Concentration (1973)

Concentration (1973)
Premiere	September 10, 1973
Finale	September 7, 1978
Creator	Bob Noah (original format), Howard Felscher (revival)
Based on	A concept by Buddy Piper
Host	Jack Narz
Network/Provider	Syndicated
Style	30-minute game show
Company	Goodson-Todman Productions (G-T Programs Inc.)
Distributor	Jim Victory Television (original) Fremantle North America (current)
Seasons	5
Episodes	1,245
Origin	USA

Concentration is a revival of the original Concentration game show which ended a 14-and-a-half-year run on NBC six months earlier. NBC, which owns the rights to the series format, licensed this version to syndicator Jim Victory Television, who subcontracted Goodson-Todman Productions to produce this edition, which originated from Hollywood.

In this edition, the object is the same: match prizes on a game board of 30 squares and win the prizes by solving the picture puzzle (or "rebus"). There were noted differences:

First, players were given a "head start," showing four prizes and the first number behind where it is. The puzzles were now in full color on a light blue background. There were no gag prizes, and as such, the Forfeit 1 Gift cards were also excluded, and an extra pair of Take 1 Gift cards were used. As a syndicated show, there were no returning champions. Calling two Wild Cards on the same turn won a player $500, regardless of the game's outcome. Briefly in the fourth season, a game was set aside using four Wild Cards. Calling each pair on the same turn was worth $250.

The winner played for a new car in a bonus game called "Double Play," in which two puzzles had to be solved in ten seconds. Later in the run, a player had to pair up the prize to be played for on a board of nine squares. If a Wild Card is uncovered, the contestant plays for all revealed prizes at that point.

Two games were played with the same two contestants. When time allowed, a third game would be played. There was either a game where the board had foreign currencies (exchanged into USD), or a game where each player had ten seconds to solve a rebus on the Double Play board for a $50 cash prize.

The mechanics of the game board trilons were repurposed from the original board in New York, but they did not travel well as the board sounded creaky and asthmatic. In the middle of the first season, the trilons were refitted with high-speed motors.

Other elements were introduced as time went on. Matching "Bonus Number" meant a player was allowed to call three numbers on the next turn (calling three numbers was later made the standard procedure throughout the game). "Free Look" gave the players a look at that portion of the puzzle.

The syndicated Concentration is the second show from Goodson-Todman that they did not create. The first was The Price Is Right, which Bob Stewart created independently and eventually was optioned to Goodson-Todman two years later.

Nine years after leaving the air, Concentration returned to NBC daytime under the new name Classic Concentration. The 1973 edition began replays on Buzzr March 30, 2020. It is its first time on television since 1978.

In-Depth

• At a Glance: Additional information about the series

DVD Releases

There are no DVD releases for this show.