The $64,000 Question was a British quiz show based on the American format of the same name. The show originally ran from 19 May 1956 to 18 January 1958 produced by ATV and was originally hosted by Jerry Desmonde, and called simply The 64,000 Question with the top prize initially being 64,000 sixpences (ã1,600), later doubling to 64,000 shillings (ã3,200). After a successful pilot was shot on 15 November 1989, the programme was revived from 1 June 1990 to 29 August 1993 with Bob Monkhouse as the host and a higher ã6,400 top prize.
Jerry Desmonde was the host and former Detective Superintendent Robert Fabian was "custodian of the questions". Each contestant answered questions based on their subject of expertise. The first question earned 100 sixpences (ã2/10/-), correctly answering the next question increased the player's winnings to 500 sixpences, or ã12/10/-. Each of the next two questions featured two parts and answering both parts doubled the player's winnings to 1,000 sixpences (ã25) and 2,000 sixpences (ã50) respectively. The remaining questions featured three parts, then four parts, five parts, six parts, and the final question required at least seven parts to be answered correctly to win the top prize of 64,000 sixpences, or ã1,600. In late 1956, while the values remained the same, the money increased from sixpences to shillings, for a top prize of ã3,200 (64,000 shillings). ã3,200 was higher, in real terms (i.e. accounting for inflation), than anything on offer on British TV for most of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, after the Independent Television Authority (later the Independent Broadcasting Authority) imposed prize limits on game shows after the general discrediting of the genre following the quiz show scandals in the US and rumours that the British version of Twenty-One was also corrupt.
The values started at ã1, followed by questions valued at ã25 and doubled with each subsequent question with ã400 and ã1,600 each being guaranteed. The ã200 and ã400 questions each featured two parts. The ã800 question required three correct answers and the next question required four correct answers to secure ã1,600. The contestant must then answer a follow-up question to attempt the five-part ã3,200 question in a soundproof booth known as the "Isolator". The ã6,400 question required six parts to answer correctly. On the ã3,200 and ã6,400 questions, missing one part required the contestant to answer a "reserve part" correctly. ã6,400 was a significant amount of money for a British game show at that time, though still probably worth less than the original had, which was ã3,200 (in former money). The 1991 series replaced the ã1-ã50 questions with the Basic 64 which started at ã1 and doubled up to ã64 guaranteed before the ã100 question. In 1993, prize limits were lifted by the Independent Television Commission (paving the way for the eventual arrival of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? in 1998).
Note: None of the ATV episodes survived.