The Reel Game

The Reel Game was a game show that lasted for four months in 1971 on ABC Primetime.

Broadcast
ABC - January 18, 1971 - May 3, 1971

Packagers
Jack Barry Productions/Four Star Television

Host
Jack Barry

Announcer
Jack Clark

Gameplay
Three contestants competed in a quiz game in which the answers come from film clips.

To start, the contestants were given $250 to start, then they were given a subject afterwhich they wagered any part of their current score. Once the bets were placed, host Barry posed a question, afterwhich the contestants wrote down their answers. When the answers were written down, a film clip was shown to reveal the correct answer. When the clip was finished, the contestants then showed their answers. A correct answer added the wager while an incorrect answer deducted the wager.

$25 Toss-Up Round
Four film clips were played and after each one, host Barry read three toss-up questions in which players buzz-in to answer. A correct answer adds $25 to the player's score, while an incorrect answer incurs no penalty but gives the other players a chance to answer.

Celebrity Toss-Up
After the fourth clip was played, a celebrity from that clip came in to ask the three toss-up questions. Correct answers were still worth $25.

Grand Finale
In the Grand Finale, one last film clip was played but without toss-ups. What makes this round different is that the bets were written in secret by the players before writing down their answers after the final question was asked. Then the film clip was shown with the correct answer to the question. When the clip was finished, the players showed their bets & answers.

All players keep their cash, but the player with the most money wins the game and returns next week to play again. Players whom gone broke at the end of the game still go home with $25.

Episode Status
Three episodes exist at the UCLA archive.