A indicate experienced begun in radio sustaining Collyer, who moved with it to television. Contestants were chosen from either the studio audience, & were expected to perform tasks inside a certain period frame. A tasks tended to become of the slapstick physical variety, tending on the messy, sustaining whipped cream, meringues, a body of water balloons & such. A money prizes were universally secondary to a competition, by having the winnings seldom to a higher degree $100, until such large-money shows when The Big Challenge forced Beat the Clock to run offering prizes as much as $5000.

Sequentially to determine in case a stunts can actually exist as performed, a producers hired retired-of-operate actors to try the babies out. One of victims world health organization did this function was James Dean, who was said to become take a breath to perform any project a producers gave him to try.

1950-1958 Game Format

Main Game: Of these few competes against time to win the prize. A number 1 stunt is worth $100 & takes either a hubby or even even married woman, or each. A stunt is described & a period restrict is placed. (There are super pack days whilst a stunt needed the fully Sixty seconds.) Should a few beat a $100 clock, it move in to a $200 clock & the equivalent system come applied. Whenever it fail to beat the $100 clock, it receive a consolation prize at to a lesser degree $100. Whenever it fail to beat a $200 clock, it develop a $100 prize.

Jackpot Clock: Should the few beat a $200 clock, a married woman may play a Jackpot Vicarious which a expression or even even sentence is scrambled higher & that sentence has to exist as unscrambled within Twenty seconds or less. In case successful, so a few wins a Jackpot Prize. Whenever non, it make their way a $200 prize.

Bonus Stunt: the favorite signal would healthy quondam within a period of the indicate indicating that the few that hears that noise might play for a bonus stunt that starts at $100 in cash & goes higher by that total every week that these are non won. (Bonus stunts st& been respire to email quatern numbers, potentially at $2,000 and $3,000.) These stunts come harder than a common $100 & $200 stunts.

Extremely Bonus Stunt: Starting in February 25, 1956, after the previous regular bonus stunt got been won, the extremely bonus was added in which two or three can attempt to perform a bonus stunt that starts at $10,000 & goes higher by $1,000 both period these are non won. This bonus was win single twice around its being, & another time went all the way as much as $64,000, until was eventually won on September 15, 1956.

Heavy Cash Bonus Stunt: Starting in September 22, 1956 (a equivalent day Beat the Clock's newly sponsor became "Hazel Bishop"), the favorite signal would once more healthy erstwhile when you took a indicate indicating that the few that hears that noise might play for a bonus stunt that starts at $5000 inside cash & goes higher by $1000 hebdomadally that these are non won. This conception was monovular to the original bonus stunt construct however antecedently experienced lower stakes. Whenever it is successful, it is retired from either a game. In case non, it prove my point forward.

Bonus Cash & Prize Stunt: The lucky few has the risk to win the bundle of cash & the favorite prize rather the car or even the boat. To win, it must with success complete their bonus stunt.

Cultural references
An episode of the animated sitcom The Flintstones once mentioned a "prehistoric" version of Beat the Clock, entitled Beat a Sundial.