User:Daniel Benfield/Hot Potato Episode Guide

NBC Daytime: January 23 - June 29, 1984 (115 episodes, taped at NBC Studios in Burbank)

Hot Potato was a short-lived game whose only real issue was being stuck in the Noon slot, the sixth program NBC had plugged in there since canning Password Plus in March 1982. And then came the celebrities...

In both formats, the bonus round started at $5,000 and grew by $5,000 each time it wasn't won by that team; in other words, the growing jackpot was only a growing jackpot for multi-time champs. If they're defeated, the endgame went back to $5,000.

Repeats aired on CBN during the 1980s, although I'm not sure on the dates. USA aired repeats from June 29, 1987 through June 23, 1989, then from September 10 through December 28, 1990.

A huge thanks to Jason Cranmer for the civilian-era listings and Kris Lane's website for some of the Celebrity-era info. Further thanks to Adam Nedeff's old tape collection document for various other info.

NOTE: While I know GSN has aired the entire run, I don't have complete info on which teams/contestants played on what episodes (aside from those found from the above sources and inferred from surrounding episodes); this is particularly noticeable in the Celebrity era, which has a bunch of blank spots. If anyone can help fill these in, I'd appreciate it. :)

Civilian Format (January-April)
January 23 - April 20, 1984 (65 episodes)

The 7-Straight Jackpot debuted shortly into the run, starting at $500 and growing by $500 per game until won. It was won if a team managed to give seven correct answers in the front game without passing, giving a wrong answer, or running out of time (hence, "7-Straight"). The highest it ever got was $8,500.


 * Taped 12/1/83 (Pilot): Franciscans vs. Teachers. [Has different music, a slightly different set, and a somewhat different format. Mike Burger has a review here, and Adam Nedeff has a look with screengrabs here.]

January
 * January 23, 1984 (Premiere): Begins with Mothers-To-Be vs. Teachers. [Has a $5,000 win! Also circulates from original broadcast, with commercials (including a Wheel of Fortune promo). Bonnie of the Teachers was also on Trivia Trap (1984 Pilot).]
 * January 24, 1984: Begins with Teachers vs. Firemen.
 * January 25, 1984: Begins with Firemen vs. Dental Hygenists.
 * January 26, 1984: Dental Hygenists vs. Waitresses, with Air Force playing later.
 * January 27, 1984: Begins with Waitresses vs. Air Force.


 * January 30, 1984: Begins with Waitresses vs. Coaches. [Round 1 ends with no correct answers given by either team!]
 * January 31, 1984: Waitresses at Bonus, then vs. Mothers of Twins. [Has a $20,000 bonus round win, the biggest of the series!]

February

The 7-Straight Jackpot is added on February 6.


 * February 1, 1984: Begins with Mothers of Twins vs. Telegram Singers.
 * February 2, 1984: Begins with Telegram Singers vs. Redheads.
 * February 3, 1984: Telegram Singers vs. Grocery Checkers, with Softball Managers playing later.

7-Straight Jackpot added (began 2/6/84)
 * February 6, 1984: Grocery Checkers vs. Softball Managers, with Beer Tasters playing later.
 * February 7, 1984: Beer Tasters at Bonus, then vs. Flight Attendants. [$1,000 7-Straight Jackpot won!]
 * February 8, 1984: Flight Attendants at Bonus, then vs. Bus Drivers.
 * February 9, 1984: Flight Attendants at Bonus, then vs. Phone Reps.
 * February 10, 1984: Begins with Phone Reps. vs. Computer Salesmen.


 * February 13, 1984: Computer Salesmen at Bonus, then vs. Marines. [Has a $10,000 win!]
 * February 14, 1984: Computer Salesmen at Bonus, then vs. 21 Dealers. [Has a $10,000 bonus round win and a $3,000 7-Straight Jackpot win!]
 * February 15, 1984: Begins with Computer Salesmen ($28,500) vs. Bus Operators.
 * February 16, 1984: Computer Salesmen vs. Insurance Agents, with Mothers-To-Be playing later (same team as on the Premiere).
 * February 17, 1984: Insurance Agents vs. Mothers-To-Be, with Travel Agents playing later.


 * February 20-24, 1984 (Miss Americas vs. All-American Sportsmen): Susan Perkins/Kylene Barker/Cheryl Pruitt vs. Rick Barry/Ken Norton/Vince Ferragamo.


 * February 27, 1984: Begins with Mothers-To-Be vs. Travel Agents, continued from 2/17.
 * February 28, 1984: Begins with Clowns at Bonus. [Has two $5,000 wins!]
 * February 29, 1984: Begins with Dentists ($6,000) vs. Air Traffic Controllers. [Also circulates from original broadcast, with commercials and a Contestant Plug.]

