Greed: the Multi-million Dollar Challenge
Host: Chuck Woolery
Run: Weekly, November 4, 1999-2000
Premise: A team of contestants contributes answers to questions, then decides to eliminate partners to steal their share of the money, the top prize offered is over $2 million.
Rules: Six contestants face Chuck and listen to him read
a question with a numerical answer. (example: "How many million pounds of beef did Taco Bell use last year?") The players then lock
in their answer. The closest player to the actual answer
becomes the captain of the Team. The four nearest players
then take their places. The sixth player goes back into
the contestant pool, presumably to have another chance to
play.
Now; the big money. The players are eight questions away
from a growing jackpot:
| JACKPOT |
| $1,000,000 |
| $ 500,000 |
| $ 200,000 |
| $ 100,000 |
| $ 75,000 |
| $ 50,000 |
| $ 25,000 |
The jackpot begins at a whopping $2 million, and has
$50,000 added each time a team does not claim it. When Greed was renewed as "The Series," the jackpot became a static $2 million.
The $25,000 Question
The fifth member of the team answers a question with four
choices:
Which president's head
is on the United States penny? |
Abraham
Lincoln | Thomas
Jefferson |
Alexander
Hamilton | George
Bush |
The Captain may accept or reject the answer.
The fourth member of the team answers a question with four
choices. The Captain may accept or reject the answer.
The third member of the team answers a question with five
choices. The Captain may accept or reject the answer.
The second member of the team answers a question with five
choices. The Captain may accept or reject the answer.
At this point, the Captain must decide to keep the $20,000
per team member, or risk it for double. If they play, on comes...
The Terminator is a random effect that allows someone to challenge
a teammate. Chuck activates the Terminator, which chooses a player. That player
may then challenge any teammate to a showdown, or keep the team the way it is. The
challenger is automatically given $10,000 for making the challenge. The players
listen to a question and race to buzz in. The person who buzzes in wins the challenge
if a correct answer is provided; if an incorrect answer is given, the player loses. The
loser of the challenge is eliminated from play, and wins nothing. The winner of the
challenge then wins the exiting player's share of the pot (Thus the first challenge winner
would be playing for a doubled stake of the prize). The game then continues as normal.
The team is shown a question with six choices. The Captain may eliminate
one wrong answer (A FREEBIE) or save it for later. All teammates supply one
answer they think is right. The Captain has the right to replace any one answer
with a different one. The answers are revealed. If the first three are right,
Chuck offers the Captain $20,000 "insurance money" to bail
out of the question. If the team takes the insurance, the game is over. If not,
the last answer is revealed. If correct, they win $200,000. If not, all is lost,
except for Terminator money.
The team is shown a question with seven choices. Agin, the Freebie may be used
or saved for later. All teammates supply one
answer they think is right. If there are not enough players to give four answers,
the Captain may take the last one, or pass it to a teammate.
The Captain has the right to replace any one answer
with a different one of his or her choosing. The answers are revealed.
If the first three are right, Chuck offers the Captain $50,000 "insurance money" to bail
out of the question. If the team takes the insurance, the game is over. If not,
the last answer is revealed. If correct, they win $500,000. If not, all is lost,
except for Terminator money.
The team is shown a question with eight choices. Once more, if the Freebie
hasn't been used, they can do it now. All teammates supply one answer they think is right.
If there are not enough players to give four answers,
the Captain may take the last one (or two), or pass them to a teammate.
The Captain has the right to replace any one answer
with a different one. The answers are revealed.
If three are right, the insurance changes. All players are offered a Jaguar
XK8 2000 convertible (APR:$75,000) plus $25,000 in cash to bail out. Each one
decides independently, by pushing the appropriate colored button on their desk. If they decide to play, the last answer is revealed. If correct, they win $1,000,000.
If not, all is lost, except for Terminator money. Only one team has made it this far.
The remaining players vote on whether to keep what they've won, or play for the jackpot.
Each one that does is presented the jackpot question, a four out of nine question. The
players are allowed 30 seconds to decide their answers, and cannot change any. If all four
are right, the jackpot is won. If any are wrong, the players win nothing. Daniel Avila was
the only player so far to try this one, losing $200,000 in an attempt to win $2,200,000.
The Million Dollar Moment
In February 2000 for Sweeps week, Greed decided to bring back six of the biggest winners and two famous losers for a shot at $1,000,000. The show proceeded as normal, but the last ten minutes were replaced by the special showdown. To get a chance at the million bucks, two players competed in a one-question Terminator Showdown. After the break, the winner moved on.
The champion was shown the question and eight answers. The player had thirty seconds to look over the answers, then another ten seconds to list their four choices. Getting all four right wins a $1,000,000 annuity, missing even one or having time elapse wins nothing more (or in the case of the Tournament of Losers, nothing at all).
The Moments pitted $200,000 winners, $300,000 winners, and the $400,000 winners against each other, as well as Dan Avila and Jackie Brakeman (who was terminated by $410,000 winner Curtis Warren just prior to the $1 million question). Curtis was the only one of the eight players to win the million dollars.
Super Greed
The game changed for the month of May:
There was no qualifying question, and positions were randomly assigned.
The Tower of Greed doubled the last three steps: $200,000; $1,000,000; $2,000,000; $4,000,000.
The level seven bailout was the Jaguar plus $75,000; later $150,000 in cash.
The top winning team on Greed won $2 million during Super Greed (only two teams ever got
a level seven question, a third bailed out and lost most of their $1 million bounty). Lauren Griswold won $810,000; David Juliano collected $800,000;
and team captain Phyllis Harris took home $400,000 (way more than she got from her other five
game show appearances.)
Other theme shows included a TV trivia edition, and one revolving around The 70s. College Rivalry Greed had students from five schools in the same intramural league competing to win the money.
