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{{short description|American television game show}}
{{About|the American game show||Joker's Wild (disambiguation)}}
{{About|the American game show||Joker's Wild (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox television
{{Multiple issues| refimprove = November 2007| fanpov = August 2011}}
| alt_name = Joker! Joker!! Joker!!!
{{Infobox Television
| show_name = The Joker's Wild
| image = Jokers Wild logo.gif
| image = [[Image:Tjwcbs.jpg|250px]]
| runtime = 25 minutes
| creator = [[Jack Barry (game show host)|Jack Barry]]
| caption = Logo of ''The Joker's Wild'' used during the CBS era.
| presenter = Jack Barry<br>[[Jim Peck]]<br>[[Bill Cullen]]<br>[[Pat Finn (game show host)|Pat Finn]]<br>[[Snoop Dogg]]
| format = [[Game show]]
| announcer = [[Johnny Jacobs]]<br>[[Jay Stewart]]<br>[[Charlie O'Donnell]]<br>Ed MacKay<br>Dave Burchell
| rating = {{TV-G}} (on [[GSN]])
| theme_music_composer = [[Perrey and Kingsley]]<br />Hal Hidey<br />[[Alan Thicke]]<Br />Joe Manolakakis<ref name="eotvgs">{{cite book|last1=Schwartz|first1=David|last2=Ryan|first2=Steve|last3=Wostbrock|first3=Fred|title=The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows|edition=3|year=1999|publisher=Facts on File, Inc.|isbn=0-8160-3846-5|pages=116–117}}</ref>
| runtime = ~25 minutes
| director = [[Richard S. Kline]]<ref name="eotvgs"/><Br />D.A. Diana<Br />Rich DiPirro
| creator = Jack Barry
| producer = Justin Edgerton<Br />Ron Greenberg<Br />Gary Cox<Br />Allen Koss<Br />Eric Warner<ref name="eotvgs"/>
| presenter = [[Jack Barry (television personality)|Jack Barry]] (1972–1984)<br>[[Bill Cullen]] (1984–1986)<br>[[Pat Finn]] (1990–1991)
| company = Jack Barry Productions (1972–1975, 1977-1986 (copyright only), 1990–1991)<br>[[Barry & Enright Productions]] (1977–1986)<br>[[Kline and Friends|Kline & Friends, Inc.]] (1990–1991)<br>[[Sony Pictures Television]] (2017–2019)<br>[[Snoopadelic Films]] (2017–2019)<br>SMAC Entertainment (2017–2019)<br> Studio T (2017)
| narrated = [[Johnny Jacobs]] (1972–1979)<br>[[Jay Stewart]] (1977–1981)<br>[[Bob Hilton]] (1979–1980)<br>[[Art James]] (1980–1981)<br>[[Charlie O'Donnell]] (1981–1986)<br>Ed MacKay (1990–1991)
| country = United States
| company = Jack Barry Productions (1972–1975, 1990–1991)<br>[[Barry & Enright Productions]] (1977–1986)<br>Kline & Friends, Inc. (1990–1991)
| language = English
| distributor = Colbert Television Sales (1977–1986)<br>Orbis Communications (1990–1991)
| network = [[CBS]] (1972–1975)<br>[[Broadcast syndication|Syndicated]] (1977–86, 1990–91)<br>[[TBS (American TV channel)|TBS]] (2017–2018)<br>[[TNT (American TV network)|TNT]] (2019)
| location = [[CBS Television City]]<br>Hollywood, California (1972–1975, 1990–1991)<br>Chris Craft/KCOP Studios<br>Hollywood, California (1977–1984; 1985–1986)<br>The Production Group Studios<br>Hollywood, California (1984–1985)
| country = [[United States]]
| first_aired = {{Start date|1972|09|04}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2019|03|27}}
| network = [[CBS]] (1972–1975)<br>[[Broadcast syndication|Syndicated]] (1977–1986, 1990–1991)
<!-- THIS INFORMATION NEEDS TO BE SOURCED BEFORE RE-ADDING | num_episodes = CBS: 686<br>SYN (1977–86): 1,680<br>SYN (1990–91): 130<br>Total: 2,496 -->}}
| first_aired = September 4, 1972–June 13, 1975<br>September 1977 - May 23, 1986<br>September 10, 1990
| last_aired = March 8, 1991
| status = Ended
| num_episodes = CBS: 686<br>Total: 2,496
}}
'''''The Joker's Wild''''' is an American television [[game show]] that aired at different times during the 1970s through the 1990s. Contestants answered questions based on categories that were determined randomly by a mechanism resembling a [[slot machine]].


'''''The Joker's Wild''''' is an American television [[game show]] that aired at different times between 1972 and 2019. Contestants answer trivia questions based on categories determined randomly by a mechanism resembling a [[slot machine]]. The show's title refers to the game's slot-machine mechanism also having [[Joker (playing card)|jokers]], which may be used to represent any category.
The show was billed as "the game where knowledge is king and lady luck is queen", and was notable for being the first successful game show produced by Barry-Enright Productions after their role in the [[quiz show scandals]] during the late 1950s. Originally the show was simply a "Jack Barry Production", but Barry added Enright's name upon the start of the syndicated version in 1977 (although the show was still a property of "Jack Barry Productions"). Barry's sons, Jonathan and Douglas Barry, were co-executive producers for the 1990s version, which was produced in association with [[Richard S. Kline]] and billed as a Kline and Friends production.


The show was billed as "the game where knowledge is king and lady luck is queen", and was notable for being the first successful game show produced by [[Jack Barry (game show host)|Jack Barry]] after his company's role in the [[quiz show scandals]] during the late 1950s. The success of the series led in part to the reformation of [[Barry & Enright Productions]] in the 1970s, which reunited Barry with his partner [[Dan Enright]]. It aired on [[CBS]] from 1972 to 1975, and from 1977 to 1986 in [[broadcast syndication]]. A children's version, titled ''Joker! Joker!! Joker!!!'', aired from 1979 to 1981, also in syndication.<ref name="Woolery">{{cite book |last1=Woolery |first1=George W. |title=Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946–1981, Part II: Live, Film, and Tape Series |date=1985 |publisher=The Scarecrow Press |isbn=0-8108-1651-2 |pages=252–253}}</ref> Barry also served as host of ''The Joker's Wild'' until just before his death in 1984, and was replaced by [[Bill Cullen]] afterward. [[Jim Peck]] also filled in for both Barry and Cullen at various points.
==Hosts==
{{unreferenced section|date=July 2011}}
[[Image:Barry002.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Series creator Jack Barry hosted the show from 1972 to 1984.]]
[[Jack Barry (television personality)|Jack Barry]], who created the show and eventually used it to revive his partnership with longtime producer [[Dan Enright]], hosted all versions of the show up until his death in May 1984.


Barry's sons, Jonathan and Douglas Barry, were co-executive producers for a revival of the series that aired in 1990 and 1991, which was produced in association with [[Richard S. Kline]] and billed as "a Kline and Friends production in association with Jack Barry Productions". [[Pat Finn (game show host)|Pat Finn]] hosted this version of the show. The series returned in 2017 on [[TBS (American TV channel)|TBS]], with [[Snoop Dogg]] as host. He was also co-executive producer with [[Michael Strahan]]. In December 2018, it was announced that the show would be moving to [[TNT (American TV network)|TNT]] in 2019.
Barry was not the original choice to host, due to his past involvement in the 1950s [[quiz show scandals]]. As a result, [[Allen Ludden]] hosted the first two pilots for CBS. Barry hosted the local KTLA series in 1971, but CBS was still hesitant to let him host the network run in 1972; while [[Wink Martindale]], [[Tom Kennedy (television presenter)|Tom Kennedy]], and Ludden were the three top choices to host, each was already committed to other shows. With no alternatives, Barry was given the green light to host, but only for a thirteen-week contract.


==Personnel==
By January 1973, with no complaints from the viewers or the network, Barry signed a regular contract to host the program and continued in that role up to its cancellation in June 1975. Enright was brought on as executive producer of ''Joker'' during its final CBS season, and was mentioned by Barry himself on the program's final CBS episode.
[[File:Barry002.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Series creator Jack Barry hosted the show from 1972 to 1984.]]
[[Jack Barry (television personality)|Jack Barry]], who created the show and eventually used it to revive his partnership with longtime producer [[Dan Enright]], hosted all versions of the show up until his death in May 1984.


Barry was not the original choice to host, due to his past involvement in the 1950s [[quiz show scandals]]. As a result, [[Allen Ludden]] hosted the first two pilots for [[CBS]].<ref name="eotvgs"/> Barry hosted the local [[KTLA]] series in 1971, but CBS was still hesitant to let him host the network run in 1972. [[Tom Kennedy (television presenter)|Tom Kennedy]], [[Wink Martindale]], and Ludden were the three top choices to host, but each was already committed to other shows (Kennedy was tied to ''[[Split Second (game show)|Split Second]]'' for [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], Ludden had just started hosting a revival of ''[[Password (American game show)|Password]]'', and Martindale was to host ''[[Gambit (game show)|Gambit]]'', which premiered the same day as ''Joker'' on CBS). They even offered it to [[Dennis James]], who had originally been the favorite to land the host job for the upcoming [[Goodson-Todman Productions|Mark Goodson–Bill Todman Productions']] game show ''[[The Price Is Right|The New Price Is Right]]''. When CBS agreed to a weekday daytime version of ''The New Price Is Right'', Vice President of Daytime Programming [[Bud Grant (broadcaster)|B. Donald "Bud" Grant]] wanted 15-year ''[[Truth or Consequences]]'' host [[Bob Barker]] to host ''New Price'' instead of James. Barker originally said he would gladly host ''Joker'', but Grant convinced him to take the hosting role on ''Price'' instead.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rice|first1=Lynette|title=Bob Barker on saying goodbye to ''The Price Is Right''|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2007/06/08/bob-barker-saying-goodbye-price-right|publisher=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=19 May 2015|archive-date=20 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151220122704/http://www.ew.com/article/2007/06/08/bob-barker-saying-goodbye-price-right|url-status=dead}}</ref> With no alternatives after Grant pushed Barker to ''The New Price Is Right'' (a position he would hold for 35 years) and James was hired by Goodson to host a nighttime syndicated version of the same program, Barry was given the green light to host. Barry's contract, however, was only for sixty-five episodes (thirteen weeks, a standard run for a daytime game show).
Beginning in 1981, [[Jim Peck]] occasionally substituted for Barry until Barry died in May 1984. Barry and ''Joker'' producer [[Ron Greenberg]] had planned for Barry to retire at the end of the 1983-84 season and have Peck assume the full-time hosting duties for ''Joker'' at the beginning of the following season, which was to be the syndicated series' eighth. However, after Barry's death, Enright hired [[Bill Cullen]] to take over as host. Peck also filled in for Cullen for a few weeks in 1986.


By January 1973, with no complaints from the viewers or the network and good ratings, Barry signed a regular contract to host the program and continued in that role up to its cancellation in June 1975. Enright was brought on as executive producer of ''Joker'' during its final CBS season, and was mentioned by Barry himself on the program's final CBS episode.
[[Pat Finn]] hosted the 1990–1991 version.


In 1981, Barry hired [[Jim Peck]] to serve as a regular substitute host for when he was unavailable.<ref>{{cite book|last=Baber|first=David|title=Television Game Show Hosts: Biographies of 32 Stars|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hr9kAAAAMAAJ&q=%22jim+peck%22+%22joker%27s+wild%22|year=2008|publisher=McFarland & Company|page=21|isbn=9780786429264}}</ref> Peck subbed for Barry several times between 1981 and 1984, and the original plan set forth by Barry and producer [[Ron Greenberg]] was to have Barry end the 1983–84 season as host, announce his retirement on the first episode of the next season, and hand the show over to Peck on a permanent basis. When Barry died of cardiac arrest in May 1984, Enright posthumously overruled his partner and selected [[Bill Cullen]], who had just completed five months of hosting the cancelled NBC game show ''[[Hot Potato (game show)|Hot Potato]]'' for the company, to take over the series. Cullen hosted for the final two seasons and Peck subbed for him for one week in 1986. [[Pat Finn (game show host)|Pat Finn]] hosted the 1990–91 version, and [[Snoop Dogg|Calvin "Snoop Dogg" Broadus]] helmed the 2017-2019 version.
==Announcers==
[[Johnny Jacobs]], a longtime friend of host Jack Barry, was the original announcer of ''The Joker's Wild''. Jacobs served through most of its CBS run, with [[Johnny Gilbert]] and Roy Rowan filling in for Jacobs on occasion, plus a young [[Marc Summers]], and other announcers who worked at CBS as a page of the network. When the series returned to first-run syndication in 1977, Jacobs, Gilbert, and [[Jay Stewart]] alternated the primary announce position. Stewart became the exclusive announcer for ''The Joker's Wild'' (as well as for all Barry & Enright-produced game shows at the time) during the 1979–1980 season; [[Bob Hilton]] announced the final three months of the 79-80 season and [[Art James]] announced the 1980–1981 season, with Stewart announcing the final three months of the 80-81 season as well as the 1980 Tournament of Champions. In 1981 Stewart was replaced as Barry & Enright lead announcer by [[Charlie O'Donnell]], who announced for the remainder of the series' run. [[Johnny Gilbert]] and [[John Harlan (announcer)|John Harlan]] filled in for O'Donnell on occasion.


===Announcers===
Ed MacKay, a local [[Los Angeles]] [[radio DJ]] and one-time overnight news anchor at [[KNX (AM)|KNX radio]], announced the 1990–1991 revival.
[[Johnny Jacobs]], a longtime friend of host Jack Barry, was the original announcer of ''The Joker's Wild''. Jacobs served through most of its CBS run, with [[Johnny Gilbert]] and Roy Rowan filling in for Jacobs on occasion. When the series returned to first-run syndication in 1977, Jacobs, Gilbert, and [[Jay Stewart]] alternated the primary announcer position. Stewart became the exclusive announcer for ''The Joker's Wild'' (as well as for all Barry & Enright-produced game shows at the time) during the 1978–79 season; [[Bob Hilton]] and [[Art James]] were substitutes for Stewart for the 1980–81 season whenever he was unavailable. In 1981 Stewart was replaced as Barry & Enright lead announcer by [[Charlie O'Donnell]], who announced for the remainder of the series' run. [[Johnny Gilbert]] filled in for O'Donnell on occasion.


Ed MacKay, a local [[Los Angeles]] [[radio DJ]] and one-time overnight news anchor at [[KNX (AM)|KNX radio]], announced the 1990–91 revival.
==Gameplay==
''The gameplay described below represents the format used from 1977 to 1986. Differences in other versions are discussed in the appropriate section.''


===Main game===
===Other personnel===
[[Richard S. Kline]] served as the [[television director|director]] on all incarnations of the show.
Two contestants, one a returning champion, played. The challenger began the game by pulling a lever, which set three [[slot machine]]-style wheels in motion. The wheels each contained five different categories and a Joker. After the wheels stopped the contestant chose one of the displayed categories and had to answer a question from that category.


