For more than two years, “Gambit” had been outperforming its rivals on NBC and ABC. However, in 1975, NBC created a brand-new program named “Wheel of Fortune.”
“Gambit” ceased airing by December 1976, while “Wheel of Fortune” established itself as a legacy that endures to this day.
With “Tic-Tac-Dough,” the iconic X’s and O’s game that aired on CBS until 1985, Martindale made a comeback in 1978.
“Overnight I had gone from the outhouse to the penthouse,” he wrote in his diary.
He oversaw Navy Lt. Thom McKee’s 88-game winning streak, which earned him over $300,000 in cash and prizes, including 16 vacations, three sailboats, and eight cars.
McKee’s wins at the time set a record for a competitor on a game show.
