View source for Second Chance

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[[Game Show]] hosted by Jim Peck which ran briefly on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] from March 7-July 15, 1977 (19 weeks/95 episodes). In the first half of each round, Peck read three general-knowledge questions to three contestants. The contestants had five seconds to write their answers on cards, which they placed in front of them; Peck then gave a hint as to how many were right/wrong (i.e., "At least two of you are right."), then revealed three possible answers (one of which was correct). Players got three spins if their original answer was correct, and one spin for choosing the correct answer on the "second chance".

The second half of each round consisted of the players using their spins on the Bonus Board, which had 18 squares containing either cash, a prize (hidden under wrapped-but-generic gift boxes), or a Devil. Stopping the light on a Devil took away all of that player's accumulated money and prizes, with four Devils eliminating a player from the game. The contestant with the highest score after Round 2 won the game.

In the end, ''Second Chance'' was replaced by Goodson-Todman's ''[[The Better Sex]]'' and subsequently victimized by the era's [[Missing Episode|wiping practices]]. Six years later, series creator Bill Carruthers tried again and [[CBS]] bought the result — ''[[Press Your Luck]]''.
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* [[Bonus Space]] / [[Extra Turn]]: Square #4 in Round 2 (originally worth $5,000) had a "Free Spin" attached to it throughout the run.
* [[Game Show Winnings Cap]]: The pilots had a returning-champion aspect, but the series was one-and-done.
* Personnel:
** [[The Announcer]]: Joe Seitzer announced the pilots. Jay Stewart and Jack Clark alternated for the run.
** [[Game Show Host]]: Jim Peck, in one of his better shows.
** [[Studio Audience]]
* [[Promotional Consideration]]
* [[Rules Spiel]]
* [[Whammy]]: The Devils. Interestingly, the Whammy was called "that little devil" on ''Press'' by Peter Tomarken (on the pilot) and at least one contestant (during the series).
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* [[Catch Phrase]]: "Stop!"
* [[Department of Redundancy Department]]: The logo on both the inside and outside of the Bonus Board read "SECOND CHANCE SECOND CHANCE".
* [[Foreshadowing]]: The show's biggest winner caused the network to add more patterns so nobody else could take them to the cleaners in a similar single-appearance feat. [[Press Your Luck|Seven years later...]]
* [[Four Is Death]]: Getting four Devils knocked you out of the game. Unlike its successors, there was no opportunity to lose a Devil.
* [[Luck-Based Mission]]: The pilots used a single 64-square pattern that went ''very'' fast, and while the series began with nine patterns they got more after the aforementioned huge winner.
* [[No Budget]]: Compared to Pilot #3 and [https://web.archive.org/web/20131221123833/http://game-show-utopia.net/sounds/second%20chance.jpg earlier] [http://www.flickr.com/photos/41208947@N00/4418050215/ in the run], by June 27 the Bonus Board became rather...cheap.
** '''Round 1:''' $250, $275, $300, $450, $475, $500, $650, $750, and $1,000.
** '''Round 2:''' $500, $575, $725, $800, $900, $950, $1,000, $1,200, and $1,500. As for top dollar, well...
*** Top dollar for Round 2, formerly FREE 5000 SPIN, had the printed dollar value changed to an eggcrate display shuffling between $1,000 and $5,000. According to one fan, the sequence was "1-2-1-4-3-2-1-5-3-2-1"; the June 27 show proved him mostly correct, and further showed that said pattern continued to "2-5-1-3-4". The net result of the change was that Square #4 was generally worth far less than it had been.
* [[Obvious Beta]]: In hindsight.
* [[Old Shame]]: The ''Gameshow Marathon'' episode dedicated to ''Press'' never mentioned this version, despite it being the original. Said episode also never mentioned ''[[Whammy (TV series)|Whammy]]!'', and claimed that ''Press'' debuted in [[Did Not Do the Research|1981]].
* [[Opening Narration]]:
** '''Pilot #3:''' "Today Maggie Brown, Jack Campion, and Lynn Kline will be risking everything they've won every time they play ''Second Chance''! And now here's the man who gives everyone a [[Title Drop|second chance]]: Jim Peck!"
** '''Series:''' "It's ''Second Chance'', Hollywood's most exciting new game! And here are today's players: [players' names, occupations, and hometowns]. And each of them will be risking everything every time they play...''Second Chance''! And now, here's the man who gives everyone a second chance: Jim Peck!" <ref>(The only known change over the show's run was that, by June 27, "each" became "all three".)</ref>
* [[Recycled Soundtrack]]: The [[Theme Tune]] was recycled from the 1976 revival of ''[[I've Got a Secret]]'', and later remixed for the Australian version of ''[[Family Feud]]''.
* [[Trans-Atlantic Equivalent]]: An Australian version done by Reg Grundy [https://web.archive.org/web/20120409000000/http://www.memorabletv.com/australia/tvas.htm aired for a time] in 1977, hosted by Earle Bailey and Christine Broadway.

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[[Category:Short Runners]]
[[Category:American Series]]
[[Category:Game Show]]
[[Category:TV Series]]
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