Fame and Fortune (game show)

Fame and Fortune was a syndicated American game show that aired from 1986 to 1987. The show was hosted by William Shatner. The game revolved around contestants answering trivia questions and then betting on the answers to questions given to celebrity panelists.

Gameplay:

The game featured two contestants who competed in three rounds.

• Round 1: Shatner asked general knowledge trivia questions. A correct answer earned the contestant $50. The first contestant to answer three questions correctly won the round and an additional $500.

• Round 2: The round was similar to the first, but with slightly more difficult trivia questions. Correct answers were worth $100. The first contestant to answer three questions correctly won the round and an additional $1,000.

• Round 3 (Celebrity Panel Round): This was the core of the game. The winning contestant from Rounds 1 and 2 faced a panel of three celebrities. Shatner asked a question with a numerical answer (e.g., "How many times has a certain event happened?"). The celebrity panelists secretly wrote down their guesses. The contestant had to choose one celebrity panelist's guess as the closest to the actual answer.

  • If the contestant correctly chose the closest answer, they won a bonus prize that was usually a vacation or a luxury item.
  • If the contestant chose incorrectly, the panelist whose answer was closest won a small donation to their chosen charity.

Broadcast History:

Fame and Fortune was produced by Telepictures Productions and distributed by Lorimar-Telepictures. It ran for one season in syndication.

Cancellation:

The show was not renewed for a second season, likely due to low ratings and competition from other syndicated game shows.