Beat the Clock

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Beat The Clock is also a song by Ghostface Killah from his album The Pretty Toney Album
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Beat the Clock
Genre Game Show
Starring Bud Collyer 1950 - 1958
Jack Narz 1969 - 1972
Gene Wood 1972 - 1974
Monty Hall 1979 - 1980
Gary Kroeger 2002 - 2003
Ricki Lake (GameShow Marathon 2006)
Country of origin Flag of the United States United States
Broadcast
Original channel CBS 1950 - 1958, 1979 - 1980
Syndicated 1969 - 1974
PAX (Now ION) 2002 - 2003
Original run March 23, 1950 – September 4, 2003
External links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Beat the Clock is a Goodson-Todman Productions game show which ran on CBS from 1950 to 1958 and ABC from 1958 to 1961, with later revivals. The show was hosted by Bud Collyer, and was one of the forerunners for stunt shows such as Fear Factor and Dog Eat Dog.

Beat the Clock ran again from 1969 to 1974 with Jack Narz and later Gene Wood (who was the original announcer for the show and who traded positions with Narz in 1972) (as The New Beat the Clock), from 1979 to 1980 (as The All-New Beat the Clock, and later as All-New All-Star Beat the Clock), with former Let's Make a Deal host Monty Hall as host and Jack Narz as announcer, and most recently, in 2002 with Gary Kroeger and Julielinh Parker as co-hosts.

Contents

[edit] 1950–1961 format

Contestants were required to perform tasks (called "problems") within a certain time limit as counted down on a large 60-second clock. If they succeeded, they were said to have "beaten the clock"; otherwise "the clock beat them". The prizes were always secondary to the competition itself, until such big-money shows as The $100,000 Big Surprise forced Beat the Clock to start offering larger prizes worth several thousand dollars. The show had several sponsors over its run, with the most longstanding being the electronics company, Sylvania.

[edit] On-air personalities

Roxanne and Bud Collyer on the cover of TV Guide, August 13, 1955
Roxanne and Bud Collyer on the cover of TV Guide, August 13, 1955

The host of the show was Bud Collyer. Trademarks of his performance on Beat the Clock included his cheery attitude, his personable rapport with contestants and their children, and his wearing a bow tie; though he wore straight ties most weeks when the show began until the mid-50s. As opposed to being an impartial observer, he was often supportive of the contestants in assisting and egging them on; though he was always the first to enjoy a bit of harmless embarrassment on their parts. He often referred to the husbands as "boy" — particularly after a stunt (for example, "good boy!" or "way to go, boy!"), and would usually wish newlyweds and those celebrating anniversaries "many happy returns".

Substitute hosts included Bill Hart (1951), John Reed King (1952), Frank Wayne (1953), Bob Kennedy (1954), Win Elliott (1955), and Sonny Fox, who from 1957–1960 became Mr. Collyer's substitute host (as they were also good friends). While Collyer was referred to in the introductions as "America's number one clockwatcher", the fill-in hosts were simply named "America's number two clockwatcher(s)."

Collyer had female assistants that helped the on-air production of the show. One assistant was a hostess that would introduce the contestants to Collyer, take photos for messy stunts, pose with the prizes, and bring out gifts for the contestants and their families. There were additional assistants that would help with stunts such as putting a shower cap or blindfold on, or bringing the contestants additional balls or dishes or other props. Other than the introductions by the hostess, the assistants rarely spoke on the air.

The most famous of the Beat the Clock assistants was original hostess Roxanne (nee Delores Evelyn Rosedale), who only used her first name as her professional name. (She should not be confused with actress Roxanne Arlen.) Roxanne was replaced by Beverly Bentley in August 1955 (she stayed on until 1956, and became one of the original models on The Price Is Right that year). Beverly's departure coincided with Hazel Bishop's sponsorship and a period of having no main assistant (see production changes below).

The additional assistants from at least 1952 were Betty Calvin (the brunette) and Madeline Tyler (the blonde). Madeline was replaced for a week by a brunette named Peggy in December 1952. Madeline also left in the spring of 1956 and was replaced by another blonde, Eileen. Madeline took her role back from Eileen late in the year. In December of 1956, Betty was replaced until the end of March 1957 by Sandra while she had her second child.

The announcer for the show was Bernard ("Bern") Bennett until 1958. In October 1957, Beat the Clock ran a contest inviting viewers to submit drawings of what Bennett (who was never shown on camera) might look like. Over 20,000 viewers participated, and the winner (Edward Darnell of Columbus, Indiana) was flown in to appear on the show (along with Bennett) on December 2, 1957. When the show moved to ABC, Dirk Fredericks became the announcer. Substitute Announcers included Lee Vines, Bob Shepard, Hal Simms, and Dick Noel.

[edit] Contestants

Contestants were chosen from the studio audience and were usually married couples, or occasionally engaged, dating, or other family relationship. Collyer would ask them general questions usually including where they were from and how long they'd been married. He would usually ask if they had children and if they did, their ages and genders. (If the couple had three children, Collyer would often compare their gender breakdown with his own family.) Sometimes the couple would bring some or all of their children with them on the show. Collyer would usually take some time out to talk to the children and ask them questions like what they wanted to be when they grew up, or if the kids were not at the show to have their parents wave to them at home. The husbands on the show usually wore a business suit. Collyer would often ask the husband to take off his coat for stunts to make it less cumbersome (there were a few hooks on the contestants' podium for this purpose, or Collyer would just hold the coat). Occasionally, if there was going to be a messy stunt, the husband would come out dressed in a plastic jumpsuit to keep his own clothes clean. Similarly, wives would sometimes play in their "street clothes", but sometimes the women would appear in a jumpsuit issued to them by the show due to the fact that their own clothing might be too cumbersome or perhaps fragile. The women's jumpsuits, unlike the men's, which were rather plain, were patterned to look like a pair of overalls with a collared blouse underneath. The women would also often be issued running shoes instead of their own high heels.

