Sadly this is another example of a good show that sadly didn’t get a chance to shine.

Here it is the year 2020 and I'm discovering this site for the very first time. How "bout that! Ronnie Greenberg here. From out of Mr. Martindale's vault comes a Don Lipp-Ron Greenberg Production entitled The Big Showdown. Just though I'd mention that the show was created by the Late Don Lipp and Ronnie Greenberg..We were very proud of this show and look for it's return int the near future. Ronnie

At least one other pilot was taped in 1974 -- I've seen two images featuring two different contestants (Nancy played both known shows).

One of the thorniest problems in game-show design is how to prevent runaway games without appearing forced or, worse, arbitrary or random. (You could make the very last question of a show worth one million points, for example.) The Big Showdown used one of the most elegant solutions I've ever seen. Blocks are organic ("reach the point without going over" fits the ruleset) and require skill (trailing player must answer correctly) & risk (high-value categories may not be the player's strong suit). How elegant!

One of the best quiz shows of its era. Jim Peck did a very good job with it while it lasted.

Showdown was a fun show!

Mr. Martindale great job pulling this out of the vault, I never knew about this game show. Have heard of Jim Peck.

The first round in front game is a very good strategy system and keeps people in suspense.

Brilliant concept to keep the game tight and exciting throughout! It is weird, though, that a hard-quiz game should have a bonus round that is 100% luck--

And speaking of this pilot, a user named “epaddon” has posted the series finale of the “Big Showdown” from 7/4/75. But sadly, it’s in audio only, and no video footage at all, because the final episode is completely lost, but all they have is an audio recording of the final show.

This was one of my favorite game shows when it was airing. I tried to make my own home version with a cardboard box with a ramp cut out to put the dice after each roll. Of course, it didn't work, but I sure tried. LOL

I always liked this show, not just because of the quiz aspect, but also the strategy aspect of using the blocks. I agree it deserved a longer run, though even in the mid-'70s, the prize money could have been higher. Oh, and of course, one of the all-time classic bloopers is one of Jim's entrances as he tripped on the stairs. He could have asked for a retake, but he didn't, and he had a couple of great lines, too. "Sure, you people would applaud a lynching" was one of them. Thanks for this, Wink.

Keep em coming, Wink. I love all these old game shows that were before my time.

Wink or maybe I should call you Mr. Martindale, I’d say you had a warm spot for dice after High Rollers, Gambit and Las Vegas Gambit. Thanks for showing all these shows that might’ve been hits if they had been given their chance in the limelight, but didn’t get to see the light of day. I wish we had most, if not all of these shows you’ve shown us with these, sir. I am a big fan of game shows and want to thank you for the many decades of thrilling episodes of High Rollers, Las Vegas Gambit, Tic Tac Dough, among others and all those corny jokes for which you got jeered by the audience, those got a laugh out of me. And I really also liked your interview with Eric Metaxas. Hope we can be friends. Thanks, Joel

If only they hadn't wiped all the episodes other than the one where Jim Peck fell down the stairs ... This really was an awesome show from the extremely limited amount of it I've seen (this and that particular episode).

Interesting Quiz show. Iterating further, the toss-up mechanic should be tossed for a catch-up mechanic, where the last-place player gets control after a point. Also, the amount of strategy can be increased by limiting the number of each category's Qs in each point round.

Thank you, Wink! This show deserved a longer run.

I love the base game in this! A tweak or two but otherwise, smart and fun gameplay!

Happy birthday Jim Peck!

In 1966, there was an earlier game show called "Showdown" which was hosted by Joe Pyne,who was best known for having a talk show where he insulted guests. This series was notable for having contestants falling thru the floor if they missed a question,and featured a preteen rock band in the Bantams. This series was renamed, "The Big Showdown".

As you probably know, Derk Fredericks was the announcer for the pilot episode before legendary New York radio DJ and announcer Dan Daniel took over to do his only attempt at doing game show announcing on "The Big Showdown". Sadly, Dan Daniel passed away back on Monday. This was only episode of "The Big Showdown" where it featured a hilarious blooper where a game show host was falling down the stairs after making his entrance.

Nice to see this, Winston, but it's not the only pilot. I saw a pilot for it in person. The difference was the bonus prize fault, the player had to choose the right combination of 7 to open the vault, 6/1, 5/2 or 4/3. Player chose 4/3 and was right. Apparently the vault idea, didn't work out, so they tried the dice.

