Split Second
Lifespan: 1972-1975 (ABC), 1986 (Syndicated)
Host: Tom Kennedy, Monty Hall
Announcer: Jack Clark, Dean Goss
PREMISE: Three players play a lightning-fast game of quick recall and reflexes.
The host begins by reading a factual statement and presenting three questions. Players then buzz in, trying to be first. The first player would choose their answer, remaining players could only choose from those that went unclaimed. A player who buzzed too early would be locked-out and forced to go third.
After all three players took a turn, the awards were given: if all three were right, each won $5. If only two were right, they won $10 each, and if only one person was right, that player got $25. The first person to get a "singleton" in a round also won a merchandise prize. After ten questions, the round ended.
Round two was similar to round one, but the payoffs were doubled.
Countdown Round
The final round decided who got to try for the new car. The players' scores were erased. The player who won the most money over the two rounds (usually between $250 and $300) got a score of three. The player with the second highest score got four, and last place five. If there was a tie, both players got the lower number of points. Those points represented the number of correct answers that player had to give to win the game. The difference in this round was that a player; upon giving a right answer, could continue to give answers until they were all claimed, or all three players had a chance. Questions were asked until one player counted down to zero, and won the game. All players kept whatever they won in the first two rounds, but the winner got a bonus $1000, and moved on to the bonus game.
Five cars were displayed upstage, and one of them was wired to start. The player took a key and chose a car. If the car turned over, the champion won it and a cash jackpot ($1000 plus $500 for each day it wasn't claimed) and retired from the show. Otherwise, the player returned the next day. If he or she managed to win again, that car was removed from the mix, and the champ had a 1 in 4 chance of winning a car.
1986 version
Taped in Toronto, Canada, Monty Hall (co-producer of the original) took the reigns of hosting. Payoffs increased to $10 for all three, $25 for two right, and $50 for a singleton (but no prize). Round two doubled these amounts. The Countdown Round added one answer to each player's score as well.
Since the revival of Hollywood Squares had unfairly stolen Split Second's end game, a new bonus game was introduced: the player chose three screens from five possible. If each said "CAR", the car was won, and the champ drove off into the sunset. Otherwise, a merchandise prize (fur coat or vacation) was shown. The champ could take that prize, plus $1000 for each victory, and leave, or play again. The fourth day had four CAR screens, and the fifth resulted in an automatic car win.
The second game was similar to the original: four screens had "$1000" on them, the other had the "CAR" (which was worth $10,000 to $15,000).
Revival: I would have ten questions in the first round, worth $50-$100-$250, and ten questions in round two, worth $100-$250-$500. A prize for first singleton of each round. The countdown round is as normal, with 7, 6 or 5 answers needed to win. First to count down to zero wins double their pot and a prize package worth roughly $5,000. Champs come back each day, up to five days. Retired champs win a car, and the eighteen top winners come back for the Tournament of Champions, where $100,000 goes to the eventual winner.