Sale of the Century (1969)

Sale of the Century (1969)
Premiere	September 29, 1969
Finale	September 6, 1974
Creator	Al Howard
Host	Jack Kelly (1969-71) Joe Garagiola, Sr. (1971-74)
Network/Provider	NBC (1969-73) First-run syndication (1973-74)
Style	30-minute game show
Company	Jones-Howard Productions
Distributor	Screen Gems (1973–74; syndication) Fremantle North America (current)
Seasons	5
Episodes	5 per week
Origin	USA

Sale of the Century was a game show airing on NBC. Al Howard created the original edition.

Three contestants, each staked to $20, ring in to answer questions. Each correct answer is worth $5; incorrect answers deduct $5. At certain points of the game an "Instant Bargain" is presented. The contestant in the lead is shown a valuable prize. He/she may use his/her score money to buy the prize at a discounted price (e.g: a color TV worth $450 for $17). The host may throw in some bonus money to tempt the contestant even further.

Round two is worth $10 per question. The third round is the Century Round, where the three contestants race to answer as many questions in one minute. The highest score wins the game and goes to the Sale floor.

Here, a showcase of five sets of valuable prizes are presented with its retail value and its "sale" price. The contestant can buy what he/she wants and retire once he/she has enough money won or can continue and rack up more money for more valuable prizes. Winning five games wins everything automatically.

In 1973, couples played. Sale ended on NBC July 13, 1973 and then a syndicated edition was produced for prime time access syndication that fall. It ran one year. In 1983, a new edition appeared on NBC. This version was developed for Australian television by Reg Grundy who developed the American show as well. FremantleMedia produced another edition in syndication in 2007, Temptation: The All-New Sale of the Century.

In-Depth

• At a Glance: Additional information about the series