Blank Check was an American television game show that aired on NBC from January 6 to July 4, 1975. It was promoted as "television's first ESP game". Art James was the host and Johnny Jacobs was the announcer.
Created by Jack Barry, this short-lived game show was the first produced by Barry on NBC since the quiz show scandals of the 1950s, and the first of three game shows Barry produced at NBC (the other two were the syndicated Bullseye and the 1984 NBC series Hot Potato , both under the Barry & Enright Productions brand).
Format
Six players competed for an entire week of shows, trying to fill in a four-digit check.
One contestant played as the "check writer" and stood behind a podium positioned stage left. That contestant hit a plunger that stopped five spinning numbers, which could be used to write the check. If the contestant spun a straight (e.g., 1-2-3-4-5) they won a bonus prize. Host James asked the other five contestants, seated in a gallery at stage right, a question requiring a response containing a common relation between two things. The contestant who rang in with the correct answer attempted to guess what number (from the five spun at the start of the game) the check writer chose as the ones digit in their check. Guessing correctly meant they switched places with the check writer and started a new check for themselves, and the check writer won the amount for which the check had been completed up to that point.
If the contestant answering the question was unable to guess which number the check writer had selected, the selected number became the ones digit in the check and play continued for the tens and hundreds digits as described above.
If the check writer was able to complete three digits in their check, the check writer played a game against a studio audience member. The audience member was shown four prizes and their values, and asked to pick one. The check writer had to guess the prize the audience member selected. If incorrect, the audience member won that prize, and the process repeated with the remaining prizes. If the check writer incorrectly guessed three times, the check writer lost their position and the audience member won all four prizes.
If the check writer guessed correctly at any point, the game ended with the audience member winning all prizes accumulated to that point and the check writer earned the chance to place a fourth digit in their check. James then asked one last question to the gallery contestants. The correct respondent tried to guess the final digit selected by the check writer for the thousands digit in their check. If successful, the respondent became the new check writer. If the correct digit was not guessed, the number was placed in the check and the check writer won that amount in cash.
Once a check writer completed a four-digit check (or if they lost the audience game), another question was asked to the remaining five contestants. The person with the correct answer then exchanged places with the former check writer.
The contestant who wrote the biggest check during the week also won a car.
Broadcast history
Blank Check ran at 12:30 PM, Eastern (11:30 AM Central), opposite CBS' venerable serial Search for Tomorrow and ABC's Split Second; it replaced, through a scheduling shuffle with Celebrity Sweepstakes , a daytime version of Name That Tune. Despite Split Second's ratings problems, Blank Check did not take advantage to gain a leg up on Search. Art James would go on to host The Magnificent Marble Machine , which premiered the Monday following Blank Check's cancellation, with MMM taking over the Noon/11:00 time slot and the displaced Jackpot! taking refuge at 12:30/11:30.
The program had to end five minutes before the half-hour in order to accommodate an NBC News newscast anchored by Edwin Newman. Blank Check was the eleventh program to air in the 12:30/11:30 slot since that newscast began in October 1960; The Who, What, or Where Game (coincidentally hosted also by James) ran the longest, from 1969-1974.
NBC discontinued the five-minute newscast, its last daytime newscast, on New Year's Eve 1976.
Pilot
The 1974 pilots had slightly different rules. The contestant played the audience game after he/she completed their check, instead of after the hundreds digit. In the pilot format, the contestant had to correctly predict what prize from two cards the audience member had chosen. Doing so won the contestant the prize, while not doing so won the audience member the prize. Four sets of prizes were shown, and if the checkwriter managed to guess three prizes correctly, he/she also won a car.
The pilots also featured Quincy Jones' composition "Chump Change" as its theme music, but since it was also being used as the theme for Now You See It , a new musical theme was commissioned from composers Alan Thicke and Stan Worth.
Lawsuit against Mark Goodson Productions
Long after Blank Check left the air, The Price is Right introduced a pricing game also called "Blank Check". Producers of Price changed the name to "Check Game" in 1986, purportedly because Dan Enright threatened legal action against Mark Goodson Productions and Bob Barker, claiming that the name Blank Check was copyrighted as a Barry & Enright Production.
Although technically Barry was the only packager of Blank Check , Enright apparently obtained the rights to the program after his longtime partner died in 1984.
Episode status
As with most games from that era, NBC destroyed the tapes for reuse on other daytime programs. Both pilots are held by the UCLA Film and Television Archive, while Episode #3 circulates among collectors.
External links
- Blank Check @ Game Shows '75
- The "Blank Check"
Keitzer Check Writing Guide - About Us
Multipurpose Guide aids people to maintain, gain or regain their financial independence by writing and endorsing checks, purchasing and cashing traveler checks and signing credit ...
Check Writing, Checkbook, Checking Account, Lesson Plans, Teaching ...
Learn how to write a check, make checking account deposits and withdrawals, and balance your checkbook with your monthly bank checking account statement. Check Writing worksheets ...
Teaching Check Writing Lesson, Learning to Write a Check
Learn how to write a check, make checking account deposits and withdrawals, and balance your checkbook with your monthly bank checking account statement. Worksheets and lessons ...
Check Writing Guides | independent living aids
Writing, record keeping, and money management products from Independent Living Aids, Inc.
First Data VantagePoint ™
Check Writing Is Alive and Well Check writing is alive and thriving as consumers adopt "pay-as-you-go" behavior during these challenging economic times.
Check Writing
abacus law legal software is billing software providing case management, calendaring, accounting, and legal time billing for small firms, lawyers and law office staff.
Checkbook Software | The Check Writing Partner
The Check Writing Partner, checkbook and check writing software system is composed of vendor list, check writing, bank account balance, check disbursement history and more.
Check Writing Software, TROY, Check Printing Program, Check Software
TROY Check Writing Software is a check printing program that allows secure on-demand laser check printing.
Check Writing on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Check Writing . My friend Josh deposits a check in a Commerce Bank! THRILLING, I know. :) Comments. The crazy Colombian says: Hi there! just a short note to say 'Thank You' for ...
Check Writing
8.1 Check Writing The ability to write and print checks with the computer is one of the features of a computerized record keeping program like Quicken.