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Post by vahan on Sept 8, 2015 19:55:06 GMT -5
And once again, Ray Combs produced funny false answers.
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Post by wildjackmonroe on Sept 8, 2015 20:37:17 GMT -5
I just got home and I have to leave early for work tomorrow morning but from what I've seen it looks to be another fun night. Will have to catch up tomorrow evening.
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Post by vahan on Sept 8, 2015 20:59:33 GMT -5
Up next is the unsold ABC Pilot for TKO, from 1989. This is where the theme music that would become better-known as the Illinois Instant Riches theme originated. So if you ever wondered why the theme sounded more like something from the late 1980's, than something from the mid-1990's, there you go.
The theme song kicks all ass. Possibly the most kick-ass music in the history of Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions, in my honest opinion.
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Post by vahan on Sept 8, 2015 21:32:11 GMT -5
After seeing TKO, I have a this to say about it: Jeopardy! and Blockbusters cranked up tot he extreme.
This show should have sold. Peter Tomarken and Mark Goodson together at last. A match made in Heaven, complete with kick-ass music.
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Post by wildjackmonroe on Sept 10, 2015 10:39:59 GMT -5
Since last night I've been catching up on things that have aired and am putting things to DVD's.
I agree with those around the web who say that the TKO pilot should have sold. If not to ABC then somewhere. I'm not too big on all 3 contestants staying all week, but I love the concept of Blockbusters meeting Jeopardy. Peter did as great as he always did.
On a Roll wasn't bad. It's pretty much combining elements of High Rollers, Wheel of Fortune, and Now You See It. I don't care for David Sparks' hosting but I don't have any gripes about his performance here.
I'm not a huge fan of the hour-long/bullseye format but it's nice to see something that's rarely aired, and in the case of that pilot episode, never aired. Ray was in fine form as always but good lord, some of those contestants on that hour-long show were obnoxious as hell. There is no need to scream. every. single. thing. ever. I did love Ray shouting back at one of them: "IT'S NICE TO HAVE YOU ON THE SHOW!!!" I do not understand though why they only showed one half of a Challenge episode after the pilot; and instead of part 2 of that, a completely different themed 1/2 hour bullseye episode.
It looks like the only major difference with the Double Dare pilot was the bonus round. Here there are 10 clues altogether and the contestant has up to 5 passes when it comes to giving clues to the spoilers. The rest of the differences are small cosmetic ones. Like a slightly different opening visual, a miniature version of a set backdrop on the floor where Alex walks out on stage, and the pass cards in the bonus round just having an X on them instead of the word "pass."
I was under the impression that we'd see a pilot for the first format, but the Now You See It episode that aired before the first two episodes, from what I'm gathering elsewhere, seems to be a test show for the format change later in 1974. If it's not, then it's simply an episode of that show post-change. No one really seems to know for certain.
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Post by vahan on Sept 10, 2015 13:01:55 GMT -5
I agree with those around the web who say that the TKO pilot should have sold. If not to ABC then somewhere. I'm not too big on all 3 contestants staying all week, but I love the concept of Blockbusters meeting Jeopardy. Peter did as great as he always did. Likely they did this for budget concerns, hence the final round concept of knocking your opponents out of the game, but not gaining any money return. Also, this show pulled a Three's Company (seasons 2-6)/ The Ropers/ That's My Mama (season 1) by taping at CBS Television City, despite being for ABC.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 10, 2015 13:59:25 GMT -5
Okay, based on what I saw, here is my progress report on the pilots the aired thus far:
60s Match Game, Play for Keeps: F (sorry, but I am not a fan of black-and-white fare)
Star Words: F (it's a good thing CBS passed on this one in favor of Press Your Luck. The gameplay was awful. Plus I don't think Nipsey Russell was fit for hosting game shows to begin with - only one show he hosted, Your Number's Up, did make it to the airwaves, but lasted only three months. And while he did try his best, he did make his mark in history by being the first African-American game show host in history, but in terms of success, he was no Steve Harvey.)
70s Match Game: C- (while I am not a fan of 70s fare, at least the Jackpot Match was good, though it was rebranded as Super Match when it made it to CBS. Plus the set was slightly different.)
