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Hit Man (game show)
Encyclopedia
Hit Man is an American
television
game show
that ran from January 3 to April 1, 1983 on NBC
. Peter Tomarken
hosted this Jay Wolpert
production in association with Metromedia Video Productions, while Rod Roddy
was the announcer.
in to answer questions; each right answer moved the contestant up one step while a wrong answer eliminated that contestant from the next question.
The first contestant to come up with five correct answers won $300 and the second player to do so won $200. Both players advanced to the next round while the third player was eliminated from the game, leaving with only parting gifts.
The champion competed against one of the other two challengers in each question during this round. The first challenger to reach the top of the ladder in the previous round had the option to go against the champion first or allow the other challenger to go first. Once that decision was made, Tomarken started asking questions pertaining exclusively to the second story. If a player answered a question correctly, the opponent lost a hit man. If a challenger answered incorrectly or failed to reply, he/she lost a hit man and lost control to the other challenger.
The champion defended his or her title by eliminating both of the opponents. If the champion lost all of his/her hit men first, the challenger who was in control when the champion's last hit man was eliminated was declared the winner.
The winner of the game played the "Triple Crown" bonus round. The contestant had their back to a board with eight randomly-placed columns: one column contained one circle, two columns contained two circles, two columns contained three circles, two columns contained four circles, and one column contained five circles. The contestant had to fill each circle with a "money man" by correctly answering questions about either of the short stories that were presented during that episode (this is why the returning champion was allowed to hear the first story, despite not participating in that round).
The contestant was given 60 seconds to fill three columns with "money men". A completed column was indicated by a crown lit above it. The contestant, not knowing how many spaces are in each column, called out a column and was asked questions alternating between each subject. If a contestant answered any question incorrectly or passed on a question, a new column had to be started, and if they returned to the column they missed on, they had to start it over from the beginning. The contestant won $1,000 for each column they filled. If three of the eight columns were filled within 60 seconds, the contestant won $10,000.
on NBC with CBS's ten-year-old The Price is Right
and ABC's The Love Boat
repeats as its main competition. However, Price was taking America and daytime television by storm. Hit Man left the airwaves after 13 weeks and was replaced by the Bob Eubanks-hosted Dream House. Just Men!
, which aired right after Hit Man, got cancelled that same day while Wheel and Sale of the Century
would stay on NBC's schedule until 1989. Peter Tomarken would gain greater fame five months later with what would be his best known game show, Press Your Luck
which ran for three years. Rod Roddy would earn greater fame in 1986, when he became Johnny Olson
's permanent replacement as announcer on The Price is Right.
and United States Vice Presidents
as its subjects. Future game show announcer Randy West
defeated then-champion Sheila and won $1,000 in the Triple Crown.
After the final commercial break, Roddy substituted the traditional contestant plug with "If you would like to be a contestant on Hit Man, forget it! And now, back to Peter Tomarken!" Afterward, Tomarken gave a speech explaining what Roddy just said. The program has not been rerun since its cancellation.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
that ran from January 3 to April 1, 1983 on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. Peter Tomarken
Peter Tomarken
Peter David Tomarken was an American television personality primarily known as the host of Press Your Luck.-Early life:...
hosted this Jay Wolpert
Jay Wolpert
Jay Wolpert is an American television producer and screenwriter.His first television appearance came as a contestant on the original version of Jeopardy! in 1969. He competed in the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions that year and won....
production in association with Metromedia Video Productions, while Rod Roddy
Rod Roddy
Robert Ray "Rod" Roddy was an American radio and television announcer. He is primarily known for his role as an offstage announcer on game shows. Among the shows that he announced are the CBS game shows Whew!, Press Your Luck and The Price Is Right. On the latter two, Roddy appeared on camera on...
was the announcer.
Round 1
Each game of Hit Man began with three contestants watching a 3-minute film, narrated by Tomarken, about a specific topic (with the returning champion also doing so from offstage). Peter then read questions pertaining to that story once it was finished. The object of this round was to climb a ladder by answering five questions correctly. Contestants buzzedBuzzer
A buzzer or beeper is an audio signaling device, which may be mechanical, electromechanical, or piezoelectric. Typical uses of buzzers and beepers include alarm devices, timers and confirmation of user input such as a mouse click or keystroke....
in to answer questions; each right answer moved the contestant up one step while a wrong answer eliminated that contestant from the next question.
