Two for the Money

Broadcast History: September 30, 1952 to c.1953, NBC Prime Time; c.1953 to c.1957, CBS Prime Time

Main Game: One couple played. They are given a question that has a broad number of answers. The couple has 15 seconds to come up with as many answers as they can without repeating the same answer, responding incorrectly, or taking too much time. If they repeat or give a wrong answer, the buzzer sounds and the round is over. After the 15 seconds are up, the bell sounds, ending the round. In the first round, each correct answer is worth $5. In the second round, each correct answer is worth is whatever amount they accumulated in the first round. (Example: 10 correct answers in round 1 means correct answers in round 2 are worth $50.) In the third and final round, each correct answer is worth is whatever amount they accumulated in the second round. (Example: 10 correct answers in round 2 means correct answers in round 3 are worth $500.) After the game is over, they win whatever amount of money was accumulated in the final round. (Example: 10 correct answers in round 3 means a grand total of $5000.) Then a new couple is introduced.

INTERESTING FACTS AND TRIVIA

Kenny Williams later announced several Merrill Heatter/Bob Quigley shows in the 1960s and 1970s, four of which are best known: Video Village (CBS, 1960-62), The Hollywood Squares (NBC/Syn., 1966-81), Gambit (CBS, 1972-76; NBC, 1980-81), and High Rollers (NBC, 1974-76, 1978-80).

Milton Delugg later became known as the bandleader on The Gong Show as "Milton Delugg and the Band with a Thugg".

Dr. Mason Gross was a judge on this show. He also taught at Rutgers University in New Jersey and became president there as well as the School of the Arts for which that school was named after him. Walter Cronkite went on to become a CBS News anchor until the 1981 when Dan Rather succeeded him as anchor of the CBS Evening News.

All contestants on Two for the Money received a box of cigarettes before playing the game. (I'm not making this note up, this was live TV back in the 1950s, long before cigarette ads were banned from TV in the early 1970s.)

Home Games: One. Go to the Game Show Home Game Home Page for details.

Episode Existence: Practically every episode exists and has been seen occasionally on Game Show Network. Currently, this show is not running on GSN because a majority of the episodes were sponsored by cigarette companies. However, a handful of episodes that were not cigarette-sponsored recently aired during Thanksgiving weekend.

If anyone has more information on Two for the Money, e-mail me here.

Two for the Money is ©1952-1957 Mark Goodson/Bill Todman Productions/Fremantle Media Television. No challenge to ownership is implied.