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1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ttd_84.PNG]]
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3->''From Hollywood, it's everybody's game of strategy, knowledge and fun! It's '''Tic-Tac-Dough'''!''
4-->--OpeningNarration
5
6Creator/{{NBC}} knowledge-based GameShow from Creator/JackBarry and Dan Enright which was based on the children's game of TabletopGame/TicTacToe. Two contestants placed their X's and O's on a game board with nine categories, which were shuffled by a mechanical device after every turn. Each correct question would add money to a ProgressiveJackpot; whoever managed to get three-in-a-row won the match and the pot.
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8The original series debuted on July 30, 1956, with Barry as quizmaster, although sources differ regarding Gene Rayburn: Some state that he only hosted on Fridays until February 1957 (at which point he left), while others claim he replaced Barry sometime after April 3, 1958.
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10Regardless, a nighttime version began in September 1957 with Jay Jackson as emcee; however, this run was rigged about three-quarters of the time. October 1958 saw both versions change hosts, likely due to the erupting scandals — Jackson was replaced by Win Elliott on October 2, with the daytime emcee being replaced by Bill Wendell four days later. The nighttime show was canned on December 29 of that year, followed by the daytime series on October 23, 1959.
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12A daytime {{revival}} with Wink Martindale aired briefly on Creator/{{CBS}} from July 3 to September 1, 1978. This time, the game board comprised nine TV screens connected to an Altair 8080, with nine Platform/{{AppleII}} computers as display slaves. The show also had a BonusRound with a Dragon. ''Tic-Tac'' moved to syndication through Colbert Television Sales, still with Martindale as host, two weeks after the CBS run ended. In many markets, the show was often seen as part of a 60 minute block alongside fellow Barry & Enright program ''Series/TheJokersWild''.
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14In 1985, Martindale left the series to produce and host the syndicated ''Series/HeadlineChasers'', a show he also created. For the final season of this run (1985-86), the woodgrain set was replaced with a pastel-clad set, the logo seen above changed from yellow to blue coloring, more red boxes were added to the game, and Jim Caldwell became emcee.
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16September 10, 1990 saw the debut of another syndicated revival, this time hosted by Creator/PatrickWayne and with Creator/ITCEntertainment replacing Colbert Television Sales as distributor. This iteration, featuring several changes that were roundly disliked, was canned on December 7 after just 13 weeks (although repeats aired through March 8, 1991). Another version was announced in 2021 with host Creator/TomBergeron and executive producers [[Series/{{Jeopardy}} Harry]] [[Series/WheelOfFortune Friedman]] and Village Roadshow Television; this version never made it past the pilot stage.
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18A British version, entitled ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criss_Cross_Quiz Criss-Cross Quiz]]'' [[note]]The original title (and for that matter, the pun) would have been meaningless for UK viewers, as tic-tac-toe is called noughts and crosses there.[[/note]] ran on Creator/{{ITV}} from 1957-67.
19----
20!!This show provides examples of:
21* TheAnnouncer: The 1950's run had Bill Wendell, followed by Bill [=McCord=] when Wendell became host, with occasional substitutions from Johnny Olson on the nighttime version. The 1978-86 era had Jay Stewart, followed by Charlie O'Donnell when Stewart left in 1981 following the death of his daughter, Jamie; substitutes included Johnny Gilbert, Mike Darrow, Bob Hilton and Art James. Larry Van Nuys announced the 1990's version.
22* {{Auction}}: The "Auction" category had questions with many correct answers to them. When this category was played, the players then bid against each other to see who thought they could get more correct answers. This went on until a player challenged the opponent to complete the bid, or a bid to get ALL the correct answers was given. The winning player then had to give those correct answers bid to win the box, but a wrong answer at any time meant the opponent needed only one of the remaining correct answers to win the box (if the opponent also gave a wrong answer, the box went unclaimed).
23* AudienceGame: The "Dragon Finder" game, which was played for a time in 1983 whenever a contestant either won or stopped early in the bonus game. Two audience members were invited up to guess where the dragon was hidden and win cash.
24* BlandNameProduct: The second-edition Transogram HomeGame was re-released in 1960 as ''3-in-a-Row Home Quiz'', with no references to the show whatsoever.
