College Bowl

Host: Allen Ludden

Premise: Eight contestants battle to answer questions posed by the Moderator, in a season-long tournament, in order to win scholarship money, and the Trophy.

Play: Televised matches are two halves of seven minutes. The show begins by Allen having each contestant buzz in and identify themselves. Then, the game proper starts. A toss-up is read, and any team member may chime in at any time to answer. A right answer wins 10 points, and a shot at a bonus question. A wrong answer carries no penalty, as long as the contestant did not interrupt. If a contestant interrupted, and was wrong, five points are deducted. Missed questions are given over to the other team, who cannot be penalized. Anyway, the team that wins the toss-up plays the bonus question, with several five-point parts, worth up to 20-30 points. Sometimes, the question will have clues that lead to an answer, while the value of the question goes from 30, to 20, to 10. Then, another toss-up is asked. Rinse, lather, repeat for about 15 questions per half. The winning team gets $1500 and the runners-up get $500 for the school. Winners stay on the show, and three-time winners come back for the tournament.