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So-called because the contestant is tempted with four prizes (which he/she doesn't have to try to win) plus a brand new car.

Gameplay[]

  • The contestant is shown the first digit in the price of the car. They are then shown four prizes, referred to as "gifts," one at a time. On occasion, cash is one of the four prizes in this game. Each prize's price or total cash amount is displayed, with one of the digits being the next digit in the price of the car. The contestant must guess which is the correct next digit for each of the four prizes. There are only two unique digits in the price of each prize (eg: $488, or $1,331), making the choice an either-or proposition.
  • Once all of the digits have been selected, the contestant is given one last opportunity to change any of the four digits they have chosen. They may choose more than one number if they wish. After that, the "Temptation" part of the game sets in: the total value of the four gifts is then stated, and the contestant is given the choice to either take the gifts and quit or see if the price of the car is correct. If it is, the contestant wins the car AND the four prizes, but if they have even ONE number wrong, the contestant loses everything.
  • For statistical purposes, it's not treated as a win or a loss if the contestant chooses to take the prizes and not go for the car.

History[]

  • When Temptation debuted, contestant Stephanie Brower did not have the option of changing any digits, and Stephanie took her prizes. This rule was introduced by July 12, 1974 (#0975D), which builds up more tension when the correct price is revealed.
  • The Temptation board went through many changes throughout its history: was originally green, and the "actual price" displays were orange with black numbers. The font for the "Temptation" logo changed by October 23, 1979 (#3442D). The large gap at the bottom was filled in by March 27, 1980 (#3614D). The game's pink color scheme debuted on April 11, 1988 (#6841D), with the "actual price" displays being changed to a black background and white numbers. The placards for the prizes' prices were changed from orange to a red background with white numbers. The Temptation board was modified on February 26, 1993 (#8715D) with the four-digit display expanded to accommodate five digits, but still offered four-digit cars until March 29, 1993 (#8761D), using the first space as a dollar sign, until the first five-digit car was offered on April 15, 1993 (#8784D). It received its first major set change that debuted on March 26, 2010 (#5095K). The contestant's choices now appear in the same font as the actual digits of the car's price, now using electronic displays and using gold 3D Price down dollar signs before showing any digits, and lights were also added at the bottom.
  • Before the four-digit format was retired in 1993, the first prize offered was one of three numbers, with one number that was obviously wrong (e.g. $971)
  • Later in the Carey era, Drew would often pretend that it's the contestant's "birthday."
  • One of the more "famous" prizes for this game is a fishbowl of cash. This was used frequently to make sure there were enough prizes with two repeating digits during the game. The fishbowl of cash has continued making appearances on this game on the Carey era.
  • During the days of four-digit car prices, there would be no free digit given, and there were sometimes three choices for the first number, but one (or sometimes two) of them was obviously wrong (for instance, $189).
  • On November 19, 2013 (#6502K, aired out of order on November 18), this game was played for a Porsche 911 Carrera, valued at $92,745. In the game, contestant Josephine Eras had all 5 numbers correct but had chosen to take the sure-thing prizes worth $3,983.
  • Temptation was played 3 times on the primetime version. But unfortunately, they were all lost.
  • On May 23, 2016 (#7551K), a contestant named Patrick Smith Sr. got only the last digit wrong and lost $5,286 in prizes because he went for the car, so did Megan Peeler on January 30, 2020 (#9004K, aired out of order on December 27, 2019) and lost $5,347 in prizes.

Trivia[]

