40 Years Ago, Sale of the Century Returns to NBC

 January 3, 1983 marks a monumental day in game show history when three game shows debuted on NBC.  Two of them were short-lived, the video game themed Hit Man and Just Men, hosted by Betty white.  But one new show returned to daytime TV after a 10 year absence and had a healthy six year run.  The show was Sale of the Century.  

The original version debuted on September 26, 1969 and ran until July 13, 1973.  Taped at NBC Studios in New York, the show was originally hosted by former Maverick star Jack Kelly but he left in 1971 to return to acting and was replaced by sportscaster and Today Show regular Joe Garagiola.  

In 1980, seven years after Lin Bolen, who presided over NBC daytime canceled the show to make room for Alex Trebek's first game show The Wizard of Odds, Australian TV producer Reg Grundy bought the rights to Sale of the Century and it became a big hit in his homeland.  

Grundy would bring the show back to NBC in 1983 with a new host, Jim Perry, who returned to the network almost two years after the cancellation of Card Sharks.  He would have three female assistants throughout the show's six year run.  The first was Sally Julian, but she had a squeaky voice and had trouble reading from cue cards so she was fired after two months and replaced by Lee Menning, who previously assisted on Las Vegas Gambit and Your Number's Up.  Menning would last until December 28, 1984 and she would be replaced by the woman who would stay on for the remainder of the shows run, former Miss USA Summer Bartholomew.  

Now to the game.  The basic game remained the same, with three contestants competing by answer simple questions to earn money.  Their initial stake was $20, with $5 added for a correct answer but an incorrect answer would deduct $5 from a contestant's score.  After several questions, a bell rang indicating it was time for an instant bargain.  The contestant in front would be eligible for the instant bargain which can be purchased at a low price. (e.g. a $650 whirlpool for $6).  Sometimes, Perry would tempt the contestant by lower the price of the bargain and offering cash.  The contestant who hit their buzzer won the prize and had the value substracted from their score.  

There was a new element added to this version, The Fame Game.  Perry would read clues to a person, place or thing and the first player to buzz in got a chance to identify the subject.  A correct answer entitled them to pick from a board of nine photos.  One would have cash, the others would have a prize.  Later in the run, this was changed to a random light going around the board with increasing cash bonuses throughout the game.  If the contestant landed on a cash amount, it would be added to their score.  

Like many shows that have a long run, there would be changes to Sale of the Century.  The first was the final three questions jettisoned in favor of a 60 second speed round.  Listen closely, and you'll hear a female judge shout "Time!"  when nobody buzzed in. Highest score when time ran out would win the game.   The second was an Instant Cash bonus, where a contestant could give up their lead to win a cash prize.  

There were three bonus rounds utilized.  The first was the shopping segment where the contestant was shown several prizes, and had to decide whether to spend their winnings and walk away or come back and try to win another game for more expensive prizes.  The second was The Winners Board, where a contestant had to match two prizes. A win entitled the contestant to return with the possibility of winning a car or a growing cash jackpot.  The last was a word game where the contestant had to solve four ot five word puzzles in 20 or 25 seconds.  Six or more wins would earn the contestant $50,000 in cash and a new car.  

This version would be a hit thanks to Perry guiding the show at a fast pace and his efforts to help the contestants win an instant bargain.  Also adding to the proceedings was original announcer Jay Stewart, who left the show in 1988 and was replaced by former game show host Don Morrow.  Sale of the Century was one of NBC's last game show successes and was a fun and enjoyable game.