History Series / The64000Question

With television picking up steam by the mid-1950s, and the FCC ruling that television game shows were not gambling, Louis G. Cowan decided that it was about time to resurrect the classic in a big way: on June 7, 1955, CBS television viewers witnessed the premiere of ''The $64,000 Question''. The game was simple: pick a category, and answer questions from it to win money. The first was worth $64, and as always, the next question was worth double the previous amount (the next tier after $512 was an even $1,000 rather than $1,024, so the next amounts after that were $2,000, $4,000, $8,000, $16,000, $32,000, and finally, $64,000). The contestant could stop at any time, but lost everything or dropped to a safepoint if they answered wrong. Beginning at the $4,000 level, each contestant was only asked one question per week. Further, the contestant was also placed in an isolation booth beginning at $8,000, and later questions had multiple parts.

** GameShowHost: Hal March hosted the original TV run; Sonny Fox hosted the ''Challenge'' spin-off. Mike Darrow hosted the first season of the 1970s revival, with [[Series/{{Jeopardy}} Alex Trebek]] replacing him on the second. Greg Gumbel[[note]]elder brother of former NFL on NBC and Series/{{Today}} host and then-current Early Show on Creator/{{CBS}} host Bryant and (after hosting the CBS "NFL Today" pregame show for the final four seasons of CBS having [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague NFC coverage]] (1990-93); then after CBS lost the NFL to Creator/{{FOX}} in 1994; jumped over to NBC, where he hosted NBC's NFL pregame show from 1994 until NBC lost AFC coverage rights to CBS, and thus [[TheBusCameBack returning to CBS]] as the lead play-by-play broadcaster for that sport at the time of the pilot[[/note]] hosted the unsold 2000 attempt.

Saying that ''Question'' was an instantaneous success is an understatement. It surpassed fellow CBS series ''Series/ILoveLucy'' to become the #1 show of the 1955–56 television season, and its popularity was so absolute that cinemas and restaurants were practically empty on Tuesday nights because just about everyone was watching. Those who managed to win the $64,000 prize became instant celebrities, and the recurring "Jazz" category even spawned a co-branded jazz compilation album. Cowan, owing to the success, was also promoted to president of CBS-TV. There was even a spin-off the following Spring, ''The $64,000 Challenge'', which aired on Sunday nights and featured top winners from the main show competing against each other for more money.

Although it did not resort to outright {{Kayfabe}} like ''Dotto'' and ''Twenty-One'', it was revealed during investigations that ''Question'' was the subject of [[ExecutiveMeddling manipulation by executives of the program's main sponsor, Revlon]], including its CEO Charles Revson. Taking advantage of its use of returning players, Revson insisted on stacking the decks in favor of contestants he felt would get the show good ratings, and giving the "duds" a hard time.[[note]]Even good ratings and popularity with the viewing public, such as that enjoyed by psychologist and boxing expert Dr. Joyce Brothers during her run on the show, were no guarantee that a contestant wouldn't be singled out for "stiffing": Brothers was disliked by Revson because she didn't epitomize the values of cosmetics, according to a 1992 ''Series/TheAmericanExperience'' documentary about the quiz show scandals. She still came out on top: she correctly answered a $16,000 question about referees that was supposed to have cost her the game, and went on to win the grand prize.[[/note]]

Although it did not resort to outright {{Kayfabe}} like ''Dotto'' and ''Twenty-One'', it was revealed during investigations that ''Question'' was the subject of [[ExecutiveMeddling manipulation by executives of the program's main sponsor, Revlon]], including its CEO Charles Revson. Taking advantage of its use of returning players, Revson insisted on stacking the decks in favor of contestants he felt would get the show good ratings, and giving the "duds" a hard time.

** This idea backfired spectacularly when a contestant named Joyce Brothers was meddled into having ''boxing'' be her category. She subverted their expectations by aggressively studying the subject, and became the second person to win the $64,000. Brothers even got a one-off stint for CBS as a color commentator for a boxing match, but she soon became better-known for her involvement in a different specialist subject: psychology.

