A Classic Game Show Is Getting Rebooted

It may have been absent from TV screens for more than just a split second, but after more than three decades off the air, one beloved game show is getting another chance. Split Second, the American game show hosted by Tom Kennedy that originally aired throughout the ’70s and ’80s, has reportedly been rebooted.

Speculation that the beloved show was set to return to TV screens first surfaced after Game Show Network put out a casting call “looking for contestants who want to win $10,000!” That casting call teased that “Game Show Network is bringing back a classic game show!” The post said the network is looking for people who “love trivia and pop culture” and are “fast enough to beat the competition” by putting their “knowledge to the test.” Although no further hints were given as to which long-gone game show was in the works, BuzzerBlog reported on Nov. 28 the reboot in question is Split Second.

Split Second originally debuted in 1972 and was produced by Hatos and Hall for ABC. Kennedy served as host of the series, with Jack Clark serving as announcer. The original version ran until June 1975. More than a decade later, in 1986, a second version of the series aired as a co-production of Hatos-Hall and distributors Concept Equity Funding Limited and Viacom Enterprises and was produced for syndication in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The revival was hosted by Monty Hall, with Sandy Hoyt as announcer. It ran until the end of the 1986-87 season.

Each episode of the series featured three constants, one of whom was a returning champion or designate, who were tasked with answering a series of questions that had three possible correct answers. Most questions came with, three words, names, or phrases that were displayed on a board that acted as clues. The ABC version also featured a daily “Memory Buster”, in which Kennedy gave a list of items and asked which three of them were common to each other. To answer the question, contestants had to be the first to push a button on their podium, with the first contestant to ring in allowed to provide any one of the three answers. The second one to buzz in provided one of the remaining answers, with the third contestant providing the final answer. Each player received money for a correct answer. The Countdown Round, the final round of the competition, crowned a winner, with the champion then going on to take part in a Bonus Round.

It is unclear if the reported Split Second reboot will take on a similar appearance, or if some aspects of the game will be changed. At this time, no further information, including host and announcer and premiere date, have been announced.