History Series / SecondChance

* ObviousBeta: In hindsight. Some of ''Chance''[='s=] elements were retained for its revivals, while others weren't.

* {{Whammy}}: The Devils. Same function, minus the brief animations. Interestingly, the Whammy was called "that little devil" by Peter Tomarken on the ''Press'' pilot (and at least one contestant during the series), suggesting a direct connection between the two.

** Peck signed off on each episode with "It's never too late to take a second chance."

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/second_chance.png]]

In the first half of each round, Peck read three general-knowledge questions to three contestants. The contestants had five seconds [[note]](a rule which doesn't seem to have been regularly enforced)[[/note]] to write their answers on cards, which they placed in front of them; following this, Peck gave a hint as to how many were right/wrong (e.g., "At least two of you are right.") and read off three possible answers, one of which was correct. Players got three spins if they stuck with their original answer and was correct, one spin for choosing the correct answer on the "second chance".

''Chance'' ran from March 7-July 15, 1977 for about 95 episodes, being replaced by Goodson-Todman's ''Series/TheBetterSex'' (which itself ended six months later) and ended up a victim of the era's [[MissingEpisode wiping practices]]. Six years later, Carruthers reworked the format and Creator/{{CBS}} bought the result: ''Series/PressYourLuck''.

Today, with [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes just three episodes known to exist (plus a fourth, and the opening of a fifth, on audiotape)]], ''Chance'' is an obscurity to most, including some fans of both revivals. It's not without its fans, however, and if nothing else it shows how a classic format was originally rough around the edges.

* BonusSpace / ExtraTurn: Square #4 in Round 2 (originally worth $5,000) had a "Free Spin" attached to it throughout the run.

* GameShowWinningsCap: At least the pilots allowed for returning champions. From at least May 31 through the end, the series was one-and-done (barring three-way $0 ties).

** TheAnnouncer: Joe Seiter did the pilots, while Jay Stewart and Jack Clark alternated for the series.

* {{Whammy}}: The Devils. Interestingly, the Whammy was called "that little devil" on ''Press'' by Peter Tomarken on the pilot and at least one contestant during the series.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: The show's biggest winner caused the network to add more patterns so nobody else could take them to the cleaners in a similar single-appearance feat. [[Series/PressYourLuck Seven years later...]]

* LuckBasedMission: The pilots used a single 64-square pattern that went ''very'' fast. The series apparently began with nine patterns (with more added following the aforementioned huge winner), but by May 31 it went to a single 128-square pattern. The light moved faster than ''Press'', making it even less likely to be memorized.
* ObviousBeta: In hindsight. Some of ''Chance''[='s=] elements were retained for its revivals.

** '''Series:''' "It's ''Second Chance'', Hollywood's most exciting new game! And here are today's players: [Players' names, occupations, and hometowns]. And each of them will be risking everything every time they play...''Second Chance''! And now, here's the man who gives everyone a second chance: Jim Peck!" [[note]](Sometime in June, and definitely by the 27th, "each" was changed to "all three".)[[/note]]

* SceneryPorn: Though not quite up to the standards of [[Series/PressYourLuck its first revival]], the ''Chance'' Bonus Board was capable of '''folding in half'''.

* TransatlanticEquivalent: An Australian version by Reg Grundy [[http://web.archive.org/web/20120312081253/http://www.memorabletv.com/australia/tvas.htm aired for a time]] in 1977, hosted by Earle Bailey and Christine Broadway. While almost nothing is known about it and nothing is known to exist, Grundy's track record suggests it held very close to the American series.

[[caption-width-right:300:"Don't say 'Devil'!" "I didn't!"]]

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Second_Chance_1054.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:"Don't say 'Devil'!" "I didn't!"]]

* TransatlanticEquivalent: An Australian version by Reg Grundy [[http://web.archive.org/web/20120312081253/http://www.memorabletv.com/australia/tvas.htm aired for a time]] in 1977, hosted by Earle Bailey and Christine Broadway. While almost nothing is known about it, Grundy's track record suggests it held very close to the American series, which makes it a shame that it seems to be gone.

