Information about The Joker's Wild

The Joker's Wild
Show logo, 1972-1975
Created by	Jack Barry
Starring	Jack Barry (host, 1972-84) Bill Cullen (host, 1984-86) Jim Peck (sub-host, 1981-86) Pat Finn (host, 1990-91) Johnny Jacobs (announcer, 1972-1979) Charlie O'Donnell (announcer, 1980-86) Various others (See Announcers section)
Country of origin	United States
Production
Running time	30 minutes with commercials
Broadcast
Original channel	CBS, Syndicated
Original run	1972 – 1991

The Joker's Wild was an American television game show that aired at different times during the 1970s through the 1990s, It billed itself as the game "where knowledge is king and lady luck is queen," and was notable for being the first successful game show (earlier attempts were significantly less successful) produced by Barry-Enright Productions after their role in the quiz show scandals in the late 1950's.

Originally, the show was simply a Jack Barry Production, but Barry added Enright's name a few years after. Although it was a Barry & Enright-produced game show from 1977 onward, The Joker's Wild was copyrighted and a property of Jack Barry Productions during its entire run and in the 1990 version, with Barry's sons Jonathan and Douglas Barry as co-executive producers.

Hosts

Jack Barry, who created the show and eventually used it to revive his partnership with longtime producer Dan Enright, hosted all versions of the show up until his death in May 1984. Bill Cullen hosted for the remainder of the syndicated run. Although Joker is commonly named by several game show historians as the first series Jack Barry was part of following the disastrous quiz show scandals, that is not actually true. Barry had hosted two earlier series (The Generation Gap and The Reel Game) prior to the premiere of Joker (the latter of the two produced and created by Barry himself), and some evidence suggests he and partner Dan Enright were "silent partners" in several game shows of the 1960s (in the United States and Canada), defying their unofficial blacklisting by the industry. Enright was brought on as executive producer of The Joker's Wild during its final CBS season.

Jim Peck began subbing for Barry beginning in 1981, which he would continue to do on occasion until Barry's death in 1984; he would also fill-in for Cullen during the final season for a few weeks in late 1986. Barry and producer Ron Greenberg wanted Peck to become Barry's successor, but after Barry died, Dan Enright gave the hosting duties to Cullen instead. This was the final game show hosted by Bill Cullen.

Pat Finn hosted the 1990 remake, which lasted one season.

Announcers

Johnny Jacobs was the original announcer of The Joker's Wild, which he served through most of its CBS run, with Johnny Gilbert and Roy Rowan filling in on occasion, as well as Marc Summers, then a page at CBS. When the series returned to first-run syndication in 1977, Jay Stewart and Johnny Jacobs became the primary announcers, alternating during the first two seasons before Stewart assumed full duties during the 1979-1980 season; Bob Hilton announced the final three months of the 79-80 season and Art James announced the 1980-1981 season, with Stewart announcing the final three months of that season as well as the 1980 ToC. In 1981, Charlie O'Donnell became the standard announcer of Barry & Enright game shows, announcing for the final five seasons. Gilbert and John Harlan would fill in for O'Donnell on occasion.

Ed MacKay, a local Los Angeles radio DJ and one-time overnight news anchor at station KNX AM-1070, announced the 1990-1991 revival.

Game Origins

It has been said from sources that the concept of The Joker's Wild came as early as the mid-1960s, and that Jack Barry pitched the concept to Goodson-Todman Productions (Which is where Barry worked after the scandals). G-T was not impressed with the format, so Barry eventually continued revamping Joker for several years before CBS finally gave him the green light to bring it onto its daytime schedule (following a local tryout on station KTLA in Los Angeles one year prior to debuting on CBS).

Studio sets

Four different studio settings were used during the course of the 1972-86 run of The Joker's Wild. In the beginning, the joker machine was surrounded by two borders that are somewhat shaped like a "C", each containing 46 red bulbs, and the category windows were surrounded by chase-light borders. The rest of the set was of a white and red configuration. When the syndicated version began airing in 1977, the set remained somewhat the same but with more red light bulbs (increased to 102 on each side) and a modified chase-light border around each of the category windows. The following year, more chase lights were added, and the red lights began flashing as well.

By 1981, the set changed to a neon-setting, designed by John C. Mula, with blue neon surrounding the joker machine. It also added audience contestant displays for the Face the Devil game, which resembled both the Joker contestant set and the Contestants' Row for The Price is Right, whose current daytime reincarnation premiered the same 1972 day as Joker on CBS.

The series was produced at the following locations (all in Los Angeles):

• 1972-1975: CBS Television City's Studio 31 and 33
• 1977-1985: KCOP-TV's Chris Craft Studios.
• 1985-1986: The Production Group Studios, near Columbia Square in Hollywood.
• 1990-1991: CBS Television City's Studio 33. Some episodes were videotaped at Studio 31.

Gameplay

Note: The gameplay described below represents the best-remembered format of the 1977-86 syndicated series. Any differences in alternative versions will be discussed in the appropriate section.

