The Wizard of Odds
Encyclopedia
The Wizard of Odds is an American game show
hosted by Alex Trebek
that aired on NBC
from July 16, 1973 to June 28, 1974 in which people from the studio audience vied in a number of rounds, primarily games revolving around statistical questions. Sam Riddle was the show's first announcer; toward the end of the run, Charlie O'Donnell
replaced him.
at 11:00 AM Eastern (10:00 Central). The show did not perform well against CBS
' Gambit
(later replaced by Now You See It
) and NBC dropped it after less than a year.
Wizard was Trebek's first American game show, after starting his broadcast career in his native Canada
. He later hosted another NBC game, High Rollers
(which replaced Wizard), from 1974-1976 and again from 1978-1980. Since 1984, he has hosted the syndicated TV hit game Jeopardy!
as per network policy of the era, with NBC continuing this process until 1980. The May 20, 1974 episode with special guest Don DeFore exists in the UCLA Film & Television Archive.
, who at the time was one of the show's producers.
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...
hosted by Alex Trebek
Alex Trebek
George Alexander "Alex" Trebek is a Canadian American game show host who has been the host of the game show Jeopardy! since 1984, and prior to that, he hosted game shows such as Pitfall and High Rollers. He has appeared in numerous television series, usually as himself...
that aired 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...
from July 16, 1973 to June 28, 1974 in which people from the studio audience vied in a number of rounds, primarily games revolving around statistical questions. Sam Riddle was the show's first announcer; toward the end of the run, Charlie O'Donnell
Charlie O'Donnell
Charles John "Charlie" O'Donnell was an American radio and television announcer, primarily known for his work on game shows...
replaced him.
Broadcast history
Relatively short-lived, The Wizard of Odds replaced Sale of the CenturySale of the Century (US game show)
Sale of the Century is an American television game show which debuted in the United States on September 29, 1969, on NBC daytime. It was one of three NBC game shows to premiere on that date, the other two being the short-lived Letters to Laugh-In and Name Droppers. The series aired until July 13,...
at 11:00 AM Eastern (10:00 Central). The show did not perform well against CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
' Gambit
Gambit (game show)
Gambit is a television game show, created by Wayne Cruseturner and produced by Heatter-Quigley Productions, that originally ran on CBS from September 4, 1972 to December 10, 1976. A slightly retooled version, Las Vegas Gambit, aired on NBC from October 27, 1980 to November 27, 1981, originating...
(later replaced by Now You See It
Now You See It
Now You See It is an American television game show created by Frank Wayne for Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions. Two Now You See It series were produced, and both aired on CBS. The first series ran from April 1, 1974 until June 13, 1975, and was hosted by Jack Narz...
) and NBC dropped it after less than a year.
Wizard was Trebek's first American game show, after starting his broadcast career in his native Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He later hosted another NBC game, 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...
(which replaced Wizard), from 1974-1976 and again from 1978-1980. Since 1984, he has hosted the syndicated TV hit game Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
Episode status
It is believed that the series 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 network policy of the era, with NBC continuing this process until 1980. The May 20, 1974 episode with special guest Don DeFore exists in the UCLA Film & Television Archive.
Theme
The theme song was composed and sung by Alan ThickeAlan Thicke
Alan Thicke is a Canadian actor, songwriter, and game and talk show host. He is best known for his role as Jason Seaver, the patriarch on the ABC television series Growing Pains.- Early life :...
, who at the time was one of the show's producers.