Bingo returns to TV

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'148304\' date=\'Mar 15 2007, 02:23 PM\']
Yeah, but people don't like leaving the house, or sitting in what could be a smoky bingo hall (depending on what state you live in).
[/quote]
Having worked in a Bingo hall, it's quite hellish on the wardrobe. ;-) It's also quite funny seeing blue-haired biddies get upset because they didn't win the $100 jackpot. It's even funnier seeing 12 people get happy about  a Bingo, until they realize they have to share one Benjamin. :-)

I know Wink Martindale tried this c. 1986, but didn't get past the pilot stages. This is the type of thing that could work on a Playmania level, or in a local, late-night concept. This being a national, primetime show makes me wonder.

If they want to make it truly interactive, why not have folks go to ABC.com, and give them an online bingo card. And that's another thing, when I worked in bingo, mostly everyone had full sheets with about 9 grids per sheet. Obviously, ABC can't limit how many a person gets.

I think they need to rethink this.

[alfonzos]

Which reminds me of an old joke: How do you get seventy-five little old ladies to curse like sailors? Have the seventy-sixth one yell, "Bingo!"

[TimK2003]

[quote name=\'alfonzos\' post=\'148310\' date=\'Mar 15 2007, 04:30 PM\']
Which reminds me of an old joke: How do you get seventy-five little old ladies to curse like sailors? Have the seventy-sixth one yell, "Bingo!"
[/quote]

I'm curious to find out how many states will prohibit their residents from winning any prizes from "Bingo".  Most of these current game show contests exclude Alaska & Hawaii right off the bat (mostly due to the times they air), so there's two to start off with.

This also brings up a good topic:  

On other game shows of the past where there were occasional sweepstakes drawings (i.e. "Press Your Luck's" Home Viewer Spin, "Price Is Right's" Phone Home Game, "Let's Make A Deal's" Celebrity Deal Game,...) or lucky phone number games (i.e. "Winning Lines", "Your Number's Up",...), what state(s) regularly prohibited these contests?

[ChuckNet]

Satellite Bingo, there's a new one on me. How's that one played?

Pretty much the same as all your typical "home bingo" shows of an earlier era...numbers were called off, and the first home viewer to call in a bingo on their card (each card had a 5-digit number for verification purposes) won a prize (on the ep I have, they were all exotic vacations to such locales as Amsterdam, Sydney, etc.). Later in the show, there was also a rebus puzzle, for which the corresponding square was revealed w/each call...if a winning home solved the puzzle when calling, they won a new car.

The show was produced by Ralph Andrews' former partner, Bill Yagermann...in all probability, it may have only lasted about 2 mos.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

[mcsittel]

Assuming the show won't air live and across the country, one would assume there won't be any 'real time' winning going on here (e.g., "the first person to call in nationwide with a Bingo wins $1,000,000!")

Now, assuming there won't be the ability to design-your-own-Bingo-card through some online entry, ABC  could 'create', let's say, 25 cards on line, and you'll register on their web site to participate, at which time you'll select one of the 25 cards to be your own.  Numbers will be drawn until at least one of the 25 cards has a Bingo on it ("Caesar says STOP!"), and then all those who picked that card are now entered into a drawing.

Perhaps they could sweeten the pot by allowing the registrant to select a card for each of the 3 rounds, and if he/she gets Bingo on that round's card all 3 times, is entered into a drawing for the grand prize.

With 25*25*25 = 15,625 different ways to pick 3 cards, one would expect hundreds of entries for the grand prize.  Even if you don't restrict the number of times a home viewer can enter and play, that number is prohibitive enough to prevent someone from trying to enter every possible combination.

You can still offer nice prizes to winners in game 1 or 2, but getting more than one Bingo during the night ought to be worth something.  Give away a quarter million in prizes and make a nice profit off the ads, esp. if you keep production costs low (maybe they can borrow the Lingo set and have a model draw the numbers).

I look forward to seeing how ABC will attempt this...

Matt

[Allstar87]

[quote name=\'ChuckNet\' post=\'148354\' date=\'Mar 15 2007, 09:21 PM\']
Pretty much the same as all your typical "home bingo" shows of an earlier era...numbers were called off, and the first home viewer to call in a bingo on their card (each card had a 5-digit number for verification purposes) won a prize (on the ep I have, they were all exotic vacations to such locales as Amsterdam, Sydney, etc.). Later in the show, there was also a rebus puzzle, for which the corresponding square was revealed w/each call...if a winning home solved the puzzle when calling, they won a new car.

The show was produced by Ralph Andrews' former partner, Bill Yagermann...in all probability, it may have only lasted about 2 mos.
[/quote]

Ah, thanks a bunch. Sounds like it'd get a bit tedious, but at least they gave away some nice prizes.

[scottua1]

According to the network's press release for the show, the contestant will be competing against a studio audience, who can "win cash and send the contestant home empty-handed." Viewers will be able to print Bingo cards off of abc.com and play for prizes (separate from the game airing, I would imagine).

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20070314abc01