Main game

Two contestants, one a returning champion, played. The challenger began the game by pulling a lever, which set three slot machine-style wheels in motion. The wheels each contained five different categories and a Joker. After the wheels stopped (one at a time from left to right across the board) the player chose one of the displayed categories and had to answer a question from that category. If the player answered correctly, the dollar value of the question was added to his/her score. If they answered incorrectly, his/her opponent had a chance to answer and steal the money (and could possibly win the game if the question was enough to put him/her at or above $500.) The champion would then get to spin, pick a category and have a chance to answer a question, with the same rules applying. The game is unofficially played in "rounds", with each round completed when both the challenger and champion has spun the joker machine, similar to innings in baseball.

Money values

The value of each question was determined by how many times that category appeared on the wheels. If three different categories appeared, a question in any of the categories was worth $50. If a two of a kind and a single appeared, a question based on the pair was worth $100, and one based on the single was worth $50. If a natural triple (three of a kind) was spun, the question was worth $200 (originally $150, but this was increased) and a bonus prize was awarded to the player. Natural pairs and triples could not be split and had to be taken for $100 or $200 respectively.

The game's "slots" were actually three slightly modified slide projectors. Each graphic was a separate slide loaded on a metal platter (similar to a ViewMaster wheel). Electric motors would spin the platters rapidly, rotating the graphics through the gates. Unused categories were deselected by simply switching off the appropriate projectors. Turning the lamps on and off so much caused them to blow out repeatedly during tapings.

Jokers

Jokers were wild, hence the show's title. The player could use them to match any displayed category to create a pair or triple, thus increasing the value of the question. They could also substitute a joker for a category in play but not displayed on the wheels (which was referred to going "off the board") for a $50 question using one joker or $100 using two jokers. Spinning three jokers in a single spin would allow the contestant to immediately win the game, regardless of their current score. :Further information: #Winning the game

Players could also opt to not use jokers to increase a question's value. Players would do this when the base value of a question was enough for them to win the game. That way, if the player missed the question and his opponent answered it correctly, the opponent would receive less money.

The joker cards had a purple background with an animated Joker doing a handstand with his feet curved to the left. The word Wild appeared at the bottom of the card.

Category cards

Category cards were of various illustrations, with green, light blue, yellow, orange, pink, red and other color configurations with the name of the category displayed below. Originally, the category named appeared on the color background, but later on the category name was placed on a white box with a black border.

The windows

The game windows were surrounded by chase-light borders, with each window having an 11-bulb-by-7-bulb configuration; having a 2-on, 2-off chase light format. For a time in 1983, a 3-on, 1-off chase light sequence was used, which was common on NBC-produced game shows. These border lights would be activated when a joker appeared, or if a player selected a category. At one time, all three window lights would turn on regardless of what appeared on the board. Also, if the devil showed up at any time in the bonus game, the border lights surrounding the devil would be activated as well.

Winning the game

After each completed round, the player who reached $500 or more is declared the winner. This can be accomplished by various scenarios:

If the challenger, who spins first, reaches the target score, then the champion is given one last spin to either tie the game or win the game with a proper spin. For example, a champion trailing by $100 must spin at least a double to tie, or a triple or three jokers to win. A champion trailing by more than $200 must spin three jokers or have one of the Fast Forward Categories to allow them to catch up, or the Mystery category if in use with a proper spin. If the champion spins an amount less than needed, the game ends and the challenger becomes the new champion. If the champion spins the right combination needed to stay in the game and answers the question wrong, the game also ends.

The challenger can also win the game by answering a question missed by the champion whose value was high enough to reach $500. Otherwise, the champion has the advantage of winning, by answering a question on his spin or from a missed question from the challenger.

The game automatically ends if either player spins three jokers and correctly answers a question from any of the five categories. Only the player who spun three jokers gets a chance to answer the question; if they miss, the game continues.

If both players tied with a winning amount, extra rounds were played until someone was ahead after a completed round, or until three jokers were spun and a question was correctly answered, thus ending the game.

Any contestant who won five consecutive games received a new car as a bonus, usually a Buick Skylark or a Chevy Chevette. Players continued on the show until defeated; some repeat champions won more than $25,000 in cash and prizes.

Between 1981 and 1984, the show (as well as its sister series, Tic Tac Dough) had a winnings limit of $50,000 imposed on it (at the request of CBS, who owned quite a few stations where these shows aired), with all winnings over that amount being donated to charity, even though the program was syndicated. If that happens, the contestant automatically retires undefeated. As a result, Tournament of Champions play was discontinued.

Endgame ("Face the Devil")

The wheels now contained various amounts of money ($25, $50, $75, $100, $150 and $200 cards) and Devils. The object was to take spins and accumulate $1,000 or more on the wheels, which won a bonus prize package valued at $3500-$5000 (including the $1000+). However, if the Devil came up at any time in one of the three windows, the game was over and the player lost whatever money he/she had built up (they do, of course, keep the $500 or more won in the regular game). The player always had the option to stop after every "safe" spin and keep the money earned to that point. In this case (or if the contestant got over $1000), the host would hand the contestant the cash one bill at a time with the audience counting it out loud, starting with $100 bills, then $50/$20/$5 bills as necessary. In one episode, the host confirmed that it was in fact real money.

