Author Topic: The Challengers (Read 20862 times)

uncamark · « **Reply #30 on:** September 04, 2007, 05:50:35 PM »

On one hand, I would state what I've often stated that there were just too many new Q&A shows that year (along with "Challengers," we had "Quiz Kids Challenge," "Trump Card" and the "TJW" and "TTD" revivals), which made it hard for *any* of them to make an impression.

On the other hand, if so, the fact that "Ruckus" wasn't a Q&A show should've propelled it out of test market, so that there was a true downturn in game shows that year.

But on the *third* hand, "Ruckus" was such a bad show it had no chance even if there were no other game shows in syndication *at all.*

So maybe it was a combination of Q&A glut *and* a downturn in game show fortunes. Works for me.

whoww · « **Reply #31 on:** September 13, 2007, 01:36:30 PM »

Don,
Many thanks for remembering The Challengers and causing all the nice comments about the show. I am most appreciative.

The show was the 2nd coming of the Who What or Where Game. Believe it or not I'm working on the next version. Keep your fingers crossed.

All the best to you and all those who sent their notes.

Wamest regards,

Ronnie Greenberg

clemon79 · « **Reply #32 on:** September 13, 2007, 02:39:45 PM »

[quote name=\'whoww\' post=\'163669\' date=\'Sep 13 2007, 10:36 AM\']
Don,
Many thanks for remembering The Challengers and causing all the nice comments about the show. I am most appreciative.
[/quote]
Rest assured, Mr. Greenberg, a LOT of us remember The Challengers and miss it a great deal.

Quote

The show was the 2nd coming of the Who What or Where Game. Believe it or not I'm working on the next version. Keep your fingers crossed.

That...is exciting news....

BrandonFG · « **Reply #33 on:** September 13, 2007, 03:00:55 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'163677\' date=\'Sep 13 2007, 02:39 PM\']
[quote name=\'whoww\' post=\'163669\' date=\'Sep 13 2007, 10:36 AM\']
Don,
Many thanks for remembering The Challengers and causing all the nice comments about the show. I am most appreciative.
[/quote]
Rest assured, Mr. Greenberg, a LOT of us remember The Challengers and miss it a great deal.

Quote

The show was the 2nd coming of the Who What or Where Game. Believe it or not I'm working on the next version. Keep your fingers crossed.

That...is exciting news....

[/quote]
Seconded. I was only 8 when the show aired, but I loved watching it as a child.

And just so I can be a follower, it aired in Norfolk at 5 pm on WVEC, against at least one other newscast (on WTKR; can't remember if WAVY still aired M*A*S*H reruns at 5 in 1990), and I believe 'TKR ruled the news back then, so you know how that goes. :-P They switched to mornings toward the last months of the run (10:30 IIRC).

As I said earlier, with the country more obsessed with current events, I think the show would do very well, esp. given the more welcoming climate of the genre.

tpirfan28 · « **Reply #34 on:** September 13, 2007, 06:03:39 PM »

As someone who was 2 when the show premiered, I'm just thankful for the fact we have do have tape trading and video clip sites. THAT was a good game. Having Dick Clark at the helm probably helped too.

[quote name=\'whoww\' post=\'163669\' date=\'Sep 13 2007, 01:36 PM\']The show was the 2nd coming of the Who What or Where Game. Believe it or not I'm working on the next version. Keep your fingers crossed.
[/quote]Excellent news!

tomobrien · « **Reply #35 on:** September 13, 2007, 06:20:41 PM »

[quote name=\'whoww\' post=\'163669\' date=\'Sep 13 2007, 12:36 PM\']
The show was the 2nd coming of the Who What or Where Game. Believe it or not I'm working on the next version. Keep your fingers crossed.
[/quote]
Some of us in the Dinosaur Lounge can even remember the first incarnation of the 3W's. Great show indeed!

PYLdude · « **Reply #36 on:** September 13, 2007, 11:29:20 PM »

[quote name=\'clanky06\' post=\'162673\' date=\'Sep 4 2007, 12:50 PM\']
Didn't I read that Ed Toutant was a Challengers contestant?
[/quote]

Well, it's on Wikipedia, Clanky (probably where you saw it...that's where I saw it, too)...would help if we could get some confirmation from the man himself.

Paging Mr. Toutant to the white courtesy phone, please.

chad1m · « **Reply #37 on:** September 13, 2007, 11:34:11 PM »

I remember that Ed mentioned he was a contestant on The Challengers during an episode of J. Keith van Straaten's Game Show Radio Game Show.

TimK2003 · « **Reply #38 on:** September 14, 2007, 12:36:09 AM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'163677\' date=\'Sep 13 2007, 02:39 PM\']
[quote name=\'whoww\' post=\'163669\' date=\'Sep 13 2007, 10:36 AM\']
Don,
Many thanks for remembering The Challengers and causing all the nice comments about the show. I am most appreciative.
[/quote]
Rest assured, Mr. Greenberg, a LOT of us remember The Challengers and miss it a great deal.

