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Lottery Game Show History Queries?

S

soundsandsports

Just a few things that were bugging me...

A. Were there any state lottery game shows (series, not one-off specials) around before "The Big Spin"?

B. How many states even had a show of their own at one point or another?

C. For those reading in Chicago, if any of you have any old tapes of $100,000 Fortune Hunt, it would be nice to see those on Youtube if you're able to upload them. I used to watch that, along with Illinois Instant Riches/Luckiest every Saturday night growing up down here in Tennessee.
 
soundsandsports said:
Just a few things that were bugging me...

A. Were there any state lottery game shows (series, not one-off specials) around before "The Big Spin"?

B. How many states even had a show of their own at one point or another?

C. For those reading in Chicago, if any of you have any old tapes of $100,000 Fortune Hunt, it would be nice to see those on Youtube if you're able to upload them. I used to watch that, along with Illinois Instant Riches/Luckiest every Saturday night growing up down here in Tennessee.
Click to expand...

Indiana had the Hoosier Millionaire show, which originally involved people sending in non-winning tickets to be selected as contestants. Then, it required purchasing a scratchoff Hoosier Millionaire ticket. I don't remember this portion of the criteria, but I believe it was with certain matching symbols, that you had an entry to be drawn as a possible contestant. There was also one that if you had the lucky ticket, that you automatically became a contestant. From the show's inception in 1989 to 2005 (when the show was cancelled), there were 6 contestants at the start of the show. After 3 rounds, 4 of the lowest contestants were eliminated. The final round would determine (as long as there's no tie) who goes to the bonus round. Contestants in the bous round had a chance to win up to $1,000,000. Whatever money was won earlier in the show was theirs regardless. The bonus round could either add money to whatever was already earned, or the contestant just took home what was won earlier in the show. I remember in the earlier episodes, it involved having to reveal all 3 $ symbols to win $1,000,000. I don't remember later episodes, as it changed stations in the Chicago market a few times.

Since NW Indiana is part of the Chicago TV market, TV stations didn't have to pickup the show. WGBO Joliet/Chicago originally carried the show. When Univision bought WGBO in 1994, they waited until January 1 1995 to drop all English language programming for the Univision network programming (that was due to their fallout with WCIU, when WCIU refused to become a fulltime Univision affiliate, & Univision bought WGBO when they learned it was for sale). After being dropped by WGBO, it moved briefly to WJYS Hammond/Chicago. Except for those who had cable, WJYS had a bad signal in the market, and not everyone could get their station. Eventually, WJYS dropped the program, & PBS station WYIN Gary Indiana picked up the program (again, another station who had a bad signal). I however don't believe they carried the program to the end (I could be wrong). WYIN never carried the drawings for the Hoosier Lottery like WGBO did (WGBO also carried the drawings for Powerball & predecessor Lotto America). Ratings dropped for the show, & the Hoosier Lottery decided it was best to use the money they earn for more promotions.


I remember watching $100,000 Fortune Hunt on WGN-TV in Chicago. I don't remember the format, but I do remember Linda Kollmeyer being on the show every week. She still works for the Illinois Lottery handling the Pick 3, Pick 4, Little Lotto, & Lotto drawings (she's either doing the midday Pick 3 & Pick 4, or evening drawings).
 
IIRC, Ohio had one called "Cash Explosion".

And there was the syndicated Powerball game
that aired in every state that had Powerball at
the time. I remember watching that show in
Myrtle Beach before North Carolina even had
a lottery.
 
"Cash Explosion" (now "Cash Explosion Doube Play") is still around, giving Harold from Chillicothe a chance to win thousands and thousands of dollars.

Bit of trivia: at one point, the Illinois Lottery show was hosted by Mark Goodman, best known as one of the orginal MTV VJ's.
 
Ohio Lottery's Cash Explosion is indeed still around. I watched the July 31st episode while visiting Columbus on WTTE-TV (FOX) channel 28. The show was done live from the Ohio State Fairgrounds that given weekend (I happen to win $300 that evening on Ohio's Rolling Cash 5 game, drawn during the show).

The Connecticut Lottery once had The Rainbow Jackpot, which I believe was carried by CPTV, a.k.a. Connecticut Public Television.
 
Lottery Game Shows...somewhat off-topic, for those who are lucky enough to win the jackpot is it still a law ( or at least a rule anyway ) that such people and their entire familes are required to appear in front of the media in order to collect their winnings? With game shows, suppose they win and do not want to appear, could they use a stand-by?

Many many years ago ( 1984 ) I had a family member who had actually won a million dollar jackpot in the Maryland Lottery. When it came to claim the prize, they were told that before they got that check they must first face Baltimore's WJZ, WBAL and WMAR for a press conference at their home. Even though "home" was a good 175 miles away from Baltimore.
 
mleach said:
Lottery Game Shows...somewhat off-topic, for those who are lucky enough to win the jackpot is it still a law ( or at least a rule anyway ) that such people and their entire familes are required to appear in front of the media in order to collect their winnings? With game shows, suppose they win and do not want to appear, could they use a stand-by?

Many many years ago ( 1984 ) I had a family member who had actually won a million dollar jackpot in the Maryland Lottery. When it came to claim the prize, they were told that before they got that check they must first face Baltimore's WJZ, WBAL and WMAR for a press conference at their home. Even though "home" was a good 175 miles away from Baltimore.
Click to expand...

With the Hoosier Millionaire show, family members weren't required to appear in front of the media; just the winner, & there was no way around that. For the Hoosier Lottery itself (also includes Powerball & Megamillions), only the winner(s) is/are required to appear in front of the media. The only way to keep yourself anonymous is to see a lawyer, & create a trust. The trust's name is made public & not the actual winner.
 
