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Dr. Joyce Brothers and the $64,000 Question

If TV game show Twenty-One was fixed, then the $64,000 Question was "controlled." If they liked a contestant and thought he/she was good for ratings, then they picked questions which played to the strength of the contestant's expertise. And if they didn't like you, they fielded you a hard ball.

Such is the case with Dr. Joyce Brothers, the only person to win both the $64,000 Question and the $64,000 Challenge. But that was far from the plan. The producers wanted to dump her early. Didn't think she had star power.

Partly influenced by Martin and Charles Revson, of Revlon, the show's sponsors, producers attempted to stump Dr. Brothers.
The loved contradictions. The mechanic who knew opera. In her case, the psychologist who knew boxing. Once she got to a certain level and they wanted rid of her, they threw her a question about referees, which they thought to be beyond her grasp.

But the enterprising Dr. Brothers had been studying in between weekly shows, and surprised them all by answering correctly. What could they do but let her run on?

Later she was on the sister show for winners, the $64,000 Challenge where she was challenged by a team of boxers, and yup, again she won the big prize.

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