* WhoWantsToBeWhoWantsToBeAMillionaire: It's clear that ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire'' can be viewed as a SpiritualSuccessor to ''Series/The64000Question'' in more ways than one - money ladder with checkpoints, thousands of dollars on the line, a glitzy set, and suspense. ''Millionaire'' may have codified the modern version of a big-money quiz show, but it has a lot to owe to ''Question''. Michael Davies, an ABC producer, originally wanted to produce a revival of ''Question'' before learning about the impending premiere of ''Millionaire''. He went as far as asking multiple colleagues in Britain to send him VCR recordings of the premiere so he could see what all the hype was about.

** GameShowHost: Hal March hosted the original TV run; Sonny Fox hosted the ''Challenge'' spin-off. Mike Darrow hosted the first season of the 1970s revival, with [[Series/{{Jeopardy}} Alex Trebek]] replacing him on the second. Greg Gumbel hosted the unsold 2000 attempt.

** This idea backfired spectacularly when a woman named Joyce Brothers was meddled into having ''boxing'' be her category, She subverted their expectations by aggressively studying every boxing-related book she could find, and became the second person to win the $64,000. Brothers even got a one-off stint for CBS as a boxing commentator as a result, but became better known for a different specialist subject: psychology.

The scandals, and ensuing scrutiny over sponsor influence over programming in general (in particular, the networks wanted more creative control and ownership of their programming, which in the case of game shows, would help ensure fairness), led to a period where there were no big money game shows on TV at all; five-figure prizes were generally avoided until the arrival of ''[[Series/{{Pyramid}} The $10,000 Pyramid]]'' in 1973. ''Question'' received a syndicated revival in 1976, ''The $128,000 Question'', which lasted two seasons (the first produced in New York, the second in Canada). On this series, winning $64,000 entered you into a tournament at the end of the season where the winner got another $64,000.

In the late-1990s, Creator/{{ABC}} producer Michael Davies (who had worked on ''Series/{{Debt}}'' and ''Series/WinBenSteinsMoney'') was considering producing a revival of ''Question'' as part of an effort to reinvigorate the declining genre. However, he threw the idea aside when he caught wind of a new show that was about to take Britain by storm: ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire''.

** In April 2000, CBS piloted a revival to cash in on the success of ''Millionaire'' with a top prize of $1,028,000, but it was scrapped. The pilot has been seen by a select few outside the network (such as [[http://www.usgameshows.net/x.php?show=64000Question2000 this review]]), and is generally considered terrible: for starters, they apparently didn't learn their lesson about rigging (although to be fair, pilots are sometimes rigged in order to produce a desired result).

** The United Kingdom had two: ''[[http://ukgameshows.com/ukgs/The_64,000_Question The 64,000 Question]]'' from 1955-58, with a top prize of 64,000 sixpence, or £1,600 (doubled shortly into the run to 64,000 shillings, or £3,200); and ''[[http://ukgameshows.com/ukgs/The_64,000_Dollar_Question The $64,000 Question]]'', which ran from 1990-93 with a top prize of £6,400 (i.e., [[NonIndicativeName nowhere near $64,000]]). There was also a version of ''Challenge'' which ran briefly in 1957.

** In April 2000, CBS piloted a revival to cash in on the success of ''Millionaire'' with a top prize of $1,028,000, but it was scrapped. The pilot has been seen by a select few outside the network (such as [[http://www.usgameshows.net/x.php?show=64000Question2000 this review]]), and is generally considered terrible: for starters, they apparently didn't learn their lesson about rigging.

* WhoWantsToBeWhoWantsToBeAMillionaire: It's clear that ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire'' can be viewed as a SpiritualSuccessor to ''Question'' in more ways than one - money ladder with checkpoints, thousands of dollars on the line, a glitzy set, and suspense. ''Millionaire'' may have codified the modern version of a big-money quiz show, but it has a lot to owe to ''The $64,000 Question''. Michael Davies, an ABC producer, originally wanted to produce a revival of ''Question'' before learning about ''Millionaire'', to the point that he asked multiple colleagues in Britain to tape the premiere and send it to him.

