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Beat the Clock

169 statements
32 feature instances
18 referencing feature instances

Beat the Clock	type	TVTItem
Beat the Clock	label	Beat the Clock
Beat the Clock	page	BeatTheClock
Beat the Clock	comment	Perhaps the granddaddy of stunt-based Game Shows, this Mark Goodson-Bill Todman creation has been around in some form since 1950. The premise is simple: Here's a clock. Here's a silly stunt. Can you perform the stunt before time expires? Complete the objective, win some good stuff.The original version, which aired on CBS (1950-58) and later ABC (1958-61), starred Bud Collyer as host. Brought back for a five-a-week syndicated revival in 1969, the show was hosted by Jack Narz, who left in 1972 due to travel expenses eating up most of his salary (taping of the show had moved from New York to Montreal in 1970 as a cost-saving measure). Gene Wood, then the show's announcer, was quickly promoted to host and kept the job until the end in 1974, making for one of his few non-announcing gigs. In 1979, Monty Hall of Let's Make a Deal fame hosted a five-month revival, again for CBS; this was one of the few times he hosted a show he didn't create, and the only time he ever worked for Goodson-Todman.PAX (now Ion Television) brought back the show yet again in 2002, now originating from Universal Studios Florida with Gary Kroeger as host, and tacked on a Bonus Round copied from The Diamond Head Game. In 2006, the show served as the third episode of CBS' Gameshow Marathon with Ricki Lake, with the focus being on the 1950-61 versions.In 2017, another revival was announced, this time as a kids' game show for the upcoming Universal Kids network (a new network absorbing/replacing Sprout). Paul Costabile hosts; the show debuted on February 6th, 2018. Sadly, the show only lasted one season and ended on July 8, 2019.The format was exported to the United Kingdom in the 1960s, forming part of the popular variety series Saturday Night at the London Palladium. It was the first of many games hosted by Bruce Forsyth.
Beat the Clock	fetched	2023-04-20T04:28:29Z
Beat the Clock	parsed	2023-04-20T04:28:29Z
Beat the Clock	processingComment	Dropped link to ShopTilYouDrop: Not a Feature - ITEM
Beat the Clock	isPartOf	DBTropes
Beat the Clock / int_18d15922	type	Title Drop
Beat the Clock / int_18d15922	comment	"Maybe next time will be your time to beat the Clock!"
Beat the Clock / int_18d15922	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_18d15922	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_18d15922
Beat the Clock / int_1ba8eb64	type	Visual Pun
Beat the Clock / int_1ba8eb64	comment	A different animation, this time of an alarm clock that would literally be beaten by a hammer-wielding man, was used for the 1979-80 series.
Beat the Clock / int_1ba8eb64	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_1ba8eb64	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_1ba8eb64
Beat the Clock / int_2482df9c	type	Companion Cube
Beat the Clock / int_2482df9c	comment	Companion Cube: The titular Clock, given how often the host had to refer to it. Gene Wood's "Talk to me, Clock" is especially notable, as is the 1979-80 opening and the Hall-era incident listed at Funny Moments.
Beat the Clock / int_2482df9c	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_2482df9c	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_2482df9c
Beat the Clock / int_3a4f1e40	type	Celebrity Edition
Beat the Clock / int_3a4f1e40	comment	Celebrity Edition: Celebs appeared occasionally during the original 1950-61 era, while the Narz/Wood era incorporated the celebrity guest into its regular format. The Hall version switched to all-celebs on November 5, 1979 and never looked back.
Beat the Clock / int_3a4f1e40	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_3a4f1e40	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_3a4f1e40
Beat the Clock / int_405f6f52	type	Recycled Soundtrack
Beat the Clock / int_405f6f52	comment	Recycled Soundtrack: Twelve years after its cancellation, the game show channel Buzzr used the Kroeger version's theme song on one of its ad bumpers.
Beat the Clock / int_405f6f52	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_405f6f52	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_405f6f52
Beat the Clock / int_40bb59d0	type	Blatant Lies
Beat the Clock / int_40bb59d0	comment	In at least one stunt, the contestants were told they would have to step over seemingly unpassable knee-high obstacles to get to the goal items. Once they had their blindfolds on, Collyer removed the obstacles so the contestants would try to navigate around things that were no longer there.
