"This is $1,000,000. Today (insert champion couple's names and occupations)...could be only (remaining days left)...from winning $1,000,000, as they face (insert challenging couple's names and occupations). As they battle for the biggest prize in the history of television, just one single word, could turn one of our couples into millionaires, all on..."
"And, here's your host..."
HOST: Jim Lange THE MAIN GAME:
JIM LANGE!
HOSTESS (second season): Karen Thomas
ANNOUNCER: Johnny Gilbert
AIRDATES: January 1986 - September 1987
PACKAGER: XPTLA Company; Lorimar Television
in one at a time. Whenever one knew the answer, they could buzz-in
and say it. If they were wrong, the opposing team would have a chance to answer and continue filling in spaces, but one. If they were right, they'd receive $25 and
a chance to solve a word puzzle. They would be shown blank spaces on a giant computer
screen. The keyboard below would show lit
letters that would be in play, and a STAR was included as a punctuation mark somewhere in the puzzle. A contestant could then choose a letter
and see how many
are in the puzzle, worth $25 apiece for the puzzle bank. After two letters, they could try and earn the puzzle bank by solving
the puzzle, and they'd win
the amount if they could. Also another thing, somewhere on the keyboard was the "Stinger," a letter that was not in the puzzle. Before the puzzle began, the home audience would be shown
the "Stinger," and if a player selected it, they lost their turn (NOTE: The STAR key was NEVER the "Stinger"). The second puzzle doubled the value of clues and letters to $50, and third word doubled again to $100 apiece, and rare times, there'd be a 4th puzzle for $100 still. The couple that had the most money accumulated when the game ended keeps their amount and goes on to the bonus round.
categories, one that they know best about. Then, they would be isolated in an isolation
booth where they could hear the host, but not the audience. They would then see words that would pop-in letters one
at a time, just like the clues in the main game, and would win the word if they
were right. They would have to keep shouting out first things that popped in their heads, because they have 60 seconds to try and get 6 right. If they couldn't, they would leave the show with only their main game winnings. If they won and it was their first time, they could opt to take home $5,000 and their main game winnings and go home. If they returned a second time and won, they would opt for $10,000 and go home, or return one last time. If they got the third game won without running out of time, they would win
$1,000,000 in cash, $40,000 a year in the first season, then a $900,000 annuity and $100,000 in prizes in the second season.
for $1,000,000 wins (two, according to Wikipedia). Also, there were security guards guarding the $1,000,000 podium.