Let's Go Back
Let's Go Back is a nostalgia-based game show that tested contestants' knowledge of pop culture from 1950 to 1989. It ran on Nostalgia Television (now Youtoo TV) from July 8, 1991 to May 28, 1993, with reruns airing sporadically for a number of years thereafter. Scott Sternberg was the host, creator and executive producer, while Charlie O'Donnell held announcing duties.
| Let's Go Back | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Game Show |
| Created by | Scott Sternberg |
| Directed by | Mark Corwin[1] |
| Presented by | Scott Sternberg |
| Narrated by | Charlie O'Donnell |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producer | Scott Sternberg |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 22–24 minutes |
| Production companies | Scott Sternberg Productions NAC Productions Inc. |
| Distributor | Gold'n M Communications |
| Release | |
| Original network | Nostalgia Television |
| Picture format | 480i SDTV |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | July 8, 1991 – May 28, 1993 |
The show is remembered for its a cappella, Doo-Wop style theme song and music cues, whose performers are unknown to this day.
Rounds 1 & 2
In the first two rounds, the contestants faced a game board of five categories each with four questions that talk about each of the four decades (one question per decade). The player in control chose a category followed by the decade, then host Sternberg asked a question from that decade. The first player to ring-in had a chance an answer. A correct answer added points to their score, plus the right to choose another category & decade, but an incorrect answer subtracted points & gave the other players a chance to answer. These two rounds are identical to Jeopardy!.
Scoring
- Round 1 - +/-10 points
- Round 2 - +/-20 points
Time Capsule
Also in the first two rounds, one decade in one category hid a special question called the "Time Capsule". The first player to choose that got a chance to answer the question unopposed for double value. A correct answer on that question added those points to his/her score, with no penalization if the player missed. A right answer also won a special memorabilia-type prize like a replica of KITT from Knight Rider, The Brady Bunch lunch box, or a Charlie's Angels board game.[1] This was similar to the Daily Double on Jeopardy!.
Decades Round
In the Decades Round, the contestants were given a set number of answers according to their score. The player in first place needed to answer 4 questions. The contestant in second place needed five correct answers and the contestant in third needed six, identical to the Countdown Round on Split Second.
Sternberg would read an event and contestants would attempt to guess which decade it occurred in. Each correct answer reduced the player's counter by one. The first player to clear their counter (make it to zero) won the game and $500 in cash.[1]
Notable contestants
During the show's first season in 1991, Daniel Swartz appeared as a contestant, after a stint as champion on the short-lived 1990 version of Tic Tac Dough, and would later compete on Jeopardy! in May 1992.
TV personality Ralph Garman, later host of The Joe Schmo Show and Family Guy voice-over artist, was a contestant during the show's second season in 1992. One of his opponents on that episode was veteran game show contestant John Gose, who had previously appeared on Password, Liar's Club, Split Second, Now You See It, Jeopardy!, The $25,000 Pyramid and Sale of the Century.
Another veteran game show champion, Karen Levin (formerly Rachman), was a contestant during the second season; she had previously appeared on Name That Tune and Card Sharks, followed by a 1994 appearance on Shuffle: The Interactive Game, and more recently, she was the big winner on a special Oct. 2013 episode of The Price is Right which featured teachers playing.
References
- Schwartz, David; Ryan, Steve; Wostbrock, Fred (1999). The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows (3 ed.). Facts on File, Inc. pp. 124–125. ISBN 0-8160-3846-5.