Beat the Clock / int_40bb59d0	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_40bb59d0	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_40bb59d0
Beat the Clock / int_47696b0	type	Progressive Jackpot
Beat the Clock / int_47696b0	comment	Progressive Jackpot: The reward for completing a (Super) Bonus Stunt in the Collyer era. Originally, it started at $100 and grew by $100 per week until won. In 1954, this was changed to start at $500. In 1956, the Super Bonus Stunt started at $10,000 and went up $1,000 per try until won. It reached $64,000 before being hit, and was won on the last show before a sponsor change. (It was announced at the top of said episode that if the Super Bonus wasn't won that night, the money would be donated to recognized charities.) For the ABC era, or at least in 1960, the Bonus Stunt grew by $100 per day until won. It was finally hit in September 1960 for $20,100.
Beat the Clock / int_47696b0	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_47696b0	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_47696b0
Beat the Clock / int_4eddbc06	type	Animated Credits Opening
Beat the Clock / int_4eddbc06	comment	Animated Credits Opening: Used for most of Sylvania's sponsorship (1950-56), beginning on December 20, 1952: a mouse would dance on the titles to an arrangement of "Hickory, Dickory, Dock". Originally followed by the logo-Clock's hand wiping around to show Sylvania's various products, starting around 1954 the animated portion was lengthened to have the logo-Clock part like a curtain, after which the mouse put together the names of Sylvania products much like the Jackpot Clock the wives played. A different animation, this time of an alarm clock that would literally be beaten by a hammer-wielding man, was used for the 1979-80 series.
Beat the Clock / int_4eddbc06	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_4eddbc06	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_4eddbc06
Beat the Clock / int_565ce678	type	Game Show Appearance
Beat the Clock / int_565ce678	comment	Game Show Appearance: In a "lost episode" of The Honeymooners in 1953, Ralph and Norton appeared on a Collyer episode to do a stunt involving cups, saucers, and "a lemon machine".
Beat the Clock / int_565ce678	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_565ce678	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_565ce678
Beat the Clock / int_5f91efd9	type	Creative Closing Credits
Beat the Clock / int_5f91efd9	comment	Creative Closing Credits: Starting off the credits for the Wood era would be the words "BOSS LIST", followed by the word 'Boss' inserted into each title - i.e. Music Composition Boss, Writing Boss, Technical Boss, Stunt Creation Boss, Boss Lady, etc. Frank Wayne (the show's executive producer) was the Super Boss, with Gene Wood having the title of Boss.
Beat the Clock / int_5f91efd9	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_5f91efd9	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_5f91efd9
Beat the Clock / int_5fcb3c79	type	Golden Snitch
Beat the Clock / int_5fcb3c79	comment	And then the PAX version completely missed the point of it by running two stunts with no Clock: the opening stunt is a straight race to see who can finish first for 10 points, and an elimination stunt, also with no Clock. (The eliminator comes after each team has a timed stunt of 30 or 40 seconds, depending on whether they can answer a two-part question.) The team with the most points after the timed stunts is put at an advantage, the team with the fewest at a disadvantage. The first two to finish move on to the final stunt.
Beat the Clock / int_5fcb3c79	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_5fcb3c79	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_5fcb3c79
Beat the Clock / int_68d43ebc	type	Game Show Host
Beat the Clock / int_68d43ebc	comment	Game Show Host: Bud Collyer (1950-61), Jack Narz (1969-72), Gene Wood (1972-74), Monty Hall (1979-80), Gary Kroeger (2002-03) and Paul Costabile (2018). Yes, you read that right — both Narz and Wood were host and announcer at one point.
