User:Daniel Benfield/Pass the Buck Video Archive

Pass the Buck was a flash-in-the-pan series in the States that went on to modest success in the UK and a somehow-even-shorter run in Australia. Shame, too, since it's a pretty solid show.

LEGAL STUFF SO I DON'T GET SUED: I'm only linking to these videos, none of which were uploaded by me, for the purposes of research and as a public record. Footage ©1978/1998-2000/2002 Bob Stewart Productions and associated entities.

American Version (1978)
CBS Daytime: April 3 - June 30, 1978 (65 episodes)

Not really much to say, other than that four contestants keep playing until one of them wins Fast Bucks, at which point said player faces three new players. I think the show was held to CBS' $25,000 limit, although as far as I know nobody got there.

April

No nametags, original Fast Bucks timer (small and centered)
 * April 3, 1978 (#0001/Premiere: Lisa/Steve/Deena/Betsy; taped from GSN, Hot Potato-esque supplementary text added by the uploader)

$5,000 graphic added, Fast Bucks timer increased in size and left-justified
 * April 20, 1978 (#0014: Sandy {$6,550?}/Lois/Michael/Mary Lynn, with a game show hosts question!; taped from GSN, said question only)
 * April 21, 1978 (#0015: Michael/Mary Lynn, with Sandy and Lois in the Bullpen {$525 in the Bank} with a very odd spelling question! {Part 3}; taped from GSN)

Nametags added, Fast Bucks timer becomes larger (debuted 4/24)
 * April 24, 1978 (#0016: Michael/Pat/James/Karen; taped from GSN)
 * April 25, 1978 (#0017: James at Fast Bucks, with Michael/Pat/Karen in the Bullpen; taped from GSN)
 * April 26, 1978 (#0018: Michael/Pat/James/Karen {still!}, with some weird stuff today!; taped from GSN)
 * April 27, 1978 (#0019: Michael/James/Karen, with Pat in the Bullpen; taped from GSN)

May
 * May 3, 1978 (#0023: Barry {$1,250} vs. Karen {$0}, with Michael {$6,300} and Ellen {$2,475} in the Bullpen {$425 in the Bank} plus a Bill Cullen question!; taped from GSN, Cullen question only)
 * May 4, 1978 (#0024: Annette {$650} at Fast Bucks, with Mat {$5,550}/Bill {$0}/Cynthia {$0} in the Bullpen; taped from GSN)
 * May 5, 1978 (#0025: Margie vs. Tony, with Bill and Susan in the Bullpen {$825 in the Bank}, and the hilarious "Sue has the Flu" question!; taped from GSN, rhyming question only)

Uncertain placement (May or June)
 * May-June 1978 (Tuesday-Thursday: LINDA CREDIT {$20,275!}/Marge {$0}/Gina {$0}, with Phil {$0} in the Bullpen plus $575 in the Bank; garbly audio at times and a constant beeping sound, but still very watchable)
 * May-June 1978 (Wednesday-Friday: Gina vs. Lisa, with Ian and Pat in the Bullpen {Part 3}; nonexistent audio for first part of show, bad audio {barely-audible through hissing/buzzing} afterward)

June
 * June 12, 1978 (#0051: Marilyn at Fast Bucks, with Ed/Jean/Joe in the Bullpen; Fast Bucks and a weird "something you roll" question only)
 * June 15, 1978 (#0054: MARILYN HUTTON/Tim/Audrey/Brian, with a variant of the "Every morning I put on my..." game; "every morning" question only)
 * June 23, 1978 (#0060/6th-to-last: MARILYN HUTTON/Marty {$0}/Valerie {$1,200}/Steve {$600}, with Bill quipping on the show's cancellation!; clip only)

British Version (1998-2000)
BBC One: October 12, 1998 - June 28, 2000 (117 episodes in 3 series)

Ousted Fast Bucks and the growing Bank, starting with eleven players who were whittled down to one. Each Friday was a "finals" day, where the five daily winners competed for 1,000 and a trophy.

Originally hosted by Fred Dinenage, who was replaced by Eamonn Holmes after 1998.

Fred Dinenage (1998)
 * Taped 10/98 (Friday: Meg, Perry, Angela, Chris, Jamie, Michelle, Rodney, Geeta, Neil, Vicky, Yunus {Big Buck Board: Jon, Babs, Helen, Keith}; ends right after Fred signs off)

Australian Version (2002)
Nine Network, Daily: February 11 - August 9, 2002

Based mostly on the British version, albeit with just ten players. The bonus round is a bit lame, though, being little more than the conveyor belt game from The Generation Game.

Well, at least John Burgess got some work after Burgo's Catch Phrase was canned, and this show was itself replaced by Catch Phrase so it's not a total loss.

(Still better than Shafted, which debuted the same day {replacing Sale of the Century} and died in two months...but then Frasier repeats got such high ratings Nine decided to shaft Sales Temptation reboot for three years!')


 * February 11, 2002 (Premiere: Matthew, Stevee, Ellinor, Colin, Anne, Allex, Noula, Michelle, Vanessa, Sean)
 * February 19, 2002 (#7: Mario, Linda, Jodie, Peter, Sascha, Michelle {Day 5 - $14,446}, Natasha, Jennifer, Keith, Roger; Michelle goes for the Hyundai!)