[edit] Game format

[edit] Main game

One couple competed against the clock to win a prize in stunts that could require one or both members of the couple. The first stunt was called the "$100 clock,". The stunt was described and the time limit was set on a giant wall clock. The time limit was always a multiple of 5 seconds, usually at least 30 seconds; at one point Collyer said that a 55-second time limit was the maximum, but later on, stunts occasionally got 60-second limits. If the couple beat the $100 clock, they moved on to the "$200 clock" and the same rules applied. If they failed to beat the $100 clock, they received a consolation prize at less than $100. If they failed to beat the $200 clock, they got a prize worth more than $100.

[edit] Jackpot clock

If the couple beat the $200 clock, the wife would play the "jackpot clock" in which the words of a famous saying or quote was scrambled up on a magnetic board and that phrase had to be unscrambled in 20 seconds or less. If successful, then the couple won the jackpot prize. If not, they got a prize worth more than $200. Occasionally, when the wife of the couple did not speak English very well, the husband was allowed to perform the jackpot clock. The jackpot clock and the bonus stunt (see below) would provide the templates for the traditional quiz-show bonus round, which would become a TV staple, starting with the Lightning Round for the Goodson-Todman word game Password, in 1961.

In the show's earliest set design in available episodes, there was a round display near the contestants mirroring the clock. This display had three rings of light like a target. The outer ring would light during the $100 clock, the middle ring for the $200 clock, and the center circle would light during the jackpot clock. This feature was removed in later set designs.

[edit] Bonus stunt

Some time during every episode (between normal stunts), a bell would sound. The couple playing at the time would attempt the bonus stunt for the bonus prize that started at $100 in cash. If the stunt was not beaten, it would be attempted the next week with $100 added to the prize. When it was beaten, it was retired from the show and a new bonus stunt began the next week at $100. The bonus (as the name suggests) did not affect the regular game, and win or lose, the couple continued the regular clocks wherever they left off. Beginning in August 1954, the starting amount for each bonus stunt was raised to $500, still increasing $100 each week. Bonus stunts were harder than the usual $100 and $200 stunts and sometimes reached $2000 or even $3000 on rare occasions. The first time the bonus reached $1000 was on February 28, 1953, when it was won for that amount. In 1956, the bonus stunt was replaced by the super bonus (see below).

There was usually a special technique for performing the stunt that had to be figured out, but even then, the stunt was usually difficult enough to require some skill or luck once the technique was realized. Viewers would usually try to figure it out and after a few weeks on the air viewers would often get it (sometimes Collyer would remark that viewers had been writing in and he would give certain dimensions of the props used so viewers could try to figure it out at home). Usually either contestant themselves would start appearing on the show with the technique in mind, or audience members would shout it out to try to help them. A stunt would usually take a few weeks before the audience realized the technique, and then a few more weeks before someone was able to properly employ it.

[edit] Super bonus stunt

In response to the big money prizes which began to appear on other networks' game shows, CBS talked Mark Goodson into increasing the stakes on Beat The Clock. (Ultimately the plan was unsuccessful as the ratings never did improve much, perhaps leading to the end of the super bonus.) Starting on February 25, 1956, after the last regular bonus stunt had been won, it was replaced by the "super bonus" which started at $10,000 and went up by $1,000 every time a couple failed to beat the clock. Unlike with the regular bonus stunt and the "big cash bonus stunt" that followed it (see below), the super bonus was attempted by every couple who qualified by beating the $200 clock. Originally the stunt was played at the end of the show by each couple that qualified, and, "because of the high prize value", a special timing machine made by the Longines company was used, which was touted as the most accurate portable timer available. Probably realizing that seeing the same stunt a few times in a row was a bit boring, they moved the super bonus right after the $200 clock and before the jackpot clock on March 17, and dropped the Longines timer.

The super bonus was won only twice in its existence. The first super bonus stunt involved the husband picking up four small paper cups from a table one at a time and stacking them atop a large helium-filled balloon using only one hand. The first seven contestants had trouble even getting the second cup stacked, but the eighth contestant to try the stunt on March 25, 1956 (the show's sixth "birthday" show) kept the balloon very close to the ground and at points held it on the ground (Collyer warned him several times not to do so) and bounced the balloon as he grabbed the next cup. He was able to stack the four cups quickly and won $18,000, and subsequently also won the jackpot prize (a television). The contestants who qualified later in that program were brought back the following week to try the new super bonus.

The second super bonus stunt again involved the husband who wore a football helmet with wooden salad bowl attached face-down on the forehead. The husband had to balance a wooden cylinder (about the size of a paper towel roll) on its end on the bowl. The cylinder was tied at its midpoint to a fishing line on a shortened fishing pole. It was designed by Frank Wayne who demonstrated the completing of the stunt before the studio audience prior to at least some of the tapings. This stunt proved very difficult, and most contestants who attempted it showed no indication of a technique for getting the rod to the bowl. Only one person even had the pole sitting flat for a brief instant until September 6, where both the first contestant (a holdover who had practiced at home) and the second contestant (for $62,000 and $63,000 respectively) managed to have the dowel sitting on the bowl for a few moments, but lost its balance when the string was slacked. On September 15, 1956, Collyer announced that the next show would gain a new sponsor, and if the super bonus was not won, Fresh and Sylvania would be donating the super bonus pot to charity. However, the first contestant, a holdover from the previous show of near-misses who had practiced at home, won the jackpot of $64,000 (which is equivalent to over $484,000 in 2007 dollars); they then won the jackpot prize, a washer and dryer. Each of the final three contestants employed a technique of raising the dowel very slowly so it did not swing around. Unlike the original bonus, however, the audience never seemed to catch on to a particular technique for the two super bonus stunts, and advice was not usually shouted out.

Partway through the run of the second Super Bonus, a rolling desk/table with dollar value of the bonus printed on it was used to roll out the props for the stunt. This carried over to the Big cash bonus stunt. It is notable that in the earliest surviving episodes from 1952 that air, the original bonus had a similar desk with the value of the bonus on it. The desk was done away with for several years until the idea was reused in 1956.

