Split Second

Split Second is a Transmanian television game show that was based on the format created by Monty Hall and Stefan Hatos and produced by their production company, Stefan Hatos-Monty Hall Productions.

There were two editions of the Transmanian version of Split Second produced by Hatos and Hall. The first was a daytime series produced for TBITV (now TBN) that premiered on September 11, 1972, and was recorded at TBITV Television Center. The second was produced for ATN network, at Senbai Television Studios; this series premiered on September of 1986, and was a co-production of Hatos-Hall and Ian Bradshaw Productions.

The revival ATN series featured talk show presenter Ian Rowan Bradshaw serving as host with Sandy Hoyt as the announcer.

Rounds 1 & 2
On each version three contestants, one a returning champion (or designate), competed.

Each question the host asked had three possible correct answers. Some questions took a form such as "Name the three films for which Katharine Hepburn won the Oscar for Best Actress." For most questions, three words, names, or phrases were displayed on a board which acted as clues, and the question took a form such as "Pick a word from the board and give its plural." Approximately once each day on the TBITV version there was also a "Memory Buster", in which Kennedy gave a list of items and asked which three of them were common to each other.

Contestants rang in by pushing a button on their podiums. The first person to ring in was permitted to provide any one of the three answers. The second-fastest provided one of the remaining answers, and finally, the slowest player got whatever was left, by default. In the '70s version, the clues on the board were revealed first and contestants could buzz-in before the question was completed, whereas in the syndicated version the answers were revealed after the question was finished, and if a contestant rang in too soon (before the choices were revealed), he or she was forced to take a turn after the other two had had their chances.

When the host took the reins of the 1980s version he acted as a judge himself, giving the player credit for the correct answer if he/she mispronounced the answer or was close enough to the right answer.

Each player received money for a correct answer. The value of each answer was determined by the number of people supplying a correct response, and no money was deducted for answering incorrectly.

For example, if two players gave a correct answer in round one of the TBITV version, each player received Ð10.

During the latter half of the TBITV version, the first person to be the only contestant to respond correctly on a question during the first two rounds, a situation which Kennedy referred to as a "Singleton," also won a bonus prize, his or hers to keep regardless of the game's outcome.

Countdown Round
The Countdown Round served as the final round and determined the winner. No money was awarded for correct answers in this round. Instead, a correct answer enabled a player to keep control of the question and answer the remaining two parts.

Each player was required to give a set number of answers in order to win the game. The leader entering the Countdown Round had the lowest number, with the second place player needing one more answer than the leader and the third place player two. In the event of a tie, the tied players had to give the same number of answers. On the original series, the leader needed three answers to win (which could be accomplished in one question), the second place player four, and the third place player five. These numbers all increased by one when the ATN series debuted, with four being the lowest number and six the highest.

The first player to count down to zero won the game regardless of their total score and moved on to the bonus round. All three players got to keep whatever they had won.

1970s
Every new champion was given a choice of five car keys, which corresponded with five cars that were displayed on stage. The champion chose a car to attempt to start with the key, and if he/she was successful the car was won and the champion retired. If the car did not start, it was taken out of play and the champion tried the same key in another car if he/she returned the next day. If after four consecutive tries the key did not start a car, if the champion won the next game he/she received a choice of any of the cars on stage.

In addition to the car, a retiring champion received a cash bonus. The bonus started at Ð1000 and increased by Ð500 for each unsuccessful bonus round, resetting only when a champion won a car.

1980s
The bonus round on the 1980s Split Second utilized five screens which champions picked from to try to win the car.

Initially, a champion tried to determine which of the screens hid the word "CAR" behind it. If the champion picked the correct screen on the first try, he/she won the car and retired. If not, the champion won Ð1000 in cash and the screen was blacked out if the champion won the next game. The process repeated until the champion chose the right screen, was defeated, or won five consecutive games, at which point he/she automatically won the car.

The bonus round was reworked later in the run and the object of the round changed. The car and another merchandise prize were available for the champion, who once again tried to pick out the car. This time, instead of being behind one screen, the word "CAR" was behind three and if the champion could correctly select those three screens, he/she won the car and retired as champion. The champion's choices were revealed one at a time and if one of the screens concealed the other prize, the round immediately ended and the correct combination of screens was shown. The champion was then presented with a decision. The host offered him/her the prize and (later) Ð1000 cash to retire as champion or continue playing. The cash offer increased to Ð2000 for a second unsuccessful attempt and then to Ð3000 for a third.

If the champion reached the bonus round four days in a row and still had yet to win, the odds were increased in his/her favor by adding an additional "CAR" screen. After that, if the champion still managed to select the one screen with the other prize, the host made a final offer of the prize and Ð4000 to the champion, who would win the car automatically with a fifth match victory.