User Reviews

The first time I saw this show I was instantly drawn to it. I loved everything about this show; The bad poetry people would send in about the show or Peter Tomarken, Rod Roddy (this was the first time I saw him), the excitement when the contestants played for prizes and "big money" as well as their greed. Also I liked the contestant's banter when they pressed their luck; "No Whammies, No Whammies, No Whammies" and the best was one guy who would scream, "BIG MONEY, BIG MONEY, BIG MONEY, AND NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMIESSSSSSSSSS!!. He still sticks out in my mind.

And of course, who could forget those wonderful Whammies?? I can still see the "Boy George" Whammy singing, "Who would want to hurt a Whammy?" to the tune of Culture Club's "Do you want to hurt me?" The pizza making Whammy and The construction worker Whammy as they would take away your winnings when you got them.

One of my all time game shows that I will never forget.

CBS, Daytime, Mid 80s. An exciting game show is played on the television screen. That game is called "Press Your Luck!!!!!" It's a show where, at first, three contestants HAVE to go through and answer trivia questions. After commercial, the fun begins: a giant, blooping, colorful video board (looks like a board game) has prizes, cash, and WHAMMIES switching places while lights flash on the squares, hoping NOT to get whammied!!!!!

And yes, I've seen that ice cream man two-parter, on "The 50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time" on GSN. It was exciting, seeing how all the cash and three prizes went to him. It might ruin the excitement for some, but it's still good.

This was an exciting show, and I can see this on 11:30 on GSN.

10 stars

First off, I must say that this is a fun game show. Also, I haven't seen every episode. However, I do know the show very well. Every time I've watched it, I've had a lot of fun playing along and watching. This makes me long to be a contestant. The thing I like most about it is when the contestants spin. I hope the Game Show Netowrk keeps it one the air so I can keep watching and playing along for a long time. If that happens, I will be really happy. Before I wrap this up, I'd like to say that I'll always remember this show in my memory forever. Now, in conclusion, I hope that you catch it one day before it goes off the air for good.

This is one of those game shows that i wish they would bring back, i think it would do well today. Its fun and exciting, no whammy no whammy, big bucks and stop.

This game show is an honorable mention in my book, it's also a bit of a childhood gem. When I was a kid, I really was into game shows and this show was one of the first I saw. I'll admit as a kid, I thought when I grew up somewhere along the line, I'd love to be a contestant on this game.

I really like the theme song which is on my honorable mentions list of favorite theme songs, I just thought it was a nice tune that fit the nature of the show. I even like the setting, which is just colorful and bright, mainly that big board which just has multicolored tiles and lights, these things just induced and screamed excitement.

But most importantly I really like the game, it's both exciting and suspenseful. I remember always being on the edge of my seat and cheering on saying, "No whammy, no whammy", "Press the button now, now", "Darn it, whammied." It was just that exciting because the game is unpredictable, you never know where that light is going to land or even the status of the contestants.

The game is simple and at the same time it isn't because other than timing and luck it's really all based on risk. Contestants at first must answer some questions, if they get enough of them right, they gain turns. After that preliminary is over comes the fun part where the contestants literally must press their luck. There is a board where each of the tiles have the amount of money to gain and prizes which also gain you money; and there are tiles you could say are the power ups from one that gains you both money and a turn, another which can double your money.

However, the tricky part is that the light is rapidly moving onto different tiles, and the board constantly changes. If the light lands on a tile and the contestants press on time, then they gain money. But there is one big catch and that of course are those deadly red Whammys. Those little critters are both funny and figures of aggravation, whenever a contestant lands on a Whammy they of course lose all their points and are forced to start over again, much like in some of those old video games where if you die you have to go all the way back to the level, yeah guys I feel your pain.

Though I'll admit at time I secretly hoped the contestants would land on that whammy sometimes because every time that happened there would be a little animated sequence seeing those pests knock away contestants' points in any creative fashion, I always thought those sequences were both funny and bit sad. But that's not the only way those pesky Whammies will ruin your day, if you get four Whammies it's game over so yeah, you better pray to God you don't get whammed.

However, one unique thing is that your able to pass a turn or two, to the other contestants. This is where more of the risk factor comes to play, by doing that you'd be able to keep the money you won. Though having turns passed to you can also work to your advantage as it will give you a chance to gain more points or even regain points lost. Though it can also mean the increased chances of getting whammed, so it's a have or have not factor the choice is yours depending on how much you want to risk.

"Press your Luck" is a lucky break.

Rating: 4 stars

This was the best game show ever. Everyone I know has fond memories of the whammy... The game show was a lot flashier than the other shows on the air at the time. High rollers went too slow to enjoy. That bingo game they had was terrible! Overall, Press Your luck was great if you saw it.

This the THE BEST game show ever. I used to watch this game show as a kid. I fell in love with the show immediately. I liked the little whammy cartoons, my favorite being the bad dance whammy. And I loved the concept of the game. I wish it was this easy to win big bucks.

Now that I am an adult, I am still in love with the show becuase of the silly questions, and the crazy, but memorable contestants. I am currently taping all of the episodes on the Game Show Network.

To sum it up, this is a game show that people of all ages can enjoy.

