| Tic Tac Dough was an American television game show where contestants answered trivia questions to earn squares on a tic tac
toe board.
Broadcast history
Tic Tac Dough originally ran during the 1950s, but was cancelled, plagued by
the quiz show scandals of that era. Hosts included Jack Barry (who produced the show with partner Dan Enright) and Gene Rayburn.
The modern version premiered in May of 1978 on
CBS and moved into syndication that
fall. It remained in production in syndication until its series cancellation in 1986.
Tic Tac Dough was hosted by Wink Martindale through 1985, when he left to create and host a new show, Headline Chasers, which would
last only one year. Jim Caldwell emceed the eighth and final season.
A syndicated revival was tried in 1990 with Patrick Wayne hosting, but it lasted
only half a season.
Rules of the game
The object of the game was to achieve a "three in a row" on a tic tac toe board, winning squares on the board by correctly
answering trivia questions.
Tic Tac Dough used a "roll-over" format in its show (also sometimes known as "straddling"); there was no clear
beginning or end to the game in any given half hour segment. Sometimes, in fact, a match between two players could run so long
that it would take up multiple episodes.
Main game
A match between two players always began with an empty Tic Tac Toe board, and the announcement of nine different categories.
Standard categories were presented with a blue screen, and in later seasons, up to three special categories per round (like
"buzz-in" or "opponent's choice") were signified with a red screen.
The champion, who always used the 'X' mark on the board, began a round by selecting one of the nine squares on the Tic Tac
Dough board. If the player was able to correctly answer the question assigned to the space, he would be awarded an 'X' for
the space. Then play continues with the challenger (signified with an 'O'). Play continues in this manner until one player
achieves a "Tic Tac Dough" by achieving three 'X's or 'O's in a row, across, down or diagonally; doing so ended the match. In the
event of a draw, where no possible way to win exists, the board would be cleared, and a new game would begin.
The center of the nine squares, because of its strategic importance, was won only by answering a two part trivia
question. For each square awarded to a player during a game, $200 was added to "the pot". "The pot" was the total winnings
awarded to a player who wins a Tic Tac Dough match. A center square given to either player added $300 to "the pot".
As Tic Tac Toe, if played correctly, always ends in a draw no matter who goes first, the excitement in Tic Tac Dough
resulted from the correct and incorrect answers given by the players. If one player was clearly better at answering trivia than
the other, he would easily win. If, however, both players were equally matched in their trivia skill, a draw would likely occur.
This could, in fact, happen multiple games in a row, pushing the value of the winnings pot up dramatically. In tightly contested
matches, pot values occasionally rose to over $10,000.
Bonus round
The winner of a Tic Tac Dough match was given the chance to "Face the Dragon". The Tic Tac Dough board was given nine
numbered boxes. Behind two were the words "Tic", and "Tac", and behind others, dollar amounts. Behind the last box was the
"Dragon", who, if picked, ended the bonus round. The object of the bonus round was to either pick the "Tic" and "Tac" squares, or
gain more than $1000, before picking the Dragon. Doing so netted the player a bonus prize, which might be a furniture set or
vacation.
If a player were fortunate enough to win five Tic Tac Dough matches in a row, he would win an automobile, no matter what his luck in "Face the Dragon".
One player in particular, one Naval officer named Thom McKee, was a relative mastermind on Tic Tac Dough. Over the course of nine
weeks on the show, he was able to win against 43 opponents, win 8 cars, and take home $312,700 in cash and prizes (over $200,000
in cash), a syndication record for a solo player until 2002.
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