Rare game show pilot with TNPIR Davidson set called "Cash Tornado"

[tpir256]

Besides the pilot on Wink Martindales channel are there more information on this extremely rare pilot?

[C8]

Given that Wink posted that video nearly a decade ago I had trouble finding it.

Honestly what more information do you want? It was a pitch film for a show that never got picked up. The pitch film was clearly shot with an audience following a taping of TNPiR, tells you specifically what it was intended to do (drive up the sale of lottery tickets...which I admit is a bit odd) and how the game would be played. I think it was very comprehensive.

I watched the video and I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. It wasn't particularly original--it was Price in a slightly reskinned format, but it was a fun pilot.

The definite highlight was Roger Dobkowitz as the demo contestant. He sort of knocked the role out of the park and gave Jim a lot to work with in showing off his hosting skills for the format.

[BillyGr]

It was a pitch film for a show that never got picked up. The pitch film was clearly shot with an audience following a taping of TNPiR, tells you specifically what it was intended to do (drive up the sale of lottery tickets...which I admit is a bit odd) and how the game would be played.

Not really that odd - NY State had a lottery show a number of years ago, where you could enter non-winning tickets from a particular scratch off game (which had to be mailed at that time), so that was doing the same thing (helping sales of that game, so people had the tickets to enter if they didn't win the first time on the ticket itself).

[Reloaden]

the pilot

[C8]

Not really that odd - NY State had a lottery show a number of years ago, where you could enter non-winning tickets from a particular scratch off game (which had to be mailed at that time), so that was doing the same thing (helping sales of that game, so people had the tickets to enter if they didn't win the first time on the ticket itself).

Fascinating. Thanks for the insight!

[jimmyuTPIR]

Not really that odd - NY State had a lottery show a number of years ago, where you could enter non-winning tickets from a particular scratch off game (which had to be mailed at that time), so that was doing the same thing (helping sales of that game, so people had the tickets to enter if they didn't win the first time on the ticket itself).

Illinois had a lottery game show for six years in the mid to late nineties.

[BillyGr]

Illinois had a lottery game show for six years in the mid to late nineties.

The NY one was 1997-98 & 98-99 seasons, and it sounds like some of the games were similar to the Illinois ones (with new themes, such as a horse race in Saratoga).

[Wally1912]

The Massachusetts State Lottery ran their version of this Goodson production in the 90s as well and it was called Bonus Bonanza.

Here's a full episode from 1996:

[Superballer]

I frequently tuned in to Powerball Instant Millionaire during its run. 

[blozier2006]

Illinois had a lottery game show for six years in the mid to late nineties.

IIRC Illinois Instant Riches used as its theme music, the same music Goodson used for the TKO and Body Talk pilots c. 1989-1990.

[Sizeman]

The definite highlight was Roger Dobkowitz as the demo contestant. He sort of knocked the role out of the park and gave Jim a lot to work with in showing off his hosting skills for the format.

Yes, very cool to see Roger "playing" the contestant role. He certainly has had his fair share of experience with tens of, if not hundreds of thousands of contestants by that point, and we really got to see just how much he enjoys the play aspect of a pilot. I can just imagine how he pitched his ideas for new games, plus any rough demonstrations of them before a set was built, such as 10 Chances.