With television picking up steam by the mid-1950s, and the FCC ruling that television game shows were not gambling, Louis G. Cowan decided that it was about time to resurrect the classic in a big way: on June 7, 1955, CBS television viewers witnessed the premiere of ''The $64,000 Question''. The game was simple: pick a category, and answer questions from it to win money. The first was worth $64, and as always, the next question was worth double the previous amount ($64 doubled up to $512, then an increase to $1,000, which doubled up to $64,000). The contestant could stop at any time, but lost everything or dropped to a safepoint if they answered wrong. Beginning at the $4,000 level, each contestant was only asked one question per week. Further, the contestant was also placed in an isolation booth beginning at $8,000, and later questions had multiple parts.

* WhoWantsToBeWhoWantsToBeAMillionaire: It's clear that ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire'' can be viewed as a SpiritualSuccessor to ''Question'' in more ways than one - money ladder with checkpoints, thousands of dollars on the line, a glitzy set, and suspense. ''Millionaire'' may have codified the modern version of a big-money quiz show, but it has a lot to owe to ''The $64,000 Question''. In fact, it has been said that before picking up ''Millionaire'' instead, ABC originally wanted to produce a revival of ''Question''.

In the late 1990s, Creator/{{ABC}} was planning to produce a new revival, ''The $640,000 Question''. However, it was shelved after producer Michael Davies came across a new show that was taking Britain by storm: ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire''.

* WhoWantsToBeWhoWantsToBeAMillionaire: It's clear that ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire'' can be viewed as a SpiritualSuccessor to ''Question'' in more ways than one - money ladder with checkpoints, thousands of dollars on the line, a glitzy set, and suspense. ''Millionaire'' may have codified the modern version of a big-money quiz show, but it has a lot to owe to ''The $64,000 Question''.

In the late 1990s, Creator/{{ABC}} was planning to produce a new revival, ''The $640,000 Question'', but its producer wound up having a better idea. He decided to import a new big money quiz show that had been taking Britain by storm: ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire''

In the late 1990s, Creator/{{ABC}} was planning to produce a new revival, ''The $640,000 Question''. Its producer ended up having a better idea: he upped the stakes by $360,000 by importing a little British quiz show called ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire''...

The scandals, and ensuing scrutiny over how game shows were produced (in particular, the networks wanted more creative control to ensure fairness), led to a period where there were no big money game shows on TV at all; five-figure prizes were generally avoided until the arrival of ''[[Series/{{Pyramid}} The $10,000 Pyramid]]'' in 1973. ''Question'' received a syndicated revival in 1976, ''The $128,000 Question'', which lasted two seasons (the first produced in New York, the second in Canada). On this series, winning $64,000 entered you into a tournament at the end of the season where the winner got another $64,000.

Although the show's outcomes were not outright rigged as they were on ''Dotto'' and ''Twenty-One'', it was later revealed during the scandal investigations that ''Question'' was the subject of [[ExecutiveMeddling manipulation by executives of the program's main sponsor, Revlon]], including its CEO Charles Revson. Taking advantage of its use of returning players, Revson insisted on stacking the decks in favor of contestants he felt would get the show good ratings, and giving the "duds" a hard time.

However, ''The $64,000 Question'' would fall as quickly as it rose, for multiple reasons. The success of ''Question'' spawned other big-money quiz shows that [[FollowTheLeader mimicked its serialized, week-by-week drama]], including ''Series/{{Dotto}}'', ''Series/TicTacDough'', and perhaps its most notable rival, ''[[Series/TwentyOne Twenty-One]]''. However, in mid-1958, a scandal emerged when it was revealed that ''Dotto'' had been rigging matches in an effort to drive viewership. Following a Summer hiatus, ''The $64,000 Challenge'' was cancelled and ''Question'' moved to its Sunday-night timeslot in September 1958. In response to the significant decline in viewership that the scandals brought, ''Question'' was cancelled just two months later in November.

