Fandango (game show)
Encyclopedia
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 was hosted by singer Bill Anderson, who was joined by Blake Pickett as co-host beginning in 1987. Disc jockey Charlie Chase
has sometimes been identified as the voice of "Edgar the Talking Jukebox." However, as stated in Anderson's autobiography, Whisperin' Bill, the voice of Edgar was actually Anderson's long-time friend, radio announcer Bill Robinson.
From time to time, Edgar the Talking Jukebox asked a toss-up question that earned the contestant who answered it a bonus prize.
The contestant with the highest score at the end of the game became the winner, won a prize and advanced to the bonus round. If the game ended in a tie, one final toss-up question was asked.
The host read a question (e.g., "What song is requested most by your fans?") with two possible answers, and the contestant guessed what answer the celebrity gave. For each correct answer, the contestant won an increasingly valuable prize. If incorrect, the game ended, and the contestant lost all prizes accumulated to that point; however, the contestant could quit at any time and keep what he had already won. If the contestant answered all four questions correctly, he won the grand prize of a vacation. If the contestant missed the first question, he could still win the first prize by answering the question from the second celebrity (no additional prizes could be won), but if they missed the second question, the round ended in a loss, and the contestant was awarded a consolation prize.
Beginning in 1987, the champion was shown an eight-numbered board from which he selected prizes for the first three questions. For the fourth question, Pickett presented eight sealed envelopes containing the names of different grand prizes, which included cars, a boat, a fur coat, and vacations. After choosing an envelope and revealing its contents, the contestant could elect to risk what he had already won in order to win the bonus prize or return the envelope and select a fourth prize from the board without having to answer an additional question. Any contestant who won the grand prize retired from the show. If a contestant won five consecutive days, he/she was automatically awarded the grand prize regardless of the outcome of the bonus round.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
-themed quiz show which 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...
from March 8, 1983 to March 31, 1989, when it was replaced by Top Card
Top Card
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....
. Fandango was the first TV 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...
to air on TNN and was one of the longest-running game shows on a cable network.
The show was hosted by singer Bill Anderson, who was joined by Blake Pickett as co-host beginning in 1987. Disc jockey Charlie Chase
Charlie Chase
Charlie Chase is a radio and television host best known for his work on The Nashville Network program Crook & Chase.-Childhood:Charlie Chase was born October 19, 1952 in Rogersville, Tennessee...
has sometimes been identified as the voice of "Edgar the Talking Jukebox." However, as stated in Anderson's autobiography, Whisperin' Bill, the voice of Edgar was actually Anderson's long-time friend, radio announcer Bill Robinson.
Main game
Three contestants (including a returning champion) answered country music questions to win prizes. The returning champion stood behind the blue podium and his/her two challengers stood at red and yellow podiums.1983
In round one, Anderson asked a toss-up question to all three contestants worth 10 points. Whoever buzzed-in with the right answer wagered any or all of his/her score and chose one of nine categories. The center category was always the "Star of the Day". A correct answer added the wager to his/her score and a wrong answer deducted it. Later in the run, a "Secret Square" was shown to the home audience, and if chosen, it would double the wager for a correct answer. Gameplay continued until time expired or until all nine categories were used. In round two, toss-ups were worth 20 points but overall gameplay remained the same.1987
The game started with a 10 point toss-up question. The first contestant to buzz-in and answer correctly won the points and chose from one of eight categories for bonus points, worth anywhere from 20-100 points. If the contestant answered the bonus question correctly, he/she won the points. If the contestant was incorrect, the current third-place contestant had a chance to answer and steal the points. If the contestant with the lowest score missed, the third contestant was given a chance to respond. If there was a tie for third place, the question became a toss-up between the contestants. Round two was played the same way as round one, except that the point values were now doubled.From time to time, Edgar the Talking Jukebox asked a toss-up question that earned the contestant who answered it a bonus prize.
The Final Question
Each round ended with one final question. Originally, it was played for 50 points in both rounds, and all three contestants answered by writing their response on a card. Starting in 1987, if the difference was less than 200 points between two or all three contestants, the final question was worth +/- 100 points. If a contestant led by more than 200 points, the final question was not played since the difference wasn't enough to catch the leader.The contestant with the highest score at the end of the game became the winner, won a prize and advanced to the bonus round. If the game ended in a tie, one final toss-up question was asked.
The Bonus Round ("Meet The Stars")
In the bonus round, the champion tried to predict celebrities' answers given in pre-taped interviews. Originally, the Star of the Day was the only celebrity featured in the interviews, but beginning in 1987, four different celebrities were featured.The host read a question (e.g., "What song is requested most by your fans?") with two possible answers, and the contestant guessed what answer the celebrity gave. For each correct answer, the contestant won an increasingly valuable prize. If incorrect, the game ended, and the contestant lost all prizes accumulated to that point; however, the contestant could quit at any time and keep what he had already won. If the contestant answered all four questions correctly, he won the grand prize of a vacation. If the contestant missed the first question, he could still win the first prize by answering the question from the second celebrity (no additional prizes could be won), but if they missed the second question, the round ended in a loss, and the contestant was awarded a consolation prize.
Beginning in 1987, the champion was shown an eight-numbered board from which he selected prizes for the first three questions. For the fourth question, Pickett presented eight sealed envelopes containing the names of different grand prizes, which included cars, a boat, a fur coat, and vacations. After choosing an envelope and revealing its contents, the contestant could elect to risk what he had already won in order to win the bonus prize or return the envelope and select a fourth prize from the board without having to answer an additional question. Any contestant who won the grand prize retired from the show. If a contestant won five consecutive days, he/she was automatically awarded the grand prize regardless of the outcome of the bonus round.