Press Your Luck: Difference between revisions

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Latest revision as of 04:41, 15 August 2025

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{{about|the game show|other uses|Press Your Luck (disambiguation) }}

{{infobox television |

{{Short description|American game show}}

| show_name = Press Your Luck

{{good article}}

| image = [[Image:Pressyourluckboard.jpg|250px|Press Your Luck Board]]

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

| caption =

{{Infobox television

| format = [[Game show]]

| image = PressYourLuckLogo2019.png

| runtime = 30 minutes per episode

| image_alt = The logo for the television show ''Press Your Luck'', featuring the words "Press Your Luck" written in red text on a yellow background.

| creator = [[Bill Carruthers]], [[Jan McCormack]]

| caption = Logo for the 2019 version

| starring = [[Peter Tomarken]] (host), [[Rod Roddy]] (announcer)

| countrygenre = [[UnitedGame Statesshow]]

| creator = {{Plainlist|

| network = [[CBS]]

* [[Bill Carruthers]]

| first_aired = [[September 19]], [[1983]]

* Jan McCormack

| last_aired = [[September 26]], [[1986]]

}}

| num_episodes = 758

| director = {{Plainlist|

| imdb_id = 0136655

* Bill Carruthers

* R. Brian DiPirro

}}

| presenter = {{Plainlist|

* [[Peter Tomarken]]

* [[Elizabeth Banks]]

}}

| voices = {{plainlist|

* Bill Carruthers

* [[Neil Ross]]

* Chris "Money Fairy" Ahearn

}}

| announcer = {{plainlist|

* [[Rod Roddy]]

* Neil Ross

* Chris "Money Fairy" Ahearn

}}

| theme_music_composer = {{plainlist|

* Lee Ringuette

* Tim Mosher & Stoker

}}

| country = United States

| language = English

| num_seasons = {{Plainlist|

* 3 (CBS)

* 6 (ABC)<!-- increment when new season begins -->

}}

| num_episodes = {{Plainlist|

* 761 (CBS)

* 65 (ABC)<!-- as of August 14, 2025 -->

}}

| animator = {{plainlist|

* [[Savage Steve Holland]]

* Midnight Sherpa

}}

| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|

* [[Bill Carruthers]]

* John Quinn

* Jennifer Mullin

* [[Elizabeth Banks]]

* Max Handelman

}}

| producer = {{Plainlist|

* Bill Mitchell

* John Quinn

}}

| camera =

| runtime = {{Plainlist|

* approx. 22 minutes (CBS)

* approx. 42 minutes (ABC)

}}

| company = {{Plainlist|

* [[Bill Carruthers|The Carruthers Company]] (1983–1986)

* [[Brownstone Productions]] (2019–present)

* [[Fremantle (company)|Fremantle]] (2019–present)

}}

| network = [[CBS]]

| first_aired = {{Start date|1983|9|19}}

| last_aired = {{End date|1986|9|26}}

| network2 = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]

| first_aired2 = {{Start date|2019|6|12}}

| last_aired2 = present

| related = ''[[Second Chance (game show)|Second Chance]]''<br/>''[[Whammy! The All-New Press Your Luck]]''

}}

'''''Press Your Luck''''' was an [[United States|American]] [[television]] [[game show]] where contestants collected "spins" by answering [[trivia]] questions, and then used the "spins" on a 18-space gameboard loaded with cash and prizes. The person who amassed the most in cash and prizes at the end of the game won.

The show was most memorable for the [[Whammy|"Whammy,"]] a red cartoon creature of indeterminate species wearing a cape. The Whammy's spaces on the game board took away the contestant's money, accompanied by an animation that would show the Whammy taking the loot&mdash;but frequently being chased away, blown up, or otherwise humiliated in the process. Throughout the show's run, approximately 60 different animations were used, with new ones being added from time to time.

==Broadcast history==

''Press Your Luck'' ran from [[September 19]], [[1983]], to [[September 26]], [[1986]], on [[CBS]]. [[Peter Tomarken]] hosted the show, and [[Rod Roddy]] was the regular [[announcer]] ([[John Harlan (announcer)|John Harlan]] and [[Charlie O'Donnell]] substituted on separate occasions).

''Press Your Luck'' replaced ''[[Child's Play (game show)|Child's Play]]'' on the CBS schedule. It ran at 10:30 AM EST between ''[[Pyramid (game show)|The $25,000 Pyramid]]'' and ''[[The Price is Right]]'' for its first two and a half years, but on [[January 6]], 1986, it was moved to 4:00 PM EST to make room for ''[[Card Sharks]]'', replacing ''[[Body Language (game show)|Body Language]]''. CBS gave that time slot back to its local affiliates after canceling the show (several affiliates were already preempting the 4 PM hour with syndicated programming anyway by that point). [[Rerun]]s of ''Press Your Luck'' have aired on the [[USA Network]] from [[1987]] to [[1995]] and on [[GSN (Game Show Network)|GSN]] since [[2001]].

The original incarnation of ''Press Your Luck'' was the short-lived game show ''[[Second Chance (game show)|Second Chance]]'', which aired on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] in [[1977]] with [[Jim Peck]] hosting.

On [[April 15]], [[2002]], GSN brought a new updated version of the series as [[Whammy! The All-New Press Your Luck]]; [[Todd Newton]] hosted the show, which was in production for two seasons.

In [[2006]] ''Press Your Luck'' will be among the seven game shows that will make up [[Game Show Marathon]], which will air on [[CBS]]. [[Ricki Lake]] will serve as host for this seven-week run program in which ''PYL'' will be used as one of the shows she will emcee.

==The game==

Three contestants competed on each episode of ''Press Your Luck''. The game consisted of two rounds. A round started with a question session, each with four questions. Contestants could [[buzzer|buzz]] in, and if they got the answer right on the buzz-in, they earned three spins (none if wrong). The other two contestants could answer using [[multiple choice]] (the first contestant's answer plus two others being offered) and, if right, earn one spin. Up to 20 spins could be earned per question session among all three players, the maximum an individual player could earn being 12.

The second part of a round was the spinning portion. Contestants now used spins earned in the question session on the "Big Board," which consisted of 18 windows (each containing 3 slide projectors, for a total of 54 possible spaces) arranged inside the perimeter of a 6x5 unit rectangle. The contestants took their spins in inverse order of the number of spins they had earned answering questions; if two contestants earned the same number of spins, the player seated further on the left from Peter Tomarken's desk would spin first. Contestants used their buzzers to stop the board.

