History Series / Hitman

* ConsolationPrize: Each column filled in the Triple Crown was worth $1,000.

Creator/JayWolpert's second GameShow, this time for Creator/{{NBC}}. It was also the debut hosting job for Peter Tomarken, who had previously helmed two unsold Wolpert pilots: ''Rodeo Drive'' (a 1980 game which was picked up by Creator/{{Lifetime}} in 1990, but with Louise DuArt hosting) and ''Duel in the Daytime'' (a 1981 MinigameGame that was even ''more'' of a RefugeInAudacity than ''Series/{{Whew}}'', if there's ever such a thing). ''Whew!'' announcer Rod Roddy announced for this series, and he and Tomarken were later reunited for ''Series/PressYourLuck''. The show was co-produced by Metromedia, a media company which had formed from the ashes of Creator/DuMont and whose O&O stations would later form the nucleus of Creator/{{Fox}}.

* TransAtlanticEquivalent: A UK version (produced by TVS, the people behind the British version of ''Series/CatchPhrase'') ran on Creator/{{ITV}} briefly in 1989- it actually ran for only four months, just like the original, but only aired on Tuesdays as opposed to a five-a-week daytime slot.

Unfortunately, ''Hit Man'' was ultimately assassinated by ''Series/ThePriceIsRight'', making it a victim of Wolpert's own success.[[note]](Wolpert used to be a producer on ''Price'', and pretty much made the show what it is today.)[[/note]] It ran from January 3 to April 1, 1983, before being replaced by the Bob Eubanks revival of ''Series/DreamHouse''.

Creator/JayWolpert's second GameShow, this time for Creator/{{NBC}}. It was also the debut hosting job for Peter Tomarken, who had previously helmed two unsold Wolpert pilots: ''Rodeo Drive'' (a 1980 game which was picked up by Creator/{{Lifetime}} in 1990, but with a different host) and ''Duel in the Daytime'' (a 1981 MinigameGame that was even ''more'' of a RefugeInAudacity than ''Series/{{Whew}}'', if there's ever such a thing).

* GrandFinale: Among other things, soon-to-be game show announcer Randy West appeared as a contestant (and won $1,300), [[EndOfSeriesAwareness and Roddy made an infamous contestant plug]]...

The two contestants were joined by the returning champion for the second round, in which the challengers had to defend their [[TitleDrop Hit Men]] (4 for the first-place finisher in round 1, 3 for the runner-up, and 7 for the champion) from certain doom by answering questions about the two topics individually against the champion (the first-place finisher could choose to let the champion answer first, or answer themselves). The champion won by eliminating all of the challengers' Hit Men, while a challenger won by being the active player when the champion ran out of Hit Men.

The two contestants were joined by the returning champion for the second round, in which the challengers had to defend their [[TitleDrop Hit Men]] (4 for the first-place finisher in round 1, 3 for the runner-up, and 7 for the champion) from certain doom by answering questions individually against the champion (the first-place finisher could choose to let the champion answer first, or answer themselves). The champion won by eliminating all of the challengers' Hit Men, while a challenger won by being the active player when the champion ran out of Hit Men.

At least ''Hit Man'' is a bit less complicated than ''Whew!'', though: In each round, contestants watched a short documentary-style film narrated by Tomarken, and answered questions about it. Three contestants did so in the first round, and the first two to give five correct answers advanced to the next round (and won $300 and $200 respectively).

In Round 2, the two challengers were joined by the returning champion. The challengers had to defend their [[TitleDrop Hit Men]] from certain doom by answering questions individually against the champion (the first-place finisher could choose to let the champion answer first, or answer himself). The first-place finisher was stocked with a party of four Hit Men, the runner-up had three, and the champion had seven. The champion won by eliminating all of the challengers' Hit Men, while a challenger won by being the active player when the champion ran out of Hit Men.

In Round 2, the two challengers were joined by the returning champion. The challengers had to defend their [[TitleDrop Hit Men]] from certain doom by answering questions individually against the champion (the first-place finisher could choose to let the champion answer first, or answer himself). The first-place finisher was stocked with a party of four Hit Men, the runner-up had three, and the champion had seven. The champion won by eliminating all of the challengers' Hit Men, while a challenger won by being the active player when the champion ran out of Hit Men. .

Unfortunately, ''Hit Man'' was ultimately assassinated by ''Series/ThePriceIsRight'', making it a victim of Wolpert's own success.[[note]](Wolpert used to be a producer on ''The Price Is Right'', and pretty much made the show what it is today.)[[/note]] It ran from January 3 to April 1, 1983, before being replaced by the Bob Eubanks revival of ''Series/DreamHouse''.

* EndOfSeriesAwareness[=/=]GrandFinale: Among other things, soon-to-be game show announcer Randy West appeared as a contestant (and won $1,300), and Roddy made an infamous contestant plug...

* RearrangeTheSong: The main theme was a reworking of Pablo Cruises' ''Worlds Away'', which was used in the Pilot.