Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

Supermarket Sweep

 Supermarket Sweep
type
TVTItem
 Supermarket Sweep
label
Supermarket Sweep
 Supermarket Sweep
page
SupermarketSweep
 Supermarket Sweep
comment
One fateful day in the 1960s, an advertising executive and copywriter named Al Howard and his wife Alice had to deal with a rather common annoyance: waiting in a very long line at the supermarket to check out with their groceries. In boredom, Al turned to Alice and said "How would you like to run wild through the market and grab everything you can get your hands on, and it won't cost you a cent?"That one conversation eventually led to the creation of a popular Game Show based on the idea of running wild through a grocery store, one that has survived multiple cancellations and revivals.Supermarket Sweep is a game show created by Al Howard that originally began development for ABC in 1965. The show was produced by Talent Associates, who had already pitched another show to ABC, Get Smart. The game, which was broadcast from grocery stores across the country, was simple: in the first round, three players stood behind cash registers and were shown a product from the store by host Bill Malone, then had to guess how much it cost. The player closest to the actual price won that product and 10 additional seconds of sweep time (each player began with 1:30). After a certain number of products, their teammates did the shopping, running up and down the supermarket aisles grabbing food and special items to get the largest total while the announcer (initially Wally King, later replaced by Richard Hayes) did play-by-play. At the end of the sweep, the team that picked up the largest cash value of groceries throughout the market was the winner and came back on the next show, although everyone got to keep their groceries.The development of Sweep wasn't easy: the first test shows had women running the aisles, which the producers felt wouldn't be thought of kindly by female viewers. Further, one player had a heart attack during the show, resulting in executive producer Leonard Stern adding a rule stating that runners had to be 40 or under and have a note from a physician certifying they were healthy enough to participate.note This was Stern's only contribution to the show despite his name appearing in the credits, mainly because Stern was occupied with overseeing Get Smart and developing three sitcoms of his own. Having the ladies do the pricing and the men doing the sweep improved the show, as the men were faster and more active. ABC opted to do some test showings in movie theaters, which brought the most enthusiastic reaction the network had ever seen for one of its daytime shows.Supermarket Sweep debuted on ABC's daytime schedule on December 20, 1965, although some critics weren't too kind to it. Talent Associates founder David Susskind, who had a reputation of being associated with "class" shows, was quick to note to TV Guide that while it saved his company and brought in some profit, he wasn't involved with the show.The series ended on July 14, 1967, after just 19 months, and vanished into obscurity over the next two decades, with Al Howard creating another show during the interim, Sale of the Century on NBC. Eventually, though, Howard brought Sweep back in 1990 on Lifetime, now also serving as executive producer and producing the show under his own production company, Al Howard Productions. Now hosted by David Ruprecht and featuring Johnny Gilbert as the announcer, the front game now had a considerable variety and groceries were no longer awarded (indeed, the supermarket was a soundstage) — instead, the teams played the Big Sweep for cash with the highest total playing a Bonus Sweep for another $5,000. The other major difference is that there were no returning champs, although some teams were invited back for a Sweep of Champions or Second Chance Week.The revival, which was quick to note that it was returning and not an all-new property, ran until 1995. After several years of reruns, Ion Television, then called PAX, revived it from 2000 to 2003. Gilbert initially remained with the show during the Channel Hop, but was later replaced by Randy West.Compare and contrast Shop 'Til You Drop, which it was paired up with during the Lifetime and PAX runs (though STYD got a short-lived run on what is now Freeform from 1996 to 1998).In 2017, Fremantle Media, who holds international rights as well as the rights to Sale of the Century, obtained the rights to the US version from Al Howard, and started airing reruns of the series on their network Buzzr in January 2018. In August 2019, Fremantle Media announced that they were planning to air a full fledged revival of Supermarket Sweep and that they named Leslie Jones to serve as host and executive producer. With several networks showing interest, it was announced in January 2020 that ABC had picked up the series, neatly bringing the show's airing history in a full circle. The revived series premiered in October 2020, with a top prize of $100,000.
