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 Two
teams of celebrity-contestant pairs compete to identify a subject from
cryptic clues. The winning team could double their earnings by completing
a pun. The odd device beside Bill in the picture determined players'
turns by random selection.
A cute idea marred by poor execution and the notoriously cheap Bob Stewart production values. It replaced reruns of The Brady Bunch in this time slot. When it bombed, the Brady reruns returned. In a 1975 magazine article, Bill was philosophical about the failure of Blankety Blanks, which he felt "didn't get a fair shake," as well as the similar demise six months earlier of Winning Streak, which he admitted "just didn't work." "I've been fortunate," he said. "The passage of shows hasn't hurt, because I don't get blamed for it. It does hurt me in another way, though, because I feel a certain amount of responsibility. But you make yourself realize that nothing more can be done about it." A pilot taped February 10 with Anita Gillette and Soupy Sales was virtually identical to the series that followed. Within the ten-week run of the series, the rules regarding money winning changed slightly. On-air tinkering with a show's rules and formats was a Stewart trademark. EPISODE GUIDE
The pilot episode and the premiere episode with William Shatner and Anne Meara are known to exist, both in fair quality. FOR MORE INFORMATION
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