[edit] Big cash bonus stunt

Starting on September 22, 1956 (the same day Beat the Clock's new sponsor became Hazel Bishop) the bonus reverted back to the original bonus stunt format (attempted once per episode by whatever couple heard the bell ringing). The jackpot started at $5,000, and increased $1,000 every week it was not won. If successful, the couple left the show with the so-called "top prize"; otherwise, they continued on with the regular game. Perhaps inspired by the lengthy stretch of the very difficult second Super Bonus stunt, the bonus stunts that followed it tended to be less difficult, and several were won within the first month of their appearance (once even being won in its first attempt).

[edit] Bonus cash and prize stunt

Featured on the daytime version. A lucky couple had a chance to win a bundle of cash and their choice of a new car or a boat. To win, they had to successfully complete their bonus stunt. Like the original bonus stunt, the cash value started at $100, going up each time the stunt was not successfully completed. The largest cash bonus won on the daytime edition was $20,100 during its years on ABC.

[edit] The Stunts

The stunts performed on the show were mostly created by staff stunt writers Frank Wayne and Bob Howard. In the early days of the show, playwright Neil Simon was also a stunt writer. The stunts were usually aimed towards fun with difficulty being secondary. The stunts would usually be constructed out of common household props such as balloons, record players, dishes/cups, and balls of almost every type. The stunts performed varied widely, but there were some common themes.

Most stunts in some way involved physical speed or dexterity. Contestants often had to balance something with some part of their body, or race back and forth on the stage (for example, releasing a balloon, running across the stage to do some task, and running back in time to catch the balloon before it floated too high). Often the challenge was some form of target practice, in terms of throwing, rolling, bowling, etc.

The setup for the stunt was often designed to look easy but then have a complication or gimmick revealed. (For example, Collyer would say "All you have to do is stack four plates," check the clock to see how much time they had to do it, and then add "oh, and one more thing—you can't use your hands.") Common twists included blindfolding one or both contestants, or telling them they couldn't use their hands (or feet or any body part that would be obvious to use for whatever the task was).

The other common element in the stunts was to get one of the contestants messy in some way often involving whipped cream, pancake batter, and such (usually limited to the husband of the couple). While it was not a part of every stunt, and sometimes it didn't even happen in an episode, it was common enough that when a couple brought a child on, Collyer would often ask what they thought the parents might have to do and the child would often respond "get whipped cream in their face." Many times the wife would be shown a task, be blindfolded, and then her husband would be quietly brought out and unknown to her, she would be covering him with some sort of mess. When the mess was not hidden from the wife, Collyer would often jokingly tell the husband (who usually had a short haircut) that they would put a bathing cap on his head "to keep your long hair out of your eyes" before revealing what form of mess he would be involved with. Occasionally Collyer himself would get caught in the mess accidentally. These types of stunts are very reminiscent of and might be considered a prototype for the kinds of stunts performed on future game shows such as Double Dare (although rival show Truth or Consequences was also known for these messy kinds of stunts, as well). The props employed usually included household items such as cardboard boxes, dishware, toys, and food items.

Technicality in the rules was not a major issue on the show. The goal was usually to make sure the contestants had fun. Collyer would often stop the clock in the middle of a stunt if the contestant(s) was struggling so he could advise them on a better way to do the stunt. Often if a condition of the stunt was "don't use your hands," Collyer would ignore the first use of hands and just warn the contestant. If the time limit was nearly up on a task, he would often give them a few moments extra, or tell them if they started before the clock ran out and succeeded in that attempt, he would count it. Sometimes if a contestant had come close enough (for example, if they had to stack cups and saucers without the pile falling over, and the contestant knocked the pile over while putting the last cup on top, he would give them the stunt if they did not have time to do it again. If there was a problem with a prop breaking or running out of a supply, such as balloons, Collyer would simply give the stunt to the couple, citing it as the show's fault. Similarly, on the messy stunts, since the goal was just to mess up the husband, the time limit was often unimportant and the clock would be stopped when Bud felt the husband was messy enough.

Sometimes, there were theme shows, such as one episode where all the stunts were circus themed, to celebrate the circus being in town; an international show, with each stunt having some relation to some other country; a show in which certain props were used in each stunt; a birthday show on the show's anniversary; April Fools shows where there was a trick in every stunt; and an episode at the end of each year redoing favorite stunts of that year.

In order to determine if the stunts could actually be performed, and to set appropriate time limits for them, the producers hired out-of-work actors to try them out. One of those who did this work was James Dean, who was said to be able to perform any task the producers gave him to try. He was so adept that he had to be let go, as he was too fast to set the time limits by.[citation needed] Collyer also noted on the air a number of times that he himself tested many of the stunts while they were being developed (often noting that the contestant performed the stunt with far more ease than he had).

[edit] Prizes – Sylvania era

Prizes varied depending on the era of the show and the sponsor at the time. During Sylvania's tenure as sponsor (which began in March 1951), consolation prizes for losing the $100 clock were usually a Sylvania radio which was brought out. $100 clock prizes included Michael C. Fina silverware sets, a collection of four Knapp-Monarch small kitchen appliances, or a Hoover upright, among others. $200 clock prizes included International-Harvester refrigerators, air conditioning units (usually in the summer), a Tappan range/oven, a James dishwasher, Speed Queen washers and dryers (for some reason, they were only offered separately) and small Sylvania TVs. All of these prizes, except the Sylvania radio, were shown on "art cards" and not actually brought out on the show.

The jackpot prize during Sylvania's tenure was always a Sylvania television set. Sometimes a hi-fi stereo/phonograph (with "famous surround sound") was included with the television, and it was noted that the jackpot prize was "worth more than $500". A notable (and often pointed out) feature of Sylvania's TVs at the time was the "halo light", which was an illuminated "frame" around the image which was supposed to have made watching the image easier on the eyes, similar to Philips' "AmbiLight" feature on television sets today.

The sets, as was the style at the time, were freestanding pieces of furniture that sat on legs on the floor with a speaker mounted below the screen. Various models were given away over the years — sometimes the same model several times in one episode, sometimes a different model each time the jackpot was won in an episode. Roxanne (later Beverly) would pose with the TV which was revealed from behind a curtain in a small faux living room. The earliest win of a TV in the episodes whose records still air was a Jefferson 20" cabinet. Shortly after, on September 6, 1952, the new 1953, 21" Montclair cabinet (model 177M) was unveiled. In December 1952, the 1953 21" Huntington, and the 21" Kensington corner cabinet debuted on the show, though the Montclair remained the most common prize. On April 4, 1953, a different 21" Kensington cabinet with "French provincial stylings", debuted.

