"The $64,000 Question" was based on the old radio program, "Take it or Leave It," which had a $64 top prize. Contestants who appeared on the show answered questions in one single category (e.g., Shakespeare, the Bible, American History or boxing). The first question was worth $64, and doubled as the questions increased in difficulty, up to that breathtakingly difficult $64,000 question. If the contestant reached the $1,000 plateau, the contestant returned to the next show to answer one question each week (the questions brought out by a bank executive and two security guards), so long as he/she kept winning. At the $4,000 plateau, he/she was placed in an on-stage isolation chamber; at the $8,000 plateau, any incorrect answer guaranteed the contestant a Cadillac Series 62 sedan as a consolation prize. At the $64,000, the contestant was given some reference material to study and/or could enlist the aid of an expert to help him/her answer the $64,000 question. The category for the first $64,000 winner, Capt. Tom McCutcheon, was in cooking; the second $64,000 winner was Dr. Joyce Brothers, whose expertise was in boxing. "The $64,000 Question" was among the most watched shows in all of television between 1955 and 1957, but its popularity would deteriorate rapidly in the face of the Quiz Show Scandals. Regardless of the connection "The $64,000 Question" may have had with the scandals, it remains among the most influential television game shows. |
