Special thanks go to Chuck Donegan for help with some of the information on this page. Be sure to check out his rule sheet for this show, which contains information not found here as well as lots of interesting information from Geoff Edwards and Tony McClay themselves!

Broadcast History:
August 12, 1973 - Sept. 1977 (Syndicated; original weekly run)
Sept. 14, 1981-Sept. 1982 (Syndicated; daily version, known simply as Treasure Hunt)

Host: Geoff Edwards
Executive Producer: Chuck Barris
Director: John Dorsey
Bonded Security Agent: Emile Autouri

Announcers:
Johnny Jacobs (1973-1982)
Tony McClay (substitute during 80's version)

Models:
Sivi Aberg (All of 1970's version)
Naome DeVargas (All of 1970's version)
Jane Nelson (1973-1975)
Pamela Hensley (1973-1974)
Tanya ????? (1973-1974)

Jan Speck (all of 1980's version)

Packagers: Chuck Barris Productions (now a subsidiary of Sony)

Opening Spiel:
1973-1977: "Ladies and gentlemen, this bonded security agent has just placed a certified check for $25,000 in one of these 30 surprise packages. Tonight, someone may win any one of our fabulous prizes, or that grand prize of $25,000 on... The New Treasure Hunt!"

* For the 1973 premiere only, one line above was changed: Instead of "Tonight, someone may win any one of our fabulous prizes", the spiel read "Tonight, someone may win a fortune in fabulous prizes..."

1973-1977: "Ladies and gentlemen, this bonded security agent has just placed a certified check for $xx,000 [i](xx reflecting a growing jackpot between $20-50K)[/i] in one of these 66 surprise packages. Today, someone may win any one of our fabulous prizes, or that grand prize of $xx,000 on... Treasure Hunt!"

Premise: One female contestant would be winnowed out of the audience by pure luck and have a chance to win anything from a worthless prize (also known as a Klunk) to an assortment of very expensive prizes or a grand prize of $25,000 by simply picking one of thirty boxes onstage and not selling it off. This show was based on a 1950s show entitled "Treasure Hunt" hosted by Jan Murray.

Gameplay: The audience for The New Treasure Hunt is split into two sections facing each other along the sides of the set. After the opening, in which the bonded security agent Emile Autouri is seen walking off the stage after hiding a check for $25,000 in one of the 30 boxes, Geoff walks to the section to the viewer's right where ten of the women are holding boxes. Three of the boxes have numbered cards, one each of 1, 2, and 3. On Geoff's command, the women tear into their boxes, and the women with numbers advance to the next "round."

Geoff in one section of the audience. Which boxes are lucky?

The three women with numbers are led to a table in the center of the studio where they are shown three mini-treasure boxes, one of which has a pop-up surprise (usually flowers.) The woman with the "1" card has first choice, with the other two following in numerical order. On Geoff's command, the women simultaneously open their boxes, and whoever gets the surprise goes on a Treasure Hunt for the possibility of winning $25,000.

The "three lucky ladies" discover who's going on a Treasure Hunt.
In this case, the contestant on the right has won.

After an intro by Geoff, the contestant is shown lots of extremely nice prizes, which she COULD win if she only picks the right box. She is enticed with trips, rooms in a house, jewelry, and cars ranging from Vegas and Novas to Cadillacs, Corvettes, Jaguars, Porsches, and even a vintage Rolls Royce on occasion.

Of course, there are the Klunks. A Klunk (according to Matt Kaiser, a word which Geoff Edwards invented for the show) is a worthless booby prize, such as a bass drum or a 10-foot submarine sandwich. Although they can appear at any time during a prize presentation and lead to a better prize, several of the boxes have these as the end result.

Some of the show's many "Klunks."

Then the contestant is told the REALLY good news. In some of the boxes there's CASH. Just by picking the correct box, she could win a check for anywhere between $5,000 and $14,000. Or if luck went just her way, she *COULD* walk off the stage with that grand prize, the "big Treasure Hunt daddy of 'em all," a check for $25,000!

After the prize presentations, the contestant walks to the boxes behind her, chooses one, and the model brings it down for her (so as not to give her any clues with the weight of the box.) The show goes to a commercial, and then the contestant is given a choice of a cash award substitute or the contents of the box. Usually this amount ranged between $500 and $2,000; however later in the run these could get up all the way to $2,500.

Decisions, decisions... which of the 30 boxes holds $25,000?

This contestant will be handed an enticing $1,330 in cash,
which she can keep or trade away for the contents of the box.

The New Treasure Hunt prided itself on the reactions of its contestants.

For a $25,000 check, the presentation was slightly different. Instead of props, the box contained only the grand prize check. Often times, Geoff would engage in a lengthy conversation with a contestant, at times forgetting about the box. Then at the right time, Geoff would suddenly spring upon her the news that she had won (or turned down) the $25,000. If the contestant won it, the set would go into hysterics (complete with confetti, balloons, shrill sirens, etc.) as the contestant often went absolutely crazy. If she passed it up, she could be seen literally writhing in disbelief that she let so much money slip through her fingers.

Two of the show's many $25,000 winners.

The show returned in September 1981 as Treasure Hunt, in a daily format. This version, which was much cheaper than its predecessor, was similar in many ways to The New Treasure Hunt, but there were a few notable differences. Only one contestant was chosen out of the audience each half of the show (via popping balloons, one of which had a star inside), and this woman would "face" the previous round/show's winner at the table with the mini-treasure boxes. The winner would play the game, but this time had a choice of one of 66 surprise packages with the possibility of receiving a prize (usually that, *A* prize), a Klunk, or a grand prize check for what was originally $20,000. After a week or so into the run, the amount would grow by $1,000 for every day it was not won until it hit $50,000, at which point it stopped until won. When it was won, it reset to $20,000 again. Obviously the odds of winning it were greatly lessened during this verion of the show, and I know of only four people that actually won it (and two others that passed it up) during the year it was on. There were noticeably fewer (and much cheaper) cars available during this version also; I don't think *anyone* ever won one (although at least two people passed a car up). For more information on the 1980's version of Treasure Hunt, be sure to visit Matt Kaiser's page.

Click here for more info on the show's cast and crew.
Click here for a closer look at a few of the models.
Click here for more info on some of the show's characters.
Click here for some sound clips from both the 1970's and 1980's versions of the show.

These websites have more information on The New Treasure Hunt than seen here:
Chuck Donegan's rule sheet for The New Treasure Hunt
Matt Kaiser's page on the 80s version of Treasure Hunt

The New Treasure Hunt and Treasure Hunt are copyrighted by Chuck Barris Productions, a division of Columbia Tristar entertainment. No challenge to their ownership is intended nor implied.

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