The contents of the spaces on the "Big Board" changed every few seconds (alternating among the three possibilities per square), as well as the highlighted square (which bounced around as well). Most game spaces contain either money, a prize (the dollar amount of which would accrue to the contestant's score), or a Whammy. Some special spaces had a money amount '+ 1 Spin' (meaning, in practical terms, the spin being used wasn't lost), and others worked as 'go back/advance two spaces', 'move one space' (to either side, which the contestant would then choose) or 'pick a corner'. One special space, added about midway through the show's run, was known as "Add-A-One." This space&mdash;which appeared in the first spinning round only&mdash;would place a "1" in front of the contestant's pre-existing total (that is, $0 became $10, but $1,000 became $11,000). The second round had a space marked "Double Your Money," and hitting it did just that; to solve the obvious problem created by contestants landing on this space when they had no money at all due to a recent Whammy, this was changed to "Double Your Money + 1 Spin." In addition, both rounds featured a space bearing the legendary "Big Bucks." When hit, it awarded the contestant the dollar amount found directly opposite it on the board, which contained the highest cash awards in that round (hence its name). In the first round this would be either $750 (on the pilot episode), $1,000, $1,250 or $1,500 (replaced $750 from the 1st episode on), and in the second round it would be either $3,000 + 1 Spin, $4,000 + 1 Spin, or $5,000 + 1 Spin. It was the existence of this space that resulted in ''Press Your Luck'''s now-famous contestant "battle cry" of "Big Bucks, no Whammies!" or some variant thereof.

Contestants were able to pass their spins to another contestant in the hope that the other contestant would hit a Whammy and lose their money. When passed, the spins went to the opponent of the two with the higher dollar score; if both opponents had the same score the passer could choose which opponent to which the spins would be passed. Spins passed to another player had to be taken, and thus it was an advantage to pass spins to the lead player in the hopes that they would Whammy. If the player which received the spins did hit the Whammy and lose all their money, then any remaining passed spins were moved to the earned column, and could be passed if the player so chose. If a player with passed spins landed on a square giving an extra spin, that spin was added to the earned spins, not the passed spins; so a player that continuously hit extra spin squares could convert all their passed spins to earned spins, and pass all of them.

'''''Press Your Luck''''' is an American television game show created by [[Bill Carruthers]] and Jan McCormack. Contestants answer trivia questions to earn "spins" on a randomly cycling game board. The board's spaces display cash, prizes, extra spins, special items, or the show's mascot, a cartoon creature known as the Whammy. Landing on a Whammy eliminates any cash and prizes accumulated while also displaying a short comedic animation. Its format is a revival of an earlier Carruthers production, ''[[Second Chance (game show)|Second Chance]]'', which was hosted by [[Jim Peck]] and aired on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] in 1977. The original version of ''Press Your Luck'' aired on [[CBS]] between 1983 and 1986. This version featured [[Peter Tomarken]] as host, [[Rod Roddy]] as announcer, and Carruthers as both director and voice of the Whammy. The original incarnation of the show gained significant media attention in 1984 for contestant [[Michael Larson]], who won over $100,000 after memorizing the original pattern of the game board.

The first round's spinning portion had far fewer spaces which provided money plus an additional spin, and money amounts ranged from $100 + 1 Spin up to $1250 ($1500 after the first few months). Indeed, the principal purpose of the first round was to determine the sequence in which the contestants would take their spins in the second round, which was in the reverse order of the money they had won in the first round (in other words, the player who emerged from the first round with the highest money score was the last to spin in the second round). The ''second'' spinning round in the show was the one watched most closely, where dollar amounts ranged from $500 to $5000 + 1 Spin&mdash;and sometimes prizes valued more than $5000, such as cars or African safari vacations, which were worth even more. The winner of the game was the contestant with the most money after the last spin of the second round was taken.

Following the show's cancellation by CBS in 1986, it aired frequently in reruns, first on [[USA Network]] and then on [[Game Show Network]]. ''[[Whammy! The All-New Press Your Luck]]'', a revival of the series, aired from 2002 to 2003 also on Game Show Network with [[Todd Newton]] as host and [[Gary Kroeger]] as announcer. A weekly primetime version (reverting to the name ''Press Your Luck'') began airing on ABC in 2019, with [[Elizabeth Banks]] as host. [[Neil Ross]] served as both announcer and voice of the Whammy until 2023, when he was replaced in both capacities by Chris Ahearn (also of ''[[Let's Make a Deal]]''). Adaptations of ''Press Your Luck'' have also aired in other countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom, and Germany, while an adaptation of ''Whammy! The All-New Press Your Luck'' also aired in the Philippines. The show has also been adapted into a number of video games for computers and video game consoles.

Four Whammies sustained by the same player eliminated that player from the game (and often, special animation skits were pressed into service in situations where the Whammy in question was the contestant's fourth). In some shows, a player was determined the winner by default if both opponents suffered four Whammies; when this scenario arose and the surviving player had any spins remaining, the winner was permitted to spin "against the house" and stop spinning at any time, at which point the game ended as there would be no other players left in the game to pass the spins to.

{{toclimit|3}}

The winner of each game returned on the next episode, but for the show's first year, returning champions who won over $25,000 would retire undefeated; at that point, CBS had a maximum winnings limit of $25,000 for its game shows. (Contestants did get to keep any cash or prizes won in excess of this limit.) In the fall of 1984, this limit was raised to $50,000. There were a few contestants that reached this limit at that time. There was one occasion in 1986 where one contestant won $62,708, and one occasion on a [[Christmas]] 1984 episode where a contestant won $61,316. Otherwise, there was a five-day maximum limit on returning champions.

==The Big BoardGameplay==

Three contestants compete on each episode. Gameplay consists of four rounds: two question rounds and two "big board" rounds.<ref name="EOTGS"/>

Arguably ''Press Your Luck'''s best-remembered novelty, aside from the Whammies, was the "Big Board." The board consisted of 18 squares, arranged in a rectangle surrounding the "PRESS YOUR LUCK" logo. Behind each square were three slide projectors, each displaying a different slide (a monetary amount, a Whammy, a prize, etc.), one at a time. Every second or so, the first projector would turn off as the second projector illuminated, changing the display on the square. Slide projectors were used to give the effect of squares "morphing" from one item to the next. A band of lights surrounded each square, illuminated one at a time to indicate which square would be selected when the player stopped the board. This was called the "spinner" by the production staff. As the board shuffled, the spinner would jump from tile to tile in a ''seemingly'' random pattern. It was later proven by one particular contestant that the spinner was indeed not random, but followed a series of pre-programmed patterns (see below). Before this contestant made his appearance, there were 6 preprogrammed spinner patterns. After his appearance, 26 additional patterns were added for a total of 32.

[[File:Press Your Luck screenshot.png|thumb|left|200px|The ''Press Your Luck'' game board, as seen on the ABC version of the show|alt=A screen shot of ''Press Your Luck'', showing the game's board and contestant podiums]]

Although for the most part it worked without a hitch, the Big Board was known to occasionally malfunction. The most common one concerned how the board shuffled. All of the squares on the board were supposed to change in unison; however, on numerous occasions, there would be instances where some frames would not change at the same time other frames did. This was due to the wiring setup of the slide projectors. The even numbered square's projectors were wired together, and the odd numbered square's projectors were wired together, and there would be instances where they were not started at exactly the same time, thus causing the malfunction. Additionally, a rarer but more noticeable malfunction was when an entire tile would not appear; instead, there was simply a black box. This was obviously due to a malfunction of that particular slide's projector. Generally, a round is played with the darkened square with no editing, unless the player stops on the affected square. This is seen on a few occasions; if this happened, tape was stopped while the affected projector was repaired. Also, in the event a player lands on a prize, that slide is removed and a new one is added for the remainder of the round. This shift, however, has to be made on the fly, usually during the round. Every so often, a slide changed on-camera.

