Heatter-Quigley Productions
Encyclopedia
Heatter-Quigley Productions was an American
television
production company that was launched in 1960 by two former television writers, Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley.
In 1965, they created the classic game show The Hollywood Squares
, and they sold their company to Filmways
.
On many of Heatter-Quigley's most popular game shows, beginning with Video Village
, a key element of the game itself was magnified, in some cases to larger than life. Other examples included:
Kenny Williams
was the announcer on all of Heatter-Quigley's game shows except for two: Temptation
(announced by Carl King) and The Magnificent Marble Machine (announced by Johnny Gilbert
), with both shows hosted by Art James
.
In 1981 Quigley retired and ended his partnership with Merrill Heatter, just before Filmways was bought by Orion Pictures
. He died in 1989. Heatter continued going solo and produced new game shows, such as Battlestars
, All-Star Blitz, Bargain Hunters
, and the 1980s version of High Rollers. On September 28, 1998, Heatter leased the worldwide rights to his solo-developed game shows to King World for a limited time. That option has now expired.
MGM Television
acquired the rights retained by Orion Television to the Heatter-Quigley shows. Today, the remaining series of the Heatter-Quigley library are owned by MGM Television, which was co-distributed by Sony for a short time.
In 2008, Heatter returned to game show production with the GSN
game show Catch 21
, based on Gambit. Heatter is co-executive producer with another veteran producer, Scott Sternberg
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
production company that was launched in 1960 by two former television writers, Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley.
In 1965, they created the classic game show The Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares is an American panel game show in which two contestants play tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The "board" for the game is a 3 × 3 vertical stack of open-faced cubes, each occupied by a celebrity seated at a desk and facing the contestants...
, and they sold their company to Filmways
Filmways
Filmways, Inc. was a television and film production company founded by American film executive Martin Ransohoff in 1958...
.
On many of Heatter-Quigley's most popular game shows, beginning with Video Village
Video Village
Video Village is an American television game show produced by Heatter-Quigley Productions which aired on the CBS network in daytime from July 11, 1960 to June 15, 1962 and in primetime from July 1 to September 16, 1960....
, a key element of the game itself was magnified, in some cases to larger than life. Other examples included:
- Hollywood SquaresHollywood SquaresHollywood Squares is an American panel game show in which two contestants play tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The "board" for the game is a 3 × 3 vertical stack of open-faced cubes, each occupied by a celebrity seated at a desk and facing the contestants...
, which easily fit into that category as it featured a gigantic tic-tac-toeTic-tac-toeTic-tac-toe, also called wick wack woe and noughts and crosses , is a pencil-and-paper game for two players, X and O, who take turns marking the spaces in a 3×3 grid. The X player usually goes first...
board - High RollersHigh RollersHigh Rollers is an American television game show based on the dice game Shut the Box. The show aired on NBC from July 1, 1974 to June 11, 1976 and again from April 24, 1978 to June 20, 1980. Two different syndicated versions were also produced, a weekly series in the 1975–1976 season which ran...
, featuring an extra large pair of dice - GambitGambit (game show)Gambit is a television game show, created by Wayne Cruseturner and produced by Heatter-Quigley Productions, that originally ran on CBS from September 4, 1972 to December 10, 1976. A slightly retooled version, Las Vegas Gambit, aired on NBC from October 27, 1980 to November 27, 1981, originating...
, utilizing a large deck of playing cards in a game of blackjackBlackjackBlackjack, also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un , is the most widely played casino banking game in the world... - The Magnificent Marble MachineThe Magnificent Marble MachineThe 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...
, which featured a huge pinball machine - Hot SeatHot Seat (game show)Hot Seat is an American game show which aired on ABC from July 12 to October 22, 1976. The series was created by Heatter-Quigley Productions, which at this point were best known for creating Gambit and The Hollywood Squares....
, with an over-sized lie detectorLie Detector"Lie Detector" is a CD single by The Reverend Horton Heat. It was released in October 1998 on Sub Pop.-Personnel:*Jim "Reverend Horton" Heath - lead vocals, guitar*Jimbo Wallace - upright bass, vocals*Scott Churilla - drums, vocals...
(referred to by host Jim PeckJim PeckJames Edward "Jim" Peck is an American television and radio personality based in Milwaukee and is perhaps best known for his time as a game show host.-Early career:...
as a "galvanic skin response machine").