This game was played in the last year of the CBS run and during the entire syndicated series. In the syndicated run, a natural triple in the bonus round (three identical dollar amounts) resulted in an automatic win - however, the cash would be a flat $1000, unless the amounts put the total over $1000. Then, the spin's value was simply added to the score. The highest amount of money that was possible to win in "Face the Devil" was $1575 ($975 in the pot plus a spin of $200/$200/$200).

Only one devil was used on the wheels; it was rotated from one window to another after each bonus game.

In later years, when a player stopped to take the money, host Jack Barry would encourage the player to spin to see what would have happened if he/she had continued spinning. On a few occurrences contestants stopped, believing the devil would come up, and it did.

Broadcast history

The Joker's Wild debuted on CBS September 4, 1972, incidentally on the same Labor Day as the modern incarnation of The Price is Right as well as Gambit. It ran for 686 telecasts until June 13, 1975 on that network, airing at 10 a.m. Eastern/9 a.m. Central. For the first two years, it faced NBC's Dinah's Place, the talk vehicle for singer/actress Dinah Shore, which gave way to the first of several revivals of Name That Tune, which Joker easily defeated in the ratings. However, when NBC moved its panel game Celebrity Sweepstakes to 10/9 in early 1975, Joker went into steep decline, ending a nearly three-year run in the summer. Its replacement, Spin-Off (like Joker, a gambling-themed game) did even worse, eventually prompting CBS to expand Price to a full hour later in the year.

However, some big-market independent stations gave the game another chance the next year. After a syndicated rerun cycle of the last CBS season proved successful in 1976, the show returned to first-run syndication (via Colbert Television Sales) in September 1977 and continued for nine seasons, lasting until September 1986, amassing 2,340 episodes, making a grand total of 3,026 telecasts. A one-season revival ran from September 10, 1990 to September 13, 1991, also in syndication.

One early slogan they promoted was, "No TV game comes close to this one!"

Other versions

Original 1969 pilot

The show's pilot, taped January 5, 1969 and hosted by Allen Ludden, was very different from the eventual series. Most notable was the fact that categories on the wheels were each represented by a different celebrity panelist, each of whom asked the questions in his/her specific category. A somewhat confusing points system was used for scoring in place of money: for three different categories, a question on any of the categories were worth 1 point. On a pair and a single, two questions were offered for two points each on the pair, and the basic 1 point question on the single. For a triple, three 3-point questions were offered. Jokers of course represented any category or to increase the value of the question. The spinner had the option to answer any of the number of questions available depending on the spin. Full turns were used, with the player reaching 13 points or more after each full round winning the game. A three-joker spin resulted in a win if the spinner correctly answers a question from any of the five categories.

For a bonus round, the game's winner spun the wheels, each of which contained different prizes of various qualities, ranging from a five-cent piece of chewing gum to $500 cash. After the spin, the player could elect to keep the prizes shown, or give them all back for a second spin. This offer was then repeated after the second spin, but if a third spin was taken, the player was stuck with whatever prizes came up in that spin. This pilot did not feature returning champions.

A second pilot was also taped on the same date, but without the celebrities; Ludden simply read the questions himself. Both pilots were produced by Barry in association with the CBS Television Network.

1970 pilot: The Honeymoon Game

In 1970, another pilot, albeit obscure, was shot, under the name The Honeymoon Game hosted by Jim MacKrell and produced by Jack Barry in association with Metromedia.^[1] Barry appeared before the beginning of the show, explaining that the first round was cut out before "airing" due to its weak format; it featured six couples (three competing in two separate competitions) who tried to predict how their spouses responded to a series of broad questions that gradually became more narrow, with the lowest-scoring couple in each segment eliminated.

In round 2, the four remaining couples competed against each other, again in two separate segments. Just like in the 1969 Ludden pilot, the wheels had celebrities on them, each one representing a category. After the spin, the couple selected which category they wanted. The scoring was similar to that of the Ludden pilot. Instead of Jokers on the wheel, there were "bonus" cards. If a couple spun three bonus cards, the game was ended, and they would win instantly without answering a question. Ten points or more won the game. For each bonus card spun other than the situation where the player would spin three of them in one spin, a point was automatically added to the couple's score.

Round 3 was the "deciding finals," with the two remaining couples playing to win the match. The celebrities would leave, and now MacKrell would be asking the questions. The players spun as before, in the first wheel would be the category, the second wheel would display "Take a Chance," and the third wheel would display what the question on the category spun would be worth (In a spin of "Sports/Take a Chance/$10," Jim would ask a question on sports for $10). A correct answer added the value to the couple's score. The couple then "Took a chance," as the middle window implies, and saw what was behind the slide. It could be anything from "Add $40" to "Deduct $100." If answered wrong, the amount on the first wheel was deducted from the score, however, couples did not go below 0.