When I was younger, I would watch this game show every afternoon. It became a tradition when the reruns aired on the USA Network in the afternoons several years ago. I was sad to see the reruns go, but now "Press Your Luck" has been revived on "Game Show Network" 4 times a day!

In case you don't know, "Press Your Luck" has a light-up board, with prizes, spins, and money on it, as well as a pictures of a sneaky little creature, the "Whammy," whom is out to get your money. 3 contestants answer questions in round one to gain spins, then in round two they collect money, prizes, and spins with their earned spins. If they land on any of the "Whammy" spots, they will lose all their money, but can earn it back with existing spins. The Whammies will always dance across the screen in animated form, which si qute comical. 4 Whammies ends your game, and the person with the most the most money is the winner.

This was a great game show, and I am so happy it's back in reruns. Long live the whammies, just avoid them at all costs!

Press your luck is so great to watch I love it when the contestants spin the big board it keeps me on the edge of my seat, and the whammies are very funny. I read gameshow network is planning to make a new press your luck I can't wait to see it!

I won't get into too long of a review, but I want to say that I love this show! It's a good, old game show. As good as "Jeopardy!", and considerably better than that other has-been game show . . . er, I mean "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" (which I did like in its heyday). I haven't watched the new "Whammy!", but no reason to, IMO, since it's just this with more up-to-date graphics and technology. Love the Whammies, BTW.

Seven stars.

While many will snort "Chance! Nothing but chance!" when asked about the game show "Press Your Luck", the rules of the game turned the big board bonus round into a true exercise in strategy.

To refresh your memory, after the 3 contestants earned spins by answering 4 general knowledge questions, it was time to face the 18-square big board, with its changing prize values, score-zeroing Whammies and flying cursor. In motion, the big board was possibly one of the most hypnotic devices ever created for a game show. The contestants stopped the cursor on one of the squares by mashing an over-sized button (the same button used to buzz in and answer a question to earn 3 spins instead of answering it as a multiple-choice question for 1). It was also customary to chant "No Whammies. . .big bucks. . .no Whammies. . .big bucks" before shouting "STOP!" and hitting the button.

After the contestants earned a few thousand dollars in cash and prizes, strategy came into play. If you're in the lead, do you pass your spins and hope the second-place contender can be wiped off the board? If you're trailing, do you give your spins to the leader, hoping to topple his or her empire? The four-Whammies-and-you're-out rule forced one to make even shrewder decisions. Two players who had Whammied their scores to zero passed their spins to the only one with any prizes, and since she, too, had hit a Whammy, all three were eligible to return to play again.

It isn't until you've experienced the game yourself that the strategy angle really becomes apparent. Short of trying out for "WHAMMY: The All New Press Your Luck" on Game Show Network, you can download a remarkably accurate computer simulation of the original "Press Your Luck" at:

http://www.crossbearer.com/software/press/pyl.html

For as long as I can remember, this was one of my all-time favorite shows. I used to get a big laugh out of the Whammies taking all the contestant's money because each Whammy had a different look and said something really funny. One that always sticks out in my mind was the Whammy that was dressed like Elvis and how he broke his hip dancing. That was a hoot! I even used to do the whole "c'mon, big bucks, c'mon, big bucks" routine along with a contestant, much to my mom's annoyance 'cause this was pretty much at the bottom of her list of favorite shows. I'm just glad that it's found a home on Game Show Network where a whole new generation can hope that they won't lose all their money.

I just got the game show network 6 days ago. I was flipping around the television at about 9:30 pm(3:30 pm EST) and I saw an episode of "WHAMMY! THE ALL NEW 'PRESS YOUR LUCK'". I enjoyed the little whammy running about and taking people's money. The next day I saw an episode of the original "PRESS YOUR LUCK". I liked it even better than "WHAMMY!". I now find myself taping it and watching it when I get home. It's addictive.

This hilarious game show that crossed gambling with knowledge defined that awkward decade of the 20th Century, the big 80's. Peter Tomarken was the host of "PRESS YOUR LUCK" for it's entire three and a half year run, providing multiple choice questions to the three lucky contestants who would either answer correctly and win a 'spin', or answer incorrectly and end up with nothing at all.

A huge board surrounded by small television screens, each flashing with different denominations of money, prizes and 'Whammies' represented the game board. The object of the game was to try and second-guess the square that flashed around the screens, hit the buzzer as you yell "STOP!", and pray that you landed on anything but the infamous 'Whammy'. Anyone unfortunate enough to land on the 'Whammy' has their pot cleaned out to $0.00 and if you land on the 'Whammy' four times, you're out of the game.

The strategy of this game was to try and tally up as much money and prizes that you could and with any remainder or extra spins, pass them off onto the contestant with the next highest score, hoping that they would bankrupt themselves by landing on the 'Whammy'.

"PRESS YOUR LUCK" really is all about luck. There's no way of timing the lighted square that flashes around the board and I have even seen some episodes where the contestant hit their buzzer and the screen that the lighted square landed on changed from a 'Whammy' to something else at the last minute.

