- To Say the Least
Infobox Television
show_name = To Say the Least
caption =
format =Game show
camera =
picture_format =
runtime = 30 minutes
creator =Heatter-Quigley Productions
starring =Tom Kennedy ,Kenny Williams (announcer)
country = USA
network =NBC
first_aired = 1977
last_aired = 1978To Say the Least was an American
game show that aired on NBC from October 3, 1977 to April 21, 1978. The show was produced byHeatter-Quigley Productions . The show was hosted byTom Kennedy and announced byKenny Williams . This was Kennedy's third NBC show to debut in the span of one year; his first, "50 Grand Slam ", was cancelled after a 13 week run in December 1976 and was replaced by a daytime version of his hit "Name That Tune ", which was canceled in June 1977, after 26 weeks.Format
"To Say the Least" was a word puzzle game whose object was to guess the puzzles in as few words as possible. Two 3-person celebrity/contestant teams (men vs. women) competed. To begin, two of the players from each team would be placed into isolation. The two remaining players who are not in isolation would be faced with a six word sentence and would alternate eliminating words, one at a time, until either a player challenged his opponent to answer or only one word remained (at which point the team who deleted the previous word was forced to guess).
Once the challenge was made, the isolated players returned to the game, with the challenged team guessing. If they guess the subject of the puzzle correctly, they win the game. A wrong answer gave the win to their opponents. The first to win 2 puzzles wins the match, $100, a prize package, and a chance at an accumulating jackpot in the bonus round.
The All-Star game
The champion and all four celebrities competed. Each celebrity stood behind one of four numbered doors on stage. The champion was given another six word sentence and eliminated three of the words for the first celebrity. A correct guess earned the player $100. After the first part, another word was eliminated. If the celebrity behind door number two guessed correctly, the contestant won $200. Regardless of how the player did in the first two stages of the endgame, after the $200 stage, the player was given two chances at the jackpot. One last word was deleted, and celebrity number three guessed. If they did not give the correct answer, celebrity number four guessed. If either celebrity number three or celebrity number four guessed correctly, the champion won a cash jackpot which started at $2,000 and increased by $1,000 each day until claimed.
A contestant could stay on until they lost twice or won seven times, whichever came first. If a contestant won four matches in a row without being defeated, they also won a new car.
Episode status
The show's current status is unknown and is rumored to be destroyed. However, two episodes with the original commercials currently exist on the trading circuit, with one at New York's Paley Center (Formerly the Museum of Television and Radio).
External links
* [http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Boulevard/5410/tosaytheleast.html To Say the Least] Page on "To Say the Least"
* [http://www.gameshowutopia.net/least/tosaytheleast.htm To Say the Least]
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