Win Ben Stein's Money
| Win Ben Stein's Money | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre | Game show |
| Created by | Al Burton Donnie Brainard Byron Glore Andrew J. Golder |
| Directed by | Dennis Rosenblatt |
| Presented by |
Ben Stein with Jimmy Kimmel (1997–2000) Nancy Pimental (2000–2001) Sal Iacono (2002–2003) |
| Opening theme | Symphony No. 9: Ode to Joy |
| Ending theme | Die Walküre: Ride of the Valkyries |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 715 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Andrew J. Golder |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Buena Vista Television Valleycrest Productions, Ltd. |
| Release | |
| Original network | Comedy Central |
| Original release | July 28, 1997 – January 31, 2003 |
Win Ben Stein's Money was an American television game show created by Al Burton and Donnie Brainard that aired first-run episodes from July 28, 1997 to January 31, 2003 on the Comedy Central cable network, with repeat episodes airing until May 8, 2003. The show featured three contestants who competed to answer general knowledge questions in order to win the grand prize of $5,000 from the show's host, Ben Stein. In the second half of each episode, Stein participated as a "common" contestant in order to defend his money from being taken by his competitors. The show won six Daytime Emmy awards, with Stein and Jimmy Kimmel, the show's original co-host, sharing the Outstanding Game Show Host award in 1999.
As noted in a disclaimer during the closing credits, prize money won by contestants was paid from a prize budget furnished by the producers of the show. Any money left over in that budget at the end of a season was given to Stein. If the total amount paid out during a season exceeded that budget, the production company paid the excess. In this way, Stein was never in any danger of losing money from his own pocket.
Stein's co-host was Jimmy Kimmel for the first three years. Kimmel left in 2000 and was replaced by Nancy Pimental, who co-hosted the program through 2001. Kimmel's cousin, Sal Iacono, who took over the role in 2002, was the show's last co-host. Although Kimmel left the program in 2000, he occasionally made guest appearances afterward, and hosted College Week episodes in 2001.
The game began with three contestants and $5,000 in Stein's bank. Five categories were always available for contestants to choose from, with pun-laden titles hinting at the questions' content. After a contestant chose a category, its value was revealed ($50, $100, or $150) and Stein asked a toss-up question open to all three contestants. Higher-valued categories were more difficult. If a contestant rang in and answered correctly, the question value was added to his/her score and deducted from Stein's bank. An incorrect response carried no penalty, but allowed the other two contestants a chance to ring in. The contestant who answered the toss-up was then asked a follow-up question worth $50. If he/she could not answer, either of the other two could ring in and attempt to score. If no one answered the toss-up correctly, the $50 question was asked as a toss-up as well. Once both questions had been asked, the category was removed from play and a new one substituted in its place, and the contestant who gave the last correct answer to that point chose the next category.
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