| The Big Payoff | |
|---|---|
 Robert Paige as the show host, 1957. | |
| Directed by | Paul Alter |
| Presented by | Randy Merriman (1951-1957) Bob Paige (1957-1959, 1962) Bert Parks (1959) with Bess Myerson |
| Narrated by | Ralph Paul Mort Laurence |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | NBC (Dec. 31, 1951 - Mar. 27, 1953) CBS (Mar. 30, 1953 - Oct. 23, 1959) Syndicated (daily, 1962) |
| Release | December 31, 1951 – 1962 |
The Big Payoff is 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.[1] 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.[citation needed]
Over its eight-year run plus syndication, the show had three hosts. The first was Randy Merriman (from 1951-1957), who left after claiming that CBS was in breach of his contract. Bob Paige took his place from 1957-1959. He was followed by a short stint by Bert Parks (1959).[citation needed] In October 1959 CBS removed the show along with all of its other quiz shows out of abundance of caution; it stated it could not ensure the shows were produced honestly in the wake of the quiz show scandals of the late 1950s.[2]
Contestants were selected from men who mailed in letters explaining why the women in their lives deserved prizes. The men were asked four questions (delivered on a silver tray by "Question Girl" Susan Sayers) in order to win prizes like a mink coat or a vacation. Late in the network run, the format changed to three competing couples playing a guessing game. The couple with the highest score answered the Big Payoff question. For the 1962 revival, there were only two couples.[citation needed]
On Tuesdays, the format changed to the "Little Big Payoff" in which children sent in a letter in which they voiced the reason that they should appear. Four questions were asked, and prizes awarded for each correct answer.[citation needed]
Winning contestants (other than the children) had the opportunity to answer one final question. Getting this question correct, the individual was awarded the "big payoff" of a mink coat or a trip to Europe, or both.[citation needed] Bess Myerson modeled the mink coat for several years.[3]
The theme song was "A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody" by Irving Berlin, and the sponsor was Revlon.[citation needed]