Dave said:
With the Hoosier Millionaire show, family members weren't required to appear in front of the media; just the winner, & there was no way around that. For the Hoosier Lottery itself (also includes Powerball & Megamillions), only the winner(s) is/are required to appear in front of the media. The only way to keep yourself anonymous is to see a lawyer, & create a trust. The trust's name is made public & not the actual winner.
Click to expand...

The funny thing about my uncle and his wife ( both long since deceased ), at the time when they had hit the MARYLAND lottery for a jackpot of 1.5 million dollars ( 1984 ) when Baltimore TV showed up they had Rudy Miller ( WBAL ), Sally Thorner ( WMAR ) and Marty Bass ( WJZ ) all Baltimore TV icons at the time showing up to have have coffee and cigarettes in their kitchen just before the broadcast. For years I would joke, only if they had mananged to had get WBFF's Captain Chesapeake ( George Lewis ) in their someplace then it would all be complete. Of course since neither had no interest in TV at the time they didnt get what I had said anyway. But as I can recall the rule in Maryland back in 1984 was that if someone would hit the jackpot then everyone within the family ( husband, wife and the children ) would have to face the local Baltimore TV press, of course by now that may had changed.

Another angle to this...at the time they had lived in Harrisonburg, VA ( a good many miles aways from Baltimore ) and despite living within sight of their local WHSV's towers and studios...WHSV never even bother to show up to interview them..only Baltimore. That may had been a good thing though considering than no Baltimore station was on cable in the region back then and with the internet in 1984 ( OK it didn't exist for most )..well nobody in Harrisonburg knew they had hit the jackpot..in Maryland.

Oh for the record by 1987 they were already asking ME for money to help pay for their bills. Proof the once somebody does win the jackport...well the money doesn't always last. Also for the record ( again ) my uncle from his winnings gave me $200 which in 1984 for a 15 year old was a lot of cash..alas I had spent it on records..including the-then new Madonna hit "Boarderline".

GAWD..now I really am showing my age. :D
 
Back around 1976 or so, WPHL-TV, Ch. 17 in Philly, carried Lucky Lotto from the Pennsylvania
Lottery every Thursday night at 7 pm. The game had three fields: red(1-33), white(34-66),
and blue(67-99), a two-digit bonus number and a single-digit free play number. The show's
hast was Tony Mowod, who I believe was a local Pittsburgh radio personality at the time.
 
KML-224 said:
Ohio Lottery's Cash Explosion is indeed still around. I watched the July 31st episode while visiting Columbus on WTTE-TV (FOX) channel 28. The show was done live from the Ohio State Fairgrounds that given weekend (I happen to win $300 that evening on Ohio's Rolling Cash 5 game, drawn during the show).
Click to expand...

As far as I know, "Cash Explosion" is still produced regularly at Cleveland's ABC affiliate, WEWS/5. I didn't realize they did remote broadcasts, but the fair would certainly make sense as a location.

Local radio type Paul Tapie did that show for a long time. Heck, he may still be on it, as I haven't seen it in some time!
 
Local radio type Paul Tapie did that show for a long time. Heck, he may still be on it, as I haven't seen it in some time!
Click to expand...

No, Doughface hasn't been there for a while. Sharon Bicknell still is, though, along with some guy with Disney Channel hair.
 
In the Fall of 1973, the State Of Massachusetts started a live lottery game show called "Big Money" that aired on Tuesday evenings at 7:30PM, and was around for most of the decade (I don't recall the exact year it ended). It was originated at Channel 5 WCVB in Boston, and was fed to Channel 22 WWLP in Springfield. Frank Avruch (who was also Boston's Bozo the Clown) hosted.
 
Well, SC very briefly had a lottery game show. It wasn't even a show, it was just a two-minute segment airing during or after the local news. You had to guess whether the number was higher or lower. The top prize was only $20,000.

It was on around 2006-07, hosted by some guy, Jeffrey Black, who had won a contest.
 
KYLEBOOK said:
In the Fall of 1973, the State Of Massachusetts started a live lottery game show called "Big Money" that aired on Tuesday evenings at 7:30PM, and was around for most of the decade (I don't recall the exact year it ended). It was originated at Channel 5 WCVB in Boston, and was fed to Channel 22 WWLP in Springfield. Frank Avruch (who was also Boston's Bozo the Clown) hosted.
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According to the Mass Lottery website, Big Money Game debuted in September of 1975. It remained on the air on WCVB for 10 years. I can't find anything but thought that the original host was Allen Ludden. I do remember the first few times they used the "wheels" to get the ball to drop in a number took forever for them to stop.
 
jake1966 said:
I can't find anything but thought that the original host was Allen Ludden. I do remember the first few times they used the "wheels" to get the ball to drop in a number took forever for them to stop.
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Absolutely it was Allen Ludden.

I found nothing definite on the Internet about his hosting it but I found an old TV Guide with an ad for the show featuring his picture.
 
Dave said:
I remember watching $100,000 Fortune Hunt on WGN-TV in Chicago. I don't remember the format, but I do remember Linda Kollmeyer being on the show every week. She still works for the Illinois Lottery handling the Pick 3, Pick 4, Little Lotto, & Lotto drawings (she's either doing the midday Pick 3 & Pick 4, or evening drawings).[/color]
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To me (and those reading in Michigan), $100,000 Fortune Hunt is like Fame & Fortune with higher stakes...you can compare the two shows on Wikipedia...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100,000_Fortune_Hunt

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fame_and_Fortune_(US)
 
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