===Music===
If the contestant answered correctly, the dollar value of the question was added to his/her score. If they answered incorrectly, his/her opponent had a chance to answer and steal the money. The contestants always received an equal number of turns in the event the challenger reached or exceeded $500 prior to the champion having one final spin of the joker machine. However, if the challenger won the game by answering a question previously missed by the champion, the champion did not receive an additional chance to tie or beat the challenger's winning score.
The first two seasons of the CBS version, as well as the opening of the first season of the syndicated version, used "The Savers" by [[Perrey and Kingsley]] from their 1967 album ''[[Kaleidoscopic Vibrations: Electronic Pop Music from Way Out]]'' as the program's theme music. The final CBS season instead utilized an original composition, "Joker's Jive," composed by [[Alan Thicke]]; this was also used as the closing theme during the 1977–78 syndicated season. The second syndicated season introduced a brand-new music package by [[Hal Hidey]], including a re-recording of "The Savers" that was utilized as the opening theme.


==Gameplay==
The value of each question was determined by how many times that category appeared on the wheels. If three different categories appeared, a question in any of the categories was worth $50. If a two of a kind and a single appeared, a question based on the pair was worth $100, and one based on the single was worth $50. If a natural triple (three of a kind) was spun, the question was worth $200 and a bonus prize was awarded to the contestant. Natural pairs and triples could not be split and had to be taken for $100 or $200 respectively. However, a contestant could answer a question on the displayed "pair" category for $50 as long as one Joker is on the board.
{{overly detailed|date=May 2022}}


===Main game===
The game's slots were actually three slightly modified [[slide projector]]s. Each graphic was a separate slide loaded on a metal platter (similar to a [[ViewMaster]] wheel). Electric motors spun the platters rapidly, rotating the graphics through the gates. Unused categories were deselected by simply switching off the appropriate projectors. Turning the lamps on and off so much caused them to blow out repeatedly during tapings.
Two contestants, one a returning champion, played. The challenger began the game by pulling a lever to set a [[slot machine]] in motion. The game's slot machine consisted of three [[slide projector]]s that had been modified to use discs loaded with slides for the categories and jokers, similar to the wheels used in [[ViewMaster]] toys. The discs were spun by electric motors, and unused categories were removed from the board by shutting off the projectors for those windows.


The wheels on the machine each contained five different categories, which were revealed to the contestants before the game, as well as jokers that could represent any category. After the wheels stopped, the contestant chose one of the displayed categories and was asked a question in it. If the contestant answered correctly, the dollar value of the question was added to their score. An incorrect response or a failure to answer within an unspecified time limit allowed the opponent a chance to answer and steal the money. Certain special categories gave the contestant in control a chance to win extra money, by either increasing the question value or allowing multiple questions on that turn, or involved the participation of both contestants.
====Jokers====
[[Image:Joker Joker Joker.jpg|thumb|250px|In this still, a contestant has just spun three Jokers. Doing this enabled contestants to win the game simply by answering one question in any of the categories in play.]]
Jokers were wild, and a contestant could use them to match any displayed category to create a pair or triple, increasing the value of the question. They could also substitute a Joker for a category in play but not displayed on the wheels (which was referred to as going "off the board") for a $50 question using one Joker or $100 using two Jokers.


====Question values====
If three Jokers were spun, a contestant was able to choose a question in any of the categories in play during the game. Answering that question correctly automatically won the game, regardless of the contestant's score or whether a full round had been played or not. The winning contestant's score for the game was augmented to $500.
The values of the questions were determined by the spin. Categories were worth $50, $100, or $200 if they appeared in one, two, or all three windows, respectively. A pair without a joker, if chosen, was played for $100. A "natural triple" (three of a kind with no jokers) required the contestant to answer a question in that category for $200.


In addition, beginning in 1974, spinning a natural triple awarded a bonus, which the contestant kept whether or not they answered the question correctly or won the game. The bonus initially consisted of a single prize worth approximately $300-$500, but by late 1983, it had been changed to a jackpot of prizes that increased in value after every show in which it was not won. Under these rules, the largest single jackpot award totaled $26,550, won in the 1983-84 season after going unclaimed for 46 consecutive days.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEJaBzpR4Bg | title=The Joker's Wild 1984 Record Setting Natural Triple Won by John Houlihan (5 Ep Appearance) | website=[[YouTube]] | date=19 November 2023 }}</ref>
Using Jokers was optional, and contestants occasionally declined to use them if enough money was at stake for their opponent to win the game or take the lead (e.g., spinning a natural pair and a Joker, then playing the pair for $100 instead of turning it into a $200 triple). By playing this way, the opponent had less of an advantage if the contestant missed the question and the opponent answered it correctly.


===Winning the game===
====Special categories====
* '''Mystery:''' This category was always played for double normal value ($100 as a single, $200 as a pair or $400 as a triple). The contestant selected one of seven numbered question cards in a rack mounted on the host's podium; each card was in a different category, none of which were the same as any of the other four in play.
After each completed round, the contestant who reached $500 or more was declared the winner and kept the money. If the challenger reached $500 first, the champion was given one last chance to spin and tie or beat the challenger's score. If both contestants tied with a winning amount, extra rounds were played until the tie was broken. The game automatically ended if either contestant spun three Jokers and correctly answered a question from any of the five categories. Only the contestant who spun three Jokers could answer, with the game continuing if he/she missed.
* '''Pot Luck / Grab Bag:''' Questions could be about any topic, not necessarily one of the other four in play.
* '''Alphabet Soup:''' All answers began with the same letter of the alphabet, stated by the host at the start of the game.
* '''Stumpers:''' This category consisted of questions that were missed by both contestants in previous episodes. After the host read the question, the contestant could choose to hear the two previous wrong answers and play for the normal value, or decline the help and play for double value. When first introduced, this category consisted merely of straightforward questions and was played for an extra $100.
* '''Fast Forward:''' The contestant could answer multiple questions if desired, each worth the amount spun, and stop after any correct answer. Missing a question forfeited all money earned on that turn and gave the opponent a chance to claim the money for only that question.
* '''Bid:''' The contestant had to decide at the outset how many questions they wanted, with a minimum of two. Completing the bid awarded the full value of all questions answered (for example, three questions at $100 each awarded $300), but a miss gave the opponent a chance to take control with a correct answer and complete the bid themself. If the champion selected this category but did not bid enough questions to tie or surpass a challenger who had already reached $500, the champion immediately forfeited the game.
* '''Fact or Foto:''' The contestant could either hear one or more facts about a subject or see a photograph of it, then try to identify it. If they were wrong, the opponent got both the fact(s) and the photo.
* '''Just One More:''' Given a question with multiple answers, the contestants bid back and forth as to how many they could name. The high bidder won control; if they gave an incorrect answer, the opponent could steal the money with one correct response.
* '''How Low Will You Go?:''' A question and one clue were read to the contestants. Seven more clues were available, and the contestants bid back and forth as to how few clues they would need. The low bidder won control, but if they answered incorrectly, the opponent got to hear all the clues before responding.
* '''Take a Chance:''' After hearing the question, the contestant could either answer it or pass it to the opponent. An incorrect answer awarded the money to the contestant who did not receive the question.
* '''Choose the Clues:''' The opponent decided whether the contestant would receive one clue and play for double value, or two clues for the normal value. If the contestant was given only one clue and missed, the opponent got both clues and played for the normal amount.


====Jokers====
Any contestant who won five consecutive games received a new car as a bonus, usually a Buick Skylark or a Chevy Chevette. Contestants continued on the show until defeated; some repeat champions won more than $25,000 in cash and prizes. In the syndicated series, Joe Dunn won the most non-tournament winnings at $66,200 in cash and prizes; followed by Eileen Jason with $55,250 and Hal Shear winning $39,050.
[[File:Joker Joker Joker.jpg|thumb|250px|A three-joker spin, allowing the contestant in control to win the game by correctly answering a question in the category of their choice.]]
When one or two jokers came up during a spin, a contestant could use them to match any displayed category and create a pair or triple, increasing the value of the question. They could also substitute a joker for a category in play but not displayed on the wheels (referred to as going "off the board") for $50 with one joker showing, or for either $50 or $100 with two. In addition, if a natural pair and a joker came up, the contestant could discard the pair but use the joker to go off the board in that same category for $50.


Spinning three jokers allowed the contestant to choose any of the categories in play during the game. A correct answer automatically won the game, regardless of the contestant's score or whether a full round had been played or not. The winner received either $500 or the total amount they had accumulated to that point, whichever was greater. If unsuccessful, however, the opponent could not steal and the game continued as normal.
====Winnings limit====
{{unreferenced section|date=November 2011}}
In 1981, CBS bought ''The Joker's Wild'' and ''Tic Tac Dough'' for its owned-and-operated stations. Many of its affiliates also were airing either one or both of the shows at this time. The network began asking Barry to impose a winnings limit on both series, and were successful in convincing him to do so for ''The Joker's Wild''. Although CBS had a network limit of $25,000 for all of its shows, ''The Joker's Wild'' was allowed a $35,000 limit that was later extended to $50,000. The first (and only) contestant to reach the limit so during this period was Joe Dunn, who won 16 consecutive games and $66,200 in 1983. As per the rules, Dunn had to donate any overage to charity and chose to give his excess $16,200 to the charity of his choice, [[United Cerebral Palsy]]. After Barry and Enright convinced CBS to raise the $35,000 limit, Dunn was allowed to continue after winning over $35,000. After CBS finally agreed to raise the limit to $50,000, Barry noted that Dunn was the first contestant in the history of ''The Joker's Wild'' to retire undefeated, although the daytime network series saw several champions do so; however, as noted, Dunn was the first in the history of the syndicated series to accomplish that.


Using jokers was optional, and contestants occasionally declined to use them if enough money was at stake for their opponent to win the game or take the lead (e.g., spinning a natural pair and a joker, then playing the pair for $100 instead of turning it into a $200 triple). By playing this way, the opponent had less of an advantage if the contestant missed the question and the opponent answered it correctly.
Barry and distributor Colbert Television Sales were not happy with the arrangement and almost immediately began courting non-CBS affiliates to pick up both ''Joker'' and ''Tic Tac Dough''. After the 1983-84 season, enough of those stations had picked up the series for the limit to be lifted. However, the stations that picked the series up did not always air them in the same timeslots that their former stations had, and this was partially responsible for the decline in ratings suffered by both game shows after those seasons concluded. Additional factors for a decline in ratings included the launch of the syndicated versions of ''Wheel of Fortune'' and ''Jeopardy!'' in 1983 and 1984, respectively, and controversy following Barry's death, in which stations and advertisers expected Peck to assume hosting responsibilities full-time (having been a part-time host since 1982); Peck was instead passed over and the host position was filled by Bill Cullen.


===Endgame ("Face the Devil")===
====Winning the game====
The game was played in rounds, with each contestant guaranteed one turn per round unless the outcome of the challenger's turn made it unnecessary for the champion to take their own. The first contestant to reach $500 won the match and kept their money. If the challenger reached or surpassed $500 on the first turn of the round, the champion had one last chance to spin either three jokers or a combination that would tie or beat that score. Either contestant could win the game by reaching $500 with a correct answer to a question missed by the other, or by spinning three jokers and correctly answering a question in any category. If a round ended with the scores tied at $500 or more, the game continued until the tie was broken. As was common practice on Barry & Enright’s productions during this period, champions played until they were defeated and received a new automobile after every fifth victory. There was an exception to this practice, however.
The wheels now contained various amounts of money ($25, $50, $75, $100, $150 and $200 money cards) and "the Devil". There were two Devil slides on only one of the wheels. Each of the three wheels had 12 slots, so the odds of the Devil appearing on any one spin were one in six. The object was to accumulate $1,000 or more while spinning without hitting the Devil. Doing so won the money accumulated plus a prize package worth anywhere between $2,000 and $4,000. If a contestant spun a natural triple they automatically won $1,000 and the prize package. However, if the Devil came up at any time, the game was over and the contestant lost whatever money they had accumulated. The contestant always had the option to stop after every "safe" spin and keep the money won up to that point.


=====Winnings cap=====
Unlike the other Barry-Enright produced games ''[[Tic-Tac-Dough]]'' and ''[[Bullseye (U.S. game show)|Bullseye]]'', the location of the Devil slide was not revealed after the bonus game was won or stopped. Occasionally, if a contestant stopped before reaching the $1,000 goal, Barry had the contestant take an unofficial spin to see if the Devil would have appeared or not.
At the time that ''The Joker’s Wild'' was airing in syndication, most syndicated programs had what was referred to as a “network of record”. This meant that ''The Joker’s Wild'' would be treated as if it was airing on a major network and be subjected to that network’s [[standards and practices]] policy, although stations that were not affiliated with said network could still air the show. In 1981, [[CBS]] became the network of record for ''The Joker’s Wild'' after striking an agreement with Barry & Enright Productions to carry the program on its group of [[owned and operated station]]s.<ref name=pitt>{{cite news|title='Jokers Wild' producer: Security prevents cheating|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19831108&id=u-UNAAAAIBAJ&pg=6977,1785555|access-date=12 June 2014|newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|date=8 November 1983}}</ref>


At the time, CBS had a specific policy regarding game shows airing over its network. Any such program airing on CBS or a station owned by the network was subjected to a cap on winnings, with a contestant being retired upon reaching it. Some shows allowed for champions to keep all of their winnings once the limit was passed while others had a rule where any champion who won more than the limit was required to donate any overage to charity; the latter approach was employed for ''The Joker’s Wild''.<ref name=pitt />
==Broadcast history==
In the late 1960s, Jack Barry pitched the concept of ''Joker'' to [[Mark Goodson|Goodson-Todman Productions]]. The company was not impressed, and Barry continued tinkering with the format over the next few years.


The limit was in effect until the end of the 1983-84 season, when the contract between the two sides expired. In the three years of the arrangement, one contestant was retired because of the limit. In 1983, clinical psychologist Joe Dunn appeared on nine consecutive programs and won sixteen games, winning a total of $66,200 in cash and prizes; his total was the highest in show history in regular, non-tournament play.
''The Joker's Wild'' debuted on [[CBS]] September 4, 1972, incidentally on the same [[Labor Day]] as the modern incarnation of ''[[The Price Is Right (U.S. game show)|The Price Is Right]]'' as well as ''[[Gambit (game show)|Gambit]]''. It ran until June 13, 1975 on that network, airing at 10:00 AM Eastern (9:00 Central). A total of 686 episodes were produced.


