Top Card
Encyclopedia
Top Card was a game show
that aired on TNN
and produced by Reid-Land Productions, replacing TNN's original game show Fandango
. The show aired from April 3, 1989 to March 26, 1993 and was based on the card game Blackjack
.
Jim Caldwell was the original host of Top Card, with Blake Pickett serving as his hostess. The two remained until the beginning of the series' third season in 1991 and were replaced by Dan Miller
and Paige Brown. The announcer for the show's entire run was Don Dashiell, with Brad Staggs substituting for several weeks in the third season.
Top Card was replaced the Monday following its cancellation by 10 Seconds
, a music-based game show which was also hosted by Dan Miller. The last champion on Top Card was carried over as the "returning champion" on the first episode of 10 Seconds.
The player in control chose a category and a question was asked. The first player to buzz-in with a correct answer won the card behind the category. After the card was revealed, the contestant could either keep that card, or reject it and take the top card from an oversized deck. If the contestant kept the original card, that category was removed from further play (except for the Wild Card category, in which a new card replaced the one kept). If the contestant took the top card, the original card and category stayed in play. After being awarded a card, the contestant chose another category and play continued in this manner.
Tens and face cards were worth ten points each, number cards were worth the number on the card as points and aces were worth one point (and unlike blackjack, only one point, not one or eleven).
At any time during the game, after choosing to take either card, a player could freeze his/her current score, forcing the other player(s) to continue with the round. If at any time a remaining player beat a frozen player's score, that contestant also received the option to freeze. The original player who froze then had one last chance to play after the other player(s) had frozen.
Like in blackjack, the object of the game was to reach 21 without going over, or get closer to 21 than the other opponents. Any player who went over 21 was eliminated from the round. A round could be won by either reaching 21, being the only player in a round not to bust, or by having more points than any other opponent after all were "frozen," when time expired, or when all the questions in the round had been exhausted.
The contestant lost the round and any prizes accumulated by exceeded 21 at any time, or by finding a Joker concealed behind one of the prizes. If the contestant reached exactly 21 before stopping or finding the joker, they kept all selected prizes and won a grand prize (which was chosen at the start of the round in a blind draw from a special deck of cards, consisting of a fur coat, a trip, a piano, or one of three cars).
The winning player had four turns to reach 21 and win the car they selected. The champion chose a category, after which its prize was revealed and a question was asked. An incorrect answer forfeited that prize and card; a correct answer won the prize and allowed the player to see the hidden card. As long as it was not the Joker, the contestant could keep this card or trade it for the top card from the deck. Again, after each question, the player could elect to stop and keep the prizes won up to that point, or risk their prizes and continue playing. If the contestant busted or found the joker, they lost everything; if the player hit 21 in four tries or less, they won the selected prizes and the car. If the player did not hit 21 in four tries, they kept all prizes won to that point.
In either version, if the contestant found the joker on the first pick, the game did not end. Instead, the player could still win a prize. The player picked a prize in season one, or a category in seasons two through four, and played for the prize behind it. However, the player was now required to take both the hidden card and the top card. The next cards from the deck were then revealed in succession. The champion could stop and take $10/point if they wished. If their total reached 21, the champion won the prize.
In all seasons, contestants stayed on until they won the bonus round or until they were defeated.
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 aired on TNN
The Nashville Network
The Nashville Network, usually referred to as TNN, was an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming included music videos, taped concerts, movies, syndicated programs, and numerous talk shows...
and produced by Reid-Land Productions, replacing TNN's original game show Fandango
Fandango (game show)
Fandango was a country music-themed quiz show which aired on TNN from March 8, 1983 to March 31, 1989, when it was replaced by Top Card. Fandango was the first TV game show to air on TNN and was one of the longest-running game shows on a cable network....
. The show aired from April 3, 1989 to March 26, 1993 and was based on the card game Blackjack
Blackjack
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un , is the most widely played casino banking game in the world...
.
Jim Caldwell was the original host of Top Card, with Blake Pickett serving as his hostess. The two remained until the beginning of the series' third season in 1991 and were replaced by Dan Miller
Dan Miller
Dan Miller may refer to:* Dan Miller , Middleweight fighter in the Ultimate Fighting Championship* Dan Miller , former Premier of British Columbia* Dan Miller , former member of the U.S...
and Paige Brown. The announcer for the show's entire run was Don Dashiell, with Brad Staggs substituting for several weeks in the third season.
Top Card was replaced the Monday following its cancellation by 10 Seconds
10 Seconds
10 Seconds is a television game show that aired on TNN from March 29, 1993 to March 25, 1994. The show was hosted by Dan Miller and announced by Don Dashiell...
, a music-based game show which was also hosted by Dan Miller. The last champion on Top Card was carried over as the "returning champion" on the first episode of 10 Seconds.