On April 21, 1940, the Creator/{{CBS}} radio network premiered a simple little quiz show called ''Take It or Leave It''; answer correctly, and you won $1. You could "take it" and stop, or answer another question to double the money, losing what you earned if you answered incorrectly. A contestant could keep going until they reached the seventh and final question, which awarded the [[GameShowWinningsCap grand prize]] of $64. The show became ingrained in the pop culture of the time; the notion of the "$64 question" was a popular metaphor, and even the StudioAudience's [[CatchPhrase warning]] about what would happen if you answered wrong ("You'll be ''SORRY!''") was notable enough to be referenced in a ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' short. It moved to Creator/{{NBC}} in 1947 and was renamed ''The $64 Question'' in 1950; the show ended in 1952.

** This idea backfired spectacularly when a woman named Joyce Brothers was meddled into having ''boxing'' be her category, She subverted their expectations by aggressively studying every boxing-related book she could find, and became the second person to win the $64,000. Brothers even got a one-off stint for CBS as a boxing commentator as a result, but became better known for her real passion, psychology.

Although the show's outcomes were not outright rigged as they were on ''Dotto'' and ''Twenty-One'', it was later revealed during the scandal investigations that ''Question'' was the subject of [[ExecutiveMeddling manipulation by executives of the program's main sponsor, Revlon]], including its CEO Charles Revson. Taking advantage of its use of returning players, Revson insisted on stacking the decks in favor of contestants they felt would get the show good ratings, and giving the "duds" a hard time.

Although the show's outcomes were not outright rigged as they were on ''Dotto'' and ''Twenty-One'', it was later revealed during the scandal investigations that ''Question'' was the subject of [[ExecutiveMeddling manipulation by executives of the program's main sponsor, Revlon]], including its CEO Charles Revson. Taking advantage of its use of returning players, Revson insisted on stacking the decks in favor of contestants ''he'' felt would get the show good ratings, and giving the "duds" a hard time.

* UnexpectedlyObscureAnswer: These kinds of questions were used in an attempt to force losses from contestants Revson didn't like, going so far as to swap out the questions that had been secured in a bank vault prior to the show. There was an IBM sorting machine on-set to give the illusion of randomness, but it was a ''de facto'' prop because all the envelopes in it were the same.

Although the show's outcomes were not outright rigged as they were on ''Dotto'' and ''Twenty-One'', it was later revealed during the scandal investigations that ''Question'' was the subject of [[ExecutiveMeddling meddling]] by executives of the program's main sponsor, Revlon, including its CEO Charles Revson. Taking advantage of its use of returning players, Revson insisted on stacking the decks in favor of contestants ''he'' felt would get the show good ratings, and giving the "duds" a hard time.

Although the show was not outright rigged, it was later revealed during the scandal investigations that ''Question'' was the subject of [[ExecutiveMeddling meddling]] by executives of the program's main sponsor, Revlon, including its CEO Charles Revson. Taking advantage of its use of returning players, Revson insisted on stacking the decks in favor of contestants he felt would get the show good ratings, and giving the "duds" a hard time. However, this idea backfired spectacularly when Joyce Brothers was meddled into having ''boxing'' be her category, yet subverted their expectations by aggressively studying every boxing-related book she could find, and becoming the first woman to win the $64,000.

* UnexpectedlyObscureAnswer: These kinds of questions were used in an attempt to force losses from contestants Revson didn't like, going so far as to swap out the questions that had been secured in a bank vault prior to the show. There was an IBM sorting machine on-set to give the illusion of randomness, but in reality it was just a prop.

However, ''The $64,000 Question'' would fall as quickly as it rose, for multiple reasons. The success of the show resulted in a wave of other big-money quiz shows [[FollowTheLeader competing for the nation's conscience with serialized, week-by-week drama of their own]], including ''Series/{{Dotto}}'', ''Series/TicTacDough'', and perhaps its most formidable opponent, ''[[Series/TwentyOne Twenty-One]]''. However, in mid-1958, a scandal emerged when it was revealed that ''Dotto'' had been rigging matches in an effort to drive viewership. Following a Summer hiatus, ''The $64,000 Challenge'' was cancelled and ''Question'' moved to its Sunday-night timeslot in September 1958. In response to the significant decline in viewership that the scandals brought, ''Question'' was cancelled just two months later in November.