In a question round, contestants earn spins by correctly answering a series of trivia questions asked by the host. Each question is initially presented as a toss-up open to all; after a contestant buzzes in and answers, the host reads that response and two more to the opponents as a [[multiple choice]] selection. Contestants earn three spins for buzzing in and giving the correct answer, and one for choosing it from the three options. If no one buzzes in, the host reads three answers and each contestant can earn one spin by choosing the correct one. There is no penalty for an incorrect answer at any time. However, if a contestant buzzes in and fails to respond, they are frozen out of the question and the host reads three answers to the opponents.

After the question round is completed, the "big board" round begins, with the contestants using their accumulated spins in an attempt to win cash and prizes. The game board consists of 18 spaces laid out in a rectangular loop that is six spaces wide and five high. Each space cycles through two or more items, which can include cash amounts (sometimes with an extra spin), prizes, spaces which offer a change in direction or alteration to score, and the show's mascot, a mischievous red cartoon creature known as the Whammy. A light flashes around the board, marking one space at a time, and the contestant in control uses a spin by hitting their buzzer to freeze the board and collect whatever is lit at that moment. Landing on a cash or prize space adds its value to the contestant's total, while landing on a Whammy resets the total to zero and plays a short animation involving the Whammy for the viewing audience. Any contestant who lands on the Whammy a total of four times (known as "Whammying out") is immediately eliminated from the game and forfeits all remaining spins.<ref name="EOTGS"/> When a prize is hit, a new one is put on the board to replace it.

== Michael Larson ==

[[Image:Michael_Larson_110237.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Michael Larson's amazing total]]

On one episode of ''Press Your Luck'' in [[1984]], a self-described unemployed ice cream man named [[Michael Larson]] made it onto the show. Watching the show at home, and with the use of a [[VCR]], Larson discovered that the presumed random patterns of the game board were ''not'' random, and more specifically the Whammy would '''''never''''' appear in one particular space. Larson was able to memorize the sequences to help him stop the board where and when he wanted. On the episode in which he appeared, Larson spun 35 times without hitting a Whammy and took away $110,237 in cash and prizes, most of which was earned via "cash plus a spin" spaces (thus allowing him to take so many consecutive spins). His total was a record by far for a single appearance on a game show up to that time. The ''Press Your Luck'' board's patterns were significantly reworked after this incident, increasing from the original 6 patterns to 32, and such a run was never repeated on the show.

Specialty spaces on the board include:

[[Image:PYL_Larson.GIF|thumb|One of the gameboard patterns that Michael Larson memorized to win over $110,000 in cash and prizes.]]

The Larson episode was split into two half-hours that aired on [[June 8]]th (Friday) and [[June 11]]th (Monday) of [[1984]], but it was not rebroadcast for nearly two decades after that. [[Game Show Network]] (which had purchased the rights to air ''Press Your Luck'' with the stipulation that the Larson episode could ''not'' be aired, reason being that Bill Carruthers and CBS thought of the episode as an embarrasing moment) was finally allowed to air portions of it in [[2003]] as part of a two-hour documentary about Larson, called ''Big Bucks: The Press Your Luck Scandal''. The Larson show is now a part of the channel's regular episode rotation. [http://gscentral.net/media.htm Highlights of his performance] are available online in RealVideo format.

* Big Bucks: awards the highest cash amount on the board at the time to the contestant

It should be noted that the episodes did not air on [[USA Network]] when they had the rerun rights to ''Press Your Luck'', due to the same stipulation by which GSN was bound.

* Pick a Corner: appears in one corner of the board and allows the contestant to choose one of the items in the other three

* Add a One: adds enough cash to place a one next to the contestant's score as its new leftmost digit (e.g., $500 becoming $1,500)

* Double Your Money + One Spin: adds enough cash to double the contestant's entire score and awards an extra spin

* Money or Lose a Whammy: contestant can either take the displayed cash amount or remove a previously hit Whammy, if any

* Take the Lead + One Spin: awards an extra spin, and adds enough cash to move the contestant into the lead by $1 if they are trailing (2019 revival only)

* The Big 40: awards 40 of a mystery prize or cash amount (introduced in 2023 in conjunction with the series' 40th anniversary; changed to The Big 50 in 2024 to mark 50 episodes of the revival, and Banks’ 50th birthday, awarding 50 prizes)

Except for Money or Lose a Whammy, Big Bucks and Pick a Corner (original and revival), all of these spaces are removed from play after being hit once.

This set of episodes marks the first time a game show carried a "To Be Continued...." line during a 2-parter. At the end of the first part when Michael Larson stopped at $36,851, the tape was paused and Peter came out to face the home audience, as if he was stepping over from his hosting position (in reality he was standing in front of a [[bluescreen]], on which the paused tape was seen in a [[Chromakey]] effect). At the beginning of the second episode, the tape was paused in the same position, and Peter was again in front of the bluescreen. He gave a quick recap of what happened and started the show right where it left off from Friday, June 8, 1984. Before each commercial break of the second episode, Peter gave a brief narration and the TV View freezes. Needless to say, the cameras focused on a stock shot of the Big Board, and not the contestants (as would have been standard), during the credits at the end of the first episode.

For the first "big board" round, initial control is awarded to the contestant who has earned the fewest spins in the question round (or is seated farthest away from the host in the event of a tie). If the contestant in control has any spins remaining after stopping the board, they may choose to either spin again or pass those spins to the opponent with the higher score (or the opponent of that contestant's choice in the event of a tie). Passed spins must be played by their recipient, but are converted to earned spins in the event of hitting a Whammy. Play during the "big board" round ends when all accumulated spins have been exhausted or forfeited.

Michael's two opponents that day, Ed Long and Janie Litras-Dakan, did get a rematch, of sorts&mdash;nineteen years later, and this time against Michael's brother, James, on a special episode of the GSN revival ''Whammy!''. (Michael himself had passed away, in 1999.) This time, however, the board was random, making it impossible to figure out any patterns. James won the rematch, to which host Todd Newton replied "That Larson magic continues!" Peter Tomarken even briefly returned to host the question round of this episode.

The second half of the game also consists of a question round followed by a "big board" round. Initial control for the latter is given to the contestant with the lowest score, and the cash and prize values are higher than in the first round. Once all spins have been exhausted, the contestant with the highest score becomes the champion and keeps everything they have accumulated, while the other two receive parting gifts. The 1983 version of the program allowed the champion to return for the next day's episode; champions retired after appearing on five consecutive episodes or reaching/exceeding CBS's winnings limit (originally $15,000 before being raised to $25,000, then $50,000, later $75,000 and finally raised to the highest total of $100,000), whichever came first. The 2019 version does not feature returning champions, but allows the day's champion to play a bonus game.