25* BonusRound: Present in all versions from 1978 onward, the idea being to complete a goal without finding the Dragon to win a prize package and some cash. Finding the Dragon "burned" the money and ended the game.
26** '''CBS:''' The board contains four X's and four O's, with three of one symbol arranged to form a three-in-a-row. The contestant was credited with $150 for each symbol found, with the three-in-a-row winning (after a few weeks the money was bumped up to $1,000 [unless they found seven symbols for $1,050 or eight for $1,200]).
27** '''1978-86 Syndicated:''' Values ranging from $50 (later $100) to $500 were on the board, along with a "TIC" and "TAC." Accumulating $1,000 or more won, as did finding TIC and TAC.
28** '''Wayne:''' Based on the CBS version, but now the player had to pick between X and O. $500 was awarded for the first time that symbol was found, with the pot doubling for each subsequent "chosen symbol" found. New to this version was the Dragonslayer, which was an [[InstantWinCondition instant win]] and immediately doubled the pot (maximum of $8,000); if the Dragonslayer was found before the player found one of their "chosen symbol", it was worth $1,000.
29** '''2021 pilot:''' The player had 60 seconds to answer questions to add to a pot; getting three in a row won the pot. Unlike in prior versions, the Dragon was not an automatic game over; if the Dragon was found, the player had to correctly answer a question in order to continue.
30* BonusSpace:
31** The center square is a variant, as it always required a two-part question to capture.
32** The red box categories are a straighter example. Some of the most important were Bonus Category (three-parter, worth an extra turn), Secret Category (doubled the value of the pot, often leading to five-figure pots), Grand Question (replaced Secret Category, added $1,000 to the pot), and Double or Nothing (if answered correctly, player could try for a second box but had to risk losing the first one).
33** In the 1990 version of the BonusRound, the [[InstantWinCondition Dragonslayer]].
34* CatchPhrase:
35** Patrick Wayne's "YOU WINNNNNNNNNN!"
36** Also from Wayne's version: "Tic Tac is back!"
37** "You find the Tic and the Tac, and you get the Dough."
38* ComplexityAddiction: The influx of red categories, to the point where three were on the board per game by the end of the sixth season. This likely had an impact on Caldwell's hosting style after Wink left at the end of Season 7.
39* ConsolationPrize: From the second season of the Martindale/Caldwell version through the end of the run, any challenger who had at least one tie in a match against the champion (in a losing effort) would earn a consolation prize of $250 per tie achieved in that match (one of the great Thom [=McKee=]'s challengers, Pete Cooper, achieved four of these, and earned $1,000 for his efforts in a 1980 match). This was not in existence in the first season (1978-79), so if you were unlucky enough to be on then, you had to win the match against the champion and be the new champion, or you would get nothing else but parting gifts, no matter how far you got against the champion.
40** Also, in the first season of the syndicated Martindale version, at the bottom of the show, Jay Stewart would plug the home game as being part of what losing players got in terms of consolation prizes-- he said, "All of our departing contestants will receive the home game version of ''The New Tic-Tac-Dough.'' It's as much fun playing it as watching it on TV."
41* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness:
42** '''1950s version''':
43*** The winner of each game on the 1950s version had to decide whether to leave the show with all winnings intact or face a new opponent. If the champion was defeated, the opponent's winnings were deducted from their total.
44** '''1970s version''':
45*** Up to around midway through the syndicated version's first season, the categories would shuffle after both players have had one turn ("X" plays, "O" plays, shuffle), as well as at the start of the game. The episode after then-grand champion Brian Donovan was defeated, the rules changed to having the categories shuffle after each turn ("X" plays, shuffle, "O" plays, shuffle).
46*** The entire CBS run could be counted as such, given the bonus game's rules (simply find the hidden tic-tac-toe before finding the dragon) and the prevalence of black-boxed categories where either contestant could "jump in" and claim the box with a correct answer. As such, two full games and two bonus rounds were played per episode.
47*** On the syndicated version, the category and bonus game dollar value fonts were smaller; also, very early on $50 was an amount. Also during the first season, there were no red bonus/jump-in type categories (despite the presence of buzzers on the contestant podiums, an artifact from the then-recent CBS run).
