The $1,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime

The $1,000,000 Chance of A Lifetime was a short-lived American game show which offered a $1 million grand prize to winning contestants. The show aired in syndication from January 1986 to September 1987 and was hosted by Jim Lange.

Bonus round

The couple is locked into an isolation booth, which is wired so they can only hear host Lange. They choose one of three possible categories and have 60 seconds to guess six words or phrases pertaining to that category. There were no plungers or buttons to stop the clock; once a word or phrase is guessed, the next word or phrase is immediately put in play. Getting all six on their first two appearances won the following take-it-or-leave-it prize:

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• Win 1 ? $5,000.
  
• Win 2 ? $10,000.
  

Giving back the prize allowed the couple to compete the next day. Winning on their third trip to the bonus round won the couple the $1 million grand prize, paid out as follows:

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• Spring 1986: All cash, $40,000 a year for 25 years.
  
• 1986-1987: $900,000 annuity, plus a $100,000 prize package ? including two Mazda cars (either an RX7 and 323; or the 626 and the Cab Plus truck); 20 pairs of round-trip tickets to anywhere in the United States (on Delta Air Lines); three complete rooms of furniture (a kitchen, living room and dining room); and an outdoor spa.

At any point should the couple fail to guess all six words within 60 seconds, their championship reign is terminated, although they kept any previous front-game winnings.

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The show initially had high ratings but viewer interest quickly sank, and the $1,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime lasted only two seasons. Nine couples won the grand prize during its 21-month run.

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