What shows had contestants being hand-payed by the hosts? The ones I can think of are The Joker's Wild, Name That Tune, Scrabble, and The Price Is Right. I always thought this was one of the coolest things I saw in the world of game shows.

1. Maury's 21
2. The wins on Greed weren't hand-paid, but the money Chuck offered if they'd quit with one answer left to reveal was.

Do checks count? If so "Millionaire" qualifies...

Also, the "Terminator" challenges of $10,000 were paid out in cash by Chuck on Greed.

Let's not forget the cash that Monty paid out to contestants on LMAD.

So does GONG (Chuckie would hand out the check on occasion). Geoff Edwards on TREASURE HUNT as well.

On $ale of the Century, Jim would flip out a wad of bills to sweeten the offer. And they had the lucite briefcase of bills in the back room.

And, while the host didn't hand it over, $1,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime had the tableful of money.

And, if checks count, there's Blank Check (and TPIR's Check Game, nee Blank Check).

They did hand count the $5,000 and $10,000 bonuses on the $1,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime. Jim did it the first season and Karen Thomas did it the second season.

The *one* time I saw "The Gong Show with Dave Attell", Comedy Central's remake from last year, Dave paid the winning act in cash (six $100 bills; I can only assume no worries with the tax man given the low stakes).

Um, folks, in almost every single one of the cited cases the money is whisked out of the contestants hands the second they go offstage, to be replaced by the standard 90-days-after-airing check. (If it wasn't play money to start with.) Why would Gong Show be any different?

I certainly remember Monty giving away real cash. And Cash Cab.

Joker's Wild, complete with the obligatory side shots of the audience.

Mentioned by the OP, along with SCRABBLE, TPIR and NTT.

The OP cited Joker's Wild.........But that's OK, because I was ready to chime in with TPIR as an example, which he listed too.

/If only we knew now what we know then...
//Contestants putting their hands down Bob's pockets...

"Um, yeah, the $100 is in a roll of silver dollars now. Keep pulling."

Oops...strike my comment from the record. :-P


Annnnnd I lol'd twice.

Thank god the Price producers didn't make "Bob Barker's Wad o' Cash," then...

/or just already implied

Forgot one obvious one... CASH CAB

Bill Cosby also occasionally handed out extra cash on You Bet Your Life, particularly if a contestant was VERY funny or memorable.

Didn't Groucho also hand each player $50 if one of them said the Secret Word on the original version?

Card Sharks did for the on-the-nose hi/lo question responses-I remember seeing Eubanks and Rafferty do so, at least.

Indeed he did. Also, if checks count, let's not forget the panel on The Name's The Same, who had to pay if they didn't guess the person's famous name.

My first one of those was in 1990. Judy was her name. Oh! That's what you mean.
Early during the run of Hollywood Showdown, Todd Newton handed a check to a jackpot winner.
At least, he said it was a check. He said, "Here's your check".

No one has mentioned the Knockout bonus of 6 $50 bills for getting six letters in one turn. I'm pretty sure it was six letters.

Good catch with Knockout. When the Michigan Lottery game show became Road to Riches, they had "confetti cash" that paid off $200 on the spot. I forgot if it was in 20s or what, but it was cheesy compared to the megabucks on the Illinois show. Pilot-wise, Jed Allen's Temptation gave their players the $50 opening stake. Casino with Ron Pearson had bundles of cash. I'm waiting for a parade to happen, so I'll leave it there for now.

-Jason

Two instances with The Diamond Head Game. Bob would pay them $50 & $100 bonuses as they made their climb up Diamond Head. After the contestant went into Diamond Head, until the contestant stopped or got the $1 bill, Bob was hand paying them there as well.

of course the buck ninety-eight Rip taylor would give out

Though he would pay with coins out of his dispenser on his belt.