The game was played until time ran out, and the couple with the highest score played the bonus round, which was similar to the first bonus round used in the later CBS series of The Joker's Wild, only difference was, the couple was given three spins instead of two (see description below). There was also a second bonus round, where the wheels displayed hearts with numbers in them (slot number 1 had 1, number 2 had 2, number 3 had 3), and the couple selected one of those three windows. Behind each window was a destination for the couple to choose for their honeymoon. "The Honeymoon Game" was intended to be a 90 minute game show (the genre's first of its kind), and though it did not sell, a number of Metromedia-owned stations did air the pilot as a one-off in the summer of 1971.

The syndicated version of The Joker's Wild did have a slight throwback to the couples concept for one week in the 1981-1982 season, when it held a "Newlywed Couples" tournament.

1971 tryout

This tryout series aired locally on Los Angeles' KTLA and aired for about three months. The tryout episodes were hosted by Jack Barry, with rules similar to the regular 1972-86 series with the following exceptions:

Three contestants competed in each game. Spinning three different categories and answering a question in any of the three categories were worth $25. Pairs were worth $50 and triples were worth $100, with $250 the target number to win. As before, an equal amount of turns was given. A three-joker spin resulted in an automatic win with a correct response to a question from any of the five categories in play. The bonus round was similar to that of the Allen Ludden pilot, but with more elaborate prizes.

Highlights of the 1971 tryout series were shown during Jack Barry's promos of the eventual series, which began production on CBS in 1972.

1972-1975

Initially, triples were worth $150, but soon increased to $200. Also, three Jokers originally won the game automatically, without a question being asked. From episode 1 until around mid-1973, the champion went first instead of the challenger.

Bonus rounds

The bonus round went through a few different permutations:


Prize Round #1 - For the first two episodes, it was a variation of the game seen in the 1969 pilot, but with only two spins allowed and most of the gag prizes replaced with decent ones. Additionally, some prizes appeared on the wheels inside of circles; if all three prizes in a spin were thus circled, the player also won a new car.

Prize Round #2 - Beginning with the third aired episode, the circles were eliminated and the car became a regular prize on the wheels (other big prizes including a boat or a trip were also added to the board on occasion).

Jokers and Devils - Beginning with the 11th aired episode, the endgame was completely overhauled again - this time, the wheels contained Jokers and Devils. The player was given up to three spins, and each time three Jokers came up, a different prize was won, increasing in value with each spin taken. If a Devil appeared, the player lost it all. Amusingly, for Christmas 1972, the graphics for this game were altered to become "Santas" (Jokers) and "Scrooges" (Devils). Originally the winning contestant got four spins with the last spin being worth a car or another big prize. For a brief period, the prize was not told until after the successful spin. In 1973, to avoid confusion between the category wheels and the bonus game reels, the Jokers in the "Jokers and Devils" era were marked with the word "Joker" instead of the word "Wild". This was implemented following a game in which the reels were not switched to the regular reels, and the champion spun three jokers to begin the game. For one game, the left window mistakenly contained a bonus game reel (one spin read, from left to right, "Joker," "Wild" and a category). Jack Barry did not mention why there was a difference between the two Jokers, or why every spin in that game began with a Joker on the left.

Face the Devil - By the end of the CBS run, the "Face the Devil" round described above had been implemented. It has been said that the Devil in the "Face the Devil" bonus game was meant to be a caricature of Jack Barry. Many contestants have told Barry that the devil resembles him. On one syndicated episode, Barry jokingly named the devil "Pierre."

Joker's Jackpot

Early in the show's run, returning champions were competing for a chance to win the "Joker's Jackpot," an accruing jackpot of cash that started at $2500. Players won this jackpot if they won four (later three) consecutive games; later on, a new automobile was added to the jackpot. However, if the champion was defeated, all of his/her cash winnings were forfeited to the Joker's Jackpot (prizes won in the bonus round was his/hers to keep). Thus, after every game, the champion decided whether to play on for a chance to win the Jackpot, or play it safe and retire from the show with his/her current winnings. The Jackpot continued to build until it reached $25,000, which was at the time CBS's maximum "winnings cap" for game show contestants.

Originally, after winning the Joker's Jackpot, the champion was retired undefeated, but later on, the rules were changed to allow champions to continue playing until either being defeated or reaching the maximum CBS winnings limit.

Upon implementation of the "Face the Devil" bonus round, the "Joker's Jackpot" was abandoned, players kept whatever they earned, while still retiring after winning $25,000, and five wins were needed to win a new automobile.

1977-1986

There were a few alterations to the syndicated show over the years. One of the most notable was the addition of a "Natural Triple Jackpot" in 1983. This was an accruing prize package offered to a contestant who had spun a triple of any category, without Jokers (at one point the jackpot reached as high as $38,000). Prior to that, a bonus prize, usually around $500 in value, was given to any contestant who spun a natural triple.

