This cache is part of the Metro Detroit
🎆 Happy New Year's 2020 🎉
Geocaching Event : GC8CZ63
This cache is dedicated to a longtime Detroit Sports TV Show:
Bowling for Dollar$
This TV show ran on local Detroit Television from 1973 to 1979.
It then ran again in 2013-14, but for only one season before ending.
Host Bob Allison (at right) and a contestant from the Detroit version of the TV show.
Detroit has long been known as the Bowling Capital of the United States. Because of this, there are many alleys across the metro area and some of them even have a little "extra" history associated with them. Bowling is still one of America’s favorite family participation sports, as it "gets people off the couch and out of the house".
Bowling for Dollars is a television game show on which people could play the sport of bowling to win cash and sometimes prizes based on how well they bowled. The game show’s premise is simple — bowlers knock down pins, earning $1 for each or $20 for strikes and spares and also compete for prizes, such as dinner for two at local eateries. Bowlers who make two consecutive strikes are awarded a jackpot, which starts at $250 and increases each time it’s not hit.
To add an element of audience participation, viewers were asked to send in postcards with their name and address, which were put in to a large barrel labeled “Pin Pals.” These ‘pin pals,’ would get to win the same amount of money as their bowler.
Tom Ryther hosting Bowling for Dollars in Minneapolis, MN
Unlike most TV game shows of the time, which were taped in New York or Hollywood and broadcast nationally, Bowling for Dollars was produced by local TV stations and only had contestants from the immediate area.
The show was actually a franchise, created by Bert Claster of Claster Television, also the creator of Romper Room. Episodes of Bowling for Dollars were taped either in a local bowling alley, or on a pair of bowling lanes constructed right inside the TV studio.
Bowling shows were televised live from WTAE-TV's (Pittsburgh PA) in-studio bowling lanes.
The show reached its heyday in the 1970s and continued on with its most recent version airing on a TV station in Buffalo, NY, from January to February 2008.
In a charitable cause, Detroit Free Press editor Neal Shineappears in the 1970s series dressed as a Catholic Pope.
Thunderbowl Lanes was built in 1960 and was already well-known for it's quality of the alleys. The facility had been part of a short-lived National Bowling League and even had added a "stadium-type" facility about a year after it was built to accomodate the league along with a restaurant as well. The league itself folded about a year after the expansion of the Thunderbowl was completed and the owners were undecided what to do with it for a few years until they made further changes and created a 20-lane arena-type alley and poker room.
Thunderbowl was even the location for a PBA tournament in 1978, hosted by Earl Anthony, a well-known professional bowler who was nicknamed Bowling's First $1 Million Man.
Bob Allison in 1978-79 in a Promo for the TV Show.
Bowling for Dollars was originally taped at Highland Lanes in Toledo, OH where it was seen on WDHO-24 (now WNWO-TV). Tapings for the show began at the facility in 1974 and would continue here throughout the entire time the show was on-air in Detroit.
The host of the show was local TV and Radio personality, Bob Allison, who's radio show "Ask Your Neighbor" has been broadcast on Metro Detroit airwaves since 1962.
“Bowling for Dollars” had amazing ratings success from 1973 to 1979 and was a daily staple of many rabbit-eared TV sets across Metro Detroit from 7 to 7.30pm, usually just after the Dinner-hour.
Back then, the show had a very "Do-It-Yourself" spirit and a week-worth of the episodes were all recorded on friday nights. This meant that the host had to bring five changes-of-clothing to the bowling alley each friday-night to give the appearance of being an "every day" show.
The Detroit host: Bob Allison in 2014 for the new version of the Show which was on WADL-38.
Allison was also an avid bowler and had also bowled with several local teams over the years, including one from the very exclusive Detroit Athletic Club.
Bowling has always been a fun and popular activity for folks of all ages and there is a possibility that the show may return in the near future. If that happens, maybe you'll see Bob Allison hauling his five-changes-of-clothes inside the ol' Thunderbowl once again.