Twisters

Broadcast History: Unsold Pilot, 1982

Main Game: Ten contestants competed for a full week. Nine of them are seated and the other one is the "King of the Hill". The King/Queen throws the hockey puck across the electronically hooked board. Whatever the puck stops on corresponds to the contestant's number. The game starts at 40 points and goes down by how many points that correspond to wherever the puck stopped. A wrong answer and both players switch positions. If the puck stops at the magic number related to the second digit on the scoreboard, the player in the gallery comes down and both players choose a half question that the other would answer. If both players are right, they win $1,000 and get the chance to play for $10,000. If the puck stopped at a red space, the King/Queen has a chance to win a new car by answering a special bonus question correctly. If he/she was wrong, the game would go on as before.

End Game: The two players are then positioned at the bonus podium. One player gives while his/her partner receives. The object is to correctly answer ten questions in less than 60 seconds. The host starts the question and the giver has to finish it. A correct answer earns the pair $100. A wrong answer or a pass does not affect the score. If they get all ten right in less than 60 seconds, they split $10,000. If they get less than ten, they split $100 for every correct answer.

After the End Game: The player with the highest amount of money won during the week returned the following week.

INTERESTING FACTS AND TRIVIA

The theme music used in the Twisters pilot was later used in the Jackpot! revival in 1985, also produced by Bob Stewart.

Some elements of Twisters were previously used in Jackpot!.

Sande Stewart is the son of Bob Stewart. He produced the short-lived Your Number's Up for NBC in 1985 and Game Show Network's Hollywood Showdown from 2000 to 2001.

Bob Stewart once worked for Mark Goodson/Bill Todman Productions and came up with hit shows such as Password (CBS, 1961-67; ABC, 1971-75; NBC, 1979-82 and 1984-89), To Tell the Truth (CBS, 1956-68; Syn., 1969-78, 1980-81; NBC, 1990-91; Syn., 2000-Present), and The Price is Right (NBC/ABC, 1956-65; CBS/Syn., 1972-Present). Other former G-T staffers included Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley, who had a huge success with The Hollywood Squares with host Peter Marshall on NBC and Syndication from 1966 to 1981.

Home Games: None.

Episode Existence: Only the pilot exists. Twisters never made it to a series but elements were used in previous and future Stewart-family-produced shows. This pilot aired on GSN on October 28, 2000 as part of an "Unsold Pilots" marathon.

If anyone has more information on Twisters, e-mail me here.

Twisters is ©1982 Bob Stewart/Sande Stewart Productions. No challenge to ownership is implied.