B&W Overnight Down to ONE Night a Week...

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'127270\' date=\'Aug 13 2006, 04:17 PM\']Which goes back to my original question, because back in the day when 2FTM was a regular on the GSN schedule, they very much aired the Old Gold episodes.[/quote]

I remember them first making a huge deal about the "lost" cigarette episodes and padding them with vintage anti-smoking PSA's.  Then there was a period, as you say, where they sorta didn't make any big deal about it and just played them anyway.  Then came this, according to everyone's favorite professor:

A favorite with hardcore and classic game show fans, the block created a legal headache for GSN when episodes of Secret, Truth and Two for the Money which featured cigarette sponsor logos on the set aired frequently. A Midwest viewer complained to the network, citing violations of the three-decade agreement to end cigarette advertising on television. Ultimately, Sony attorneys ordered the tobacco logo episodes shelved.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'127273\' date=\'Aug 13 2006, 01:41 PM\']
Then came this, according to everyone's favorite professor:

A favorite with hardcore and classic game show fans, the block created a legal headache for GSN when episodes of Secret, Truth and Two for the Money which featured cigarette sponsor logos on the set aired frequently. A Midwest viewer complained to the network, citing violations of the three-decade agreement to end cigarette advertising on television. Ultimately, Sony attorneys ordered the tobacco logo episodes shelved.

[/quote]
It was then determined that the Midwestern viewer wasn't complaining about advertising cigarettes, but that the packaging wasn't up to date. He then proceeded to scream "POP TARTS!!!" several times into the phone before hanging up.

[dad1153]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'127282\' date=\'Aug 13 2006, 07:16 PM\']
It was then determined that the Midwestern viewer wasn't complaining about advertising cigarettes, but that the packaging wasn't up to date. He then proceeded to scream "POP TARTS!!!" several times into the phone before hanging up. [/quote]

Mmmphhh, Pop Tarts!  Yummy!

[cweaver]

A favorite with hardcore and classic game show fans, the block created a legal headache for GSN when episodes of Secret, Truth and Two for the Money which featured cigarette sponsor logos on the set aired frequently. A Midwest viewer complained to the network, citing violations of the three-decade agreement to end cigarette advertising on television. Ultimately, Sony attorneys ordered the tobacco logo episodes shelved.

So evidently Sony's attorneys weren't smart enough to come up with a disclaimer saying the cigarette company references were historical and should not be accepted now as a plea to smoke?  The packager of the "Phil Silvers Show" DVD was able to figure that one out fairly easily.

[cweaver]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Fiono Coyne\' post=\'127248\' date=\'Aug 13 2006, 01:06 PM\']

Judge For Yourself? Was there any period in the show's run where it wasn't sponsored by Old Golds?

--Jamie
[/quote]

Why would this even be an issue if Old Golds aren't even made anymore?  I know about the tobacco suit, the lawyers, etc. but I still don't get why this would be a big deal as opposed to the Winston logo on "I've Got a Secret" or the Salem logo on "To Tell the Truth."  They still make those but they don't make Old Golds, haven't in about 25 years, so it's not like anyone's going to run out to the convenience store and get any.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'cweaver\' post=\'127288\' date=\'Aug 13 2006, 06:39 PM\']
Why would this even be an issue if Old Golds aren't even made anymore?  I know about the tobacco suit, the lawyers, etc. but I still don't get why this would be a big deal as opposed to the Winston logo on "I've Got a Secret" or the Salem logo on "To Tell the Truth."  They still make those but they don't make Old Golds, haven't in about 25 years, so it's not like anyone's going to run out to the convenience store and get any.
[/quote]
Has nothing to do with the specific brand, and everything to do, apparently at least to this Midwestern asshat, with the promotion of smoking. A couple comes out, Herb crosses their palms with two cartons each of Old Golds, and tells them how sure he is that they will enjoy smoking them, and I guess if you're particularly terribly stupid, that makes you want to run out and shove a cancer stick in your mouth where you might not have before.

I understand banning direct smoking ads, like commercial time on a TV show. I don't get this. Maybe one of our red-staters can explain the thought process.

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'cweaver\' post=\'127288\' date=\'Aug 13 2006, 08:39 PM\']
Why would this even be an issue if Old Golds aren't even made anymore?  I know about the tobacco suit, the lawyers, etc. but I still don't get why this would be a big deal as opposed to the Winston logo on "I've Got a Secret" or the Salem logo on "To Tell the Truth."  They still make those but they don't make Old Golds, haven't in about 25 years, so it's not like anyone's going to run out to the convenience store and get any.
[/quote]
Next time, check your facts.
They are still made.

