| Winning Lines | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Game show |
| Directed by | Jim Yukich |
| Presented by | Dick Clark |
| Narrated by | Chuck Riley |
| Composer(s) | Keith Strachan |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 (1 unaired) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | David G. Stanley Scott A. Stone Paul Smith |
| Editor(s) | Scott T. Miller |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Stone Stanley Entertainment Celador |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | CBS |
| Original run | 8 January 2000 – 18 February 2000 |
Winning Lines was a short-lived American game show that aired from 8 January 2000 to 18 February, 2000. Based on the British version of the same name, it was considered as the CBS's answer to the success of ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. It was hosted by Dick Clark, directed by James Yukich and produced by Stone Stanley Entertainment in conjunction with the British production company, Celador. The announcer for the program was veteran voice-over announcer Chuck Reilly (who also announced the 1990 game show Trump Card).
Contents |
Clark asks 49 contestants a mathematical question with a numerical answer. The contestants use keypads to enter their answers within five seconds, and the contestant who answers correctly in the fastest time advances to the second round. Six questions are played in this way. The other 43 contestants are eliminated at the end of the round.
As in the British version, each contestant carries their number from round one with them to round two. Clark asks a series of mathematical questions that can be answered by one of the six numbers in play. Contestants buzz in to answer the question. A right answer means that the owner of that number is eliminated, unless the person who buzzed in had the number; in that case no one is eliminated. If the contestant is wrong, no matter whose number the answer to the question is, he or she is eliminated. This goes on until one contestant is remaining. That contestant wins $2,500; the others win $1,000 each.
The winner has three minutes to answer as many questions as possible, using 49 answers numbered 1-49 as displayed on three projection screens. Each right answer earns more money as follows, with 20 right answers earning $1 million:
| Correct Answers | Prize |
|---|---|
| 20 | $1,000,000 |
| 19 | $500,000 |
| 18 | $400,000 |
| 17 | $300,000 |
| 16 | $200,000 |
| 15 | $100,000 |
| 14 | $90,000 |
| 13 | $80,000 |
| 12 | $70,000 |
| 11 | $60,000 |
| 10 | $50,000 |
| 9 | $40,000 |
| 8 | $30,000 |
| 7 | $25,000 |
| 6 | $20,000 |
| 5 | $15,000 |
| 4 | $10,000 |
| 3 | $7,500 |
| 2 | $5,000 |
| 1 | $2,500 |
Before the round starts, the contestant is given 15 seconds to study and memorize the board. Like the British version, the contestant has to call out number and answer, and can freeze the timer twice for 15 seconds each (called "Pit Stops"). A contestant could also pass on two questions. However, if a contestant gave an incorrect answer or was unable to answer within 15 seconds, he/she received a strike. Upon a contestant's second incorrect answer, or when less than 15 seconds remained in the game, a bailout button began to glow. A contestant could hit this button at any time and leave with whatever money they had earned to that point, but if the contestant ran out of time or earned a third strike without bailing out the contestant lost all winnings from the Wonderwall and left with only the $2,500 he or she won earlier.
As in the British version, instead of the three screens in the studio, home viewers were shown a screen that continually scrolled from side to side and automatically jumped to the right place when a correct answer was given (either by the player or by the host in the event the player got a strike).
The US version offered an at-home game similar to the British version. The ones digit from each of the round one winners' numbers and the ones digit from the number of the final correct answer given during the Wonderwall were shown at the end of the show. Home viewers who could make up their own phone number from those seven digits were eligible to enter a drawing for $50,000 cash.
The closest anyone has gotten to the million on Winning Lines was Catherine Rahm, who won $500,000 by answering nineteen questions correctly.