Split Second
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- Note: this article is not about the expression "for a split second"; for the band, see A Split-Second; for the 2004 TVB drama, see Split Second (TVB); for the film, see Split Second (1992 film)
Split Second was an American game show.
Split Second had two runs, the first of which was on ABC from March 20, 1972 to June 27, 1975. In 1987, a syndicated version was produced and distributed by Viacom.
Tom Kennedy was the original ABC host. Monty Hall hosted the '80s version and produced both versions. The ABC version was produced in Los Angeles, while the syndicated version was produced in Toronto.
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[edit] Rounds One & Two
On each version, three contestants, one a returning champion, competed.
Each question asked had three possible correct answers. Some questions were of the form "Name the three films for which Katherine Hepburn won the Oscar for Best Actress." For other questions, three words, names, or phrases would be displayed on a board, and the question would be of the form "Pick a word from the board and give its plural". Approximately once each day, there would also be a memory buster in which Tom Kennedy would give a list of items and ask which three of them were common to each other.
Contestants would ring in by pushing a button on their podium. The first person to ring in got to provide the any of the three answers. The second fastest provided one of the remaining answers, and finally the slowest player got whatever was left. If a person rang in too soon (before the choices were revealed), they were locked out of the first two parts and had to take whatever was left.
On the ABC version, if all three players were correct in round one, each scored $5. If two people were correct, each won $10. If only one person was right, that person scored $25, and the first person to score a "singleton" in this way also won a bonus prize no matter what the outcome of the game was. In round two, those amounts increased to $10-$25-$50, and again the first to provide a single correct answer won another prize.
On the 1980s version, if all three were correct, each won $10. If two were right, each person providing a correct answer won $25, and a "singleton" won $50, but there was no additional prize associated with doing so. In round two, the values increased to $20-$50-$100.
[edit] Countdown Round
The Countdown Round ended the game. Each contestants now had a set number of correct answers to give, and the first person to meet his quota would win.
The leader would have to give 3 correct answers, the second place contestant 4, and the last place contestant 5, on the Kennedy version. The Hall version's answer count was 4, 5, and 6, respectively.
The contestants again rang in by pushing the button, but if a contestant got an answer right, they could continue on and answer the other two parts of the question (meaning, on the Kennedy version, a contestant could win just by answering one question in the Countdown Round). An incorrect answer gave the other two players a chance to answer, depending again on how fast they rang in.
The winner advanced to the bonus round, the losers took home whatever they earned and parting gifts.
[edit] Bonus Round
The bonus round on both versions was played for a car, but both were played differently.
The 1970's Car Game
The champion would pick a key and attempt to start one of five cars on stage (the bonus round on the '80s Hollywood Squares revival was similar). If the contestant started the car, they would win it and a cash jackpot that started at $1000 and grew by $500 every day it wasn't won, and retired. If not, the car was eliminated and the contestant returned. A five-day champ automatically won the jackpot and was entitled to select any of the five cars as their prize.
Car Game, 1980's Style
The Hall version's car game had two incarnations.
- One version had the contestant face five windows, one of which said "CAR" on the back of it. If the contestant was successful, the car was theirs and they retired. If not, they would win $1000 and return to play the next day. Like the Kennedy show, one window was eliminated each day, and a five-time champ automatically took the car home.
- The other version had the same 5 windows, but this time three of the windows said "CAR" behind them. The object was for the contestant to pick all three of them (The other two would have another prize, usually a fur coat or vacation). Doing so won the car. If not, the player was offered the other prize and $1,000 cash for each day he/she had been on to stop, and leave the show; or return the next day as champion. On a person's fourth try at the bonus round, four screens had CAR behind them, and one had the other prize. Five wins still won the car automatically.
[edit] Other comments
The cars on display in the 1970s version alternated Pontiacs and Chevrolets. All of the cars offered on the 1980s version were Pontiacs.
Producers of the 1970s version of Split Second were very strict regarding contestant's answers; wanting the answers to be guessed exactly right...meaning a mispronounced answer would be called wrong. When Monty Hall took the reigns of the 1980s version, he acted as judge himself, giving the player credit for the correct answer if he/she mispronounced the answer or was close enough to the right answer.
Tom Kennedy received huge praise for keeping up with the fast-paced Q&A format of "Split-Second". At one time, Kennedy once said that the pace was so fast, he didn't have time to take a sip of water when off-camera.
On the ABC series final episode on June 27, 1975, a contestant failed to win the car; however, Tom Kennedy, joined by Monty Hall told the contestant that the car was his anyway, and that the final cash jackpot would be split evenly among the two runner-up contestants. (One of those runners-up was future CNN reporter Judd Rose.)
Markie Post worked on the production staff of the 1970s version of Split Second and was introduced on camera by Kennedy, along with other staffers, during the series finale.
[edit] Episode status
The original ABC version is believed to be wiped, except for at least two episodes, including the June 27, 1975 series finale. The syndicated version is believed to be completely intact. Neither have aired on GSN.