March
 * March 1, 1984: Begins with Dentists vs. Cookie Makers.
 * March 2, 1984: Dentists at Bonus, then vs. Little League Coaches. [$5,500 7-Straight Jackpot won!]


 * March 5, 1984: Little League Coaches at Bonus, then vs. Whitewater Raft Guides. [Also circulates from original broadcast with commercials, albeit with no intro.]
 * March 6, 1984: Little League Coaches at Bonus, then vs. Sign Language Interpreters. [Also circulates from original broadcast, with commercials and a Contestant Plug.]
 * March 7, 1984: Little League Coaches at Bonus, then vs. Private Eyes. [Also circulates from original broadcast, with commercials.]
 * March 8, 1984: Begins with Private Eyes vs. Paralegals. [Also circulates from original broadcast with commercials, albeit with no credits. $2,500 7-Straight Jackpot won!]
 * March 9, 1984: Begins with Private Eyes vs. Magicians.


 * March 12, 1984: Begins with Magicians vs. 411 Operators.
 * March 13, 1984: Begins with 411 Operators vs. Bartenders.
 * March 14, 1984: Begins with Bartenders vs. Beekeepers.
 * March 15, 1984: Beekeepers at Bonus, then vs. Paramedics.
 * March 16, 1984: Begins with Beekeepers vs. Service Reps.


 * March 19, 1984: Begins with Beekeepers vs. Waiters.
 * March 20, 1984: Begins with Beekeepers vs. Nurses.
 * March 21, 1984: Begins with Accountants at Bonus, then vs. Police Officers.
 * March 22, 1984: Begins with Accountants vs. Car Saleswomen. [$4,000 7-Straight Jackpot won!]
 * March 23, 1984: Begins with Accountants vs. Pro Surfers. [One surfer gives a bad answer to "movies that have made you cry".]


 * March 26, 1984: Begins with Accountants vs. Construction Workers. [Also circulates from a USA broadcast with commercials, albeit with tracking lines throughout.]
 * March 27, 1984: Begins with Accountants vs. Circus Performers. [Accountants become the all-time champs with over $40,000!]
 * March 28, 1984: Begins with Accountants vs. Navy Fliers.
 * March 29, 1984: Begins with Navy Fliers vs. Mailroom Clerks.
 * March 30, 1984: Begins with Mailroom Clerks vs. Calendar Makers.

April

Bill plugs the change to the Celebrity format on at least April 19-20.


 * April 2, 1984: Begins with Mailroom Clerks vs. Candlemakers.
 * April 3, 1984: Begins with Mailroom Clerks vs. Process Servers. [Last question is about game show hosts!]
 * April 4, 1984: Begins with Mailroom Clerks vs. Caterers.
 * April 5, 1984: Mailroom Clerks vs. Preachers, with Beer Tasters (back due to an error) playing later.
 * April 6, 1984: Begins with Preachers vs. Beer Tasters.


 * April 9, 1984: Begins with Hypnotists at Bonus.
 * April 10, 1984: Begins with Hypnotists vs. Monks.
 * April 11, 1984: Begins with Monks vs. Probation Officers.
 * April 12, 1984: Begins with Monks vs. Coast Guard Rescue Team.
 * April 13, 1984: Begins with Coast Guard Rescue Team vs. Interior Designers. [$8,500 7-Straight Jackpot won!]


 * April 16, 1984: Begins with Coast Guard Rescue Team vs. Locomotive Engineers. [A factual error costs the Rescue Team $15,000 in the bonus round.]
 * April 17, 1984: 411 Operators at Bonus, then vs. Graphologists.
 * April 18, 1984: Begins with 411 Operators vs. Bartenders. [$2,500 7-Straight Jackpot won!]
 * April 19, 1984: 411 Operators ($21,500) vs. Reporters, with Auctioneers playing later. [Bill makes an age joke about himself, and later invents an answer, plus there's a $5,000 win!]
 * April 20, 1984 (Civilian Finale): Reporters ($6,000) vs. Auctioneers, with Artists playing later. [Has a $5,000 win, plus the 7-Straight Jackpot is won for $1,500 at the last moment!]

Celebrity Format (April-June)
April 23 - June 29, 1984 (50 episodes)

Instead of moving the show out of the Noon slot, they opted to bolt celebrities onto the format. Unfortunately, this also meant removing the "three of a kind" teams that helped make the civilian era so great.

