The Reel Game

The Reel Game was a game show that lasted for four months from January 18, 1971 - May 3, 1971 on ABC Primetime. The show was hosted by Jack Barry, and announced by Jack Clark. This show marked Jack Barry's return to producing shows for national television after his 13-year hiatus from television after the quiz show scandals of the 1950s.

Gameplay

Three contestants competed in a quiz game in which the answers come from film clips.

To start, the contestants were given $250 to start, then they were given a subject after which they wagered any part of their current score. Once the bets were placed, host Barry posed a question, after which the contestants wrote down their answers. When the answers were written down, a film clip was shown to reveal the correct answer. When the clip was finished, the contestants then showed their answers. A correct answer won the contestant the amount wagered whereas an incorrect answer deducted the wager.

$25 Toss-up round

Four film clips were played and after each one, host Barry read three toss-up questions in which players buzz-in to answer. A correct answer adds $25 to the player's score, while an incorrect incurs no penalty but gives the other players a chance to answer.

Celebrity toss-up

After the fourth clip was played, a celebrity from that clip came in to ask the three toss-up questions. Correct answers were still worth $25.

Grand finale

In the Grand Finale, one last film clip was played but without toss-ups. What makes this round different is that the bets were written in secret by the players before writing down their answers after the final question was asked. Then the film clip was shown with the correct answer to the question. When the clip was finished, the players showed their bets & answers.

All players keep their cash, but the player with the most money wins the game and returns next week to play again. Players who have gone broke at the end of the game still go home with $25.

Episode status

Two episodes exist at the UCLA archive.