This series filled the gap created by the ending of the iconic Australian quiz show Pick-A-Box (1957).
This series is the prime-time version of the quiz show Temptation (1970), making it one of few Australian game shows to have separate daytime and prime-time versions, a practice common among game shows in the United States of America. Both shows were inspired by the US quiz Sale of the Century (1969).
The popularity of the series in its early years saw it grow from a weekly show in 1971 to two nights a week in 1972, then in 1973 it became the first Australian game show to be seen five nights a week, a practice that many subsequent Australian game shows would follow.
The series was known as The $25,000 Great Temptation when it commenced. Its title was simplified after the total value of the prizes on offer was increased.
According to an interview that the website news.com.au conducted with host Tony Barber in 2018, an episode was recorded where after one contestant had been told that they had won the game, they slumped over on the stage. The production staff then cleared the set and called paramedics, but they were unable to revive the contestant, who was pronounced dead. The episode was declared void and was never broadcast, with the previous carry-over champion being given a second chance to defend their title.