== Strategy ==

The only real decision a contestant gets to make is whether to spin or pass (except for someone who cracks the board pattern like Michael Larson; however, this is no longer possible). Occasionally, as noted previously, there are squares such as "move 1 space" or "pick a corner" that do offer a choice. Most of the time, the correct decision is obvious. However, a description of the optimal strategy is difficult.

If two contestants Whammy out and the third one has any spins remaining, that contestant may play one spin at a time and stop at any point if desired. The game ends when the remaining contestant uses up all spins, chooses to stop voluntarily, or hits a fourth Whammy.

Since the revival ''Whammy!'' does not feature returning champions, in this version it is sometimes correct to risk losing the game in order to win more. In classic ''PYL'', winning the game is the primary goal. For example, in ''Whammy!'', if you're ahead $3000 to $500 with 1 spin left, you probably should spin again to increase your winnings. In classic ''PYL'', this is a clearcut pass, because your opponent is unlikely to be able to get $2500 in one spin. (Only 1 to 2 out of 18 squares offer a chance to get that much, plus a few more squares offer a bonus spin.) Even though you only win $3000, the right to return the next day is valuable.

===Bonus game===

==Versions outside the USA==

The 2019 revival features a bonus game not present in the original, in which the day's champion plays the "big board" for a chance to win up to $1,000,000. The champion plays through five rounds, taking a set number of spins in each round: five in the first, four in the second, and three in all others. The board displays cash, prizes, directional/specialty spaces, and Whammys as in the main game, and cash/prize values increase from one round to the next. Some prizes are tailored to the champion's particular interests. Landing on a Whammy eliminates all winnings within the bonus round, but main-game winnings are not affected. If the champion ends a round with a bank total greater than zero, they may either end the bonus game at that point and keep all winnings, or continue into the next round with any personalized prizes lost to a Whammy being returned to the board. The game ends immediately upon collecting a fourth Whammy. The champion wins the entire bank for completing all rounds; however, if the bank reaches or exceeds $500,000 at any point, the game ends and cash is added to increase the bank to $1,000,000. Beginning in Season 4, a "Prize-a-Palooza" space appears on the board during the final round, awarding every currently displayed prize if hit.<ref name="tvline">{{cite web | url=https://tvline.com/interviews/elizabeth-banks-press-your-luck-emmys-bedrock-flintstones-sequel-series-1235004423/ | title=Elizabeth Banks Is Anxious to Give Out Press Your Luck's Biggest Prize — Plus, the Latest on Her 'Adult' Flintstones Series | publisher=TV Line | date=June 24, 2023 | accessdate=September 5, 2023 | author=Matt Webb Mitovich}}</ref>

* In [[Australia]], the show ran on [[Seven Network|Seven]] from 1987-88, and was presented by [[Ian Turpie]]. [[John Deeks]] was its announcer. Grundy Worldwide packaged the Australian version, with Bill Mason as executive producer.

* In [[Germany]], the show was called ''Drück Dein Glück'' and its presenter was Guido Kellerman. It ran from 1999-2000 on [[RTL II]]. A shark called Hainz ate all the contestant's money instead of the Whammy.

* [[Taiwan]] also had a version of ''Press Your Luck'' without animated whammies.

* [[Turkey]] has a version of ''Press Your Luck'' as well.

* [[Mexico]] will have a version of ''Press Your Luck'' as well some time in [[2006]] that will air on [[Univision]] a week after it premieres in Mexico.

==History==

==''Press Your Luck'' trivia==

[[File:PYL Publicity Shot.jpg|200px|thumb|left|[[Peter Tomarken]], seen here on the set of the May 1983 pilot, was the original host of ''Press Your Luck''.|alt=A black-and-white picture of game show host Peter Tomarken.]]

* The host-announcer duo of [[Peter Tomarken]] and [[Rod Roddy]] worked together on an earlier game show [[Hit Man (game show)|Hit Man]], which aired for the first quarter of 1983. Both are now deceased (Roddy died in 2003, Tomarken in 2006).

''Press Your Luck'' is a revival of an earlier game show format created by producer [[Bill Carruthers]], known as ''[[Second Chance (game show)|Second Chance]]''. This show was hosted by [[Jim Peck]] and aired on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] in 1977. Like ''Press Your Luck'', it also featured contestants answering trivia questions to assume control of a board with cash and prizes. This game board also featured spaces labeled with a devil, who would take away all cash and prizes if the contestant landed on one.<ref name="baber">{{cite book|last=Baber|first=David|title=Television Game Show Hosts: Biographies of 32 Stars|year=2008|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hr9kAAAAMAAJ&q=%22press+your+luck%22+%22second+chance%22+%22game+show%22|pages=213, 253|publisher=McFarland & Company |isbn=978-0-7864-2926-4}}</ref> Carruthers and Jan McCormack began developing ''Press Your Luck'' in 1983.<ref>{{cite book|last=McNeil|first=Alex|title=Total Television: A Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present|year=1991|publisher=[[Penguin Books]]|isbn=978-0-14-015736-9|page=[https://archive.org/details/totaltelevisionc00mcne/page/672 672]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/totaltelevisionc00mcne/page/672}}</ref>

* Before becoming a successful [[stand-up comedy]] champion on ''[[Star Search]]'' and a [[talk show]] hostess, [[Jenny Jones (presenter)|Jenny Jones]] was a contestant on the show in late January [[1985]]. She won $18,706 over the course of three episodes. Her first time on the show resulted in a win when Terry, another contestant, passed a spin to the leader, who hit a Whammy at the end of the game, making Jenny the champion.

* On [[February 26]], [[1985]], a man named Jim Hess did fairly well in round 1, until the Whammy came and messed things up. After hitting his second whammy, he passed his spins to the would-be champion on this episode, Pamela Flawn. However, since Pamela still had some earned spins, she passed the spins back to Jim, and he hit a whammy, prompting him to utter a profanity under his breath after his third whammy. By the end of the game, Jim racked up a total of $7,734 to Pamela's $7,278. However, the returning champion on this episode, Sam Kehoe, passed his remaining spin to Jim. On the ensuing spin, Jim promptly screamed "No whammies, stop!" However, Jim was not so lucky, and when he hit the whammy, he could be heard spouting profanities as the foghorn went off. Pamela won the game with $7,278 instead. Neither CBS, USA, nor GSN edited out his swearing, so while watching the episode, he can be heard faintly cursing.

* In another 1985 episode, Peter Tomarken asked contestants which cartoon character had the [[catch phrase]], "Sufferin' succotash!" All three contestants correctly answered, "[[Sylvester the cat|Sylvester]]," but the host Tomarken said that the correct answer was [[Daffy Duck]]; thus, no spins were given. The game ended earlier than usual and before the credits started rolling, Tomarken answered a telephone call from [[Mel Blanc]] in his Sylvester voice. "Sylvester" told Tomarken that Daffy Duck "steals from me all the time." All three contestants were brought back to the show in later episodes. [http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/2006_03_13.html]

* There have been two games where three players won $0 and returned the next day. This occurred during the fall of 1984 and the spring of 1986.