Some of the other models over the years included the 24" Penhurst console, the 21" Windermere console (with French provincial stylings), and later the "Cabinet of Light" (as the line was called) models, the 21" Belvedere, and the 24" Kimberly (circa 1956).

There were also various gifts given to the contestants just for appearing on the show. There was a Sylvania Beat the Clock home game produced which was given to contestants starting in the mid-50s. When it was novel, Collyer would open the box and explain that it would be fun for not just children but adults at parties, and he would point out the working clock and the instructions for stunts and all the props. Later in the run it would be brought out, shown and whisked away just as quickly. The boxes were reworked a few times, and there was a new edition released later in the run. Both versions were manufactured by Lowell Toy Mfg. Co. of New York, who produced a number of television-based home games at the time.

When children were brought on the show, there were special gifts. Starting on September 6, 1952, Girls brought on the show were given a Roxanne doll that was produced at the time. On October 11, 1952, the Buck Rogers Space Ranger Kit was debuted for the male children. In the mid-50s, each child was given a camera kit (the brand of the camera varied often but it always included a supply of Sylvania "Blue Dot for sure shot" flashbulbs). If contestants were involved in a messy stunt, Roxanne (later Beverly) would come out and take a picture of the husband/couple. Initially it wasn't made clear how the couple would get the photo (perhaps mailed to them), but later in the run, the camera would be given to the couple in addition to any their children might already have been given. Collyer would explain that when they developed the film, the first photo would be that of the husband/couple.

From 1956 and for the rest of the show's run on CBS, the jackpot prizes usually consisted of a Magnavox Color TV; Fedders air conditioners (usually awarded as a pair); Westinghouse washer & dryer pairs, and refrigerators; Hardwick ranges; and Easy "Combomatic" combination washer-dryers.

[edit] Famous quotes

The show had several long-running catch-phrases. The most notable, which continued into the later revivals of the show, was the announcer's call after the opening theme: "Now here's America's number-one clock-watcher, Bud Collyer!" (and for the revivals, the appropriate host's name in place of Collyer's). A running joke was that announcer Bern Bennett's voice would often crack while reading Collyer's name in this introduction. Collyer would sometimes jokingly mock Bennett afterwards. On occasions when Collyer was absent for vacation or other reasons, Bennett would revise the call with the substitute host's name, "filling in for the vacationing Bud Collyer, here's America's number-two clock-watcher...".

After his introduction in early episodes, Collyer would open the show saying "Welcome once again to Beat the Clock: The show where you can have the time of your life playing against time for big time prizes."

When explaining a stunt, Collyer would almost always assure the contestants if they were successful, "...we'll stop the clock, and you'll (have) beat(en) the clock...". However, when contestants failed a stunt, Collyer would tell them "You didn't beat the clock; the clock beat you."

When the bonus bell rang (in the original Sylvania format, and later when it returned to a bell format for the Hazel Bishop era) Collyer would, in (perhaps mock) surprise, call out "The bonus! You get to try the bonus!"

At the end of an episode where a couple hadn't finished their jackpot clock, Collyer would always ask, "Can you come back next week?" and if affirmative, "Then you'll be our first contestants" (Collyer once referred to it as "the time-honored question").

At the end of every episode in the Sylvania era (and later with the Sylvania bit omitted), Collyer would close with: "Right now, this is Bud Collyer speaking for Sylvania, hoping that next time may be your time to beat the clock! Goodnight everybody."

The lyrics to the show's first Sylvania theme song, Lights of Broadway read:

It's time to Beat the Clock!
Lights of Broadway, sights of Broadway
Sounds of Broadway all around
And there above shines the name "Sylvania"
Pioneering light, sight and sound
Finer products, better products
Best at quality
Made for you by Sylvania
Pioneer for half a century
Beat the Clock, brought by Sylvania
Beat the Clock, to entertain ya
It's time to play Beat the Clock

The lyrics to the show's second, more commonly known Sylvania theme song read:

Tick tock, tick tock
Hickory dickory dock
It's time to beat the clock
Time for fun has now begun
Let's all play Beat the Clock

This new introduction debuted on December 20, 1952. Initially, between the theme and the description of Sylvania's products ("incandescent bulbs, fluorescent tubes and fixtures, flashbulbs, radio and television sets, radio and television tubes, and electronic devices suitable for homes, schools and businesses"), there was an eerie montage of different people laughing, ostensibly enjoying the show, but the clips were somewhat maniacal in appearance (possibly due to the stark black background behind the people). Unlike the first theme, this one did not mention Sylvania; but after the laughing clips, there would be a mention of Sylvania and its products. On February 14, 1953, the laughter clips were removed from the opening.

[edit] Production changes

[edit] 1950: beginning

Beat the Clock began airing Thursday nights on CBS on March 23, 1950, running 45 minutes with no commercials. Even the show's introduction was austere; no theme song, just a shot of the clock ticking off the seconds, as announcer Bern Bennett would say, "It's time for America's favorite party game, "BEAT THE CLOCK..." and then introduce Bud Collyer. Initially, the show ran for 45 minutes, then expanded to an hour (it is unclear if this was still on Thursday) before moving to Saturdays. The show did not have a sponsor until the Saturday night shows, and this is believed to have happened in September 1950 (Collyer mentions on October 4, 1952 that they've just celebrated two years of sponsorship). Those prior episodes are believed not to be in the available library of episodes (hence some of the reason for the unclarity). The show was telecast from the Maxine Elliott Theater (Studio 51).

