Shows Providing Wrong Information

[Mike Tennant]

Mark Evanier writes about a WWTBAM? question that had two possible correct answers. The question: "Which of these medical conditions often causes sufferers to fall asleep suddenly and unexpectedly?" Answers (A) Sleep apnea and (C) Narcolepsy both qualify--Evanier has sleep apnea and speaks from experience--though the "correct" answer, which the contestant gave, was narcolepsy.

It's not strictly "wrong" information, but had the contestant said (A) and been ruled incorrect, he could have made an excellent case for being brought back and allowed to continue on the next level.

[clemon79]

It's not strictly "wrong" information, but had the contestant said (A) and been ruled incorrect, he could have made an excellent case for being brought back and allowed to continue on the next level.

I also have sleep apnea and would absolutely rule that incorrect, because it's not the condition causing that, it's the fact that the condition is causing you to not sleep well and therefore be very tired. If anything sleep apnea makes you *wake up.*

That's no different than suggesting running a triathalon causes you to fall asleep suddenly and unexpectedly.

[clemon79]

San Francisco is a compact city. In the 1970's for $11 per month you could buy a "Fast Pass" and get around all over the city on San Francisco's excellent (at the time) municipal transit system.

Fun fact: A MUNI pass now cost you $81 per month, $98 if you want it to include BART access within SF.

/honestly, if you have Giants or Warriors season tickets, prolly worth it

[chris319]

A single-ride cash fare on Muni is now $3.00. Was $0.25 in the '70s.

[That Don Guy]

Does it count as a "wrong answer" if they didn't realize it was wrong at the time?

The movie Diner had a clip from G.E. College Bowl that had a question along the lines of, "You're on Mercury, on the side facing away from the sun. How long will it take before the sun rises?", and the "correct" answer was, "It won't come up - Mercury keeps the same side away from the sun, the same way the Moon keeps the same side away from Earth." When Mercury was first discovered, this was thought to be correct, before astronomers started noticing that the side that faced away seemed to alternate; I think it's, for every 2 orbits, Mercury revolves 3 times.

[Kevin Prather]

Does it count as a "wrong answer" if they didn't realize it was wrong at the time?

That reminds me of my favorite reversal from Millionaire.

For $250,000, a player said that silicon expands when it freezes just like water. He was ruled incorrect (the answer they wanted was bismuth.) It turns out that silicon has that property too, but scientists had yet to discover it at that point. After his show already aired, scientists made the discovery, so the show retroactively credited him with a right answer and $250,000.

[SuperMatch93]

Mark Evanier writes about a WWTBAM? question that had two possible correct answers. The question: "Which of these medical conditions often causes sufferers to fall asleep suddenly and unexpectedly?" Answers (A) Sleep apnea and (C) Narcolepsy both qualify--Evanier has sleep apnea and speaks from experience--though the "correct" answer, which the contestant gave, was narcolepsy.

It's not strictly "wrong" information, but had the contestant said (A) and been ruled incorrect, he could have made an excellent case for being brought back and allowed to continue on the next level.

That sort of reminds me of the zodiac debacle.

[JepMasta]

I remember the story of a contestant on the Tom Kennedy version of Name That Tune where the $100,000 Mystery Tune was the song “Fugue for Tinhorns” from Guys and Dolls. The contestant answered “Can Do” and was called wrong. But later it was discovered that “Can Do” is indeed an alternate title for the song. The contestant was appropriately brought back on stage sometime later, and presented with their $100,000 prize.

On the list costly but equally incorrect tack, there’s a clip on YouTube, where Tom Kennedy had an ounce, that he had accidentally said, in a clue from bid a note that a song was written by Lerner and Lowe, turns out it was actually written by Lerner and a man named Burton Lane, so the contestant was brought back on a later date.

[Otm Shank]

I recall a question on Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour posed a question about what had the largest television audience, the moon landing or the final episode of M*A*S*H. I remember thinking that both are valid answers, because Nielsen always stated that the moon landing was news coverage and wasn't a program so they never included that in the list of highest rated television programs. I don't remember exactly how the question was framed, but the answer they were looking for was the moon landing.

My best guess is they felt that it was too technical of a distinction to be a fair question, because the contestant did return.

[BrandonFG]

I’m pretty sure Lindsay Wagner played The Bionic Woman, but that’s just me…

[Nick]

I'm sure somebody can find the clip faster than I, but there was one early in the syndie run of Sale of the Century where the answer to the question was Redd Foxx, and the contestant answered "Sanford", in reference to his character on "Sanford and Son".  He was ruled incorrect, with Jim noting they were going for the actor and not the role; but John Elroy Sanford was Red Foxx's real name.  I see no reason why that shouldn't have been accepted.  I don't recall them ever bringing back the contestant.

[GameShowFan]

It's not strictly "wrong" information, but had the contestant said (A) and been ruled incorrect, he could have made an excellent case for being brought back and allowed to continue on the next level.

I also have sleep apnea and would absolutely rule that incorrect, because it's not the condition causing that, it's the fact that the condition is causing you to not sleep well and therefore be very tired. If anything sleep apnea makes you *wake up.*

That's no different than suggesting running a triathalon causes you to fall asleep suddenly and unexpectedly.

I second this opinion. It also would not surprise me the researchers found this specific tidbit and included it in the ir proveout.

[BrandonFG]

I'm sure somebody can find the clip faster than I, but there was one early in the syndie run of Sale of the Century where the answer to the question was Redd Foxx, and the contestant answered "Sanford", in reference to his character on "Sanford and Son".  He was ruled incorrect, with Jim noting they were going for the actor and not the role; but John Elroy Sanford was Red Foxx's real name.  I see no reason why that shouldn't have been accepted.  I don't recall them ever bringing back the contestant.

I don't disagree, but in 1985 - or even in 2023 - Redd's real name wasn't common knowledge, esp. since we didn't have so much information so easily-accessible. For the contestant to say "Sanford", I think it's pretty clear they were thinking of the character and not the comedian. Your writers room back then prolly had a set of encyclopedias and World Almanacs, and I don't think writers were digging that deep for alternate answers.

ETA: Unless it's a Fame Game where Jim starts off with "I was born John Elroy Sanford in 1922..."

[Nick]

I don't disagree, but in 1985 - or even in 2023 - Redd's real name wasn't common knowledge, esp. since we didn't have so much information so easily-accessible. For the contestant to say "Sanford", I think it's pretty clear they were thinking of the character and not the comedian.

True, but it still doesn't change the fact he identified the correct person.  Not like, say, somebody else who could have fit the same bill but wasn't the answer for which they were going.

/"Be that as it may, Alex, those people have never been in my kitchen."

[Mr. Matté]

I would think $otC in its rules bible has a clause about the "Best Answer" being the only one acceptable for a regular question. Password Plus had a similar one:

http://www.gameshowforum.org/index.php/topic,31288.0.html

8.  Best Answer

        Suppose there is a puzzle with the passwords:
President, Peanuts, Billy, Teeth, Georgia.  The answer
obviously, is Jimmy Carter.  It is conceivable that some-
body may indeed exist who is President of a Georgia Peanut
butter factory, and has a dog named Billy who has sharp
Teeth.  Although the passwords may also happen to describe
this other person, Jimmy Carter is the "best answer" to
these clues and will be considered the only correct answer.