Beat the Clock (2002–2003 Version)

This is chronicling the 2002 version of Beat the Clock.

Game format
This version, the final "genuine" one, aired daily from September 2, 2002 to September 4, 2003 on PAX TV (the first week of shows was called a "preview week"). Taped at Universal Studios Florida, three couples (colored red, gold & blue ) competed in this version.

Round 1
To start the game, all three couples faced-off in a stunt. The first couple to complete the stunt got 10 points and the advantage of having to play a 30-Second Solo Stunt first. The winners of the Opening Stunt were shown 3 items on a tray brought out by hostess Julielinh Parker; the items on that tray represented the stunts themselves, and the first team got to assign the stunts to their 2 opposing couples and themselves. Each couple in turn starting with the couple who won the Opening Stunt played the assigned 30-Second Stunts. But before that, they first had to answer a two-part question; after the question was asked, the female player got to answer and, if she was correct, the male partner got to answer (sometimes they could both answer). If both correct answers were given, 10 seconds was added to the time for a total of 40 seconds. Either way they would then play the stunt; now if the stunt was completed the couple won 10 points plus 1 for every second left on the Clock (Ex: 10 + 3 sec. = 13 points).

Round 2
Again all three couples played a Face-Off Stunt. The couples were positioned according to their score, with the couple in first place getting the advantage, the second place couple in the middle, and third at a disadvantage. This was an Elimination Stunt in which first two couples to complete the stunt advanced to round three, while the couple coming in last got eliminated but went home with parting gifts.

Round 3
In this round only one stunt was played. Two minutes was the starting time for the stunt, and the two remaining couples bid against each other to see who played the stunt with a lower time limit. Control of who starts the bidding was determined by a question in which the woman of the team that won the Elimination Stunt decided to either have the partner answer or have the opponents answer. Whoever won the question started the bidding. The bidding round was played until one team told the other to "Beat the Clock"; at which point the opposing team played the stunt in the adjusted time limit. If the couple could perform the stunt within that time limit, they won the game; otherwise the other team won. The winning couple went on to the Bonus Round.

Bonus Round ("The Swirling Whirlwind of Cash and Prizes")
The winning couple went into a play area called "The Swirling Whirlwind of Cash and Prizes" - inside of which was over $25,000 in cash and prizes. The winning couple had 60 seconds to grab as many dollar bills and prize vouchers as they can. They could only grab what was in the air, nothing on the ground, although they could kick up what was on the ground. Each time they grabbed the cash and prizes, the female partner had to stick them in the male partner's little bag strapped around his waist. When time ran out, the team had to put their hands in the air, letting go of any money in their hands, and come out. Everything that was in the bag was theirs to keep. The host usually throws some extra money and vouchers in at the beginning.

Later in the run, gold certificates were added. If any were grabbed, the money won was doubled.

The "swirling whirlwind" was previously used in the bonus round of The Diamond Head Game, a show hosted by Bob Eubanks in 1975.

Pilot Rules
The pilot is mostly the same as the series but with several differences:
 * There was a different hostess named Tina Willie.
 * Teams played for time throughout the game instead of points in the first round. 30 seconds was the base time for all three couples. The time earned in the game was the time used in the bonus game.
 * There were no questions.

Round 1

 * 10 seconds was given to the couple who completed the opening stunt.
 * Completing the round one stunts earned 20 seconds plus whatever time was left.

Round 2
This round presented a special guest. It revived the special guest solo stunt from the 1969-1974 version. The couples still get to decide whether the guest will beat the clock or the clock will beat the guest, only this time they get to bet how much of their current time they're willing to wager. A correct decision added the wagered time to their scores, but an incorrect decision subtracted the wagered time from their scores. The two couples with the highest times moved on to round three.

Round three was the same except that the winners not only won the game but also received a 30 second bonus.

Bonus Round ("The Swirling Whirlwind of Money")
Using the time earned from the game, the winning couple entered "The Swirling Whirlwind of Money". Inside was a grand total of $50,000 in cash divided up like this:

The rules were the same as "The Swirling Whirlwind of Cash and Prizes" (the series bonus) except both players on the winning team went in with one of them in a harness. All cash picked up and placed into the money bag was theirs to keep.

Focus Special
Unlike the series, there were eight teams to begin with.

Round 1
The first stunt was an elimination stunt, and the two teams who finish last are eliminated with the six remaining teams moving on to the next round.

Round 2
The remaining six teams are then suited up by color similar to the show, so that two teams of the same color play against each other. For each color, the team who finishes last is eliminated while the other team moves on to the next round.

Round 3
This round plays similar to the series' Opening Stunt.

Round 4
This round plays to each team's Individual Stunt, but the starting time is 40 seconds instead of 30, and if a team nails a question, they could have 50 seconds to complete their stunt.

Round 5
Plays like a normal episode.

Round 6
Also plays like a normal episode; however, bidding starts at three minutes instead of two.

Bonus Round ("The Swirling Whirlwind of Cash and Prizes")
$100,000 in cash and prizes was up for grabs, and the gold certificates also carry over, but instead of doubling the cash for each one grabbed, each added $500 in cash to the team's total. Just for making it this far, the team gets two prizes that they would normally have to earn in the whirlwind.

There were no returning champions on this version.

Merchandise
A slot machine based on somewhat of this version was released by WMS Gaming. The top box shows eight pie-shaped, 3-sided wedges segmented into a circle with each wedge being able to revolve three-dimensional and stop on any of the three sides. in the start of the bonus, each wedge segments displays credit values. There are lights around each wedge that light up randomly until a button press by the player stops the light on a credit wedge. Once the credit wedge is highlighted, all remaining wedges flip to reveal wedges displaying +5 or +10 and random multiplier. The remaining wedges light up randomly and the player has a second chance to try and increase the initial value. If he/she stops the light on the multiplier wedges, then the initial value is multiplied by the wedges multiplier value. If the light stops on a +5, then the player is awarded the initial value plus 5 credits and the game ends. If the light stops on +10, then the player is awarded the initial value plus 10 credits and the game ends.

Links
Official Website (via Internet Archive)

Beat the Clock slot machine info @ WMSGaming.com (via Internet Archive)

A fan page about Beat the Clock (2002)