The Big Spin

The Big Spin is the California Lottery's first television game show. It ended with a fixed top prize of $3 million and a minimum guaranteed cash prize of $1,750. The total cash and prizes given in 2007 came out to $17,872,500, the most money given away in a game show that year, therefore being "the biggest money game show on Earth" as its introduction stated. Originally, the show was taped in Hollywood, California at Hollywood Center Studios. From 1986 to 1998, the show was taped in Sacramento; Mike Side hosted a short time when the show was done at the KTXL studios in Sacramento, the state capital as well as headquarters of the lottery. From 1999 until the end of its run, the show was taped in Hollywood at KCET Studios. The Big Spin ended as the second longest-running lottery game show on January 10, 2009, over 23 years since its first broadcast in October 1985; it was replaced with Make Me a Millionaire on January 17.