[edit] 1950-1956: The Sylvania era

The most recognizable era of the show was from 1950 (or 1951), when it moved to a more standard half-hour on Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time. This is when the show was sponsored by the Sylvania company. Notable on the show were their flashbulbs, radios and television sets. The show was CBS's lead-in to Saturday night programming. One program on their schedule in 1952 was Jackie Gleason's variety show on which he once performed a Honeymooner's sketch on the Beat the Clock set with himself and Art Carney as contestants. (this sketch, titled "Teamwork: Beat the Clock" was considered one of the so-called "lost" Honeymooners episodes; it's since been available on home video) The first one to two years of this period are also presumed unavailable. There were very few production changes during this period the show. The first theme song from this period was Lights of Broadway. This later changed to the more familiar Hickory Dickory Dock (lyrics quoted above). The theme from the original unsponsored show is unknown.

[edit] 1955–56 production changes

In late 1955/early 1956 there were a few production changes to go along with the gameplay changes that began later in 1956. The first notable change was the absence of assistant Roxanne in August 1956. There was never any explanation for her departure. Some rumor persists that Collyer was jealous of her popularity, but other sources cite that she left to get married. Roxanne did give birth to her daughter Anne shortly after her departure from the show.

The show's sponsor, Sylvania began a contest in 1955 where viewers could visit a local Sylvania dealer and get an entry form to mail in for the contest. The entries were placed in a big rotating drum on the show and one of the contestant couples/families would draw the top three winners for the week (with additional winners being drawn after the show).

While not a significant change to the show itself, the contest may have been the impetus for a longer-lasting production change. Shortly before the contest drawings began, the jackpot board, which had been behind the contestants' podium, was moved to the first curtain to the [viewers'] left of the podium. This might have been preparation for the contest, as the drum was placed behind the curtain which had previously contained the jackpot board.

The final notable production change in this period involved the opening of the show. The show previously opened with the theme and an animated clip. Added before this was an opening teaser, which affected the show in a number of ways. In the teaser, Collyer would stand with the first couple on the show and explain the stunt they would have to perform; however, he would leave out that crucial detail that would make it difficult. The detail was not usually something easy to guess like blindfolding or whipped cream, but was usually something that would surprise everyone such as changing a factor of the stunt to make it more difficult (for example, Collyer would demonstrate throwing a baseball into a barrel but then replace the baseballs with basketballs that would barely fit into the barrel, or moving the contestant much further away from the barrel, etc.).

There were a few side effects of this change. The clock's buzzer would sound, telling Collyer time had run out. Originally this buzzer often came while Collyer was explaining a stunt or during the performance of a stunt. The same stunt would start again the next week (in a form of suspense, perhaps, to bring the audience back). Collyer would often suggest that they practice the stunt at home (sometimes jokingly, if the stunt involved props that would be very unlikely to be found in the home). Collyer would then ask the contestants if they could come back, which they usually could. After the opening teaser was added, contestants who had only the jackpot clock left and said they could come back were suddenly absent the next week, with Collyer explaining that after the show it seemed inconvenient to come back for just the jackpot clock, and that the couple had played the jackpot clock after the show went off the air. This generally avoided the next week starting with a jackpot clock (which would not work with the teaser). After the change Collyer would often rush contestants to perform the Jackpot quickly if they had just barely enough time in order to not have the jackpot clock at the beginning of the next episode. Additionally, when a contestant ended the show in the middle of a stunt or after the stunt was explained, it was not repeated the next week. The teaser started with a brand new stunt. Collyer began telling contestants "You'll start next week with this stunt or another, we're not sure which yet" (which he said every time it happened for months), but rarely was the same stunt held over after the change (until late in the Fresh sponsorship - see below - when they started sometimes holding stunts over to the next week again).

Around the time the super bonus stunt moved from the end of the show to after the $200 clock, the opening teaser was changed from the preview of a stunt to a preview of the super bonus stunt, telling the audience what the prize was up to that week. The effects of the teaser change (the jackpot never starting a show, couples who were in the middle of a stunt getting a new one the next week) continued, however.

These changes seemed aimed at streamlining the show and making each show run faster and less informally. After the changes, children began not being brought out with the couple (kids gradually started reappearing after several months in the middle of 1956 with less frequency than they originally had been), even when the couple said the children were backstage or in the audience. The stunts started getting a little harder and Collyer was a bit less helpful. Stunts tended to be more often aimed towards skill and difficulty than the slapstick and embarrassment that had been at the forefront in the past. (Before this, it was commonplace for every contestant to win the jackpot in an episode.) This in some ways "modernized" the show—one might note that the conversation between Collyer and children of contestants was very much definitive/reminiscent of early game shows of the 1950s. Similarly the addition of the teaser and the super bonus in some ways took the feel of the show away from a very informal free-flowing game that happened to have cameras rolling to a more smooth running, pressure-filled atmosphere with a more 'produced' feeling with more gimmicks than ever before.

[edit] 1956: Fresh – The end of Sylvania's tenure

In late spring of 1956, just weeks after Collyer's announcement of a new Sylvania contest (see the 1955 contest above), Beat the Clock got a new sponsor—Fresh Deodorants. Along with this came a number of production changes. First, the show's Hickory Dickory Dock theme song was replaced by a jazzy electric guitar piece (with no lyric) in the tune of the song Bicycle Built For Two, over footage of a field of daisies (daisies apparently being a theme of the new sponsor—Fresh as a daisy). After a few episodes, a lyric was added that was an alteration of the lyric of the original song (possibly a slogan of the company at the time). The walls (previously in a type of bubble/marble pattern) and podium were changed to have daisies decorating them, and the famous clock was redressed into a Fresh motif. The contestants even wore small daisy lapel pins. More jazzy guitar music was added to the opening teaser of the super bonus, and while the contestants attempted the bonus (in a sort of Flight of the Bumblebee pace of panic). Collyer also took every opportunity to toss "Fresh" or "daisy" into his dialogue during the show.

