"Hot Potato" (1984) TV series

User Rating:

4.1/10   

Director:

Richard S. Kline

Writer:

Scott Wyant (writer)

Seasons:

1 | unknown

Release Date:

23 January 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Game-Show

Plot:

Two three-member teams always "three of a kind" competed to answer the results of a survey or a question with multiple answers on this "Family Feud" clone.

Plot Keywords:

Survey | Non Fiction

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Phyllis Diller	...	Herself (5 episodes, 1984)
Bill Hufsey	...	Himself (5 episodes, 1984)
Arte Johnson	...	Himself (5 episodes, 1984)

Also Known As:

"Celebrity Hot Potato" (USA) (new title)

Runtime:

30 min (115 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Jack Barry-Dan Enright Productions

Attempt at "Family Feud"--like show didn't quite take

Back in the dark ages of those Go-getter 1980s,Game shows were mighty populous on network television. The Barry-Enright production team,comfortably re-established in syndication with shows like "Tic Tac Dough" and "The Joker's Wild" decided to try their luck in territory owned more by the likes of Goodson-Todman and Reg Grundy with this half-hour show where teams of three contestants--at first,it was differing occupations,later it was merely single contestants flanked by two B-list celebs--to try to either solve a list question(much like ones presented on the much,much,much more successful "FAmily Feud")survey of the top seven answers or knock out each opposing team's players with wrong answers. They played a best of three game,with the winner of two rounds going on to play a 50/50 bonus question for cash prize amounting in $5,000 increments(e.g. base prize is five grand,with the bonus raised by that amount if the winner either fails to complete the round or takes the smaller amount and in case of their successful defense of their title). The show's less-than-scintillating pacing would prove to be less-than-inspiring to both audiences and the network (in this instance,NBC) and the show was canceled in six months,less than a month before a much more ambitious network effort,"The Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour" would also be clicked by the same network.

To me,this was a harmless,even sometimes interesting half-hour game show,whose value was greatly added by the legendary Bill Cullen as its host. I have no idea how this show could be viewed now,but maybe if we'rte lucky,GSN will dust this off some vault floor and replay it,assuming they haven't already.