* One of the show's many running gags was the "Flokati rug", a prize offered in the first round of many episodes. Although one of the cheapest prizes ever offered (only $350), the Flokati rug appeared to carry a "curse" to whoever landed on it; that contestant, it seemed, would invariably lose the game, or (if he or she did win) would hit a Whammy before being able to claim the prize and thus find out what a "Flokati" rug was supposed to be. It wasn't long before Peter started making jokes about it during the show, and (even though it was eventually won by a few contestants) the Flokati rug remains one of the unofficial "symbols" of ''Press Your Luck'' to many fans.

* The animated Whammies were created and animated by [[Savage Steve Holland]] and [[Bill Kopp]], and voiced by the show's executive producer/director, [[Bill Carruthers]].

* If a contestant got two Whammies during the first round, Tomarken frequently warned to "be careful about picking up a third Whammy for Round Two."

* The Whammy was not alone in his mission to steal away the contestants' money. He had a supposed girlfriend, Tammy Whamette (although at one point Peter assured viewers that things between Tammy and the Whammy were "strictly professional"), and a yellow dog named Fang, both of whom made frequent appearances in the short animations that would appear when an unlucky contestant hit a Whammy.

* Other Whammies were based on rock stars [[Michael Jackson]], [[Cyndi Lauper]], [[The Beatles]], [[Boy George]] and [[Madonna]].

* During ''Press Your Luck'''s first year or so in reruns on USA, an episode would occasionally run short of its alloted time. To make up the difference, a short animated film was made and shown after the credits, but before the logo of the show's original syndicator ([[Republic Pictures]]). A transcript of this brief cartoon follows:

[[Peter Tomarken]], prior to working in television, was an editor for ''[[Women's Wear Daily]]'' magazine.<ref name="EOTGS"/> His first major television role came earlier in 1983 on the [[NBC]] game show ''[[Hit Man (game show)|Hit Man]]'', and he was chosen to host ''Press Your Luck'' after the former was canceled.<ref name="times">{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/192646834/ | title=TV game show host, wife killed | work=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=March 14, 2006 | accessdate=February 7, 2023 | author=Andrew Blankstein | pages=B1, B9}}</ref> ''Press Your Luck'' began both tapings and airings in September 1983.<ref name="Television City">{{cite web|title=Shows–CBS Television City|url=http://www.cbstelevisioncity.com/shows#|access-date=July 25, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713152856/http://www.cbstelevisioncity.com/shows|archive-date=July 13, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> The show premiered on September 19, 1983, on [[CBS]] at 10:30{{nbsp}}a.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|ET]] (9:30 [[Central Time Zone|CT]]/[[Mountain Time Zone|MT]]/[[Pacific Time Zone|PT]]), replacing ''[[Child's Play (game show)|Child's Play]]''.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/83-OCR/BC-1983-08-22-OCR-Page-0052.pdf | title=Telecastings | journal=[[Broadcasting & Cable]] | pages=52 | date=August 22, 1983}}</ref> Serving as announcer on the show was [[Rod Roddy]], with whom Tomarken had previously worked on ''Hit Man'', and who later became known for announcing on ''[[The Price Is Right]]''. [[John Harlan (announcer)|John Harlan]] and [[Charlie O'Donnell]] filled in on a few episodes when Roddy was unavailable.<ref name="EOTGS"/> In addition to creating the show, Carruthers served as both [[television director|director]] and the voice of the Whammy. The animations featuring this character were created by animator [[Savage Steve Holland]]; Carruthers personally selected Holland to design the character, and immediately liked Holland's first concept, which he sketched out on a napkin. Holland animated the character via computer software,<ref name="collider">{{cite web | url=http://collider.com/collider-exclusive-interview-savage-steve-holland%20/ | title=Collider Exclusive Interview – Savage Steve Holland | work=Collider | date=August 17, 2007 | accessdate=February 8, 2023 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190226100037/https://collider.com/collider-exclusive-interview-savage-steve-holland%20/ | archivedate=February 26, 2019}}</ref> thus making ''Press Your Luck'' one of the first game shows to use computer-designed graphics.<ref name="times"/> Author David Baber noted that the Whammy animations were "popular with the viewers". Some of the animations featured the Whammy taunting the contestant and becoming injured or harmed in a manner which Baber compared to a [[Wile E. Coyote]] cartoon. Others featured satires of then-contemporary pop culture figures such as [[Boy George]] or [[Tina Turner]].<ref name="baber"/> [[Ed Flesh]] designed the show's set, and Lee Ringuette composed the show's music.<ref name="EOTGS"/>

::''(The setting is a corporate boardroom full of Whammies seated around a meeting table. One of them, the Chief Whammy, is on the phone.)''

On January 6, 1986, CBS moved ''Press Your Luck'' to a different timeslot in order to make room for a [[Bob Eubanks]]-hosted revival of ''[[Card Sharks]]''. ''Press Your Luck'' replaced ''[[Body Language (game show)|Body Language]]'' in the network's 4:00{{nbsp}}p.m. afternoon time slot. Tomarken stated that by the end of 1985, the contract for ''The Price Is Right'' was up for renewal, but CBS was unable to pay [[Mark Goodson]] Productions the kind of money they wanted to continue that show on their network. Goodson came up with the solution of taking over the 10:30{{nbsp}}a.m. timeslot.<ref>David Baber, ''Television Game Show Hosts: Biographies of 32 Stars'', McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2008, pp. 255</ref> The last episode of the CBS version aired on September 26, 1986. The final tapings took place in August of that same year, when its cancellation was first announced.<ref>{{cite news|title=Afternoon Delete|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Broadcasting_Individual_Issues_Guide.htm|access-date=11 June 2013|newspaper=Broadcasting Journal|date=18 August 1986|page=36}}</ref> Following the cancellation, Tomarken went on to host other game shows including the [[television syndication|syndicated]] show ''[[Wipeout (1988 game show)|Wipeout]]'' in 1988-89, as well as a number of [[infomercial]]s. He and his wife both died in 2006 when a private plane he was piloting crashed in [[Santa Monica Bay]].<ref name="times"/>

::'''Chief Whammy:''' That's seven cars, four jet-skis, and a Flokati rug&mdash;''you'' figure out where to put 'em!

===Michael Larson===

::''(He hangs up.)''