There were two other changes of note to the actual implementation of the show; first, the jackpot clock (the magnetic word puzzle) moved back to its original location behind the contestants' podium. Secondly were the prizes. Naturally the new sponsor brought new prizes. First the gift given to contestants still included the home game (now "courtesy of Fresh" with Fresh graphics on the box, though seemingly still including a photo of Roxanne) but the camera kits with Sylvania flashbulbs were replaced by a gift box of Fresh products (and of course, photos of messy stunts were no longer taken). The jackpot prize was no longer a TV set, but various rotating prizes. On the first episode of Fresh's sponsorship, jackpot prizes included a Westinghouse Deluxe Laundromat washer and matching dryer, and a pair of York snorkel air conditioners. Betty or Eileen posed with the prizes instead of Beverly. The last Sylvania prize ever awarded on the show was a Windermere console with a hi-fi.

[edit] 1956: Hazel Bishop takes over

On September 22, 1956, Hazel Bishop cosmetics company became the show's new sponsor. They were the final sponsor of the show on CBS. This coincided with the above-mentioned new big cash bonus which was likely a response to the failure of the super bonus to improve ratings. In perhaps another response, the show also moved to a new time, 7:00–7:30 p.m. Eastern time. This made it the first program ever to open a Saturday night lineup at 7:00. However, some affiliates had other programming commitments and the show lost about 20 stations.

A new theme song was introduced called Subway Polka, and the opening teaser introduced months earlier was eliminated. The set was redressed very similar to the way it had originally appeared, and even the clock itself went back to its original appearance (except for the Hazel Bishop name instead of Sylvania's on the face). Another change that coincided with the new sponsor and timeslot was that Beverly was no longer with the show. Contestants were introduced by the announcer, and prizes and gifts were presented by the other assistants. The gifts included a giftbox of Hazel Bishop cosmetics, and a yet-again rebranded home game. In January 1957, the home game was replaced with a new home version of the magnetic jackpot board. The prizes remained, for the most part, the same or similar prizes as under Fresh's sponsorship. A few weeks into the new big cash bonus, the lighting was dimmed (or at least some camera effect was used) to darken the studio and highlight the contestants and the lights on the clock.

[edit] 1957: New timeslot

The ratings continued to decline and on Friday, February 8, 1957, the show moved to Fridays at 7:30–8:00 p.m. Eastern time. Corresponding with this change was a redesign of the show's set (it is suggested that this might be the point where the show moved to the Ritz Theater in New York City, but other sources date that as 1958 and likely refer to the point where the show moved to ABC). Unlike previous set changes, this was not simply a redress of the walls and surfaces. The contestants were now introduced by opening a curtain to the area behind the newly redesigned podium. The jackpot board was moved to the wall to the left (viewers' left) of the podium/curtain. The curtained wall (with the show's title above it) between the clock and the podium was removed to reveal a wall further back. There was a small semi-circular curtained area to the (viewers') left of the jackpot board which rotated more into view when needed, and contained the jackpot prizes. A few weeks later, the show's title was put on the back wall again, and a curtain (that was sometimes left open) was re-added to the center stage area.

Artistically, the set had a diamond motif. The contestants were once again given the home game instead of the magnetic board. Other gifts were also given to children, such as a radio kit for young boys, or a doll for girls. A few weeks into the new night, they began playing playful music while the contestants attempted their stunts (reminiscent of how music played during the super bonus in the Fresh era of the show).

On June 21, 1957, the show aired unsponsored. Hazel Bishop began sponsoring only every-other week. The show did not change much except for the obvious stoppage of any mention of Hazel Bishop. The clock was rebranded with the title of the show, and the podium was bare. The contestants still received the home game (a new edition that had been introduced several months earlier), but obviously, not the Hazel Bishop gifts. Other recent gifts that were still given included a crystal radio kit for boys brought on the show, and a "Beat The Clock, Rags to Riches" doll (whose clothes changed her into a princess) for girls.

[edit] 1957 and beyond: daytime

In addition to the Friday night show, on September 16, 1957, CBS began airing the show at 2:00 p.m. (Eastern time), Monday to Friday. It was only the second nighttime show ever to have a daytime version. The nighttime show continued to lose viewers and, shortly after the daytime show began, moved to Sunday nights at 6:00 p.m. without a sponsor. On February 16, 1958, the nighttime show ended after eight years. (Because records after this period are not currently distributed (see below), the dates are difficult to confirm.)

The daytime show was not a failure, but it did not meet CBS's expectations. It was announced that Beat the Clock would be replaced by The Jimmy Dean Show in September. The daytime show aired on CBS for just under a year until September 12, 1958. However, at the time ABC was in the process of developing a daytime lineup which it previously lacked. They began picking up low-budget shows. CBS permitted Collyer to move to ABC with the agreement that ABC would not air a nighttime version. Following a short hiatus, the show began again on October 13, 1958 on ABC, at 3:00 p.m., and ran through January 30, 1961 (following one last attempted move to 12:30 p.m.).

[edit] Existing records

Like many shows of its day, the show was recorded using kinescope recording (i.e., the show was saved on film). There are even some mentions of this on the show, such as, when people once called and wrote in contesting a loss on the second super bonus stunt, Bud mentioned that they checked the kinescope of the episode and confirmed that the contestant never had the string slack.

Like most kinescope recordings that have been put into current use, the films have been transferred to video tape (and in some cases, the videos into digital form). Some kinescopes or video tapes are lost or in too poor quality to broadcast so there are sometimes gaps in the available catalogue of episodes. There is one "public domain" episode-not part of GSN's catalogue, that dates to sometime in October, 1951, possibly making it the oldest surviving episode in existence.

It is unclear whether the daytime episodes (both CBS and ABC) are lost or damaged, but the episodes are rarely seen. However, among the collectors/traders circuit, there is one surviving daytime episode from September 1960, which features a bonus stunt win of $20,100 plus their choice of a car or a boat, which set a record for daytime TV winnings in the post-scandal era. GSN currently holds rights to air the show and has episodes from the original nighttime series with a few exceptions due to the aforementioned issues. Their episodes seem to range from the episode believed to have aired August 2, 1952 (when John Reed King was guest hosting) until the final episode before the CBS daytime began, even though the nighttime series continued normally the next week. GSN, at one time dominated by black-and-white game shows, now airs almost none. Their latest run of Beat the Clock (at 3:00 with What's My Line? at 3:30) ended the morning of April 1, 2006. It was replaced by the original run of I've Got A Secret, which was shortly thereafter replaced by an AM rerun of the brand new revival version of that series. Starting the morning of July 4, 2006, GSN, Beat the Clock returned to its former timeslot, lasting only until August when the entire 3:00-4:00 block was replaced by The Amazing Race.