 Supermarket Sweep
fetched
2024-01-21T23:46:31Z
 Supermarket Sweep
parsed
2024-01-21T23:46:31Z
 Supermarket Sweep
processingComment
Dropped link to Bowdlerise: Not a Feature - ITEM
 Supermarket Sweep
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Supermarket Sweep / int_18d15922
type
Title Drop
 Supermarket Sweep / int_18d15922
comment
"Remember, the next time you're at a checkout counter and you hear the beep (beep-beep!), think of all the fun you could have on Supermarket Sweep!" note (Originally said by just Ruprecht, the contestants began joining in by 1993.)
 Supermarket Sweep / int_18d15922
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_18d15922
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_18d15922
 Supermarket Sweep / int_21e5b9c7
type
Failed a Spot Check
 Supermarket Sweep / int_21e5b9c7
comment
Failed a Spot Check: This happened on several occasions where a team in the Bonus Sweep would walk right past the next clue they needed to get. At least one team did this multiple times with the same clue. This would also happen in the Mini-Sweep and with shopping list items or inflatable bonuses in the Big Sweep. One for the producers. A 1991 episode had a bag of Mother's Cookies as a shopping list item. The problem with that: an end cap opposite the checkout stands had a huge display of them in plain sight. Needless to say, the first thing each shopper did to begin their sweep was grab one.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_21e5b9c7
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_21e5b9c7
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_21e5b9c7
 Supermarket Sweep / int_2557e3a9
type
Palette Swap
 Supermarket Sweep / int_2557e3a9
comment
Palette Swap: Some bonuses in the Big Sweep were essentially re-skins of others, such as the giant Cheer/Gain detergent box, Cracker Jackpot/Jolly Time is Money, and Manager's/Red Tag Special.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_2557e3a9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_2557e3a9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_2557e3a9
 Supermarket Sweep / int_26589ace
type
Show the Folks at Home
 Supermarket Sweep / int_26589ace
comment
Show the Folks at Home: During the Bonus Sweep, the camera will occasionally zoom in on a clue that contestants might overlook. If a team is having trouble finding an item, its clue will be displayed on screen with the correct brand name filled in.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_26589ace
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_26589ace
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_26589ace
 Supermarket Sweep / int_2d3d3e0c
type
Disqualification-Induced Victory
 Supermarket Sweep / int_2d3d3e0c
comment
Disqualification-Induced Victory: At least one team from the 2020 revival benefited from something similar, because the other two teams took more than their allotments of some items (in addition to the standard limit of no more than five, certain big-ticket items, such as Yeti coolers, only allowed one) and took significant score penalties for it (Leslie didn’t say exactly how much the penalties were). Before the Bonus Sweep, Leslie even straight up told the team that they were the only team that followed the rules.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_2d3d3e0c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_2d3d3e0c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_2d3d3e0c
 Supermarket Sweep / int_39b8d3d6
type
Boring, but Practical
 Supermarket Sweep / int_39b8d3d6
comment
There were multiple attempts to try and break the "start at the deli and stock up on meat, go to health care isle and stock up on medicine and beauty products" strategy many of the contestants would fall into. This ranged from the market monsters (forced the contestant to leave the isle if caught), shopping list items (generally the only thing kept after introduced), stocking a candy bag to a pound for 100 (generally not worth it), and secret items worth more money that can be gotten through the television screens. Aside from the shopping list items, all these were either hated by the audience and/or Awesome, but Impractical, and at most would be done after the aforementioned strategy was completed.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_39b8d3d6
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_39b8d3d6
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_39b8d3d6
 Supermarket Sweep / int_3d699462
type
Curb-Stomp Battle
 Supermarket Sweep / int_3d699462
comment
Curb-Stomp Battle: A few episodes have had one team managing to answer all the questions before the other contestants can, resulting in the contestants only having the starting 1:30 and the other team having 4:00+ time for the sweep. Needless to say, they usually end up winning the sweep.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_3d699462
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_3d699462
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_3d699462
 Supermarket Sweep / int_43273c71
type
LongRunner
 Supermarket Sweep / int_43273c71
comment