{{main|1=Press Your Luck scandal|l1=''Press Your Luck'' scandal}}

''Press Your Luck'' gained media attention in 1984 for the winnings of a contestant named Michael Larson. A self-described unemployed [[ice cream truck]] driver from [[Lebanon, Ohio]], he applied to be on the show that year. By recording episodes at home on a [[videocassette recorder]] and playing them back frame-by-frame, Larson discovered that the [[Pseudorandomness|presumed random patterns of the game board were not actually random]] and he was able to memorize the sequences.<ref name="big bucks">{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/103980798/ | title='Big Bucks' recalls scandal | work=[[The Cincinnati Enquirer]] | date=March 20, 2003 | accessdate=January 31, 2023 | author=John Kiesewetter | pages=F4}}</ref> On the single game in which he appeared, an initially tentative Larson spun a Whammy on his very first turn, but then went 45 consecutive spins without hitting another one.<ref name="big bucks"/> The majority of his spins landed on the highest-valued spaces, which offered $3,000, $4,000, or $5,000, all with an extra spin. The game ran for so long that CBS aired the episode in two parts, on June 8 and 11, 1984. In the end, Larson earned a total of $110,237 in cash and prizes.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/press-your-luck/ | title=Did Game Show Contestant Win by Memorizing Sequence of Lights on Prize Board? | publisher=[[Snopes]] | date=October 20, 2000 | accessdate=January 31, 2023 | author=Barbara Mikkelson, David Mikkelson}}</ref>

After an investigation, CBS executives concluded that Larson's memorization of the board patterns did not constitute cheating and allowed him to keep his winnings. The board was then reprogrammed with over 30 new patterns to prevent subsequent contestants from duplicating his feat. In 1994, ''[[TV Guide]]'' magazine interviewed Larson and revealed the background of this episode including his decision to pass his remaining spins after he lost concentration and missed his target squares.<ref>{{cite news|title=The day the game show got whammied |work=[[TV Guide]] |date=November 26, 1994|pages=26–29}}</ref> The story was featured in a two-hour documentary on [[Game Show Network]] titled ''Big Bucks: The Press Your Luck Scandal'' in March 2003, which Tomarken hosted.<ref name="big bucks"/> In July 2010, Michael's brother James, and his former wife at the time of winning, were interviewed for [[Public Radio International|PRI]]'s ''[[This American Life]]'' for the episode "Million Dollar Idea".<ref name="thisamericanlife1">{{cite web|url=http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/412/million-dollar-idea|title=Million Dollar Idea|date=July 16, 2010|publisher=This American Life|access-date=December 7, 2015}}</ref> His story was also featured on the first episode of Game Show Network's documentary series ''[[Cover Story (TV series)|Cover Story]]'' in 2018.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lyons |first1=Margaret |title=How Much Watching Time Do You Have This Weekend?|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/11/watching/what-to-watch-this-weekend-tv.html |access-date=2018-01-26 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2018-01-11}}</ref>

::'''Whammies:''' ''(in unison)'' Morning, Chief!

[[Paul Walter Hauser]] played Larson in the 2024 film ''[[The Luckiest Man in America]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Richlin |first=Harrison |date=September 5, 2024 |title=The Cast of 'The Luckiest Man in America' Are Betting Big on This Biographical Game Show Thriller — and It Pays Off in Spades |url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/interviews/paul-walter-hauser-walton-goggins-on-the-luckiest-man-in-america-1235042999/ |access-date=December 18, 2024 |website=[[IndieWire]]}}</ref>

::'''Chief Whammy:''' Did you hear that? I'm having this meeting today because we have a very serious problem. We've been taking too much money and prizes from these poor contestants!

===Rebroadcasts, syndication, and digital television networks===

::''(Other Whammies groan.)'''

In early 1987, 130 episodes of the show were packaged by [[Republic Pictures]] for off-network syndication to a handful of local stations. These episodes originally aired on CBS from February 25 to August 23, 1985,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/Archive-BC-IDX/87-OCR/BC-1987-01-05-OCR-Page-0185.pdf#search=%22press%20your%20luck%20personable%22 |title=American Radio History }}</ref> and were also the first to be shown on [[USA Network]] from September 14, 1987 to December 30, 1988. ''Press Your Luck'' remained on its schedule until October 13, 1995, when USA dropped its game show block altogether.<ref name="EOTGS">David Schwartz, Steve Ryan & Fred Wostbrock, ''The Encyclopedia of TV Game $hows'', Checkmark Books, 1999, pp. 176</ref>

[[Game Show Network]] aired the show from September 2001 to March 2009, airing episodes from February 1984 to November 1985. Game Show Network resumed airing the show in 2012, airing episodes from the September 1983 premiere to February 1984. From 2014 to 2016, Game Show Network aired episodes 561 to 696, which originally ran from November 1985 to May 1986; after this, Game Show Network aired episodes from 1984 to February 1985 until the show was removed from Game Show Network's schedule again in May 2017. From December 2017 to February 2018, Game Show Network aired episodes from 1984 as part of a Saturday night game show block.<ref>{{cite tweet |author=Game Show Network |author-link=Game Show Network |user=GameShowNetwork |number=944356994386886657 |date=December 22, 2017 |title=Sleigh bells are ringing and so is GSN! Watch Saturday Night classics tomorrow starting at 7P |language=en |access-date=August 30, 2021 }}</ref> On July 2, 2018, reruns of ''Press Your Luck'' started airing on [[GameTV]] in Canada.<ref>{{cite web |title=Press Your Luck Schedule on GameTV |url=https://www.igametv.com/shows/1610/ |access-date=20 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190313071220/https://www.igametv.com/shows/1610/ |archive-date=13 March 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Reruns of Press Your Luck are currently airing in the U.S. on Buzzr.

::'''Chief Whammy:''' No, no, no! I'm getting nothing but complaints! Our bank accounts are stuffed, and our warehouses are full of prizes! Any suggestions?

===''Whammy! The All-New Press Your Luck''===

::'''Whammies:''' ''(in unison)'' BIGGER WAREHOUSES!

{{Main|Whammy! The All-New Press Your Luck}}

On April 15, 2002, Game Show Network debuted a revival titled ''Whammy! The All-New Press Your Luck'' (sometimes abbreviated to just ''Whammy!''), with [[Todd Newton]] as host and [[Gary Kroeger]] as announcer, although Tomarken hosted a [[pilot episode]].<ref name="floss">{{cite web | url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/76656/11-whammy-free-facts-about-press-your-luck | title=11 Whammy-Free Facts About ''Press Your Luck'' | work= [[Mental Floss]] | last=Pirnia | first=Garin | date=September 26, 2016 | access-date=March 16, 2017}}</ref> This incarnation of the show featured similar gameplay to the original, and was described by Game Show Network executives as being a modern incarnation of the show. One feature unique to this revival was the addition of a "Double Whammy", which would not only remove all cash and prizes accumulated by the contestant, but also subject the contestant to a physical stunt such as having objects drop from the ceiling.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/445491844 | title=Game Show Network Launches "Whammy! -- the All New Press Your Luck"; New Version of Classic Game Show Brings Back "Big Bucks, No Whammys" for April 15 Premiere | publisher=Business Wire | date=March 22, 2002 | accessdate=February 1, 2023| id={{ProQuest|445491844}} }}</ref> ''Whammy!'' aired in first-run from April 2002 to December 2003.<ref name="floss"/>

===2019 revival===

::'''Chief Whammy:''' You guys are goin' crazy! Takin' all that money! Runnin' around with those big prizes! Singin'! Dancin'! Makin' fun of everybody! And I hate to say it&mdash;oh, ''do'' I&mdash;but some of you boys are gonna have to go!

