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Unlike most TV game shows of the time, which were taped in New York or Hollywood and broadcast nationally, Bowling for Dollars was produced by local TV stations and only had contestants from the immediate area. The show was actually a franchise, created by Bert Claster of Claster Television , also the creator of '' Romper Room ''. Episodes of Bowling for Dollars were taped either in a local bowling alley, or on a pair of bowling lanes constructed right inside the TV studio. THE SHOW The show's main set consisted of a sliding door from which the host emerged, as did the contestants, one-by-one. There was also a Jackpot light with a numeric display of its value, and a ''Pin Pal'' barrel (see below). There were also stands set up for an audience. Local editions may have varied, but there were two musical themes used. One was a custom theme for the show's opening and close (with a short phrase to introduce each contestant). The other was played when a contestant hit the jackpot, also used for commercial bumper music in some editions. The latter was an instrumental version of "Keep the Ball Rollin'" by Al Hirt , a song originally done by Jay & The Techniques . Gameplay As each contestant appeared, the host would interview him or her for a couple of minutes. Then the audience camera would cue as the contestant pointed out who he brought along ("There's my wife Cindy, there's my son Ralphie..."). The contestant was then instructed to pick a Pin Pal out of a large barrel, then went off to the lanes where they would bowl two shots. A half-hour show had seven contestants. PRIZES Basically, each contestant received one dollar for each pin felled, e.g., a contestant who knocked down a total of 8 pins would receive $8, though some versions may have had a $5 minimum for less than five pins. A strike or a spare would award $20. But the real allure of the show was the jackpot, which was awarded to any bowler who got two consecutive strikes. The jackpot started at $300 or $500 (depending on the version) and was incremented by $20 each time it was not hit. Some versions of ''Bowling for Dollars'' awarded prizes in addition to the money. In the Detroit edition of the show, a contestant who got a spare won a dinner for two at a local restaurant. If that spare was a split, they would also get two large pies from Buddy's Pizza. If the contestant got only one strike, they got to pick a pin from a "pin board" for a prize from a local jeweler; one such prize was a genuine diamond ring. Finally, if a contestant did break the jackpot, he or she got to bowl one more time, and if that was a strike they would receive yet another prize like a recliner chair or bicycle. PIN PALS Each contestant, just before approaching the bowling lane, was instructed to randomly pick a postcard out of a large, horizontally-mounted barrel. The name on the card was then read aloud by the host. These were Pin Pal cards, allowing a viewer at home to participate in the game on TV. Whatever the contestant won the Pin Pal won also, although the jackpot may actually have been split between the two of them. Many people wrote clever messages on their Pin Pal cards, like "Strike it rich!" A Pin Pal was only eligible once per show, in case folks tried to send an overwhelming amount of postcards. LOCAL EDITIONS ''Bowling for Dollars'' was broadcast from TV stations serving medium to large communities all across the United States and Canada. Baltimore There were two separate runs. Both aired on WBAL-TV Channel 11
This show only required contestants to make one strike for the jackpot — a significantly harder task in duckpin bowling than in standard tenpins. Boston This edition was titled '' Candlepins for Cash'' and had two separate runs Buffalo Cincinnati Cleveland Had two separate runs of ''Bowling for Dollars''. Both used in-studio lanes. Columbus, OH Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas Dayton, OH Station: WLWD (now WDTN) Detroit Flint Kansas City Los Angeles Milwaukee 1st station 2nd station Minneapolis/St. Paul New York Philadelphia ''The WTAF version was taped at their studios in the basement of their Center City studios, while the WPHL version was taped at Boulevard Lanes in Philadelphia.'' Pittsburgh Tampa-St. Petersburg |
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