Concentration (game show)

Concentration is a venerable TV game show based on the children's memory game of the same name.

Classic Concentration

NBC and Mark Goodson Productions brought the show back as Classic Concentration on May 4, 1987. Alex Trebek was the host, and Gene Wood was the regular announcer. Marjorie Goodson-Cutt, daughter of Mark Goodson, was the prize model for most of the show's run. The series ended on September 20, 1991, but NBC brought the show back in reruns a month after its cancellation and ran them until the end of 1993.

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May 4 - 1987 - Gene Wood - September 20 - 1991 - 1993

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While previous versions featured a mechanically-operated game board with 30 trilons, Classic Concentration used a computer-generated board with 25 squares. Gameplay, however, was similar to its predecessors. This version featured nine pairs of prizes, three "WILD" cards (although some games had just one "WILD" card), and two "TAKE" cards (one red, one green), which were similar to the "Take One Gift" squares in the original version but could be used by the contestant any time after making a match. Contestants won $500 for picking two "WILD" cards and $1,000 for picking all three.

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The winner of the main game had a chance to win one of eight cars in the bonus round. The contestant had 15 numbered squares to choose from. Seven pairs of matching car names were hidden behind the squares, as well as one car name that had no match. If the contestant matched all seven pairs of cars within the allotted time, he/she won the last car that was matched. The clock started at 35 seconds and increased by five seconds for each time that the contestant did not win a car. During the run, a pair of "Five Bonus Seconds" cards were added in the second game of each show, awarding the contestant who matched it and won his/her game five additional seconds to the clock.

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Originally, the contestant who correctly solved the rebus puzzle in the main game played the bonus round while the opponent was eliminated. Later, the main game became a best-of-three match where the first player to solve two rebus puzzles played the bonus round. Finally, the winner played the bonus round after solving one rebus, but the opponent was eliminated after two losses instead of one. Returning champions were originally allowed to win five games, but they were later retired if they won a car.

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Like the original series, Classic Concentration conducted an annual "Tournament of Champions," which invited the best players from the previous season to compete for a grand prize. The first tourney took place in 1988, with the grand prize a trip around the world. The winners of the 1989 through 1991 tourneys took home an upscale car.

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