User:Teblick/Double or Nothing (quiz show)

Double or Nothing is an American quiz show that was broadcast on radio beginning in 1940 and on television beginning in 1952. The program's prizes were smaller than those of contemporary quiz shows, but the hosts' ad-libbing attracted audiences.

Radio
After having been heard on a station in Washington, D.C., Double or Nothing debuted on September 29, 1940, on Mutual from the Barbizon Plaza Hotel in New York City. Contestants were selected from the audience in the studio.

A contestant began by speaking extemporaneously for one minute in response to a question posed by the host. The person received an initial $5 plus $2-$4 for each fact that he or she mentioned. A second question followed, with a correct answer doubling the accumulated total, but an incorrect answer forfeited all but the initial $5. The format changed in 1947, when answering an initial question won $2 for the contestant. Answering enough questions to accumulate $10 brought the person to the "double or nothing" point, where he or she could either take the $10 or try to answer one more question, earning $20 for a correct answer but losing everything with a wrong response. The maximum a contestant could win was eventually raised to $100.

Walter Compton, the first host of Double or Nothing, was followed by John Reed King, who was replaced by Todd Russell in 1945. Walter O'Keefe became the host in 1947 and remained until the show ended on on January 15, 1954. Announcers were Alois Havrilla, Fred Cole, and Murray Wagner. Producers were Diana Bourbon, Lou Crosby, and Ken Fickett. Directors were Harry Spears, Thomas Vietor, and John Wellington. Writers were Harry Bailey, Carroll Carroll, and Gerald Rice.

"Three Little Words" was the theme song.

The program was heard weekly on Mutual until June 15, 1947, sponsored by Feenamint. It was broadcast Monday through Friday from June 30, 1947, until June 25, 1948,on CBS, with Campbell Soup as the sponsor. Campbell continued to be the sponsor when it moved to NBC on May 31, 1948, remaining there until June 19, 1953. (From April 24, 1950, until December 21, 1951, it was aired mornings and afternoons five days per week.) ABC began carrying the program, still sponsored by Campbell, on June 22, 1953, and ended it on January 15, 1954.

Television
Double or Nothing had its television premiere as a daytime program on CBS on October 6, 1952. That version ended on July 2, 1954. Five contestants cooperated to answer questions and decided as a group whether to risk their winnings in the Double or Nothing round. Whatever amount they won was divided evenly among the five people.

The show had a nighttime version on NBC from June 5, 1953 through July 3, 1953, with Bert Parks as master of ceremonies. It was broadcast from 9:30 to 10 Easter Time on Fridays. Each contestant had to answer four questions, the first three worth $10, $20, and $40 and the fourth the "double or nothing" question. All contestants also took part in a "Red and White Sweepstakes", with the name derived from the colors on labels of cans of sponsor Campbell's soup. The prize went to whoever first answered the final question correctly.