Dialing for Dollars (U.S. Syndicated Game Show)

Dialing for Dollars is a syndicated game show taking it's name from a franchised format of the same name that was popular from the 1950s through the 1970s. Unlike the franchised format, Dialing for Dollars is actually two game show formats in one: Dialing for Dollars and Bowling for Dollars. The game show is hosted by comedian Artie Lange, who handles the Bowling for Dollars portion of the program, and his assistant is comedian Caroline Rhea, who handles the Dialing for Dollars portion of the program. The series is produced by Tam Productions, a subsidiary of Adelphia Communications. And the series was launched on Sept. 18, 2016

Dialing for Dollars
The program's usual format had the host, a local television personality, announce a certain password to the audience at the beginning of the program. He would then randomly select a phone number to call from a bowl or drum, either from those that had been previously submitted by viewers, or by scraps of paper cut from residential telephone directories. Viewers watching the show would know that they were being called, answer the phone with the correct password, and would win a monetary prize. If the viewer did not respond correctly or failed to answer the call altogether, the prize money would continue to increase. The prize starts at $500 and goes up by $50 each time the prize goes unclaimed. Once it is claimed, the jackpot resets to $500.

Bowling for Dollars
As each contestant appeared, the host would interview him or her for a couple of minutes. Then the audience camera would cue as the contestant pointed out who he brought along ("There's my wife Paula, there's my son Nick..."). The contestant was then instructed to pick a Pin Pal out of a container filled with postcards sent in by home viewers, then went off to the lanes where they would bowl at least two balls.

A half-hour show had seven contestants.

Layout of the show
Dialing for Dollars starts with both Artie Lange and Caroline Rhea welcoming the viewers to the show. Rhea then goes to the spot where a telephone and a bowl of telephone numbers submitted by viewers at home. The announcer announces the password. Then the series shifts to Lange and the two bowling lanes built inside the studio for the Bowling for Dollars portion of the program. After two contestants had their chance to bowl for dollars, the series shifts back to Caroline Rhea who does the Dialing for Dollars portion of the program by calling the number she picked out of the bowl to see if that contestant watched the program and if he/she could guess the password. After the commercial, the show picks back up with the Bowling for Dollars portion and two more contestants try to bowl for dollars, followed by Rhea doing the Dialing for Dollars portion again before the final commercial break. Finally, Rhea does the Dialing for Dollars portion first before the Bowling for Dollars portion closes out the show.

Prizes
Unlike the Dialing for Dollars portion, which does give consolation prizes if they don't get the password, the Bowling for Dollars portion does have prizes to win. Each contestant received $20 for each pin knocked down (e.g., a contestant who knocked down a total of eight pins won $160). A Strike or Spare awarded $100. The real allure of the show was the Jackpot, which was awarded to any bowler who got two consecutive Strikes. The jackpot starts at $500 and is increased by $50 each time it was not hit. If a player gets two strikes, he/she wins the jackpot and goes for a third strike, where it could be for a trip to an automobile.

Stations airing Dialing for Dollars
If your station wishes to air Dialing for Dollars feel free to add your station to the table. Take note, however, that the list is in alphabetical order.