Across the Board

The show, recorded in New York City, was directed by Hal Tulchin and hosted by Ted Brown.

Two contestants, one a returning champion,[1] compete to fill in the same crossword grid on a large mechanical board.

[2][6] Hal Tulchin, a pioneer in videotaping and the director of Across the Board, credited himself with the idea for the format,[2] though it was not the first crossword puzzle game show.

[1][8] Unlike most of ABC's daytime programming at the time, Across the Board was pre-recorded rather than live because of the director's expertise in videotape.

[2] Brown was light-hearted, bantering with contestants and telling jokes;[3][9] a self-admitted bad speller, he read the answers off palmed cards.