Play Your Hunch
Encyclopedia
Play Your Hunch was an American game show first hosted by Merv Griffin
from 1958 to 1962, and was then hosted by Robert Q. Lewis
until 1963. The announcers for the show were, respectively, Johnny Olson
, Wayne Howell
and Roger Tuttle. In 2001, Play Your Hunch was ranked #43 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time.
Play Your Hunch was a Mark Goodson
-Bill Todman
production. It has been considered to be something of a "spin-off" of another more successful Goodson-Todman game, To Tell the Truth
.
, Robert Q. Lewis took over the following Monday for the rest of the run.
Announcer Johnny Olson substituted for Griffin on December 29, 1961 and March 6, 1962. Gene Rayburn
substituted for Lewis from October 15 to November 16, 1962.
This was Olson's first regular announcing job with longtime employer Mark Goodson. Later, Olson would become well-known as the first announcer on the Bob Barker
version of The Price is Right
and as announcer for every version of Match Game
through 1982.
The teams were alternatively presented with problems and had the choice to play or pass after the choices were unveiled but before the problem was described. The couple who played the problem discussed the answer amongst themselves until a chime rang and the couple had to answer. If the couple was wrong, the opponents had the choice between the remaining two answers. If either couple got the right answer, they earned a point, with three points winning the game. In addition, each team earned $50 a point ($100 a point on NBC's primetime edition). At least once every show, the couples would also have to solve a "come-closer" problem, which involved coming up with a numerical answer to a problem by writing their answer on a slate (example: how many coffee beans in a displayed container); the teams would then reveal their slates, and the team who guessed closer to the actual answer would score a point.
Couples remained on the show as champions until they were defeated, with the first question of each game going to the challengers. On the CBS version, the Last Straw game was played by the winning couple for a car. The couple would be shown 7 straws, without knowing which 5 were long and which 2 were short. If the couple picked all 5 long straws, they won a car. If they picked a short straw, they earned $100 for each long straw they picked up to that point. A later bonus round would be played for a prize, like a trip, an appliance, a car, etc. Either the show's assistant, or announcer Johnny Olson himself would hide behind one of three "doors" onstage; the couple would simply have to guess which "door" either of them was hiding behind. No bonus games were played on the NBC run.
version of the show was produced by the BBC
in the early 1960s, hosted at one stage by Alan Freeman
.
An Australian version aired on QTQ Channel 9 in Brisbane from 1968 to 1973 hosted by Don Secombe.
No editions of the UK series are listed on the BBC Programme Catalogue
, suggesting that no editions of the series survive in the archives.
Merv Griffin
Mervyn Edward "Merv" Griffin, Jr. was an American television host, musician, actor, and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer who went on to appear in movies and on Broadway. From 1965 to 1986 Griffin hosted his own talk show, The Merv Griffin Show on Group W Broadcasting...
from 1958 to 1962, and was then hosted by Robert Q. Lewis
Robert Q. Lewis
Robert Q. Lewis was an American radio and television personality, game show host, and actor. Lewis added the middle initial "Q." to his name accidentally on the air in 1942, when he responded to a reference to radio comedian F. Chase Taylor's character, Colonel Lemuel Q...
until 1963. The announcers for the show were, respectively, Johnny Olson
Johnny Olson
John Leonard "Johnny" Olson was an American radio personality and television announcer. His work spanned 32 game shows produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman from the late 1950s through the mid 1980s...
, Wayne Howell
Wayne Howell
Wayne Clay Howell Chappelle , known professionally as Wayne Howell, was a voice-over announcer for the NBC television and radio networks from 1947 through 1986...
and Roger Tuttle. In 2001, Play Your Hunch was ranked #43 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time.
Play Your Hunch was a Mark Goodson
Mark Goodson
Mark Goodson was an American television producer who specialized in game shows.-Life and early career:...
-Bill Todman
Bill Todman
William S. "Bill" Todman was an American television producer born in New York City. He produced many of television's longest running shows with business partner Mark Goodson.-Early life:...
production. It has been considered to be something of a "spin-off" of another more successful Goodson-Todman game, To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth is an American television panel game show created by Bob Stewart and produced by Goodson-Todman Productions that has aired in various forms since 1956 both on networks and in syndication...