On his tenth and final appearance, Barry opened the program by explaining the rules set upon the show by CBS, including an agreed upon cap of $35,000 in winnings. As Dunn continued to win games, Barry and the production staff went to CBS and requested that the limit be increased for Dunn. During the negotiations, Dunn was allowed to continue playing after he passed $35,000 in winnings and was retired as champion after an agreement was made. CBS agreed to allow Dunn to keep $50,000 of his total winnings, and he arranged to donate the $16,200 overage to [[United Cerebral Palsy]].<ref name=pitt />
For the first two years, it faced [[NBC]]'s ''Dinah's Place'', the talk vehicle for singer/actress [[Dinah Shore]], which gave way to the [[Dennis James]] revival of ''[[Name That Tune]]'', which ''Joker'' easily defeated in the ratings. However, when NBC moved its panel game ''[[Celebrity Sweepstakes]]'' to 10:00/9:00 in early 1975, ''Joker'' went into steep decline, ending a nearly three-year run in the summer.


===Bonus Round ("Face the Devil")===
However, some big-market independent stations gave the game another chance the next year. After a [[television syndication|syndicated]] rerun cycle of the last CBS season proved successful in 1976, the show returned to first-run syndication from September 1977 to May 23, 1986 (airing back-to-back with sister show ''[[Tic-Tac-Dough]]'' in some markets). A revival ran from September 10, 1990 to March 8, 1991 (with reruns airing until September 13), also in syndication.
The wheels now contained 12 slides each, displaying various amounts of money ($25, $50, $75, $100, $150 and $200). One wheel contained a slide depicting a caricature of a devil. If the devil did not appear on a spin, the total of the displayed amounts was added to the pot. The object was to score $1,000 or more without spinning the devil; doing so won the money accumulated plus a prize package worth anywhere between $3,000 and $5,000. Spinning a natural triple automatically awarded the prize package, along with either $1,000 or the total in the pot plus the value of the triple, whichever was greater. (For example, a contestant who had $850 and spun a triple of $100's would receive $1,150.) If the devil came up, the round ended and the contestant lost the accumulated money. After every safe spin, the contestant had the option to stop and keep the money won up to that point. Contestants who chose this option were often invited by the host to take an unofficial spin to see if the devil would have come up next. For the 1974–75 CBS daytime episodes, as well as the first six syndicated seasons, the same prize package was at stake for the entire show until won, but this was changed to a different prize package in each bonus round for the final three seasons.


In late 1974 on CBS, a special "Lucky $100" symbol appeared on each of the bonus reels. If a contestant spun all three of these symbols in one turn, they won not only the prize package and the $1,000, but also a $3,000 cash bonus and a trip around the world worth approximately $7,000. The bonus increased by $100 per day until it was won or the combined value of the bonus and trip reached $15,000. After the extra prizes were claimed, the Lucky $100 symbols were removed and the bonus game reverted to its standard format. It was also during this time that audience members were selected to play the bonus game.
===Taping locations===
From 1972–1975, the program was taped at CBS Television City.<ref>{{cite web|title=Shows–CBS Television City|url=http://www.cbstelevisioncity.com/shows#|accessdate=25 July 2011}}</ref> From 1977–1984, the taping location was moved to Chris Craft/KCOP Studios, with the exception of the 1984–1985 season, which was taped at the Production Group Studios near Columbia Square in Hollywood. Taping returned to CBS Television City for the 1990–1991 version.


==Tournament of Champions==
==Versions==
From 1977 until 1980, ''The Joker's Wild'' conducted an annual tournament of champions where contestants from the previous season returned to compete for an additional series of cash and prizes.
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2011}}


The format of the tournament matches differed in several ways from the regular matches. Each question was played for points instead of dollars, and each round was played to its conclusion to allow both participants an equal amount of turns; this meant that if the first contestant was to reach 500 points, even if he/she had spun three jokers, the opposing contestant would get one more spin to try and match or beat that total. The first to reach 500 or more points advanced in the tournament, and no Face the Devil round was played. Once the tournament was down to its final two contestants, they would face off in a best-of-three match to determine the champion.
===1968 Pilot===
The first pilot for ''The Joker's Wild'' was taped December 8, 1968 and hosted by [[Allen Ludden]] (CBS was not comfortable about Barry hosting due to his involvement in the scandals). This version was very different from the eventual series, most notably the fact that categories on the wheels were each represented by a different celebrity panelist ([[Don Drysdale]], [[Rosemary Clooney]], [[Pat Paulsen]], [[Rich Little]], and [[Irene Ryan]]), each of whom asked the questions in his/her specific category.


The first tournament was held during the series' first season and featured eight former contestants that had appeared on the original series on CBS. Frank Dillon was the victor and earned a total of $50,000 in cash and prizes. He also earned a spot in the 1978 tournament, with eight of the previous season's highest winners competing for the right to face him in the championship final; Dillon won for the second consecutive time and was rewarded with an additional $100,000 in winnings.
If the contestant spun three different categories, a question for any of the categories was worth one point. If a contestant spun a pair and a single, two questions were asked worth two points each if the contestant chose the pair or one question worth one point for choosing the single category. If the contestant spun a triple, three 3-point questions were asked. Jokers represented any category the contestant chose, increasing the value of the questions if a pair or triple was formed as a result. The spinner had the option to answer any of the number of questions available depending on the spin.


The 1979 tournament was conducted under a slightly different format. As before, there were eight participants competing for the right to play Dillon in the championship final. The preliminary and semifinal rounds were single elimination, but the penultimate match was a best of three. The winner of that match, Eileen Jayson, defeated Dillon in a best of five championship final to win $250,000.
Full turns were used, with the contestant reaching 13 points or more winning the game. A three-Joker spin resulted in a win if the spinner correctly answered a question from any of the five categories.


The 1980 tournament featured sixteen past champions playing for a prize pool of [[United States dollar|$]]1 million, the largest in television history to that point. Each of them was guaranteed a cash prize for competing, with the prize increasing depending on how far they advanced; the participants would receive half of that prize in cash, with the other half donated to a charity of choice.
In the bonus round the game's winner spun the wheels, each of which contained different prizes of various qualities, ranging from a 5¢ piece of chewing gum to $500 cash. After the spin, the contestant could elect to keep the prizes shown, or give them all back for a second spin. This offer was then repeated after the second spin, but if a third spin was taken the contestant was forced to take whatever prizes came up in that spin.


Below is the prize structure.
This pilot did not feature returning champions.


* Eliminated in first (preliminary) round: $15,000
===1969 Pilot===
* Eliminated in quarterfinals: $25,000
A second pilot was taped a month later on January 5, 1969. There were no celebrities this time, with Ludden simply reading the questions himself; despite this change, the 1968 host-contestant podium remained in use.
* Eliminated in semifinals: $40,000
* Runner-up, finals: $200,000
* Winner, finals: $500,000


Rob Griffin won the tournament, and Cassandra Dooley was the runner-up. They each received their share of the prize money as a ten-year annuity, and respectively donated the balance to the [[March of Dimes]] and [[Big Brothers Big Sisters of America]].
Both pilots were produced by Barry in association with CBS, with Lee Vines announcing.


==Broadcast history==
===1970 Pilot: ''The Honeymoon Game''===
In the late 1960s, Jack Barry pitched the concept of ''Joker'' to [[Mark Goodson|Goodson-Todman Productions]]. The company was not impressed, and Barry continued tinkering with the format over the next few years.
On October 3, 1970 another pilot was shot under the name ''The Honeymoon Game'', hosted by Jim McKrell and produced by Barry in association with [[Metromedia]].<ref name=Original>[http://www.usgameshows.net/x.php?show=TheHoneymoonGame "The Honeymoon Game"] Retrieved 21 July 2007.</ref>


''The Joker's Wild'' debuted on [[CBS]] September 4, 1972, incidentally on the same [[Labor Day]] when both the modern incarnation of ''[[The Price Is Right]]'' (which debuted after ''Joker'') and the [[Wink Martindale]] hosted show ''[[Gambit (game show)|Gambit]]'' (which debuted after ''Price'') premiered. It ran until June 13, 1975, on that network, airing at 10:00&nbsp;a.m. Eastern (9:00 Central). A total of 686 episodes were produced.
Round 1 featured six couples (three in each segment), with one set of spouses given a category and asked up to six questions serving as clues to its identification, and if guessed correctly, that spouse's partner then had a chance to identify the subject for one point. The spouses then traded places for the second half of the round, with the lowest-scoring couple in each segment eliminated.


For the first two years, it faced [[NBC]]'s ''Dinah's Place'', the talk vehicle for singer/actress [[Dinah Shore]], which gave way in July 1974 to the [[Dennis James]] revival of ''[[Name That Tune]]'', which ''Joker'' easily defeated in the ratings. However, when NBC moved its panel game ''[[Celebrity Sweepstakes]]'' to 10:00/9:00 in January 1975, ''Joker'' went into steep decline, ending a nearly three-year run in the summer.
In Round 2, the four remaining couples competed against each other, again in two separate segments. As with the 1968 pilot, the wheels had celebrities on them, each one representing a category ([[Bob Crane]], [[Jaye P. Morgan]], former California governor [[Edmund G. Brown]], Marc Copage, and [[Don Drysdale]]). After the spin, the couple selected which category they wanted. The scoring was similar to that of the Ludden pilots but, instead of Jokers on the reels, there were "Bonus" cards. If a couple spun three bonus cards the game instantly ended without a question being asked. Ten points or more won the game. For each bonus card spun, other than the situation where the contestant would spin three of them in one spin, a point was automatically added to the couple's score.


However, some big-market independent stations gave the game another chance the next year. After a [[television syndication|syndicated]] rerun cycle of the last CBS season proved successful in 1976, the show returned to first-run syndication from September 5, 1977, to May 23, 1986 (airing back-to-back with sister show ''[[Tic-Tac-Dough]]'' in some markets, especially so during the aforementioned period where CBS' O&Os added both series). Additionally, repeats of the CBS era were also seen on [[KTLA]] in [[Los Angeles]] from March 6 to September 8, 1978, in a double-run with the concurrent first-run syndicated episodes, replacing another Barry & Enright series, ''[[Hollywood Connection]]''.
Round 3 was the "deciding finals" with the two remaining couples playing to win the match. This round was based on the 1969 pilot, with no celebrities and McKrell asking the questions himself. The contestants spun as before, with a category in the first wheel, "Take A Chance" in the second, and a dollar amount in the third (e.g., a spin of "Sports/Take A Chance/$10" would have McKrell asking a question on Sports for $10). A correct answer added the value to the couple's score. The couple then "took a chance", as the middle window implies, and saw what was behind the slide (anything from "Add $40" to "Deduct $100"). If answered wrong, the amount on the first wheel was deducted from the score; however, couples did not go below 0.


A second revival for syndication was one of five game shows sold to local stations for the 1990–91 season. Premiering on September 10, 1990, the new ''Joker'' ran into the same ratings trouble that the other four series did and was the third, following a revival of its sibling show ''Tic-Tac-Dough'' and ''[[Quiz Kids Challenge|The Quiz Kids Challenge]]'', to be canceled before the end of the television season. The last new episode aired on March 8, 1991.
The game was played until time ran out, and the couple with the highest score played the bonus round, which was similar to the first bonus round used in the later CBS series of ''The Joker's Wild'', with the only difference being that the couple was given three spins instead of two (see description below). There was also a second bonus round, where the wheels displayed hearts with numbers in them (1-2-3 in order of the slots), and the couple selected one of those three windows. Behind each window was a destination for the couple to choose for their honeymoon.


===Taping locations===
''The Honeymoon Game'' was intended to be a 90-minute game show (the genre's first), and though it did not sell, a number of Metromedia-owned stations did air the pilot as a one-off special in mid-1971. Two versions of this pilot existed: one version had all rounds; another version had the first round omitted, replaced with Jack Barry introducing the program and explaining that the first round was omitted, as he felt it did not work.
From 1972 to 1975, the program taped at [[CBS Television City]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Shows–CBS Television City|url=http://www.cbstelevisioncity.com/shows|website=Cbstelevisioncity.com|access-date=25 July 2011|archive-date=13 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713152856/http://www.cbstelevisioncity.com/shows|url-status=dead}}</ref> From 1977 until 1986—with the exception of the 1984–85 season, which taped at the Production Group Studios near Columbia Square in Hollywood—the taping location was moved to the [[La Brea Avenue]] studios of [[KCOP-TV]]. Taping returned to CBS Television City for the 1990–91 version. The 2017–19 version of the show taped at [[Sony Pictures Studios]] in Culver City, California.

==Versions==
{{overly detailed|date=May 2022}}


===1971: KTLA===
===1971: KTLA===
A "tryout series" aired locally on Los Angeles' [[KTLA]] for about three months and was hosted by Jack Barry. The rules were similar to the regular 1972–1986 versions with the following exceptions:
A tryout series aired locally on Los Angeles' [[KTLA]] for about three months and was hosted by Jack Barry. The rules were similar to the 1972–86 versions with the following changes:


Three contestants competed in each game, with the champion spinning first to begin the game. Spinning three different categories and answering a question in any of the three categories was worth $25, while pairs were worth $50 and triples were worth $100. $250 was needed to win, and as before an equal amount of turns was given. A three-Joker spin resulted in an automatic win with a correct response to a question from any of the five categories in play.
Three contestants competed in each game, with the champion spinning first to begin the game. Spinning three different categories and answering a question in any of the three categories was worth $25, while pairs were worth $50 and triples were worth $100. $250 was the goal to win, with an equal number of turns for each contestant. A three-joker spin resulted in an automatic win with a correct response to a question from any of the five categories in play.


In the event of a tie, the lowest scorer was eliminated and play continued until one was ahead after each round. The bonus round was similar to that of the Ludden pilots but had more elaborate prizes.
In the event of a tie, play continued until one was ahead after each round. The bonus round was similar to that of the Ludden pilots but had more elaborate prizes.


Highlights of this version were shown during promos of the eventual series, which began production on CBS in 1972.
Highlights of this version were shown during promos of the eventual series, which began production on CBS in 1972.


===1972–1975===
===1972–75===
For the first two weeks, triples were worth $150 and a three-joker spin resulted in an automatic win for a contestant without having to answer a question. From the premiere until around mid-1973, the champion went first.
For the first two weeks, triples were worth $150 and a three-joker spin resulted in an automatic win for a contestant without having to answer a question. From the premiere until around May 1974, the champion went first in each round; afterwards, the challenger did.