The new neon set

After the first four syndicated seasons on a red set (which had been touched up in 1978 with an overabundance of lights), in 1981 neon lights and contestant tags were added as was a completely overhauled set which had a blue background as it was in the first few seasons. During the bonus round and audience game, the chase lights would flash, and on a bonus game win, all of the lights would turn on and off at half-second intervals.

The outer chase lights, which remained intact from the previous set (as well as the chase lights around the windows), would not flash at all, except for a short time in 1981, and again regularly by 1985. The contestant's podiums and the host's podiums were surrounded by three vertical flashing jokers on each side.

Tournament of Champions

"Tournaments of Champions" were held annually between 1977 and 1980. Frank Dillon won the $50,000 and $100,000 tournaments in 1977 and 1978, respectively; Eileen Jason captured the $250,000 tournament in 1979.

In 1980, The Joker's Wild became the first television program to advertise that it was giving away $1,000,000. It was the total purse for a special tournament of champions; the eventual winner received $500,000 of that total ($250,000, paid $25,000 annually for 10 years), half of which went to the charity of his or her choice. The remainder of the money was divided among the other participants in the tournament, depending on how they performed, with once again half of their winnings going to charity. Rob Griffin won the top prize, half of which went to the March of Dimes. Other tournaments of champions ($50,000 in 1977, $100,000 in 1978, and $250,000 in 1979) were held prior to this, but no ToCs were held after the $1,000,000 tournament. Appropriately, Barry and Enright used Stu Levin's theme from Break the Bank (which they produced in 1976 and 1977) as the special music for the tournament.

Different rules applied to Tournament of Champions play: the players played for points instead of dollars, and in the championship game, winning two games out of three were needed to win the top prize (3 out of 5 for the $1,000,000 ToC). In the event a natural triple was spun, a $500 bonus was awarded to the player for his/her charity. Players drew numbers to determine who would spin the wheels first. If player #1 (in the challenger's podium) spun three jokers and answers a question, that player's score goes to 500 points. The player who spun second would get one final turn to tie the game in that case, or win the game if trailing by less than 200 points. The player who was ahead after each completed round after the target score of 500 points was reached was declared the winner.

Other special weeks over the years included "College Week", "Couples Week", "Teen Week", and "Children's Week" (which led to the weekly syndicated Joker! Joker!! Joker!!!).

Special categories

Special categories were introduced during the course of the syndicated era; the most famous of which were the "Mystery" category & the "Fast Forward" category. Here's the rundown of the special categories:

• Mystery - in which if picked the value of the question would then double. Host Jack Barry would place seven hidden questions (marked 1 through 7) in front of his podium, and when the category is selected, the contestant picks a number, and the category is announced by Barry. A right answer would earn the player $100, $200 or $400, depending on the spin.
• What's Missin_? in this category, Jack would use a sentence pertaining to a phrase or a title, and the contestant's job is to fill in the missing word.
• Fast Forward - in which a player can answer as many questions as he/she wished, stopping after a correct answer--a wrong answer forfeiting the money won in that turn and giving his opponent a chance to answer the missed question for the base value ($50, $100 or $200). It's usually an alternative to three jokers if the champion whom is taking a final spin is trailing well behind.
• Stumpers - this was introduced in 1983, which featured questions missed by both players from previous episodes; the player could elect to answer the question straight up, doubling the dollar value, or answer the question with the help of two wrong answers for the face value of the question (originally when this category was selected, an extra $100 was added to the value of the question, making the value of the question $150, $200 or $300, but was changed during the Cullen era to $100, $200 or $400).
• Bid - in which a player had to answer a certain amount of questions (a la Bullseye). The player though determined how many questions he/she would like to answer (The value of the spin is multiplied by the amount of the bid.) , and like "Fast Forward", can be used to catch up if trailing. In the event a question is missed, his/her opponent can complete the bid him/herself with one correct answer; otherwise the category ended and that player would spin for another category.
• Fact or Foto - in which the player had the option of seeing a photo he would have to identify or hearing a fact--an incorrect response giving his opponent both the fact and the photo.
• Multiple Choice - in which a player is given three possible answers to a potluck question, and he/she had to choose which is the right one.
• Alphabet Soup - in this category, a correct answer begins with a letter of the alphabet announced by the host before reading the question.
• How Low Will You Go? – where in a question with a list of clues was asked, and the players alternated in bidding as to how few clues he would need to answer it (similar to "Bid A Note" on Name That Tune)--a wrong answer giving all the clues to the other player.
• Just One More - This category is the same thing as Tic Tac Dough's "Auction" category. In this category both players gets to bid on a questions with multiple answers. The highest bidder gets control. If the player completes his/her bid the player gets the money. If the player fails the opponent has to just get one more answers from the list to earn the money.
• Today's Name Is... - questions in this category pertain to a famous person.
• Crossword Definitions - This category is similar to playing Scrabble; Jack would announce how many letters were in the word, and read a definition pertaining to that word. The contestant's job simply is to guess what word fits with that definition.
• The Actor's Name Is...- in this category, these questions are pertained to a famous actor.

