Opening Spiels
1968 Pilot Spiel: "Welcome to The Joker's Wild! The only game show on television where the categories really come to life because our categories are people. Baseball, represented by Don Drysdale. Music, represented by Rosemary Clooney. Show Biz, represented by Rich Little. Homemaking, represented by Irene Ryan. Politics, represented by Pat Paulsen. These panel members will be asking questions on their own categories. And now, here's the host of our show, Allen Ludden!"
1969 Pilot Spiel: "Welcome to The Joker's Wild! Television's newest game show where the players really determine their own fate by spinning our category wheels. The categories on the first game are Space, Etiquette, Baseball, Cooking, Movies. And now, here's the host of our show, Allen Ludden!"
CBS Version Spiel (1972): "From Television City in Hollywood, CBS presents America's most exciting new show, THE JOKER'S WILD! Now here's the host of our show, JACK BARRY!"
70s and 80s Spiel: "From (Television City in) Hollywood, here's the game where knowledge is king, and lady luck is queen. It's THE JOKER'S WILD! And now, here's the host of the show, JACK BARRY/JIM PECK/BILL CULLEN!"
1990-1991 Spiel: "Welcome (back) to the game where knowledge is king, and lady luck is queen! It's (the return of) THE JOKER'S WILD! And now, here's your host, PAT FINN!"
Host Intros
Thank you and a very/most cordial welcome once again to The Joker's Wild. - Jack Barry's signature hello
Catchphrases
1972-1986
You'll each be taking turns pulling our levers which activate our category wheels (make them spin). Each time you get lucky combinations, and answer a question correctly you'll win some money. If you come up with three different categories like this (Baseball-Cooking-Royalty) and answer one question that category, you'll score $50. If you come up with a pair and a single like this (Cooking-Royalty-Royalty), a correct answer on a single gets you $50, a correct answer on a pair gets you $100. If you come up with a triple like this (Travel-Travel-Travel), answer one question on that category and you'll score $150 (later $200). We have jokers on the wheels, they're wild, that's the name of the game; when the jokers come up you can make any combination you'd like (Television-JOKER-Baseball/JOKER-Cooking-JOKER). First player to score $500 or more in proper turn wins the game, keeps the money, and goes on to play a bonus round for some beautiful prizes. One other thing, if at anytime three jokers come up (and answer one question correctly), you automatically win the game right then & there regardless of the score. - Jack Barry explaining the rules of the game in earlier shows
Under the rules of our game, the only way you can win is to get three jokers. Anything less than three jokers and the game is over. - Jack explains the final spin when a play is trailing by quite a margin
You need at least a pair to stay alive. - Jack explains the final spin when a play is trailing by quite a margin
Spins
(category), (category), (category)
(category), (category), (category) not a very good spin - When a contestant was trailing
(category), (category), and a pair
(category), a pair, and (category)
(category), a pair, and a triple
(category), a pair, heeeeeeey! - Upon a Natural Triple
(category), (category), and a joker
(category), joker, and (category)
joker, (category), (category)
(category), joker, and a triple
joker, (category), and a triple
joker, joker, (category)
JOKER, JOKER, JOKER!
(Insert special category, i.e. Fast Forward X, when applicable, or certain combination of categories) (Joker/Category...) Nope! It's all over! - Jack when a final spin fails the champion.
On a Question
Right for (insert amount)!
Right for $500.
Can't do it - Upon time running out
That is not right (or correct). You can pick up (insert amount) if you can tell me.
Nope, (insert amount) if you can tell me.
That is not right (or correct). You can win the game if you can tell me. - Upon a game stealing situation
Correct answer here will give you $500 and a possible win/victory, but (insert champ's name) gets his/her final spin. - Upon the challenger playing for the game
Correct answer here will give you $500 and the win, miss it and the game goes on as before. - Upon a three joker question
I caution the audience, please. - Barry requesting the studio audience not to shout out answers as a critical question is asked. When Jim Peck was sub-hosting, he would use the phrase "careful, audience". Bill Cullen would say "please do not help".
You win the game! - Upon winning the game
Face the Devil
Come on over and face the devil! - a familiar phrase Jack used, inviting the champion to step to the right side of the stage for the bonus game
Up on the wheels we have nothing but money & devils. Everytime you spin and avoid the devil you get money. If you get to $1,000 or more without seeing the devil, not only I give the $1,000 but also these gifts as a bonus. - Jack explaining the bonus round rules
Do you QUIT...or GO ON? - Jack offers the decision to the player
Audience Game
(insert names of audience members) Here's your chance/It's your turn to face the devil! - Charlie O' Donnell
We're going to give you a chance to spin these reels and whatever you spin it's yours. If you happen to have the highest score among these three people, you will then have a chance to spin against the devil. - Jack Barry explaining this to the first audience player.
1990-1991
This is our joker machine, there are dollar amounts on all three windows; (let me spin it for you); on the last window is a very important joker. Each spin decides value for each question. Here's how the game works: The Joker's Wild is a game of definitions. I'll give the contestants a word, phrase, person or a place, and they'll tell me specifically what that means. $500 ends round one. We say goodbye to the player who has the least money. - Pat Finn explaining the rules of the game in the 1990 version.
Here's how we play The Joker's Wild: Now just like the classic Joker, up on the wheels are categories. In addition the joker may appear in any window. The joker (of course) is wild, so the player can turn the joker into any category they see on the wheels. Now if choose a single category, it's worth $25, a double category is worth $50, and a triple is worth $100 for each correct answer. Get three jokers, we will automatically add $250 to your score, just like that. And as you know, $1,000 ends round one, and we'll say goodbye to the player with the least money. - Pat Finn explaining the rules of the category/classic era in the 1990 version.