====Bonus Round====
====Bonus Round====
The bonus round went through a few different iterations:

* '''Prize Round #1:''' The wheels were loaded with various prizes. The champion spun once and could either keep the prizes that came up, or decline them in favor of a second spin; in the latter case, they automatically received the prizes from that spin. Some prizes were marked with circles; if three circled prizes came up in a single spin, the contestant won a car in addition to those items. This format was only used on the first two episodes.
The bonus round went through a few different permutations:
* '''Prize Round #1:''' Contestants got two spins. They could take whatever prizes they spun the first time or could spin one more time, but were stuck with the prizes that were spun on the second spin. There were black circles around some of the prizes' icons. If all three prizes in a spin were circled, the contestant also won a new car. This format was only used on the first two episodes.
* '''Prize Round #2:''' Beginning with the third aired episode, the circles were eliminated and the car was added to the prize wheels, in addition to other high-value items such as boats and trips. This format lasted through the second week.
* '''Jokers and Devils:''' Beginning with the third week, the wheels contained only jokers and devils (see above for description). The contestant took up to three spins, receiving a prize of increasing value every time three jokers came up. If a devil appeared at any time, the round ended and they lost all prizes accumulated to that point. The contestant could end the round after any safe spin and keep the prizes they had won. Originally, the contestant was given up to four spins, with a large prize such as a car or trip at stake on the last one. For a brief period, the prize for a spin was not revealed until after the wheels had stopped. In 1973, to avoid confusion between the wheels used in the main game and bonus round, the jokers on the bonus round wheels were marked with the word "Joker" instead of the word "Wild".
* '''Prize Round #2:''' Beginning with the third aired episode, the circles were eliminated and the car became a regular prize on the wheels (other big prizes including a boat or a trip were also added to the board).
* '''Face the Devil:''' Starting around May 1974, the "Face the Devil" round described above had been implemented.
* '''Jokers and Devils:''' Beginning with the third week, the wheels contained only Jokers and Devils. The contestant was given up to three spins, and each time three Jokers came up, a different prize was won, increasing in value with each spin taken. If a Devil appeared, the contestant lost it all. Originally the winning contestant got four spins with the last spin being worth a big prize such as a car or trip. For a brief period, the prize was not told until after the reels had been spun. (For [[Christmas]] episodes, the Jokers and Devils were replaced with [[Santa Claus]] and [[Ebenezer Scrooge]] symbols--three Santas won a prize, a Scrooge lost it all.)

In 1973, to avoid confusion between the category wheels and the bonus game reels, the Jokers in the "Jokers and Devils" era were marked with the word "Joker" instead of the word "Wild". This was implemented following a game in which the reels were not switched to the regular reels, and the champion spun three Jokers to begin the game. For one game, the left window mistakenly contained a bonus game reel (in fact, one spin read, from left to right, "Joker", "Wild", and a category). Barry did not mention why there was a difference between the two Jokers, or why every spin in that game began with a Joker on the left.

* '''Face the Devil:''' By the end of the CBS run, the "Face the Devil" round described above had been implemented, except a natural triple did not constitute an automatic win in the CBS version. It has been said that the Devil in the "Face the Devil" bonus game was meant to be a caricature of Jack Barry, and indeed many contestants over the years told Barry that the devil artwork resembled him.


====Joker's Jackpot====
====Joker's Jackpot====
Early in the show's run, returning champions were competing for a chance to win the "Joker's Jackpot," an accruing cash jackpot that started at $2,500. Contestants won this jackpot if they won three (originally four) consecutive games. After the "Joker's and Devils" bonus round stopped offering a fourth prize, a new automobile was added to the jackpot. However, if the champion was defeated, all of his/her cash winnings were forfeited to the Joker's Jackpot; though prizes won in the bonus round were his/hers to keep. After every game, the champion decided whether to play on for a chance to win the Jackpot or play it safe and retire from the show with his/her current winnings. The Jackpot continued to build until it reached $25,000, which was at the time CBS's maximum "winnings cap" for game show contestants.
Early in the show's run, returning champions were competing for a chance to win the Joker's Jackpot, an accruing cash jackpot that started at $2,500. Contestants won this jackpot if they won three (originally four) consecutive games. After the "Jokers and Devils" bonus round stopped offering a fourth prize, a new automobile was added to the jackpot instead. However, if the champion was defeated, all of their cash winnings were forfeited to the jackpot, though prizes won in the bonus round were theirs to keep. After every game, the champion decided whether to play on for a chance to win the jackpot, or keep all their winnings and leave the show. The jackpot continued to build until it reached $25,000, which was at the time CBS's winnings limit for game show contestants.


Originally, after winning the Joker's Jackpot, the champion was retired undefeated, but in February 1973 the rules were changed to allow champions to continue playing until either being defeated or reaching the maximum CBS winnings limit. Once a champion won the Joker's Jackpot, that money (and the car, once it was added) was theirs to keep even if they lost a subsequent game.
The first contestant to win the ''Joker's Jackpot'' was Katherine "Kathy" Wechsler, who, despite the fact she didn't win any prizes in her attempts at the bonus rounds, retired with $15,400 in cash. Katherine won the $13,800 jackpot, answering a missed question by the challenger correctly for the win in a close game.


Upon implementation of the "Face the Devil" bonus round, the Joker's Jackpot was discontinued. Contestants kept whatever they earned, while still retiring after winning $25,000, and received a car after every fifth victory.
Originally, after winning the Joker's Jackpot, the champion was retired undefeated, but later on the rules were changed to allow champions to continue playing until either being defeated or reaching the maximum CBS winnings limit.


====Audience Game====
Upon implementation of the "Face the Devil" bonus round, the "Joker's Jackpot" was abandoned. Contestants kept whatever they earned while still retiring after winning $25,000. Five wins won a new automobile.
An audience game was played beginning with the 1981–82 season. Three members of the studio audience were selected to win money and a chance to spin against the devil. Each audience member had one spin to get as much money as possible. The wheels contained money amounts ($10, $20, $30, $40, $50 and $100), with $300 the highest amount possible in one spin. All three audience members kept whatever totals they spun; the high scorer went on to play "Face the Devil" for a bonus prize and cash, using the same rules and dollar amounts as the onstage contestants. Ties were broken with an additional spin, and the tied members kept the money they scored on this spin in addition to their previous winnings.


When Bill Cullen began hosting in fall 1984, two audience members were chosen along with a home viewer who played by pressing a key on their [[touch-tone]] telephone to spin the wheels. The game was played onstage instead of in the audience as Barry and Peck had done to accommodate Cullen's limited [[range of motion]] on a stage.
===1977–1986===
There were a few alterations to the syndicated show over the years. One was the addition of a "Natural Triple Jackpot" beginning in the fall of 1983. This was an accruing prize package offered to a contestant who had spun a triple of any category, without Jokers (at one point the jackpot reached as high as $18,000).


When the audience game was first introduced, it was played at least once every week (usually on the Friday episode). Each audience member was allowed a maximum of two spins, and could either stop after the first or decline that score in hopes of improving it on the second. These rules were later changed to those described above, and the feature began appearing daily halfway through the 1981–82 season.
Prior to the Jackpot's introduction a bonus prize, usually around $500 in value, was given to any contestant who spun a natural triple. Natural Triple prizes were kept regardless of the game's outcome.


===''Joker! Joker!! Joker!!!'' (1979–81)===
At one point, a special accruing jackpot was awarded to any contestant who won the bonus round by spinning a natural triple of three "Lucky $100" symbols.{{citation needed|date=May 2011}}
''Joker! Joker!! Joker!!!'' was a special once-weekly version of ''The Joker's Wild,'' with Barry hosting, in which children competed with appropriately-themed subject matter. Prior to its debut, beginning in 1973, ''The Joker's Wild'' featured children playing every year around Easter.


The format was essentially the same, with some slight alterations. In the main game, the children played for points instead of money, with 500 points needed to win. The winning contestant received a $500 education bond, while the loser received a $100 bond. The special categories "Mystery" and "Fast Forward" were not used in this version, but "Multiple Choice" was. As before, full rounds were played, and the contestant who reached 500 points or more after each completed round won; if the score was tied at 500 or more, additional rounds were played to break the tie. A three-joker spin still was worth an automatic win with one correct answer from any of the five categories in play. More jokers were also added to the wheels, which Barry himself pointed out during one episode.
====Tournament of Champions====
"Tournaments of Champions" were held annually between 1977 and 1980. Frank Dillon won the $50,000 and $100,000 tournaments in 1977 and 1978, respectively; Eileen Jason captured the $250,000 tournament in 1979 by defeating Dillon in the finals.


The joker cards contained a more juvenile-looking animated joker performing a handstand (with the word ''Joker'' written below the design), and the children played the "Face the Devil" round under the same rules as the adults on ''The Joker's Wild'', except that members of their families joined them onstage for assistance. During the CBS era, the "Jokers and Devils" round was in play; however, prizes already won were not at risk when going for future prizes. Also, both the winner and loser got to spin for prizes; the loser got to spin one time, while the winner got to spin up to three times. Additionally, children were allowed to confer with their parents/relatives when choosing categories, but were required to answer questions themselves.
In 1980, ''The Joker's Wild'' became the first television program to advertise that it was giving away a $1,000,000 prize purse. It was the total purse for a special 16-contestant tournament of champions; the eventual winner got $500,000 of that total ($250,000, paid $25,000 annually for 10 years, plus $250,000 to the charity of his or her choice); The runner-up got $200,000 of that total ($100,000, paid $10,000 annually for 10 years, plus $100,000 to the charity of his or her choice). The remainder of the money was divided among the other participants in the tournament, depending on how they performed, with once again half of their winnings going to charity—those eliminated in the preliminaries received $15,000 (with $7,500 going to charity), the quarter-final losers pocketed $25,000 (with $12,500 going to charity), and the 2 exiting semifinalists collected $40,000 (with $20,000 going to charity). Rob Griffin won the grand prize winning three games to none, half of which went to the [[March of Dimes]]. Cassandra Dooley won $200,000 for second place, half of which went to [[Big Brothers Big Sisters of America|Big Brothers Big Sisters]]. Other tournaments of champions ($50,000 in 1977, $100,000 in 1978, and $250,000 in 1979) were held prior to this, but no tournaments were held after the $1,000,000 tournament due to winnings cap limitations.


===1990–91===
Different rules applied to ''Tournament of Champions'' play: the contestants played for points instead of dollars, with 500 points the target number to win; and in the championship game, winning two games out of three were needed to win the top prize (3 out of 5 for both the $250,000 and $1,000,000 tournaments). No special categories were used, but the scoring system for each game remained: 50 points for a single category, 100 points for a pair and 200 points for a triple. In the event a natural triple was spun, a $500 bonus was awarded to that contestant (later, it was a $500 donation to the contestant's favorite charity). Contestants drew numbers to determine who spun the wheels first—and, in the $1,000,000 tournament, also which game of each round the contestant would play (odd numbers spin first, even second). If the contestant who spun first (in the challenger's podium) spun three jokers and answered a question correctly, that contestant's score was increased to 500 points. The contestant who spun second got one final turn to tie the game in that case, or win the game if trailing by less than 200 points. The contestant who was ahead after each completed round once the target score of 500 points was reached was declared the winner, but as in non-tournament episodes, both contestants received an equal number of turns. Also, no bonus game was played throughout the tournament; after one game was completed, another game began.
Game play was changed dramatically when the series returned to syndication in 1990. In particular, the regular questions were replaced with terms that the contestants had to define. This version lasted only one season and was hosted by [[Pat Finn (game show host)|Pat Finn]]. A memorial plaque was placed on the slot machine as a tribute to Jack Barry, and the wheels were replaced by video monitors that simulated the appearance of spinning.


====Format #1====
Other special weeks over the years included "College Week", "Couples Week", "Teen Week", and "Children's Week".


====Audience Game====
=====Round 1=====
In the first round, three contestants (one a returning champion) competed to be the first to reach $500. The game began with a toss-up clue, and whoever buzzed in first with the correct answer gained control of the machine. The wheels contained cash amounts from $5 to $60 in multiples of $5, and the far right wheel also held a joker.
An audience game was played beginning with the 1981–1982 season. Three members of the studio audience were selected for a chance to win money and a chance to spin against the devil. Each audience member was given one spin to get as much money as possible. The wheels contained money amounts ($10, $20, $30, $40, $50 and $100), with $300 the highest amount possible in one spin. Whoever had the highest score went on to face the devil for a bonus prize and an additional $1,000. In the event of a tie, a spin-off occur, with the members winning whatever came up on the wheels, added to what they spun before. The audience members kept whatever money they accumulated in the first part of the audience game.


If the contestant spun only cash amounts, they were read a series of rapid-fire clues and had to identify the subject to which each one referred. Each correct response awarded the total showing on the wheels, but a miss or a failure to respond within three seconds allowed either opponent a chance to buzz in and steal both the money and control of the next spin. If the joker came up, the contestant had 15 seconds to answer as many clues as possible, each one worth triple the total on the other two wheels. A miss immediately forfeited any remaining time and gave the opponents a chance to steal. If no one answered a clue correctly, control reverted to the contestant who had spun last.
In fall 1984, in order to accommodate new host Bill Cullen, two audience contestants were joined in the game by a home viewer who played using their [[touch-tone]] [[telephone]] (originally, they "spun" by pressing the "star" button, but later, any button between 1 and 9 could be pressed in order to "spin"). The change was made due to Cullen's disability from polio as a child, which did not enable him to move great distances quickly as Barry or Jim Peck were able to.


The round ended as soon as any contestant reached or exceeded $500, and the low scorer was eliminated from the game and received parting gifts.
Originally when the audience game was introduced, it was played at least once every week (usually on the Friday episode), and audience members were allowed two spins with each member deciding to take the first spin or pass for the second. These rules were later changed to those described above and began appearing daily half-way through the 1981–1982 season.


=====Round 2=====
===''Joker! Joker!! Joker!!!'' (1979–1981)===
The two remaining contestants retained their scores from Round 1, and the high scorer had initial control. For this round, the dollar values ranged from $10 to $75 in multiples of $5, and the contestant chose one of two categories after spinning. Play proceeded as in Round 1, with one change: if an "Opponent's Choice" card came up on the far right wheel, the opponent selected the category for that turn.
Prior to the debut of ''Joker! Joker!! Joker!!!'', beginning in 1973 ''The Joker's Wild'' featured children playing every year around Easter.


The first contestant to reach or exceed $2,000 won the game, kept the money, and became champion. The losing contestant left with parting gifts.
The program was a special once-weekly version of ''The Joker's Wild'' in which children competed with appropriately-themed subject matter. The format was essentially the same, with only some slight alterations. In the main game the children played for points, not dollars, with 500 points awarding a $500 education bond, whereas losing contestants received a $100 bond. The special categories "Mystery" and "Fast Forward" were not used in this version, but "Multiple Choice" was. As before, full rounds were played, and the contestant who reached 500 points or more after each completed round won. A three-Joker spin still was worth an automatic win with one correct answer from any of the five categories in play. More Jokers were also added to the wheels, which Barry himself pointed out during one episode after an audience member shouted out "fixed" during the opening segment.{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}}


====Format #2====
The Joker cards contained a more juvenile-looking animated "joker" performing a handstand (with the word ''Joker'' written below the design), and the children played the Face the Devil round under the same rules as the adults on ''The Joker's Wild'', except that members of their family joined them onstage for assistance.
On January 7, 1991, the front game format was reworked to incorporate elements of the version hosted by Jack Barry and Bill Cullen. Although the game was still played with the definition format, the wheels were loaded with categories and jokers and the contestant in control selected a displayed category after spinning. Correct answers awarded $25, $50, or $100 for a single, pair, or triple respectively. As in the first format, a miss or failure to respond gave either opponent a chance to buzz in and steal the money and control. Spinning three jokers immediately added $250 to the contestant's score, set the question value at $100, and revealed a category in each window for them to choose on that turn. It was possible for the same category to appear on more than one wheel after such a spin.