Long Runner: The Lifetime/PAX version ran for a total of eight years, which is pretty good for a cable game. Throw in the reruns, and it's nearly 15 years.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_43273c71
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_43273c71
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_43273c71
 Supermarket Sweep / int_49d59be9
type
Scenery Porn
 Supermarket Sweep / int_49d59be9
comment
Scenery Porn: The Ruprecht-era supermarket, especially toward the end of the run. As you may expect from a real supermarket, there were several people involved in "restocking" the shelves for each taping.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_49d59be9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_49d59be9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_49d59be9
 Supermarket Sweep / int_4e3d253b
type
Downer Ending
 Supermarket Sweep / int_4e3d253b
comment
Downer Ending: One Bonus Sweep had the team grab the $5,000 and start celebrating, not realizing that the sirens weren't blaring. Ruprecht, who was not smiling, had to not only calm them down but explain that the team grabbed the money about a half-second too late. After this episode, Ruprecht made it very clear to contestants that their hands have to be on the money before time expires in order to win. A 1991 episode had a team grab the wrong brand name to an item on the Supermarket Sweep Shopping List. Had they found the correct item, they would have won the Big Sweep by $4.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_4e3d253b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_4e3d253b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_4e3d253b
 Supermarket Sweep / int_4f4372e9
type
Early-Installment Weirdness
 Supermarket Sweep / int_4f4372e9
comment
Early-Installment Weirdness: Several very early episodes of the Lifetime version featured a different team sweatshirt design, and on at least one Team 3 wore purple rather than yellow. On the pilot, teams were allowed to collect multiple Bonuses ($50, $100, and $200 pennants attached to products) scattered throughout the store. The first tapings of the series had $50 and $100 pennants. The latter could only be retrieved by getting a Lobster from the Lobster Tank. The former was eventually replaced with the $50-$200 (later $50-$250) bonuses, and the latter would be dropped in Season 2 (Fall 1990). When the inflatable bonuses were eventually added, they were originally in small slips of paper that were pasted on them. They were replaced with peelable stickers a few tape dates later. The sound effects for buzzing in, correct and incorrect guesses, were very different in Season 1. Season 2 replaced them with the familiar ones. There was no Mini-Sweep originally; teammates simply raised their hands when David asked who was going first. For the first segment in Season 1, David would show a product, announce that it didn't cost a certain amount, and ask if the actual retail price was higher or lower. This was the only time the Up & Down arrows were in use when contestants locked in their answers (every other time was 1, 2, or 3). In Season 2, this segment was dropped, and now typically began with the Above or Below segment (contestants had to decide which one of three items was valued at a certain amount). Season 3 introduced the Mini-Sweep. For some reason, Season 2 had smaller-than normal shopping carts. Originally, there was only one Mini-Sweep, and bringing the item back within 30 seconds earned $50. Starting in 1992, if the item was brought back within 20 seconds, the bonus was doubled to $100. In 1993-94, a second Mini-Sweep was added, used for special occasions during the PAX run. Also, initially, any one of the named item could be brought back for the $50 bonus, which was quickly changed to having to bring back the item marked with the show's logo to earn the bonus. Before 1993, Team 1 wore blue and Team 2 red. Starting in 1993 and lasting until the end of the show's run, this was reversed for unknown reasons. Early episodes featuring the shopping list bonus had four items on the list instead of three. In the first taped episodes of the Ruprecht-hosted revival, Sweep totals were given in dollars and cents. Late in the 1990 season, this changed to the totals being rounded off to the nearest dollar; cents would only come into play if the teams were tied on number of whole dollars. This wouldn't happen until the 2020 revival.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_4f4372e9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_4f4372e9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_4f4372e9
 Supermarket Sweep / int_57b74bd4
type
Achievements in Ignorance
 Supermarket Sweep / int_57b74bd4
comment
Achievements in Ignorance: A few times during the Bonus Sweep, the contestants have end up misinterpreting a riddle as a completely different product than what it was hinting at; which ended up leading them to the final product with the $5,000 instead. However, the contestants will still need to solve the riddles of the first two products even if they find the $5,000 product beforehand.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_57b74bd4