First of all, I've always liked you, Wink! I've loved you ever since I was a child when I would see you on either Tic Tac Dough or High Rollers. Both were on the USA Network at the time, but I am really glad that you posted this pilot on KZfaq. I would love to hear that theme song again. This pilot was on KZfaq before, but it got pulled off. Don't know why, but nonetheless I'm glad it's finally back where it belongs. Thank you, Wink and in conclusion to all the people who booed your jokes during the Tic Tac Dough days, "You give this man respect, do you hear? Without him at the helm, the show would've been nothing! Heck, when he left, the show died and Jim Caldwell, as talented as he was, wasn't able to save it, poor man. So you give this man respect, do you hear? Respect him or you'll have to answer to me! Understand?" Okay, I know I can't really do that, but it felt really good to say it. Please forgive me. Have a nice day.

0:22 Those famous steps!

I was a very young lad when this game came out. LOOKS LIKE FUN ;)

Holy Cow! Talk about your buzzer beaters. Well seeing this is the pilot there were probably more buzzer beaters to come!

After watching the pilot, I think the future of this show was rather dicey.

This show was retitled "The Big Showdown" by the time it went in the air because the producers discovered there had been a game show nearly a decade earlier titled "Showdown", that was hosted by Joe Pyne.

Thank you Wink as always =)

Interesting concept. I'd like to see more shows like this.

Jim Peck should have so been Jack Barry's successor in hosting "The Joker's Wild". Odds are though it would have gone off the air after the '85-'86 season anyway as by then, Wheel and Jeopardy had already become syndication juggernauts.

This should be a feature on the price is right or bring the show back in 2024

This is such a great show. I would love to see it get another shot someday, somehow.

a win at the buzzer wow

A win at the buzzer

There was ANOTHER game show called "Showdown" from the '60's. It was hosted by Joe Pyne & ran on NBC

Too bad Peck didn't win here, but he did get a ......ahem.....Second Chance. :P

I barely remember this because I was 14 when it was on. It was one of my favorite game shows shows on TV. I do remember it didn’t last long.

First of all happy birthday Jim Peck and Wink U the man pimpin'

If I'm not mistaken, but isn't this theme music a slightly different orchestration of the cue they used on the early 80's syndicated version of "The Dating Game" when the winning bachelor or bachelorette was revealed?

Never heard of that production group... o.o That being said, this is another classic game that I personally feel would do well with a modernized twist... What that twist would be, I have no idea... X3

I noticed that during the dice rolling round at 18:56, if you slow it down, the superimposed clock would appear to be a fraction of a second ahead of the onstage clock, leading me to think that both timers weren't synchronized.

A part of the opening music sounds like some that was used at the beginning of an unsold pilot from later in the decade called "The Riddlers", hosted by David Letterman.

The Big Showdown's announcer Dan Daniel passed away recently.

I felt bad for good hosts that didn't seem to be on many (if any) long-lasting shows. I was a bit too young to remember this one but I really think Second Chance should have lasted much longer. What a technical marvel that show was!

Wasn't the aired show called the Big Showdown instead of Showdown, because there was another game show called Showdown (hosted by Joe Pyne) in 1966?

Wasnt this on youtube at one point

Unfortunately our Pittsburgh ABC affiliate WTAE preempted this show for To Tell the Truth, resulting in it being farmed out to (later Fox outlet) WPGH.

Very sad this show didn’t survive the wiping practices of the 70s, but at least we have this episode plus another one featuring a hilarious host entrance to enjoy. I would love to see this one come back with a $1,000,000 payout for the winner if they rolled Showdown on their first bonus roll.

Jim never had a long game show, great host, but the shows he did weren't so pop.

It appeared at the time Wink when ABC had the shows hosted by Jim Peck, they ran at 12 Noon ET/11:00 AM PT. BIG SHOWDOWN, HOT SEAT, SECOND CHANCE.

Wow Elaine looks like Kate on Days Of Our Lives' twin sister!

Wait, did he say "Tony Randall and Jack Portman"?

@ 17:54 a twist

Now with less stair falling!

Perhaps I misunderstood the rules, or this was a staged pilot, but it seemed odd that Bob's use of the blocks didn't seem to require him to say anything as the other contestants had to do to use the blocks. They would just appear, and then he'd be congratulated about the use o f them. At one point, Bob actually seemed surprised that he'd blocked someone.

What? No big fall-down?

This title should be called “Fall Down”.

Nancy almost said meatball before saying meathead shouldn't the judges taken her first response