15 replies to this topic

[wdm1219inpenna]

I was just 16 when "Hit Man" debuted on NBC.  It was different to be sure, but I've come to have an entirely new appreciation for the program and its concept almost 30 years after the fact.

Jay Wolpert was great for thinking "outside the box" when it came to quiz shows such as this, and "Whew!".  The last out of the box game show concept prior to these was probably Merv Griffin's Jeopardy!  

I think "Hit Man" would be a great game for classrooms to use as a fun way to promote better comprehension on subjects.  Hit Man was entertaining and educational, and it also had a lot of visually appealing and colorful elements to the game.  Rod Roddy announcing and Peter Tomarken hosting really made "Hit Man" a diamond in the rough.  It's too bad the viewership for this game was so low.  I've been enjoying the few episodes that I have been able to find on youtube.

What was/is your take on "Hit Man"?  Do you remember when it debuted on NBC?  I happened to have gotten very sick over the 1982 winter recess I had from school, and I was actually home sick on Monday, January 3rd, 1983, so I was able to watch the debut of $ale of the Century, Hit Man & Just Men.  Sadly, in doing so, I missed the debut of Plinko.

I know the very talented Randy West frequents this board, and that he was the last champion on the show.  If memory serves, he won $1,200.  I'd love to hear from you Randy about your impressions of the game, the set, Peter, Rod, etc.  It must have been disappointing to not have been able to defend your championship.

[Jimmy Owen]

It was okay.  It was somewhat misleading to promote it as a Pac-Man/Space Invaders homage.  Certainly not strong enough to compete against TPIR.

[tyshaun1]

Jimmy Owen, on 20 May 2012 - 05:57 AM, said:

It was okay.  It was somewhat misleading to promote it as a Pac-Man/Space Invaders homage.  Certainly not strong enough to compete against TPIR.

I think that's what ultimately caused "Hit Man" to have a short shelf life; taking a memory quiz where you had to watch the whole show to play the game, and wrapping it around a video game theme that most adults had not embraced yet turned off possible viewers from either side. Also, the fact that it replaced a soap and opposite TPIR..... chances are whatever show NBC had placed there did not have much of a chance anyway.

Tyshaun

[Bryce L.]

As for myself, I'm too young to remember "Hit Man" outside of reading about it on Mike Klauss' site or seeing Chris Lambert's rulesheet for it (back when Mr. Lambert's site was still hosted in the Television City part of GeoCities too!)...

...I've still got my copy of the Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows, Third Edition, that was bought for me in 2000 or so (even though it is now very much dog-eared and is missing its first several pages and last several pages)...

...Dang, guys, I'm probably starting to sound like a younger version of Randy Amasia [God rest him, I remember seeing his Whew! page when he was alive, and hearing the tragedy of how his search for his second show ended]...

...I better shut up now, before I get flagged for the world's worst run-on post or else completely hijacking the thread...

[gameshowlover87]

I've seen a few episodes of Hit-Man, and it was a great show. I enjoyed every moment of it. Peter Tomarken was just as personable of a host on this show, as he was on Press Your Luck. To me, the show felt like an earlier version of "The Steps of Knowledge" from LOTHT and the 2003 GSN original Cram.

Also, I like the idea of having the two winning contestants in the first round compete against the returning champion in the second.

[BrandonFG]

I always liked the idea of eliminating your opponent's "points", but it could've worked just as a straight Q&A. The memory aspect didn't really add much, but I prolly would've made the Triple Crown an independent memory quiz, and not based on earlier rounds.

[That Don Guy]

The thing that stands out for me was "the two Rod Roddys" - when you hear him do the narration of the two "movies", it's hard to believe it's the same guy that did the opening.

When I first heard him do a game show, I thought, "Wait - that's the guy that does the opening on Soap?"