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_57b74bd4
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_57b74bd4
 Supermarket Sweep / int_5900e30d
type
Tiebreaker Round
 Supermarket Sweep / int_5900e30d
comment
Tiebreaker Round: On the very rare chance two teams tie after the Big Sweep, the winner is determined by cents. A 2020 episode had this happen.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_5900e30d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_5900e30d
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_5900e30d
 Supermarket Sweep / int_5c1ec068
type
Big Red Button
 Supermarket Sweep / int_5c1ec068
comment
Big Red Button: Used to activate the clue monitors in later episodes; the monitors were touchscreens when they debuted. Also used at the podiums in the first half of the show to ring in and answer questions.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_5c1ec068
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_5c1ec068
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_5c1ec068
 Supermarket Sweep / int_5fcb3c79
type
Golden Snitch
 Supermarket Sweep / int_5fcb3c79
comment
Golden Snitch: The Big Sweep was all that mattered. The front game was only there to build up time for the Sweep itself, and it wasn't unheard of (though very rare) for the team with the least amount of time to win. By the end the expensive Farmer John hams, gallon bottles of vegetable oil, baby formula, turkeys, and diapers were pretty much the show's equivalent to R-S-T-L-N-E — always claimed, always a guarantee of a good Sweep total. Among the many bonuses available in the Big Sweep, the $300 Movie is this due to its value and the fact that there's only one copy of the movie in question available, thus meaning only one team can get the bonus.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_5fcb3c79
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_5fcb3c79
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_5fcb3c79
 Supermarket Sweep / int_6849cb29
type
Retired Game Show Element
 Supermarket Sweep / int_6849cb29
comment
Retired Game Show Element: The first Lifetime season occasionally had guys in weird costumes, most frequently a guy named "Mr. Yuck", roaming the aisles, with contestants having to turn around if they encountered one. This didn't last long, as the Monsters got the ax in 1991.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_6849cb29
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_6849cb29
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_6849cb29
 Supermarket Sweep / int_68d43ebc
type
Game Show Host
 Supermarket Sweep / int_68d43ebc
comment
Game Show Host: Bill Malone on the original, David Ruprecht on the Lifetime/PAX version, Leslie Jones on the 2020 ABC revival.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_68d43ebc
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_68d43ebc
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_68d43ebc
 Supermarket Sweep / int_6d9c238
type
Fake Food
 Supermarket Sweep / int_6d9c238
comment
Fake Food: Played straight with the turkeys and hams in the store's meat section, which were actually weighted plastic replicas. Averted with everything else in the store, which was real (albeit expired most of the time). The 2020 revival completely averts this; in at least one interview, a member of production staff stated that the food was real, and was donated to food banks when they were done with it.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_6d9c238
featureApplicability
-1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_6d9c238
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_6d9c238
 Supermarket Sweep / int_794cff5
type
Transatlantic Equivalent
 Supermarket Sweep / int_794cff5
comment
Transatlantic Equivalent: An UK version aired from 1993 to 2001 on ITV with host Dale Winton, with a short revival in 2007 on the same network with the same host, then a second revival from 2019 to 2020 on ITV2 with Rylan Clark-Neal. An Australian version produced by Fremantle ran on Nine Network from 1992-1994 with former Australian Price is Right host Ian Turpie. Initially filmed in a Coles Supermarket, it was later changed to a generic grocery set similar to the American version per Grundy tradition. A Canadian version hosted by Tino Monte aired on Global Television Network from 1992 to 1995. There was also a French-Canadian version, L'épicerie en folie, sponsored by local grocery chain Metro which aired on TQS in 1994-95 with host Christian Tétreault. An Argentinian version, Sume y Lleve, aired in 1987-88 on Canal 9 predating the Lifetime revival by three years. A revival under the name Clink Caja aired in 1996 on the same network.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_794cff5
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_794cff5
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_794cff5
 Supermarket Sweep / int_834427cd
type
Cap
 Supermarket Sweep / int_834427cd
comment
Cap: In the Big Sweep, teams were each limited to five of any one grocery item, and one of any given offer for extra money (giant bonus item, Manager's Special, etc.).