[[File:Elizabeth Banks by Gage Skidmore.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Elizabeth Banks]] has hosted ''Press Your Luck'' since 2019.|alt=A picture of actress Elizabeth Banks.]]

On February 21, 2019, a casting announcement was released by [[Fremantle (company)|Fremantle]] for a new version of ''Press Your Luck'', advertising opportunities for potential contestants to apply.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Davis |first1=Alex |title=Press Your Luck Revival Now Casting |url=http://buzzerblog.com/2019/02/21/press-your-luck-revival-now-casting/ |website=BuzzerBlog |date=21 February 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Silver |first1=Marc |title= ABC's 'Press Your Luck' reboot could use a fresh new spin |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/express/2019/06/17/abcs-press-your-luck-reboot-could-use-fresh-spin/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=17 June 2019}}</ref> [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] confirmed in early 2019 that the network was partnering with Fremantle to reboot the series, with pre-production on new hour-long episodes of ''Press Your Luck'' and ''[[Card Sharks]]'' already underway and taping slated to begin sometime in the first portion of the year. John Quinn (a producer on ''[[Celebrity Name Game]]'') is the executive producer.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Adalian |first1=Josef |title=No Whammy! ABC Is Bringing Back Press Your Luck and Card Sharks |url=https://www.vulture.com/2019/03/press-your-luck-card-sharks-reboots-abc.html |website=vulture.com |date=13 March 2019 |access-date=13 March 2019}}</ref> Actress [[Elizabeth Banks]] was selected to host.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nakamura |first1=Reid |title=Elizabeth Banks to Host ABC's 'Press Your Luck' Reboot |url=https://www.thewrap.com/elizabeth-banks-to-host-abcs-press-your-luck-reboot/ |website=TheWrap |access-date=2 May 2019 |language=en |date=2 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Dove |first1=Steve |title=Elizabeth Banks Hosts the Return of 'Press Your Luck' Premiering Wednesday June 12 8/7c on ABC |url=https://abc.go.com/shows/abc-new-shows/news/summer/press-your-luck-coming-to-abc |website=ABC |access-date=2 May 2019 |language=en |date=2 May 2019 |archive-date=30 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190530043003/https://abc.go.com/shows/abc-new-shows/news/summer/press-your-luck-coming-to-abc |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Neil Ross]] was the announcer and the voice of the Whammy for the first four seasons of the ABC version, with Chris Ahearn (also known as the "Money Fairy" on the current version of ''[[Let's Make a Deal]]'') assuming both roles beginning in season five, while the Whammy animations featuring Ross continue to be used.<ref>{{Cite episode |series=Press Your Luck|network=ABC|date=|season=1|number=3|time=42:05}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode|series=Press Your Luck ''(2019)''|network=ABC|date=October 10, 2023|season=5|number=1|title=WHAT!?!?}}</ref>

The series premiered on June 12, 2019<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2019/05/02/elizabeth-banks-to-host-the-return-of-press-your-luck-premiering-wednesday-june-12-on-abc-854112/20190502abc01/|title=Elizabeth Banks to Host the Return of ''Press Your Luck'', Premiering Wednesday, June 12, on ABC|publisher=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]|via=[[The Futon Critic]]|date=May 2, 2019|access-date=July 26, 2020}}</ref> following an early premiere the day before.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2019/05/30/abc-is-eager-to-face-the-whammy-and-press-your-luck-with-a-special-early-premiere-following-one-of-the-biggest-nights-of-the-bachelorette-on-tuesday-june-11-8312/20190530abc01/|title=ABC Is Eager to Face the Whammy and ''Press Your Luck'' with a Special Early Premiere Following One of the Biggest Nights of ''The Bachelorette'' on Tuesday, June 11|publisher=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]|via=[[The Futon Critic]]|date=May 30, 2019|access-date=July 26, 2020}}</ref> The first season featured eight weekly hour-long episodes.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite episode |series=Press Your Luck|network=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] |date=June 12, 2019 |season=1 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=season1>{{cite web|title=Season 1|url=https://abc.com/shows/press-your-luck/episode-guide|work=ABC|access-date=November 4, 2019|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104174014/https://abc.com/shows/press-your-luck/episode-guide|archive-date=November 4, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> ABC confirmed in mid-2023 that, despite the [[2023 Writers Guild of America strike]], the show's fifth season would premiere in late 2023 as intended.<ref name="tvline"/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://tvline.com/news/abc-fall-schedule-2023-lineup-writers-strike-reality-shows-1234987142/ | title=ABC Fall Schedule Shocker: Entire Scripted Slate MIA as Writers' Strike Imperils New TV Season | publisher=TV Line | date=May 16, 2023 | accessdate=September 5, 2023 | author=Michael Ausiello}}</ref> A sixth season was announced in May 2024, which premiered on July 18.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/05/abc-summer-premiere-dates-the-bachelorette-who-wants-to-be-a-millionaire-renewed-1235903812/|title=ABC Sets Summer Premiere Dates Including ''The Bachelorette''; Renews ''Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?'', ''Claim To Fame'' & ''Press Your Luck''|last=Petski|first=Denise|work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=May 3, 2024|access-date=May 5, 2024}}</ref> On April 30, 2025, it was announced that new episodes from the sixth season would premiere on July 10, 2025.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://abc.com/news/44029ecc-8c7c-4389-8461-c3dd9547994c/category/1138628 | title=ABC Announces 2025 Summer Premiere Dates &#124; ABC Updates | website=[[American Broadcasting Company]] }}</ref>

::'''Whammies:''' ''(in unison)'' Oh, no! Not that!

==International versions==

::'''Chief Whammy:''' Wait a minute, wait a minute&mdash;I mean, go on ''vacation''!

{{main|International versions of Press Your Luck{{!}}International versions of ''Press Your Luck''}}

