Fight Back! with David Horowitz

Fight Back! was unusual in that it blended hard-hitting journalism with humor. Two of the most popular segments on this show were the "Fight Back! Commercial Challenge" and the "Horror File."

The "Commercial Challenge" first appeared on Consumer Buyline on October 10, 1977. The challenge was that of an Imperial Margarine commercial, which stated that people couldn't tell the difference between Imperial margarine and butter. Horowitz went to an LA supermarket, and had 11 people try crackers with each product on it, to see who could tell the difference. In the end, all 11 people picked the butter over Imperial margarine. The following week was a taste test between Coca-Cola and Pepsi (more people did pick Pepsi over Coke). In the 15th anniversary special, it is mistakenly reported that the first commercial challenge aired in December 1977, where David Horowitz decided to challenge a commercial for a Timex watch. Per the commercial, former Timex pitchman John Cameron Swayze strapped a Timex watch to an outboard motor, and raced the motor through a tank of water. At the end of the commercial, the watch was still ticking. Horowitz performed this challenge with two other watches (a Seiko and a Citizen). All three watches passed the test. The Commercial Challenge proved to be so popular, that one particular episode of Fight Back! was devoted to nothing but commercial challenges (title of show: "30 challenges in 30 minutes").

Other commercials challenged over the years included:

• Krazy Glue (Tested on multiple occasions, first premiering on Consumer Buyline, where it failed - not once, but twice. Subsequent re-tests on Fight Back! showed the product to pass.)
• Glad Trash Bags (Tested several times. Challenges ranged from bags being kicked down a flight of stairs, to having an elephant step on one. Results varied.)
• Levi Jeans (The famous "Levi's Logo" was challenged in the early '80s and failed miserably.)
• American Tourister Luggage (A gorilla threw the suitcase around, trying to damage it, or pop its lock. It passed with flying colors.)
• The Club (Failure - the lock was frozen with Freon and broken off.)
• Bic disposable lighters (Lighter was run over by an 8-ton semi. It still flicked and produced flame.)
• Audi Fox - (Commercial stated that it could outrun a Chevrolet Corvette through a slalom. It failed by a half-second.)
• Oreck vacuum cleaner (Commercial showed how it could pick up an 8 pound bowling ball. Passed.)
• Honda CRX (Episode aired February 18, 1984. Commercial claimed that it could achieve 60 mpg. Passed, with a final MPG readout of 65 mpg.)
• Timex - (Various Timex watch commercials were tested over the years. Every single commercial passed, as advertised.)
• Sears Kenmore Dishwasher - (Advertisement claimed that one could place an entire cake into the dishwasher, and the dishwasher would dispose of it. Passed.)

The "Horror File" segment premiered around the second season of Consumer Buyline. In this segment, viewers would write in with various complaints about companies or customer service, while others would send in confusing and amusing signs, labels, or ads.

The series was produced by Lloyd Thaxton, a Los Angeles deejay and television personality, who occasionally appeared on camera in such guises as "Dr. Freon" and "Dirty Moore." However, in the first season of episodes, he was not listed in the credits; whether he was with the show or not from the beginning is unknown. He was, however, with California Buyline/Consumer Buyline from its inception. The series also featured actor and wrestler Professor Toru Tanaka as a product tester.

• Fight Back! with David Horowitz at IMDb