User:Daniel Benfield/All-Star Blitz Video Archive

All-Star Blitz was Heatter's second post-Quigley attempt at a Hollywood Squares-esque game, this time with a word puzzle as the main focus. It's not bad at all, though it seems ABC was kinda starting to get out of the whole "daytime game show" thing at this point.

The show began as a pilot called Hot Numbers (taped 9/28/84), with a pretty different format that seems pretty confusing from the description there. It's probably most notable for having Randy West as a contestant, although the fact a different Randy West starred in a porno called Hot Numbers doesn't really help with researching...at all.

USA aired repeats from March 31-December 26, 1986.

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 ©1985/1993 Merrill Heatter Productions and associated entities.

The Series (1985)
ABC Daytime: April 8 - December 20, 1985 (approx. 185 episodes)

Originally, each game began with two free stars. This was upped to four around June 17 or 24, likely to speed things up.

When the show began, solving the Blitz Bonanza puzzle won $10,000 plus $5,000 for each previous unsolved puzzle, up to a maximum of $25,000. Sometime between late July and September 16, this was altered to increase by $2,500 with a lowered maximum of $20,000.

Two Free Stars (April 8-June)
 * April 8, 1985 (Premiere: Leslie Uggams, John Byner, Abby Dalton, Robert Mandan; Tim vs. Colleen, with Penelope playing later {Part 3}; has some commercials {alternate copy, no commercials})


 * May 10, 1985 (#25: Martha Smith, Ed Begley Jr., Abby Dalton, Rich Little; Lisa at Blitz Bonanza, then vs. Bob)
 * May 21, 1985 (#32: Jenilee Harrison, Robert Mandan, Abby Dalton, Tim Reid; Brian vs. Granata; last segment only)
 * June 14, 1985 (#50: Madge Sinclair, Christopher Hewett, Abby Dalton, Peter Scolari; Jerry vs. Debbie {Blitz Bonanza: $25,000!}; full round only)

Four Free Stars (June-December 20)


 * July 1985 (Isabel Sanford, Gordon Jump, Andrea Evans, Scott Holmes. Don {Match 3} vs. Mary, with Kaye? playing later; average quality, kinda-dark video)
 * [Intro has a male winning $25,000 (T|HA|T'S / THE|SPIR|IT) and Larry winning $25,000 (PO|LI|CE / A|CADE|MY). Peter plugs the show being in a new timeslot, and notes that Don tried for $20,000 and $25,000 in his two previous attempts.]


 * July-August 1985 (Monday: Sherilyn Wolter, Ted Shackelford, Betty White, Bob Woods. Larry {Match 2?} vs. Cheryl {continued from last Friday at 1-1}, with Richard playing later and a funny incident in the last game!)
 * [Intro has Kim winning $20,000 (RING|AR|OUND / THE|COL|LAR) and Larry winning $25,000 on the episode just before this one (PO|LI|CE / A|CADE|MY).]


 * June-September? 1985 (Monday: Heidi Bohay, Ted Knight, Beverly Garland, Steve Bond; Ridgley vs. Wendy {$25,000+}, continued from last Friday at Game 2 with Lance {back due to an error last week} playing later; Blitz Bonanza starts at $10,000)
 * [Intro has Walt winning $15,000 (W|OR|RY / W|AR|T) and Edna winning $25,000 (LOVE|R|S / L|AN|E). After that, there's a pretty clear edit where the music ends up playing over itself.]

Blitz Bonanza now adds $2,500 each time until won (began in September?)
 * October 1985 (Friday: Christoper Norris, Ed Begley Jr., Beverly Garland, Todd Bridges; J.D. {Match 2 - $12,500} vs. Michelle, with Diana playing later {Blitz Bonanza starts at $10,000}; USA repeat)
 * [Intro has a male winning $20,000 (TE|ACHE|R'S / P|E|T) and Steve winning $25,000 (T|HA|T'S / THE|SPIR|IT).]


 * October 24, 1985 (Anne Bloom, Tom Poston, Rose Marie, Sam Behrens; Robin at Blitz Bonanza, then vs. Dom {Blitz Bonanza starts at $12,500}; has commercials, including a Ryan's Hope promo {alternate copy, slightly shorter})
 * [Intro has Kim winning $20,000 (RING|AR|OUND / THE|COL|LAR) and Bob winning $20,000 (S|A|Y / W|HE|N).]


 * December 20, 1985 (Finale: Rose Marie, Charles Nelson Reilly, Abby Dalton, Stuart Damon; Don {Champ} vs. Esther, continued from yesterday {at 1-1} with Robyn and Dawn playing later {Part 3})
 * [Intro has Walt winning $15,000 (W|OR|RY / W|AR|T) and Chris winning $15,000 (G|IAN|T / ECONO|MY|SIZE).]

Hollywood Teasers (1993)
Unaired Pilot: taped 1993

Hosted by Robb Weller, this was Merrill's attempt to fuse Squares with Blitz without the bonus round of either.


 * Taped 1993 (Ed O'Neill, Pamela Anderson, Don Rickles, Mayim Bialik, Mark Curry, Rita Rudner; Michelle vs. Mel; montage)