Bullseye
Bullseye was an American game show that aired in syndication from September 29, 1980 to September 24, 1982. Jim Lange was the host, and the program was produced by Jack Barry and Dan Enright. Jay Stewart was the announcer for the first season, and Charlie O’Donnell announced for the second season. The series’ executive producer was Ron Greenberg.
Main Game
Two contestants, one a returning champion, competed. The game began with the champion stopping a gameboard of three spinning windows by hitting a three-colored plunger in front of him. The first two windows contained eight different categories (four in each window) with dollar amounts ranging from $50 to $200 (representing the value of each question). The third window (below the two category windows) was the Contract window, and displayed numbers from one to five, as well as a “Bullseye” graphic.
When the windows stopped spinning, the player chose either of the displayed categories, and had to fulfill the contract by correctly answering the number of questions indicated in the Contract window. If the Contract window contained a Bullseye, the contract was unlimited; the player could continue answering questions for as long as he wanted to. Each correct response added the value of the question to a pot. A missed question gave the opponent a chance to steal control of the contract with a right answer.
After the contract had been completed, the player who completed the contract could elect to either bank the money in the pot & pass control of the board to the opponent, or continue playing with a new contract; choosing the latter option would leave the accumulated money in the pot, up for grabs by either player.
The first player to bank $1,000 or more won the game. (beginning with a Nov. 1980 celebrity week, this was increased to $2,000, with question values increasing to $100 - $400.) Contestants got to keep any money banked during a game, regardless of the outcome, making “Bullseye” one of the few Barry & Enright shows to allow losing contestants to keep earnings from the game.
In the event of a champion winning the game without the challenger having an opportunity to play (for example, if the champion spun a Bullseye in the Contract window and answered several consecutive questions to win the game), the challenger would return after the bonus round to play again.
As is the case with most Barry & Enright game shows, a new automobile was awarded to any contestant who won five consecutive games.
Endgame (”Bonus Island”)
In the bonus round (known to fans as “Bonus Island or the Lightning Round”), the champion again stops the spinning wheels by hitting the plunger on the bonus island. This time, the windows contained dollar amounts of $100, $200, or $300 (earlier $50, $100 or $150, then $100, $150 or $200), or bullseyes. One and only one window also contained a dreaded bolt of lightning.
If money came up in a window, it was added to a bank. If a bullseye appeared, the player had the option to “freeze” that window, which was then out of play for the remainder of the game. Later, that rule was changed to when a bullseye appeared, that window was automatically frozen. The player had the option to stop after every spin and keep the money banked. Lightning, if it came up, bankrupted the player and ended the game (accompanied by a loud thunderclap).
The object was to either get bullseyes in all three windows, or to survive ten (later reduced to seven) spins without getting “struck (or hit) by lightning.” Doing either of these won a bonus prize package usually worth $3,000-$4,000 in value. Getting three bullseyes doubled the value of the bank, while going the maximum amount of spins augmented the bank to a flat $5,000; unless the value of the pot is more than $5,000 whereas the player won whatever money was accumulated. If a player was fortunate enough to spin three bullseyes on one spin, that player won $10,000 and the prize package.
Only one of the three windows contained lightning. If a player froze a bullseye in the window which had lightning, he or she could not lose. However, the player had no way of knowing that until the contents of the windows were revealed at the end of the bonus game.