The first contestant to come up with five correct answers won $300 and the second player to do so won $200. Both players advanced to the next round while the third player was eliminated from the game, leaving with only parting gifts.
Round 2
The two remaining contestants competed against the show's returning champion in this round. A short story about a different topic was presented. After the story, each player was given a number of "hit men" to defend. The champion was given seven hit men, the first contestant to reach the top of the ladder in the first round was given four, and the second contestant to reach the top was given three. The object for the challengers in this round was to eliminate all of the champion's hit men, while the object for the champion was to eliminate both challengers' hit men.The champion competed against one of the other two challengers in each question during this round. The first challenger to reach the top of the ladder in the previous round had the option to go against the champion first or allow the other challenger to go first. Once that decision was made, Tomarken started asking questions pertaining exclusively to the second story. If a player answered a question correctly, the opponent lost a hit man. If a challenger answered incorrectly or failed to reply, he/she lost a hit man and lost control to the other challenger.
The champion defended his or her title by eliminating both of the opponents. If the champion lost all of his/her hit men first, the challenger who was in control when the champion's last hit man was eliminated was declared the winner.
Triple Crown
The contestant was given 60 seconds to fill three columns with "money men". A completed column was indicated by a crown lit above it. The contestant, not knowing how many spaces are in each column, called out a column and was asked questions alternating between each subject. If a contestant answered any question incorrectly or passed on a question, a new column had to be started, and if they returned to the column they missed on, they had to start it over from the beginning. The contestant won $1,000 for each column they filled. If three of the eight columns were filled within 60 seconds, the contestant won $10,000.
Broadcast History
Hit Man ran at 11:30 AM EST following Wheel Of FortuneWheel of Fortune (U.S. game show)
Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin, which premiered in 1975. Contestants compete to solve word puzzles, similar to those used in Hangman, to win cash and prizes determined by spinning a large wheel. The title refers to the show's giant carnival wheel that...
on NBC with CBS's ten-year-old The Price is Right
The Price Is Right (US game show)
The Price Is Right is an American game show which was created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Contestants compete to identify the pricing of merchandise to win cash and prizes. The show is well-known for its signature line of "Come on down!" when the announcer directs newly selected contestants to...
and ABC's The Love Boat
The Love Boat
The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
repeats as its main competition. However, Price was taking America and daytime television by storm. Hit Man left the airwaves after 13 weeks and was replaced by the Bob Eubanks-hosted Dream House. Just Men!
Just Men!
Just Men! was a game show that aired on NBC Daytime from January 3 to April 1, 1983. The show starred Betty White, who won an Emmy award for her work on the show, with Steve Day announcing.-Gameplay:...
, which aired right after Hit Man, got cancelled that same day while Wheel and Sale of the Century
Sale of the Century
Sale of the Century is a television game show format that has been screened in several countries in various incarnations since 1969. The show found its biggest success in Australia, where it aired weeknights from 1980 to 2001...
would stay on NBC's schedule until 1989. Peter Tomarken would gain greater fame five months later with what would be his best known game show, Press Your Luck
Press Your Luck
Press Your Luck is an American television daytime game show created by Bill Carruthers and Jan McCormack. It premiered on September 19, 1983 on CBS and ended on September 26, 1986. In the show, contestants collected "spins" by answering trivia questions and then used the spins on an 18-space game...
which ran for three years. Rod Roddy would earn greater fame in 1986, when he became Johnny Olson
Johnny Olson
John Leonard "Johnny" Olson was an American radio personality and television announcer. His work spanned 32 game shows produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman from the late 1950s through the mid 1980s...
's permanent replacement as announcer on The Price is Right.
Finale
The series finale had Gene KellyGene Kelly
Eugene Curran "Gene" Kelly was an American dancer, actor, singer, film director and producer, and choreographer...
and United States Vice Presidents
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
as its subjects. Future game show announcer Randy West
Randy West
Randy West is an American television personality who is best known for his work on game shows. He has been an announcer on American television game shows since 1990, with credits including Supermarket Sweep, Trivial Pursuit, Hollywood Showdown, and a substitute role on The Price Is Right.West's...
defeated then-champion Sheila and won $1,000 in the Triple Crown.
After the final commercial break, Roddy substituted the traditional contestant plug with "If you would like to be a contestant on Hit Man, forget it! And now, back to Peter Tomarken!" Afterward, Tomarken gave a speech explaining what Roddy just said. The program has not been rerun since its cancellation.