[BobbyLankford_83]

Yep, they still make Old Golds, Modor. I saw a carton of them this morning when I was at Safeway buying groceries. Maybe the poster who said Old Golds are not made anymore was thinking of two other brands that are not made anymore, Bel Air and Raleigh cigarettes . I think Lorillard or Brown and Williamson made Raleigh and Bel Air . I know Lorillard does Old Gold. And Dennis James did ads for them in the 1950's . Maybe your parents or grand parents remember the old ads with the dancing Old Gold cigarette boxes.

[cweaver]

[quote name=\'Modor\' post=\'127305\' date=\'Aug 13 2006, 10:30 PM\']
[Next time, check your facts.
They are still made.
[/quote]

Sorry to so deeply offend you by being wrong, but I could've sworn I actually saw a press release once indicating they were being discontinued.  Obviously I was wrong.

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'cweaver\' post=\'127285\' date=\'Aug 13 2006, 09:24 PM\']So evidently Sony's attorneys weren't smart enough to come up with a disclaimer saying the cigarette company references were historical and should not be accepted now as a plea to smoke?  The packager of the "Phil Silvers Show" DVD was able to figure that one out fairly easily.[/quote]
That particular point is easily dismissed.  DVDs are different than a network airing things on television.  Heck, you can buy DVDs of nothing BUT cigarette commercials.

Look, this would be a bigger deal for GSN if there were signs for cigarettes on the set of Match Game, or Family Feud.  The black and white shows are virtually meaningless to them.  If it's going to cause ANY extra trouble or ANY extra effort for them to air the cigarette-sponsored shows, there's no reason for them to bother.

[Ian Wallis]

I'm surprised nobody's mention this yet...or if they have I guess I've missed it.  

According to Steve Beverly, GSN will air two Password episodes in their overnight block on Sept 10th - including the only surviving ABC episode that they have.

Just a heads up...if it does air I'm sure it's one we'd all like to have!

Here's the link - see near the bottom.

http://tvgameshows.net/classicmoment.htm

[Blanquepage]

According to Steve Beverly, GSN will air two Password episodes in their overnight block on Sept 10th - including the only surviving ABC episode that they have.

It's about time GSN got ahold of them, even if it's just one of them!
Super move. It's probably the episode with clips featured on VH-1 with Brett Somers and Jack Klugman, but that's just as guess.
If it's entirely different and it turns out that they have ANOTHER one we didn't know about, then I for one will just about forgive them for a lot of the 50 Greatest Game Shows debacle.

--Jamie

[Allstar87]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Fiono Coyne\' post=\'127357\' date=\'Aug 14 2006, 12:32 PM\']
It's about time GSN got ahold of them, even if it's just one of them!
Super move. It's probably the episode with clips featured on VH-1 with Brett Somers and Jack Klugman, but that's just as guess.
If it's entirely different and it turns out that they have ANOTHER one we didn't know about, then I for one will just about forgive them for a lot of the 50 Greatest Game Shows debacle.
[/quote]

Heck, I'll forgive them no matter which episode they air! The very fact they're airing an ABC Password episode is incredible. Never in a million years did I expect that.

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'Allstar87\' post=\'127374\' date=\'Aug 14 2006, 02:37 PM\']Heck, I'll forgive them no matter which episode they air! The very fact they're airing an ABC Password episode is incredible. Never in a million years did I expect that.[/quote]
It's surprising for a lot of reasons.  Mostly, the fact that the network has been around for ten years now, and if they had the episode before, it seems like they would have showed it back when they cared more about the classic shows.  To give collectors and fans this preposterously rare treat at three o'clock in the morning seems quite odd, and almost too good to be true.  Even if it is one that we know about, it'll get into a lot more hands and in a lot better quality this way.

[Blanquepage]

Even if it is one that we know about, it'll get into a lot more hands and in a lot better quality this way.

Agreed. Who cares if it'll have the GSN bug? Collectors will treasure this episode.
Although the Google groups post isn't on hand, I do remember reading waaay back in '97 that GSN had a "sample episode" with "no rights to air it."
Sounded anomalous to me even then, but maybe this is the alleged episode.

Looks like Judge For Yourself won't be seeing the light of day after all, though I'd say it's a more than equitable tradeoff.
This new Sunday Night Overnight deal may be worth it after all. Very reminicent of the old "Game of the Week."

--Jamie