To Say the Least
Encyclopedia
To 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
. This was Kennedy's third NBC show to debut in the span of one year; his first, 50 Grand Slam
, was canceled after a 13-week run in December 1976 and was replaced by a daytime version of his hit Name That Tune
, which was canceled in June 1977 after 26 weeks.
Once the challenge was made, the isolated players returned to the game and the challenged team guessed. If they guessed the subject of the puzzle correctly, they won the game, otherwise the game went to the opponents. The first team to win two out of three games won the match, $100 & a prize package.
A contestant could stay on until they lost twice or played seven matches, whichever came first. If a contestant won four matches in a row without being defeated they also won a new car.
The UCLA Film and Television Archive lists among its holdings a 1977 episode with a summary of "$100,000 golden play-off. 1st round."
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 from October 3, 1977 to April 21, 1978. The show was produced by Heatter-Quigley Productions
Heatter-Quigley Productions
Heatter-Quigley Productions was an American television production company that was launched in 1960 by two former television writers, Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley....
, hosted by Tom Kennedy and announced by 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...
. This was Kennedy's third NBC show to debut in the span of one year; his first, 50 Grand Slam
50 Grand Slam
50 Grand Slam is a game show from Ralph Andrews Productions that aired on NBC from October 4 to December 31, 1976. Tom Kennedy hosted the show, with John Harlan as the announcer....
, was canceled after a 13-week run in December 1976 and was replaced by a daytime version of his hit 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....
, which was canceled in June 1977 after 26 weeks.
Format
The object of the game was to guess the subject of a puzzle using as few clue words as possible. Men vs. women competed on two teams, each consisting of two celebrities and one contestant. To begin, two players from each team were placed into isolation. The remaining players from each team were shown a sentence with six to ten words. The two opponents alternated eliminating words, one at a time, until either a player challenged his opponent to answer or only one word remained, at which point the team who deleted the previous word was forced to guess.Once the challenge was made, the isolated players returned to the game and the challenged team guessed. If they guessed the subject of the puzzle correctly, they won the game, otherwise the game went to the opponents. The first team to win two out of three games won the match, $100 & a prize package.
All-Star Game
The champion and all four celebrities participated in the bonus game. Each celebrity stood behind one of four numbered doors on stage. The champion was given another sentence and eliminated all but three of the words for the first celebrity. A correct guess earned the player $100. After the first part, another word was eliminated. If the celebrity behind door number two guessed correctly, the contestant won another $200. Regardless of how the player did in the first two stages of the endgame, the player was given two chances at the jackpot. One last word was deleted, and celebrity number three guessed. If they did not give the correct answer, celebrity number four guessed. If either of those last two celebrities guessed correctly, the champion won a cash jackpot which started at $2,000 and increased by $1,000 per All-Star Game until claimed.A contestant could stay on until they lost twice or played seven matches, whichever came first. If a contestant won four matches in a row without being defeated they also won a new car.
Episode status
The premiere and the February 23 episode (the latter featuring a $5,000 win in the All-Star Game) exist among private collectors; one episode is held at The Paley Center for Media.The UCLA Film and Television Archive lists among its holdings a 1977 episode with a summary of "$100,000 golden play-off. 1st round."