Second Chance (1977)

Second Chance
Premiere	March 7, 1977
Finale	July 15, 1977
Creator	Bill Carruthers Jan McCormick
Host	Jim Peck
Network/Provider	ABC
Style	30-minute game show
Company	Carruthers Corporation Warner Bros. Television
Seasons	1
Episodes	95
Origin	USA

Second Chance (1977) was a game show that aired on ABC. It would be revived six years later for CBS and renamed Press Your Luck.

The show pitted three contestants who earned turns (or in the show's vernacular, "spins") on a game board by answering questions. The questions are asked, then the players have five seconds to write down their answer on a slate. After the answers are displayed, host Jim Peck tells how many (if any) have the right answer, then three possible answers are shown. If the players want to change answers they may. If a player has a correct answer the first time, he/she gets three spins. Changing the answer awards one spin if correct. Three questions are played.

The players now face the game board, comprised of eighteen windows surrounded by a string of lights that flash randomly from one to another. Each window features money, prizes (designated as a gift-wrapped box, with the prize shown upon being hit) or little cartoon Devils. The player with the fewest spins earned goes first and hits a plunger to stop the board. Whichever window the lights stop is what the player scores, if money or prizes. Stopping on a Devil wipes out the player's score. At any time after the first spin, a player may pass his/her remaining spins to the player with the highest money score (if no score or tie, then contestant's choice). Four Devils eliminate a player from further play.

Late in the run, the window with the top money amount during round 2 ($1000 to $5000) would change via an eggcrate numerical display and also contain free spins, which keep the player's turn going as long as he/she doesn't pass his/her spins. A player with spins passed to him/her must play them. If he/she hits a Devil the spins are transferred to being "earned" spins and can take them or pass them. "Earned" spins are denoted on the player's podium as steady white circles, while "passed" spins are flashing white. Free spins appear in white at the bottom of the contestant's lectern.

The player who has the highest score wins everything tallied.

Cast

Person	Role	Duration
Main Cast
Jim Peck	Host	1
Jay Stewart, Jack Clark	Announcer	1

Seasons

Season	Premiere	Finale	#
ABC
Season One	March 7, 1977	July 15, 1977	95

In-Depth

• At a Glance: Additional information about the series

DVD Releases

There no DVD releases. At least three shows (2 pilots and a May 31, 1977 show) plus the audio from the July 15, 1977 finale are on YouTube.