On a Roll: D+ (The female twins sounded very annoying, though the end game was pretty good.)
Family Feud Challenge: D (the only interesting thing about this pilot was that we found out what the purpose of the four-digit display above the board was. But the second half was awful! Definitely wasn't the Family Feud we all know and love. Had they used that format on CBS, the show would have met a much quicker demise. It's a good thing the format finalized for CBS did help give the show a new lease on life, if only for nine months.)
TKO: C (the game was pretty solid to start, but I was expecting more of a true end game. Would have gotten a grade of B otherwise)
Now You See It: D- (would have gotten a slightly higher grade if it would have been one of the earlier pilots. But nope.)
Will be viewing the Double Dare pilot this evening, and I will give my grade on it later on.
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Post by vahan on Sept 10, 2015 14:10:23 GMT -5
No, Adam Wade (1975's short-lived Musical Chairs) was the first.
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Post by WarioSajak on Sept 10, 2015 15:22:13 GMT -5
60s Match Game, Play for Keeps: F (sorry, but I am not a fan of black-and-white fare) Okay, I'm curious: why don't you like black-and-white shows? Granted, The Match Game may have been a bit slow, but it did get better as time goes on (although unfortunately, all of the surviving episodes from after the show got silly are limited to UCLA and Paley Center). Play For Keeps! was an okay revamp of Winner Take All for the big-money craze, but for some reason Goodson-Todman went with straightforward quizzing rather than the visual spectacle the 1951-52 versions used for some games...and to be honest, it's probably better for the genre that it didn't sell. the first format, but the Now You See It episode that aired before the first two episodes, from what I'm gathering elsewhere, seems to be a test show for the format change later in 1974. If it's not, then it's simply an episode of that show post-change. No one really seems to know for certain. According to some people at The Game Show Forum, this was the last of three test shows for the three-player/straddling format. The test shows also tried different ways of using the Bonus Word, but in the end they opted to throw it out with the format change. Ray was in fine form as always but good lord, some of those contestants on that hour-long [Feud] show were obnoxious as hell. There is no need to scream. every. single. thing. ever. I did love Ray shouting back at one of them: "IT'S NICE TO HAVE YOU ON THE SHOW!!!" Agreed, although I'll add that I liked Family Feud Challenge since it didn't feel strangled by Bullseye like the syndicated version did. I'd love to see Combs Feud (CBS half-hour, syndie, or Challenge) on the regular Buzzr schedule.
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Post by vahan on Sept 10, 2015 20:02:43 GMT -5
Let's Make a Deal on ABC Primetime is on right now.
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Post by wildjackmonroe on Sept 10, 2015 20:29:28 GMT -5
^ I'm in the middle of putting an episode of Super Password on DVD, but I'm interested to see what episode was shown.
Been catching up on regular airings of Blockbusters and Card Sharks today. Eva on episode #34 of Card Sharks eventually played on the Rafferty version. I couldn't help but notice the shade during the gold run round on #129 of Blockbusters. "HL: Another McLean Stevenson flop." The answer being none other than Hello, Larry.
I also saw some of Press Your Luck. The caroling whammy segments on the Christmas week that were edited out of GSN's broadcast are in full swing on the Buzzr repeats.
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Post by vahan on Sept 10, 2015 21:55:30 GMT -5
The 1979 version of Beat the Clock might have the distinction of being the quickest transition from Pilot to Series.
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Post by wildjackmonroe on Sept 11, 2015 16:30:40 GMT -5
Catching up on last night's stuff. Based on Monty's comments at the beginning, this black and white kinescope episode seems to be the first episode from the ABC nighttime run. Very impressed that this was chosen to air.
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Post by Mandoli on Sept 11, 2015 18:15:08 GMT -5
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Post by vahan on Sept 11, 2015 18:59:08 GMT -5
Next up is the 1983 Body Language Pilot. Three were taped on October 9, 1983. Pilots #2 and #3 are available for viewing at UCLA, and Buzzr will be showing Pilot #2.
Jon Bauman never appeared on the Series proper. And yes, that's Anne-Marie Johnson as one of the contestants.
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