History Series / TheBigShowdown

** TheAnnouncer: Longtime New York local TV personality Dan Daniel, in his only game show role. Dirk Fredericks held these duties for the pilot.

[[caption-width-right:350:Welcome to THE BIG SHOWDOWN! And here's your host, JIM PECK!]]

* MoodWhiplash: Congratulations, you've won our straight quiz, now let's roll dice!

The contestant in control after a one-point tossup chose one of six categories for a tossup question worth that many points. The main strategy was that the Payoff Point had to be met ''exactly'', and any contestant whose score would cause them to exceed it with the chosen question could not participate in it; this added a layer of strategy. Following the second Payoff Point, six new categories were introduced. This round ended with a 90-second SpeedRound, during which every Payoff Point following the current one was worth $100; once time expired, the contestant in third place was eliminated.

*** An earlier pilot was taped in 1973, and had a completely different bonus round, involving opening a large safe filled with over $10,000 in cash and prizes via the right combination. That bonus round was judged "too boring", and we got the bonus round we're familiar with.

The contestant in control after a one-point tossup chose one of six categories for a tossup question worth that many points. The main strategy was that the Payoff Point had to be met ''exactly'', and any contestant whose score would cause them to exceed it with the chosen question could not participate in it. Following the second Payoff Point, six new categories were introduced. This round ended with a 90-second SpeedRound, during which every Payoff Point following the current one was worth $100; once time expired, the contestant in third place was eliminated.

* MoodWhiplash: You've won our straight quiz, so let's roll dice!

''Showdown'' debuted on December 23, 1974 (as did its sister show ''TheMoneyMaze'') and lasted a mere six months against Creator/{{NBC}}'s popular series ''The Doctors'', ending on July 4, 1975. Despite its scarcity and obscurity, it is a cult classic revered by those who have seen it.

!!GameShow Tropes in use:
* BonusRound: One roll of the dice for $10,000 for Show and Down. If unsuccessful, then 30 seconds to gain money (and extra time) with the Payoff Point (the first roll's result), $5,000 if Show and Down were rolled.

** TheAnnouncer: Longtime New York local TV personality Dan Daniel, in his only game show role. Dirk Fredericks held these duties on the pilot.

* MoodWhiplash: You've won our straight quiz, so let's roll dice for 30 seconds!

** '''First opening:''' "These three players will compete in a classic battle of knowledge and strategy, and one of them will have a chance to win the top prize of $10,000, today, on ''The Big Showdown!'' And here's your host, Jim Peck!"

** Absolutely ''no mention'' was made of the $10,000 top prize until just before the contestant set the Payoff Point in the bonus round. During the rest of the show, the top prize was consistently mentioned as being $5,000.

* Opening narration:

GameShow produced by Don Lipp and Ron Greenberg for {{ABC}} from 1974-75 and hosted by Jim Peck, in which three contestants answered questions to achieve a "Payoff Point" for a cash award ($25, $50, $75, $100, or $500).

''Showdown'' debuted on December 23, 1974 (as did its sister show ''TheMoneyMaze'') and lasted a mere six months against {{NBC}}'s popular series ''The Doctors'', ending on July 4, 1975. Despite its scarcity and obscurity, it is a cult classic revered by those who have seen it.

* BonusRound: One roll of the dice for $10,000 for Show and Down. If unsuccessful, then 30 seconds to gain money (and extra time) with the Payoff Point (the first roll's result), $5,000 if Show and Down were rolled.
* BonusSpace: The Payoff Point.
* GameShowWinningsCap: Rolling Show-Down meant you retired undefeated.
* Personnel:
** TheAnnouncer: Longtime New York local TV personality Dan Daniel, in his only game show role. Dirk Fredericks held these duties on the pilot.
** GameShowHost: Jim Peck, in one of his better shows.
** LovelyAssistant: Heather Cunningham, who only appeared in the bonus round and merely served to hand the dice to the contestant.
** StudioAudience

* MoodWhiplash: You've won our straight quiz, so let's roll dice for 30 seconds!
* {{Pilot}}: Taped in 1974 and simply called ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C0tWIaiIa8 Showdown]]''. Different theme, somewhat different set, and different rules:
** The Payoff Point began at $25 and increased in $25 increments.
** Final Showdown awarded $200 to the winner. (Amusingly, or perhaps not, the only category ''not'' chosen is the two-point "Politics '74".)
** In the BonusRound, hitting the Payoff Point stopped the clock and added five seconds to it ''immediately'' (although this rule did not come into effect).
** Absolutely ''no mention'' was made of the $10,000 top prize until just before the contestant set the Payoff Point in the bonus round. During the rest of the show, the top prize was consistently mentioned as being $5,000.
** Returning champs were ''always'' in effect, regardless of whether the bonus round was won.

* BonusRound: Roll as many pairs of dice as possible in 30 seconds for $5,000. Roll Show-Down instead of setting the Payoff Point, win $10,000.

** TheAnnouncer: Dan Daniel. Dirk Fredericks held these duties on the pilot.

** TheVanna: Heather Cunningham, who only appeared in the bonus round and merely served to hand the dice to the contestant.

* OneSeasonWonder

* ThrowItIn: The "Big Falldown" (see the YMMV tab), according to Peck. It would also explain why the episode survived.

