Celebrity Sweepstakes

Celebrity Sweepstakes
Premiere	April 1, 1974
Finale	October 1, 1976
Creator	Ralph Andrews
Host	Jim McKrell
Network/Provider	NBC (1974-76) Syndication (1974-75, 1976-77)
Style	30-minute game show
Company	Ralph Andrews-Burt Sugarman Productions
Origin	USA

Celebrity Sweepstakes was a game show airing daytime on NBC. It launched a syndicated nighttime edition soon after.

The show employs two contestants, a panel of six celebrities, and the studio audience. The contestants are staked to $100 at the start. The celebrities are asked a question, and as they write down their answers (which are seen backstage to ensure honesty) the studio audience votes on the celebrities most likely to answer correctly. Those votes are figured out as odds, as per a horse race track, and they are posted in front of the celebrities. Contestants make bets ($5 minimum, $50 maximum) on a celebrity and win the wager multiplied by the odds if right. If the chosen celebrity answers wrong, only the wager is lost.

Round two has the contestants getting the chance to score more money by selecting two celebrities they believe has the right answer.

At the end, the contestants may now wager all or none of their score on a final question with the odds posted based on the celebrities' track record during the show. The top scorer is champion, and winning five games wins the player a new car.

Like The Hollywood Squares, Celebrity Sweepstakes was scrutinized for briefing the celebrity panel in advance about answers to specific questions.

In-Depth

• At a Glance: Additional information about the series