You Bet Your LIfE

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Again, not everything on Pioneertown Public Radio is 1oo% Country..

You Bet Your Life ran on both radio and television from 1947 to 1961. The radio version of the show had its final air date in 1956, while the television show ran on NBC until 1961.

 Groucho Marx as the host and George Fenneman was his charming assistant. It first heard on ABC Radio in 1947 followed by CBS Radio in 1949 before it finally found its way onto television in 195o. In 196o, the show changed its name to The Groucho Show.

Contestants for this show were chosen from the live audience in attendance. Special guest contestants included celebrities, charity organizations political figures. These contestants were often set into pairs consisting of one male and one female and the pairs were matched in such as way that they were a great deal opposite to each other. This not only made things interesting, but often quite funny. Groucho would often try to play matchmaker with contestants, no matter how opposite (or married) they might have been.. Which, again, made things quite hilarious.

These pairs of contestants chose a category from 2o available options from which their questions were then taken. There were a few different formats throughout its run. The game-aspects of the show that always remained the same were simple: the more correct answers the pair gave, the more money they would win. If they give a wrong answer then their money was reduced.

Each episode also had a secrete word which, if spoken by a contestant, would trigger a random stage performance or a duck to fall from above and instantly grant the contestants $1oo or more to split between them.

Contestant pairs who won the most money in each episode then proceeded to the jackpot round, where they risked half of their winnings for a chance to answer the final question for big money.