Classic game show where couples (and sometimes families) competed to win prizes by completing stunts within a time limit.
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Title: Beat the Clock (1950–1961)
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"Beat the Clock" was one of televisions most durable game shows. Its popularity was derived from its simple format and wacky action. Two couples, preselected from the studio audience, had to complete various stunts within a time limit (usually 60 seconds or less) to win cash and prizes. Examples of the often-messy stunts (the centerpiece of the show) included blowing a plastic ship carrying a ping-pong ball from one side of a water-filled tub to the other, without allowing the ball to fall off; stuffing eight balloons in a lidded wastebasket without breaking any; and extracting three marshmallows buried in Jell-O using a spoon held in his mouth, then placing each marshmallow on a plate next to them. A huge clock counted down the seconds, as host Collyer provided commentary and encouragement. Couples who successfully completed their stunt won cash (usually $100 to $200, depending on the round) and a prize. After the first round of stunts, each couple got a chance to complete an ... Written by Brian Rathjen <briguy_52732@yahoo.com>
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Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
23 March 1950 (USA) See more »Company Credits
Production Co:
American Broadcasting Company (ABC),CBS,Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions See more »
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1
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Introduced on CBS, it switched to ABC after eight years and lasted four seasons more there. See more »Frequently Asked Questions
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...............To Beat The Clock!"
WEEKLY DOSE OF humorous situations created by obstructing otherwise simple tasks with silly complications. We don't know how else we could describe it!
HAVING VETERAN RADIO Actor Bud Collyer (he voiced the Man of Steel on THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN Radio Show) as the Host/MC, this mark Goodson-Bill Todman Production was a very popular series for over a decade; first ob CBS and later on ABC. There were no pretensions of its being High Art or PBS pseudo classy stuff. Fun of the participating contestants and the amusement of the viewers were paramount.
AFTER COMPLETING THE assigned task(s) within the allotted time limit, the in-studio folks chosen to compete would receive whatever prizes for which they were eligible. A typical stunt would be introduced by MC Mr. Collyer with something like this:
"Yes, Mr. Schultz, all you have to do is carry six eggs one at a
time up this ladder and put them in that bucket. You have 45
seconds to do. Ha, ha, ha, ha! But we didn't tell you that you
have to wear a pair of roller skates and be blindfolded!"
WELL, WE DO exaggerate, but you get the picture!
OVER THE YEARS we know that the show had many $ponsor$; but for some inexplicable reason we remember that Sylvania Light Bulbs was one of their early commercial advertisers.
IT IS TRULY strange how we can remember things like this, yet we cannot recall what our spouses told us this morning! Isn't tat right, Schultz?