GameShow created by Bill Carruthers and hosted by Jim Peck which ran on Creator/{{ABC}} from March 7-July 15, 1977 for 95 episodes. The game consisted of two rounds:

''Chance'' was replaced by Goodson-Todman's ''Series/TheBetterSex'' (which got canned six months later), and subsequently victimized by the era's [[MissingEpisode wiping practices]]. Six years later, Carruthers reworked the format and Creator/{{CBS}} bought the result: ''Series/PressYourLuck''.

Today, with [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes just three episodes known to exist (plus a fourth, and the opening of a fifth, on audiotape)]], ''Chance'' is an obscurity to most, including some fans of both revivals. It's not without its fans, however, and if nothing else it shows how a classic was originally rough around the edges.

* GameShowWinningsCap: The pilots allowed for returning champions, but the series was one-and-done.

* ExtraTurn: Later in the run, the top money window was changed to a changing eggcrate display ($1,000-$5,000) with an additional spin. It was the only window to use the additional spin.

* LuckBasedMission: The pilots used a single 64-square pattern that went ''very'' fast. The series apparently began with nine patterns (with more added following after the aforementioned huge winner), but by late June it went to a single 128-square pattern. The light moved faster than ''Press'', making it even less likely to be memorized.

** '''Series:''' "It's ''Second Chance'', Hollywood's most exciting new game! And here are today's players: [players' names, occupations, and hometowns]. And each of them will be risking everything every time they play...''Second Chance''! And now, here's the man who gives everyone a second chance: Jim Peck!" [[note]](Sometime in June, "each" became "all three".)[[/note]]

Today, with [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes just two episodes known to exist (plus a third, and the opening of a fourth, on audiotape)]], ''Chance'' is an obscurity to most, including some fans of both revivals. It's not without its fans, however, and if nothing else it shows how a classic was originally rough around the edges.

** TheAnnouncer: Joe Seitzer did the pilots, Jay Stewart and Jack Clark alternated for the run.

* ExtraTurn: Late in the run, the top money window was changed to a changing eggcrate display ($1,000-$5,000) with an additional spin. It was the only window to use the additional spin.

* LuckBasedMission: The pilots used a single 64-square pattern that went ''very'' fast, and while the series began with nine patterns they got more after the aforementioned huge winner...but by June 27 went to a single 128-square pattern. Of course, since the light moved faster than ''Press'', making it even less likely to be memorized.

** '''Series:''' "It's ''Second Chance'', Hollywood's most exciting new game! And here are today's players: [players' names, occupations, and hometowns]. And each of them will be risking everything every time they play...''Second Chance''! And now, here's the man who gives everyone a second chance: Jim Peck!" [[note]](By June 27, "each" became "all three".)[[/note]]

!!GameShow Tropes in use:

* RecycledSoundtrack: The ThemeTune was recycled from the 1976 ''IveGotASecret'', and later remixed for the Australian ''FamilyFeud''.

* {{Pilot}}: Three were done in November 1976, with the last being recorded on the 9th.

* TransatlanticEquivalent: An Australian version by Reg Grundy [[http://www.memorabletv.com/australia/tvas.htm aired for a time]] in 1977, hosted by Earle Bailey and Christine Broadway. While almost nothing is known about it, Grundy's track record suggests it held very close to the American series, which makes it a shame that it seems to be gone.

* NoBudget: Compared to Pilot #3 and [[http://game-show-utopia.net/sounds/second%20chance.jpg earlier]] [[http://www.flickr.com/photos/41208947@N00/4418050215/ in the run]], by June 27 the Bonus Board became...rather cheap.
** '''Round 1:''' $250, $275, $300, $450, $475, $500, $650, $750, and $1,000.
** '''Round 2:''' $500, $575, $725, $800, $900, $950, $1,000, $1,200, and $1,500. And top dollar?
*** Top dollar for Round 2, formerly FREE 5000 SPIN, had the printed dollar value changed to an eggcrate display shuffling between $1,000 and $5,000. According to one fan (who was going on decades-old memory), the sequence was "1-2-1-4-3-2-1-5-3-2-1", of which the June 27 show proved him mostly correct (the pattern continued "2-5-1-3-4"). The net result was that Square #4 was generally worth far less than it had been.