The Big Payoff [SEP] original network
The Big Payoff
The Big Payoff was a daytime and primetime game show that premiered on NBC in 1951, and ended its network run on CBS in 1959. It had a brief syndication revival in 1962. NBC used "The Big Payoff" to replace the 15-minute show "Miss Susan" starring Susan Peters, which had gone off the air in December 1951.
Over its eight-year run plus syndication, the show had three hosts. The first was Randy Merriman (from 1951-1957), who left
payment. However, if the show is cancelled by the network before producing enough episodes to be syndicated, or if no syndication buyers want the show, the production company must absorb the difference between the cost of production and the original license fee, which can now amount to millions of dollars for each season.
, most reality television producers believe that deficit financing will never be financially viable because the vast majority of reality production companies are too small to wait long enough for the big payoff (and, because most reality shows