The options to discard jokers or go off the board with them were removed; if one or two came up on a spin, they all had to be matched to a displayed category. In addition, no bonus was awarded for spinning a natural triple.
===1990–1991===
Game play was changed dramatically when the series returned to syndication in 1990. In particular, the regular questions were replaced with terms that the contestants had to define. This version lasted only one season due to low ratings and late night time slots. {{Citation needed|date=November 2009}}.


The winning score for Round 1 was increased to $1,000, while $2,000 was still needed to win Round 2 and the game. A new set of categories was loaded onto the wheels for Round 2. The pace of gameplay was changed to allow games to straddle between episodes, if an episode ended without enough time to play the bonus round.
A memorial plaque was placed on the slot machine as a tribute to Jack Barry.


====Format #1====
====Tiebreaker====
In both formats, a second-place tie at the end of Round 1 was resolved by allowing each contestant to answer as many clues unopposed as they could, with their turn ending at the first miss. The contestant who gave more correct answers advanced to Round 2.
=====Round 1=====
In the first round, three contestants (one a returning champion) competed to be the first to reach $500. The game began with a toss-up definition, and whoever buzzed in first with the correct answer gained control of the machine. The wheels contained various dollar amounts (generally $5–$50 in each window), with a Joker in the third window tripling the value of the first two if it came up (and giving that contestant 15 seconds to come up with as many correct answers as possible).


====Bonus Round====
After spinning, the contestant was given a series of rapid-fire definitions and had to figure out what those definitions referred to. Each correct answer earned the current value of the wheels. If a definition was missed, the other two contestants buzzed in and attempt to steal control of the board.
The champion had 60 seconds to identify as many words as possible, all starting with the same letter of the alphabet. The host read a maximum of three definitions per word, and the champion could offer multiple guesses at any time without penalty. The host would only move on to a new word once the contestant either identified the current one or passed after hearing its last definition. Each correct response awarded one spin of the machine, whose wheels were now loaded with prizes, jokers, and cash amounts. After each spin, the champion could freeze one or more wheels, putting them out of play for the rest of the round. If one or two jokers came up, they had to be matched immediately to a displayed prize.


If the champion got the same prize showing on all three wheels before running out of spins, they won it. If three jokers came up in a single spin, the champion won the Joker Jackpot, a cash award that started at $5,000 and increased by $500 every day it went unclaimed. The largest Joker Jackpot won was $36,000 in 1991.
After this, the wheels were spun again, either by the correct answerer or (if no one had answered correctly) the controller of the last question. When one contestant reached the $500 target number, the round ended and that contestant and the second place contestant advanced to the second round. The lowest scorer was eliminated and left with parting gifts. In the event of a tie for second place at the end of round 1, the tied contestants each played a round of definitions, with the contestant who gave more correct answers moving onto round 2{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}}.


=====Round 2=====
====1990s audience game====
As in the Barry/Cullen version, the revival gave audience members a chance to win money, but only in situations where a game ended sooner than expected. One audience member at a time was chosen to spin the machine up to three times, under the same rules as the bonus round. They won $100 for getting three of the same prize or three Jokers, or a ''Joker's Wild'' T-shirt for failing to do so.
The two remaining contestants advanced to the second round, which was played much like the first but with higher dollar amounts on the wheels (generally $10–$75 in each window). The contestants built on their scores from the first round and were able to choose from two categories after each spin. Additionally, an "Opponent's Choice" card appeared in the third window; this allowed the other contestant to choose the category from which the spinner answered definitions.


====Final week change====
Contestants were not guaranteed the same number of spins as their opponent as on the original version of the show. The first contestant to reach $2,000 or more won the game and kept the money, while the loser left with parting gifts.
During the final first-run week of this version (March 4–8, 1991), the format reverted to the original format without categories.


====Format #2====
===2017===
On May 17, 2017, it was announced that [[TBS (TV network)|TBS]] would reboot the show with [[Snoop Dogg|Calvin "Snoop Dogg" Broadus]] acting as host and serving as the executive producer along with [[Michael Strahan]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Hibberd|first1=James|title=Snoop Dogg to host The Joker's Wild game show reboot|url=https://ew.com/tv/2017/05/17/snoop-dogg-jokers-wild/|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=17 May 2017}}</ref> The revival premiered on October 24, 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/09/snoop-dogg-jokers-wild-drop-the-mic-trailer-premiere-dates-tbs-first-unscripted-series-1202177709/|title='Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker's Wild' & 'Drop The Mic': Trailers & Premiere Dates For TBS' First Unscripted Series|first=Erik|last=Pedersen|date=27 September 2017|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=24 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/TBS-Jokers-Wild-Snoop-Dogg_Series-Greenlight_05-17-17.pdf|title= Snoop Dogg to Host TBS's Reimagined Iconic Game Show ''The Joker's Wild''|website=Tvweek.com|access-date=24 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ew.com/tv/2017/05/17/snoop-dogg-jokers-wild|title=Snoop Dogg to Host 'The Joker's Wild' Game Show Reboot|website=Ew.com|access-date=24 December 2017}}</ref> In January 2018, the show was renewed for a second season.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Petski|first1=Denise|title='Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker's Wild' & 'Drop The Mic' Renewed For Second Seasons By TBS|url=https://deadline.com/2018/01/snoop-dogg-presents-the-jokers-wild-drop-the-mic-renewed-second-seasons-tbs-1202240605/|website=Deadline|access-date=January 11, 2018|date=January 11, 2018}}</ref> On December 21, 2018, Broadus announced that the show would be moving to fellow [[WarnerMedia]] network [[TNT (American TV network)|TNT]] starting with its third season premiering in 2019.<ref>{{cite tweet|number=1076280717191962624|title=Your favorite game show is back wit your favorite host but this time we movin to @TNTdrama!! new season of @JokersWildTNT comin soon 🃏#JokersWild|first=Snoop|last=Dogg|user=@SnoopDogg|date=December 21, 2018|access-date=December 29, 2018}}</ref> [[Jeannie Mai]] served as hostess in the first season. Beginning in the second season, there is no co-host.
About halfway through the run on January 7, 1991, the front game format was reworked to incorporate elements of the original ''Joker's Wild'' game. Although still played with the "definition" format, the categories and multiple Jokers returned to the wheels with spins worth $25 per correct answer for a single category, $50 for a double, or $100 for a triple. In this format, the contestant in control continued answering questions until he or she answered incorrectly or took too long to answer, at which point an opponent attempted to steal the money and control by supplying the correct answer.


Each episode is self-contained, with no straddling games or returning champions. The front game consists of two rounds, each of which uses a separate set of five categories. Both contestants receive four spins in the first round and three in the second. In the first round, singles, pairs, and triples are worth $100, $200, and $300 respectively; spinning three jokers earns the contestant a separate question worth $500. Dollar values are doubled for the second round, with the trailing player or, in case of a tie, the player that went last, spinning first. Jokers may not be used to go off the board, but must be matched to a displayed category, and the game can end early if one contestant attains an insurmountable lead. If one contestant misses a question, their opponent is not given a chance to steal. If the scores are tied after two rounds, each player takes one last spin and the high scorer becomes the champion.
Spinning three Jokers won the contestant an automatic $250 bonus (theirs to keep regardless of the game's outcome), adds $250 to their score, and the right to pick one of three categories for $100 a question. However, unlike the classic version where contestants went "off the board" and chose any of the categories in the round, Jokers only represented categories on the wheels and the value of the question had to be taken for $50 with one Joker and $100 with either a pair and a Joker or two Jokers and a category. No bonus was awarded for spinning a Natural Triple.


In the second season, the game is played in three rounds. Both players get two spins in each round, with all values doubled for the second round and tripled for the third. New categories are only introduced at the start of the second round. Additionally, in the third round, a player may challenge their opponent to answer the question ("Slang That Thang"); the opponent receives the money with a correct response, while the player scores on a miss. If the scores are tied after three rounds, each player chooses one of three face-down cards and the one with the higher draw becomes the champion; if the cards match, further tiebreakers are played until there is a winner.
The winning score for Round 1 was increased to $1,000 at this point. In addition, the pace of the game was changed to allow games to "straddle" between shows if there was not enough time to play the bonus game in that particular show.


The winner plays Face the Devil, with values from $300 to $1,500 and jokers worth $2,000 on the wheels. If the player either spins three jokers or accumulates at least $10,000 without seeing the Devil, their total is increased to $25,000 in season 1 or $50,000 in season 2, in addition to the money won in the main game. In season 2, the host occasionally offers extra cash in addition to the accumulated total as an incentive for the player to quit the round.
====Bonus Round====
The champion was given up to three definitions to different words, all starting with the same letter. Each correct answer given within a 60-second time limit earned one spin of the wheels. The wheels this time contained prizes, cash amounts ranging from $500 to $2,000, and Jokers. The object was to get three of a kind of any prize. After each spin, the contestant "froze" windows containing a prize they wanted to win and only the unfrozen windows continued to spin.


====''Gettin' Wild with Snoop Dogg''====
Jokers could be used to match any prize showing; spinning three Jokers won a "Joker Jackpot" that started at $5,000 and increased by $500 each time until won. However, this could only be done in one spin, as Jokers could not be frozen and had to be converted into other prizes on the board when they came up. The highest "Joker Jackpot" ever won was $36,000 on February 4, 1991.
Prior to the shows' premiere,<ref>{{cite web|title=TBS Launches into Unscripted on October 24 with ''Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker's Wild'' and ''Drop the Mic''|url=http://www.turner.com/pressroom/tbs-launches-unscripted-october-24-snoop-dogg-presents-joker%E2%80%99s-wild-and-drop-mic|website=Turner.com|access-date=10 October 2017}}</ref> an all-exclusive six episode documentary series aired on the TBS app, TBS social media handles including the [[Facebook Watch]] tab along its very own website at TBS.com. Directed by [[Rory Karpf]], the show chronicles [[Snoop Dogg]]'s transition to a game show host as it explores his creative processes behind the show's reboot. The six episodes were posted on the official Facebook and [[YouTube]] page every Friday at 4:20&nbsp;p.m. ET.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.facebook.com/GettinWildwithSnoopDogg/|title=Gettin' Wild With Snoop Dogg|website=Facebook.com|access-date=24 December 2017}}</ref>


==Merchandise==
====1990s audience game====
Board-game manufacturer [[Milton Bradley Company|Milton Bradley]] produced three editions of ''The Joker's Wild'' home game from 1973 to 1975, as well as a kids’ version of ''Joker! Joker!! Joker!!!'' in 1979. The standard editions of the game included the “Jokers and Devils” bonus round, while the kids’ edition replicated the “Face the Devil” bonus.
Like the previous version, the revival also had audience members spin the wheels for money &ndash; however, this was only done when the main game (and the bonus round, if possible) ended sooner than expected, being used to fill remaining time and avoid straddling. Each audience member was given three spins to get three of the same bonus prize, or cash amount on the wheels; if successful, $100 was awarded, otherwise the contestant received a ''Joker'' [[T-shirt]] as a [[consolation prize]].


Plans for an [[Atari 2600]] and [[Mattel Intellivision]] version of ''The Joker's Wild'' were announced by The Great Game Company in 1983, but due to the [[video game crash of 1983]], it was never released for either console.
====Final week change====
During the final first-run week of this version (Mar. 4-8, 1991), the format reverted back to the original "dollar amounts" version, presumably to keep the game from straddling on the Friday show.


In 1994, [[Philips]] produced two editions for its [[CD-i]] platform based on ''The Joker's Wild'', licensed by [[Sony Pictures Entertainment]], who owned the franchise at that point. These games featured television game show hosts and were based more or less on the first syndicated series, while the sets on both games resembled the 1990 version. [[Wink Martindale]] hosted the first edition, while [[Marc Summers]] could be found on a special "Junior" edition of the game. The late [[Charlie O'Donnell]] served as the announcer for both games. Martindale was among the first candidates to host the original series when CBS was still not entirely sold on Jack Barry as host, due to his involvement in the quiz show scandals of the 1950s. However, Martindale already chose to host ''[[Gambit (game show)|Gambit]],'' another of the three game shows that premiered on the same day in 1972 on CBS (''The New Price Is Right'' also debuted that day). O'Donnell was an announcer on the series. The theme music in these games was a remix of the 1977–86 theme.
==Adaptations==
Board game manufacturer [[Milton Bradley Company|Milton Bradley]] produced four editions of ''The Joker's Wild'' home game, starting in 1973, the fourth of which was actually branded for ''Joker! Joker! Joker!''. The first edition of the game included the "Jokers and Devils" bonus round.


In 2003, a mobile game based on ''The Joker's Wild'' was released by Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/mobile/jokers_title.html|title=Sony Pictures – Digital Entertainment|date=8 December 2004|access-date=24 December 2017|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041208064333/http://www.sonypictures.com/mobile/jokers_title.html|archive-date=8 December 2004}}</ref>
In the mid-1990s, [[Philips]] produced two games for its [[CD-i]] platform based on ''The Joker's Wild'', licensed by [[Sony Pictures Television]], by now which owned the franchise. These games featured "real" hosts and were based more or less on the first syndicated series, while the sets on both games resembled the 1990 version. [[Wink Martindale]] "hosted" the first and best-known of these games, while [[Marc Summers]] could be found on a special "Junior" edition of the game. [[Charlie O'Donnell]] served as announcer on both games. Martindale was among the first candidates to host the original series when CBS was still not entirely sold on Jack Barry as host, due to his involvement in the quiz show scandals of the 1950s. However, Martindale already chose to host ''[[Gambit (game show)|Gambit]],'' which premiered on the same day in 1972 on CBS. O'Donnell was an announcer on the series in question also. The theme music in these games was a remix of the 1977–1986 theme.


