$ALE OF THE CENTURY [NBC]: Episode 3

[palmer7]

Frank Jones, so far, has won $15,499 in prizes (the Hammacher Schlemmer gift certificate with which he may buy the massage chair and the piano). Who wants to challenge him?

New rule changes this episode:
* Like last episode, the 10-in-a-Row bonus round and the Personal Cash Jackpot are removed. The Cash Jackpot will go up by $100,000 each night it isn't won. It currently stands at $1.1 million.
* After the first set of questions in the second round, we have a new feature called the "Time Warp" question. It's essentially a "Who am I?"/old school-"Fame Game" question which starts at $25 when answered on the first set of clues, $15 on the second set, $10 on the third, and $5 on the next to gimme clue. Players can buzz in and answer at any time (no buzzcodes, just buzz in and answer), but if wrong they sit out for the rest of the question. No money is lost. 
* There's a new way to play for the car. Since it's become apparent that none of our players have reached the $100 main game score requirement, we're replacing the prize on the CashCard board with a "CAR" space. The cost to play CashCard will now be the player's lead. There's a $15 Money Card, a Take $5, the "CAR", and the CashCard (which starts at $25,000 and goes up by $5,000 to a cap of $100,000). If a contestant elects to play, picks the suit with the "CAR", and then wins the game, the Car space will be added to the Winners' Board. If there is a tie for the lead, the Silent Auction rule goes into effect (bid up to $15, high bid gets it).
** Should the player in the lead elect not to play, Xfinity will call a random person in America. Should they pick the CashCard, they get a flat $25,000 in cash. Should they pick the Car, $10,000. Otherwise, they get $1,000 just for picking up the phone. 

So, who wants to challenge him? We're looking for two new people, people who haven't played before. 

[mringgenberg]

I'll play.

[palmer7]

Fantastic. We have one. We need another challenger, and Frank to check in.

[robthr]

Sure, I'm in.

[palmer7]

Great to have you, Bob. Here we go!

---

---

(Fade in to find me, Greg Palmer, wearing casual clothes, sitting at the contestant's area with my feet up on the desk.)

Greg: Hi there. It's me again. Well, since the last episode, a lot has changed. This show is continually evolving, and some of that evolution took place at a meeting in my temporary abode. I'd normally have it at my house, but it's being renovated. I took it up with my employers, and discovered that working for Disney has its perks. You know what they say, a man's home is his castle.

(shot of me moving my bags into Sleeping Beauty Castle, the first few bars of "When You Wish Upon a Star" play)

Greg: (VO) OK, so my actual suite's above the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Who cares? Anyway, we met in a makeshift meeting room, what was implied to be the royal banquet hall, and discussed business. There was the usual Grundy and Fremantle brass (shot of Jennifer Mullin, Andrew Brooke, Michael Whyte, Evelyn Warfel, etc.), a few people from NBC (shot of NBC brass), a few people from 20th Century Television (shot of team from 20th Century Television), the local power couple (shot of Mickey and Minnie Mouse), the loyal opposition (shot of Donald Duck), our leading expert (shot of Ludwig von Drake) and... well, somebody had to include him (shot of Goofy).

(Ludwig writes notes on a whiteboard)

Ludwig (voiced by Corey Burton): Now, de way I see it, you are having problems giving away de cars, right? Of course you are, you haven't given any away in two episodes. Now, you say de problem is because your contestants are...

Greg: Low-scoring. Dare I say, goofy?

Goofy (voiced by Bill Farmer): A-hyuck, did somebody say my name?

Greg: Only in passing. (to Ludwig) Stupid.

Ludwig: Yes, low-scoring. Now, one way to increase de probability of winning a car is to perhaps reformat de CashCard feature so dat a contestant can bye the right for a chance to win de car. Have it added to de Winners' Board, you see, much like de 1993 Australian format.

Greg: That's brilliant! Ludwig, you're a genius! (everyone congratulates Ludwig)

(Fade back to the $ale set) And so, we hired Ludwig on as a consultant, and he consulted me about a bunch of other things that you're going to see starting in this episode. And stay by your phones, America, because we may be giving one of you a chance at $25,000 in cash.

(suddenly, Donald walks on stage and approaches me) Donald (voiced by Tony Anselmo): Hey, Greg. Can I co-host tonight?

Greg: Not until you get a speech therapist.