Beat the Clock / int_68d43ebc	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_68d43ebc	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_68d43ebc
Beat the Clock / int_7d7a7d0f	type	Opening Narration
Beat the Clock / int_7d7a7d0f	comment	Opening Narration: 1950-61: 1969-72: 1972-74: 1979-80:
Beat the Clock / int_7d7a7d0f	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_7d7a7d0f	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_7d7a7d0f
Beat the Clock / int_7df2b942	type	Moving the Goalposts
Beat the Clock / int_7df2b942	comment	Moving the Goalposts: In the Bud Collyer version, after describing a seemingly simple stunt then seeing what the time limit was, Collyer would often add an additional complication before letting them start, such as disallowing use of hands, or removing the netting from the net they would be using. When he did that, though, he stopped at that one iteration. In at least one stunt, the contestants were told they would have to step over seemingly unpassable knee-high obstacles to get to the goal items. Once they had their blindfolds on, Collyer removed the obstacles so the contestants would try to navigate around things that were no longer there.
Beat the Clock / int_7df2b942	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_7df2b942	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_7df2b942
Beat the Clock / int_91d3ab1e	type	Ominous Pipe Organ
Beat the Clock / int_91d3ab1e	comment	Ominous Pipe Organ: Highlighting the stunts in the Narz/Wood versions; it also provided the theme and other music cues, and was performed live in-studio by organist Dick Hyman.
Beat the Clock / int_91d3ab1e	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_91d3ab1e	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_91d3ab1e
Beat the Clock / int_92420773	type	Thematic Theme Tune
Beat the Clock / int_92420773	comment	Thematic Theme Tune: The original had a vocal theme, which even went so far as to mention the sponsors by name.
Beat the Clock / int_92420773	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_92420773	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_92420773
Beat the Clock / int_95496a1d	type	The Announcer
Beat the Clock / int_95496a1d	comment	The Announcer: Bern Bennett (1950-58), Dirk Fredericks (1958-61), Gene Wood (1969-72), Nick Holenreich (1972-74), Jack Narz (1979-80) and John Cramer (2018). Kroeger's version didn't have an announcer.
Beat the Clock / int_95496a1d	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_95496a1d	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_95496a1d
Beat the Clock / int_a65288e2	type	Ascended Extra
Beat the Clock / int_a65288e2	comment	Ascended Extra: During the final Narz season, Gene Wood was the guest celebrity for a week with the announcing duties handled by Nick Holenreich. In September 1972, Wood took the hosting reins and Holenreich became permanent announcer.
Beat the Clock / int_a65288e2	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_a65288e2	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_a65288e2
Beat the Clock / int_ae491407	type	Stage Money
Beat the Clock / int_ae491407	comment	Stage Money: The bonus round of the PAX version had the contestants in the "Swirling Whirlwind" collecting flying cash (and prizes).
Beat the Clock / int_ae491407	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_ae491407	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_ae491407
Beat the Clock / int_b01abe4f	type	Catchphrase
Beat the Clock / int_b01abe4f	comment	Catchphrase: "Maybe next time will be your time to beat the Clock!" "The BONUS!!!!"
Beat the Clock / int_b01abe4f	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_b01abe4f	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_b01abe4f
Beat the Clock / int_b20fdfc8	type	Ur-Example
Beat the Clock / int_b20fdfc8	comment	The Jackpot Clocknote a simple game where the wife of a winning couple had 20 seconds to unscramble a saying or quote on a magnetic board and (Super) Bonus Stuntnote a very tough stunt which would be attempted until completed during the original era are the Ur-Example. There was also the Solo Stuntnote where the celebrity guest would attempt a stunt, and the couples got $50 if they managed to guess correctly if the celebrity finished the stunt before the Clock did, or vice versa and the Playoff Stuntnote both couples competed for a prize by playing one final stunt during the Narz/Wood era, the Bonus Shufflenote where the couples threw pucks down a shuffleboard table, in hopes of getting up to $1,000 without falling off the board; whoever got the highest amount would then play the Bonus Stunt for ten times the Bonus Shuffle amount in the Hall era, the Swirling Whirlwind of Cash and Prizesnote the winning couple would be placed inside a money booth with a bag tied around one of their waists; they would try to grab as much of the Stage Money and prize vouchers as they could in a minute on Kroeger's version and the Bonus Bonanzanote The winning team has 60 seconds to complete a four-part challenge; Each completed part is worth $250. Completion of all four parts wins $2,000, plus $1,000 for “an amazing charity for kids" on the Costabile version.
