Pitfall (game show)

Pitfall is a Canadian game show that aired in American and Canadian syndication from September 14, 1981 to September 1982. The host was Alex Trebek and the announcer was John Barton (who also served as co-producer). The show was filmed at Panorama Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia and produced by Catalena Productions, with distribution provided by Rhodes Productions.

Gameplay

Main game

Two contestants attempted to predict how the studio audience answered questions about lifestyle and personal preference. For each question, the contestants and audience were shown four possible answers. Using a keypad, each audience member chose one of the responses, after which Trebek asked each contestant to choose the answer they thought had received the highest percentage of votes. A correct choice earned one point for the contestant.

Contestants could also earn "pit passes," which would come into play in the Pitfall round. One pit pass was awarded for a contestant's first, third, and fifth points, for a maximum of three per game.

Play continued for a maximum of five minutes. The first contestant to reach five points, or the one who was in the lead when time ran out, won the game and advanced to the Pitfall round.

Pitfall round

The champion attempted to cross a bridge composed of eight numbered sections in less than 100 seconds by answering general knowledge trivia questions. However, three of the eight sections were pitfalls. To help the contestant determine which sections were safe and which were not, the contestant watched a flashing show of lights, during which each section of the bridge lit up in random order—safe sections lit up once, and pitfalls lit up twice. Presented with a rack of eight numbered passes, the contestant chose one for each pit pass earned during the game, hoping that his/her selections corresponded to pitfalls.

Trebek and the contestant then rode an elevator to the top level of the bridge, where the contestant stood at the edge of the first section. The clock was set to 100 seconds and began to count down as soon as Trebek began to read the first question. Every correct answer allowed the contestant to move ahead one section.

The contestant could pass over any section of the bridge, whether or not it was a pitfall, by selecting the appropriate pit pass at the start of the round and immediately handing it to Trebek upon stepping into the section. However, if that section was a pitfall, and the contestant did not have a pit pass for the section or failed to hand it to Trebek, the contestant rode the elevator within that section of the bridge down to the stage floor while the clock continued to count down. The contestant remained on the lower level until he or she answered another question correctly, at which point the clock stopped and the contestant was raised to the higher level of the bridge. The clock again started when Trebek began reading the next question, and the contestant could then move to the next section following another correct answer.

The contestant received $100 for each section on the bridge successfully crossed within the time limit, and a prize package totaling $5,000 for crossing all eight sections. Later, a prize was awarded for crossing the fifth section successfully and a prize package of $2,500 was awarded for crossing all eight sections.

Cancellation

Catalena Productions, which also produced the 1980–81 syndicated revival of Let's Make a Deal, went bankrupt in early 1982. As a result, most contestants who appeared near the end of the show's run did not receive their winnings, nor was Trebek ever paid for his hosting duties.^[1] Because of this, Trebek called the show "one of the great tragedies of [his] life" and keeps the bounced check for his salary framed on a wall in his home office. Trebek also commented that he found it ironic that the only time he has ever been stiffed was by his fellow Canadians.

About two years after Pitfall was cancelled, Trebek went on to host the syndicated revival of Jeopardy! – a position he holds to this day.

In Canada, the series continued in reruns on Global for several years after its cancellation. A number of stations in the United States aired reruns of Pitfall during the 1985–86 season, among then WLIG in Riverhead, New York and KHJ in Los Angeles.

References

External links

• Interview with former contestant Eileen Mintz