Card Sharks 

Hosted by Jim Perry, were contestants are asked questions about how 100 people answered a poll question then played a card game where they tried to guess whether the next card drawn from a deck in a sequence would be higher or lower.

Stars:

Jim Perry, Janice Baker, Gene Wood

2 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Jim Perry	...	Himself - Host 870 episodes, 1978-1981
Janice Baker	...	Herself - Card Dealer 870 episodes, 1978-1981
Gene Wood	...	Himself - Announcer / ... 864 episodes, 1978-1988
Lois Hamilton	...	Herself - Card Dealer 605 episodes, 1979-1981

Storyline

In 1978 NBC debuted "Card Sharks" and it features two(2) contestants, one(1) a champion competed. The host read a question asked of 100 people in a certain group (e.g., mothers-to-be, homecoming queens & Congressmen). The questions could be serious, funny, cute ... but were always interesting. The 1st contestant had to predict how many of those 100 people answered a certain way, while his or her opponent had to guess whether the actual figure was higher or lower. The contestant who was correct played a card game based on Acey-Deucey; he or she was shown their base card (they could play it or change it) and had to guess whether the next card was higher or lower than the previous one(1) card. {The Playing Cards ranked from Ace(High) to 2(Low)}. Any incorrect judgment (miscall or mistake) or a duplicate card had the overturned cards except the base card discarded and allowed the opponent a chance at his/her row of cards (no change of the base card allowed); players could "freeze" at any ...

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Plot Keywords:

card | question | chance | playing cards | survey | 

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Genres:

Family | Game-Show

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Certificate:

TV-G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 April 1978 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions, National Broadcasting Company (NBC), Suzanne Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min (864 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (1978-1981)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

99 was the answer to a 100 people survey question. It happened only once, throughout its run.

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Quotes

Host: What do you do for a living?
Contestant: I'm a social chemist.
Host: Really? What's a social chemist?
Contestant: Bartender.
[audience laughs]
Contestant: Well, if a garbage man can be a sanitation engineer, I can be a social chemist!

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Connections

Remade as Card Sharks (2001)

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Soundtracks

Card Sharks Theme
(1978-1981)
Previously used as theme from Double Dare (1976)
Written by Edd Kalehoff (BMI)
Performed by Edd Kalehoff & The Score Production Band

User Reviews

Is paired with the 1986 Bob Eubanks-hosted version,which seems slightly odd...

...and mostly because of the facts that a)there's a four-and-a-half year gap between versions(the original,Jim Perry-hosted show ran from September,1978 thru October,1981;the Eubanks show bowed in January,1986)b)there are distinctly different hostesses and sets and c)it was different networks,with somewhat different producers and probably different staff.(Perry's was NBC,Eubanks' was on CBS,and was paired with a syndicated version hosted by Bill Raferty)

As to the game itself,it was actually so easy to watch and smoothly and effortlessly made that one forgets that Mr.Perry(and to a lesser degree,Mr.Eubanks)does an exceptional job shifting from amiable emcee to near cheerleader-like fan of each contestant's quest for money(which could sometimes top over $30,000;while always a good chunk of change,for the late '70s and even into the '80s would be an impressive haul). Also a catchy theme,very attractive models(one of them would go on to have an decent steady career as an actress:Markie Post)and some nifty little diddy poems to open the game would make this one of the gems of daytime of its era. Every so often,you can catch the re-runs on GSN. DVR or stay up late if you like!