48* EpisodeCodeNumber: The 1978-1986 run had its episodes coded with a pound sign, followed by the season represented with a letter, a dash, and then the episode's production order in that season. For example, #H-175 was the eighth season finale from 1986.
49* ExtraTurn: Bonus Category. If answered correctly, the categories would be shuffled before the player's extra turn, allowing them to choose the category again if it turned up. Kit Salisbury was one of those who took advantage of this. Since the champion played first, [[GoldenSnitch they could win the game by repeatedly choosing Bonus Category]], without the challenger ever having a turn; if this happened, the challenger would be invited back to compete in the next game.
50* GameShowHost: Creator/JackBarry, Gene Rayburn and Bill Wendell hosted the 1950's daytime version, with Jay Jackson and Win Elliott hosting the concurrent nighttime version with, again, Johnny Olson as occasional substitute. Wink Martindale hosted from 1978-85, being replaced by Jim Caldwell for the final season. Patrick Wayne hosted the 1990's version. Creator/TomBergeron hosted the 2021 pilot.
51* GameShowWinningsCap: The [[http://ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Criss_Cross_Quiz UK version]] implemented a £1,000 cap shortly after a contestant won £2,360. The quiz scandal the nighttime US version was caught in might have motivated that decision.
52** The 1978-86 syndicated run didn't originally have a winnings cap, which became an issue when WCBS-TV 2, the Creator/{{CBS}}-owned flagship station in UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity, picked up the syndicated rights due to carrying a show without a winnings cap being in [[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60962311/ask-bob-mr-t-kids-new-superhero/ violation of network policy]]; resulting in CBS convincing Barry-Enright to add a winnings cap to the series. Under this rule, any excess winnings would be donated to a charity of the champion's choice.
53* GarnishingTheStory: Seriously, what ''do'' dragons have to do with tic-tac-toe?
54* TheHilarityOfHats:
55** It became a bit of a RunningGag that Wink would don different goofy-looking hats for the sign-off at the end of the show. Also, every Friday was known as "Hat Day".
56** Audience members could win a baseball cap decorated with the dragon's face in a follow-up game after the BonusRound.
57* HomeGame:
58** Transogram released two editions and two "junior" versions during the 1950's run. Ideal Toys made a single version in 1978, which followed the CBS format for the main game, but utilized the syndicated endgame.
59** A video game adaptation was planned for the Platform/{{Atari 2600}}, but UsefulNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983 prevented its release.
60** Kevin [=DeVizia=] once wrote a shareware game for [[Platform/AppleMacintosh Mac OS 9]], called ''[=TicTacTrivia!=]''. It hasn't been available since AOL Hometown closed.
61** Another game called "Tic Tac Trivia" is one of the selectable games on the [=MegaTouch=] bartop game, only with a three-game series played and multiple-choice questions asked.
62** Sky Zone Mobile made [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z8pLod7U98 a version for cell phones]] with the 1978-86 theme, the Martindale logo, and a digital version of Wink himself. The set looks mostly like Martindale's, with a Caldwell-ish contestant/board backdrop.
63* JumpScare: The Dragon's animation in the Martindale/Caldwell era had him lunging at the screen while roaring. In the CBS era (and the first syndicated season), his eyes flashed.
64* LuckBasedMission: Barry-Enright loved to do this in the bonus round.
65** In the CBS version, this was "Find three-in-a-row to win while avoiding the Dragon".
66** In the 1978-86 syndicated run, it changed to picking squares to reach or exceed $1,000 or finding the words "Tic" and "Tac", but avoiding the Dragon.
67** The 1990 one was similar to the CBS version, but the contestant picked X ''or'' O as their "designated symbol". One string of three-in-a-row symbols was placed on the board, and it wasn't always possible with the chosen symbol to win the prize package. If the Dragonslayer was found, the contestant won the prizes and double the pot.
68* MightyRoar: The 1978-86 Dragon had one.
69* NegatedMomentOfAwesome: April 3, 1958 (nighttime), the circulating Jay Jackson episode. Both contestants keep getting questions right to cause tie games and build the pot to about $25,000... or it ''would'' be, had about 75% of the nighttime series not been rigged.
