Jackpot, which was awarded to any bowler who got two consecutive Strikes. The jackpot started at $200, $300, or $500 (depending on the version) and was increased by $20 each time it was not hit. Some versions of Bowling for Dollars awarded prizes in addition to the money. In the Detroit edition of the show, a contestant who got a spare won a dinner for two at a local restaurant. If that spare was a split, they would also get two large pies from Buddy's Pizza. If the contestant got only one strike, they got to pick a pin from a "pinboard" for a prize from a local jeweler; one such prize was a genuine diamond ring. Finally, contestants breaking the jackpot got to bowl one more time, and if that was a strike (a "turkey") they would receive yet another prize, such as a recliner chair or bicycle. The Los Angeles version awarded a portable television set for three consecutive strikes and a car for four. Pin Pals Each contestant, just before approaching the bowling lane, was instructed to pick a postcard at random out of a large, horizontally mounted container. The name on the card was then read aloud by the host. These were Pin Pal cards, allowing a viewer at home to participate in the game on TV. Whatever the contestant won, the Pin Pal won also, although in many markets the jackpot was actually split between the two of them (e.g., $8 to share with your Pin Pal). Many people wrote clever messages on their Pin Pal cards, like "Strike it rich!" A Pin Pal was only eligible once per show, in case a Pin Pal tried to send an overwhelming number of postcards at one time. Popular culture The show's title has been so popular, it has been parodied quite a bit. In the movie UHF, there was a show called "Bowling for Burgers". On George Carlin's 1981 album, A Place for My Stuff, he announced a parody called "Bowling for Pussy" in the track "Fourth Announcements". The Michael Moore movie, Bowling for Columbine. The rock band Bowling for Soup. (Famous for the song "1985".) The show is mentioned in "Get a Load of This" by R. Crumb & His Cheap Suit Serenaders. Local editions Bowling for Dollars was broadcast from TV stations serving medium to large communities all across North America. In many of