Sale of the Century (Australian game show)

Sale of the Century (Australia)
Company type	Television program
Industry	Television game show
Founded	July 14, 1980; 46 years ago
Defunct	November 29, 2001
Headquarters	Australia
Area served	Australia
Key people	Tony Barber (host, 1980–1991), Glenn Ridge (host, 1991–2001), Barbie Rogers, Victoria Nicolls, Delvene Delaney, Alyce Platt, Jo Bailey, Nicky Buckley, Karina Brown (hostesses), Pete Smith (announcer)
Products	Quiz show

Sale of the Century (presented as $ale of the Century) was a prominent Australian prime time quiz show broadcast on the Nine Network from 14 July 1980 until 29 November 2001. Its concept was derived from both the Australian series Great Temptation (1970–1974) and the original American Sale of the Century (1969–1973). The Australian version later inspired international adaptations, including a US revival that aired between 1983 and 1989.

The show's initial host was Tony Barber, who previously led Great Temptation, and he remained in this role for over ten years before Glenn Ridge succeeded him in 1991. The hostesses over the years included Barbie Rogers, Victoria Nicolls, Delvene Delaney, Alyce Platt, Jo Bailey, Nicky Buckley, and Karina Brown. For most of the program’s duration, Pete Smith served as announcer, taking over from Ron Neate after the first ten episodes in 1980.

This series was later revived under the title Temptation, which aired from 30 May 2005 to 23 January 2009.

Gameplay

Three contestants compete to accumulate the highest score by correctly answering questions and participating in various challenges. Typically, the reigning champion from the previous episode returns to defend their title.

Each contestant begins with a starting amount of $20. The host poses a trivia question, and players may buzz in at any time—even interrupting—to respond. A correct response adds $5 to their score, while an incorrect one subtracts $5. Only one player is permitted to answer each question.

Gift Shop

Following the conclusion of the first two rounds—and originally after the third—the contestant with the highest score gains access to the "Gift Shop," where they can exchange part of their accumulated money for a discounted prize. The cost of items increases as rounds progress: approximately $5–7 in round one, $7–10 in round two, and $10–16 in round three. Contestants can negotiate with the host, who may reduce prices or offer cash incentives depending on game circumstances. When scores are tied, a Dutch auction occurs, gradually lowering prices until a player accepts or the offer is withdrawn.

Certain Gift Shops featured a "Sale Surprise," an additional prize revealed after this phase regardless of whether a purchase was made.

Cashbox/Cash Card

In 1986, coinciding with an updated theme, set design, and co-host Platt joining, the third Gift Shop prize was replaced by two mini-games that offered cash or extra rewards:

Cashbox

The leading contestant (or winner of a tie-break auction) could risk their advantage for a chance at a cash jackpot starting at $2,000, increasing by $1,000 daily until claimed. The player selected one of three boxes; one contained the jackpot while the others held smaller amounts ($100 or $200).

This concept was subsequently adopted in the United States as "Instant Cash."

Cash Card

In 1989, as part of a format overhaul introducing audiovisual questions, a 30-second "Fast Money" segment, an additional "Fame Game" (discontinued in 1992), and replacing shopping rounds with the "Winner's Board," the Cashbox was substituted with the Cash Card. This feature gave the leading player an opportunity to win a cash prize roughly equal to an average monthly middle-class Australian income, secure eligibility for winning a car later in the game, recover points spent earlier, or reduce an opponent’s score. Participation required wagering $15.

Four playing cards—the Aces from each suit—were presented; selecting one revealed one of four possible results:

"$15": reimbursed the player's stake.
"Joker": a worthless consolation prize.
"Prize": an additional reward valued between $2,000 and $3,000.
"Cash Card": a jackpot beginning at $5,000 and increasing by $1,000 nightly if unclaimed.

For three years, if the leader declined to play Cash Card, second place could attempt it without access to the jackpot card. In cases where second place was tied, a general knowledge question determined who proceeded. This option ended in 1992.

That year also saw two modifications: fixing the jackpot at $5,000 (occasionally raised to $10,000) and replacing the "Joker" with a "Take $5" card that allowed players to subtract five points from an opponent’s score.

By 1994, reflecting a casino motif, four single-reel poker machines replaced cards. Each machine displayed a suit symbol and was programmed to land on specific outcomes when chosen. The "Take $5" card became exclusive to celebrity episodes and was replaced on regular shows by a machine featuring that week’s car manufacturer logo; selecting this machine and winning added that vehicle to the Winner's Board.

Fame Game

The Fame Game involved extended-format questions that began with prompts like "Who am I?" or "What is my name?" appearing once in each round. Contestants buzzed in to respond without penalty but were limited to a single guess each.

