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Bowling for Dollars was a program that began in Baltimore in the 1960s and rapidly spread across the North American local TV landscape. Sports Illustrated once ran a story about the phenomenon. The show's concept was simple: Local bowlers tried to win a growing jackpot by rolling two consecutive strikes. If the jackpot wasn't won, it was increased for the next bowler. (If they didn't win the jackpot, contestants usually got paid a dollar per pin they knocked down.) Five-pin bowling is popular in Canada. In the version of Bowling for Dollars that aired on CKCO-TV in Kitchener, Ontario, three strikes were needed to win the jackpot--which was split with a lucky "pin pal" whose name was drawn from a Plexiglass drum of postcards sent in by viewers. The jackpot once reached a lofty $9,000. As many as nine different bowlers sometimes appeared on a 30-minute episode. Despite being low-budget and corny, Bowling for Dollars ran for a remarkable 24 years on CKCO-TV from 1971 to 1995. For most of its run, the show aired weeknights at 6:30 p.m.--right after the six o'clock news ended. This clip is likely from the early 1980s. Bill Inkol (who had the longest tenure as host) is the man holding the microphone.
Tags:
Bowling
for
Dollars
Kitchener
CKCO-TV
Added: 30th November 2013
Views: 2139
Rating: 
Posted By: Lava1964 |

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