Blockbusters (American game show)
American television game show
Blockbusters is an American game show, created by Steve Ryan for Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions, which had two separate runs in the 1980s. Contestants answer general-knowledge questions to complete a path across or down a game board composed of hexagons. The first series of the show debuted on NBC on October 27, 1980, and aired until April 23, 1982. In the first series, a team of two family members competed against a solo contestant. Blockbusters was revived on NBC from January 5 to May 1, 1987, but featured only two solo contestants competing. Bill Cullen hosted the 1980–1982 version, with Bob Hilton as announcer and Rich Jeffries taking over in the final two weeks; Bill Rafferty hosted the 1987 version with Jeffries as announcer for the entire run. The show is the basis of the British game show of the same name, which aired in various incarnations between 1983 and 2019.
Gameplay
Three contestants play in each game, with a solo contestant at a red podium, playing against a team of two contestants who are related to each other (referred to as a "family pair") and seated at a white one.
Main Game
The main game is played on a board composed of 20 hexagons, five wide and four high. The top and bottom of the board have red edges, while the sides have white edges, and contestants compete to be the first to create a complete path across the board corresponding to the respective color of their podium.
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