Knockout (game show)
Encyclopedia
Knockout is an NBC
game show that aired from October 3, 1977 to April 21, 1978. A Ralph Edwards
production, it was hosted by Arte Johnson
, with announcing duties handled first by Jay Stewart
and later by John Harlan
. A British
version of the show, called Odd One Out
, aired from 1982–1985.
In addition to the letter, the player with the correct answer had a chance to earn more letters by figuring out the common category of the remaining three words or by daring one of his or her opponents to answer. If the contestant answered correctly or the dare was successful, he or she earned two letters. If the dared player identified the bond, he or she earned two letters for himself or herself.
If the dare was successful the contestant could dare the third player for another two letters or just give the answer for only one letter. If the contestant scored a "6-letter play" by successfully daring both opponents and then solving the category he or she also won a $300 bonus.
The first player to light up his or her word (lighting up all 8 letters in the word KNOCKOUT) won the game and a chance to play for up to $5,000 in the bonus round.
In the second part, the contestant chose one of three hidden clues. Using the clue he or she chose, the winning contestant had to identify the subject of all three clues. Doing so multiplied his or her part one winnings by 10.
A player could stay on the show until losing twice. All five-time champions won a car.
's short-lived It's Anybody's Guess
, Knockout marked Ralph Edwards' third attempt at a daytime game on NBC in three years. After failing with two different short-lived versions of Name That Tune
, which had become a major hit off network
, he banked on the appeal of former Laugh-In star Johnson who had, in the intervening years since that show's cancellation, become a regular panelist on games like Hollywood Squares
and Gong Show.
Johnson's popularity, however, was no match for ABC
's Family Feud
, which was on its way to becoming daytime's most popular game at 11:30 a.m./10:30 Central. Knockout got only a six-month run before NBC replaced it with a revamped High Rollers
. As for Edwards, he would never again attempt a daytime network show, preferring to stick to syndication for Tune and later shows like The People's Court
.
as per NBC standards of the era. One episode is known to circulate among private collectors, and another is held at the Paley Center for Media; a third is held at the UCLA Film and Television Archive
, listed as Episode #75 (aired January 11, 1978).
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...
game show that aired from October 3, 1977 to April 21, 1978. A Ralph Edwards
Ralph Edwards
Ralph Livingstone Edwards was an American radio and television host and television producer.-Early career:Born in Merino, Colorado , Edwards worked for KROW-AM in Oakland, California while he was still in high school...
production, it was hosted by Arte Johnson
Arte Johnson
Arthur Stanton Eric "Arte" Johnson is an American comic actor. Johnson was a regular on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. His best-remembered "character" was that of a German soldier with the catchphrase: "Verrrry interesting, but...['stupid', 'not very funny', and other variations]".-Early life:Johnson...
, with announcing duties handled first by Jay Stewart
Jay Stewart
Jay Fix , known professionally as Jay Stewart, was an American television and radio announcer known primarily for his work on game shows. One of his longest-lasting roles was as the announcer on the game show Let's Make a Deal, which he announced throughout the 1960s and 1970s...
and later by John Harlan
John Harlan (announcer)
John Harlan is an American television announcer who has worked on numerous television projects for over 40 years, particularly game and variety shows....
. A British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
version of the show, called Odd One Out
Odd One Out
Odd One Out was a weekly quiz programme that was hosted by Paul Daniels and was broadcast on BBC1 from 16 April 1982 to 19 April 1985.-Gameplay:The object of Odd One Out is to guess which one of four items does not belong & why it doesn't belong...
, aired from 1982–1985.
Gameplay
The object of the game was to find one item from a list of four items that was not related to the other three. Three players would be shown the four items, one at a time, and the first player to buzz-in would try to figure out which item did not belong. A correct answer earned a player a letter in the word "KNOCKOUT" which was displayed on his or her podium.In addition to the letter, the player with the correct answer had a chance to earn more letters by figuring out the common category of the remaining three words or by daring one of his or her opponents to answer. If the contestant answered correctly or the dare was successful, he or she earned two letters. If the dared player identified the bond, he or she earned two letters for himself or herself.