GSN does occasionally air single episodes of classic game shows during tributes or specials, or clips of them during clip shows. Other than such occurrences, the show is not currently airing on American television.

[edit] 1969-1974

The first season, 1969-1970, was taped at The Little Theatre on Broadway in New York City. BTC would relocate to Montreal, Canada, as a cost-saving experiment, prior to the taping schedule for the 1970-71 season (becoming the only Goodson-Todman game show to be produced in Canada, not counting French-Canadian versions of Goodson-Todman game shows). CTV aired the series for Canadian audiences during its four-year stay in Montreal.

[edit] The Jack Narz era 1969–1972

In early episodes, couples, now aided by a weekly celebrity guest, played for points simply by completing stunts. The first couple to reach 100 points won a prize package. This was subsequently changed to the couples receiving a prize every time they won. Eventually, prizes were replaced by the winning couple facing a "cash board" with "BEAT THE CLOCK" spelled out on three levels. Each letter concealled a money amount ranging from $25 to $200. The couple would agree on a letter, select it, and the winnings would be revealed. At some point during the show, the celebrity would perform a "solo stunt" (which seemed to have supplanted the bonus stunt on the original show). The couples could win $50 if they guessed correctly whether the star could beat the clock or time would expire on him or her. Towards the end of Narz's tenure as host, stunts would be replaced in the second half of the show, with the celebrity playing a game of intuition with the couples, who would play for a cash prize that was divided among them. During this time, the show was syndicated through 20th Century Fox Television. One unusual aspect of these shows was that Narz's suit jackets had a "Beat The Clock" logo sewn onto their pockets.

During the first season in Canada with the cash board, a couple picked the "L" in CLOCK as their first choice. Because the undersides of the letter tiles were completely blank, it caused an inadvertent blooper, as the board then read "BEAT THE C_OCK"; thereafter, the undersides of each tile contained a duplicate of the corresponding letter to prevent such an incident from happening again.

[edit] The Gene Wood era 1972-1974

At the time, Jack Narz made no apparent announcement prior to, or gave a reason for, his departure from the show; apparently, it did not stem from conflicts with Goodson-Todman, since he took the helm of G-T's new syndicated version of Concentration one year later. In an internet radio interview, Narz finally explained his reason for leaving: because of the show's prohibitive budget, he had to pay his own way to commute from his home in Los Angeles to Montreal. Despite buying plane tickets in Canada (which, due to lower currency value, ordinarily benefited American tourists), he still suffered significant expenses. A successful appeal to Mark Goodson for more money was still not enough; the costs mounted to the point of basically erasing much of his earnings from the show.

Thus, former announcer Gene Wood (who had, as a moonlighting job, been hosting a similar stunt game titled Anything You Can Do, a battle-of-the-sexes competition also recorded in Canada) came out from behind the sound booth to become host of the show for what turned out to be its final two seasons; local staff announcer Nick Hollinrake (notably the announcer on CTV's The Mad Dash) assumed the voice-over duties from Wood (Hollinrake had previously announced for a week during Narz's final season in which Wood was the celebrity guest). The show changed syndicators, to Firestone Syndication Services (which at the time, also syndicated another Goodson-Todman show, To Tell the Truth, whose original network host, like BTC, was Bud Collyer).

Now referred to as The New Beat the Clock (although the show's logo still read simply "Beat the Clock"), the set was refreshed with a new color scheme, and the clock got a redesign as well. As was the case with Jack Narz, Gene Wood's suit jackets also had a "Beat The Clock" logo sewn onto their pockets.

The only changes in the format were (possibly as a throwback to the Bud Collyer era) that couples were introduced separately, and played two stunts, win or lose (a win, of course, meant a trip to the "cash board"); and both couples competed simultaneously in a final stunt, with the winning couple receiving a prize. Celebrity guests were retained in the new format, once again aiding the contestants, and performing the "solo stunt," as well as acting as a judge in the final stunt of the day. Another throwback to the Bud Collyer era (when the show was seen in the daytime) was the revival of "Ladies' Day," where women only (not counting the celebrity for that week) would play the game.

Despite continued popularity on local stations in both daytime and prime-time access timeslots, G-T decided to discontinue production of BTC when, in 1974, CTV asked the company for half of the proceeds from advertisers awarding their wares as contestant consolation prizes. Wood, returning to voice-over work, went on to a 20-year career announcing Los Angeles-based shows for G-T and, occasionally, other packagers; he did not host another television show ever again.

[edit] Episode Status

Some, if not all, of this series is intact, and has aired on GSN in the past. Two episodes from the Jack Narz era were aired in late 2005, in order to pay tribute to Bob Denver and Louis Nye, both of whom had recently died. In January 2007, the network aired an episode from the Gene Wood era that featured William Shatner; another Wood episode aired on October 22, 2007 featuring Dick Clark as the celebrity guest. A Narz era episode aired on June 11, 2007 featuring Tom Kennedy (Narz's brother).

[edit] 1979 format

In this format, two couples competed against each other and the clock. This incarnation was the only one of the four Beat the Clock editions to originate from Los Angeles (except for the Gameshow Marathon version).

[edit] Rounds 1 and 2

In rounds one and two, the couples competed against each other in a stunt worth $500 for the winner. One stunt usually featured the women of the couples, while the other featured the men; though the other partner sometimes had to help as well. The clock was run as a failsafe by which if neither couple completed the stunt within the time limit, the couple nearest would win. The winner of each round's competitive stunt went on the play a solo stunt together for an additional $500.

[edit] Bonus Shuffle

After the first two rounds, both couples played the "Bonus Shuffle"; a round of shuffleboard on a special table which had stripes at the far end denoting $300-$1,000 in $100 increments, increasing towards the end of the table. The couple which was leading after two rounds shot first and had three pucks to shoot with, while the other couple had two. The couples alternated shooting pucks, with each woman shooting first, then the men, and finally whichever member of the leading couple wanted to shoot.

