It's Anybody's Guess

Infobox Television
show_name=It's Anybody's Guess


caption=Title shot
genre=Game show
creator=
company=Stefan Hatos-Monty Hall Productions
director=Joseph Behar
starring=Monty Hall
narrated=Jay Stewart
theme_music_composer=Stan Worth
country=USA
language=English
executive_producer=Stu Billett
Monty Hall
Stefan Hatos
producer=Steve Feke
location=NBC Studios, Burbank
runtime=25 minutes
channel=NBC
first_aired=June 13, 1977
last_aired=September 30, 1977
imdb_id=0198154

"It's Anybody's Guess" was an American game show broadcasted on NBC from June 13 to September 30, 1977. Monty Hall hosted the show while his second-banana from "Let's Make a Deal", Jay Stewart, announced. It was produced by Stefan Hatos-Monty Hall Productions.

Gameplay

There are two challengers, one of which was usually a returning champion, the other was a panelist from the previous show. There is also a five-person panel of contestants picked from the audience. At the start of a game, audience members are called to fill vacancies on the panel.

Front game

A question with many possible answers is posed to everyone (for example: "What makes a camel funny looking?") and an answer that was selected by the show's staff is shown to the challenging player in control of the question and the home audience (with the previous example, "his knobby knees" would be the answer shown). The player decides if the answer will be said by any of the five panelists. The player then decides to "play it safe" or go for the "longshot."

Hall then asks the panelists for an answer. If the player plays it safe, then he asks each of the panelists for one answer. Should the player call for a longshot, if he or she said that the panelists would get the answer, he only asks three panelists for an answer. Otherwise, he asks each of the panelists for an answer, then he asks for another answer from two panelists (for a total of seven responses).

If one of the panelists guesses the selected answer, he or she wins a prize. Two points are scored for a correct guess on a longshot question, otherwise one point is scored. If the challenger is incorrect with their prediction, the points are awarded to the other challenger. Control of the question alternates with each challenger. The first player to win five points is the winner and plays the Payoff Round.

Payoff Round

One more question is asked to the winner and the panelists. There are two answers (that are not shown to anyone at first) that are chosen by the staff. Hall asks each panelist for a response to the question. Each incorrect response is worth $300. After five responses, if either of the two chosen answers are not given, the player tries for $5,000 in cash and a new car, but the player must eliminate one of the two chosen answers from play. Now the player can quit after each incorrect response with the accumulated cash. If the panelists still do not say the selected answer still in play, the player wins the $5,000 and the car. If one of the two answers were said prior to the halfway mark of the round, but the second response wasn't said after all ten responses, the player just wins $5,000. If the panelists say both answers, the player loses any cash accumulated in the Payoff Round. Note, a panelist could win more prizes if he or she gives one of the chosen responses.

The panelist who wins the most prizes in the game becomes the next challenger in the next game. The maximum number of games a person can remain on the panel is two, a challenger can play for a maximum of five games (theoretically meaning someone can be on the show for seven games).

cheduling

"It's Anybody's Guess" replaced "Shoot For the Stars" at 11:30 a.m. ("SFtS" moved a half-hour later to the noon slot) on NBC on June 13, 1977. It competed against "Love of Life" on CBS and the very-popular "Family Feud" on ABC. After 16 weeks, it was replaced by the Arte Johnson-hosted "Knockout".

Music

The music used for the prize descriptions were used on both previous and future versions of "Let's Make a Deal", most of which were written by Stan Worth and Sheldon Allman.

The main theme of the show would later be used on the 1980s versions of "LMaD".

External links

* [http://www.geocities.com/j_colflesh/itsanybodysguess.htm Rules of the game]
* [http://www.variety.com/profiles/TVSeries/main/156771/It's%20Anybody's%20Guess.html?dataSet=1 "Variety" summary of the game]