BROADCAST HISTORY: CBS DAYTIME, SEPTEMBER 4, 1972 - JUNE 13, 1975
PACKAGER: JACK BARRY PRODUCTIONS
HOST: JACK BARRY
ANNOUNCERS: JOHNNY JACOBS, JOHNNY GILBERT
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: JOHN TOBYANSEN, DAN ENRIGHT (1975)
PRODUCER: JUSTIN EDGERTON
EXECUTIVE IN CHARGE OF PRODUCTION: JACK BARRY
DIRECTOR: RICHARD KLINE
SET DESIGNER: DON ROBERTS
ORIGINATION: STUDIOS 31, 33, CBS TELEVISION CITY, LOS ANGELES
SYNDICATION: Syndicated September 1977 - September 1986
Packager: Jack Barry and Dan Enright Productions
Hosts: Jack Barry (September 1977 - May 1984),
Bill Cullen (September 1984 - September 1986),
Jim Peck (during Barry's absences)
Announcers: Jay Stewart, Bob Hilton, Art James, Charlie O'Donnell
Executive Producer: Dan Enright
Producers: Ron Greenberg, Gary Cox, Allen Koss
Directors: Richard Kline, Dan Diana
Set Designer: John C. Mula
Origination: KCOP-TV Los Angeles; The Production Group Studios, Los Angeles
Syndicated by Colbert Television Sales
Opening Theme: THE SAVERS (Jean Jacques Perry-Gershon Kingsley; Valentine Music Corp. ASCAP; refiled for copyright in 1997 as "Peanuts, Hot Dogs and Beer" [!!!])
THE JOKER'S WILD (Signature Theme) (Hal Smith Hidey; Dojo Music Company, ASCAP, based on "The Savers")
Closing Theme: JOKER'S JIVE (Alan Thicke; BARRY ENTERTAINMENT INC., BMI ;BRAMALEA MUSIC, SOCAN; ROBREN MUSIC, SOCAN)
Format: Two contestants spun a giant slot machine to determine the categories and the dollar amount of the questions.
The original pilot, with a much different format, was shot at CBS in 1969, hosted by Allen Ludden. When CBS picked the series up for its 1972 premiere, Ludden had moved on to ABC's successful revival of PASSWORD, so the network reluctantly agreed to let Barry host the show. The series premiered on CBS Sept.4, 1972
(along with Gambit and The Price Is Right), and ended June 13, 1975.
After 2 years, Barry successfully revived the series in syndication, and continued hosting it until his death in 1984. Bill Cullen took over as host until the series' end in 1986. MAIN GAME RULES (CBS Version)
Two contestants battle it out to reach $500 first. Jack would read the categories used in the round and then the contestants would spin the wheels to determine the type of questions to be asked. A single category was worth $50. Two of a particular category was worth $100. And a "triple" (or three of a particular category) was worth $150 (soon it was changed to $200). Also on the wheels were "Jokers," which were "wild" (hence the show's title). You could pair a "Joker" with a single category, thus making the question worth $100; with a pair of the same category to bring the value to $200 (this also worked with a single category and 2 Jokers); or, if there wasn't a category up there to your liking, you could take the Jokers "off the board" and use them to answer a question in the category of your choice for the value of the Jokers. If three "Jokers" were spinned, the player who spun it, won the game automatically. (Later, you had to answer a question in one of the five possible categories). The player who reached $500 first, won the game and went to the bonus round.
BONUS ROUND
The Bonus Round went through several versions before finally settling on the familiar "Beat The Devil" round:
VERSION ONE
On the wheels were prizes. The winner of the main game got 2 spins, and each window showed a different prize. The player could take the first set of prizes, or make one final spin (they couldn't keep some prizes and spin others; it was all or nothing). Some of the prizes had circles around them; if all three windows showed circles, the player won a car. This lasted only a few days.
VERSION TWO
Very soon after it started, the circles were removed; instead, a car (or boat) was added to one of the wheels as a prize.
VERSION THREE
Face The Devil yourself! Click the Devil to find out how!
The wheels showed Jokers and Devils instead of prizes. Each time a player does not spin a devil, they win a prize. Spin 4 times without seeing the devil and you win a car or a trip. For a brief time, the prize was not told to the contestant until after the spin was taken. This didn't last long as well and went back to the old style.
VERSION FOUR:
This is unclear, but we believe they still used "Jokers and Devils" but, instead of prizes, they play for money. Each time missing a devil, you double the amount of money until $1000.(This version is based on the Home Game)
VERSION FIVE:
The wheels showed dollar amounts and devils.
THE JOKER'S JACKPOT
Winners of the regular game decided whether to continue or depart. If continuing, he vies for the "Joker's Jackpot" worth up to $25,000 by winning Four Straight Games. Should he/she fail to win the four games, all his money is forteited and added to the jackpot, which began at $2,500, to a maximum of $25,000. Soon after, it was changed to three games to win the "Joker Jackpot" and soon after that, they added the car to the Jackpot. After the Jackpot was won, the contestant retired. Later, it was changed to where after a jackpot was won, they could go on and win another jackpot (what they won up to this point was theirs to keep).
SYNDICATED VERSION:
MAIN GAME
Two contestants, one the returning champion, compete. Contestants, the challenger going first, take turns spinning the Joker machine on the stage, which displayed categories (three out of five) and/or Jokers on its screens. The contestant in control then chose a category and was asked a question.
Any single category was worth $50.
A pair of the same category or a joker made the question worth $100.
And a triple of either sort was worth $200.
A contestant spinning three jokers could automatically win the game by answering one question from any category.
Otherwise, the first to reach $500 was declared the winner, though champions were given one last try to catch up should their opponent reach $500. If the champion successfully tied, the game went on until one player missed a question or spun a combination on the wheels that would not allow a high.
BONUS ROUND
On the wheels were dollar amounts and devils. Each time you spUn and avoided the devil, you could either keep the money you had accumulated or continue spinning the wheels for money. If the devil appeared at any time on any of the three wheels, the bonus round was over and the player lost all money accumulated in the bonus round to that point. If you accumulated $1000 or more, you keep the money and an additional prize package.
AUDIENCE GAME
Jack Barry asks Charlie O'Donnell to call 3 studio audience members down to "Face The Devil".
3 people take turns spinning once to see who can get the highest score. The winner goes on to "Face the Devil" while the others take home what they spun. Winner spins for $1000 and a prize. If he/she hits a devil, they lose their earnings in the second round, keeping what they earned in the first round.
JOKER HOME BONUS (Bill Cullen version)
Played the same way as the audience game with Jack Barry, except one person played from home using their phone. This helped Bill Cullen, who, unlike Barry, couldn't go to the audience. Instead, the audience members came on-stage.
Thanks for invaluable information on the series to Steve Bentley, who has an excellent Joker's Wild home page, as well as the archives of ASCAP and BMI for the theme information.
THE JOKER'S WILD is © Barry Entertainment, Inc. in association with Columbia/TriStar Television. All rights reserved.
Space for this Joker's Wild page is provided by
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