Powerball: The Game Show
Powerball: The Game Show is a lottery-based game show that aired from October 2000 to September 2002 in some of the jurisdictions that offered the Powerball game and the accompanying scratchcard game for the program. Bob Eubanks and Debbie James were the hosts, while Ed MacKay announced.
| Powerball: The Game Show | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Jonathan Goodson |
| Presented by | Bob Eubanks |
| Narrated by | Ed MacKay |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Release | |
| Original network | Syndicated |
| Picture format | NTSC |
| Original release | October 2000 – September 2002 |
The show was taped at Hollywood Center Studios in Hollywood, California.
Format (2000–2001)
Powerball Express
On the cliff, a train pushed a red Powerball to one of six spaces signifying zero to 600 miles (points), or completely off the board. The balls represented each of the possible spaces (and a 'danger ball' for off the board) were dumped into a lotto machine, and one was secretly drawn. Players were given an offer to take a sure 500 miles and sit the game out, or take a chance on the number of miles drawn. After the first draw, the balls for the remaining possible spaces, the 'danger ball', and a new ball for a 1,000-mile space on the very end of the cliff, are mixed up. Players were opted to either keep their miles or risk them on every draw, but if they were playing when the ball had gone off off the edge, they had lost all their miles. After that game, 50 to 140 bonus miles were randomly assigned to all ten players in order to break ties.
Capsize
Balls of varying weights were added to an on-stage buoy. Successfully added balls were worth 700, 1,500 and 2,500 miles to players who were still in the game during their successful addition (players can sit the game out altogether and receive 1,000 miles, or quit after any successful ball addition), but any of the players who were still in the game when the buoy capsizes had lost all miles won in that round.
The Home Stretch
Players attempted to predict whether the majority of respondents to a poll question answered Yes or No. Each correct answer was worth either 100, 1,000 or 3,000 miles, chosen randomly. After each of the first two questions, the four lowest scorers were eliminated. After the third and final question, the highest scorer was this week's champion and won $2,500.
Format (2001–2002)
Gauntlet
Six or seven players competed in that game. In each turn, two players were randomly selected and the one who was selected first had hit a button which released a ball in a variable starting position. From then on, a ball rolls on a track which led to the basket. Getting the ball to reach the goal was not an easy task as swinging clubs attempted to knock the ball off the track. If a play was successful, then the players stayed alive in the game. If the ball was knocked off the track, then both players were eliminated. If six players competed, then when two of them were left standing, one more turn was played to determine the winner. If seven players competed, then the one who's left standing was deemed the winner. The winner of that game won $5,000.
Capsize
In each turn, two players were randomly selected. The player who was chosen first picked one of eight balls (each of various unknown weights). That ball was placed on the redesigned on-stage buoy. One player then pressed the button which unlocked the buoy. If the ball stayed on the buoy after two swings, they remained in the game. If the ball fell off, both players were eliminated. After each turn, a new ball replaced an empty position at the ball table. Play continued until the last turn was conducted to decide the winner. The winner of that game won $5,000.
Brainiac
This game used a set piece which was designed to look like a futuristic supercomputer. Six or seven players competed in that game. In each turn, two players were randomly selected to take a position on one or the other of the spaces (the "X" space or the "O" space). The Brainiac had then secretly "booby-trapped" one of the spaces as its program predicted they are more likely to choose. Any of the players who had stood on a "booby-trapped" step were eliminated. Any of the players who had stood on the space that wasn't booby-trapped remained in the game, but eventually they would be selected to play again. Players who survived the turn while standing on the "O" space received a "life preserver." If a player with a "preserver" was chosen, then s/he had to put it in a box and another selection took place. Like with the first game (see Gauntlet), if six players competed, then whoever was left standing won the game. If seven players competed, then when two were left standing, one more turn would decide the winner. The winner of that game won $5,000.
Playoffs
Before the playoffs were conducted, one of the remaining contestants were selected in a Wild Card Draw. That person joined the winners of the previous games and had also won $5,000. In the playoffs, a survey question was asked and players locked in their answers in percentages. The two players who came closest to the actual percentage moved on to the next round. The same process was repeated with another question to determine the winner.
Bonus Round
The winning contestant played the bonus round, called "Zero Gravity". A wheel was spun, divided into 16 sections, each having dollar amounts ranging from $10,000, $25,000, $50,000, and $100,000. There were four spaces for each amount. When the player pressed a button, a ball, suspended in mid-air, was dropped onto the wheel and a 20-second countdown began. During that time, the ball would be blown around by various air jets. When time was up, the air jets stopped blowing and the wheel stopped spinning.
The player may keep what they won, or risk it for a second spin with four spaces each worth $10,000, $15,000, and $20,000, and one each of $25,000, $50,000, $200,000, and $1,000,000.
In the event of the ball having landed on the $10,000 space in the initial spin, the contestant was then automatically given the second spin, since that was the lowest amount available. In the second season, only one spin was taken, with the dollar values being the same as the second spin in season one; whatever amount the ball had landed on was the grand prize for that show.
Only two contestants have won $1,000,000 over the course of the series, Barbara Edgley from California, Kentucky, and Tim Holbrook from St. Cloud, Minnesota.
Home Players
A home player element was utilized as well. Twenty players from each state (as well as "border jumpers" from surrounding states) who sent in non-winning tickets were revealed during the course of the show; every name revealed won $250 ($500 in season 2) plus additional money equal to 1% of the amount won in "Zero Gravity" (anywhere from $100 to $10,000.)
Cancellation
Due to slumping sales with the scratchcard and low ratings for the series, it was replaced by Powerball Instant Millionaire in September 2002.