  • This game is not to be confused with the syndicated game show called Temptation: The New Sale of the Century (or Temptation), another FremantleMedia (now Fremantle) production hosted by Rossi Morreale and based on Sale of the Century created by Al Howard. It aired as pilots on November 4, 2006, as 2 sneak peeks on MyNetworkTV on September 5, 2007 and a series distributed by 20th Television for first-run syndication from September 5, 2007 to May 23, 2008.
  • This is also the name of a short-lived ABC daytime game show hosted by Art James from 1967-68 and an unsold 1981 pilot hosted by Jed Allan.
  • Any car can be played in this game, but the 4 prizes being presented have to share one of the correct 4 numbers remaining as the 1st number is given to the player for free.
  • Temptation is the only game that offers thousands of dollars worth of prizes without needing to do anything to 'win' them (in spite of the point of the game).
  • The most number of times this game was played in any season was 46 (seasons 2 and 4), while least number of times this game was played in any season was 1 (season 1).
  • Temptation was one of seven pricing games seen on the fifth taping session of Season 36, which was seen on October 19, 2007 (#4045K, aired out of order on November 20), October 26, 2007 (#4055K, aired out of order on October 18), November 5, 2007 (#4071K, aired out of order on November 28), and November 12, 2007 (#4081K, aired out of order on November 14).
  • The odds of winning this game are 1/16, or 6.25%.
  • This is the final pricing game to debut in Season 1.
  • During the Barker era, this game was notable for having each prizes' background music continue to play while the contestant making their guess, ensuring that the game had continuous background music while the car's price was being assembled. In the Carey era, the music fades out after each prize description, much like it would in many other games.

Gallery[]

To view the gallery, click here.

YouTube Videos[]

Temptation Debut Episode
A malfunction-type win from Christmas 1983 (December 22, 1983, #5134D)
Last Temptation Winner under Bob Barker's Tenure (February 13, 2007, #3882K)
1st Temptation Winner under Drew Carey's Tenure (January 10, 2012, #5792K)
Temptation played for a Most Expensive Car from 2013 (November 19, 2013, #6502K, aired out of order on November 18)
1st Ever Team to Win Temptation for Valentine's Day 2014 (February 14, 2014, #6615K)
2nd Temptation Winner under Drew Carey's Tenure (November 3, 2014, #6872K)
[VIDEO BLOCKED BY FREMANTLE] 3rd Temptation Winner under Drew Carey's Tenure (October 28, 2015, #7263K)
4th (LONG-DUE) Temptation Winner under Drew Carey's Tenure (March 12, 2021, #9345K, aired out of order on June 28)

1970s Pricing Games
Any Number | Bonus Game | Double Prices | Grocery Game | Bullseye (1) | Clock Game | Double Bullseye | Five Price Tags | Most Expensive | Money Game | Give or Keep | Range Game | Hi Lo | Double Digits | Lucky Seven | Temptation | Mystery Price | Shell Game | Card Game | Race Game | Ten Chances | Golden Road | Poker Game | One Right Price | Danger Price | 3 Strikes | Hurdles | Cliff Hangers | Safe Crackers | Dice Game | Bullseye (2) | Switcheroo | Hole in One (or Two) | Squeeze Play | Secret 'X' | Professor Price | Finish Line | Take Two | Shower Game | It's Optional | Punch-A-Bunch | Telephone Game | Penny Ante
Active Pricing Games
Any Number | Bonus Game | Double Prices | Grocery Game | Clock Game | Five Price Tags | Most Expensive | Money Game | Range Game | Hi Lo | Lucky Seven | Temptation | Shell Game | Card Game | Race Game | Ten Chances | Golden Road | One Right Price | Danger Price | 3 Strikes | Cliff Hangers | Safe Crackers | Dice Game | Bullseye (2) | Switcheroo | Hole in One (or Two) | Squeeze Play | Secret 'X' | Take Two | Punch-A-Bunch | Bargain Game | Grand Game | Now....or Then | Check Game | Check-Out | Pick-A-Pair | Plinko | Master Key | One Away | Pathfinder | Spelling Bee | Make Your Move | 2 for the Price of 1 | Swap Meet | Pick-A-Number | Switch? | Cover Up | Side by Side | Freeze Frame | Shopping Spree | Eazy as 1-2-3 | It's in the Bag | Line 'Em Up | One Wrong Price | Push Over | Let 'Em Roll | Flip Flop | Triple Play | That's Too Much! | Bonkers | Pass the Buck | Coming or Going | ½ Off | Pocket ¢hange | Balance Game (2) | Stack the Deck | More or Less | Gas Money | Rat Race | Pay the Rent | Double Cross | Do The Math | Time is Money (2) | Vend-O-Price | Hot Seat | Gridlock! | Back to '74 | To The Penny
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