The thing is, some of the celebs would give wrong answers just to be funny, so instead of telling 'em to knock it off...they just removed the 7-Straight Jackpot. To further add insult to injury, there were three weeks which had nothing but celebs playing for charity.

In the end, Hot Potato was replaced by Super Password, which had a respectable four-and-a-half year run in the Noon slot.

Week #1 (April 23-27): Phyllis Diller, Emma Samms, Rene Enriquez, Billy Huffsey
 * April 23, 1984 (Celebrity Premiere): Begins with Tracy vs. Marji. [A contestant gets all seven answers alone on a question!]
 * April 24, 1984 [Bill notes that because of a research error, the Coast Guard Rescue Team will get the $15,000 they had been playing for.]
 * April 25, 1984
 * April 26, 1984: Begins with Chris vs. Shirly. [Also circulates from original broadcast, with commercials.]
 * April 27, 1984: Begins with Shirly vs. Joe.

Week #2 (April 30-May 4): Kristian Alfonso, Beverly Garland, Arte Johnson, Ron Masak
 * April 30, 1984
 * May 1-3, 1984: Geri at Bonus, then vs. Vance. [Also circulates from original broadcast with commercials. Oddly, said copy aired on April 30, with a notice that this week's episodes were airing out-of-sequence.]
 * May 4, 1984: Begins with Vance vs. Bob.

Week #3 (May 7-11): Daytime vs. Nighttime TV Stars - Leann Hunley/James Reynolds/Anne-Marie Martin vs. George Wyner/Marla Gibbs/Jenilee Harrison
 * May 7, 1984 (Day 1)
 * May 8, 1984 (Day 2) [Also circulates from a USA repeat with commercials, albeit with average quality.]
 * May 9, 1984 (Day 3)
 * May 10, 1984 (Day 4)
 * May 11, 1984 (Day 5)

Week #4 (May 14-18): Funny Men vs. Funny Women - Elaine Joyce/Doris Roberts/Jo Anne Worley vs. Milton Berle/Tom Dreesen/James Coco
 * May 14, 1984 (Day 1)
 * May 15, 1984 (Day 2)
 * May 16, 1984 (Day 3)
 * May 17, 1984 (Day 4)
 * May 18, 1984 (Day 5) [Also circulates from original broadcast, with commercials.]

Week #5 (May 21-25): Dorothy Lyman, Jamie Farr, Brad Garrett, Michael Winslow
 * May 21, 1984
 * May 22, 1984
 * May 23, 1984
 * May 24, 1984
 * May 25, 1984: Begins with Bob vs. Mary.

Week #6 (May 28-June 1): Teen Guys vs. Teen Girls - Peter Billingsley/Matthew Laborteaux/Philip McKeon vs Kim Fields/Missy Gold/Dana Hill
 * May 28, 1984 (Day 1)
 * May 29, 1984 (Day 2)
 * May 30, 1984 (Day 3)
 * May 31, 1984 (Day 4)
 * June 1, 1984 (Day 5)

Week #7 (June 4-8): Mindy Cohn, Martha Smith, Jm J. Bullock, Brian Mitchell
 * June 4, 1984: Begins with Bob vs. Mike.
 * June 5, 1984
 * June 6, 1984: Begins with Carol vs. Linda.
 * June 7, 1984: Begins with Linda vs. Dean. [Also circulates from a CBN repeat, with commercials.]
 * June 8, 1984: Linda at Bonus, then vs. Larry. [100th episode!]

Week #8 (June 11-15): Marcia Wallace, Nipsey Russell, Christopher Durham, Brad Garrett
 * June 11?, 1984: Begins with Larry vs. Sandy.
 * June 12, 1984
 * June 13, 1984
 * June 14, 1984
 * June 15, 1984: Begins with Fred vs. Don.

Week #9 (June 18-22): Cynthia Gibb, Roxie Roker, Larry Manetti, Michael Winslow
 * June 18, 1984
 * June 19, 1984
 * June 20, 1984
 * June 21, 1984
 * June 22, 1984: Begins with Tammy vs. Brenda.

Week #10 (June 25-29): Lainie Kazan, Jan Murray, Anson Williams, Arte Johnson
 * June 25, 1984
 * June 26, 1984
 * June 27, 1984
 * June 28, 1984: Begins with Sarann vs. Carrie.
 * June 29, 1984 (Finale): Carrie vs. Rod, with Trudi playing later. [Also circulates from original broadcast, with commercials. Covered by The A.V. Club's "A Very Special Episode" in 2011, where Noel Murray sums up both the episode and the series (and, heck, part of why I love classic game shows) better than I could.]