The New Treasure Hunt

This, if many of you have read my previous reviews, is my all-time favorite game shows.

It just doesn't seem like almost 50 years ago that this had been broadcast...but it has, come 2023. We have seen all the cast pass away, with the exception of Sivi Aberg. Jan Murray, who created the original game show back in the 1950s, proved yet again that cruel humor works and tense moments of suspense are very key in the elements of surprise. It's shown here in its glory, and for four great years between 1973 and 1977, it came to fruition. Chuck Barris himself had a lot to do with the gags here; it just took the right element and timing of the late Geoff Edwards to time them perfectly. There is no doubt that the whole production crew, including Walt Case and John Dorsey, could not hold back the same suspense and laughter. The concept was brilliant, and the show likely would have kept going, but Edwards wanted more involvement in the contestants but Barris wanted more suspense. Was not 30 surprise boxes not enough? Enter 1981 and now 64 boxes. That's when the show lost its luster, to me.

So much more can be said for the 1973-1977 run, and that is why it will be my forever number one game show of all time...50 years later.

You guys were all great! Thank you Geoff, Walt, John, Sivi, Nomi, Jane, Emile...and especially Chuck - who made it all possible. It was the best.

I remember watching this show when I was about 5 years old. The one thing I wanted to mention was the song they used to play when they revealed a "clunk" to the contestant. I remember this song used to freak me out, so after a while, I'd watch the show with the sound completely turned down (it was the 1970's, there were no mute buttons).

Another note is that the show came back on around 1981. In this version, every contestant was a woman, and they had never had any men even attempt to open up the small jack in the box to see if they'd go on to pick 1 of 64 boxes. I recall reading somewhere that they thought women would react better to all those skits they'd pull off after a box was chosen, so they never had a man on this 1980's version of the show. The 1980's version was only on for a season, I believe.

Not only was watching the show a lot of fun, seeing whether someone would get a klunk or not, the pretty packages added to the fun. My dad thought they didn't have klunks, but they did. Sometimes someone would get a klunk and it would STAY a klunk. Sometimes someone would get a klunk and it would change to a good prize. Someone on here said the "klunk song" frightened them - to me it wasn't frightening but it was so annoying. There's this weird atonal song they play at the end of the Beatles song Strawberry Fields Forever, and it used to frighten me. So don't feel bad. Tony Cacciotti, who had a big mud fight with Burt Reynolds in The Longest Yard, was in some of the skits but I don't remember seeing him.

This mid-70s game show hosted by Geoff Edwards used to make me double over in laughter. The premise revolved around 30 huge, elaborately wrapped gift boxes scattered across the stage, with assorted prizes and several outrageous "clunks" (booby prizes) hidden within. One box would contain a check for $25,000, which was placed by "bonded security agent" Emil Autouri.

Each show gave two lucky contestants the chance to select a gift box and (hopefully) come away with either a nice prize or that $25,000 check. Each round would start with a section of the audience who had small gift boxes in their possession. Most of these were empty, except for three boxes with the numerals 1, 2 and 3. These lucky contestants would join Geoff on stage and select from three more boxes, one of which contained a "surprise" (either a jack-in-the-box pop up or a bouquet of flowers). This contestant would then have a pick from among the 30 huge gift boxes. Each box also came with an envelope, revealing a cash award that the contestant could keep if they decided not to keep the box. Naturally everyone opts to keep the box, and then the hilarity would ensue. Geoff Edwards would always take his customary "peek" into the box and give the contestant a look of astonishment before revealing the "prize". I'm not sure what the ratio was for "clunks" to "good prizes", but I'm thinking the clunks FAR outweighed the good prizes! Who could forget that goofy mumbled-boppy music that would play every time a clunk was revealed? Of course there was some trickery every now and then as well... one of my favorites started out with a contestant winning a "B-note", which then (after several "producers" would appear and say a "mistake" was made) became a "pea coat", which then became a "cream float", which then became a "she-goat" but ultimately turned out to be a SKI BOAT (four "clunks" that ultimately became a great prize... how about that?). I remember seeing several occasions where the contestant won the 25 grand, but most episodes would end with Geoff asking the "bonded security agent" if he in fact placed the grand prize check in one of the 30 boxes. He would always reply "YES I DID", which were the ONLY words we ever heard from him, despite Geoff's many efforts to make him talk, break out in laughter or even cry! I'm really hoping GSN is able to unearth this gem sometime soon!

I used to love this show as a kid! I also used to and still kind of do have a crush on Geoff Edwards. He was funny and goofy trying to pry into making the contestants' emotions run wild. The reason there was no male contestants and only female contestants is because men wouldn't like to be "klunked"(a term coined by Geoff himself)and females make better contestants Chuck Barris has said. And men would want to beat up Geoff perhaps in a "dark alley!". But Geoff was perfect for the show and if there was ever a remake, he should host it and only Geoff himself!! I hope and pray that GSN like another person has said on this board will unleash this show and put it on the air. Really, really soon and bad!!