Other popular categories over the years included "Grab Bag" which is a potluck category, "Spelling Bee", "News of the 70s", "Television", "Sex Symbols", "Scrambled Words" and "Who, What or Where?", based on the game show produced by Ron Greenberg, while serving as Jokers' Wild producer, and hosted by Art James, who served as Joker's announcer during the 1980-81 season.

One category that had a relatively short life was "Road Signs", in which a player had to identify a road sign with a symbol on it. On one occurrence in 1978, both contestants could not identify the "Two-Way Traffic" sign. One of the contestant's answers was You could pass on either side and the other was You could pass on both sides, causing Jack Barry to say, "If you two were doing that, you'd be in an accident!"

The audience game

Beginning with the 1981-82 season, an audience game was played at the final segment each show (originally two or three shows per week, including the week-ending show). Three members of the studio audience were selected by announcer Charlie O'Donnell for a chance to win bonus money and a chance to spin against the devil. Each audience member was given one spin to get as much money as possible (originally two spins were given; meaning the audience member can take another spin if he/she did not like the amount spun or wasn't enough to take the lead). The wheels contained money amounts ranging from $10 to $100, with $250 the highest amount possible in one spin (accomplished a few times). Whoever had the highest score went on to face the devil for a bonus prize and an additional $1000. In the event of a tie, a spinoff would occur, with the members winning whatever came up on the wheels, added to what they spun before. When Bill Cullen took over the reins of "The Joker's Wild" in 1984, the third contestant became a home viewer playing from his/her touch-tone telephone. The audience end game was discontinued following the 1984-85 season.

Joker! Joker!! Joker!!! (1979-1981)

This was a special once-weekly version of The Joker's Wild with children for contestants and appropriately themed subject matter for questions. The format was basically the same, with only some slight alterations. In the main game, the children would play for points, not dollars, with 500 points awarding a $500 education bond, whereas losing players received a $100 education bond. In some episodes, the children's parents sometimes played the bonus round, presumably to avoid giving their kids the vice of gambling (and because the bonus round lever was too high for the average child). The special categories "Mystery" & "Fast Forward" were not in use in this version, but "Multiple Choice" was still used. As before, full rounds were used, and the player who reached 500 points or more after each completed round was the winner. A three-joker spin still was worth an automatic win with one correct answer from any of the five categories in play.

This version featured many memorable exchanges between the young kids and host Jack Barry. More jokers were also added to the wheels, which Barry himself pointed out during one episode after an audience member shouted out fixed during the opening segment of that program.

A memorable moment in the kids version was when Jack Barry asked a 7-year-old contestant, Alec Green, what he wanted to be when he grew up. Alec responded that he wanted to be a game show host. When Barry asked "like me?", Alec replied, "no, Bob Barker". Alec later mentioned other hosts Bill Cullen, Wink Martindale, and Monty Hall, as well as game shows such as Chain Reaction, Card Sharks and The Price Is Right, among others (much to Barry's dismay).

Prior to the debut of Joker! Joker!! Joker!!!, The Joker's Wild featured children playing every year around Easter time beginning in 1973.

1990-1991

When "The Joker's Wild" returned to syndication in 1990, virtually everything about the show had been changed. One change in particular was the fact that the regular questions were replaced with terms that the contestants had to define, which was used for language arts.

A tribute to Jack Barry was in place on this version; a memorial plaque placed on that version's slot machine.

Round 1

In the first round, three contestants (one a returning champion) competed to be the first to reach $500. The game began with a toss-up definition, and whoever buzzed in first with the correct answer gained control of the machine. The wheels contained various dollar amounts (generally $5-$50 in each window), with a Joker in the third window tripling the value of the first two if it came up (and giving that player 15 seconds to come up with as many correct answers as possible). After spinning, the player was given a series of rapid-fire definitions and had to figure out what those definitions referred to. Each correct answer earned the current value of the wheels. If a definition was missed, the other two players could buzz-in and attempt to steal control of the board; after this, the wheels were spun again, either by the correct answerer or (if no one had answered correctly) the controller of the last question. When one player reached the $500 target number, the low-scoring contestant was eliminated.

Round 2

The two remaining contestants advanced to the second round, which was played much like the first but with higher dollar amounts on the wheels. The contestants built on their scores from the first round and were able to choose from two categories after each spin. Additionally, an "Opponent's Choice" card could appear in the third window; as the name suggests, this gave the spinning player's opponent the choice of categories the spinner would have to answer questions from. The first player to reach $2000 won the game and kept the money. The loser left only with parting gifts.