In 2009, IGT released a slot machine based on ''The Joker's Wild''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.igt.com/GamingGroup/Games/game_detail.asp?pid=5.113.120&type_id=3332|title=IGT - The Joker's Wild Slots|accessdate=30 May 2010}}</ref>
In 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009, [[International Game Technology (1975)|IGT]] released video slot machines based on the 1970s version of the show.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.igt.com/GamingGroup/Games/game_detail.asp?pid=5.113.120&type_id=3332|title=IGT The Joker's Wild Slots|website=Igt.com|access-date=30 May 2010}}</ref>


===Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker's Wild===
==Theme==
A ''Snapchat''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://turner.com/pressroom/tbs-launches-unscripted-october-24-snoop-dogg-presents-joker%E2%80%99s-wild-and-drop-mic|title=TBS Launches into Unscripted on October 24 with Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker's Wild and Drop the Mic|date=10 October 2017|website=Turner.com|access-date=24 December 2017}}</ref> video lens was released on October 18, 2017, where Snoop would dance in the lens next to the snapchat user who would act as the dancing joker. The lens features custom green screen footage of Snoop Dogg that was shot exclusively for the lens experience.
The theme used from 1968 to 1969 and 1971–1974 was "The Savers", a 1967 track by electronic music artists [[Perrey and Kingsley]]. During the third and fourth weeks of the CBS run, because Barry had failed to secure clearance rights to "The Savers", a sound-alike theme was used while the clearance issues were resolved. The suit was settled for $24,000 in the publishers and composers' favor.{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}} "The Savers" was also used as the main theme of the first syndicated season.


An online game<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jokers.tbs.io/|title=Joker's Wild|website=Jokers.tbs.io|access-date=24 December 2017}}</ref> was released on October 24, 2017, where fans of the show can play along via the TBS Android and iOS apps, or on TBS.com.
A new theme composed by [[Alan Thicke]] entitled "Joker's Jive" was introduced in 1974, and was used for the 1974–1975 season and for the closing of the first syndicated season. In 1978, the show introduced a new theme (retaining some thematic elements of "The Savers") composed by Hal Hidey, which remained until the end of the run in 1986. For the 1980 Million Dollar Tournament, the theme from B&E's earlier game show, ''[[Break the Bank (1976 game show)|Break the Bank]]'' was used.


In 2020, a slot machine game<ref>[https://www.everi.com/games/library/snoop-dogg-presents-the-jokers-wild Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker's Wild – Everie]</ref> based on the show was released by Everie.
Joe Manolakakis, for Hancock & Joe Productions, composed a new theme and music package for the 1990–1991 version.


==Episode status==
==Episode status==
The status of the KTLA series is unknown; brief footage is known to survive through 1972 CBS promos.
The status of the KTLA series is unknown; only brief footage is known to survive through 1972 CBS promos.

For many years, only the third season of the CBS run was known to exist, as the first two seasons were presumed to be [[wiped]] due to network practices of the era (although CBS was far less prone to master tape wiping than ABC and NBC).

In 2000, a search of New York's [[WCBS-TV]] found the original master tapes of both the first two seasons (restoring the full 686-episode run of the original CBS daytime series) and the entire series of ''[[Spin-Off (American game show)|Spin-Off]]'' (which replaced ''Joker'' in 1975) in a tape storage room.


For many years, only the third season of the CBS run was known to exist. In 2000, a search of [[New York]]'s [[WCBS-TV]] found both the first two seasons (restoring the 686-episode run) and the entire series of ''Spin-Off'' (which replaced ''Joker'' in 1975). This presumably certifies that the network did in fact cease [[wiping]] in September 1972, and that most (if not all) games produced afterward exist. A clip from a January 1974 "celebrity week" was used during the network's anniversary special ''CBS At 75''. The show is currently held by [[Sony Pictures Television]] & [[CBS Television Distribution]].
A clip from a January 1974 celebrity week was used during the network's anniversary special ''CBS At 75''. This version of the show is currently held by Sony Pictures Television & CBS Television Distribution.


The 1977–1986 syndicated episodes exist, and were reran (along with some of the first CBS season) on [[Game Show Network|GSN]]. The show is currently held by [[Sony Pictures Television]].
The 1977–1986 syndicated episodes exist, and were rerun (with the exceptions of the 1980–81, 1981–82, 1983–84, and 1984–85 seasons) on GSN, as were the first few months of the CBS era.


[[USA Network]] reran episodes of the Cullen era from April 1985 to April 1987.<ref>The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows, 2nd Edition (Schwartz/Ryan/Wostbrock, 1995)</ref> The network also aired the 1990 revival from December 30, 1991<ref>''The Intelligencer'' – December 30, 1991</ref> to September 11, 1992<ref>''The Intelligencer'' – September 11, 1992,</ref> and March 29, 1993<ref>TV Guide – March 27 – April 2, 1993,</ref> to June 24, 1994.<ref>''The Intelligencer'' – June 24, 1994</ref>
The 1990s version is held by [[StudioCanal]] via its acquisition of the library of [[Carolco Pictures|Orbis Communications]], which distributed this version. US TV rights are currently licensed to CBS Television Distribution.


In 2006, Sony Pictures Television and [[King World]] attempted to develop a new version for syndication, paired with a new show called ''Combination Lock''; however, neither project was picked up.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Grossman|first1=Ben|title=Games Afoot From Sony, King World|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6357647.html?display=Breaking+News|website=Broadcasting & Cable|access-date=13 November 2017|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061126100438/http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6357647.html?display=Breaking+News|archive-date=26 November 2006}}</ref> On December 4, 2023, [[Wink Martindale]] uploaded a run-through for this version, hosted by producer Mark Maxwell-Smith and featuring [[Charlie O'Donnell]] as announcer, to his [[YouTube]] channel.
[[USA Network]] reran episodes of the Cullen era from April 1, 1985 to April 24, 1987.<ref>The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows, 2nd Edition (Schwartz/Ryan/Wostbrock, 1995)</ref> It also aired the 1990 revival from December 30, 1991<ref>The Intelligencer - December 30, 1991</ref> to September 11, 1992<ref>The Intelligencer - September 11, 1992</ref> and March 29, 1993<ref>TV Guide - March 27-April 2, 1993</ref> to June 24, 1994.<ref>The Intelligencer - June 24, 1994</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
* {{IMDb title|title=The Joker's Wild (1972–1991)|id=0175393}}
* {{IMDb title|title=Snoop Dogg presents the Joker's Wild (2017)|id=7549976}}
* {{IMDb title|title=The Joker's Wild (2017) |id=6902652}}
* [http://www.tbs.com/shows/snoop-dogg-presents-the-jokers-wild ''Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker's Wild''] on TBS
* [http://www.tntdrama.com/shows/snoop-dogg-presents-the-jokers-wild ''Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker's Wild''] on TNT


{{TBSNetwork Shows}}
{{s-start}}
{{TNTShows}}
{{succession box|title=10:00 AM (EST), CBS|before=''[[The Lucy Show]]''|after=''[[Spin-Off (game show)|Spin-Off]]''|years=9/4/72 &ndash; 6/13/75}}
{{s-end}}


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{{DEFAULTSORT:Jokers Wild, The}}
[[Category:American game shows]]
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[[Category:Orbis Communications]]

Latest revision as of 18:35, 9 December 2024

The Joker's Wild
Also known asJoker! Joker!! Joker!!!
Created byJack Barry
Directed byRichard S. Kline[1]
D.A. Diana
Rich DiPirro
Presented byJack Barry
Jim Peck
Bill Cullen
Pat Finn
Snoop Dogg
AnnouncerJohnny Jacobs
Jay Stewart
Charlie O'Donnell
Ed MacKay
Dave Burchell
Theme music composerPerrey and Kingsley
Hal Hidey
Alan Thicke
Joe Manolakakis[1]
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducerJustin Edgerton
Ron Greenberg
Gary Cox
Allen Koss
Eric Warner[1]
Running time25 minutes
Production companiesJack Barry Productions (1972–1975, 1977-1986 (copyright only), 1990–1991)
Barry & Enright Productions (1977–1986)
Kline & Friends, Inc. (1990–1991)
Sony Pictures Television (2017–2019)
Snoopadelic Films (2017–2019)
SMAC Entertainment (2017–2019)
Studio T (2017)
Original release
NetworkCBS (1972–1975)
Syndicated (1977–86, 1990–91)
TBS (2017–2018)
TNT (2019)
ReleaseSeptember 4, 1972 (1972-09-04) –
March 27, 2019 (2019-03-27)

The Joker's Wild is an American television game show that aired at different times between 1972 and 2019. Contestants answer trivia questions based on categories determined randomly by a mechanism resembling a slot machine. The show's title refers to the game's slot-machine mechanism also having jokers, which may be used to represent any category.

The show was billed as "the game where knowledge is king and lady luck is queen", and was notable for being the first successful game show produced by Jack Barry after his company's role in the quiz show scandals during the late 1950s. The success of the series led in part to the reformation of Barry & Enright Productions in the 1970s, which reunited Barry with his partner Dan Enright. It aired on CBS from 1972 to 1975, and from 1977 to 1986 in broadcast syndication. A children's version, titled Joker! Joker!! Joker!!!, aired from 1979 to 1981, also in syndication.[2] Barry also served as host of The Joker's Wild until just before his death in 1984, and was replaced by Bill Cullen afterward. Jim Peck also filled in for both Barry and Cullen at various points.

Barry's sons, Jonathan and Douglas Barry, were co-executive producers for a revival of the series that aired in 1990 and 1991, which was produced in association with Richard S. Kline and billed as "a Kline and Friends production in association with Jack Barry Productions". Pat Finn hosted this version of the show. The series returned in 2017 on TBS, with Snoop Dogg as host. He was also co-executive producer with Michael Strahan. In December 2018, it was announced that the show would be moving to TNT in 2019.

Personnel

[edit]
Series creator Jack Barry hosted the show from 1972 to 1984.

Jack Barry, who created the show and eventually used it to revive his partnership with longtime producer Dan Enright, hosted all versions of the show up until his death in May 1984.

Barry was not the original choice to host, due to his past involvement in the 1950s quiz show scandals. As a result, Allen Ludden hosted the first two pilots for CBS.[1] Barry hosted the local KTLA series in 1971, but CBS was still hesitant to let him host the network run in 1972. Tom Kennedy, Wink Martindale, and Ludden were the three top choices to host, but each was already committed to other shows (Kennedy was tied to Split Second for ABC, Ludden had just started hosting a revival of Password, and Martindale was to host Gambit, which premiered the same day as Joker on CBS). They even offered it to Dennis James, who had originally been the favorite to land the host job for the upcoming Mark Goodson–Bill Todman Productions' game show The New Price Is Right. When CBS agreed to a weekday daytime version of The New Price Is Right, Vice President of Daytime Programming B. Donald "Bud" Grant wanted 15-year Truth or Consequences host Bob Barker to host New Price instead of James. Barker originally said he would gladly host Joker, but Grant convinced him to take the hosting role on Price instead.[3] With no alternatives after Grant pushed Barker to The New Price Is Right (a position he would hold for 35 years) and James was hired by Goodson to host a nighttime syndicated version of the same program, Barry was given the green light to host. Barry's contract, however, was only for sixty-five episodes (thirteen weeks, a standard run for a daytime game show).

By January 1973, with no complaints from the viewers or the network and good ratings, Barry signed a regular contract to host the program and continued in that role up to its cancellation in June 1975. Enright was brought on as executive producer of Joker during its final CBS season, and was mentioned by Barry himself on the program's final CBS episode.

In 1981, Barry hired Jim Peck to serve as a regular substitute host for when he was unavailable.[4] Peck subbed for Barry several times between 1981 and 1984, and the original plan set forth by Barry and producer Ron Greenberg was to have Barry end the 1983–84 season as host, announce his retirement on the first episode of the next season, and hand the show over to Peck on a permanent basis. When Barry died of cardiac arrest in May 1984, Enright posthumously overruled his partner and selected Bill Cullen, who had just completed five months of hosting the cancelled NBC game show Hot Potato for the company, to take over the series. Cullen hosted for the final two seasons and Peck subbed for him for one week in 1986. Pat Finn hosted the 1990–91 version, and Calvin "Snoop Dogg" Broadus helmed the 2017-2019 version.

Announcers

[edit]

Johnny Jacobs, a longtime friend of host Jack Barry, was the original announcer of The Joker's Wild. Jacobs served through most of its CBS run, with Johnny Gilbert and Roy Rowan filling in for Jacobs on occasion. When the series returned to first-run syndication in 1977, Jacobs, Gilbert, and Jay Stewart alternated the primary announcer position. Stewart became the exclusive announcer for The Joker's Wild (as well as for all Barry & Enright-produced game shows at the time) during the 1978–79 season; Bob Hilton and Art James were substitutes for Stewart for the 1980–81 season whenever he was unavailable. In 1981 Stewart was replaced as Barry & Enright lead announcer by Charlie O'Donnell, who announced for the remainder of the series' run. Johnny Gilbert filled in for O'Donnell on occasion.

Ed MacKay, a local Los Angeles radio DJ and one-time overnight news anchor at KNX radio, announced the 1990–91 revival.

Other personnel

[edit]

Richard S. Kline served as the director on all incarnations of the show.

Music

[edit]

The first two seasons of the CBS version, as well as the opening of the first season of the syndicated version, used "The Savers" by Perrey and Kingsley from their 1967 album Kaleidoscopic Vibrations: Electronic Pop Music from Way Out as the program's theme music. The final CBS season instead utilized an original composition, "Joker's Jive," composed by Alan Thicke; this was also used as the closing theme during the 1977–78 syndicated season. The second syndicated season introduced a brand-new music package by Hal Hidey, including a re-recording of "The Savers" that was utilized as the opening theme.

Gameplay

[edit]

Main game

[edit]

Two contestants, one a returning champion, played. The challenger began the game by pulling a lever to set a slot machine in motion. The game's slot machine consisted of three slide projectors that had been modified to use discs loaded with slides for the categories and jokers, similar to the wheels used in ViewMaster toys. The discs were spun by electric motors, and unused categories were removed from the board by shutting off the projectors for those windows.

The wheels on the machine each contained five different categories, which were revealed to the contestants before the game, as well as jokers that could represent any category. After the wheels stopped, the contestant chose one of the displayed categories and was asked a question in it. If the contestant answered correctly, the dollar value of the question was added to their score. An incorrect response or a failure to answer within an unspecified time limit allowed the opponent a chance to answer and steal the money. Certain special categories gave the contestant in control a chance to win extra money, by either increasing the question value or allowing multiple questions on that turn, or involved the participation of both contestants.

Question values

[edit]

The values of the questions were determined by the spin. Categories were worth $50, $100, or $200 if they appeared in one, two, or all three windows, respectively. A pair without a joker, if chosen, was played for $100. A "natural triple" (three of a kind with no jokers) required the contestant to answer a question in that category for $200.

