# Need help remembering a game show name

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-remembering-a-game-show-name/190319>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [July 23, 2003, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-remembering-a-game-show-name/190319 "2003-07-23T05:31:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-remembering-a-game-show-name/190319/1 "2003-07-23T05:31:21Z")

</div>

I’m sure that, before “Who want’s to be a Millionaire” and the short lived “Greed,” that back in the, mid to late 80’s I think, there was another game show here in the US where the top prize was a million dollars. If so, does anybody remember the name of that game show? Thanks.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![IUHomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90db22/32.png) [@IUHomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IUHomer)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-remembering-a-game-show-name/190319/2 "2003-07-23T06:14:37Z")

</div>

The Joker’s Wild had a Tournament of champions or something one time that had a 250000 prize for the winner. I had forgotten this until I saw it in reruns recently. That was like the early 80’s and quite a bit of money for the time, much more than any other game of the time period that I recall.

```
     There was a game show where they used to give away houses, Dream House I believe it was called. They weren't million dollar homes, though.  

    I can't think of any others that had a million dollar prize or even anything close to it.
```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Baraqiyal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@Baraqiyal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baraqiyal)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-remembering-a-game-show-name/190319/3 "2003-07-23T06:30:21Z")

</div>

I think it was called ‘Chance of a Lifetime’. Couples would compete against other couples, answering questions. I remember the opening credits would show several reactions of couples winning the million but when I watched, they never came close. That’s about all I remember about it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Linus\_Van\_Pelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Linus\_Van\_Pelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linus_Van_Pelt)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-remembering-a-game-show-name/190319/4 "2003-07-23T06:35:14Z")

</div>

I’m guessing that you are remembering [$1,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0198046), a short lived game show from 1986. I don’t believe that anyone ever won the grand prize.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-remembering-a-game-show-name/190319/5 "2003-07-23T12:37:04Z")

</div>

Yeah, that’s the one, thanks. It was kind of driving me nuts that I couldn’t remember the name.