Blank Check (game show)
Encyclopedia
Blank Check is an American
game show
that aired on NBC
from January 6 to July 4, 1975. It was promoted as "television's first ESP game". Art James
was host, with Johnny Jacobs
as announcer.
Created by Jack Barry, this short-lived game was the first one produced by Barry on NBC since the quiz show scandals of the 1950s, and the first of three games Barry produced at NBC (the other two were the syndicated Bullseye and NBC's Hot Potato, both under the Barry & Enright Productions
brand).
One contestant played as the "check writer" and stood behind a podium positioned stage left. That contestant hit a plunger that stopped five spinning numbers, which could be used to write the check. If the contestant spun a straight (e.g., 1-2-3-4-5) they won a bonus prize. Host James asked the other five contestants, seated in a gallery at stage right, a question requiring a response containing a common relation between two things. The contestant who rang in with the correct answer attempted to guess what number (from the five spun at the start of the game) the check writer chose as the ones digit in their check. Guessing correctly meant they switched places with the check writer and started a new check for themselves, and the check writer won the amount for which the check had been completed up to that point.
If the contestant answering the question was unable to guess which number the check writer had selected, the selected number became the ones digit in the check and play continued for the tens and hundreds digits as described above.
If the check writer was able to complete three digits in their check, the check writer played a game against a studio audience member. The audience member was shown four prizes and their values, and asked to pick one. The check writer had to guess the prize the audience member selected. If incorrect, the audience member won that prize, and the process repeated with the remaining prizes. If the check writer incorrectly guessed three times, the check writer lost their position and the audience member won all four prizes.
If the check writer guessed correctly at any point, the game ended with the audience member winning all prizes accumulated to that point and the check writer earned the chance to place a fourth digit in their check. James then asked one last question to the gallery contestants. The correct respondent tried to guess the final digit selected by the check writer for the thousands digit in their check. If successful, the respondent became the new check writer. If the correct digit was not guessed, the number was placed in the check and the check writer won that amount in cash.
Once a check writer completed a four-digit check (or if they lost the audience game), another question was asked to the remaining five contestants. The person with the correct answer then exchanged places with the former check writer.
The contestant who wrote the biggest check during the week also won a car.
James expressed dislike with the show's format. He and staff members sometimes referred to it as "Blank Mind" because they thought that it "was dumb luck, a guessing game".
, a daytime version of Name That Tune
hosted by Dennis James
. At this point, the program had to end five minutes before the half-hour in order to accommodate an NBC News
bulletin anchored by Edwin Newman
. Check was the eleventh program to air in the 12:30/11:30 slot since that newscast began in October 1960; The Who, What, or Where Game
(coincidentally hosted also by James) ran the longest, from 1969-1974. NBC discontinued the five-minute newscast, its last daytime newscast, on New Year's Eve
1976.
The series was replaced on July 7 by The Magnificent Marble Machine
at 12:00 Noon (11:00 AM, Central) in a scheduling shuffle with Geoff Edwards' ailing Jackpot!
(which had overhauled its format the previous Monday); Jackpot! was canned twelve weeks later.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
game show
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 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 January 6 to July 4, 1975. It was promoted as "television's first ESP game". Art James
Art James
Art James was an American game show host, best known for shows such as The Who, What, or Where Game and Pay Cards!. He was also the announcer on the game show Concentration....
was host, with Johnny Jacobs
Johnny Jacobs
John Byron Jacobs was an American television announcer, often for Chuck Barris productions...
as announcer.
Created by Jack Barry, this short-lived game was the first one produced by Barry on NBC since the quiz show scandals of the 1950s, and the first of three games Barry produced at NBC (the other two were the syndicated Bullseye and NBC's Hot Potato, both under the Barry & Enright Productions
Barry & Enright Productions
Barry & Enright Productions , was a United States television production company that was formed in 1947 by Jack Barry and Dan Enright.-History:Jack Barry and Dan Enright first met at radio station WOR in New York, where...
brand).
