Call My Bluff (American game show)

Last updated
Call My Bluff
Created by Mark Goodson
Bill Todman
Directed byMike Garguilo
Presented by Bill Leyden
Narrated by Johnny Olson
Wayne Howell
Don Pardo
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes125[ dubious ]
Production
Executive producers Mark Goodson
Bill Todman
Robert Noah
Producer Jack Farren
Production locations NBC Studios
New York, New York
Running time22 minutes
Production company Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions
Original release
Network NBC
ReleaseMarch 29 (1965-03-29) 
September 24, 1965 (1965-09-24)

Call My Bluff is an American game show from Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions that aired on NBC daytime from March 29 to September 24, 1965. Bill Leyden was emcee, with Johnny Olson, Don Pardo and Wayne Howell as announcers.

Contents

Call My Bluff originated from Studio 6A at NBC Studios in Manhattan's Rockefeller Center.

Game Play

Main Game

Two teams, each consisting of two contestants and one celebrity, competed. The object was for the teams to earn points by determining the correct definitions to obscure words.

Both teams were given a word. Each player on one team was provided a definition for that word, one of which was correct and the other two being "bluffs". The opposing team had to then determine which one was the correct definition. If the correct choice was made the team earned one point, if not, the bluffing team earned one point. Both teams alternated turns bluffing and determining definitions.

Whichever team scored two out of three points won the game and $100. Towards the end of the show's run, this was amended to three out of five points.

Bonus Game

Both teams participated, with the winning team playing for a cash jackpot starting at $200 and the losing team playing to stay in the game. A guest with an unusual or interesting story was introduced, who then gave brief clues as to the identity of his/her story. The winning team was given three cards, one with the correct story and the other two with blank cards allowing those players to make up bluffs. The losing team then tried to determine the correct story by determining which winning player had the correct story.

If the correct choice was made, the losing team earned the right to play another game and $200 was added to the jackpot for the next bonus game. However, if one of the bluffs was chosen, the winning team won the cash jackpot and the losing team was defeated and replaced.

Celebrities

Among the celebrities who appeared on Call My Bluff were Bill Cullen, Art James, Gene Rayburn, Betty White, Peggy Cass, Abe Burrows, and Lauren Bacall. [1] [2]

Board Game

Despite its short run, Milton Bradley issued a board game adaptation of Call My Bluff in 1965.

Episode status

Recordings of Call My Bluff were believed to be destroyed due to network practices at the time. Two rehearsal shows are known to exist, one of which is held by the UCLA Film and Television Archive.

Buzzr featured Call My Bluff as a part of its 5th annual Lost and Found line-up on September 27, 2020. [3]

International versions

CountryNameHost(s)TV stationPremiereFinale
Flag of Australia (converted).svg AustraliaWould You Believe?Peter Lazar Australian Broadcasting Company 19701974
Flag of Denmark.svg DenmarkFup eller Fakta Otto Leisner
Erling Bundgaard
Zita Boye-Møller
Danmarks Radio 19661991
Erling Bundgaard
Zita Boye-Møller
Flag of Finland.svg Finland Kuutamοlla Santeri Kinnunen MTV3 20012004
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom Call My Bluff Robin Ray BBC2 October 17, 1965April 16, 1994
Joe Melia
Peter Wheeler
Robert Robinson
Bob Holness BBC1 May 13, 1996June 18, 2004
Fiona Bruce

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References

  1. Ryan, Steve; Schwartz, David; Wostbrock, Fred (1999), The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows (3 ed.), New York: Checkmark, p. 31, ISBN   0-8160-3847-3
  2. ""Call My Bluff" Pilot Page". The Game Show Pilot Light. Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
  3. , Buzzr on Twitter: "Our 5th annual Lost and Found lineup of never before seen on #BUZZR shows and episodes is here!! Watch Sunday, 9/27 starting 4 PM EST/1 PM PST! #LostAndFound"