History Series / BreakTheBank1976

!!GameShowTropes in use:

* Personnel:
** TheAnnouncer: Johnny Jacobs for most of the ABC run, then Creator/ErnieAnderson took over for the last week of that run and for syndication.
** GameShowHost: Tom Kennedy on ABC, Jack Barry in syndication.
** StudioAudience

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!!This show provides examples of:
* CoolShades: Barry wore these because the set was so bright. Similarly, Kennedy had his glasses tinted.
* LuckBasedMission: Any Barry-Enright bonus round is just that; here, pick panelists to win money so you can reach or exceed $2,000 without finding the BUST card, which makes you lose everything. Stop after any safe pick and keep the money, or reach the $2,000 goal to have your bonus winnings increased to $5,000. This was only used in the syndicated run, however.
* {{Pilot}}: Not too different from the series, aside from having dome-like backdrops for the celebrity and host/contestant areas; the syndicated pilot had no numbers on the boxes, oddly.
* StockMoneyBag: Five of them are hidden on the board. A player wins by collecting three of them.
* TertiarySexualCharacteristics: A variant. If the male contestant claimed a square, it got a mustache; if the female one did, it got a set of lips.

** TheAnnouncer: Johnny Jacobs for most of the ABC run, then Ernie Anderson took over for the last week of that run and for syndication.

* {{Whammy}}: The BUST card, during the syndicated run.

* ProgressiveJackpot: The Bank itself which started at $5,000 and increased by $500 (later $250) per game until won. On the Barry version, the Bank was always $10,000 in prizes (including a car), as syndication practices of the era made this trope unusable.

** The Money Bags; collecting three of them broke the Bank, which started at $5,000 and increased by $500 (later $250) per game until won. On the Barry version, the Bank was always $10,000 in prizes (including a car). Breaking the Bank was an automatic win.

* ProgressiveJackpot: The Bank itself, but only during the ABC run; syndicated practices of the era made a jackpot like that unsustainable for the Barry run.

* ProgressiveJackpot: The Bank itself, but only during the ABC run; syndicated practices of the era made a jackpot like that unsustainable.

* LuckBasedMission: Any Barry-Enright bonus round is just that; here, pick panelists to win money so you can reach or exceed $2,000 without finding the BUST card, which makes you lose everything. Stop after any safe pick and keep the money, or reach the $2,000 goal to have your bonus winnings increased to $5,000.

* FollowTheLeader: The format is suspiciously similar to ''Hollywood Squares'' in nature, isn't it?

** TheAnnouncer: Johnny Jacobs on ABC, Ernie Anderson in syndication.

* BonusSpace: The Money Bags; collecting three of them broke the Bank, which started at $5,000 and increased by $500 (later $250) per game until won. On the Barry version, the Bank was always $10,000 in prizes (including a car). Breaking the Bank was an automatic win.

* FollowTheLeader: Suspiciously similar to ''The Hollywood Squares'' in nature, isn't it?

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/btbwall.jpg

This ''Break the Bank'' GameShow format is unrelated to the two others of the same name, but it's the one most adults today remember. As on ''Series/TheHollywoodSquares'', a man and a woman compete in a game with nine celebrity panelists. Two panelists answered each question, but only one gave the right answer. Matching three identical dollar amounts (always adjacent to one another) won the game and the right to face another challenger. Collecting three of the five Money Bags not only won the game, but also "broke the Bank" and awarded a large cash/prize jackpot.

This ''Break the Bank'' GameShow format is unrelated to the two others of the same name, but it's the one most adults today remember. As on ''TheHollywoodSquares'', a man and a woman compete in a game with nine celebrity panelists. Two panelists answered each question, but only one gave the right answer. Matching three identical dollar amounts (always adjacent to one another) won the game and the right to face another challenger. Collecting three of the five Money Bags not only won the game, but also "broke the Bank" and awarded a large cash/prize jackpot.

This ''Break the Bank'' GameShow format is unrelated to the two others of the same name, but it's the one most adults today remember. As on ''TheHollywoodSquares'', a man and a woman compete in a game with nine celebrity panelists. Two panelists answered each question, but only one gave the right answer. Matching three like dollar amounts (always adjacent to one another) won the game and the right to face another challenger. Collecting three of the five money bags not only won the game, but also "broke the bank" and awarded a large cash/prize jackpot.

Tom Kennedy was the host on Creator/{{ABC}} from April 12 to July 23, 1976; Creator/JackBarry took over when the show went into syndication a few weeks later.

Despite its short run on American TV, the format has had two Greek remakes: ''How About You?'', hosted by Kostas Rigopoulous in 1987/88, and ''Tilemplofes'', hosted by Claus Tsivilikas in 1989.

!!GameShow Tropes in use:

* BonusSpace: The money bags; collecting three of them broke the Bank, which started at $5,000 and increased by $500 (later $250) per game until won. On the Barry version, the Bank was always $10,000 in prizes (including a car). Breaking the Bank was an automatic win.
** The Wild Card could be used as a money bag or to match any dollar amount.
* GameShowWinningsCap: As was ABC's policy, champions retired after winning $20,000 (but were allowed to keep up to $30,000).

* LuckBasedMission: Any Barry & Enright bonus round is just that; here, pick panelists to win money so you can reach or exceed $2,000 without finding the BUST card, which makes you lose everything. Stop after any safe pick and keep the money, or reach the $2,000 goal to have your bonus winnings increased to $5,000.

Tom Kennedy was the host on Creator/{{ABC}} from April 12 to July 23, 1976; JackBarry took over when the show went into syndication a few weeks later.

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: The series was the 3rd-highest rated series in daytime, but was cancelled after only 15 weeks just to make room for expanding soap operas. Tsk, tsk, tsk...

This ''Break the Bank'' GameShow is unrelated to the other two of the same name, but it's the one most adults today remember. As on ''TheHollywoodSquares'', a man and a woman compete in a game with nine celebrity panelists. Two panelists answered each question, but only one gave the right answer. Matching three like dollar amounts (always adjacent to one another) won the game and the right to face another challenger. Collecting three money bags not only won the game, but also "broke the bank" and awarded a large cash/prize jackpot.

* FollowTheLeader: Suspiciously similar to ''TheHollywoodSquares'' in nature, isn't it?