The Time David Letterman Hosted A Game Show In 1977

“This week, [insert celebrity introductions here], will be competing against [insert other team name here] on… THE RIDDLERS! With your host, David Letterman!”

This is a bizarre pilot in which five celebrities played against five contestants.

Five celebrities played against five contestants of the same occupation, hobby, etc. in a game of asking & answering riddles. At the start of a team’s first turn, host Letterman read a riddle to the first player, and a correct answer allowed that player to read a riddle to his/her partner, who then a read a riddle to the next player, and so on and so forth. As soon as a team got five correct answers, progress went the other way. When a player missed a riddle, control went over to the other team. The first team to answer nine riddles correctly won the game and $500.

The winning team went on to play a bonus game called “Crazy Quotes” for some extra money. Players on the winning team arranged themselves around in “intellectual ability”. Letterman read five quotes supposedly said by famous people. Each correct answer won more money and they increase in difficulty. The first four questions were worth $100, $200, $300, & $400, and the last question was worth $1,000, for a maximum total of $2,000.

But who cares, really? IT WAS HOSTED BY DAVID LETTERMAN!