All-Star Blitz

Main game

Two contestants, one typically the reigning champion, worked to reveal and solve hidden word puzzles assisted by a panel of four celebrities. The puzzles, ranging from two to six words in length, were hidden behind a grid of six monitors positioned above the panel. Each monitor had a star at each of its four corners, making twelve stars total, arranged in four columns of three, with one column above each celebrity. Each monitor contained all or part of a single word, and the last word on the top row did not continue onto the bottom row.

The goal was to light the stars surrounding the monitors. At the start, the home audience saw the number of words in the puzzle, and a few stars (initially two, later four) were lit at random. The contestant in control, usually the challenger, selected a celebrity and a position (top, middle, or bottom). That star lit up, and host Peter Marshall asked the chosen celebrity a question.

The contestant then had to correctly agree or disagree with the celebrity’s answer, similar to Hollywood Squares and Battlestars. A correct choice kept control with the same contestant, allowing another pick; a wrong decision gave control to the opponent. When all four stars around a monitor were lit, the puzzle piece it concealed required a correct agree/disagree choice from a contestant to be revealed, and the celebrity under that star remained in play until such a choice was made.

Once the piece was uncovered, the contestant who revealed it could guess the puzzle or continue playing; an incorrect guess passed control to the opponent. Play continued on a puzzle until one contestant solved it or all six monitors were uncovered, with the player who uncovered the last monitor winning by default. The first contestant to solve two puzzles won the match and a prize package, advancing to the Blitz Bonanza. Instead of using models, celebrity guests often modeled and demonstrated prizes while the announcer described them, preceded by a message on the game board monitors about the prize.

Each episode had a time limit. If time ran out during a puzzle, the contestant in control could choose to guess or not. Choosing not to guess ended the game and revealed the solution. Guessing incorrectly gave the opponent the option.

Blitz Bonanza

Regardless of the outcome, play resumed on the next episode with either a new puzzle or the Blitz Bonanza as per the rules. In the Blitz Bonanza, the champion faced one final puzzle. Initially told the number of words, this later changed so only the home audience and panel knew. To reveal puzzle pieces, the champion spun a large wheel that controlled a randomizer light on the board.

Each time the light landed on a covered space, a piece was revealed, but it could land on an already uncovered space, wasting the spin. The champion spun four times. If fewer than four spaces were uncovered after the last spin, the champion could leave the board as is or give up the prize package from the main game for one more spin. After that, the champion had ten seconds to study the puzzle, and each celebrity secretly wrote a guess.

The champion won a cash jackpot for solving the puzzle, or $250 per celebrity with the correct answer if wrong. The jackpot started at $10,000, initially increasing by $5,000 each time it was not won, capped at $25,000. Later, the cap dropped to $20,000 and the increase to $2,500. Champions stayed until defeated in the main game or after playing the Blitz Bonanza four times.

Blitz Bonanza

In the Blitz Bonanza round, the champion was given one final puzzle to solve. Initially, the champion was told how many words the puzzle contained, but this would change in favor of revealing the information to the home audience and panel only. In order to reveal the puzzle pieces, the champion spun a large wheel that controlled a randomizer light on the board. Every time the light landed on a covered space, a piece of the puzzle was revealed.

However, it was possible for the spin to be 'wasted', meaning that the light could land on a space that was already uncovered. The champion spun the wheel four times. If fewer than four spaces were uncovered after the last spin, the champion was given the option to leave the board as it was or give up the prize package he/she had won in the main game in exchange for one more spin. After taking or declining this fifth spin, the champion was given 10 seconds to study the puzzle and each celebrity secretly wrote down a guess.

The champion won a cash jackpot for solving the puzzle, or $250 per celebrity who had the correct answer in case of a miss. The jackpot had a starting value of $10,000.

Initially, it increased by $5,000 for each time the Blitz Bonanza was not won and was capped at a maximum value of $25,000. Later, the cap was reduced to $20,000 and the increase for every unsuccessful attempt was reduced to $2,500. Champions remained on the show until they were defeated in the main game or had played the Blitz Bonanza four times.

Broadcast history

All-Star Blitz originally aired on ABC at 11:00 AM EST, replacing Trivia Trap and followed by the long-running Family Feud. However, the series found itself facing competition from the first half of The Price Is Right on CBS and Wheel of Fortune on NBC. In June 1985, two months after All-Star Blitz premiered, Family Feud was cancelled, and All-Star Blitz moved up a half-hour to the 11:30 AM EST slot formerly occupied by Feud. However, now competing against the second half of Price, as well as Scrabble on NBC, ratings did not improve and All-Star Blitz ended its run on December 20, 1985, being replaced by a new version of Love, American Style the following Monday.