 Supermarket Sweep / int_834427cd
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_834427cd
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_834427cd
 Supermarket Sweep / int_8409a385
type
Exactly What It Says on the Tin
 Supermarket Sweep / int_8409a385
comment
Among the many bonuses available in the Big Sweep, the $300 Movie is this due to its value and the fact that there's only one copy of the movie in question available, thus meaning only one team can get the bonus.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_8409a385
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_8409a385
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_8409a385
 Supermarket Sweep / int_868e6134
type
Songs in the Key of Panic
 Supermarket Sweep / int_868e6134
comment
Songs in the Key of Panic: "Nearing the End" variant in the Big Sweep and Super Sweep in the 2020 revival. When 10 seconds remain, the music rises in pitch in a similar style to the drowning music from the Sonic the Hedgehog games (but without setting as scary of a mood).
 Supermarket Sweep / int_868e6134
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_868e6134
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_868e6134
 Supermarket Sweep / int_87b73405
type
Signing-Off Catchphrase
 Supermarket Sweep / int_87b73405
comment
Signing-Off Catchphrase: "Remember, the next time you're at the checkout counter and you hear the beep (beep-beep), think of all the fun you could have on Supermarket Sweep!" This was used in both the US and UK 90s versions.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_87b73405
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_87b73405
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_87b73405
 Supermarket Sweep / int_8e0430ab
type
Non-Standard Game Over
 Supermarket Sweep / int_8e0430ab
comment
Non Standard Game Over: Originally if the winning team grabbed the last Bonus Sweep item or the $5,000 before finding the other product(s), the round immediately ended in failure. In 1992, this changed to an overhead announcement reminding the team to go in order.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_8e0430ab
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_8e0430ab
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_8e0430ab
 Supermarket Sweep / int_95496a1d
type
The Announcer
 Supermarket Sweep / int_95496a1d
comment
The Announcer: For the ABC version, Wally King (1965-66) and Richard Hayes (1966-67) with Johnny Olson and Gene Wood doing frequent subs. Johnny Gilbert did the Lifetime version and the first five months of the PAX version, with Randy West taking over in September 2000 for the remainder of the run.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_95496a1d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_95496a1d
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_95496a1d
 Supermarket Sweep / int_b01abe4f
type
Catchphrase
 Supermarket Sweep / int_b01abe4f
comment
Catchphrase: "Who's got the [grocery item]? Okay, you're on!" "It's the Super Bonus!" (when the $250 inflatable was found) "Remember, the next time you're at a checkout counter and you hear the beep (beep-beep!), think of all the fun you could have on Supermarket Sweep!" note (Originally said by just Ruprecht, the contestants began joining in by 1993.)
 Supermarket Sweep / int_b01abe4f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_b01abe4f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_b01abe4f
 Supermarket Sweep / int_b4696332
type
My Greatest Second Chance
 Supermarket Sweep / int_b4696332
comment
My Greatest Second Chance: Any time a team invited back for a Sweep of Champions or Second Chance week went on to win the $5,000. The were also at least a few instances of a team being invited back after being affected by a(n unspecified) technical issue during their first appearance. At least one of these teams went on to win the $5,000.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_b4696332
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_b4696332
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_b4696332
 Supermarket Sweep / int_b5e818eb
type
Follow the Plotted Line
 Supermarket Sweep / int_b5e818eb
comment
Follow the Plotted Line: Everyone inevitably ran for the meats first, since they were the most expensive if you grabbed the big cuts. Other popular items were toiletries, sweets (which were usually involved in bonuses), cheeses, and any small things that were pricey. On that last point: the pilot episode had teams grabbing things like tampons and condoms, since they fit into the "small but pricey" category nicely. These were considered a little too risque for daytime TV, especially in the Sixties. When the show got picked up, the studio stage had these products entirely absent. One person went an unconventional route and used the medicine aisle, which were about as expensive as the large cuts of meat, but smaller and lighter.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_b5e818eb
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_b5e818eb
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_b5e818eb
 Supermarket Sweep / int_b5f5824e
type
Linked List Clue Methodology
 Supermarket Sweep / int_b5f5824e
comment
Because of Linked List Clue Methodology above, grabbing the third product before the other two forfeited the jackpot. The regular rule, where teams in this situation had to find the other items and then double back, was added later (with David even reminding the winning team beforehand that "you have to solve the first two clues before you can go for the $5,000").
