The Big Surprise
The Big Surprise is a television quiz show broadcast in the United States by NBC from October 8, 1955, to June 9, 1956, and from September 18, 1956, to April 2, 1957. It was hastily created by NBC in response to the ratings success of The $64,000 Question, which had premiered on CBS in summer 1955 and almost instantly became a hit. The Big Surprise offered a grand prize of $100,000.
| The Big Surprise | |
|---|---|
 Mike Wallace with Sue Oakland and Mary Gardiner, 1956. | |
| Genre | Game show |
| Presented by | Jack Barry (1955–1956) Mike Wallace (1956–1957) |
| Narrated by | Jack Clark |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Original release | October 8, 1955 – April 2, 1957 |
The series was originally hosted by Jack Barry through March 3, 1956, after which he was replaced by Mike Wallace for the rest of the run. Barry would return to NBC a few months after leaving The Big Surprise with his own co-creations Tic-Tac-Dough and Twenty One.
Gameplay
Contestants who had performed an act of heroism or generosity were accompanied by "reporters" who explained why that contestant should be chosen. The contestant then answered questions about his or her family, friends, hometown, hobbies, and other special interests. Questions started in value at $1 and increased up to $100,000. An incorrect answer on any of the easy questions lost all winnings, while an incorrect answer on any of the hard questions lost half of the winnings.
If a contestant missed a question, another contestant could answer a question correctly and receive 10% of the original contestant's winnings, with the original contestant keeping the other 90%. While there were some alterations in the show's format over the next six months, it was basically a straight quiz with a few gimmicks such as two "insurance questions" which could be used, if answered correctly, to prevent the complete loss of winnings which otherwise occurred in the event of an incorrect answer to the regular questions. The questions were valued at $100, $200, $300, $1,000, $2,000, $3,000, $10,000, $20,000, $30,000, and $100,000.
Unlike The $64,000 Question, the contestant being queried did not stand in an isolation booth.
Grand Prize winners
At least four people won the $100,000 grand prize:
- Ethel Park Richardson was the first grand prize winner; she won for her responses to questions about American folk music and folklore.[1]
- 14-year-old George L. Wright III after correctly identifying a song of the 1920s
- Rear Admiral Redfield B. Mason with his knowledge of Greek and Roman fables
- 11-year-old Leonard Ross II with his knowledge of the stock market[2]
Broadcast history
The Big Surprise never approached the popularity of The $64,000 Question and had ended prior to the disclosure of the quiz show scandal, which forced all big-money game shows off the air in the United States for several years.
Episode status
Only the April 7, 1956, show is known to exist, which begins with guest contestant Errol Flynn going for $30,000.[2] The rest were likely destroyed no later than the early 1970s along with most other NBC programming that had no rerun value.
References
- Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earle, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows
- "The $100,000 Question". Time Magazine, February 13, 1956.
- "The Moneymakers". Time Magazine, March 19, 1956.
- "The Big Money". Time Magazine, September 3, 1956.
- "Leonard Ross: The Mike Wallace Interview"