Let's Go Back (game show)
Encyclopedia
Let's Go Back is a nostalgia-based game show
that tested contestants' knowledge of pop culture from 1950 to 1989. It ran on Nostalgia Television
(now AmericanLife) from July 8, 1991 to May 28, 1993, with reruns airing sporadically for a number of years thereafter. Scott Sternberg
was the host, creator and executive producer, while Charlie O'Donnell
held announcing duties.
from Knight Rider, The Brady Bunch
lunch box, or a Charlie's Angels
board game.
The host would read an event and contestants would attempt to guess which decade it occurred in. Each correct answer reduced the player's counter by one. The first player to clear their counter (make it to zero) won the game and $500 in cash.
, later host of The Joe Schmo Show
and Family Guy
voice-over artist, was a contestant during the show's first season in 1991. One of Garman's opponents on that episode was veteran game show contestant John Goss, who had previously appeared on Now You See It
, Liar's Club
, The $25,000 Pyramid and the syndicated edition of Sale of the Century where he won over $100,000 in cash and prizes.
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 tested contestants' knowledge of pop culture from 1950 to 1989. It ran on Nostalgia Television
AmericanLife TV Network
Youtoo TV, formerly known as American Life TV Network , GoodLife TV Network, and Nostalgia Television, is an American cable-television channel launched on May 1, 1985. It now claims over 15 million subscribers throughout the U.S...
(now AmericanLife) from July 8, 1991 to May 28, 1993, with reruns airing sporadically for a number of years thereafter. 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....
was the host, creator and executive producer, while Charlie O'Donnell
Charlie O'Donnell
Charles John "Charlie" O'Donnell was an American radio and television announcer, primarily known for his work on game shows...
held announcing duties.
Rounds 1 & 2
In the first two rounds, the contestants faced a game board of five categories each with four questions that talk about each of the four decades (one question per decade). The player in control chose a category followed by the decade, then host Sternberg asked a question from that decade. The first player to ring-in had a chance an answer. A correct answer added points to their score, plus the right to choose another category & decade, but an incorrect answer subtracted points & gave the other players a chance to answer, very similar to Jeopardy!Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
Time Capsule
Also in the first two rounds, one decade in one category hid a special question called the "Time Capsule". The first player to choose that got a chance to answer the question unopposed for double value. A correct answer on that question added those points to his/her score, with no penalization if the player missed. A right answer also won a special memorabilia-type prize like a replica of KITTKITT
KITT is the short name of two fictional characters from the adventure TV series Knight Rider. While having the same acronym, the KITTs are two different entities: one known as the Knight Industries Two Thousand, which appeared in the original TV series Knight Rider, and the other as the Knight...
from Knight Rider, The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz and starring Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, and Ann B. Davis. The series revolved around a large blended family...
lunch box, or a Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
board game.
Decades round
In the decades round, the contestants were given a set number of answers according to their score. The player in first place needed to answer 4 questions. The contestant in second place needed five correct answers and the contestant in third needed six, identical to the Countdown Round on Split Second.The host would read an event and contestants would attempt to guess which decade it occurred in. Each correct answer reduced the player's counter by one. The first player to clear their counter (make it to zero) won the game and $500 in cash.
Notable contestants
TV personality Ralph GarmanRalph Garman
Ralph Garman is an American actor, comedian, and radio host best known as the host of The Joe Schmo Show, for his voice work in Family Guy, and as the entertainment reporter and impressionist for the Kevin and Bean morning show on Los Angeles radio station, KROQ-FM...
, later host of The Joe Schmo Show
The Joe Schmo Show
The Joe Schmo Show is a reality television parody show which aired on the American cable network Spike TV from 2003–2004. The show's premise is that a target person or persons are led to believe that they are contestants on a reality television show; in reality, all of the other participants in the...
and Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
voice-over artist, was a contestant during the show's first season in 1991. One of Garman's opponents on that episode was veteran game show contestant John Goss, who had previously appeared on Now You See It
Now You See It
Now You See It is an American television game show created by Frank Wayne for Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions. Two Now You See It series were produced, and both aired on CBS. The first series ran from April 1, 1974 until June 13, 1975, and was hosted by Jack Narz...
, Liar's Club
Liar's Club
Liar's Club is an American comedy game show, produced by Ralph Andrews that had three syndicated runs. It was first seen in 1969 with Rod Serling as host, and returned for a three-season run from 1976-1979...
, The $25,000 Pyramid and the syndicated edition of Sale of the Century where he won over $100,000 in cash and prizes.