Since its inception, ''Press Your Luck'' has also been adapted internationally. An Australian version, with [[Ian Turpie]] as host and [[John Deeks]] as announcer, aired on [[Seven Network]] from 1987 to 1988. Grundy Worldwide packaged this version, with Bill Mason as executive producer.<ref>{{cite web|title=Memorable Guide to Australia Television |url=http://www.memorabletv.com/australia/tvas.htm |access-date=11 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120409070736/http://www.memorabletv.com/australia/tvas.htm |archive-date=April 9, 2012 }}</ref> A German version entitled ''[[:de:Glück am Drücker|Glück am Drücker]]'' ("Good Luck on the Trigger") aired on [[RTL Television|RTLplus]] in 1992 with Al Munteanu as host. It had an animated vulture named "Raffi" steal cash and prizes from contestants instead of Whammys.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.quotenmeter.de/n/44122/ | title=101 Folgen Fernsehfriedhof: Zehn Sendungen auf einen Streich | date=26 August 2010 | publisher=Quotenmeter | accessdate=March 2, 2024 | language=German}}</ref> Another remake, ''Drück Dein Glück'' ("Push Your Luck"), aired daily in 1999 on [[RTL II]] with Guido Kellerman as host; this show's mascot was an animated shark.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ufa.de/produktionen/drueck-dein-glueck | title=Drück dein Glück | publisher=UFA | accessdate=March 2, 2024 | language=German}}</ref> In the United Kingdom, an [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] version ran in the [[HTV West]] region, with [[Paul Coia]] as host.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/937858933/ | title=Would-be stars press their luck | work=Evening Post | date=March 1, 1991 | accessdate=March 2, 2024 | pages=2}}</ref> ''Whammy! The All-New Press Your Luck'' was also adapted in the Philippines as ''[[Whammy! Push Your Luck]]'' on [[GMA Network]] from 2007 to 2008. It was hosted by [[Paolo Bediones]] and [[Rufa Mae Quinto]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pep.ph/news/14971/paolo-bediones-and-rufa-mae-quinto-host-gma-739s-new-game-show-whammy|title=Rufa Mae Quinto and Paolo Bediones, to host ''Whammy! Push Your Luck''|work=Philippine Entertainment Portal|last=Erece|first=Dinno|date=October 1, 2007|access-date=March 8, 2015}}</ref>

==Merchandise==

::'''Whammies:''' ''(in unison)'' VACATION? YIPEE!

In 1988, [[GameTek]] released a home computer game of ''Press Your Luck'' for [[IBM PC compatible]]s and the [[Commodore 64]].<ref>{{cite web|title=''Press Your Luck'' for DOS|url=http://www.mobygames.com/game/press-your-luck|access-date=11 June 2013}}</ref> [[Ludia]] Inc. (now part of [[RTL Group]], which owns the show franchise) along with [[Ubisoft]] released an adaptation called ''Press Your Luck: 2010 Edition'' on October 27, 2009 for [[Personal computer|PC]], [[iPhone]], [[iPad]], [[iPod Touch]], [[Nintendo DS]], and [[Wii]]. Prior to this, on August 24, 2010, the game was released for the [[PlayStation 3]] (via PSN) as part of the ''Game Show Party'' bundle pack (PS3 only) that also included ''Family Feud: 2010 Edition'' and ''The Price Is Right: 2010 Edition'',<ref>{{cite news|title=Ludia to Put Its Spin on 'Press Your Luck'; Signs Exclusive, Multi-Year Deal with Fremantle|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2008/10/29/idUS258928+29-Oct-2008+BW20081029|access-date=8 August 2011|work=Reuters|date=October 29, 2008|archive-date=13 September 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120913174733/http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/10/29/idUS258928+29-Oct-2008+BW20081029|url-status=dead}}</ref> and on [[PlayStation 3]]'s PSN download service from August 24, 2010.<ref>{{cite web|last=Jando|first=Eva|title=Coming Tuesday to PSN: Press Your Luck for PS3|date=23 August 2010|url=http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/08/23/coming-tuesday-to-psn-press-your-luck-for-ps3/|access-date=8 August 2011}}</ref>

A video game adaption of the show titled ''Press Your Luck 2010 Edition'' was released in the U.S. on multiple home consoles and with a PC version. Actor Terry McGovern is the off-screen host.<ref name="PYL2010">{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/games/press-your-luck-2010-edition |website=IGN |access-date=24 June 2022|title=Press Your Luck: 2010 Edition }}</ref> In January 2012, an [[Application software|app]] developed by former [[Fremantle (company)|Fremantle]] subsidiary Ludia and based on ''Press Your Luck'' debuted on Facebook.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamezebo.com/reviews/press-your-luck-on-facebook-review/ |title=Press Your Luck on Facebook Review |first=Christopher |last=Mack |publisher=Gamezebo |date=January 9, 2012 |access-date=January 25, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121101040555/http://www.gamezebo.com/games/press-your-luck-facebook/review |archive-date=November 1, 2012 }}</ref> Ten contestants compete in a single-question round together, all answering the same multiple-choice questions. There are six questions in total, each worth between $500 and $1,000, or a Whammy. A correct answer earns the question's value multiplied by the number of contestants who answered incorrectly or ran out of time (e.g., answering the $500 question correctly with three other contestants answering incorrectly earns $1,500). Bonus cash is given to the three contestants who answer the questions correctly in the shortest amount of time. Answering the Whammy question incorrectly causes the contestant to lose any money accumulated to that point. In September 2012, Ludia released ''Press Your Luck Slots'' on Facebook.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ludia and FremantleMedia Enterprises Announce "Press Your Luck® Slots" Game Now Available on Facebook®|url=http://www.financialpost.com/markets/news/Ludia+FremantleMedia+Enterprises+Announce+Press+Your+Luck+Slots+Game/7343804/story.html|work=Financial Post|access-date=5 October 2012|archive-date=4 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004180529/http://www.financialpost.com/markets/news/Ludia+FremantleMedia+Enterprises+Announce+Press+Your+Luck+Slots+Game/7343804/story.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

::'''Chief Whammy:''' All right, all right. Half you guys pack your bags. The rest of us will keep taking the big bucks. Oh, by the way. Where do you guys wanna go?

==References==

::'''Whammies:''' Fort Knox! Las Vegas! Monaco! Let's get outta here!

{{reflist|30em}}

* At the end of many episodes, Peter would read a "Whammy poem," sent in by a home viewer; similar to the traditional poems viewers sent to NBC on [[Card Sharks]].

== External links ==

{{Commons category}}

* [http://gscentral.net/cpyl.htm Game Show Central]

* [https://abc.com/shows/press-your-luck Official Website (ABC Version)]

* [http://www.gsn.com/ GSN website]

* {{IMDb title|0136655}} (1983–86) (US)

* [http://web.bvunet.net/~csyoder/ Press Your Luck board configurations]

* {{IMDb title|0835012}} (1987–88) (Australia)

* [http://www.crossbearer.com/software/press/pyl.html Download ''Press Your Luck'' to play on your home PC]

* {{IMDb title|10038600}} (2019-present) (US)

* [http://pylexpert.robertsearcy.info Another download site] (based on the above download but truer to the show and still being updated)

{{Press Your Luck|state=expanded}}

{{Summer Fun & Games}}

{{ABC programming}}

[[Category:Australian1983 gameAmerican showstelevision series debuts]]

[[Category:Game1986 showsAmerican television series endings]]

[[Category:1980s2019 TVAmerican showstelevision inseries the United Statesdebuts]]

[[Category:CBS1980s networkAmerican game shows]]

[[Category:2010s American game shows]]

[[Category:2020s American game shows]]

[[Category:1980s Australian game shows]]

[[Category:1990s British game shows]]

[[Category:American Broadcasting Company game shows]]

[[Category:American English-language television shows]]

[[Category:American television series with live action and animation]]

[[Category:American television series revived after cancellation]]

[[Category:CBS game shows]]

[[Category:Television series by Brownstone Productions]]

[[Category:Television series by CBS Studios]]

[[Category:Television series by Fremantle (company)]]