Dialing for Dollars (U.S. Syndicated Game Show)

Dialing for Dollars is a syndicated game show taking it's name from a franchised format of the same name that was popular from the 1950s through the 1970s. Unlike the franchised format, Dialing for Dollars is actually two game show formats in one: Dialing for Dollars and Bowling for Dollars. The game show is hosted by comedian Artie Lange, who handles the Bowling for Dollars portion of the program, and his assistant is comedian Caroline Rhea, who handles the Dialing for Dollars portion of the program. The series is produced by Tam Productions, a subsidiary of Adelphia Communications. And the series was launched on Sept. 18, 2016.
== Game Format ==
=== Dialing for Dollars ===
The program's usual format had the host, a local television personality, announce a certain password to the audience at the beginning of the program. He would then randomly select a phone number to call from a bowl or drum, either from those that had been previously submitted by viewers, or by scraps of paper cut from residential telephone directories. Viewers watching the show would know that they were being called, answer the phone with the correct password, and would win a monetary prize. If the viewer did not respond correctly or failed to answer the call altogether, the prize money would continue to increase. The prize starts at $500 and goes up by $50 each time the prize goes unclaimed. Once it is claimed, the jackpot resets to $500.
=== Bowling for Dollars ===
As each contestant appeared, the host would interview him or her for a couple of minutes. Then the audience camera would cue as the contestant pointed out who he brought along ("There's my wife Paula, there's my son Nick..."). The contestant was then instructed to pick a Pin Pal out of a container filled with postcards sent in by home viewers, then went off to the lanes where they would bowl at least two balls.
A half-hour show had seven contestants.
== Layout of the show ==
Dialing for Dollars starts with both Artie Lange and Caroline Rhea welcoming the viewers to the show. Rhea then goes to the spot where a telephone and a bowl of telephone numbers submitted by viewers at home. The announcer announces the password. Then the series shifts to Lange and the two bowling lanes built inside the studio for the Bowling for Dollars portion of the program. After two contestants had their chance to bowl for dollars, the series shifts back to Caroline Rhea who does the Dialing for Dollars portion of the program by calling the number she picked out of the bowl to see if that contestant watched the program and if he/she could guess the password. After the commercial, the show picks back up with the Bowling for Dollars portion and two more contestants try to bowl for dollars, followed by Rhea doing the Dialing for Dollars portion again before the final commercial break. Finally, Rhea does the Dialing for Dollars portion first before the Bowling for Dollars portion closes out the show.
== Prizes ==
Unlike the Dialing for Dollars portion, which does give consolation prizes if they don't get the password, the Bowling for Dollars portion does have prizes to win. Each contestant received $20 for each pin knocked down (e.g., a contestant who knocked down a total of eight pins won $160). A Strike or Spare awarded $100. The real allure of the show was the Jackpot, which was awarded to any bowler who got two consecutive Strikes. The jackpot starts at $500 and is increased by $50 each time it was not hit. If a player gets two strikes, he/she wins the jackpot and goes for a third strike, where it could be for a trip to an automobile.
== Stations airing Dialing for Dollars ==
If your station wishes to air Dialing for Dollars feel free to add your station to the table. Take note, however, that the list is in alphabetical order.
Call Sign	Channel	City 	State	Network 	DMA	Time
KBVO 	24.1 	Austin 	TX 	ABC 	39 	6:30 PM (CST)
KCIT 	15.1 	Kansas City 	MO 	The CW 	31 	6:30 PM (CST)
KKYY 	3.1 	Sioux City 	IA 	CBS 	139	6:30 PM (CST)
KMT-TV 	21.1 	San Antonio 	TX 	MyNeworkTV 	33 	6:30 PM (CST)
KMYF 	53.1 	Fresno 	CA 	MyNetworkTV	54 	7:30 PM (PST)
KNUS 	29.1 	Denver 	CO 	MyNetworkTV	17 	6:30 PM (MST)
KSMD 	21.1 	Yuma/El Centro	AZ/CA	CBS 	166	4:00 PM (PST)
KTBL 	12.1 	San Diego 	CA 	The CW 	28 	7:30 PM (PST)
KYLD 	12.1 	San Jose 	CA 	The CW 	6 	7:30 PM (PST)
WAMQ 	8.1 	Columbus 	GA 	CBS 	126	7:30 PM (EST)
WAQZ 	58.1 	Panama City 	FL 	MyNetworkTV	154	7:30 PM (EST)
WBUF 	1.1 	Buffalo 	NY 	Fox 	52 	7:30 PM (EST)
WCDL 	18.1 	Cleveland 	OH 	MyNetworkTV	19 	7:30 PM (EST)
WCUU 	28.1 	Chicago 	IL 	Independent	3 	6:30 PM (CST)
WIIL 	44.1 	McLean 	VA 	Fox 	N/A	7:30 PM (EST)
WINW 	34.1 	Indianapolis 	IN 	The CW 	27 	7:30 PM (IND)
WIST-TV 	25.1 	Toledo 	OH 	Fox 	76 	7:30 PM (EST)
WKWD 	56.1 	Albany 	NY 	The CW 	58 	7:30 PM (EST)
WMYA 	25.1 	Atlanta 	GA 	MyNetworkTV	9 	7:30 PM (EST)
WQNO 	50.1 	New Orleans 	LA 	The CW 	51 	6:30 PM (CST)
WYYY 	33.1 	Syracuse 	NY 	MyNetworkTV	84 	7:30 PM (EST)
Category:Game shows
Category:Syndicated programmes
Category:Syndication
Category:Tam Productions
Category:Television programs established in 2016