Gameplay
Three contestants competed in a question-and-answer game. Originally, the questions were varied as to their subjects, but by the third season they were strictly music based.Main game
Three rounds were played, with nine categories per round. The outer eight were entertainment categories, while the one in the center was a Wild Card category which could be about anything. Each category also had a hidden playing card behind it.The player in control chose a category and a question was asked. The first player to buzz-in with a correct answer won the card behind the category. After the card was revealed, the contestant could either keep that card, or reject it and take the top card from an oversized deck. If the contestant kept the original card, that category was removed from further play (except for the Wild Card category, in which a new card replaced the one kept). If the contestant took the top card, the original card and category stayed in play. After being awarded a card, the contestant chose another category and play continued in this manner.
Tens and face cards were worth ten points each, number cards were worth the number on the card as points and aces were worth one point (and unlike blackjack, only one point, not one or eleven).
At any time during the game, after choosing to take either card, a player could freeze his/her current score, forcing the other player(s) to continue with the round. If at any time a remaining player beat a frozen player's score, that contestant also received the option to freeze. The original player who froze then had one last chance to play after the other player(s) had frozen.
Like in blackjack, the object of the game was to reach 21 without going over, or get closer to 21 than the other opponents. Any player who went over 21 was eliminated from the round. A round could be won by either reaching 21, being the only player in a round not to bust, or by having more points than any other opponent after all were "frozen," when time expired, or when all the questions in the round had been exhausted.
Round 1
Three contestants played this round, with the winner advancing to the Championship Round. The other players continue to the next round.Round 2
The two losers from round one played this round. In season one, a Wild Card question was asked to determine control; for the rest of the run, a question from the category in the upper left was asked. Afterward, play proceeded in the same manner as the first round, with the winner advancing to the Championship Round to face the winner from round one.Championship Round
The winners of the first two rounds played the Championship Round, again with the same rules. The winner of this final round won the game, became champion and advanced to the Top Card Plus bonus round.Seasons 2–4 Changes
- In seasons 2, 3, and 4, the number of subjects was reduced to eight and the Wild Card category was replaced by a Top Card question, which could only be played if it was the only remaining category. All questions were about music, with the majority of them country music-based.
- The cards Ace through 10 were shuffled and placed behind each category, and only appeared once. No duplicate cards were found on the board.
- After a category was played, it (and the card behind it) was removed from the round regardless of whether the contestant selected its corresponding card or the top card.
Season 1
To start, the top five cards from the Top Card deck were drawn to determine a starting bankroll. The total of the five card values was multiplied by $100 (Ex: 3♥, 10♣, 4♥, 5♦, K♦ x $100 = $3,200). Prizes were placed on the game board (where the categories were located in the main game), along with a price and a hidden card. The winning player chose which prize to buy with their bankroll, and the corresponding card was revealed. As in the main game, the contestant could keep that card and add it to their score, or take the top card from the deck. After each choice, the player could elect to stop and take the prizes won up to that point, or continue playing in an attempt to reach 21. The "Wild Card" was also in play for "Top Card Plus." If chosen, the champion was awarded a prize and the remaining bankroll would be exhausted.The contestant lost the round and any prizes accumulated by exceeded 21 at any time, or by finding a Joker concealed behind one of the prizes. If the contestant reached exactly 21 before stopping or finding the joker, they kept all selected prizes and won a grand prize (which was chosen at the start of the round in a blind draw from a special deck of cards, consisting of a fur coat, a trip, a piano, or one of three cars).
Seasons 2–4
In the second through fourth seasons, Top Card Plus was played strictly for a car as the grand prize. To start, the champion chose which car to play for. The categories from the main game remained on the Top Card board, with a prize and a card corresponding with each one.The winning player had four turns to reach 21 and win the car they selected. The champion chose a category, after which its prize was revealed and a question was asked. An incorrect answer forfeited that prize and card; a correct answer won the prize and allowed the player to see the hidden card. As long as it was not the Joker, the contestant could keep this card or trade it for the top card from the deck. Again, after each question, the player could elect to stop and keep the prizes won up to that point, or risk their prizes and continue playing. If the contestant busted or found the joker, they lost everything; if the player hit 21 in four tries or less, they won the selected prizes and the car. If the player did not hit 21 in four tries, they kept all prizes won to that point.
In either version, if the contestant found the joker on the first pick, the game did not end. Instead, the player could still win a prize. The player picked a prize in season one, or a category in seasons two through four, and played for the prize behind it. However, the player was now required to take both the hidden card and the top card. The next cards from the deck were then revealed in succession. The champion could stop and take $10/point if they wished. If their total reached 21, the champion won the prize.
In all seasons, contestants stayed on until they won the bonus round or until they were defeated.