Supermarket Sweep

1 9 6 5 – 1 9 6 7 (USA)
1 9 9 9 – 2 0 0 4 (USA)
1 9 9 3 – 2 0 0 1 (UK)
2 0 0 0 7 (UK)

This fast-paced, physical game show was first seen in ABC daytime from 1965 to 1967, with Bill Malone as host, and was revived by cable’s Lifetime as a daytime and early-evening entry in 1990.

Whereas the 1960s show was staged at actual supermarkets around the US, the 1990s version was set in a big, brightly lit onstage supermarket. Three teams of two persons each competed to answer product-related questions.

Then, in the final round, they raced down the long, wide aisles, followed by handheld cameras, filling their carts with designated products and the most expensive items they could find.

The grand prize winner could win as much as $10,000 or a car.

David Ruprecht presided informally, with rolled-up sleeves, looking for all the world like the store manager.

Supermarket Sweep moved to Pax the year after it left Lifetime. In the preliminary rounds, contestants answered product-related questions that gave them shopping merchandise value and added to the amount of time they had to “shop” in the final round, known as “The Big Sweep.”

Each team were allotted their accumulated time to race through the supermarket, filling as many grocery carts as possible. There were special high-value prizes as well.

The team that swept up the most money, merchandise and bonus prizes won the chance to win $5,000 in cash.

They then had one minute to find three products in the supermarket.

Ruprecht gave them a clue to the first product, and on the product was a clue to find the second product, which in turn contained a clue to the third product.

If the contestants found all three, they won the $5,000 grand prize, added to their winnings from the preliminary rounds.

A British version of the game show, hosted by Dale Winton (pictured below), ran for eight years between 1993 and 2001.

The show was then revived in 2007 on ITV. An Australian version, hosted by Ian Turpie, aired between 1992 and 1994.

Versions have also been produced in Argentina, Brazil, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, and Vietnam.

Host
Bill Malone (USA)
David Ruprecht (USA)
Dale Winton (UK)
Ian Turpie (Australia)