** Final Showdown awarded $200 to the winner.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Only two episodes are known to exist (the pilot and #67), along with [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFVT-U4sSFc this bonus round attempt]], the three $5,000 wins seen in the opening montage of #67, and an audio recording of the GrandFinale.

* MissedMomentOfAwesome: In the pilot's Final Showdown, the only category ''not'' chosen is the two-point "Politics '74".

* FunnyMoments: The one moment ''Showdown'' is remembered for is ''also'' the only full episode of the series that exists on video — during Peck's introduction on [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z9_2Nj1Tzs the 67th episode]] (March 25, 1975), he slipped and fell on the spiral staircase to laughter from the audience and himself. He later kicked the offending stair, then remarked that one of the day's contestants had dubbed it "The Big Falldown". As Peck recalled in [[http://www.galactica.tv/battlestar-galactica-1978-interviews/jim-peck-galactica.tv-interview.html this 2008 interview]]:
-->"...instead of just walking through the curtain or being thrown on the podium, we had a set where it was thought it would be a wonderful idea to have me coming down a spiral staircase. ... I at one point hit the wrong part of that stair and went right on my butt and bounced all the way down the stairs. I said something that got a laugh and I thought: "Oh, I better keep going. If the producer wants to stop, that's up to him." So I got up and continued, and the producer was sitting up in the booth and said: "Oh, that was a wonderful moment. Jim is fine. They loved it so let's leave it in." That was actually just on the air about a week ago again on one of the blooper shows. And the nice thing about it is, that they still send me a check. It hurt my feelings at the time and other parts of my anatomy, but it's nice to get that."

* MomentOfAwesome: The first $10,000 winner, on the 100th episode (May 9, 1975). According to those who have seen it, the winner was a young African-American lady who walked away with not only $10,900 but also the Show-Down dice (given by Peck as a souvenir).

* MissedMomentOfAwesome: In the 1974 pilot's Final Showdown, the only category ''not'' chosen was the two-point "Politics '74".

** TheVanna: Heather Cunningham, who merely served to hand the dice to the contestant.

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: The first $10,000 winner, on the 100th episode (May 9, 1975). According to those who have seen it, the winner was a young African-American lady who walked away with not only $10,900 but also the Show-Down dice (given by Peck as a souvenir).
* CrowningMomentOfFunny: The one moment ''Showdown'' is remembered for is ''also'' the only episode of the series that exists — during Peck's introduction on [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z9_2Nj1Tzs the 67th episode]] (March 25, 1975), he slipped and fell on the spiral staircase to laughter from the audience and himself. He later kicked the offending stair, then remarked that one of the day's contestants had dubbed it "The Big Falldown". As Peck recalls in [[http://www.galactica.tv/battlestar-galactica-1978-interviews/jim-peck-galactica.tv-interview.html this 2008 interview]]:

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Only two episodes are known to exist (the pilot and #67), along with [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFVT-U4sSFc this bonus round attempt]] and the three $5,000 wins seen in the opening montage of #67.
* MissedMomentOfAwesome: In the 1974 pilot's Final Showdown, the only category of the three ''not'' chosen is "Politics '74".

* {{Pilot}}: Taped in 1974 and simply called ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C0tWIaiIa8 Showdown]]''. Different theme, somewhat different set, and different rules.

* CrowningMomentOfFunny: The one moment ''Showdown'' is remembered for is ''also'' the only episode of the series that exists — during Peck's introduction on [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z9_2Nj1Tzs the 67th episode]] (March 25, 1975), he slipped and fell on the spiral staircase to laughter from the audience and himself. He later kicked the offending stair, then remarked that one of the day's contestants had dubbed it "The Big Falldown".

''Showdown'' debuted just before Christmas 1974 (along with its sister show ''The Money Maze''), and lasted a mere six months against {{NBC}}'s popular series ''The Doctors''. Despite its scarcity and obscurity, it is a cult classic revered by those who have seen it.

* BonusRound: Roll as many pairs of dice as possible in 30 seconds for $5,000.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Only two episodes are known to exist (the pilot and #67), along with [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFVT-U4sSFc a bonus round attempt]] and the three $5,000 wins seen in the opening montage of #67.

* AwesomeMoments: The first $10,000 winner, on the 100th episode (May 9, 1975). According to those who have seen it, the winner was a young African-American lady who walked away with not only $10,900 but also the Show-Down dice (given by Peck as a souvenir).
* FunnyMoments: The one moment ''Showdown'' is remembered for is ''also'' the only episode of the series that exists — during Peck's introduction on [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z9_2Nj1Tzs the 67th episode]] (March 25, 1975), he slipped and fell on the spiral staircase to laughter from the audience and himself. He later kicked the offending stair, then remarked that one of the day's contestants had dubbed it "The Big Falldown".

* TooGoodToLast

* AwesomeMoments: The first contestant to win the $10,000, which was ''also'' the 100th episode.
* FunnyMoments: The one moment ''Showdown'' is remembered for is ''also'' the only episode of the series that exists — during Peck's introduction on the 67th episode, he slipped and fell on the spiral staircase to laughter from the audience and himself. He later kicked the offending stair, then remarked that one of the day's contestants had dubbed it "The Big Falldown".
* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Only two episodes are known to exist (the pilot and #67), along with a bonus round attempt and the three $5,000 wins seen in the opening montage of #67.

* {{Pilot}}: Taped in 1974 and simply called ''Showdown''. Different theme, somewhat different set, and different rules.