NBC tape question

[kurtinrod62]

We've read about NBC's infamous erasure or destroying of its pre-1978 game shows, but how many of the peacock's past GS were there that managed to survive the "holocaust"?

[dzinkin]

[quote name=\'kurtinrod62\' post=\'116959\' date=\'Apr 25 2006, 12:57 PM\']
We've read about NBC's infamous erasure or destroying of its pre-1978 game shows, but how many of the peacock's past GS were there that managed to survive the "holocaust"?
[/quote]
I'd just like to state for the record that comparing the erasure of television shows to the state-sponsored mass murder of millions of people is beyond idiotic.

Sorry, folks -- I know it's unmoderatorlike of me to be that blunt, but we've criticized other boards for similar comparisons and I don't like it any more when one of our members does it.

[Brandon Brooks]

[quote name=\'kurtinrod62\' post=\'116959\' date=\'Apr 25 2006, 11:57 AM\']
We've read about NBC's infamous erasure or destroying of its pre-1978 game shows, but how many of the peacock's past GS were there that managed to survive the "holocaust"?
[/quote]
Wow, that's tactless.

Brandon Brooks

[rugrats1]

Now that we know that 'kurtinrod62' accidentally stubbed his toe with this (I hope), back to the subject at hand, and let me reword this a little differently:

[quote name=\'kurtinrod62\' post=\'116959\' date=\'Apr 25 2006, 11:57 AM\']
We've read about NBC's infamous erasure or destroying of its pre-1978 game shows, but how many of the peacock's past GS were there that managed to survive the ultimate "Dean Martin Roast"?
[/quote]

I apologise if I offended any Dean Martin fans with that one.

[Ian Wallis]

We've read about NBC's infamous erasure or destroying of its pre-1978 game shows, but how many of the peacock's past GS were there that managed to survive the ultimate "Dean Martin Roast"?

Some that we know of:  Gong Show and Fun Factory.   GSN has both, and has run episodes from both in the past.  That may have been more of the foresight of the producers though, as Barris was very good about saving copies of his shows.  Not sure how Fun Factory escaped the eraser.  I think its been mentioned before that FF and others (such as Dealer's Choice) are now owned by Columbia Pictures Television, so that could be why its still around.  That doesn't explain, however, why Dealer's Choice is still "lost" when FF exists.  Both shows were on approximately around the same time.

There are scattered episodes of many other NBC series from before that time frame which are floating around.

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'116981\' date=\'Apr 25 2006, 03:19 PM\']

We've read about NBC's infamous erasure or destroying of its pre-1978 game shows, but how many of the peacock's past GS were there that managed to survive the ultimate "Dean Martin Roast"?

Some that we know of:  Gong Show and Fun Factory.   GSN has both, and has run episodes from both in the past.  That may have been more of the foresight of the producers though, as Barris was very good about saving copies of his shows.  Not sure how Fun Factory escaped the eraser.  I think its been mentioned before that FF and others (such as Dealer's Choice) are now owned by Columbia Pictures Television, so that could be why its still around.  That doesn't explain, however, why Dealer's Choice is still "lost" when FF exists.  Both shows were on approximately around the same time.

There are scattered episodes of many other NBC series from before that time frame which are floating around.
[/quote]

And I've heard off and on that the mass tape erasure may've been more urban legend than fact.

And remember--we're dealing here with programming that back then had no rerun value at all--attempts at syndicated repeats had been unsuccessful, the idea of a cable TV channel devoted entirely to game shows was ludicrous and the formats were what got sold overseas, not the actual programs--combine that with the cost of 2-inch video tape and it's not all that surprising that game shows got erased to reuse tape.  But it should never be interpreted as a conspiracy to wipe out game shows.

[Matt Ottinger]

A ton of Concentration episodes were donated to the Library of Congress, where they are deteriorating day by day with little chance of ever being seen again.

[Blanquepage]

Celebrity Sweepstakes is sitting in Burt Sugarman's vault.

I'm compiling a more accurate "game show survival list," but off the top of my head, these NBC shows have at least ONE verified existing episode:

Baffle (4 known existing episodes)
Blank Check
Call My Bluff (1 trial run with Gene Rayburn & Betty White AND 1 regular ep. with Peggy Cass &  Abe Burrows, both b/w)
It Takes Two (at least THREE are known to exist, there may be more)
Joe Garagiola's Memory Game
Namedroppers
Sale of the Century
Three on a Match (A total of EIGHT episodes are currently known to exist)
Tic Tac Dough (25 Barry episodes)
The Wizard of Odds (at least 2 episodes are known to exist, not counting the pilot which sits in Sony's vault)

Didn't someone once report that there were a considerable number of NBC Match Games and Say When episodes at the LoC?

