trap, the trap/Pathfinder sound effect would've been perfect when the contestant is knocked out of the game.

[@wii1245]

TonyKanameKuran what is technical knockout?

[@johnmirabella1329]

Not a bad show, it’s too bad it didn’t make it on television. I can imagine what Peter Tomarkin’s career would of been like had this show has made it and been a success

[@nextbarker2702]

@0:51, hard to believe, it'll be 17yrs since he passed

[@missladwig9844]

This is kind of like jeopardy in a way

[@lynettepalecek3141]

No, it isn't at all like "Jeopardy."

[@HappySnoutHour]

I can see why this didn't make it to air. I notice watching later Goodson pilots it seemed like he was running out of ideas (e.g. On a Roll). The whole time watching it made me wish that he would have brought back Blockbusters instead as that was a far more interesting game IMHO. As for the positives Peter always does a great job and the set was pretty flashy, The knockout round was decent but as someone else said it feels like it needs a bonus round.

[@wschmrdr]

Blockbusters had been brought back in the previous year or so.

[@kokoken1]

I like the format of the game. Why should "Jeopardy!" be the only game show about knowledge these days?

[@wii1245]

wkyken what are knowledge game shows?

[@lynettepalecek3141]

@wkyken. Because in the show "Jeopardy," you actually had to have an above average intelligence. In this show "TKO" that wasn't the case at all. This show "TKO" was too easy and boring.

[@lynettepalecek3141]

@aDg 2k18 Lol. The only game show that you listed besides "Jeopardy" where you had to have an above average intelligence was "Win Ben Stein's Money." The game show "TKO" was too easy and boring.

[@kokoken1]

@@lynettepalecek3141 You're right, Lynette, but that would be fixed by just boosting the difficulty of the questions. That gets into a different situation, though: Americans, in general, don't like quiz shows. They don't care much about trivial knowledge. They'd rather watch "Survivor" or "The Masked Singer." Pathetic.

[@lynettepalecek3141]

@@kokoken1 I agree. Most Americans don't want to watch a game show where they have to actually think. Plus, a lot of Americans are jealous of contestants that are smarter than they are. I agree. It's pathetic. I remember when I was a young girl, my mother told me that the brain is a muscle so you need to keep it exercised. My parents were both college teachers. After they retired, they didn't stop reading and learning. My mother was an English teacher and she loved poetry. Her favorite poet was James Russell Lowell. When she was 91 years old she was still able to recite the poems that were written by James Russell Lowell and she was able to recite scriptures from the 1611 King James Authorized Version of the Holy Bible. She was able to do all of that at 91 years old even when she had pneumonia!! Btw, "Jeopardy" with Alex Trebek was her favorite game show.

[@LVSignChick]

I like this show. Set design not my favorite, though. Peter made a great host here, would rather have seen this than Bargain Hunters!

[@lynettepalecek3141]

Both of those shows are boring.

[@kingporter67]

TKO is a 1989 game show pilot!!

[@tranmanhuc6235]

i would like this game with returning champions, more Knockouts in round 2 and... there should be some music bed played throughout each round, or at least the Knockout round

[@LogoMan7777]

Overall, this is a pretty fun game. Not awarding the money to the person knocking out keeps the game going and the budget low. If someone were to sweep the entire game, they'd win a total of $13,500 plus a $5,000 bonus for a total of $18,500.

[@MountainHawkPYL]

That last round really kills the game. Players and viewers like to see the scores go up.

[@GeekGameCulture]

if it had a "steal" mechanic in place where the contestant with the correct answer took that amount from who they chose, it would've been much better since it would've also been a tug of war and would've made for an interesting concept. In the way it is here, it is more or less a way for the producers to not have to pay out as much as it looks at first.

[@meowkitty5588]

From Super Mario World the episode Rock TV, Ready for a TKO

[@GCBlues45]

This show should of got picked & lasted on tv for a good while. I wonder why this show was not picked up. Mark Goodson was a excellent producer of game shows. Did anyone notice they used the Illinois Instent Riches theme in this.

[@lynettepalecek3141]

@GCBlues. I'm glad that this show wasn't picked up. It was too easy and boring.

[@aaronbruceladner1983]

Interesting Game

[@Popacapify]

Why where the people they introduce. Not the people that played in the show. Anybody else. Notice this

[@johnissoevil]

My only issue was the same three players all week, and I agree this show could've used a bonus round. Outside of that, fun game to play along with. If there ever were a Tomarken show that did not deserve to get on the air, that would be Bargain Hunters. TKO wipes the floor with that piece of shit!

[@stktnshawn]

Has aspects of Blockbusters

[@Rlotpir1972]

And elements from 1989's Now You See It.

[@andrewschroy6368]

If TKO had sold today, I wonder who you think the host should've been, now that Peter Tomarken is no longer with us? Me-- John O'Hurley. And having Randy West as announcer.

[@connarcowanakacliffordoneo9095]

not a bad choice

[@MyGuyJustinH]

Connar Cowan I agree

[@jesuszamora6949]

He did an all right job on Family Feud, I'd love to see him on another game show.

