The Big Spin

The Big Spin
Created byFred Tatashore
Presented byChuck Woolery
Geoff Edwards
Larry Anderson
Jack Gallagher
Pat Finn
with
Maiquel Alejo
AnnouncerCharlie O'Donnell
Rich Hardaway
Jackie Taylor
Randy West
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons24
No. of episodes1,213
Production
Executive producerJonathan Goodson
Running time21 Minutes (without commercials)
Production companiesFred Tatashore Productions (1985-1991)
Alexander Media Services (1985-1991)
Cal Image (1991-1999)
Jonathan Goodson Productions (1999-2009)
Original release
NetworkSyndicated (weekly, California only)
ReleaseOctober 28, 1985 (1985-10-28) –
January 10, 2009 (2009-01-10)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

The Big Spin is the California Lottery's first television game show.

It ended with a fixed top prize of $3 million and a minimum guaranteed cash prize of $1,750. The total cash and prizes given in 2007 came out to $17,872,500, the most money given away in a game show that year, therefore being "the biggest money game show on Earth" as its introduction stated.[1]

Originally, the show was taped in Hollywood, California at Hollywood Center Studios. From 1986 to 1998, the show was taped in Sacramento; Mike Side hosted a short time when the show was done at the KTXL studios in Sacramento, the state capital as well as headquarters of the lottery. From 1999 until the end of its run, the show was taped in Hollywood at KCET Studios.[2]

The Big Spin ended as the second longest-running lottery game show[3] on January 10, 2009, over 23 years since its first broadcast in October 1985; it was replaced with Make Me a Millionaire on January 17.[4][5]

  1. ^ ""Best of the Big Spin" Revisits Most Memorable Moments of 2007". www.centredaily.com. Archived from the original on January 2, 2008. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
  2. ^ Los Angeles Resident Wins More Than $2 Million Archived January 7, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (7 January 2009). "3 Ball takes chance on lottery game show". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  4. ^ "The Big Spin" Show Signs Off, Making Way for "Make Me A Millionaire", 2009 1st Quarter Press Release, California State Lottery, January 9, 2009. Retrieved March 14, 2009. Archived January 19, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "Commission Advisory, Videos of the Commission Meeting" of December 3, 2008, Agenda Item 7E, California State Lottery. Archived March 15, 2009, at the Wayback Machine