If the dare was successful the contestant could dare the third player for another two letters or just give the answer for only one letter. If the contestant scored a "6-letter play" by successfully daring both opponents and then solving the category he or she also won a $300 bonus.
The first player to light up his or her word (lighting up all 8 letters in the word KNOCKOUT) won the game and a chance to play for up to $5,000 in the bonus round.
Bonus round
The Knockout bonus round was played in two parts. In the first part, three items with a common category were revealed to the winning contestant, one at a time. The contestant tried to identify the category. If the contestant did so on the first word, it was worth $500. The contestant won $300 for doing so on the second word, and if it took all three words, the contestant won $100.In the second part, the contestant chose one of three hidden clues. Using the clue he or she chose, the winning contestant had to identify the subject of all three clues. Doing so multiplied his or her part one winnings by 10.
A player could stay on the show until losing twice. All five-time champions won a car.
Broadcast History
Succeeding Monty HallMonty Hall
Monte Halperin, OC, OM , better known by the stage name Monty Hall, is a Canadian-born MC, producer, actor, singer and sportscaster, best known as host of the television game show Let's Make a Deal.-Early life:...
's short-lived It's Anybody's Guess
It's Anybody's Guess
It's Anybody's Guess is an American game show broadcast on NBC from June 13 to September 30, 1977. Monty Hall hosted the show while his second-banana from Let's Make a Deal, Jay Stewart, was the announcer. It was produced by Stefan Hatos-Monty Hall Productions.-Gameplay:The show featured seven...
, Knockout marked Ralph Edwards' third attempt at a daytime game on NBC in three years. After failing with two different short-lived versions of Name That Tune
Name That Tune
Name That Tune is a television game show that put two contestants against each other to test their knowledge of songs. Premiering in the United States on NBC Radio in 1952, the show was created and produced by Harry Salter and his wife Roberta....
, which had become a major hit off network
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
, he banked on the appeal of former Laugh-In star Johnson who had, in the intervening years since that show's cancellation, become a regular panelist on games like Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares is an American panel game show in which two contestants play tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The "board" for the game is a 3 × 3 vertical stack of open-faced cubes, each occupied by a celebrity seated at a desk and facing the contestants...
and Gong Show.
Johnson's popularity, however, was no match for ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Family Feud
Family Feud
Family Feud is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Two families compete against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey question posed to 100 people...
, which was on its way to becoming daytime's most popular game at 11:30 a.m./10:30 Central. Knockout got only a six-month run before NBC replaced it with a revamped High Rollers
High Rollers
High Rollers is an American television game show based on the dice game Shut the Box. The show aired on NBC from July 1, 1974 to June 11, 1976 and again from April 24, 1978 to June 20, 1980. Two different syndicated versions were also produced, a weekly series in the 1975–1976 season which ran...
. As for Edwards, he would never again attempt a daytime network show, preferring to stick to syndication for Tune and later shows like The People's Court
The People's Court
The People's Court is a US television court show in which small claims court cases are heard, though what is shown is actually a binding arbitration....
.
Episode status
The show was wipedWiping
Wiping or junking is a colloquial term for action taken by radio and television production and broadcasting companies, in which old audiotapes, videotapes, and telerecordings , are erased, reused, or destroyed after several uses...
as per NBC standards of the era. One episode is known to circulate among private collectors, and another is held at the Paley Center for Media; a third is held at the UCLA Film and Television Archive
UCLA Film and Television Archive
The UCLA Film and Television Archive is an internationally renowned visual arts organization focused on the preservation, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles. It holds more than 220,000 film and television titles and 27 million feet of...
, listed as Episode #75 (aired January 11, 1978).