.
Broadcast history
The show first aired on CBS from 1958–1959. ABC picked it up in the same year, and then NBC aired it for the rest of its run, concluding in 1963. During the NBC run, two different prime time versions aired - one in 1960, and one in 1962.Hosts and announcers
The series was originally hosted by Merv Griffin. After he left on September 28, 1962 to begin his talk showThe Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin Show is an American television talk show, starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, September 20, 1965 to September 26, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 at 11:30 PM ET weeknights on CBS and again in...
, Robert Q. Lewis took over the following Monday for the rest of the run.
Announcer Johnny Olson substituted for Griffin on December 29, 1961 and March 6, 1962. Gene Rayburn
Gene Rayburn
Gene Rayburn was an American radio and television personality. He is best known as the host of various editions of the popular American television game show Match Game for over two decades....
substituted for Lewis from October 15 to November 16, 1962.
This was Olson's first regular announcing job with longtime employer Mark Goodson. Later, Olson would become well-known as the first announcer on the Bob Barker
Bob Barker
Robert William "Bob" Barker is a former American television game show host. He is best known for hosting CBS's The Price Is Right from 1972 to 2007, making it the longest-running daytime game show in North American television history, and for hosting Truth or Consequences from 1956 to 1975.Born...
version of The Price is Right
The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right is a television game show franchise originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, and created by Bob Stewart, and is currently produced and owned by FremantleMedia. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also includes merchandise such as video games, printed...
and as announcer for every version of Match Game
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
through 1982.
Game play
Two couples (or occasionally pairs with other relationships) competed. The game revolved around "problems" which involved a choice between three visible possibilities (often three people) which were always labeled X, Y, and Z. Some questions would have an element of observation; for example, one couple was asked which of three labeled musicians amongst the show's band was not playing his instrument and was merely pretending. Other problems depended mainly on luck in guessing correctly.The teams were alternatively presented with problems and had the choice to play or pass after the choices were unveiled but before the problem was described. The couple who played the problem discussed the answer amongst themselves until a chime rang and the couple had to answer. If the couple was wrong, the opponents had the choice between the remaining two answers. If either couple got the right answer, they earned a point, with three points winning the game. In addition, each team earned $50 a point ($100 a point on NBC's primetime edition). At least once every show, the couples would also have to solve a "come-closer" problem, which involved coming up with a numerical answer to a problem by writing their answer on a slate (example: how many coffee beans in a displayed container); the teams would then reveal their slates, and the team who guessed closer to the actual answer would score a point.
Couples remained on the show as champions until they were defeated, with the first question of each game going to the challengers. On the CBS version, the Last Straw game was played by the winning couple for a car. The couple would be shown 7 straws, without knowing which 5 were long and which 2 were short. If the couple picked all 5 long straws, they won a car. If they picked a short straw, they earned $100 for each long straw they picked up to that point. A later bonus round would be played for a prize, like a trip, an appliance, a car, etc. Either the show's assistant, or announcer Johnny Olson himself would hide behind one of three "doors" onstage; the couple would simply have to guess which "door" either of them was hiding behind. No bonus games were played on the NBC run.
Foreign versions
A BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
version of the show was produced by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in the early 1960s, hosted at one stage by Alan Freeman
Alan Freeman
Alan Leslie "Fluff" Freeman, MBE was a British disc jockey and radio personality in the United Kingdom for 40 years.-Career:...
.
An Australian version aired on QTQ Channel 9 in Brisbane from 1968 to 1973 hosted by Don Secombe.
Episode status
At least some episodes exist. GSN has aired a handful of episodes with Griffin as host in the past, most recently the nighttime Premiere on August 20, 2007 (which had aired on GSN at least once prior). One public domain episode of the Griffin hosted version is available on classic game show DVD collections. The year is unknown.No editions of the UK series are listed on the BBC Programme Catalogue
BBC Programme Catalogue
The BBC Programme Catalogue is an online archive of the entire BBC back catalogue of TV and radio programmes. The catalogue is for internal use by the BBC although for a time a beta online version was available to the public...
, suggesting that no editions of the series survive in the archives.