Split Second (TV series)

Game Show produced by Stefan Hatos-Monty Hall Productions for ABC from 1972-75. Host Tom Kennedy presented a three-part question to three contestants, and the order in which they rang in determined who answered when. The first player to ring-in got to choose an answer; the two others had to choose from the unclaimed answers. After all three players answered, they were awarded $5 each if all three were right, $10 each if two were right, and $25 if only one was right. The first two rounds consisted of 10 questions each, and Round 2 doubled the cash awards.

The third round was the Countdown Round. The leader after Round 2 had to give only three correct answers to win; the second-place player, four; and the third-place player, five (the Monty Hall version increased these numbers to four, five, and six, respectively). In this round, the player in control was allowed to continue answering the same question until either reaching zero (which automatically ended the game) or failing to come up with a correct answer (after which, any remaining players could complete the question with what was left). All three players got to keep the money credited to them.

After a three-year run on ABC, the show was revived for syndication in 1986 with Monty Hall taking the role of emcee because he was displeased with the strict judging on Kennedy's version. The Revival, which taped in Toronto, had increased cash awards and a different bonus round.

The most recent attempt was in 1990 by Ralph Edwards-Stu Billett Productions, with Entertainment Tonight anchor Robb Weller as host and another different bonus round.


 * Bonus Round: A couple.
 * ABC: The champion picked a car onstage and tried to start it. Victory awarded the car and a cash jackpot that started at $1,000 and grew by $500 (originally $200) every day it wasn't won. (The four other cars had their distributor caps removed. Also, the show had to get a waiver from the fire department to allow the starting of a car engine within a confined building.)
 * Syndicated: Originally, the champion faced five windows, one of which read "CAR" on the back. Picking that window awarded the car, but otherwise the player won $1,000 and returned on the next show; as with the original format, another "CAR" card was added for each game that player won, and winning five times awarded the car automatically.
 * Later in the run, the champion had to find the three windows that read "CAR" (the other two had prizes); if one of the prize windows was picked, Monty offered the champion the prize and a bribe ($1,000 for each day that player had been on) to leave the show. As before, the fourth try had four "CAR" screens behind them and five wins awarded the car by default.
 * 1990: The champion was shown three video screens, and an exotic vacation was shuffled around. Picking the screen with the trip won it.
 * Bonus Space: The Singleton, added during the second half of the ABC run, awarded a bonus prize to the first contestant who scored $25/$50 on any one question.
 * Personnel:
 * The Announcer: Jack Clark on ABC, Sandy Hoyt in syndication.
 * Game Show Host: Tom Kennedy, then Monty Hall. Robb Weller hosted the 1990 pilot.
 * Studio Audience
 * Speed Round: Subverted with the "Countdown Round".


 * Grand Finale: The last show on June 27, 1975 had a champion who failed to start the chosen car; Tom decided to give him the car anyway, then split the $1,000 jackpot between the other two contestants (one of whom was future ABC and CNN correspondent Judd Rose). Monty Hall then came out and thanked Tom for the wonderful run, after which a lot of the staff walked out onstage to wave goodbye as the credits rolled.
 * No Fair Cheating: Answers in the Countdown Round would only be accepted if each clue was answered one at a time. Here's an example of the rule in effect (starting at the 1:45 mark).
 * Obvious Rule Patch: The second half of the ABC run added the Memory Buster; played once per day, Tom read a list of items and asked which three were related to one another.