In addition, beginning in 1974, spinning a natural triple awarded a bonus, which the contestant kept whether or not they answered the question correctly or won the game. The bonus initially consisted of a single prize worth approximately $300-$500, but by late 1983, it had been changed to a jackpot of prizes that increased in value after every show in which it was not won. Under these rules, the largest single jackpot award totaled $26,550, won in the 1983-84 season after going unclaimed for 46 consecutive days.[5]

Special categories

[edit]
  • Mystery: This category was always played for double normal value ($100 as a single, $200 as a pair or $400 as a triple). The contestant selected one of seven numbered question cards in a rack mounted on the host's podium; each card was in a different category, none of which were the same as any of the other four in play.
  • Pot Luck / Grab Bag: Questions could be about any topic, not necessarily one of the other four in play.
  • Alphabet Soup: All answers began with the same letter of the alphabet, stated by the host at the start of the game.
  • Stumpers: This category consisted of questions that were missed by both contestants in previous episodes. After the host read the question, the contestant could choose to hear the two previous wrong answers and play for the normal value, or decline the help and play for double value. When first introduced, this category consisted merely of straightforward questions and was played for an extra $100.
  • Fast Forward: The contestant could answer multiple questions if desired, each worth the amount spun, and stop after any correct answer. Missing a question forfeited all money earned on that turn and gave the opponent a chance to claim the money for only that question.
  • Bid: The contestant had to decide at the outset how many questions they wanted, with a minimum of two. Completing the bid awarded the full value of all questions answered (for example, three questions at $100 each awarded $300), but a miss gave the opponent a chance to take control with a correct answer and complete the bid themself. If the champion selected this category but did not bid enough questions to tie or surpass a challenger who had already reached $500, the champion immediately forfeited the game.
  • Fact or Foto: The contestant could either hear one or more facts about a subject or see a photograph of it, then try to identify it. If they were wrong, the opponent got both the fact(s) and the photo.
  • Just One More: Given a question with multiple answers, the contestants bid back and forth as to how many they could name. The high bidder won control; if they gave an incorrect answer, the opponent could steal the money with one correct response.
  • How Low Will You Go?: A question and one clue were read to the contestants. Seven more clues were available, and the contestants bid back and forth as to how few clues they would need. The low bidder won control, but if they answered incorrectly, the opponent got to hear all the clues before responding.
  • Take a Chance: After hearing the question, the contestant could either answer it or pass it to the opponent. An incorrect answer awarded the money to the contestant who did not receive the question.
  • Choose the Clues: The opponent decided whether the contestant would receive one clue and play for double value, or two clues for the normal value. If the contestant was given only one clue and missed, the opponent got both clues and played for the normal amount.

Jokers

[edit]
A three-joker spin, allowing the contestant in control to win the game by correctly answering a question in the category of their choice.

When one or two jokers came up during a spin, a contestant could use them to match any displayed category and create a pair or triple, increasing the value of the question. They could also substitute a joker for a category in play but not displayed on the wheels (referred to as going "off the board") for $50 with one joker showing, or for either $50 or $100 with two. In addition, if a natural pair and a joker came up, the contestant could discard the pair but use the joker to go off the board in that same category for $50.

Spinning three jokers allowed the contestant to choose any of the categories in play during the game. A correct answer automatically won the game, regardless of the contestant's score or whether a full round had been played or not. The winner received either $500 or the total amount they had accumulated to that point, whichever was greater. If unsuccessful, however, the opponent could not steal and the game continued as normal.

Using jokers was optional, and contestants occasionally declined to use them if enough money was at stake for their opponent to win the game or take the lead (e.g., spinning a natural pair and a joker, then playing the pair for $100 instead of turning it into a $200 triple). By playing this way, the opponent had less of an advantage if the contestant missed the question and the opponent answered it correctly.

Winning the game

[edit]

The game was played in rounds, with each contestant guaranteed one turn per round unless the outcome of the challenger's turn made it unnecessary for the champion to take their own. The first contestant to reach $500 won the match and kept their money. If the challenger reached or surpassed $500 on the first turn of the round, the champion had one last chance to spin either three jokers or a combination that would tie or beat that score. Either contestant could win the game by reaching $500 with a correct answer to a question missed by the other, or by spinning three jokers and correctly answering a question in any category. If a round ended with the scores tied at $500 or more, the game continued until the tie was broken. As was common practice on Barry & Enright’s productions during this period, champions played until they were defeated and received a new automobile after every fifth victory. There was an exception to this practice, however.

Winnings cap
[edit]

At the time that The Joker’s Wild was airing in syndication, most syndicated programs had what was referred to as a “network of record”. This meant that The Joker’s Wild would be treated as if it was airing on a major network and be subjected to that network’s standards and practices policy, although stations that were not affiliated with said network could still air the show. In 1981, CBS became the network of record for The Joker’s Wild after striking an agreement with Barry & Enright Productions to carry the program on its group of owned and operated stations.[6]

At the time, CBS had a specific policy regarding game shows airing over its network. Any such program airing on CBS or a station owned by the network was subjected to a cap on winnings, with a contestant being retired upon reaching it. Some shows allowed for champions to keep all of their winnings once the limit was passed while others had a rule where any champion who won more than the limit was required to donate any overage to charity; the latter approach was employed for The Joker’s Wild.[6]

The limit was in effect until the end of the 1983-84 season, when the contract between the two sides expired. In the three years of the arrangement, one contestant was retired because of the limit. In 1983, clinical psychologist Joe Dunn appeared on nine consecutive programs and won sixteen games, winning a total of $66,200 in cash and prizes; his total was the highest in show history in regular, non-tournament play.

On his tenth and final appearance, Barry opened the program by explaining the rules set upon the show by CBS, including an agreed upon cap of $35,000 in winnings. As Dunn continued to win games, Barry and the production staff went to CBS and requested that the limit be increased for Dunn. During the negotiations, Dunn was allowed to continue playing after he passed $35,000 in winnings and was retired as champion after an agreement was made. CBS agreed to allow Dunn to keep $50,000 of his total winnings, and he arranged to donate the $16,200 overage to United Cerebral Palsy.[6]

Bonus Round ("Face the Devil")

[edit]

The wheels now contained 12 slides each, displaying various amounts of money ($25, $50, $75, $100, $150 and $200). One wheel contained a slide depicting a caricature of a devil. If the devil did not appear on a spin, the total of the displayed amounts was added to the pot. The object was to score $1,000 or more without spinning the devil; doing so won the money accumulated plus a prize package worth anywhere between $3,000 and $5,000. Spinning a natural triple automatically awarded the prize package, along with either $1,000 or the total in the pot plus the value of the triple, whichever was greater. (For example, a contestant who had $850 and spun a triple of $100's would receive $1,150.) If the devil came up, the round ended and the contestant lost the accumulated money. After every safe spin, the contestant had the option to stop and keep the money won up to that point. Contestants who chose this option were often invited by the host to take an unofficial spin to see if the devil would have come up next. For the 1974–75 CBS daytime episodes, as well as the first six syndicated seasons, the same prize package was at stake for the entire show until won, but this was changed to a different prize package in each bonus round for the final three seasons.

In late 1974 on CBS, a special "Lucky $100" symbol appeared on each of the bonus reels. If a contestant spun all three of these symbols in one turn, they won not only the prize package and the $1,000, but also a $3,000 cash bonus and a trip around the world worth approximately $7,000. The bonus increased by $100 per day until it was won or the combined value of the bonus and trip reached $15,000. After the extra prizes were claimed, the Lucky $100 symbols were removed and the bonus game reverted to its standard format. It was also during this time that audience members were selected to play the bonus game.

Tournament of Champions

[edit]

From 1977 until 1980, The Joker's Wild conducted an annual tournament of champions where contestants from the previous season returned to compete for an additional series of cash and prizes.

The format of the tournament matches differed in several ways from the regular matches. Each question was played for points instead of dollars, and each round was played to its conclusion to allow both participants an equal amount of turns; this meant that if the first contestant was to reach 500 points, even if he/she had spun three jokers, the opposing contestant would get one more spin to try and match or beat that total. The first to reach 500 or more points advanced in the tournament, and no Face the Devil round was played. Once the tournament was down to its final two contestants, they would face off in a best-of-three match to determine the champion.

The first tournament was held during the series' first season and featured eight former contestants that had appeared on the original series on CBS. Frank Dillon was the victor and earned a total of $50,000 in cash and prizes. He also earned a spot in the 1978 tournament, with eight of the previous season's highest winners competing for the right to face him in the championship final; Dillon won for the second consecutive time and was rewarded with an additional $100,000 in winnings.

The 1979 tournament was conducted under a slightly different format. As before, there were eight participants competing for the right to play Dillon in the championship final. The preliminary and semifinal rounds were single elimination, but the penultimate match was a best of three. The winner of that match, Eileen Jayson, defeated Dillon in a best of five championship final to win $250,000.

The 1980 tournament featured sixteen past champions playing for a prize pool of $1 million, the largest in television history to that point. Each of them was guaranteed a cash prize for competing, with the prize increasing depending on how far they advanced; the participants would receive half of that prize in cash, with the other half donated to a charity of choice.

Below is the prize structure.

  • Eliminated in first (preliminary) round: $15,000
  • Eliminated in quarterfinals: $25,000
  • Eliminated in semifinals: $40,000
  • Runner-up, finals: $200,000
  • Winner, finals: $500,000

Rob Griffin won the tournament, and Cassandra Dooley was the runner-up. They each received their share of the prize money as a ten-year annuity, and respectively donated the balance to the March of Dimes and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

Broadcast history

[edit]

In the late 1960s, Jack Barry pitched the concept of Joker to Goodson-Todman Productions. The company was not impressed, and Barry continued tinkering with the format over the next few years.

The Joker's Wild debuted on CBS September 4, 1972, incidentally on the same Labor Day when both the modern incarnation of The Price Is Right (which debuted after Joker) and the Wink Martindale hosted show Gambit (which debuted after Price) premiered. It ran until June 13, 1975, on that network, airing at 10:00 a.m. Eastern (9:00 Central). A total of 686 episodes were produced.

For the first two years, it faced NBC's Dinah's Place, the talk vehicle for singer/actress Dinah Shore, which gave way in July 1974 to the Dennis James revival of Name That Tune, which Joker easily defeated in the ratings. However, when NBC moved its panel game Celebrity Sweepstakes to 10:00/9:00 in January 1975, Joker went into steep decline, ending a nearly three-year run in the summer.

However, some big-market independent stations gave the game another chance the next year. After a syndicated rerun cycle of the last CBS season proved successful in 1976, the show returned to first-run syndication from September 5, 1977, to May 23, 1986 (airing back-to-back with sister show Tic-Tac-Dough in some markets, especially so during the aforementioned period where CBS' O&Os added both series). Additionally, repeats of the CBS era were also seen on KTLA in Los Angeles from March 6 to September 8, 1978, in a double-run with the concurrent first-run syndicated episodes, replacing another Barry & Enright series, Hollywood Connection.

A second revival for syndication was one of five game shows sold to local stations for the 1990–91 season. Premiering on September 10, 1990, the new Joker ran into the same ratings trouble that the other four series did and was the third, following a revival of its sibling show Tic-Tac-Dough and The Quiz Kids Challenge, to be canceled before the end of the television season. The last new episode aired on March 8, 1991.

Taping locations

[edit]

From 1972 to 1975, the program taped at CBS Television City.[7] From 1977 until 1986—with the exception of the 1984–85 season, which taped at the Production Group Studios near Columbia Square in Hollywood—the taping location was moved to the La Brea Avenue studios of KCOP-TV. Taping returned to CBS Television City for the 1990–91 version. The 2017–19 version of the show taped at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California.

Versions

[edit]

1971: KTLA

[edit]

A tryout series aired locally on Los Angeles' KTLA for about three months and was hosted by Jack Barry. The rules were similar to the 1972–86 versions with the following changes:

Three contestants competed in each game, with the champion spinning first to begin the game. Spinning three different categories and answering a question in any of the three categories was worth $25, while pairs were worth $50 and triples were worth $100. $250 was the goal to win, with an equal number of turns for each contestant. A three-joker spin resulted in an automatic win with a correct response to a question from any of the five categories in play.

In the event of a tie, play continued until one was ahead after each round. The bonus round was similar to that of the Ludden pilots but had more elaborate prizes.

Highlights of this version were shown during promos of the eventual series, which began production on CBS in 1972.

1972–75

[edit]

For the first two weeks, triples were worth $150 and a three-joker spin resulted in an automatic win for a contestant without having to answer a question. From the premiere until around May 1974, the champion went first in each round; afterwards, the challenger did.

Bonus Round

[edit]

The bonus round went through a few different iterations:

  • Prize Round #1: The wheels were loaded with various prizes. The champion spun once and could either keep the prizes that came up, or decline them in favor of a second spin; in the latter case, they automatically received the prizes from that spin. Some prizes were marked with circles; if three circled prizes came up in a single spin, the contestant won a car in addition to those items. This format was only used on the first two episodes.
  • Prize Round #2: Beginning with the third aired episode, the circles were eliminated and the car was added to the prize wheels, in addition to other high-value items such as boats and trips. This format lasted through the second week.
  • Jokers and Devils: Beginning with the third week, the wheels contained only jokers and devils (see above for description). The contestant took up to three spins, receiving a prize of increasing value every time three jokers came up. If a devil appeared at any time, the round ended and they lost all prizes accumulated to that point. The contestant could end the round after any safe spin and keep the prizes they had won. Originally, the contestant was given up to four spins, with a large prize such as a car or trip at stake on the last one. For a brief period, the prize for a spin was not revealed until after the wheels had stopped. In 1973, to avoid confusion between the wheels used in the main game and bonus round, the jokers on the bonus round wheels were marked with the word "Joker" instead of the word "Wild".
  • Face the Devil: Starting around May 1974, the "Face the Devil" round described above had been implemented.

Joker's Jackpot

[edit]

Early in the show's run, returning champions were competing for a chance to win the Joker's Jackpot, an accruing cash jackpot that started at $2,500. Contestants won this jackpot if they won three (originally four) consecutive games. After the "Jokers and Devils" bonus round stopped offering a fourth prize, a new automobile was added to the jackpot instead. However, if the champion was defeated, all of their cash winnings were forfeited to the jackpot, though prizes won in the bonus round were theirs to keep. After every game, the champion decided whether to play on for a chance to win the jackpot, or keep all their winnings and leave the show. The jackpot continued to build until it reached $25,000, which was at the time CBS's winnings limit for game show contestants.

Originally, after winning the Joker's Jackpot, the champion was retired undefeated, but in February 1973 the rules were changed to allow champions to continue playing until either being defeated or reaching the maximum CBS winnings limit. Once a champion won the Joker's Jackpot, that money (and the car, once it was added) was theirs to keep even if they lost a subsequent game.

Upon implementation of the "Face the Devil" bonus round, the Joker's Jackpot was discontinued. Contestants kept whatever they earned, while still retiring after winning $25,000, and received a car after every fifth victory.

Audience Game

[edit]

An audience game was played beginning with the 1981–82 season. Three members of the studio audience were selected to win money and a chance to spin against the devil. Each audience member had one spin to get as much money as possible. The wheels contained money amounts ($10, $20, $30, $40, $50 and $100), with $300 the highest amount possible in one spin. All three audience members kept whatever totals they spun; the high scorer went on to play "Face the Devil" for a bonus prize and cash, using the same rules and dollar amounts as the onstage contestants. Ties were broken with an additional spin, and the tied members kept the money they scored on this spin in addition to their previous winnings.

