Concentration (1973-1978)

The syndicated version of ***Concentration*** ran from 1973 through 1978.

Five months after the original *Concentration* ended, NBC (who owned the rights to the show) asked Mark Goodson and Bill Todman (known at the time for *The New Price is Right*) to produce a new version of the show for syndication. With Jack Narz as host, the show ran five seasons beginning in September 1973. The show was aired on most NBC-affiliated stations that carried the original series, but though the syndicated version taped enough episodes that could run every weeknight, some stations only ran the show once a week.

## Game format

### Main Game

As in the original show, two contestants faced a game board consisting of 30 numbered squares, behind which were matching pairs of prizes of varying value. The hidden prizes cover up a rebus puzzle which the contestants try to solve.

### The Four "Head Starts"

Before each game, the players were given four "Head Starts"; to wit, they were shown half-matches to four different prizes on the board (The head starts most often consisted of the two most-expensive prizes on the board and two "promotional" prizes that would normally be considered "consolation" prizes).

### Standard Gameplay

On a player's turn he/she picked off numbers. When the show started, the contestant chose two numbers in both games; it was later changed to having contestants picked three numbers in the first game and later both games. If the numbers he/she picked uncovered a match, he/she won the prize and revealed pieces of a puzzle. If he/she doesn't match, control of the board goes to the opponent.

#### Special Squares

Also hidden on the board were special squares that affected game play.

* **Wild Card** - This was a very special square which if uncovered, caused a automatic match. When the show started, there were two on the board and if they were both found, the contestant won a $500 cash bonus which was his/hers to keep win or lose.
* **Take One Gift** - When matched, that gave the contestant in control the right to steal one of his/her opponents' prizes if he/she had any.
* **Forfeit One Gift** - When matched, that forced the contestant in control to give away one of his/her own prizes if he/she had any.
* **Free Look** - When uncovered, that square revealed a puzzle part immediately and of course the contestant got to guess.
* **Bonus Number** - Originally shown in both games and later only shown in the second game, when if matched, the contestant in control can pick a third number if the first two don't match. If a match was made, the unmatched number was turned back over as usual unless it was a wild card, in which case the player could choose which of the first two cards with which to match it. (The odd card would then be flipped back to its numbered side.)

The first player to solve the puzzle kept all the prizes they matched and then went on to play the "Double Play" game for a new car.

Should time run out in the middle of the second game, the puzzle was revealed and the first player to buzz-in with the correct solution was declared the winner.

In the first season, the board contained one pair of FORFEIT ONE GIFT cards and three pairs of TAKE ONE GIFT cards. These worked just as in the original NBC run of the game.

### 1975 Changes & Special Format Games

By the third season in 1975, in order to speed up gameplay, the FORFEIT ONE GIFT and one pair of the TAKE ONE GIFT cards were removed from the game. In addition, one of the first two games was played in one of three "Special Formats":

* A **"Really Wild Game"** featured four wild cards instead of the usual two. Matching two of them was worth $250, which the player kept regardless of winning the game (matching all 4 won a total of $500). (The style of the Wild Cards in this version would be colorized, and would be carried over to the "Double Play" Prize Board later incorporated there.)
* A **"Free Look**" Game contained either two or four cards labeled **"FREE LOOK"**. Uncovering one of these cards stopped play, revealed the puzzle part behind it, and gave the contestant a free guess at the puzzle. (If this happened as the first call, the player would still be given two calls to make a match; if as the second, the player was given an additional call to match the first card revealed.)
* A **"Three Call Game"** eliminated the "Bonus Number" cards, instead allowing both players to call a maximum of THREE numbers each turn. If calling the first two made a match, the third call was forfeited for that go. Otherwise, if the third call matched one of the previous two, the odd card was turned back and the two matching parts of the puzzle were revealed. (If the third card was a Wild Card, the player could choose which of the other two cards to match.)

Unfortunately, despite these changes the show's ratings fell and many stations (including flagship WNBC-TV in New York) moved the show to either pre-dawn hours or other non-prime-time access slots and dropped it in Spring 1976. Some independent stations then picked up the show.

### Double Play

In the Double Play game, the winning contestant had 10 seconds to solve two more rebuses. The first one was worth $100 and the second was worth a new car.

### Extra Time

* When there was extra time left on the show, a third "Money Game" puzzle came into play, using paired amounts of foreign currency instead of regular prizes and no head starts. Winning the game won the American cash equivalent of the currencies earned (if any) plus an additional $100 bonus.
* If there was extra time left on the show but not enough for the "Money Game," a two player "Quickie Double Play" game was instituted. In this case, each player gets one puzzle and the full 10 seconds to solve it for an additional $50.

### 1977 Changes

By the final season of the show, BOTH of the two main games were played in at least one of the Special Formats. On occasion, two of the Special Formats would be combined into a single game (such as a "Three Call" game with the "Free Look" cards in play), and the third format would be used for the second game (in this case, it would be the "Really Wild" game).

Also, the Double Play game had an additional part played before the puzzles. A 9-square board was shown over the Double Play board. The squares hid 4 pairs of possible prizes/prize packages and one Wild Card. The Car was still one of these prizes, but now three additional prizes or prize packages (usually worth between $500 and $2,500) were available. The player would choose squares one at a time, revealing what was behind them. If the player matched two cards with the same prize(s), they would play for that prize(s) on the second puzzle (the first was still worth $100). The Wild Card could affect what was played for in two ways:

* If it was chosen first, the next number chosen would automatically match with it and the player would play for that prize/package.
* If the player had revealed one or more prizes without matching, and then revealed the Wild Card, the player would play for ALL the revealed prizes on the second puzzle (meaning they could possibly be playing for 1, 2, 3 or all 4 prizes/packages.)

*NOTE: Because of the longer format of the Double Play games, this usually meant no time was left to play either "Extra Time" game.*

## Trivia

Jack Narz was hosting *Now You See It* for CBS while hosting this show.

After 42 years, episodes from the 1976 season of *Concentration* began re-airing on Buzzr on March 30, 2020.

## Stations

Stations that aired this included:

* New York - WNBC/WOR (now WWOR)
* Los Angeles - KHJ (now KCAL)
* Philadelphia - WCAU
* Boston - WBZ
* San Francisco - KPIX
* Detroit - WWJ (now WDIV 4)
* Cleveland - WEWS
* Washington, D.C. - WTOP (now WUSA)
* Pittsburgh - WTAE
* Cincinnati - WKRC (once a week)
* Buffalo - WBEN (now WIVB)
* Providence - WJAR
* San Diego - KFMB
* Grand Rapids - WOTV
* Albany - WTEN
* San Antonio - KSAT
* Orlando - WDBO (now WKMG)
* Syracuse - WNYS
* Sacramento/Stockton - KXTV
* Fort Wayne - WANE
* Tampa/St. Petersburg - WFLA
* Louisville - WLKY
* Milwaukee - WISN
* Kansas City - WDAF
* Salt Lake City - KTVX
* St. Louis - KTVI
* Indianapolis - WISH
* Phoenix - KTAR (now KPNX)
* Nashville - WNGE (now WKRN)
* Atlanta - WXIA
* Portland, OR - KATU
* Greenville, SC - WFBC (now WYFF)
* Portland, ME - WCSH
* Jackson, TN - WBBJ
* Birmingham - WBMG (now WIAT)
* Chattanooga - WTVC
* Minneapolis/St.Paul - KMSP
* Lincoln, NE - KHAS
* Cheyenne - KGWN
* Elmira - WETM
* Amarillo - KVII

## Links

James Vipond’s Concentration Site

David's Concentration Page