Perhaps the most hilarious thing about this show is seeing all those crazy and wild fashions from the 80's as the contestants plead with the board, "Come on! I want those BIG BUCKS!", or "No whammies, PLEEEEEASE!" as they watch in angst as the lighted square darted around the board with the unforgettable 'blip blip blip' sound.

Towards the end of the show's run, they started adding more elaborate prizes to the board such as a car, an overseas trip and a new screen entitled "DOUBLE YOUR BUCKS" which doubles whatever amount you currently have in the pot. I always enjoyed this game show. It's a pity that it went off the air and for what reason, I don't know.

As most of the contestants who appeared on any of the 737 episodes would find out, you can beg with board all you want... but sooner or later, you're gonna land on the WHAMMY!

Earlier today I saw one of the most exciting episodes of a game show ever on The Game Show Network. "Press Your Luck" originally ran from 1983-86 with Peter Tomarken as host. Three contestants answer trivia questions to earn spins on the big board to win big money and prizes. You could win quite a bit of money for the time, too. The reason "Luck" was in the title was because also on the boards are "Whammies" that act like the bankrupts of Wheel Of Fortune. If you landed on a Whammy, you lost all your money. There was also a cute animation of the Whammy berating the contestant. There was no skill involved, unless your name was Michael Larsen...

Also, if you no longer wanted to press your luck, you could pass the spins to someone else and they had to take them and risk hitting the Whammy. It gets real exciting when contestants pass spins (you could also win free spins) back and forth like tennis balls to see who'll get hit with a possible Whammy. The contestants were always enthusiastic, Tomarken was an awesome host, Rod Roddy of The Price Is Right got his start here; what's not to like. Classic game show! Also, the new version on The Game Show network is great, too.

"Press Your Luck" was an okay game show, a few years ago, USA Network has been running that show for an eternity, after 8 years, that old cable network finally stopped showing "Press Your Luck". I heard that there was a guy named Michael Larson who won an astonishing $110,237. I like to see that guy on Fear Factor eating maggot cheese and retrieving letters from a lattered bridge connected to two 80 foot cliffs. I give "Press Your Luck" ******* out of **********.

This was one of my all-time favorite game shows. I used to love watching it when I was a kid. Who could forget the chants of "Big Money...No Whammies...STOP!!!!"? The Whammies were absolutely hilarious and were quite possibly the main stars of the show. That and the host, Peter Tomarken, who did a really good job on the show as a host. It was entertaining to watch (and I'm not just talking about the Whammies) as the players sometimes had to decide whether or not to pass off their spins to another contestant to avoid hitting the Whammies. (Boy, these Whammies sure pop up a lot in my comment, don't they? They were that memorable.) The prizes and money were all good. I never saw the Michael Larson episode but wish I had.

*** out of ****

"Press Your Luck" was taped in California, but I'm surprised it wasn't Las Vegas, since it's more or less one big game of chance just like gambling. First contestants answer remarkably simple questions to get "spins" and then they take their turns going around a big, flashing board while screeching things like "big bucks and no whammies," until they stop on a space. The prizes range from vacations, to money and an extra spin, to just money. However, if a contestant lands on a "whammy," all of their money if lost. It sounds "sad" and would be, except the whammies are so darned cute, it almost makes me root for people to lose. Who thought up Whammies? What a cool idea!! They're cute, for one thing, and look like little furry purple monsters, and they're funny, too. Some of them speak or sing(a female Whammy "country singer," for instance, warbles something about "Who would ever hurt a wham-my")or some of them just perform actions like break dancing or playing in a band, but in the end they always end up "stealing" the money from the contestant. The Whammies are what really makes this a show of gambling, but I guess all game shows are pretty much, and at least they're fun to watch. Quite fun.

How could a show like "Masquerade Party," which most people probably don't even remember, make TV Guide's list of the 50 greatest game shows and this one get overlooked? As everyone knows, "PYL" asks players four questions; a correct buzz-in answer gets the player 3 spins on the big board, while a correct multiple-choice answer gets the player 1 spin. After four questions in each round, they take those spins to the board, hoping to avoid the whammy, an animated gremlin that takes away all their winnings and forces them to start over, if they have any spins left. Four whammies puts a player out of the game, and a player can pass his or her whammies at any point.

It's in the second round, when the stakes go as high as $5000+1 spin, that every game becomes a nail-biter; say, for example, that two players have over $10,000. Does the player taking his or her turn gamble on hitting a whammy and losing everything, or pass the remaining spins to the player in second place and hope he or she whammies? And in the event of a pass, the other player has to take the spin(s). Will that player hit a whammy? The suspense literally goes up to the last spin of the game; the outcome is always in doubt until all the spins are used up (unless your name is Michael Larson and you've run up over $110,000 by memorizing the light patterns on the board).

I vastly prefer the original over the newer "Whammy!". Todd Newton seems to be a nice-enough guy but he lacks the late, great Peter Tomarken's enthusiasm (he really gets into the game, especially when it's close), and Gary Kroger is no Rod Roddy when it comes to announcing. In fact, given this show's cult status, I can't understand how it managed to last only three years on CBS.

But I'm a fanatic about this show; I just wish GSN would air the episodes from 1985 and '86.