When Bill Cullen began hosting in fall 1984, two audience members were chosen along with a home viewer who played by pressing a key on their touch-tone telephone to spin the wheels. The game was played onstage instead of in the audience as Barry and Peck had done to accommodate Cullen's limited range of motion on a stage.

When the audience game was first introduced, it was played at least once every week (usually on the Friday episode). Each audience member was allowed a maximum of two spins, and could either stop after the first or decline that score in hopes of improving it on the second. These rules were later changed to those described above, and the feature began appearing daily halfway through the 1981–82 season.

Joker! Joker!! Joker!!! (1979–81)

[edit]

Joker! Joker!! Joker!!! was a special once-weekly version of The Joker's Wild, with Barry hosting, in which children competed with appropriately-themed subject matter. Prior to its debut, beginning in 1973, The Joker's Wild featured children playing every year around Easter.

The format was essentially the same, with some slight alterations. In the main game, the children played for points instead of money, with 500 points needed to win. The winning contestant received a $500 education bond, while the loser received a $100 bond. The special categories "Mystery" and "Fast Forward" were not used in this version, but "Multiple Choice" was. As before, full rounds were played, and the contestant who reached 500 points or more after each completed round won; if the score was tied at 500 or more, additional rounds were played to break the tie. A three-joker spin still was worth an automatic win with one correct answer from any of the five categories in play. More jokers were also added to the wheels, which Barry himself pointed out during one episode.

The joker cards contained a more juvenile-looking animated joker performing a handstand (with the word Joker written below the design), and the children played the "Face the Devil" round under the same rules as the adults on The Joker's Wild, except that members of their families joined them onstage for assistance. During the CBS era, the "Jokers and Devils" round was in play; however, prizes already won were not at risk when going for future prizes. Also, both the winner and loser got to spin for prizes; the loser got to spin one time, while the winner got to spin up to three times. Additionally, children were allowed to confer with their parents/relatives when choosing categories, but were required to answer questions themselves.

1990–91

[edit]

Game play was changed dramatically when the series returned to syndication in 1990. In particular, the regular questions were replaced with terms that the contestants had to define. This version lasted only one season and was hosted by Pat Finn. A memorial plaque was placed on the slot machine as a tribute to Jack Barry, and the wheels were replaced by video monitors that simulated the appearance of spinning.

Format #1

[edit]
Round 1
[edit]

In the first round, three contestants (one a returning champion) competed to be the first to reach $500. The game began with a toss-up clue, and whoever buzzed in first with the correct answer gained control of the machine. The wheels contained cash amounts from $5 to $60 in multiples of $5, and the far right wheel also held a joker.

If the contestant spun only cash amounts, they were read a series of rapid-fire clues and had to identify the subject to which each one referred. Each correct response awarded the total showing on the wheels, but a miss or a failure to respond within three seconds allowed either opponent a chance to buzz in and steal both the money and control of the next spin. If the joker came up, the contestant had 15 seconds to answer as many clues as possible, each one worth triple the total on the other two wheels. A miss immediately forfeited any remaining time and gave the opponents a chance to steal. If no one answered a clue correctly, control reverted to the contestant who had spun last.

The round ended as soon as any contestant reached or exceeded $500, and the low scorer was eliminated from the game and received parting gifts.

Round 2
[edit]

The two remaining contestants retained their scores from Round 1, and the high scorer had initial control. For this round, the dollar values ranged from $10 to $75 in multiples of $5, and the contestant chose one of two categories after spinning. Play proceeded as in Round 1, with one change: if an "Opponent's Choice" card came up on the far right wheel, the opponent selected the category for that turn.

The first contestant to reach or exceed $2,000 won the game, kept the money, and became champion. The losing contestant left with parting gifts.

Format #2

[edit]

On January 7, 1991, the front game format was reworked to incorporate elements of the version hosted by Jack Barry and Bill Cullen. Although the game was still played with the definition format, the wheels were loaded with categories and jokers and the contestant in control selected a displayed category after spinning. Correct answers awarded $25, $50, or $100 for a single, pair, or triple respectively. As in the first format, a miss or failure to respond gave either opponent a chance to buzz in and steal the money and control. Spinning three jokers immediately added $250 to the contestant's score, set the question value at $100, and revealed a category in each window for them to choose on that turn. It was possible for the same category to appear on more than one wheel after such a spin.

The options to discard jokers or go off the board with them were removed; if one or two came up on a spin, they all had to be matched to a displayed category. In addition, no bonus was awarded for spinning a natural triple.

The winning score for Round 1 was increased to $1,000, while $2,000 was still needed to win Round 2 and the game. A new set of categories was loaded onto the wheels for Round 2. The pace of gameplay was changed to allow games to straddle between episodes, if an episode ended without enough time to play the bonus round.

Tiebreaker

[edit]

In both formats, a second-place tie at the end of Round 1 was resolved by allowing each contestant to answer as many clues unopposed as they could, with their turn ending at the first miss. The contestant who gave more correct answers advanced to Round 2.

Bonus Round

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The champion had 60 seconds to identify as many words as possible, all starting with the same letter of the alphabet. The host read a maximum of three definitions per word, and the champion could offer multiple guesses at any time without penalty. The host would only move on to a new word once the contestant either identified the current one or passed after hearing its last definition. Each correct response awarded one spin of the machine, whose wheels were now loaded with prizes, jokers, and cash amounts. After each spin, the champion could freeze one or more wheels, putting them out of play for the rest of the round. If one or two jokers came up, they had to be matched immediately to a displayed prize.

If the champion got the same prize showing on all three wheels before running out of spins, they won it. If three jokers came up in a single spin, the champion won the Joker Jackpot, a cash award that started at $5,000 and increased by $500 every day it went unclaimed. The largest Joker Jackpot won was $36,000 in 1991.

1990s audience game

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As in the Barry/Cullen version, the revival gave audience members a chance to win money, but only in situations where a game ended sooner than expected. One audience member at a time was chosen to spin the machine up to three times, under the same rules as the bonus round. They won $100 for getting three of the same prize or three Jokers, or a Joker's Wild T-shirt for failing to do so.

Final week change

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During the final first-run week of this version (March 4–8, 1991), the format reverted to the original format without categories.

2017

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On May 17, 2017, it was announced that TBS would reboot the show with Calvin "Snoop Dogg" Broadus acting as host and serving as the executive producer along with Michael Strahan.[8] The revival premiered on October 24, 2017.[9][10][11] In January 2018, the show was renewed for a second season.[12] On December 21, 2018, Broadus announced that the show would be moving to fellow WarnerMedia network TNT starting with its third season premiering in 2019.[13] Jeannie Mai served as hostess in the first season. Beginning in the second season, there is no co-host.

Each episode is self-contained, with no straddling games or returning champions. The front game consists of two rounds, each of which uses a separate set of five categories. Both contestants receive four spins in the first round and three in the second. In the first round, singles, pairs, and triples are worth $100, $200, and $300 respectively; spinning three jokers earns the contestant a separate question worth $500. Dollar values are doubled for the second round, with the trailing player or, in case of a tie, the player that went last, spinning first. Jokers may not be used to go off the board, but must be matched to a displayed category, and the game can end early if one contestant attains an insurmountable lead. If one contestant misses a question, their opponent is not given a chance to steal. If the scores are tied after two rounds, each player takes one last spin and the high scorer becomes the champion.

In the second season, the game is played in three rounds. Both players get two spins in each round, with all values doubled for the second round and tripled for the third. New categories are only introduced at the start of the second round. Additionally, in the third round, a player may challenge their opponent to answer the question ("Slang That Thang"); the opponent receives the money with a correct response, while the player scores on a miss. If the scores are tied after three rounds, each player chooses one of three face-down cards and the one with the higher draw becomes the champion; if the cards match, further tiebreakers are played until there is a winner.

The winner plays Face the Devil, with values from $300 to $1,500 and jokers worth $2,000 on the wheels. If the player either spins three jokers or accumulates at least $10,000 without seeing the Devil, their total is increased to $25,000 in season 1 or $50,000 in season 2, in addition to the money won in the main game. In season 2, the host occasionally offers extra cash in addition to the accumulated total as an incentive for the player to quit the round.

Gettin' Wild with Snoop Dogg

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Prior to the shows' premiere,[14] an all-exclusive six episode documentary series aired on the TBS app, TBS social media handles including the Facebook Watch tab along its very own website at TBS.com. Directed by Rory Karpf, the show chronicles Snoop Dogg's transition to a game show host as it explores his creative processes behind the show's reboot. The six episodes were posted on the official Facebook and YouTube page every Friday at 4:20 p.m. ET.[15]

Merchandise

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Board-game manufacturer Milton Bradley produced three editions of The Joker's Wild home game from 1973 to 1975, as well as a kids’ version of Joker! Joker!! Joker!!! in 1979. The standard editions of the game included the “Jokers and Devils” bonus round, while the kids’ edition replicated the “Face the Devil” bonus.

Plans for an Atari 2600 and Mattel Intellivision version of The Joker's Wild were announced by The Great Game Company in 1983, but due to the video game crash of 1983, it was never released for either console.

In 1994, Philips produced two editions for its CD-i platform based on The Joker's Wild, licensed by Sony Pictures Entertainment, who owned the franchise at that point. These games featured television game show hosts and were based more or less on the first syndicated series, while the sets on both games resembled the 1990 version. Wink Martindale hosted the first edition, while Marc Summers could be found on a special "Junior" edition of the game. The late Charlie O'Donnell served as the announcer for both games. Martindale was among the first candidates to host the original series when CBS was still not entirely sold on Jack Barry as host, due to his involvement in the quiz show scandals of the 1950s. However, Martindale already chose to host Gambit, another of the three game shows that premiered on the same day in 1972 on CBS (The New Price Is Right also debuted that day). O'Donnell was an announcer on the series. The theme music in these games was a remix of the 1977–86 theme.

In 2003, a mobile game based on The Joker's Wild was released by Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment.[16]

In 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009, IGT released video slot machines based on the 1970s version of the show.[17]

Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker's Wild

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A Snapchat[18] video lens was released on October 18, 2017, where Snoop would dance in the lens next to the snapchat user who would act as the dancing joker. The lens features custom green screen footage of Snoop Dogg that was shot exclusively for the lens experience.

An online game[19] was released on October 24, 2017, where fans of the show can play along via the TBS Android and iOS apps, or on TBS.com.

In 2020, a slot machine game[20] based on the show was released by Everie.

Episode status

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The status of the KTLA series is unknown; only brief footage is known to survive through 1972 CBS promos.

For many years, only the third season of the CBS run was known to exist, as the first two seasons were presumed to be wiped due to network practices of the era (although CBS was far less prone to master tape wiping than ABC and NBC).

In 2000, a search of New York's WCBS-TV found the original master tapes of both the first two seasons (restoring the full 686-episode run of the original CBS daytime series) and the entire series of Spin-Off (which replaced Joker in 1975) in a tape storage room.

A clip from a January 1974 celebrity week was used during the network's anniversary special CBS At 75. This version of the show is currently held by Sony Pictures Television & CBS Television Distribution.

The 1977–1986 syndicated episodes exist, and were rerun (with the exceptions of the 1980–81, 1981–82, 1983–84, and 1984–85 seasons) on GSN, as were the first few months of the CBS era.

USA Network reran episodes of the Cullen era from April 1985 to April 1987.[21] The network also aired the 1990 revival from December 30, 1991[22] to September 11, 1992[23] and March 29, 1993[24] to June 24, 1994.[25]

In 2006, Sony Pictures Television and King World attempted to develop a new version for syndication, paired with a new show called Combination Lock; however, neither project was picked up.[26] On December 4, 2023, Wink Martindale uploaded a run-through for this version, hosted by producer Mark Maxwell-Smith and featuring Charlie O'Donnell as announcer, to his YouTube channel.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Schwartz, David; Ryan, Steve; Wostbrock, Fred (1999). The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows (3 ed.). Facts on File, Inc. pp. 116–117. ISBN 0-8160-3846-5.
  2. ^ Woolery, George W. (1985). Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946–1981, Part II: Live, Film, and Tape Series. The Scarecrow Press. pp. 252–253. ISBN 0-8108-1651-2.
  3. ^ Rice, Lynette. "Bob Barker on saying goodbye to The Price Is Right". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 20 December 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  4. ^ Baber, David (2008). Television Game Show Hosts: Biographies of 32 Stars. McFarland & Company. p. 21. ISBN 9780786429264.
  5. ^ "The Joker's Wild 1984 Record Setting Natural Triple Won by John Houlihan (5 Ep Appearance)". YouTube. 19 November 2023.
  6. ^ a b c "'Jokers Wild' producer: Security prevents cheating". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 8 November 1983. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  7. ^ "Shows–CBS Television City". Cbstelevisioncity.com. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
  8. ^ Hibberd, James. "Snoop Dogg to host The Joker's Wild game show reboot". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  9. ^ Pedersen, Erik (27 September 2017). "'Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker's Wild' & 'Drop The Mic': Trailers & Premiere Dates For TBS' First Unscripted Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  10. ^ "Snoop Dogg to Host TBS's Reimagined Iconic Game Show The Joker's Wild" (PDF). Tvweek.com. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  11. ^ "Snoop Dogg to Host 'The Joker's Wild' Game Show Reboot". Ew.com. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  12. ^ Petski, Denise (January 11, 2018). "'Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker's Wild' & 'Drop The Mic' Renewed For Second Seasons By TBS". Deadline. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  13. ^ Dogg, Snoop [@@SnoopDogg] (December 21, 2018). "Your favorite game show is back wit your favorite host but this time we movin to @TNTdrama!! new season of @JokersWildTNT comin soon 🃏#JokersWild" (Tweet). Retrieved December 29, 2018 – via Twitter.
  14. ^ "TBS Launches into Unscripted on October 24 with Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker's Wild and Drop the Mic". Turner.com. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  15. ^ "Gettin' Wild With Snoop Dogg". Facebook.com. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  16. ^ "Sony Pictures – Digital Entertainment". 8 December 2004. Archived from the original on 8 December 2004. Retrieved 24 December 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  17. ^ "IGT – The Joker's Wild Slots". Igt.com. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
  18. ^ "TBS Launches into Unscripted on October 24 with Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker's Wild and Drop the Mic". Turner.com. 10 October 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  19. ^ "Joker's Wild". Jokers.tbs.io. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  20. ^ Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker's Wild – Everie
  21. ^ The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows, 2nd Edition (Schwartz/Ryan/Wostbrock, 1995)
  22. ^ The Intelligencer – December 30, 1991
  23. ^ The Intelligencer – September 11, 1992,
  24. ^ TV Guide – March 27 – April 2, 1993,
  25. ^ The Intelligencer – June 24, 1994
  26. ^ Grossman, Ben. "Games Afoot From Sony, King World". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on 26 November 2006. Retrieved 13 November 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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