Donald: (enraged) A SPEECH THERAPIST!?! (Donald loses his temper and starts angrily quacking and throwing a general tantrum)

[asja2002]

[Steve reads the Copy]
*Drumrolls*

Steve Anderson: (VO) So far, returning champion Frank Jones has won cash and prizes totaling..

Tonight, players could win a house full of furniture....

A $13,000 home theatre showcase!

or a Clash De Cartier bracelet!



And continue a journey towards a fortune in cash and prizes

including the breathtaking Mercedes Benz AMG-GT Roadster....

and a Cash Jackpot of $1,100,000!!! All on America's Premier Quiz...

And now, here is the star of our show...GREG PALMER!!!!!

[palmer7]

(I run out of the big doors to my lectern, to cheers and applause)

Greg: Thank you. Thank you, Steve Anderson. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, this is the $ale. And once again, we have a brave, intrepid group of Disney and 20th Century employees because Eric Garcetti, God bless his heart, still won't let us have an actual audience. So, what we're going to do after the show, is march down to Los Angeles City Hall singing "Reach Out Of the Darkness", with our masks on. Heck, might record that as a charity single. Anyway, hello, audience!

(we see a shot of Disney costumed characters, mixed with 20th Century, NBC, and Disney employees, cheering)

Greg: Yeah, that's going to be something to see. Anyway, we crowned a new champion on our last show, a piano teacher from Okay, Oklahoma, Frank Jones! (audience cheers)

So, Frank, what's new? The floor is yours.

[Frank]

nothing much, that's safe for tv that is

[palmer7]

Alright, then. In that case, let me introduce tonight's co-host. She's been the First Lady of Disney cartoons for the last 92 years. She is a lover — of life, nature, her friends, and most significantly her main squeeze Mickey, who serves not only as her boyfriend but also her best friend. Ladies and gentlemen, Minnie Mouse!

(Minnie walks out from behind the Fame Game board to cheers and applause, she joins me at the lectern)

Hello, Minnie. (Minnie quickly gives me a note) Oh, there's a note here. May I read it? (Minnie nods approval) All right, let me see. "Dear Greg, I am unable to speak right now because I've come down with a case of laryngitis. I've lost my voice. Please ask Steve to introduce the challengers." All right. Minnie, there's one thing I've wanted to know. You and Mickey have been seeing each other for 92 years. Why hasn't he put a ring on it yet? (Minnie shrugs, and her body language suggests, "That is a good question") All right. Mickey's in the audience tonight, but we might see him later on. No, folks, this isn't ABC, but we're on Disney+, so it's all good. Anyway, Steve, would you please introduce our two challengers?

[asja2002]

[Steve Reads the Introductions_Hyper Gamma Spaces By The Alan Parsons Project]

Steve: (VO) Our first challenger is a clerk at a convenience store who also finds time to compete in the Special Olympics as a cheerleader. From Council Bluffs, Iowa, here's Matt Ringgenberg.



And our next player is a reviewer at New York Stage Review. He's always wanted to play $ale of the Century, but fate put him on Jeopardy! instead. From Marlborough, Massachusetts, here's Bob Verini.

[Applause]

[palmer7]

All right. Now, that's a name I kind of recognize. Bob Verini. Won over $276,000 on Jeopardy!. Steve says you've always wanted to play this game. So, did you audition for it back in the 80s and just didn't make it?

[palmer7]

(Bob's either busy or a little forum shy. Luckily, I asked him the same question on Facebook. Perhaps he wants to get right to the game.)

Bob: I did try out and I guess I made the mistake of getting too many right -- being too eager to impress -- and I felt then and now that they were not about to let me on and break the bank.

(audience ooooohs) Greg: Ooo-hooooooooooo, well well, Bob. It seems you've got a nice, healthy self-esteem.

Now, Bob, just so you're aware, I'm not Alex Trebek, and we don't have a Daily Double hidden on the Fame Game board. So, please, do not answer in the form of a question. Alright?

[palmer7]

Bob: Alright.

Greg: Thank you. Good luck, nice to have you here.

Next, we have Matt Ringgenberg, a clerk at a convenience store. Aside from gas, what do you sell a lot of over there?

[mringgenberg]

It's actually a supermarket.

[palmer7]

I don't consider Family Fare a supermarket. Anyway, aside from gas, what do you sell a lot of over there?