70* OpeningNarration: See above; on the CBS episodes, Jay Stewart added the "From Television City in Hollywood" spiel. The CBS episodes also ended with Jay reminding viewers to "Stay tuned for ''The Price Is Right'', next over most of these CBS stations".
71** On the 1990 version: "In a moment, the game that intrigued a nation! In a moment, the game of strategy, knowledge, and fun! In a moment... ''Tic-Tac-Dough''!!! And now, our host who will guide us through the next 30 minutes of ''Tic-Tac-Dough'', Patrick Wayne!"
72* {{Pilot}}: Taped in February 1978, it had different podiums (X's and O's all over the front for the contestants and colors, instead of nameplates, plus eggcrate displays for the contestant's winnings), different microphones, a rectangular pot readout atop the gameboard (likely changed to its more familiar arch shape to be more easily visible), printed X's and O's as the background behind the contestants, and a printed TTD logo behind Wink; in the series both were popped out. Pictures of the pilot set were used in early publicity shots and ''TV Guide'' ads for the show, and on the box of the 1978 home game.
73* PungeonMaster: Wink loved his puns, and memorably subjected contestant Dan Klock to a HurricaneOfPuns (saying his job was very "timely", joking that Dan might get "ticked off" by all the puns, so Wink should "watch" what he would say, etc.) The hurricane ended with "It's time to play ''Tick-Tock-Dough''."
74* SuddenlyShouting: Patrick Wayne tended to read the rules and questions in a monotone before jumping in with his "YOU BLOCK/WIN!"
75* SuddenlyVoiced:
76** About six weeks into the 1990 run, the BonusRound began having the Dragon and Dragonslayer ''[[PissTakeRap rap their purpose]]'' instead of Wayne describing them himself. A couple of egregious examples:
77--->'''Dragon:''' "Tic or Tac... Tic or Dough... if you pick the dragon, you'll be po'."
78--->'''Dragonslayer:''' "Be smart, be true, be wise! If you find me, you'll get your prize!"
79** The 2021 pilot featured a talking (and ''singing!'') CGI dragon.
80* SureLetsGoWithThat: Jay Jackson does this multiple times in his surviving episode. Since the version he hosted was rigged, it's safe to say he was coached into it throughout his tenure.
81** The show starts with an interrupted game. That night's returning champion refuses to pick the square that would have resulted in victory not once but twice. Jay doesn't even try to talk him out of either selection.
82** Later, his opponent [[BlatantLies claims that someone in the audience had shouted out an answer]]. Jay quickly backs this up by saying he heard it as well, and he throws the question out. It's the only time in the episode where neither contestant was able to answer a question correctly.[[note]]Specifically, the question sought the identity of the "Iron Man of Baseball" whose death in 1941 "shocked the nation". The correct answer: Lou Gehrig.[[/note]]
83* ThinkMusic: Used on the center square.
84* TopTenList: One of the special categories was called "Top Ten" which dealt with these. The contestant who gave the higher answer won the symbol on the board. It was renamed "Top This" when Jim Caldwell took over.
85* TransatlanticEquivalent: Several, although none in the same decades as the Martindale/Caldwell era (i.e., the show's peak).
86** The United Kingdom got ''[[http://ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Criss_Cross_Quiz Criss-Cross-Quiz]]'', which ran from 1957 to 1967 on Creator/{{ITV}}. Jeremy Hawk helmed until 1962, when he was replaced by Barbara Kelly. A children's version without cash, called ''Junior Criss Cross Quiz'', aired alongside the parent show from 13 November 1957 to 29 June 1967. Hawk was the original host, followed by a string of what appear to be guest presenters (including [[Series/{{Blockbusters}} Bob Holness]]) until Kelly took over.
87** Germany got ''Tick-Tack-Quiz'' on ARD, hosted by Fritz Benscher and running weekly from 1958 to 1967. It returned on RTL Plus in 1992 as ''Tic-Tac-Toe'', now a Reg Grundy-produced daily version with host Michael "Goofy" Förster, which was based on the 1990 format.
88** Australia had a Reg Grundy adaptation, simply called ''Tic-Tac-Dough'', on the Creator/NineNetwork from 1960 to 1964 with Chuck Faulkner hosting.
89* {{Whammy}}: The Dragon.

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