The Cross Wits

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Game Show that originally ran in daily syndication from 1975 to 1980, originally hosted by Jack Clark. Two teams, each consisting of two celebrity guests and a civilian captain, competed to solve thematic crossword puzzles. The celebrities earned money for their team captain by answering individual clues, but only the contestants were allowed to solve the master puzzle.

A one-season revival was done in 1986–87 as The New CrossWits, hosted by David Sparks. The new version used color-coded puzzles, depending on whether the solution was a person, place or thing.

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The following Game Show tropes appear in The Cross Wits:

• Bonus Round: The Crossfire round, where the winning contestant and one celebrity teammate had 60 seconds to solve a themeless 10-word puzzle. Getting all 10 won a grand prize. For the revival, a team successful here won a trip, then got to play a 1-in-3-chance game for a car.
• Personnel:
  • The Announcer: The original series altered duties among veteran announcers Jay Stewart and John Harlan, and then-disc jockey Jerry Bishop (currently the announcer on Judge Judy). Michelle Roth was announcer on the revival.
  • Game Show Host: Jack Clark, then David Sparks.
  • Lovely Assistant: Jerri Fiala in the original.
  • Studio Audience
• Rules Spiel: Handled, rather oddly, by Roth in the revival.
• Think Music: Used during the "seven second conference" in the main game.

Tropes used in The Cross Wits include:

• Crossword Puzzle: The main premise of the game.
• A Day in the Limelight: Jerri played as a celebrity for one week, with Kitty Hilton (then-wife of game show announcer Bob Hilton) performing puzzleboard duties.
• Jerkass: During one week, Alan Sues wanted to play the Bonus Round, but wasn't picked until Friday...at which point he stood silent the entire time and didn't help the contestant at all.
• Pilot: Two were done in 1966(!) called Crossword, with just one celebrity per team. The host was George Fenneman, who is visibly uncomfortable and unrehearsed on Pilot A (with Michael Landon and Carolyn Jones) but more in control for Pilot B (with Tippi Hedren and Paul Lynde).