Bonus round

In the bonus round, the champion was given up to three definitions to different words starting with the same letter. Each correct answer given within a sixty second time limit earned one spin of the wheels. The wheels, this time, contained prizes (including cash awards of $500, $1000, and $1500) and Jokers. The object was to get three of a kind of any prize in order to win it. After each spin, the player could "freeze" windows containing a prize he/she wanted to win, and only the unfrozen windows would continue to spin. Jokers could be used to match any prize showing; spinning three Jokers won a "Joker Jackpot" that started at $5000 and increased by $500 each day until won. (This had to be done in one spin, as Jokers could not be frozen and had to be converted to individual prizes.) The highest the "Joker Jackpot" ever got was $36,000 in 1990.

The classic game returns

About halfway through this show's run, the front game format was reworked to incorporate elements of the original "Joker's Wild" game. Although still played with the "definition" format, categories and multiple jokers had returned to the wheels, with spins worth $25 per correct answer for a single category, $50 for a double, or $100 for a triple. In this format, the player in control continued answering questions until he or she answered incorrectly or took too long to answer, at which point an opponent could steal the money and control by supplying the correct answer. Spinning three Jokers won the contestant an automatic $250 bonus and the right to pick one of three categories for $100 a question. The winning score for the first round was increased to $1000 at this point. In addition, the pace of the game changed, games now straddled between shows.

Like the previous version, the 1990-91 revival did have audience members spin the wheels for money to fill in the remaining time of the episodes in which the main game ended sooner than expected, to avoid straddling (although some episodes did end straddling, this was prior to the format change).

Big winners

There have been many big winners on the show over the years.

1977-1986

Joe Dunn - He was the highest-money winner (non-Tournament of Champions winnings) in Joker's Wild history, earning $66,200 in cash and prizes (including three automobiles) during a 16-game-long winning streak in 1983 before retiring undefeated when he went over the then-maximum limit of $50,000. Dunn, one of the last big winners ever, kept $50,000 of those winnings and gave the other $16,200 to charity.

Eileen Jason - She won $55,380 in cash and prizes in 1979, the highest regular-season money winner in the series' history until she was surpassed in 1983 by Joe Dunn. In addition she also won the $250,000 Tournament of Champions special that same year (She did that by having Frank Dillon lose on a spin of three different categories, needing at least a double to stay in the game, for she reached $500 first). In total, Jason won $305,880; the highest winner in the series' history (including ToC winnings). She was invited to return for the 1980 ToC, only to be eliminated in the first round of competition.

Hal Shear - Hal Shear, known for his "Lucky Suit" (which looked rather bizarre and dated, even by late '70s standards), won close to $40,000 during a winning streak of some 10 games about a year into the syndicated run. During one of Hal's games, Hal was destined to lose (trailing $500 to $200 to his opponent, Adrianne Carter), and the only thing that could save him was three jokers. He then rubbed his suit, and miraculously, he immediately spun three jokers and answered his question on the category News '78 right to continue his streak. Jack Barry, who nearly passed out after the spin, told Shear never to take the suit off for the rest of his life. Shear was the highest winner in the series until Eileen Jason surpassed him a year later.

Frank Dillon - A retired schoolteacher who became a newspaper reporter in Cleveland, Frank Dillon won the $50,000 and $100,000 Tournament of Champions specials in 1977 and 1978 respectively. In the 1979 tournament, trailing two games to one (with three out of five games needed to win the match and $250,000), Frank was trailing in game four 500 to 400, needing at least a double to stay in the game. He spun three different categories instead, giving Jason the win and $250,000. Dillon however won $5,000 and a new car and was invited to participate in the $1,000,000 Tournament, but he elected not to do so. Dillon, who died around 1997, also competed on Jeopardy! in the 1980s.

Rob Griffin - Rob won the $1,000,000 Tournament of Champions in 1980. By doing so, Griffin earned $25,000 a year for a decade, with $250,000 awarded to his favorite charity, March of Dimes.

1990

Thomas Van Dyke - Holds the record for most money won with $55,562 and for most appearances on this version of the show, with 12 wins under his belt.

Signature phrases

Jack Barry was known for many pet phrases on The Joker's Wild, including his traditional introduction ("Thank you very much, and a most cordial welcome once again to The Joker's Wild") and his asking the contestants if they could return on the next program--which they would, of course, 20 minutes after taping of the previous episode ended! These were traits Barry used during most of his career, probably habits developed in the days when his shows aired live.

