Sale of the Century (Australian game show)
Australian prime time game show based on US and local formats.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Game show
- Creator
- Al Howard
- Presenter
- Tony Barber
- Glenn Ridge
- Victoria Nicolls
- Delvene Delaney
- Alyce Platt
- Jo Bailey
- Nicky Buckley
- Karina Brown
- Announcer
- Ron Neate; Pete Smith
- Theme music
- Jack Grimsley
- Country
- Australia
- Language
- English
- Seasons
- 22
Facts from the source article.
Sale of the New Century
The game now featured four contestants each night, with the lowest scorer eliminated after the last two Fame Games; ties were settled by a Fame-Game-style question. Before the first Fame Game, a "Brain Drain" question was added, starting at $20 and dropping $5 every ten seconds. Initially, the question ended when the $5 mark was reached, but later versions froze the timer after thirty seconds at that amount. The individual Cash Card poker machines were swapped for a single touch-screen video poker unit, operated by the co-host selecting a suit and pressing a button to spin the reels.
Bonus Games
The show had two bonus games during its 21-year run. Initially, a series of six (later seven) prizes was offered, culminating in one or two luxury cars. A contestant could take cumulative winnings, buy a prize and retire, or return the next day to try for the next prize. Any champion earning enough cash for the car could leave with it or return to play for all six prizes. The contestant called numbers; the first prize matched was won, but to win the car the player had to select the "WIN" card first before selecting a number with the "CAR" card. After a match, the player could leave with all prizes earned or risk them and play another show; a loss cost all prizes from the board, while clearing the board and winning one more game earned the cash jackpot.
Tournaments
The first week saw twelve Australian champions compete in groups of three, with the four heat winners advancing to a Friday playoff to pick two national representatives. The second week repeated this process with twelve American champions. The third week was a best-of-five series, and the Australian duo of Virginia Noel and Fran Powell swept the American team of Frances Wolfe and Alice Conkright in three straight games. Again, the Australian team—David Bock and Cary Young—won three games in a row, defeating the British pair of Daphne Fowler and Susan Kaye. Also during those three years, three Student Championship series aired, each involving Year 12 students from across Australia. Separately, the American version held its own International Tournament in 1987, bringing together top winners from the US, Canada, and Australia; the grand champion was again Cary Young.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who created Sale of the Century (Australian game show)?
Sale of the Century was created by Al Howard.
When did Sale of the Century (Australian game show) first air?
Sale of the Century first aired on 14 July 1980.
More in Television Series by Reg Grundy Productions
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