 Supermarket Sweep / int_b5f5824e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_b5f5824e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_b5f5824e
 Supermarket Sweep / int_b89ed08a
type
Obvious Rule Patch
 Supermarket Sweep / int_b89ed08a
comment
Obvious Rule Patch: Several. In the Mini-Sweep, contestants originally had to just find the item and bring it to Ruprecht for the bonus. Likely due to the high success rate, this was quickly changed to finding the product with the Supermarket Sweep logo taped to it. At least once, a contestant found an item without the marking and thus did not get any money for it. The use of cents in Big Sweep totals was discarded after the first Lifetime season (unless two teams totaled within a dollar of each other), although the familiar "running total in corner" display was not adopted until around 1993. There were multiple attempts to try and break the "start at the deli and stock up on meat, go to health care isle and stock up on medicine and beauty products" strategy many of the contestants would fall into. This ranged from the market monsters (forced the contestant to leave the isle if caught), shopping list items (generally the only thing kept after introduced), stocking a candy bag to a pound for 100 (generally not worth it), and secret items worth more money that can be gotten through the television screens. Aside from the shopping list items, all these were either hated by the audience and/or Awesome, but Impractical, and at most would be done after the aforementioned strategy was completed.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_b89ed08a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_b89ed08a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_b89ed08a
 Supermarket Sweep / int_be9d4a56
type
Home Game
 Supermarket Sweep / int_be9d4a56
comment
Home Game: Milton Bradley made a board game based on the ABC version in 1966, complete with a miniature replica of a grocery store.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_be9d4a56
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_be9d4a56
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_be9d4a56
 Supermarket Sweep / int_c75df49a
type
Shout-Out
 Supermarket Sweep / int_c75df49a
comment
Shout-Out: One 1993 episode of the Lifetime/PAX version featured Sesame Street vitamin chewables as the subject of a mini sweep. Amusingly, Sesame Street writer Emily Perl Kingsley actually worked on the original ABC version as associate producer.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_c75df49a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_c75df49a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_c75df49a
 Supermarket Sweep / int_cb0743c0
type
Lame Pun Reaction
 Supermarket Sweep / int_cb0743c0
comment
Lame Pun Reaction: In some early Lifetime episodes, Ruprecht would make a joke involving a grocery product (e.g., "Aren't we all glad to be here?"), then toss said product off-camera to groans from the audience.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_cb0743c0
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_cb0743c0
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_cb0743c0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_d13e0db3
type
Heartbeat Soundtrack
 Supermarket Sweep / int_d13e0db3
comment
Heartbeat Soundtrack: In the Super Sweep in the 2020 revival, if the team finds the first three items for the $25,000, or successfully converts the fourth item for $50,000, the contest music is replaced with another version with a simple bass drum beat reminiscent of a heartbeat while the team decides to accept the extra time and the double-or-nothing gamble. If the team does decide to play on, this mix continues until the team opens the envelope, restarting the clock.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_d13e0db3
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_d13e0db3
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_d13e0db3
 Supermarket Sweep / int_d2c0e2ed
type
Schmuck Bait
 Supermarket Sweep / int_d2c0e2ed
comment
Schmuck Bait: The pound-of-coffee/dollar's-worth-of-candy bonuses, originally worth $100 each, were definitely worth stopping for until rising grocery prices reduced them into this trope. Somewhat remedied for the last two seasons (2001-03), where they each doubled to $200, albeit with only one of the two available in each sweep. Exaggerated in the 2020 revival, in which the equivalent bonus areas (thus far, a flower stand and a coffee counter) are manned by "employees" who dawdle and waste the contestants' time. Fortunately, there is a variant of the coffee bonus where the contestants control their own destiny by looking for a coffee cup with their name on it.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_d2c0e2ed
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_d2c0e2ed
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_d2c0e2ed
 Supermarket Sweep / int_d3435454
type
Bonus Round
 Supermarket Sweep / int_d3435454
comment
