Treasure Isle

1 9 6 7 – 1 9 6 8 (USA)
30 minute episodes

Debuting in December 1967, this elaborate ABC daytime game show was played on a specially constructed lagoon at the Colonnades Beach Hotel in Palm Beach Shores, Florida.

In the first round of the game, two couples clad in bathing suits (with the males blindfolded) paddled around in rubber rafts, avoiding hazards like whirlpools and coral reefs while picking up foam rubber pieces of a giant jigsaw puzzle floating off “Puzzle Isle.”

After putting together the puzzle, the couples deciphered the riddle in the puzzle and proceeded to “Treasure Isle”, where they searched for buried treasure.

Prizes included in the buried treasure included mink coats, cars, jewellery, trips, houses and mobile homes.

Former high school English teacher and disc jockey John Bartholomew Tucker hosted the half-hour show, produced and directed by Paul Alter, for John D MacArthur, the Florida multi-millionaire who owned the Colonnades Beach Hotel and built the four-foot-deep lagoon, which contained 2 million tons of water, on an acre-and-a-half of oceanfront.

Tucker was assisted by two pirate girls – Julia Hayes and Pat Minor – and a friendly dog named Zeckendorf (a gift from real estate tycoon William Zeckendorf).

The daily series – filmed in colour – was sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive.

Host
John Bartholomew Tucker
Announcer
Bill Templeton

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