Correct responses granted access to the "famous faces" mini-game, where players selected from nine images of celebrities or landmarks (reduced to six on The $25,000 Great Temptation). Each chosen image revealed either modest prizes such as household appliances or furniture valued around a weekly wage, or money cards initially worth $25.

By 1984, additional money cards valued at $10 and $15 were introduced—$10 was available from the outset, $15 appeared starting with the second Fame Game, and $25 from the third. In 1986, the final Fame Game included a "wild card" that offered either $1,000 cash or an extra pick. Between 1989 and 1992, a fourth Fame Game was incorporated, separated from earlier games by two $5 questions; during this period, a $20 card was briefly added before being removed in 1992.

Speed Round (Fast Money)

Following the third Fame Game, the original setup featured three general knowledge questions to determine the winner, although only one question was asked in the premiere episode. Around 1983, this segment evolved into a rapid-fire speed round known as the "Mad Minute," where the host posed as many questions as possible within a 60-second timeframe.

In 1989, the format was altered again: after the second Fame Game, contestants answered several questions followed by a shorter 30-second speed round prior to the second Gift Shop offer. The final speed round was initially shortened to 30 seconds but was restored to a full minute by 1990. Leading contestants frequently demonstrated strong performance during this phase.

A notable milestone occurred on 12 November 1986 when part-time taxi driver David Poltorak set an Australian front game record by scoring $200 and securing a then-record total prize pool of $376,200. Other significant high scores include Ian's $170 in 1985 and Virginia Noel's $155 in 1983. Poltorak’s record stood until 1994 when Dean Sole surpassed it with $201 on New Zealand’s version.

The contestant accumulating the highest total cash was declared the winner. If there was a tie, a tiebreaker question beginning with "Who am I?" determined the champion—correct answers prevailed while incorrect ones resulted in loss.

In response to declining viewership in 2000, the show was rebranded as Sale of the New Century and modified to feature four contestants per episode competing in an elimination-style format; after each of the last two Fame Games, the lowest scorer was removed. Ties for last place were settled using a Fame-Game-style question.

Prior to the first Fame Game, an initial set of questions included a "Brain Drain" query starting at $20 and decreasing by $5 every ten seconds. At first, this question ended once its value dropped below $5; later versions froze the timer at $5 after 30 seconds for the remainder of questioning.

Individual Cash Card poker machines were replaced by one touch-screen video poker device controlled by the co-host. The "Prize" option changed to "Take $5." Contestants who won consecutively competed in a "best of three" playoff called "Super Sale," with cash awards matching their opponent's jackpot. The reigning champion then faced off against the next Grand Champion who won consecutively for a cash prize equal to their jackpot.

In 2001, the word "New" was dropped from the title as the show reverted to featuring three contestants per episode while retaining elimination of the lowest scorer before the final fast money round.

Bonus Games

Over its 21-year duration, the program utilized two primary bonus game structures:

Shopping format

At the outset, contestants had the opportunity to buy a sequence of six prizes (initially seven), culminating with one or two luxury automobiles. The prices for these prizes ranged from $55 up to $530 for the cars. Participants could choose to cash out by purchasing a prize or continue competing in hopes of acquiring items of greater value. Champions who accumulated enough to afford the car had the option to either take it home or keep playing to secure all available rewards.

Starting in late 1982, champions eligible for the car also had a chance to compete for a cash jackpot that began at $50,000 and increased by $2,000 each night until claimed. They could buy all prizes for $605 or opt for the entire set plus the jackpot—the so-called "lot"—for $700. The highest jackpot ever awarded reached $508,000.

Winner's Board

In 1989, the shopping segment was replaced with the "Winner's Board," which consisted of a 12-space grid containing six pairs of prizes, along with special "WIN" and "CAR" cards. Contestants selected numbers to uncover matching pairs; to win the car, they needed to reveal the "WIN" card before finding the "CAR" card.

By 1992, after modifications to the format, the "WIN" and "CAR" cards were substituted with an additional prize unless players accumulated $100 or more or chose the car space during Cash Card (introduced in 1994), which brought back these cards. If players cleared the board without meeting these conditions, they faced a car game in their subsequent episode.

Following each match, contestants decided whether to keep their prizes or risk them by returning for another round. Losing meant forfeiting all board prizes; however, clearing the board and winning one additional game within seven or eight episodes earned them the cash jackpot.

Tournaments

In 1985, an Australian/American challenge brought together top winners from each country's version to compete for a $100,000 prize. During the first two weeks, 12 champions from each nation competed internally to select two representatives. The final week featured a best-of-five series where the Australian team (Virginia Noel and Fran Powell) triumphed over the American team (Frances Wolfe and Alice Conkright) in three consecutive games.