[@Rlotpir1972]

@@jesuszamora6949 He's too old.

[@MadMikeSportsYT]

I'm guessing that if it had sold today, my money would be on Michael Strahan as host with potentially Rich Fields as announcer.

[@HarlemHyena]

Here are the tweaks I'd make: Round 1 values: $500-$2,500, Round 2 values: $1k-$5k. All money knocked out during first 2 rounds is added to a bonus bank starting at $5k. Round 3 randomizer values: $500-$5k. Maybe play R3 to time. Last player standing (or most money when time's up) keeps all their money, and maybe a choice of prize. Bonus round: I'd use the board style from Trump Card & Catch Phrase: 5×5 grid, acronym in each spot, fill a whole line in 45 (or 60) sec. to win bonus bank. The letters TKO are hidden behind 3 spaces in a certain line; win with that line, the bank doubles. Failure pays $250/space + $500/TKO letter found. Bonus bank keeps growing until won.

[@grigorb.5221]

This Would've Been A Good Show But It Failed To Sale.

[@lynettepalecek3141]

I disagree.

[@Lupton2000]

This was taped in November 1989. At that time, CBS may have been thinking about ditching the daytime Wheel of Fortune (it never got good ratings). But they kept Wheel on for over a year longer.

[@LogoMan7777]

+Lupton2000 This was taped for ABC.

[@Rlotpir1972]

+Greg Palmer Had to be taped for CBS, because of the TPiR sound effects.

[@LogoMan7777]

Robert Lopresti That's not what the Game Show Pilot Light says.

[@andrewschroy6368]

+Robert Lopresti Taped AT CBS. Taped FOR ABC. Body Talk was like that, too. And it uses the same theme tune! :D (Of course people in Illinois and Massachusetts would get to hear it on their lottery games later on.)

[@joellafargue9882]

@@Rlotpir1972 They used the same sound effects because it was the same production company, Mark Goodson Productions (now Fremantle Media).

[@DaryckReese300]

It Combines The Game Shows of Jeopardy and Wipeout.

[@marques0818]

I agree with you

[@neumannsod]

And adds nothing to either one.

[@spacemanmonster23]

how?

[@lynettepalecek3141]

@Daryck Reese. No way! This is not at all like "Jeopardy." The game show "Jeopardy" required a lot more intelligence than "TKO" did.

[@herestoyoudoc]

@@lynettepalecek3141Jeopardy has gotten harder since then but the questions in the 1980s were about this difficulty, maybe slightly more difficult. Having the initials as clues reduced the difficulty somewhat but it's necessary for players to build up some cash so they can make the third round interesting.

[@kyle3535]

I wonder had this pilot been sold, would it have been on ABC or CBS. At that time, the daytime version of wheel of fortune on CBS, ratings were dropping. Perhaps had the show sold, would it have been on at 10:30AM EST time slot.

[@kyle3535]

1st commercial @ 6:17 2nd commercial @ 13:09 3rd commercial ending @ 19:36, never heard the jazz part of it.

[@johnnysama]

This game show has a neat concept to it. Unfortunately, one problem I do have about the show is its logo, looking too much like Christmas wrapping paper. RIP Peter Tomarken and Mark Goodson - two wonderful talents.

[@wschmrdr]

Logos are logos. Easily fixed, just like PYL's stencil. Wasting the time with initials really killed the flow.

[@WTF-TV2415]

Pilots, for game shows especially, were produced mainly to be a pitch to the networks, and were rarely seen publicly. And they usually undergo a few tweaks pne they go to series. KZbin is full of various game show pilots. They all look different from how said show looked on air.

[@LeoVargas94Oficial]

Mark Goodson in the intro???

[@sha11235]

Yeah, that's his ass.

[@lynettepalecek3141]

@Leo Vargas. Yeah. That was pretty cool.

[@paullarue2010]

Muppet is a "Knockout" question?

[@paullarue2010]

MGM did all those James Bond movies.

[@jeffeastwood15]

Who the heck were the 3 people they showed at the beginning?

[@herestoyoudoc]

Mark Goodson and two other members of the production staff. Not-yet-sold pilots often have incomplete post-production elements; even by the late 1980s doing a chroma-key composite involved some labor and expense and it wasn't worth it. If the pilot had been sold they would've fixed that and a few other things (like Tomarken telling one of the contestants "don't worry about it").

[@prestonharper6745]

Was It the only game show pilot that the announcer said "...Is a Mark Goodson television production"?

[@kevinhoward9593]

:22 LOL Mark Goodson.

[@paullarue2010]

I guess this TKO pilot, was in Los Angeles.

[@kgruber17]

This game really needed a bonus round and a bigger budget. Winning $6k in 1989 isn't a big haul. Main gameplay was repetitive, but okay. Perhaps an extra knockout question on round one/two or increasing range of amounts on the range wheel with each question in round three? Overall, Peter Tomarken did a great job hosting this and with a few tweaks, this should have sold.