--Jamie

[Terry K]

And we haven't even touched what's in the Kansas salt mines.  There's a ton of stuff stored there as well.  Its well known that the early years of DOOL and Y&R are both stashed there along with what's left of the Carson library (which, btw, exists from mostly 1971 on)

[BobbyLankford_83]

[quote name=\'Terry K\' post=\'117009\' date=\'Apr 25 2006, 07:10 PM\']
And we haven't even touched what's in the Kansas salt mines.  There's a ton of stuff stored there as well.  Its well known that the early years of DOOL and Y&R are both stashed there along with what's left of the Carson library (which, btw, exists from mostly 1971 on)
[/quote]


Yep, I have heard that what is left of old Carson Tonight Shows are in the library. I wish we could see Carson's first night on 10/1/1962.

Back to game shows, I hope there are more episodes of NBC Game Shows than they say exists. Especially of Concentration , the 1962-69 MG and more HS-Peter Marshall. That would be cool to see  them again. especially all versions of Concentration,since NBC owns the rights. The peacock needs to lower the price for them now so GSN can show them.

[Timsterino]

[quote name=\'dzinkin\' post=\'116964\' date=\'Apr 25 2006, 01:18 PM\']
[quote name=\'kurtinrod62\' post=\'116959\' date=\'Apr 25 2006, 12:57 PM\']
We've read about NBC's infamous erasure or destroying of its pre-1978 game shows, but how many of the peacock's past GS were there that managed to survive the "holocaust"?
[/quote]
I'd just like to state for the record that comparing the erasure of television shows to the state-sponsored mass murder of millions of people is beyond idiotic.

Sorry, folks -- I know it's unmoderatorlike of me to be that blunt, but we've criticized other boards for similar comparisons and I don't like it any more when one of our members does it.
[/quote]

I agree with you and that needed to be said, thanks David.

[Fedya]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'116981\' date=\'Apr 25 2006, 04:19 PM\']
I think its been mentioned before that FF and others (such as Dealer's Choice) are now owned by Columbia Pictures Television, so that could be why its still around.  That doesn't explain, however, why Dealer's Choice is still "lost" when FF exists.  Both shows were on approximately around the same time.
[/quote]

Columbia Pictures Television?  I thought they were bought out by Sony years ago.

Then again, I don't follow the media ownership parade very closely, so I've probably missed several hundred steps in between.  ;-)

[trainman]

[quote name=\'Fedya\' post=\'117021\' date=\'Apr 25 2006, 07:42 PM\']Columbia Pictures Television?  I thought they were bought out by Sony years ago.[/quote]

You are correct.  For a few years they were known as "Columbia-Tristar Television," and a couple of years ago the name was changed to "Sony Pictures Television."

[MrBuddwing]

I don't doubt that NBC destroyed a lot of material in 1978, but isn't it a bit much to assume that the destruction of old NBC shows occurred all at once? Do TV historians believe that, up until that fateful day, Johnny Carson's first ten years of the "Tonight Show" still existed and all the episodes of the original "Jeopardy!" and "The Match Game" were sitting in the vaults? Isn't a more likely scenario that shows were disposed of over the years, maybe even within days or weeks of their airing?

I heard that at least one videotaped episode of the original "Match Game" escaped being erased and was shown on the Game Show Network. That makes me wish I'd gotten GSN way back when. Even though I came to GSN relatively late, I did get to see vintage shows in which the original end credits were scrolled respectfully - now, of course, they squash the credits into a little box so they can run a promo. Yuch.

[14gameshows]

Concerning this issue on tape preservation (or the lack thereof in this case), did the other forms of television such as sitcoms, news reels, sports, and soap operas get the same fate as the game shows, being erased and recorded over?  Also how does Johnny Carson's programs get sent to a Kansas City Salt Mine, along with back episodes of Young & Restless (CBS/Bell/Corday property) and Days (NBC/Bell/Corday)?

ObGameShow: Carson was employed by Goodson-Todman early in his career.