TKO (U.S. Syndicated Game Show)

TKO is an American syndicated game show where three contestants were asked questions and were given initial letters to the answers. TKO was an unsold pilot for ABC in 1989 with Peter Tomarken as host, In 2015, Buena Vista Productions, a subsidiary of Disney/ABC, announced plans of reviving TKO with Rob Wilson (of Days of Our Lives and All My Children) as the host. The series debuted on Sept. 10, 2016. TKO is a Buena Vista Production in association with FreMantleMedia.

Rounds 1 & 2
The contestants faced a game board with three columns consisting of five spaces each. Only the topmost space in each column was revealed at the start of the game, each showing a dollar amount and a one-word category. The player in control chose a space, and all three were shown three sets of initials. Peter asked a toss-up question whose answer corresponded to one set. The first player to buzz in, choose the correct set, and say what those initials stood for won the value of the question and chose the next space. If no one chose the correct initials within a certain time limit, Peter gave them the correct initials and the players could still win the money by mentioning what they stood for. There was no penalty for an incorrect answer. Once a space was played, it was removed from the board and the space below it became available.

Each question was worth more money than the previous question in the column. In round one, question values increased from $100 to $500 in $100 increments, going down each column. These values were doubled for round two, meaning that the question values increased from $200 to $1000 in $200 increments.

Two spaces in each round were secretly designated as Knockout Questions. When a player answered one of these correctly, s/he not only won its value, but could deduct the same amount from one opponent's total, effectively stealing their money. Scores could never go below zero, however.

Each round continued until all 15 questions had been asked.

Final Round: The Knockout Game
In the final round there were no categories, just general knowledge questions which followed the same format as in the first two rounds. When a player buzzed in, a money spinner stopped on a value between $500 and $1,000 in $25 increments. A correct answer did not award this amount, but instead allowed the player to deduct it from one opponent's score. When a player's score reached zero, he/she was eliminated from that day's game. The last surviving player won the game and kept whatever money s/he had left, plus an additional $5,000.

The same three players were to compete through an entire week of shows.