Bonus Round: The Bonus Sweep (referred to as the Super Sweep in the UK version and the 2020 revival), utilizing Linked List Clue Methodology: Clue #1, which David read, led to the first product which contained Clue #2, which led to the second product which contained Clue #3, which led to the third product and the $5,000, which teams had to physically have their hands on before the time was up. In the Ruprecht era, failure to do so earned $200 for each item. This led to problems at least once — a team read Clue #2 wrong and went for the wrong product, which happened to be the third item (the one with the $5,000); they had to put the money back and try to find the third clue, which didn't happen. Because of Linked List Clue Methodology above, grabbing the third product before the other two forfeited the jackpot. The regular rule, where teams in this situation had to find the other items and then double back, was added later (with David even reminding the winning team beforehand that "you have to solve the first two clues before you can go for the $5,000"). The first season of the 2020 revival ups the stakes to $25,000. Any team that wins it can either take the money and quit, or give it back to add 20 seconds on the clock and find a fourth item for $50,000. The team must then choose to take that money and quit, or trade it in for another 15 seconds and go after a fifth item for the $100,000 grand prize. If the team falls short at any point, they win nothing for the Super Sweep but still keep their Big Sweep total in cash. Season 2 of the revival gives the team 90 seconds for the Super Sweep, with no time extensions or stoppages during the round. However, it’s much more generous with the cash, because there is now no risk associated with going on; the first item found awards $5K, with the money climbing to $10K, $25K, $50K, and $100K for all five items.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_d3435454
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_d3435454
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_d3435454
 Supermarket Sweep / int_d35193cc
type
Bonus Space
 Supermarket Sweep / int_d35193cc
comment
Bonus Space: By the end of the run, you couldn't round a corner without a special item, task, or quest that gave out bonus money. No bonus ever offered more than $300.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_d35193cc
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_d35193cc
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_d35193cc
 Supermarket Sweep / int_d97a0fb1
type
Mystery Box
 Supermarket Sweep / int_d97a0fb1
comment
Mystery Box: The giant inflatable groceries (or grocery mascots; it wasn't uncommon to see the Jolly Green Giant) had an amount of money attached to them worth $50, $100, or $200; a $250 bonus was added in 1993, and special shows occasionally had a $300 bonus in place of the $50.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_d97a0fb1
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_d97a0fb1
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_d97a0fb1
 Supermarket Sweep / int_d9ee7048
type
Spin-Off
 Supermarket Sweep / int_d9ee7048
comment
Spin-Off: The original series was replaced (with the same announcer, host, and production company) on July 17, 1967 by The Honeymoon Race. Three men, driven by their wives in bumper cars, competed in a series of five stunts to win prizes — in other words, a precursor to Shop 'Til You Drop. The show ended on December 1, although only the fifth episode is known to exist.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_d9ee7048
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_d9ee7048
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_d9ee7048
 Supermarket Sweep / int_dc87cf26
type
Waiting Puzzle
 Supermarket Sweep / int_dc87cf26
comment
Waiting Puzzle: Downplayed for the coffee bonus. Sitting idle for 30 seconds to allow a coffee grinder to run its cycle was the requirement for earning one of the cash bonuses during the Big Sweep. Contestants had to hold the button down in order to keep the grinder running, but could at least use their free hand to keep grabbing items off the nearby shelves until it finished. On the 2020 revival, a contestant can take a time penalty by visiting a florist or a barista and waiting for an order to be filled for a cash bonus. This takes the form of the employee fumbling around deliberately until the time penalty has elapsed before giving the contestant the item.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_dc87cf26
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_dc87cf26
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_dc87cf26
 Supermarket Sweep / int_e5016cf
type
Big Win Sirens
 Supermarket Sweep / int_e5016cf
comment
Big Win Sirens: A series of sirens and a clanging bell were used if the $5,000 was won; it was also used to alert the players when the Manager's Special was put out.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_e5016cf
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_e5016cf
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_e5016cf
 Supermarket Sweep / int_eaf5a1ac
type
Groin Attack
 Supermarket Sweep / int_eaf5a1ac
comment
Groin Attack: One 1991 episode had David getting caught in a collision in the Big Sweep as a player returned their cart, and then again right at the end! Given the footage, his reactions and his slightly higher voice afterwards, it seems he caught the cart with his, umm.. "Brussels sprouts".