Kenny Williams
Kenny Williams (announcer)
Kenny Williams was an American television announcer from the late 1940s to 1980s. He was best known as the announcer of many game shows produced by Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley . He also appeared on screen as "Kenny the Cop" on Video Village and Shenanigans...
was the announcer on all of Heatter-Quigley's game shows except for two: Temptation
Temptation (1967 US game show)
Temptation was a game show which aired on ABC from December 4, 1967 to March 1, 1968. It was produced by Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley. Art James was the host, and Carl King was the announcer.-Gameplay:...
(announced by Carl King) and The Magnificent Marble Machine (announced by Johnny Gilbert
Johnny Gilbert
John L. "Johnny" Gilbert III is an American show business personality who has worked mainly on television game shows. Originally a nightclub singer and entertainer, he has hosted and announced a number of game shows from various eras, dating as far back as the 1950s...
), with both shows hosted by 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....
.
In 1981 Quigley retired and ended his partnership with Merrill Heatter, just before Filmways was bought by Orion Pictures
Orion Pictures
Orion Pictures Corporation was an American independent production company that produced movies from 1978 until 1998. It was formed in 1978 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and three former top-level executives of United Artists. Although it was never a large motion picture producer, Orion...
. He died in 1989. Heatter continued going solo and produced new game shows, such as Battlestars
Battlestars (game show)
Battlestars is an American game show that aired for two separate runs on NBC during the early 1980s. The show's first run aired from October 26, 1981 to April 23, 1982...
, All-Star Blitz, Bargain Hunters
Bargain Hunters
Bargain Hunters is a game show that aired on ABC in the summer of 1987, hosted by Peter Tomarken, which combined elements of The Price Is Right with home shopping. The show was canceled after nine weeks and replaced by reruns of Mr. Belvedere....
, and the 1980s version of High Rollers. On September 28, 1998, Heatter leased the worldwide rights to his solo-developed game shows to King World for a limited time. That option has now expired.
MGM Television
MGM Television
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television is an American television production/distribution launched in 1955 and a subsidiary of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Inc....
acquired the rights retained by Orion Television to the Heatter-Quigley shows. Today, the remaining series of the Heatter-Quigley library are owned by MGM Television, which was co-distributed by Sony for a short time.
In 2008, Heatter returned to game show production with the GSN
Game Show Network
The Game Show Network is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and casino game shows. The channel was launched on December 1, 1994. Its current slogan is "The World Needs More Winners"...
game show Catch 21
Catch 21
Catch 21 is an American game show centered around blackjack, created by Merrill Heatter and taped at the Hollywood Center Studios...
, based on Gambit. Heatter is co-executive producer with another veteran producer, Scott Sternberg
Scott Sternberg
Scott Sternberg is an American television producer and head of Scott Sternberg Productions.-Career:In 1978, Sternberg produced the documentary Science Fiction Film Awards, which he also wrote....
.
Titles by Heatter-Quigley Productions
- Video VillageVideo VillageVideo Village is an American television game show produced by Heatter-Quigley Productions which aired on the CBS network in daytime from July 11, 1960 to June 15, 1962 and in primetime from July 1 to September 16, 1960....
/Video Village, Jr. (1960–1962) - Double Exposure (1961)
- People Will TalkPeople Will Talk (Game Show)People Will Talk was an American game show that aired on NBC from July 1 to December 27, 1963. The host was Dennis James, with Kenny Williams announcing...
(1963) - The Celebrity Game (1964)
- Shenanigans (1964–1965)
- PDQ (1966–1969)
- Showdown (1966)
- Hollywood SquaresHollywood SquaresHollywood Squares is an American panel game show in which two contestants play tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The "board" for the game is a 3 × 3 vertical stack of open-faced cubes, each occupied by a celebrity seated at a desk and facing the contestants...
/Storybook SquaresStorybook SquaresStorybook Squares was a short-lived Saturday morning version of Hollywood Squares for children. The primary difference, apart from having children as contestants, was that it featured celebrities in costume as well-known fictional characters and some as historical figures.As with the adult...
(1966-1981 version) - TemptationTemptation (1967 US game show)Temptation was a game show which aired on ABC from December 4, 1967 to March 1, 1968. It was produced by Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley. Art James was the host, and Carl King was the announcer.-Gameplay:...
(1967–1968) - Funny You Should Ask (1968–1969)
- Wacky RacesWacky RacesWacky Races is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera. The series features 11 different cars racing against each other in various road rallies throughout North America, with each driver hoping to win the title of the "World's Wackiest Racer." Wacky Races ran on CBS from September...
