User:Daniel Benfield/Play the Percentages Video Archive

''Syndicated, Daily: January 7 - June 13? [September 12], 1980 (taped through at least June 4)''

Play the Percentages was a fun little survey-based show that had married couples gauging the intelligence of said people surveyed, by guessing what percentage they thought got the answer right. Whichever couple was closer to the percentage got those points and could get the other percentage (the people who got the answer wrong) by giving the right answer.

It was something kinda different from Barry-Enright...and then, for reasons I can't fathom, they began changing the show – and not, generally, for the better. Don't get me wrong, it's still a good show from start to finish, but it gets a little less good as things go on.

USA aired repeats from April 27, 1987 to June 23, 1989.

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 ©1980 Barry-Enright Productions and associated entities.


 * 1980 (Compilation of highlights, bloopers, and other fun moments from throughout the show's run {mostly the solo era}, including Geoff's closing speech on the Finale {Part 2, Part 3, Part 4})

Couples Format (January 7-February 29)
Originally, the Jackpot (which started at $25,000 and increased $1,000 per game until won) was in the bonus game, awarded if the percentage for a chosen answer matched the couple's target percentage.

Beginning on January 14, thanks to somebody not wanting to fix the "target percentage" display after the fifth show, the Jackpot moved to the front game where matching a percentage exactly broke the jackpot and got the automatic win. The target percentage was removed entirely.

Also at the same time as the above change, the bonus game was altered a bit further: if the couple guessed the answer that got some points but wasn't the most popular, they had to pick the most popular answer from the two remaining before moving on.

Later on, the Jackpot was dropped to start at $10,000.

Jackpot starts at $25,000
 * January 7, 1980 (Premiere: Nannette & Brian Smith vs. Karla & John Greci {Part 2, Part 3}; USA repeat, ends during Barry-Enright closing spiel)
 * [Closing voiceover plugs Dance Party USA.]


 * January 8, 1980 (#2: Karla & John Greci vs. Kathie & Dave Aronson, with Anni & Pierre Kirk playing later; USA repeat from 4/28/87 with commercials, including promos for The All-New Let's Make A Deal, Jackpot!, and Chain Reaction! {alternate copy... thing, no commercials})
 * [Closing voiceover plugs Bullseye, which shared the schedule with this show through 6/26/87.]


 * January 11, 1980 (#5: Margetta? & Daniel Hawkins {Game 2 - $2,800} vs. Carol & Ralph Williams, continued from yesterday {100-100} with Marsha & Barry Katz playing later {Part 2, Part 3}; USA repeat from 5/1/87, with a Contestant Plug!)

Centerpiece no longer used in bonus game; couples now have to pick the most popular answer if they pick the one that got some points (began 1/14/80)
 * January 18, 1980 (#10: Barbara & Edward Gold at Bonus Round, then vs. Susan & Jacob Blass {Part 2, Part 3}; taped from GSN, first contestant interview missing due to a VCR error)
 * [Geoff notes that "We've been on for a couple of weeks."]


 * January 22, 1980 (#12: Marty? & Lawrence? Smets at Bonus Round {continued from yesterday at 42 points}, then {Game 2} vs. Becky & Mike Burns {Part 2, Part 3}; USA repeat with a voiceover plug for Hot Potato, video issues throughout but still watchable {alternate copy, about 90 seconds shorter})
 * [Champs will meet new challengers tomorrow.]

Jackpot begins at $10,000 (began 1/ or 2/80)
 * January-February 1980 (Vicki & Dennis Williams {Game 2? - $2,800} vs. Wendy & Bernard Samuels {Jackpot: $12,000}, continued from last time {100-100} with Gayle & John Byrne playing later {Part 2, Part 3}; USA repeat from 5/87 with a Contestant Plug, kinda-muffled audio, video issues at times {alternate copy, slightly shorter})
 * [Dennis notes that he talked with Geoff about something yesterday. Sponsor crawl doesn't match the fee plugs, suggesting this is a mid-1980 repeat copy. (This and the below two are consecutive.)]


 * January-February 1980 (Vicki & Dennis Williams vs. Gayle & John Byrne, continued from last time with Rebecca & Peter Birnstein playing later {Part 2, Part 3}; USA repeat from 5/87 with a voiceover promo for Bullseye, audio is a bit muffled, video issues at times but very watchable)


 * January-February 1980 (Vicki & Dennis Williams vs. Rebecca & Peter Birnstein, continued from yesterday with Susan & Rick Mott playing later...and Geoff giving away an answer! {Part 2, Part 3}; USA repeat from 5/87, with a partial promo for Jackpot! and Chain Reaction! {alternate copy, about 20 seconds shorter)

Solo Format (March 3-June 13?)
I'm not entirely sure why they changed it, but the show's pretty much now a modified Twenty One with specialty subjects, a "Potluck" third category (always tossup questions), and the bonus game altered to have B&E's pretty-much-standard "get $1,000 while avoiding the Bad Guy to win the cash and a bonus" element.

Later on, all questions became tossups.

Original question format (only Potluck is a tossup category)
 * March? 1980 (Bob {Game 3 - $1,000} vs. Ted, with Sherry playing later {Part 2, Part 3}; USA repeat from 1987-88 with a voiceover promo for Jackpot!, first second or so missing {alternate copies of Sherry's interview and Bonus Round #2, quality is a bit better})
 * [Geoff notes that the champ got messed up in the Bonus Round yesterday and the day before. Bob Hilton is announcer by this point.]


 * 1980 (Ed {Game 5 - $3,260} vs. George, continued from last time {190-50 in George's favor}; begins during Ed's intro, ends shortly after game)

All questions are now tossups
 * 1980 (Brenda {Game 2 or 3} vs. Dianne, continued from yesterday {0-0 after first round of play} with John playing later plus several great moments between Geoff and Judge Von Erik; USA repeat, audio from other shows plays every time Bob Hilton speaks{?!})
 * [Geoff notes that Brenda has been in the "post-fifth round of play" scenario two or three times before. He later makes a remark about cancellation, possibly hinting that the show didn't have much longer to go. (One of the shows that pops in when Bob Hilton talks? Jeopardy!, specifically some kind of Tournament. Yes, really.)]