This mid-70s game show hosted by Geoff Edwards used to make me double over in laughter. The premise revolved around 30 huge, elaborately wrapped gift boxes scattered across the stage, with assorted prizes and several outrageous "clunks" (booby prizes) hidden within. One box would contain a check for $25,000, which was placed by "bonded security agent" Emil Autouri.
Each show gave two lucky contestants the chance to select a gift box and (hopefully) come away with either a nice prize or that $25,000 check. Each round would start with a section of the audience who had small gift boxes in their possession. Most of these were empty, except for three boxes with the numerals 1, 2 and 3. These lucky contestants would join Geoff on stage and select from three more boxes, one of which contained a "surprise" (either a jack-in-the-box pop up or a bouquet of flowers). This contestant would then have a pick from among the 30 huge gift boxes. Each box also came with an envelope, revealing a cash award that the contestant could keep if they decided not to keep the box. Naturally everyone opts to keep the box, and then the hilarity would ensue. Geoff Edwards would always take his customary "peek" into the box and give the contestant a look of astonishment before revealing the "prize". I'm not sure what the ratio was for "clunks" to "good prizes", but I'm thinking the clunks FAR outweighed the good prizes! Who could forget that goofy mumbled-boppy music that would play every time a clunk was revealed? Of course there was some trickery every now and then as well... one of my favorites started out with a contestant winning a "B-note", which then (after several "producers" would appear and say a "mistake" was made) became a "pea coat", which then became a "cream float", which then became a "she-goat" but ultimately turned out to be a SKI BOAT (four "clunks" that ultimately became a great prize... how about that?). I remember seeing several occasions where the contestant won the 25 grand, but most episodes would end with Geoff asking the "bonded security agent" if he in fact placed the grand prize check in one of the 30 boxes. He would always reply "YES I DID", which were the ONLY words we ever heard from him, despite Geoff's many efforts to make him talk, break out in laughter or even cry! I'm really hoping GSN is able to unearth this gem sometime soon!
Each show gave two lucky contestants the chance to select a gift box and (hopefully) come away with either a nice prize or that $25,000 check. Each round would start with a section of the audience who had small gift boxes in their possession. Most of these were empty, except for three boxes with the numerals 1, 2 and 3. These lucky contestants would join Geoff on stage and select from three more boxes, one of which contained a "surprise" (either a jack-in-the-box pop up or a bouquet of flowers). This contestant would then have a pick from among the 30 huge gift boxes. Each box also came with an envelope, revealing a cash award that the contestant could keep if they decided not to keep the box. Naturally everyone opts to keep the box, and then the hilarity would ensue. Geoff Edwards would always take his customary "peek" into the box and give the contestant a look of astonishment before revealing the "prize". I'm not sure what the ratio was for "clunks" to "good prizes", but I'm thinking the clunks FAR outweighed the good prizes! Who could forget that goofy mumbled-boppy music that would play every time a clunk was revealed? Of course there was some trickery every now and then as well... one of my favorites started out with a contestant winning a "B-note", which then (after several "producers" would appear and say a "mistake" was made) became a "pea coat", which then became a "cream float", which then became a "she-goat" but ultimately turned out to be a SKI BOAT (four "clunks" that ultimately became a great prize... how about that?). I remember seeing several occasions where the contestant won the 25 grand, but most episodes would end with Geoff asking the "bonded security agent" if he in fact placed the grand prize check in one of the 30 boxes. He would always reply "YES I DID", which were the ONLY words we ever heard from him, despite Geoff's many efforts to make him talk, break out in laughter or even cry! I'm really hoping GSN is able to unearth this gem sometime soon!
