Hot Potato was a television game show broadcast on NBC in the United States from January 23, 1984, through June 29, 1984.
Bill Cullen was the show's host and Charlie O'Donnell was its announcer. The series was produced by Barry & Enright Productions, its only post-scandal series produced by NBC under the Barry & Enright logo, and the last network game show produced by B&E.
The show featured an orange-and-red logo which emitted smoke (accompanied by a sizzling sound) at the beginning and end of each episode. This effect always occurred just after Charlie would say the word "hot" in the show's title, after announcing the contestants and again during the ending credits.
Although this show is often referred to as a variation on Family Feud (mainly due to the questions with multiple answers and the penalty for giving three wrong answers), it did have some notable differences. The main difference was that the questions were often general knowledge instead of surveys, and no system of ranking the answers was used. The ability of a contestant to pass to a player on the other team was also unique to this show.
Two teams of three contestants each, all with something in common (e.g., beer tasters, mothers-to-be), competed. Host Cullen reads a question that has multiple answers. The questions could be based on a poll (e.g., "According to a poll of men, which female celebrity would they most like to be stranded on a deserted island with?") or fact (e.g., "Name the states that starts with the letter 'M.'"). Each team member could opt to answer or challenge a member of the opposing team ("toss the hot potato to") to answer. Giving an answer not on the list, or sometimes if an opposing player gives a correct answer during a challenge eliminates that player from further play on that question. A team won the round (and $500) by either giving the seventh correct answer to the question or if all three members of a particular team were eliminated. At one point in the series, a cash bonus was awarded if a team gave seven correct answers without a miss or challenge. Teams winning two rounds became champion and played the bonus round. Cullen reads a category (e.g., "Length") and gives two possible answers ("Which is longer, the longest earthworm or the longest Cadillac?"). Each correct answer is worth $500, with the teams having the option pass on one question. Five correct answers won the jackpot ($5,000 plus $5,000 for each show it goes unclaimed while that team is champion); an incorrect answer at any point stops the game and forfeits their bonus game winnings. A team could stop the game at any time and keep whatever they had won to that point. Toward the end of the show's run, the show became "Celebrity Hot Potato," with teams now consisting of two celebrities and one contestant. Written by Brian Rathjen
