The Game Show Pilot Light Has Moved!

[mmb5]

Howdy all!

I've recently moved the Game Show Pilot Light to a new host, and therefore it has a new location: http://usgameshows.net/wiki

You'll notice an entirely new user interface, modeled after everybody's favorite reference source in the whole wide world.  However, it's not going to be user editable.  I just wanted a better content management system and do less programming.

But, to give you, the user, a better experience, you will have the ability to comment, as long as the comments don't go south.  However, to comment, you must be a registered user of the site.  That's to keep the anonymous crap down to a minimum.

I've added nine new pilots (with more coming over the next few days):
Body Language
Casino
The Couples Race
Honeymoon Game
Jeopardy (1977)
Oddball
Shoot for the Stars
Spellbinders
Write Your Own Ticket

I also have uncovered new information about the possible airings of both Head of the Class and The Big Payoff.  If you have any information that can help me unravel their airing statuses (especially the latter one), it would be appreciated.

Finally, I also plan to try to get at least a list of up of known pilots.  I'm going to be working on this one over the weekend.  It will be very incomplete at the beginning but it's not going to be a list of hearsay.  Proof of the pilot will have to be verifiable.

So, please take a visit, kick a few tires, and let me know what you think.


--Mike

[Chelsea Thrasher]

I also have uncovered new information about the possible airings of ...Head of the Class  

A good show that, IMO, started to take a dive when they added all the new kids. When Howard Hesseman left, that just killed it.

Seriously though, excellent work as always.

[Matt Ottinger]

Right away, the thing that I love about it is the lists that allow you to search by producer, genre and tape date (though genre is going to be somewhat subjective).  And of course, the fact that there are some new shows to read about and imagine "what if...?"

[Dbacksfan12]

Looking through the Wiki, it seems that Mark Goodson was plenty capable in most areas except for one: Scoring.

While this translated to on-air games as well (Super Password, Body Lanugage, etc.), were there any games (besides Family Feud) that didn't feature either a "useless round" or some kind of glitch in how points were handed out?

[BrandonFG]

Reading the "Casino" pilot, I can't imagine how GSN went for "Friend or Foe" or "Funny Money" instead of this. The changes seemed cool, and the bonus round concept was quite clever...furthermore, it looks like you had to work for the $100,000 or at least use some good strategy.

Shame it didn't work. I know someone posted the pilot several months ago...I'll try to find it when I get a free minute.

[tvwxman]

Good stuff. Where did you see the new pilots? Are they available to us common folk?

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'Modor\' post=\'162345\' date=\'Aug 30 2007, 01:03 PM\']While this translated to on-air games as well (Super Password, Body Lanugage, etc.), were there any games (besides Family Feud) that didn't feature either a "useless round" or some kind of glitch in how points were handed out?[/quote]You could make an awfully strong argument that the early rounds in Family Feud were pretty useless as well.

I've resigned myself to accepting the awkwardly-weighted point systems on shows that needed to get done in a half hour.  What never made any sense to me was doing that when your show straddled.  The Password puzzle shows are the best example.  Why should any round be more valuable than any other round?  Best two out of three, or best three out of five, and you've made your game easier to follow and more equitable.

Still, not all Goodson games of the 70s-80s followed that pattern.  Blockbusters and Tattletales are two examples of shows that IMO didn't have goofy glitches to their scoring.

[Steve McClellan]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Aug 30 2007, 10:25 AM\']The Password puzzle shows are the best example.  Why should any round be more valuable than any other round?  Best two out of three, or best three out of five, and you've made your game easier to follow and more equitable.[/quote]
Well, Super Password *was* best two out of three. It just started with the second puzzle.

Feud is more interesting (excluding the ridiculous "who'sever* in the lead at the end of this question" format). Assuming that a weighted average of 75 people per question were scored (which was usually the case), the only 300-point format with a completely useless question was SSSDT when the same team got the first two questions. Even then, if questions went for small amounts, every point could matter.

I'm not much of a fan of the Tattletales scoring system - it could take two questions to catch up just because someone else happens to get the same question as you right, and a question's worth more just because the last one was hard.

As to Mark's original question (well-scored Goodson games): Concentration, Match Game, Card Sharks, Double Dare, Password (original recipe). Granted, they did have a lot of games with scoring problems, but not all of them.

--
*I'm not generally a grammar Nazi, but this bugs the living daylights out of me.

[Joe Mello]

I think that with games like Body Language and Super Password, the system was maybe meant more for accomodation rather than scoring.  Body Language's system assured everyone mimed once and Super Password (and Kennedy P+) was designed so that the contestants played with both celebs for at least one puzzle.

[clemon79]

I think with Super Password, the two-out-of-three-after-the-first-warmup-puzzle was ABSOLUTELY intentional.

[J.R.]

[quote name=\'Joe Mello\' post=\'162364\' date=\'Aug 30 2007, 03:32 PM\']I think that with games like Body Language and Super Password, the system was maybe meant more for accomodation rather than scoring.  Body Language's system assured everyone mimed once and Super Password (and Kennedy P+) was designed so that the contestants played with both celebs for at least one puzzle.[/quote]

Going along with that, I always thought SP's $100 puzzle was meant to be a no-pressure practice round to help ease the nerves of the contestants.

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'mmb5\' post=\'162338\' date=\'Aug 30 2007, 12:21 PM\']
Jeopardy (1977)
[/quote]
I wonder if this was intended as the replacement for Double Dare.
The timing seems right since the Jeopardy! pilot was filmed in early March of 1977.
Then CBS might've thought the changes for J! were too wacky and put Here's Lucy in the DD time period instead.

[Ian Wallis]

Going along with that, I always thought SP's $100 puzzle was meant to be a no-pressure practice round to help ease the nerves of the contestants.

Maybe...but I think it's much better if ALL your rounds actually mean something.

The timing seems right since the Jeopardy! pilot was filmed in early March of 1977.
Then CBS might've thought the changes for J! were too wacky and put Here's Lucy in the DD time period instead.

The addition of Here's Lucy does seem odd, doesn't it?  Usually a network put a current show's reruns on the daytime schedule, rather than one that hadn't been seen for three years.  I don't know why they couldn't have done Mary Tyler Moore for a few months - it was hitting syndication that fall and CBS could have gotten some daytime use out of it.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'162385\' date=\'Aug 30 2007, 03:23 PM\']
Maybe...but I think it's much better if ALL your rounds actually mean something.
[/quote]
Why? Please tell me what's wrong with giving two people who have probably never been on TV before a chance to get comfortable before the real game for serious money starts.

Would you rather WWTBAM skipped the first five questions, too?

[The Pyramids]

Another great update Mike