(1968-1970, co-produced with Hanna-BarberaHanna-BarberaHanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
, rights owned by Warner Bros.Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
; the only non-game show produced by the company, although it was intended to have a game show element) - Name Droppers (1969)
- GambitGambit (game show)Gambit is a television game show, created by Wayne Cruseturner and produced by Heatter-Quigley Productions, that originally ran on CBS from September 4, 1972 to December 10, 1976. A slightly retooled version, Las Vegas Gambit, aired on NBC from October 27, 1980 to November 27, 1981, originating...
(1972–1976) - RunaroundRunaround (game show)Runaround was a children's television game show produced by Heatter-Quigley Productions. The program was hosted by Paul Winchell, airing Saturday mornings on NBC from September 9, 1972 to September 1, 1973...
(1972–1973) - Amateur's Guide to LoveAmateur's Guide to LoveThe Amateur's Guide to Love was an American television game show, created by Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley, that ran on CBS from March 27 to June 23, 1972...
(1972) - Baffle (1973), a revival of PDQ.
- All-Star Baffle (1974), Baffle with no "civilian" contestants.
- High RollersHigh RollersHigh Rollers is an American television game show based on the dice game Shut the Box. The show aired on NBC from July 1, 1974 to June 11, 1976 and again from April 24, 1978 to June 20, 1980. Two different syndicated versions were also produced, a weekly series in the 1975–1976 season which ran...
(1974-1976; 1978-1980) - The Magnificent Marble MachineThe Magnificent Marble MachineThe 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...
(1975–1976) - Hot SeatHot Seat (game show)Hot Seat is an American game show which aired on ABC from July 12 to October 22, 1976. The series was created by Heatter-Quigley Productions, which at this point were best known for creating Gambit and The Hollywood Squares....
(1976) - To Say the LeastTo Say the LeastTo Say the Least is an American game show that aired on NBC from October 3, 1977 to April 21, 1978. The show was produced by Heatter-Quigley Productions, hosted by Tom Kennedy and announced by Kenny Williams...
(1977–1978) - Bedtime Stories (1979)
- Las Vegas GambitGambit (game show)Gambit is a television game show, created by Wayne Cruseturner and produced by Heatter-Quigley Productions, that originally ran on CBS from September 4, 1972 to December 10, 1976. A slightly retooled version, Las Vegas Gambit, aired on NBC from October 27, 1980 to November 27, 1981, originating...
(1980–1981)
Titles by Merrill Heatter Productions
- BattlestarsBattlestars (game show)Battlestars is an American game show that aired for two separate runs on NBC during the early 1980s. The show's first run aired from October 26, 1981 to April 23, 1982...
(1981–1982) - FantasyFantasy (game show)Fantasy is an American game show franchise co-hosted by Peter Marshall and Leslie Uggams, with Chris Lemmon and Meredith MacRae as remote correspondents. Bill Armstrong announced the show, with substitutes by Johnny Gilbert...
(1982–1983) (co-produced by Earl Greenberg Productions and Columbia Pictures TelevisionColumbia Pictures TelevisionColumbia Pictures Television was the second name of the Columbia Pictures television division Screen Gems . The studio changed its name on September 4, 1974.-1974-1982:...
) - The New BattlestarsBattlestars (game show)Battlestars is an American game show that aired for two separate runs on NBC during the early 1980s. The show's first run aired from October 26, 1981 to April 23, 1982...
(1983) - All-Star Blitz (1985) (co-produced by Peter Marshall Enterprises)
- Bargain HuntersBargain HuntersBargain Hunters is a game show that aired on ABC in the summer of 1987, hosted by Peter Tomarken, which combined elements of The Price Is Right with home shopping. The show was canceled after nine weeks and replaced by reruns of Mr. Belvedere....
(1987) (co-produced by Josephson Communications, Inc.) - High RollersHigh RollersHigh Rollers is an American television game show based on the dice game Shut the Box. The show aired on NBC from July 1, 1974 to June 11, 1976 and again from April 24, 1978 to June 20, 1980. Two different syndicated versions were also produced, a weekly series in the 1975–1976 season which ran...
(1987–1988) (co-produced by Century Towers Productions) - The Last WordThe Last Word (game show)The Last Word is a game show seen in syndication in the United States and on the Global Television Network in Canada that was produced by Merrill Heatter Productions and ran from September 18, 1989 - January 5, 1990. The host was Wink Martindale, and the co-host/announcer was Jennifer Lyall...
(1989–1990) (syndicated by Turner Program Services) - Catch 21Catch 21Catch 21 is an American game show centered around blackjack, created by Merrill Heatter and taped at the Hollywood Center Studios...
(2008-present) (co-produced by Scott Sternberg Productions)