Beat the Clock / int_b20fdfc8	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_b20fdfc8	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_b20fdfc8
Beat the Clock / int_bb48f8ba	type	Timed Mission
Beat the Clock / int_bb48f8ba	comment	Timed Mission: Kinda the whole point of the thing, isn't it? And then the PAX version completely missed the point of it by running two stunts with no Clock: the opening stunt is a straight race to see who can finish first for 10 points, and an elimination stunt, also with no Clock. (The eliminator comes after each team has a timed stunt of 30 or 40 seconds, depending on whether they can answer a two-part question.) The team with the most points after the timed stunts is put at an advantage, the team with the fewest at a disadvantage. The first two to finish move on to the final stunt. Hall's version also had stunts where the teams directly competed against each other, but they did use the Clock as a failsafe—if neither team finished the stunt when time ran out, the team that had made the most progress won. The Narz/Wood era didn't use the Clock for the audience games and other little diversions, but that was more of an attempt to bring variety to the show.
Beat the Clock / int_bb48f8ba	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_bb48f8ba	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_bb48f8ba
Beat the Clock / int_bb660963	type	Color-Coded Characters
Beat the Clock / int_bb660963	comment	Color-Coded Characters: For the 1979-80 version, one couple wore red, the other green; for the 2002-03 run, one couple was red, another was blue, and a third was gold.
Beat the Clock / int_bb660963	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_bb660963	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_bb660963
Beat the Clock / int_be9d4a56	type	Home Game
Beat the Clock / int_be9d4a56	comment	Home Game: The original series had a few, as did the Narz/Wood era. Collyer would often start a new couple off by handing them a copy of the game, assuring them that they will have as much fun with it as their kids will.
Beat the Clock / int_be9d4a56	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_be9d4a56	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_be9d4a56
Beat the Clock / int_c3943bf3	type	Pilot
Beat the Clock / int_c3943bf3	comment	Pilot: Three for the Hall version; not much was different aside from Pilot #1 having a flaw in the Bonus Shuffle- namely, it only determined how much a couple would go for in the Bonus Stunt, meaning a couple could win the game with no money- which was fixed for Pilot #2. The Kroeger version had two, both of which had some significant differences. The first one had a time-building element for the Swirling Whirlwind (which only offered cash) similar to the stunt-era setup of Break the Bank (1985), and the Solo Stunt was a part of it. The second pilot was an hour-long, only intended for test audiences, and featured an elimination-style format with 8 teams getting cut down to 3.
Beat the Clock / int_c3943bf3	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_c3943bf3	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_c3943bf3
Beat the Clock / int_cb19d4b8	type	Game Show Physical Challenge
Beat the Clock / int_cb19d4b8	comment	Game Show Physical Challenge: A game show that had contestants attempt some wacky stunt, and accomplish a goal within two minutes or less. The challenges weren't especially athletic, as women participated in the games, since couples were usually the contestants. One such stunt had the husband ride a child's tricycle around a loop, while the wife tries to drop rubber balls from a stepladder into a clear tube attached to the husband's helmet.
Beat the Clock / int_cb19d4b8	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_cb19d4b8	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_cb19d4b8
Beat the Clock / int_d3435454	type	Bonus Round
Beat the Clock / int_d3435454	comment	Bonus Round: The Jackpot Clocknote a simple game where the wife of a winning couple had 20 seconds to unscramble a saying or quote on a magnetic board and (Super) Bonus Stuntnote a very tough stunt which would be attempted until completed during the original era are the Ur-Example. There was also the Solo Stuntnote where the celebrity guest would attempt a stunt, and the couples got $50 if they managed to guess correctly if the celebrity finished the stunt before the Clock did, or vice versa and the Playoff Stuntnote both couples competed for a prize by playing one final stunt during the Narz/Wood era, the Bonus Shufflenote where the couples threw pucks down a shuffleboard table, in hopes of getting up to $1,000 without falling off the board; whoever got the highest amount would then play the Bonus Stunt for ten times the Bonus Shuffle amount in the Hall era, the Swirling Whirlwind of Cash and Prizesnote the winning couple would be placed inside a money booth with a bag tied around one of their waists; they would try to grab as much of the Stage Money and prize vouchers as they could in a minute on Kroeger's version and the Bonus Bonanzanote The winning team has 60 seconds to complete a four-part challenge; Each completed part is worth $250. Completion of all four parts wins $2,000, plus $1,000 for “an amazing charity for kids" on the Costabile version. During the Narz/Wood era, completing a stunt relatively quickly allowed the team/player to earn some bonus money (usually $5, $10, or $20) every time they could complete the task again within the remaining time. The Money Board, also during the Narz/Wood era, used the show's title to hide cash prizes of $25, $50, $100 and $200. After completing a stunt, the team/player chose a letter and won the amount behind it. The day's money distribution was shown after all stunts had been completed.