The following year, 1986, saw the Ashes series adopt a similar format, with Australian champions facing off against British contenders for $100,000. The Australian duo (David Bock and Cary Young) once again secured victory in three straight matches against the British team featuring Daphne Fowler and Susan Kaye.

Later that same year, a Commonwealth Games tournament involved participants from Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, with Cary Young emerging as champion.

Between 1987 and 1989, World Championship competitions took place featuring champions from Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Winners during this period included Cary Young (1987), David Bock (1988), and Brian MacDonnell from New Zealand (1989).

During these years, Student Championship events highlighted Year 12 students from across Australia.

In 1990, Young, Bock, and MacDonnell competed in a Masters series that was ultimately won by Young.

The US edition hosted an "International Tournament" in 1987 involving top winners from the US, Canada, and Australia; Cary Young claimed that grand championship title.

Celebrity Weeks

Starting in 1990, special celebrity weeks were introduced where well-known personalities competed over four days. Each day produced a winner who advanced to a two-day final round; there, the highest-scoring celebrity was declared champion. Celebrities from popular television programs such as The Sullivans, The Young Doctors, Prisoner, and A Country Practice took part. Each celebrity played on behalf of a home viewer who received all earned cash and prizes; additionally, the viewer representing the ultimate winner was awarded an extra prize—usually a car.

Top 10 Grand Champions

Position	Contestant	Prize Money	Date or Year
1	Robert Kusmierski	$676,790	06-01-1992
2	Kate Buckingham	$471,640	15-10-1990
3	Simon Fallon	$434,065	21-02-2001
4	Sandra Oxley	$421,080	1997
5	Tom Beck	$420,573	31-05-2000
6	Richard Hitesman	$382,341	1993
7	David Poltorak	$376,104	11-12-1986
8	Peter McMillan	$372,538
9	Cameron Burge	$360,844	01-08-1995
10	Andrew Yeend	$357,889	08-07-1999

Additional distinguished champions include Vincent Smith from Sale, Victoria, who was the first to secure a victory prior to the cash jackpot era with winnings of $73,099; Cary Young, who accumulated $78,606 in 1982 before capturing the World Championship title in 1987; Hayward Maberley, who amassed $343,536 in cash and prizes including a then-record jackpot of $206,000 in 1983; and Chris Walker from Maldon, Victoria, noted as the youngest champion at just 16 years old.

Statistics

Record for most correct answers in a single episode: David Poltorak with 35 correct responses out of 55 in episode #1443.
Longest streak of consecutive correct answers: Virginia Noel achieved a flawless run of 14 out of 14 in episode #0851.
A contestant won episode #0376 despite only answering one question correctly.
Youngest winner on record: Andrew Werbik at age 16 during episode #1493.
Minimum winning amount recorded: $20 in episode #0030.
Highest winning total in standard episodes: David Poltorak’s $200 in episode #1443 (excluding tournament play).
Number of cars won on the first night of competition: thirteen.
Largest cash jackpot awarded: $508,000 to Robert Kusmierski.
Youngest participants to compete: Justin Ford (Victoria) and Sue Yap (NSW), both aged 15.
Most correct answers during the fast money round (60 seconds): David Poltorak in episode #1443.
Sole contestant to answer all first-round questions without error: Leesa Selke.
Only international team to defeat Australia on home turf: Paul Moran and Adrian Davies (England) during The Ashes series in 1993, episode #2821.
Total value of cash and prizes awarded by the end of 2001: $60,692,993—comprising $16,343,619 in cash and $44,349,374 worth of prizes including over three hundred vehicles.

Theme music

The show's theme tune was composed by Jack Grimsley and underwent three remixes throughout its run—in the years 1986, 1989, and again in 2000.

Board Games

Crown & Andrews produced five distinct editions of the Sale of the Century board game for home use featuring the Quizzard gameplay system. This format was similar to the American version released by American Publishing Corp. in 1986.

PC CD-ROM Game

Roadshow Interactive launched a Sale of the Century PC CD-ROM game that showcased Glenn Ridge and Nicky Buckley on its cover. The game supported up to four players using buzzers named "The Slammer," which connected via joystick ports. Notably, neither host provided voice narration within the game.

Giveaway

Between 1997 and 1998, contestants who did not win had the option to receive either the board game or the CD-ROM game as a consolation prize along with a commemorative stick pin.

Possible revamp

In July 2018, speculation arose that Network Ten intended to bring back a refreshed version of Sale of the Century. Reports from TV Tonight indicated that Ten had prepared studio facilities at Pyrmont for Fremantle to pilot this reboot. However, as of 2020, no official confirmation regarding this revival has been announced.

External links