HOLLYWOOD SQUARES

VITAL STATS

Lifespan: September 1966 - September 1981, September 1986 - September 1989, September 1998 - Present
Host: Peter Marshall, John Davidson, Tom Bergeron
Announcer: Kenny Williams, Shadoe Stevens
Produced by: Heatter-Quigley Productions (1966-1989), Moffitt-Lee Productions (1998-)

Front Game Rules

Marshall's board Two players compete. Nine celebrities were situated on a 3x3 scaffold. A player would select a celebrity, who would be asked a question. The celebrity would give an answer, and the contestant would have to either agree or disagree with the answer. If the correct judgement was made, that player's symbol (X or O) would be placed in that celebrity's square; otherwise, his/her opponent's mark would go there (unless it would cause a win). The first player to get three squares in a row - across, vertically, or diagonally - or the first to acquire five squares, won the game. Here's how the rounds were scored: Bergeron's board
Original NBC version: Each win was worth $250; first to two games won the match and advanced to the bonus round.
Original Syndicated version: Each win was worth $250, the leader at the end of the show (with $50 awarded per square in case of an incomplete game) won a new car.
'86-'89 version: First two games worth $500, each subsequent game was worth $1000. Leftover squares were worth $200 apiece. The leader after time ran out advanced to the bonus round.
'98- version: First two games worth $1000, each subsequent match was worth twice the last. Leftover squares worth $500. Leader after time ran out went on to the bonus round.

The second game of each show was dubbed the "Secret Square", and the player who selected that square was eligible to win a selection of prizes if s/he could correctly judge the celebrity's answer.


End Game Rules

A contestant from '89 tries to start the car For the original network version of Hollywood Squares, the player simply picked a star, and won the prize that star guarded. For the current version, a Secret-Square-like question was added to the process.

In the '80s version of the show, the player selected a key from a bowl, and then selected one of five cars on the stage. If the chosen key started the chosen car, that player won the car and retired. Otherwise, the player returned the next day, with that car not available as a choice. Later on in the run, the keys were in the possession of the celebrities.

Greg Gumbel and Phil Simms show a '99 contestant his possible prize

Loogaroo Looks it Over

The original classic comedy game show. Both the joking aspect and the game were brought to terrific levels on this show. Hosts Marshall and Bergeron play terrific straight men/ringleaders, managing to keep control over the bunch. The rules were also well developed so as to make the game very simple and straightforward, letting the questions speak for themselves.

The Davidson version of the show is considered an aberration of the franchise. Whereas Marshall and Bergeron kept the celebs in check, Davidson let them run wild, and as a result the pacing was a whole lot slower than what viewers were used to. Guests like Jm J. Bullock and Bronson Pinchot didn't help, hogging a lot of screen time. It was a passable run, but not up to the level of the other two versions.

Hollywood Squares (Marshall's version)

Gameplay: 3 pts.
Host: 3 pts.
Presentation: 1 pt.
Execution: 2 pts.
Total Score: 9 pts.

Hollywood Squares (Davidson's version)

Gameplay: 2 pts.
Host: 2 pts.
Presentation: 1 pt.
Execution: 0 pts.
Total Score: 5 pts.

Hollywood Squares (Bergeron's version)

Gameplay: 3 pts.
Host: 3 pts.
Presentation: 2 pts.
Execution: 2 pts.
Total Score: 10 pts.



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