Voting Station

$64,000 Question

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TV Series

The Resume

    (June 7, 1955-September 7, 1958)
    Aired on CBS
    Based on the radio game show 'Take It or Leave It'
    Contestants are asked questions in a selected category for a cash reward of up to $64,000
    Hosted by Hal March
    Announcer was Bill Rogers
    Assistants were Lynn Dollar, Pat Donovan and Barbara Britton

Why $64,000 Question might be annoying:

    The name was turned into a cliché that means 'a particularly difficult or important question to answer.'
    Strangely, the cliché is very common in Britain even though the game show was never aired outside the U.S.
    It is based on a radio show where the top prize was just $64.
    The isolation booth was not air conditioned and bore the name of the sponsor, Revlon.
    They eliminated the $64,000 limit during the series run making the title of the show meaningless.
    It was alleged that the show's sponsor Revlon tried to influence the outcome of the quizzes.
    It started the 1950's quiz show craze that ended in congressional hearings of quiz show rigging to keep popular contestants on the air.
    The $128,000 Question, a syndicated revival of the concept, failed after two seasons (1970s).
    Numerous attempts were made to resurrect the show but all have failed to catch the public's interest.

Why $64,000 Question might not be annoying:

    It was created after the Supreme Court ruled a quiz show was not an example of illegal gambling.
    It was the first game show to earn the #1 spot in the yearly Nielsen ratings.
    At its height it reached an 84.8% audience share.
    If a contestant reached the $8,000 level and missed a question, they were able to receive a new Cadillac as a consolation prize.
    It was ripped off by 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'
    They increased the prize money one-thousand times that of the radio version.
    It spun-off '$64,000 Challenge.'
    TV Guide kept a running total of money given away, by November 1957 they gave away $1,000,000.

Credit: Captain Howdy


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 7 Votes: 42.86% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 7 Votes: 42.86% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 7 Votes: 42.86% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 5 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 13 Votes: 46.15% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 8 Votes: 37.50% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 9 Votes: 88.89% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 57 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 27 Votes: 51.85% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 42 Votes: 69.05% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 70 Votes: 62.86% Annoying
    In 2006, Out of 117 Votes: 49.57% Annoying
    In 2005, Out of 86 Votes: 59.30% Annoying