[@LogoMan7777]

+Kelly Gruber Bear in mind that all three players would be competing all week. That's at least $25K spread out through the entire week. Also, what I'd do in round 3 is take the money from the KO-ed player and put it in a bank. Then, the winner would play for that money in a "Gold Run" (doubling it if they found the letters "T-K-O").

[@bluebear1985]

+Greg Palmer That wouldn't be a bad idea if they decided to dust this off and tweak those parts a bit. It's just too bad that there aren't as many game shows on as there used to be. It probably wouldn't have made it in syndication because of the number of shows that entered the market in the fall of 1990.

[@JoeyLamontagne]

+Greg Palmer Or maybe make it a Gauntlet and in 60 seconds answer 10 questions using the same format as the front game, and each time a contestant passes or gives a wrong response, it would be considered a strike. Three strikes (T.K. and O) and the bonus round is over.

[@LogoMan7777]

Joey Lamontagne And if the contestant plays a perfect game, they get a bonus.

[@JoeyLamontagne]

+Greg Palmer That's where the jackpot during the Knockout Round kicks in, and if they manage to do go through all 10 without a strike, then the pot doubles

[@drewski1535]

MR PRESS YOUR LUCK HIMSELF PETER TOMARKEN

[@mitchellries256]

Who was the announcer? Bob Hilton perhaps?

[@stevebier710]

Indeed, it was.

[@paullarue2010]

Dr. No?

[@kristinnace7103]

no credit to peter! credit to bob hilton

[@aaronbruceladner1983]

2:37

[@paullarue2010]

"Dr. No"?

[@paullarue2010]

Knockout Question?

[@connarcowanakacliffordoneo9095]

any ideas on what a bonus round would have been like or what would you like to have seen on it?

[@marcpower4167]

Only thing I can think of is answer X number of questions in 60 seconds

[@Rlotpir1972]

10 answers in 75 seconds to win $10,000. Champion returns next show with two more challengers.

[@connarcowanakacliffordoneo9095]

@@Rlotpir1972 maybe the highest winner after the Friday show can play a bonus round for $10000 or $25000?

[@MadMikeSportsYT]

My idea for a bonus round for TKO is something like this: I call it The Gauntlet - 2 minutes to give 10 consecutive correct answers to a series of rapid-fire general knowledge questions. First right answer is worth $250, every right answer afterwards doubles the money. Pass as much as you want if you don't know but if you miss or pass, you get sent back to the start. If you miss, you also get a strike. 3 wrong answers, that's 3 strikes and that's a TKO - you'll be out of the bonus game and you lose everything you won in the bonus. 10 consecutive correct answers in 2 minutes nets you $100,000. Of course, if you don't go all the way to 10, you get $1000 times the highest level you got to.

[@paullarue2010]

TriStar Pictures did that movie.

[@cnnfan9710]

Who came here before tonight’s premiere

[@rell9601]

0:28 6:25 13:23

[@kyleolson8977]

It's better than a lot of game shows that made it to air in the 1980's, although it's not very original. It's very one-note, as the questions are the same in every round. Repeating the initials is a little clunky when they're long. The big issue is that I suspect that people would rather not watch a final round where contestants lose money.

[@lynettepalecek3141]

"TKO" was just too easy and boring. That's why it didn't last.

[@chrissheehan4774]

what does TKO stand for?

[@LogoMan7777]

+Chris Sheehan Total Knock Out.

[@Jack21Spades]

TECHNICAL KNOCK OUT

[@mildredcox4682]

Reminds me a bit of Bumper Stumpers.

[@Rlotpir1972]

Bumper Stumpers WAS originally planned to be produced by Mark Goodson, but Wink Martindale Enterprises sold the game to Barry and Enright.

[@brycelandon6387]

The problem I have with TKO is that the knockout round at the end seems to render the first two rounds pointless. You're going to spend the first two-thirds of the game building up big money, and then the third round whittling it down again? It's a waste of time for the contestants, who took the time away from their jobs to be there, and for the home audience who took 20-30 minutes to watch it.

[@bmasters1981]

That's how I feel about all those shows that had illusory dollar scores that only the winning players won-- why go to all that trouble to be on something like Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak in '86 on ABC, for instance, if you had to actually win the game to win anything, and certain unlucky occurrences could have your opponents winning, and making the whole affair just one huge waste of time, even if you had a Hot Streak to start with (from what I've seen, one wouldn't do it; you had to have two or three, given how good some teams on that short-lived show were)?

[@someguy23475]

I would dump the stay all week idea and go with returning champions. For some reason, the fact you can knock people out of the game appeals to me.

[@davidlewis7267]

Why did they show Mark Goodson's face at the beginning of the show?

[@jeffeastwood15]

The 3 people they showed were not the 3 people who played. Weird.

[@jesuszamora6949]

Maybe this pilot was put together on April 1st?

[@JamalGardner1]

9:27 9:31 13:47 13:49 19:27 WRONG! 18:17 TKO!

[@paullarue2010]

Peter Tomarken hosted this Pilot.

[@joellafargue9882]

T K O = Total Krap Out. LOL

[@paullarue2010]

Good thing I don't sin anymore. I go to church now.

[@lynettepalecek3141]

I didn't like this show. 👎