Quote

The show was the 2nd coming of the Who What or Where Game. Believe it or not I'm working on the next version. Keep your fingers crossed.

That...is exciting news....

[/quote]

Join me in the mix as far as hoping for good times ahead with your venture, Ron!!!

And if, for some reason, the interested syndicators and/or networks insist on having it paired up with another show, maybe doing a companion show involving 'dice' could work... ;-)

/If Jim Peck can ask you for a job, then I'd like to inquire about employment as well.
//Though not in a host capacity.
///Call me!

jbatch2 · « **Reply #39 on:** July 19, 2008, 12:52:53 AM »

I used to watch The Challengers after school when I was in fifth grade. I particularly remember one episode from later in the season, when there was a single-question Ultimate Challenge at the end of each show for $10,000. A female contestant stated that she had no idea what the answer was, and Dick Clark told her to take a guess. She guessed "Smith." She chuckled, and then Dick Clark stated, "That's right!" She appeared to be quite shocked. I do not remember the question, but I am pretty sure the answer was Smith.

TLEberle · « **Reply #40 on:** July 19, 2008, 04:21:47 PM »

[quote name=\'jbatch2\' post=\'191306\' date=\'Jul 18 2008, 09:52 PM\']I used to watch The Challengers after school when I was in fifth grade. I particularly remember one episode from later in the season, when there was a single-question Ultimate Challenge at the end of each show for $10,000. A female contestant stated that she had no idea what the answer was, and Dick Clark told her to take a guess. She guessed "Smith." She chuckled, and then Dick Clark stated, "That's right!" She appeared to be quite shocked. I do not remember the question, but I am pretty sure the answer was Smith.[/quote]A moment second only to the Ultimate Understatement. I think the answer to the question you can't remember is This Guy.

/For those scoring at home, I remembered the answer to a single question on a game show from eighteen years ago, but don't remember where I put my keys...

clanky06 · « **Reply #41 on:** July 19, 2008, 07:31:33 PM »

They say that one of the benefits of Alzheimers is that you need to have only one book! I was merrily reading all the pages of this thread when I came across a post with my name as author! Then I looked at the date—September of last year! Oh, yeah, now I remember writing that! Geriatric dementia also lets me enjoy WoF reruns, too!

Well, I'll add a bit of trivia—Harry Friedman and Gary Johnson went to the same high school in Omaha, one year apart.

That Don Guy · « **Reply #42 on:** July 19, 2008, 09:51:33 PM »

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'162618\' date=\'Sep 3 2007, 02:00 PM\']
I wonder if part of the problem is that in many cities (according to old TVGuides I have) this show was up against either Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy. Maybe if it wasn't scheduled directly opposite those powerhouses it might have had a better chance.[/quote]
In San Francisco, it aired sometime between 4 PM and 5 PM. (I think Jeopardy aired in that block at one time as well - keep in mind this is the station that, when Jeopardy first returned, aired it once a week, and on Saturday nights at that.)

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'162639\' date=\'Sep 3 2007, 07:23 PM\']
One of the things I always liked about The 3 W's is such a little thing in the grand scheme. The way the show was structured, no one ever had to buzz in to answer a question.[/quote]
Near the end of its run, 3W added a buzz-in segment (it replaced one of the normal rounds); I seem to recall it was +/- $10 per question. (One thing I remember is watching the flip-style digits have to roll around to change, say, a 6 to a 5 when someone got one wrong.)

One thing stands out for me when thinking about 3W; its "grand prize" system - every 13 weeks, whoever had won the most money among five-time winners in that time period won a car.

-- Don

GameShowGuru · « **Reply #43 on:** July 19, 2008, 10:17:32 PM »

While I was too young to remember the 3Ws, I vividly remember The Challengers, it aired on WCHM Channel 4 here in Columbus. I was in my senior year of high school, and I remember watching this show while doing my homework. I loved the 3 day Ultimate Challenge championship round--when they started doing it every day it kinda killed my desire to watch the show. Even though they moved it back to a 3 day thing, my local affiliate moved it from its original 7 p.m. time slot to a 2 a.m. time slot. And that year I was very consumed with school activities, I wasn't about to stay up (or get up) at 2 to catch the show.

I did write a letter to Dick Clark though for my English class, saying how much I liked him as host of Pyramid and the Challengers, but didn't like when my affiliate moved the show's time slot. I asked for an autographed photo of him, and about 15 months later, I actually got one.

Anyway, along with a series of other events, watching The Challengers was one of the highlights of my high school senior year.

jbatch2 · « **Reply #44 on:** July 21, 2008, 03:17:30 AM »

I remember when Dick Clark joked that the show would need to get a new podium for Stan Newman after his winnings exceeded $100,000. Since the display on each contestant's podium only had five digits, they had to flash his total winnings on the screen. The Challengers is one of my all time favorite shows.

Author Topic: The Challengers (Read 20862 times)

uncamark

jbatch2

clanky06

jbatch2