Among the other phrases Barry would use include:

• We crowned a brand new champion - meaning a player became champion on the previous episode.
• Joker! Joker!! Joker!!! - on a three jokers spin.
• (Category), Joker, and a triple - on any combination of a triple, which includes at least one joker. Sometimes Barry would say and a big one at the end. The only exception is if two jokers appear in the first two windows and a category in the third.
• I caution the audience, please - Barry requesting the studio audience not to shout out answers as a critical question is asked. When Jim Peck was sub-hosting, he would use the phrase careful, audience. Bill Cullen would say please do not help.
• Come on over and face the devil - a familiar phrase Jack used, inviting the champion to step to the center of the stage for the bonus game.
• Can't do it - a phrase Jack used after the buzzer sounded, meaning a player failed to come up with the answer.
• (Category), (Category), Nope, it's all over ... - when a contestant needed, for example, a $200 spin to stay in the game.
• ($100-200), ($100-200), that's a big one - Jack used this when a player spun at least $400 on a spin in the bonus game or the audience game.
• ($25-200), a pair, Look out, Natural Triple!! - Jack/Jim/Bill said this when a player spun three of a kind (Natural Triple) in the bonus game (Face the Devil), which resulted in an automatic win.
• No, that is not right. (Opponent's name), you'll pick up (amount on the line for question) if you can tell me. - Jack would say this if the spinning contestant guessed an incorrect answer during the red set years, and sometimes in the later years. Bill Cullen used a form of this quote during his two seasons hosting.
• Answer this question correctly and you'll have 500 dollars/points(during tournament play) which is enough to win the game, but keep in mind (opponent's name) gets a final spin/turn. - said when the player on the left (the champion's challenger) spun enough to win but before the question was read.

Jim Peck was known for at least one phrase:

• Play The Joker's Wild and see the World - referring to a bonus round in which a trip is up for grabs if the player reached $1,000 or more without hitting the devil.

Pat Finn had three phrases from the 1990 revival as well:

• As you know, The Joker's Wild is a game of definitions - said while explaining the maingame rules in early episodes
• You'll have three seconds to answer, and if our judges determine that any part of an answer is incorrect, I have to call it wrong - said immediately after the first spin of each game
• Next word... first definition... next definition... last definition - said while Pat read off the definitions during part one of the bonus round

2007 Remake

A new syndicated edition of The Joker's Wild was developed and produced by Sony Pictures Television, with CBS Television Distribution to be the distributor. Harry Friedman, the executive producer of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune executive produced the new version of Joker. Bad time slots prompted the removal of the show from syndication in 2007 but it's currently still in the running domestically as well as internationally.

In other media

• Saturday Night Live Had a game show parody entitled "Let's Make This Happen!" in 1998 that had a very similar game style (players pulled a lever on their podium and 3 categories would appear in a slot machine display). Movie directors as the contestants had to take the three categories presented to them on the big slot machine and describe a movie that uses them.
• The theme music of the show's first incarnation was titled "The Savers." In 1997, it was renamed, "Peanuts, Popcorn, and Cracker Jack". It originally appeared on the 1967 release, Spotlight On The Moog (Kaleidoscopic Vibrations) by electronic music artists Perrey and Kingsley. During the third and fourth weeks of the show's CBS run, because Barry had failed to secure clearance rights to "The Savers", a sound-alike theme was used while the clearance issues were resolved. A second theme, composed by Alan Thicke was introduced in 1974, titled Joker's Jive, and would be used for the 1974-75 season and for the closing of the first syndicated season. Both versions would be replaced in 1978 with the so-called Whistle Theme, a remixed version of Perrey & Kingsley's "The Savers" composed by Hal Hidey.
• On their 1995 album The Riddle Box, rap group ICP recorded a track called "The Joker's Wild". The song is based on an unwinnable quiz show set in Hell where losers are killed and winners are promised "Cash, money, and prizes."

Adaptations

• Board game manufacturer Milton Bradley produced four editions of The Joker's Wild home game, starting in 1973 and had the "Jokers and Devils" bonus round, the fourth of which was actually branded for Joker! Joker! Joker! which included the "Face the Devil" bonus round in 1979.
• In the mid-1990s, Philips produced two games for its CD-i platform based on The Joker's Wild. These games featured "real" hosts and were based more or less on the first syndicated series. Wink Martindale "hosted" the first and best-known of these games (with Charlie O'Donnell as the announcer), while Marc Summers could be found on a special "Junior" edition of the game. Martindale was among the first candidates to host the original series when CBS was still not 100 percent sold on Jack Barry as host due to his involvement in the quiz show scandals of the 1950s, but he already chose to host Gambit.
• In 2006, IGT released a slot machine based on The Joker's Wild.

Episode status

All episodes survive, including the first two years of the CBS version, which was once thought to have been destroyed until the episodes were found at New York's WCBS-TV in 2000. The CBS and first syndicated run have been shown on GSN (GSN still has the 1974-75 CBS installments in its vault) and are currently held by Sony Pictures Television. The 1990 version is held by CBS Television Distribution and StudioCanal via the latter's acquisition of the library of Carolco Pictures (later 20th Century Fox), which distributed this version. USA Network aired reruns of Joker in the early 1990s.

References and notes

External links

• The Joker's Wild Homepage
• Game Show Galaxy: The Joker's Wild
• Game Show Utopia: The Joker's Wild--focus upon Cullen period, 1984-86
• Curt Alliaume's Game Shows '75: The Joker's Wild
• Fan site dedicated to all runs of The Joker's Wild from 1972 to 1991
• Rocco Thibodeau's Incredible GS Page: The Joker's Wild
• Game Show Temple: The Joker's Wild