 Supermarket Sweep / int_eaf5a1ac
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_eaf5a1ac
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_eaf5a1ac
 Supermarket Sweep / int_f15c2859
type
NO INDOOR VOICE
 Supermarket Sweep / int_f15c2859
comment
No Indoor Voice: Leslie Jones' preferred method of hosting often involves her screaming at the top of her lungs.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_f15c2859
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_f15c2859
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_f15c2859
 Supermarket Sweep / int_f32e02af
type
Homemade Sweater from Hell
 Supermarket Sweep / int_f32e02af
comment
Homemade Sweater from Hell: David wore one for each episode from 1990 to 1992; from 1993 on, he wore a simple shirt and tie. David himself has lampshaded this a few times, and one of the commercials for the show on the Buzzr network has an actress pretending to be his grandmother, knitting the sweaters at David's request.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_f32e02af
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_f32e02af
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_f32e02af
 Supermarket Sweep / int_f511ea9b
type
Product Placement
 Supermarket Sweep / int_f511ea9b
comment
Product Placement: The biggest use of this trope for everyday items outside The Price Is Right (and perhaps inclusive). Outright averted in the UK version, though, due to broadcast regulations; instead, items were referred to generically, or as a "Sweep-brand" item. The U.S. version had the "Cracker Jackpot" (later "Jolly Time is Money") bonus in the Big Sweep. The short-lived Canadian version was especially blatant with Nabob Coffee as its sponsor. There was a giant display of the stuff that host Tino Monte would stand behind, and a year's supply was one of the prizes given away in the Bonus Sweep. It was also a guarantee that at least one Nabob-related question would appear in the front game. Voortman Bakeries was also a sponsor, albeit less blatant, with its branded version of the International Bread Center.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_f511ea9b
featureApplicability
-1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_f511ea9b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_f511ea9b
 Supermarket Sweep / int_f870d50
type
Consolation Prize
 Supermarket Sweep / int_f870d50
comment
Consolation Prize: In the original series, everyone got to keep all the groceries they got in the Sweep. On the Lifetime and PAX revivals, the losing teams got parting gifts and their numbered sweatshirts.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_f870d50
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_f870d50
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_f870d50
 Supermarket Sweep / int_fb111d49
type
Sequence Breaking
 Supermarket Sweep / int_fb111d49
comment
Sequence Breaking: The Bonus Round forbade it, requiring the contestants to follow the clues in order. If they didn't, it was originally a Non-Standard Game Over; later, they would be directed to leave the item, find the missed ones, and then double back.
 Supermarket Sweep / int_fb111d49
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_fb111d49
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_fb111d49
 Supermarket Sweep / int_name
type
ItemName
 Supermarket Sweep / int_name
comment
 Supermarket Sweep / int_name
featureApplicability
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep / int_name
featureConfidence
1.0
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Supermarket Sweep / int_name
 Supermarket Sweep / int_name
itemName
Supermarket Sweep

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

 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Animated Credits Opening / int_116008dc
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Big Red Button / int_116008dc
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Bonus Round / int_116008dc
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Complacent Gaming Syndrome / int_116008dc
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Game Show / int_116008dc
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Golden Snitch / int_116008dc
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Grocery Store Episode / int_116008dc
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Homemade Sweater from Hell / int_116008dc
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
In Case You Forgot Who Wrote It / int_116008dc
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Linked List Clue Methodology / int_116008dc
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Mad Libs Catchphrase / int_116008dc
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Network Red-Headed Stepchild / int_116008dc
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Non-Standard Game Over / int_116008dc
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Product Displacement / int_116008dc
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Retired Game Show Element / int_116008dc
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Round Robin / int_116008dc
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Shopping Cart Antics / int_116008dc
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Signing-Off Catchphrase / int_116008dc
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Songs in the Key of Panic / int_116008dc
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Spiked Wheels / int_116008dc
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Un-Canceled / int_116008dc
 Supermarket Sweep
hasFeature
Waiting Puzzle / int_116008dc