We always start the game with a jump-in, so players put your hands on the buzzers, and good luck. - Pat Finn speaking of the jump-in disclaimer
(insert dollar values) for each correct answer/every one you get right. - Pat Finn
You'll have three seconds to answer. And if our judges determine that any part of your answer is incorrect, I'll have to call it "Wrong". - Pat Finn speaking to the player who got the jump-in correct gets to spin first
Let me say goodbye to you, (name). thank you for being here. We have lovely parting gifts for you backstage. - Pat Finn when he says goodbye to the player with the lowest score
Let me say goodbye to you, (name) we enjoyed having you being here, you leave us with (insert total) in cash and prizes, and our thanks for being with us. - Pat Finn when he says goodbye to the returning champion who lost in the main game
We're gonna come back with round two of The Joker's Wild! - Pat Finn when the show takes its first commercial break
When we come back, you'll see (name) play our bonus round right here on The Joker's Wild! - Pat Finn when the show takes its second commercial break
When we come back, it's (name) and the Joker Machine! - Pat Finn's variation of the upcoming bonus round disclaimer
Next word... first definition... (insert first two definitions) last definition... (insert last definition) - said while Pat read off the definitions during part one of the bonus round
You did great. you got (insert number) right, we'll give you (insert number) spins on the Joker Machine, and if 3 in a row comes up on the machine, you win a great prize, and what are those prizes on the wheels today, Ed? - Pat Finn explaining the second half of the bonus round
If you hit JOKER, JOKER, JOKER in one spin, we'll give you $5000. - Pat Finn when the Joker's Jackpot was won on the previous show
By the way, since you/nobody hit our Joker's Jackpot, we'll add $500, so if you hit JOKER, JOKER, JOKER in one spin, we'll give you (insert Joker's Jackpot). - Pat Finn when the Joker's Jackpot reached $5500 ($500 added to the Jackpot every day) since no one hit it on the previous show
We're gonna come right back to find out everything that he's/she's won right here on The Joker's Wild. - Pat Finn when the show reached its final commercial break
By the way, since you didn't hit our Joker's Jackpot, we're gonna add another $500. So tomorrow/Monday, if you hit JOKER, JOKER, JOKER in one spin, then you'll win (insert Joker's Jackpot) - Pat Finn when the winner failed to hit the Joker's Jackpot
You've hit the Joker's Jackpot so tomorrow/Monday, we'll start all over again at $5000. - Pat Finn when the winner hit the Joker's Jackpot in one spin
Quotes
Thank you so much and a most cordial welcome to a brand new and we hope very exciting show for you. It's called The Joker's Wild. It a show where knowledge is king and lady lack is queen. And where winning players can win up to $25,000 in cash and prizes. - Jack Barry's first ever hello on the first CBS episode, September 4th 1972
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the last Joker's Wild program. On Monday, a new program will appear here. It is called Spin Off, and it features a very good friend of mine, Jim Lange. I hope that you will watch it because I'm sure you will enjoy it. 686 programs ago, I had the distinct pleasure of saying "Welcome to the Joker's Wild." I could not have been able to say that then nor I could say goodbye to you now without acknowledging the contributions made by my friends here at CBS. Notably, the chief of programming, Mr. Fred Silverman, Mr. Bud Grant, Mr. Oscar Katz, and Mr. Michael Odens. Their patience has been monumental. Their loyalty has been terrific as has have been those of you who are watching. I'd also like to pay a special tribute along with my executive producer Dan Enright, to two individuals who have helped so much to make this program the three year success that it has enjoyed here on CBS. In particular, our director Richard Kline with whom-- without whom, we could not have done the program. And the great contributions by our producer, Justin Edgerton. At the end of this program, I cannot-- There is not time for me to list everybody. You will see a full list of the names of the people on the technical staff and on the staff of my own company without whom, we could not have brought you 686 programs. We hope that you've enjoyed them. It's been a great privilege for me to have been with you these three years. They have been the very very happiest and most productive years of my life. We'll be seeing you again shortly and now for the 686th time, this is Jack Barry. To all of us here at the Joker's Wild thanking you for you loyalty and saying goodbye. - Jack Barry's last goodbye on the final CBS episode, June 13th 1975
Today we're going to do something special on The Joker's Wild. We've taken the best of the classic Joker's Wild, combined it with the new Joker game. We've joined the best of both worlds, and I hope you'll agree that it's going to be great. - Pat Finn on the first day of the category era
Taglines
Jack Barry from all of us at the Joker's Wild. Good-bye everybody, thank you. - Jack Barry's Goodbye
Goodbye, from The Joker's Wild. - Bill Cullen's Goodbye
We'll see you again next time for (The Return of) The Joker's Wild. - Pat Finn's Goodbye
Announcer Lines
All contestants have been selected in advanced and are advised to the rules of the game. - CBS Joker announcer
(insert contestant's name), for pulling a natural triple, you've won (insert prize). - Joker announcer
We're adding (insert prize) to our Natural Triple Jackpot. (insert prize description) And now the Natural Triple Jackpot is worth (insert amount). - Charlie O'Donnell, during the Natural Triple Jackpot Era
Closing Logos
The Joker's Wild is a Jack Barry Production! All contestants are selected in advance and are advised on the rules of the game! Stay tuned for The New Price is Right/The $10,000 Pyramid/Gambit (next) on most of these stations! - Johnny Jacobs and sub-announcers Johnny Gilbert, Roy Rowan, and Marc Summers
This is Jay Stewart/Johnny Gilbert speaking... (Used from 1977-78 only)
The Joker's Wild is a Jack Barry & Dan Enright Production! - Syndicated run only
The Joker's Wild is a Kline & Friends production; in association with Jack Barry Productions! - Ed MacKay