Format
Six players competed for an entire week of shows, trying to fill in a four-digit check.One contestant played as the "check writer" and stood behind a podium positioned stage left. That contestant hit a plunger that stopped five spinning numbers, which could be used to write the check. If the contestant spun a straight (e.g., 1-2-3-4-5) they won a bonus prize. Host James asked the other five contestants, seated in a gallery at stage right, a question requiring a response containing a common relation between two things. The contestant who rang in with the correct answer attempted to guess what number (from the five spun at the start of the game) the check writer chose as the ones digit in their check. Guessing correctly meant they switched places with the check writer and started a new check for themselves, and the check writer won the amount for which the check had been completed up to that point.
If the contestant answering the question was unable to guess which number the check writer had selected, the selected number became the ones digit in the check and play continued for the tens and hundreds digits as described above.
If the check writer was able to complete three digits in their check, the check writer played a game against a studio audience member. The audience member was shown four prizes and their values, and asked to pick one. The check writer had to guess the prize the audience member selected. If incorrect, the audience member won that prize, and the process repeated with the remaining prizes. If the check writer incorrectly guessed three times, the check writer lost their position and the audience member won all four prizes.
If the check writer guessed correctly at any point, the game ended with the audience member winning all prizes accumulated to that point and the check writer earned the chance to place a fourth digit in their check. James then asked one last question to the gallery contestants. The correct respondent tried to guess the final digit selected by the check writer for the thousands digit in their check. If successful, the respondent became the new check writer. If the correct digit was not guessed, the number was placed in the check and the check writer won that amount in cash.
Once a check writer completed a four-digit check (or if they lost the audience game), another question was asked to the remaining five contestants. The person with the correct answer then exchanged places with the former check writer.
The contestant who wrote the biggest check during the week also won a car.
James expressed dislike with the show's format. He and staff members sometimes referred to it as "Blank Mind" because they thought that it "was dumb luck, a guessing game".
Broadcast history
Blank Check debuted at 12:30 PM (11:30 AM, Central) replacing, in a scheduling shuffle with Celebrity SweepstakesCelebrity Sweepstakes
Celebrity Sweepstakes is an American television game show that aired on NBC's daytime schedule from April 1, 1974 to October 1, 1976. The show also had two separate weekly syndicated runs from September 9, 1974 to September 1975 and September 20, 1976 to September 1977.Jim McKrell hosted the show....
, a daytime version 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....
hosted by Dennis James
Dennis James
Dennis James was an American television personality, actor, and announcer. He is credited as the host of television's first network game show, the DuMont Network's Cash and Carry in 1946...
. At this point, the program had to end five minutes before the half-hour in order to accommodate an NBC News
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
bulletin anchored by Edwin Newman
Edwin Newman
Edwin Harold Newman was an American newscaster, journalist and author.-Early life and education:Newman was born on January 25, 1919 in New York City to Myron and Rose Newman. His older brother was M. W. Newman, a longtime reporter for the Chicago Daily News. Newman married Rigel Grell on August...
. Check was the eleventh program to air in the 12:30/11:30 slot since that newscast began in October 1960; The Who, What, or Where Game
The Who, What, Or Where Game
The Who, What, or Where Game was an American television game show that was broadcast weekdays on NBC from December 29, 1969 to January 4, 1974...
(coincidentally hosted also by James) ran the longest, from 1969-1974. NBC discontinued the five-minute newscast, its last daytime newscast, on New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
1976.
The series was replaced on July 7 by The Magnificent Marble Machine
The Magnificent Marble Machine
The Magnificent Marble Machine is an American television game show hosted by Art James and based on pinball. The show ran on NBC from July 7, 1975 to March 12, 1976, but was interrupted for two weeks in January due to scheduling changes on the network and aired repeats from March 15 to June 11...
at 12:00 Noon (11:00 AM, Central) in a scheduling shuffle with Geoff Edwards' ailing Jackpot!
Jackpot (game show)
Jackpot! is a television game show seen in three different runs between 1974 and 1990. Geoff Edwards hosted the original version of this Bob Stewart production from January 7, 1974 until September 26, 1975 on NBC. A second version, produced in Canada, aired from September 30, 1985 to December 30,...
(which had overhauled its format the previous Monday); Jackpot! was canned twelve weeks later.