History Series / ThreeOnAMatch

!!GameShowTropes in use:

* GameShowWinningsCap: Five matches during the first format, seven $5,000 prize packages or 15 matches during the second format.
** The show only introduced returning champions after the first month or so; a car would be awarded after winning three games.

* Personnel:
** TheAnnouncer: [[Series/SaturdayNightLive Don]] [[Series/{{Jackpot}} Pardo]]. [[Series/{{Concentration}} Bob Clayton]], Wayne Howell, and Roger Tuttle all subbed for Pardo.
** GameShowHost: Creator/BillCullen, in one of his more beloved games.
** StudioAudience

* {{Whammy}}: The occasional "No Match" square, which did nothing but waste the amount spent on that box (or a free pick, depending on the circumstances).

----
!!This show provides examples of:
* CatchPhrase:
** "The two [number]s cancel."
** "That's true/false, Bill."
** [[MadLibsDialogue "[Amount] on the [color]."]]
* TheCameo: Geoff Edwards appeared on February 11, 1974 to promote ''Series/{{Jackpot}}'', and tested Bill with a few Super Jackpot riddles. ''[=Jackpot=]!'' had only aired for a month at this point, and probably hadn't even debuted yet when this episode was taped.
* ADayInTheLimelight: Larry Blyden guest-hosted the show circa 1973, and was introduced as "the host of ''Series/WhatsMyLine''" Due to syndication practices of the era, however, some markets were still watching ''Line'' hosted by Wally Bruner.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Originally, cars were offered as a prize on the board; it didn't become the prize for an Instant Match until a month in (September 1971). Returning champions were also not introduced until that time.
* FanRemake: Greg "Creator/{{Greggo}}" Wicker did an anime-themed version at anime conventions, using a combination of formats (matching pictures, with one match needed to win the game; about three games were played per show). At the end of an early episode, at Ikkicon 2012:
-->'''Greggo:''' Audience, what didja think of this 45-year-old game show?\\
(''[[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome audience goes nuts]]'')
* OnceAnEpisode: Bill's knock on the wall behind him after his introduction. During the second format, the Big Match as well.
* OpeningNarration:
** '''1971-73 (first format):''' "[Contestants], if your first three picks match you win that prize plus a [year and model of car], on ''Three On A Match''!"
** Another opening had "This is our current champion, (''name of contestant''). His/her challengers are (''name'') and (''name''). They're competing for a (''year'') car plus these prizes (''shown on board''). It's ''Three On A Match''!"
** '''1973-74 (second format):''' "[Contestants], if your first three picks match you win the game instantly and at least $5,000 in cash and prizes! It's ''Three On A Match''!"
* RetiredGameShowElement: As you can see, the show went through quite a few different rules and formats over the four-year run.
* TransatlanticEquivalent: Australia got a lower-stakes version produced by Reg Grundy and hosted by Bob Moore, which aired for a period in 1973.

* BonusRound: The Big Match, used during the second format, where the day's contestants would try to match two halves of a $1,000 bill to win just that - $1,000 ([[ProgressiveJackpot plus $1,000 for every three shows it wasn't claimed]]).

** '''Instant Match''' - if a contestant's very first three picks of a game matched, it ended the game immediately and awarded either that prize and a new car (1971-73) or simply the $5,000 prize package (1973-74).

* GameShowWinningsCap: Five matches during the first format, seven $5,000 prize packages during the second format.
* HomeGame: Milton Bradley [[http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/12923/three-on-a-match made one]] in 1972.

[[caption-width-right:350:Fun normally comes in pairs - here it came in sets of three.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Fun normally comes in pairs- here it came in sets of three.]]

To do so, each contestant secretly bid on how many questions they could answer (from 1-4) in one of three shown categories (the third would often be a grab bag category like "The Mixed Quiz" as opposed to a subject). The contestant with the highest number--or, if two contestants tied for the high number, the contestant with lowest bid--won the right to choose a category and play for $10 times the total number of questions bidded (1-2-3 would be worth $60, for example).

Still, despite lasting far longer than any previous show had at the 1:30 PM slot vacated by ''Series/LetsMakeADeal'' in December 1968, getting some affiliates to stop pre-empting the slot, and giving away much more with the format update, ''TOAM'' consistently ranked a solid third behind ABC's ''Deal'' and Creator/{{CBS}}' ''Series/AsTheWorldTurns'' in the east (in the Pacific timezone, where it aired at Noon, against ABC's ''Series/{{Password}}'' and local programming on CBS). Even so, neither its ratings nor its competition are what ultimately did the show in — see ScrewedByTheNetwork, under the Trivia tab.

* BonusRound: The Big Match, used during the second format, where the day's contestants would try to match two halves of a $1,000 bill to win just that — $1,000 ([[ProgressiveJackpot plus $1,000 for every three shows it wasn't claimed]]).

* GameShowWinningsCap: Five matches during the first format, no limits at all for the second format.
* HomeGame: Milton Bradley [[http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/12923/three-on-a-match made one]] in 1972; [[http://www.gameshowutopia.com/Homegames/3oam/3matchgame.htm here's a review]].

** TheAnnouncer: [[Series/SaturdayNightLive Don]] [[Series/{{Jackpot}} Pardo]]; [[Series/{{Concentration}} Bob Clayton]], Wayne Howell and Roger Tuttle all subbed for Pardo.

