Maury Povich To Host NBC's Game Show `Twenty One'

NEW YORK - Let the game-show wars begin. NBC says Maury Povich will host its new version of the 1950s-era game show, "Twenty One," when it begins its short run Jan. 9.

The show - surprise, surprise - will air in a fashion similar to the ABC hit "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?"

After the 8 p.m. Jan. 9 show, three other editions will air that month. By scheduling it this way, NBC is trying to thwart - or at least dilute - "Millionaire," which begins its three-nights-per-week run on Jan. 11.

Rick Ludwin, a senior vice president at NBC, said if the show is successful, "Twenty One" would air in troubled time periods on the network's schedule, thus mimicking ABC's strategy.

Indeed, NBC - and the entire network industry - was rocked by ABC's stunning upset win in the November "sweeps," and there is widespread concern by competitors that ABC could win the entire season.

So from NBC's perspective, "Twenty-One" is something of a cavalry charge. When it aired from Sept. 12, 1956, to Oct. 16, 1958, the game show was a national sensation, though it never enjoyed the popularity of CBS' "The $64,000 Question." "Twenty One" collapsed in scandal when producers admitted to supplying some contestants with answers.

The new version will be similar to - and different from - the classic one in key ways. Two contestants will answer questions and the correct answer will be worth a certain number of points. The first to reach 21 points wins.

In the old game, players were asked one question, and depending on its difficulty, a point value was attached. But NBC's version - like "Millionaire" - will give each player multiple-choice questions, and if there is a tie, they will play a "sudden death" round.

Each winning point will be worth $10,000, and a winner's take-home will be the difference between his or her score, and the loser's score. As such, a winner could conceivably take home as much as $210,000, and will continue to play each night until unseated.