Jackpot!

Jackpot!
Premiere	January 7, 1974
Finale	March 16, 1990
Creator	Bob Stewart
Host	Geoff Edwards (1974-75, 1989-90) Mike Darrow (1985-88)
Network/Provider	NBC (1974-75) USA (1985-88) Syndication (1989-90)
Style	30-minute game show
Company	Bob Stewart Productions, Bob Stewart/Sande Stewart Productions
Origin	USA, Canada

Jackpot! was a game show that first aired on NBC daytime. It ran to September 26, 1975 and was revived ten years later for the USA network on cable. After three seasons, it went syndicated.

The show pitted sixteen contestants, all of which played throughout the week. Fifteen of them sat in a platform posing riddles to one person standing at a lecturn. That person is "The King of the Hill." Each riddle was worth a money value and the jackpot would grow with each correct answer. If the King of the Hill missed a riddle, he/she traded places with the riddler. A player whose riddle contains the word "Jackpot!" shouts the word and poses the riddle. If the King of the Hill is correct, he/she splits the jackpot with the riddler.

Before play starts, a "Super Jackpot" target number is determined. If the jackpot lands on that target number, the potential prize money for that riddle was worth up to $50,000.

The USA cable edition was similar except for a few new quirks. An "expert" (new term for King of the Hill) could win a new car by solving all fifteen riddles correctly. The player answering the most riddles correctly at the end of the week won a $10,000 bonus. A $1,000 bonus was awarded if a player could run the board without hitting the "Jackpot" riddle.

Nine months after leaving USA cable, Jackpot! returned in syndication and ran six months.

In-Depth

At a Glance: Additional information about the series