* FanRemake: Greg "Creator/{{Greggo}}" Wicker does an anime-themed version at anime conventions, using a combination of formats (matching pictures, with only one match needed to win the game; about three games are played per show). At the end of an early episode, at Ikkicon 2012:

(''[[AwesomeMoments audience goes nuts]]'')

To do so, each contestant secretly bid on how many questions they could answer (from 1-4) in one of three shown categories (the third would often be a grab bag category like "The Mixed Quiz" as opposed to a subject). The person with the highest number, or the untied contestant in the event of a tie, won the right to choose a category and play for $10 times the total number of questions bidded (1-2-3 would be worth $60, for example).

Upon winning at least $90 (or one of the "Free Box" bonuses), the contestant could spend the money on boxes on the giant 4x3 gameboard, calling out a dollar amount ($20, $30, or $40) and a color (Red, Green, Yellow, or Blue): e.g., "$40 on the Blue". A prize was hidden behind each box, and to win a prize a contestant had to find it in the $20, $30, and $40 columns. Upon doing so, that contestant won the game and played against two new challengers. (A column was "closed" if three of its four boxes were chosen.)

** "[Amount] on the [color]."
* TheCameo: Geoff Edwards appeared on February 11, 1974 to promote ''Series/{{Jackpot}}'', and tested Bill with a few Super Jackpot riddles. ''Jackpot'' had only aired for a month at this point, and probably hadn't even debuted yet when this episode was taped.
* ADayInTheLimelight: Larry Blyden guest-hosted the show circa 1973, and was introduced as "the host of ''Series/WhatsMyLine?''" Due to syndication practices of the era, however, some markets were still watching ''Line'' hosted by Wally Bruner.

Creator/BobStewart-produced GameShow hosted by Creator/BillCullen that ran from 1971-74 on Creator/{{NBC}}, in which three contestants "bid" to answer true/false questions. To do so, each contestant bid on how many questions s/he could answer (from 1-4) in one of three shown categories (the third would often be a grab bag category like "The Mixed Quiz" as opposed to a subject). The person with the highest number, or the untied contestant in the event of a tie, won the right to choose a category and play for $10 times the total number of questions voted (1-2-3 would be worth $60, for example).

On April 23, 1973, the prizes were removed from the board and replaced with pictures according to a certain "theme" (movie monsters, actors, animals, etc.). Further, the game was amended to keep three contestants on until one scored three matches (tracked by placards on each podium), which awarded a prize package worth about $5,000. While the trips were lavish enough and other prizes were definitely desirable, they were downplayed as gameplay and Cullen's affable hosting style were emphasized.

** '''Double Pot''' - multiplied the bets by $20 instead of $10, for a possible maximum of $220.

(''audience goes nuts'')

* TransatlanticEquivalent: Australia got [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbe2Y_qi5nE a lower-stakes version]] produced by Reg Grundy and hosted by Bob Moore, which aired for a period in 1973.

** TheAnnouncer: Don Pardo.

* BonusRound: The Big Match, used during the second format, where the day's contestants would try to match two halves of a $1,000 bill to win just that — $1,000 (plus $1,000 for every three shows it wasn't claimed).

[[caption-width-right:350:Fun normally came in pairs- here it came in sets of three.]]

* HomeGame: Milton Bradley [[http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/12923/three-on-a-match made one]] in 1972.

** '''One Free Box''', '''Two Free Boxes''', and '''Three Free Boxes''' - gave bonus picks if the contestant won the pot and went to the board right then. The money was spent first, followed by the free boxes.

Creator/BobStewart-produced GameShow hosted by Creator/BillCullen that ran from 1971-74 on Creator/{{NBC}}, in which three contestants "bid" to answer true/false questions. To do so, each contestant bid on how many questions s/he could answer (from 1-4) in one of three shown categories. The person with the highest number, or the untied contestant in the event of a tie, won the right to choose a category and play for $10 times the total number of questions voted (1-2-3 would be worth $60, for example).

* FanRemake: [[http://www.youtube.com/user/gregdasgo Greg "Greggo" Wicker]] does an anime-themed version at anime conventions, using a combination of formats (matching pictures, with only one match needed to win the game; about three games are played per show). At the end of an early episode, at Ikkicon 2012:

Still, despite lasting far longer than any previous show had at the 1:30 PM slot vacated by ''Series/LetsMakeADeal'' in December 1968, getting some affiliates to stop pre-empting the slot, and giving away much more with the format update, ''TOAM'' consistently ranked a solid third behind ABC's ''Deal'' and Creator/{{CBS}}' ''Series/AsTheWorldTurns'' in the east (in the Pacific time zone, where it aired at Noon, against ABC's ''Series/{{Password}}'' and local programming on CBS)...but even then, that wasn't what killed it — see ScrewedByTheNetwork, under the Trivia tab.

* ADayInTheLimelight: Larry Blyden guest-hosted the show circa 1973, and was introduced as "the host of ''Series/WhatsMyLine''" Due to syndication practices of the era, however, some markets were still watching ''Line'' hosted by Wally Bruner.

Still, despite lasting far longer than any previous show had at the 1:30 PM slot vacated by ''LetsMakeADeal'' in December 1968, getting some affiliates to stop pre-empting the slot, and giving away much more with the format update, ''TOAM'' consistently ranked a solid third behind ABC's ''Deal'' and Creator/{{CBS}}' ''AsTheWorldTurns'' in the east (in the Pacific time zone, where it aired at Noon, against ABC's ''Series/{{Password}}'' and local programming on CBS)...but even then, that wasn't what killed it — see ScrewedByTheNetwork, under the Trivia tab.

* TheCameo: Geoff Edwards appeared on February 11, 1974 to promote ''{{Jackpot}}'', and tested Bill with a few Super Jackpot riddles. ''Jackpot'' had only aired for a month at this point, and probably hadn't even debuted yet when this episode was taped.