The table had no walls around it, and any pucks which were thrown or knocked off the side or end of the table, as well as any which did not reach the first money stripe, did not count and were removed. The team whose puck that was furthest along the board at the end of play, and which was touching a money stripe (there was just enough space between stripes for a puck not to touch either) won that amount and got to the bonus stunt for ten times the amount. Both couples kept their winnings from the first two rounds, but these winnings were not used in determining the champions. The couple who won the bonus shuffle would return as champions for the next episode.

If the neither team had a puck touching a money amount at the end of the game, or if the pucks were equidistant from the end of the board, the teams would play a playoff. The team with the advantage from the earlier rounds chose whether to throw first or second. Each team threw one puck. The first spot of the first puck was marked, and it was removed before the second team threw. The furthest puck touching a money amount was the winner like in the regular game.

[edit] Bonus stunt

The winning couple played the bonus stunt for ten times their winning shuffleboard score, for a top prize of $10,000. A stunt would remain as the bonus stunt until a couple completed it or it was played five times. Theoretically, the most money a team could win in a single day was $13,000. Teams stayed on until they won $25,000 or more, or were defeated.

[edit] Celebrity version

Midway into its short-lived run, the show switched to an all-celebrity format. Changes made included:

  • Celebrity pairs played for designated rooting sections of the audience which split the winnings.
  • Stunts in the first two rounds were only worth $250
  • If the winning team completed the bonus stunt, $1,000 went to their rooting section while the remaining money went to their favorite charity.
  • Both star teams remained on the show for a week.

[edit] Episode status

This series is full and complete. The Christmas episode with Ronnie Schell, Joyce Bulifant, Johnny Brown, and Patti Deutsch has been aired on GSN in the past during Christmas-themed marathons. This incarnation returned to GSN's schedule on September 10, 2007 and currently airs late Saturday/Sunday nights at 2:30 AM ET/PT.

[edit] 2002 version

Taped at Universal Studios Florida and aired on PAX TV, three couples competed in this version.

[edit] Round 1

To start the game, all three couples faced-off in a stunt. The first couple to complete the stunt got 10 points and the advantage of having to play a solo stunt first. Each couple in turn starting with the couple who won the opening stunt played a 30 second stunt. But before that, they first had to answer a two-part question; after the question was asked, the female player got to answer and, if she was correct, the male partner got to answer (sometimes they could both answer). If both correct answers were given, 10 seconds was added to the time for a total of 40 seconds. Either way they would then play the stunt; now if the stunt was completed the couple won 10 points plus 1 for every second left on the clock (Ex: 10 + 3 sec. = 13 points).

[edit] Round 2

Again all three couples played a face-off stunt. The couples were positioned according to their score, with the couple in first place getting the advantage, the second place couple in the middle, and third at a disadvantage. This was an elimination stunt in which first two couples to complete the stunt advanced to round three, while the couple coming in last got eliminated but went home with parting gifts.

[edit] Round 3

In this round only one stunt was played. Two minutes was the starting time for the stunt, and the two remaining couples bid against each other to see who played the stunt with a lower time limit. Control of who starts the bidding was determined by a question in which the woman of the team that won the elimination stunt decided to either have the partner answer or have the opponents answer. Whoever won the question started the bidding. The bidding round was played until one team told the other to "Beat the Clock"; at which point the opposing team played the stunt in the adjusted time limit. If the couple could perform the stunt within that time limit, they won the game; otherwise the other team won. The winning couple went on to the bonus round.

[edit] The bonus round ("The Swirling Whirlwind of Cash and Prizes")

The winning couple went into a play area called "The Swirling Whirlwind of Cash and Prizes." Inside was over $25,000 in cash & prizes ($100,000 in the pilot). The winning couple had 60 seconds to grab as many dollar bills and prize vouchers as they can. They could only grab what was in the air, nothing on the ground, although they could kick up what was on the ground. Each time they grabbed the cash and prizes, the female partner had to stick them in the male partner's little bag strapped around his waist. When time ran out, the team had to put their hands in the air, letting go of any money in their hands, and come out. Everything that was in the bag was theirs to keep. The host usually throws some extra money and vouchers in at the beginning.

Note: Later in the run, a gold dollar bill was added. If it was grabbed in the sixty seconds, the money was doubled.

[edit] Cultural references

 Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
  • The original show was also the basis for an episode of the Gameshow Marathon in 2006.
  • An episode of the animated sitcom The Flintstones once mentioned a "prehistoric" version of Beat the Clock, entitled Beat the Sundial.
  • The Late Show with David Letterman features a recurring Beat the Clock segment, but in this version the contestant is not given any actual task to complete within the 30 allotted seconds, and inevitably loses after the clock runs out over his or her repeated protests of "stop the clock."
  • The game where a saying or phrase has to be unscrambled in a limited time is alluded to in a sketch from Monty Python's Flying Circus.
  • Sesame Street once had a parody of Beat the Clock called Beat the Time hosted by Guy Smiley. It appeared a few times, with all contestants winning; Cookie Monster by finding three things that rhymed with the word "rain" within what appeared to be 55 seconds (a cane, a chain and a train), Grover by finding five things that contain milk within 60 (butter, cheese, ice cream and two cows), Count von Count by bringing in two things that came from the sky within 20 seconds (thunder and lightning) and Elmo by bringing in three things starting with "sn" in 30 seconds, climaxed with Snuffleupagus.

[edit] British version

Although Beat the Clock was never a programme in its own right in the United Kingdom, it was hugely popular there as a part of ATV's Sunday Night at the London Palladium on the ITV network, from 1955 to 1967, and is still very well-remembered. It was hosted by the Palladium show's comperes, successively Tommy Trinder, Bruce Forsyth (later the host of many other game shows including The Generation Game, Play Your Cards Right, You Bet! and The Price Is Right), Don Erroll, Norman Vaughan and Jimmy Tarbuck. It was occasionally revived afterwards, notably in a BBC variety show hosted by Mike Smith in 1987.

[edit] External links