Beat the Clock / int_d3435454	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_d3435454	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_d3435454
Beat the Clock / int_d35193cc	type	Bonus Space
Beat the Clock / int_d35193cc	comment	Bonus Space: Midway into the Kroeger version, some "Golden Dollars" were added into the Swirling Whirlwind; if the winning couple managed to get one, the cash they had gathered was doubled (and if they got two, only one was counted).
Beat the Clock / int_d35193cc	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_d35193cc	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_d35193cc
Beat the Clock / int_e90b789a	type	Lovely Assistant
Beat the Clock / int_e90b789a	comment	Lovely Assistant: Roxanne (Dolores Rosedale) was the most famous hostess during the original era. Beverly Bentley succeeded her from 1955 to 1956, then Gail Sheldon for syndication (1969-1974). The Monty Hall version featured three: Cindee Appleton, Autumn Hargis and Lisa Parkes. Tina Willie for the 2002 pilot, then Julielinh Parker for the PAX version.
Beat the Clock / int_e90b789a	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_e90b789a	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_e90b789a
Beat the Clock / int_f438a31c	type	Taxman Takes the Winnings
Beat the Clock / int_f438a31c	comment	Taxman Takes the Winnings: The 1969-74 version ceased production because the Canadian government requested that the show turn over 50% of the money they received from sponsors offering their items as consolation prizes.
Beat the Clock / int_f438a31c	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_f438a31c	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_f438a31c
Beat the Clock / int_f511ea9b	type	Product Placement
Beat the Clock / int_f511ea9b	comment	Product Placement: During Sylvania's sponsorship their appliances were given as prizes, and Roxanne would take a picture of the husband of the team (usually after a stunt involving whipped cream or other messy substances) with the camera that would be given to the couple. Collyer would always point out that she was using a "Sylvania Blue Dot for sure shot" flash cube.
Beat the Clock / int_f511ea9b	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_f511ea9b	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_f511ea9b
Beat the Clock / int_name	type	ItemName
Beat the Clock / int_name	comment
Beat the Clock / int_name	featureApplicability	1.0
Beat the Clock / int_name	featureConfidence	1.0
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Beat the Clock / int_name
Beat the Clock / int_name	itemName	Beat the Clock

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Animated Credits Opening / int_2d274a9a
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Celebrity Edition / int_2d274a9a
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Contractual Obligation Project / int_2d274a9a
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Disco Dan / int_2d274a9a
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Game Show / int_2d274a9a
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Game Show Appearance / int_2d274a9a
GameShowMomentsGoneBananas	seeAlso	Beat the Clock
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Game Show Physical Challenge / int_2d274a9a
GameshowMarathon	seeAlso	Beat the Clock
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Golden Snitch / int_2d274a9a
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Lovely Assistant / int_2d274a9a
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Minigame Game / int_2d274a9a
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Ominous Pipe Organ / int_2d274a9a
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Progressive Jackpot / int_2d274a9a
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Race Against the Clock / int_2d274a9a
Beat the Clock	hasFeature	Tick Tock Tune / int_2d274a9a
Game Show Moments Gone Bananas	seeAlso	Beat the Clock
Gameshow Marathon	seeAlso	Beat the Clock

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