"Bulk" Production of New Shows...

[TimK2003]

I can see it feasable for the long established shows (Wheel, TPIR, J!, Millionaire,...) to fill up the can with as many shows as quickly as possible to fill the season -- The rules and gameplay are pretty much set in stone, it's cheaper overall, and while it may mean longer hours in a stretch for those involved with the show, it's only a few months out of part of the year rather than every few weeks throughout an entire calendar year.

With the recent posts that with so many eps already in the can of the freshman shows, they may have shot themselves in the foot as far as working out the bugs, or addressing concerns of the viewers or critics that it's hard to retool the show before the bulk of the ratings damage is done.

A couple of questions:

In the earlier days of game shows (the 70's, the 80's, the 90s,...)  what was the original protocol for freshman shows:  How far in advance would they initially tape?  Did they allow a period of idle time between taping schedules to get public feedback on their work so they can adapt to flaws and/or criticism seen by the public?

Is it the need to satisfy double-run markets with enough eps in reserve that is causing these shows to not be able to tweak the format or gameplay in time before the ratings flatline?  Or is it more the financial aspect (save money by taping 5-a-day and have the whole season done by October) that is killing the opportunity for shows to try to redeem themselves in the ratings?  Who is the main culprit to blame here?

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'165326\' date=\'Oct 2 2007, 10:57 AM\']
In the earlier days of game shows (the 70's, the 80's, the 90s,...)  what was the original protocol for freshman shows:  How far in advance would they initially tape?  Did they allow a period of idle time between taping schedules to get public feedback on their work so they can adapt to flaws and/or criticism seen by the public?[/quote]

In the network days of the 70s and 80s, seems to me that everyone had to do four days a month, although there were exceptions if the space was available and they wanted to build up a backlog before going on vacation.  In the 70s, there were still the network variety shows and sitcoms originating from the network studios and relatively few talk shows with "dedicated" sets that had to stay up virtually permanently.  (According to an NBC tour guide, even Carson's "Tonight" set could be struck quickly to move a game show into Studio 1 for taping.)

Gil Fates makes a comment in his book about "producers with lower budgets and lower standards" taping 10-a-day, but no comment about a compressed schedule.  I would guess that by the time cable came around, the combination of tight budgets and cheaper space that allowed for leaving sets up longer went to taping 65 episodes in two-to-three weeks.  However, there was no such thing as "double run" back then--if a show was seen more than once a day, the same episode repeated.  And TNN's game shows like "Fandango" aired in sequence (since they had returning champions), so they had the opportunity to make tweaks if necessary.

[Ian Wallis]

In the days of "checkerboard" schedules in the '70s, I'm reasonably sure most of the syndicated shows taped everything in a month - but they only had to do between 24-30 for the whole season - so most of them were in the can before they even hit the air.

I don't agree with current shows taping everything in a month though.  I really think they should spread it around a bit, to make "tweaks", or even plug celebrities (if there were any celeb shows anymore) upcoming appearances, etc.  Oh...and run them in order, please!  

[Robert Hutchinson]

How many weeks into the '80s $25K Pyramid did they add "New" to the title? I remember Dick Clark said that some viewers thought the show was just reruns of the Cullen series.

Not that this would be standard practice, but hasn't it been established (by Chris C. or others) that Password Plus taped its first episodes mere days before the premiere?

[tpirfan28]

[quote name=\'Robert Hutchinson\' post=\'165365\' date=\'Oct 2 2007, 06:41 PM\']
How many weeks into the '80s $25K Pyramid did they add "New" to the title? I remember Dick Clark said that some viewers thought the show was just reruns of the Cullen series.
[/quote]
Something like six.  And you are correct in Dick's statement.  As a matter of fact, it went something to the tune of:

"Welcome to the $25,000 Pyramid....the "new" $25,000 Pyramid.  You know the reason we had to do that...because we didn't want you to get confused with the old one....and there's a few....changes along the way."

Celebs on this particular episode were Lynn Redgrave and John Shuck...John makes a mention about how he played $10K when "you were out for a week".

I'll get an audio clip up later...don't have the capability right now to upload the video from my VHS.

(Added bonus:  I think this was when Jack Clark was announcing.  And I have it off Old GSN...so I have plugs too. )

[tvrandywest]

[quote name=\'uncamark\' post=\'165331\' date=\'Oct 2 2007, 09:28 AM\']... In the network days of the 70s and 80s, seems to me that everyone had to do four days a month, although there were exceptions if the space was available and they wanted to build up a backlog before going on vacation... [/quote]
In the late 60s and earliest 70s, GT shows were still taping a week of shows over a 2 day taping schedule - two shows on one day, and three shows on the next day. Soon after, the norm was 5 shows a day, only rarely taping more than 2 months ahead.

Cranking a whole season in a minimum number of weeks is a newer cost-cutting measure that puts a huge burden on many staffers, especially writers and contestant coordinators. As for announcers who do warm-up, in 2002 or 2003 I had my only bout with a malady called plantar faciitis which my doctor explained can be caused by standing all day, many days in a row. Strangely, Bob Barker also suffered from a minor case of that same foot problem. He was amazed that I knew all about it.

But back to the point, if you want to read more about the changes in game show production over the decades, you might enjoy THIS ARTICLE. Go and click "Production Then and Now".


Randy
tvrandywest.com

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'tpirfan28\' post=\'165366\' date=\'Oct 2 2007, 06:55 PM\']
"Welcome to the $25,000 Pyramid....the "new" $25,000 Pyramid.  You know the reason we had to do that...because we didn't want you to get confused with the old one...."
[/quote]
Leading to a bit of confusion for some when the show repeated in 1992 on USA Network.

[chris319]

We generally taped two weeks in advance. The staff was employed 52 weeks per year so there was no rush. Occasionally we taped 15 shows over 3 days to accomodate hiatus/vacation. Economically, the network license fee and correspondingly the production budget were set up to accomodate this. Some of these practices date back to the days of doing these shows live.

In syndication I imagine the economic influences are much different.

a malady called plantar faciitis which my doctor explained can be caused by standing all day, many days in a row. Strangely, Bob Barker also suffered from a minor case of that same foot problem.

Did they treat this concurrently with his other condition, perjuritis subornitis?

Just makin' a joke there, Bob.

[tpirfan28]

[quote name=\'tpirfan28\' post=\'165366\' date=\'Oct 2 2007, 06:55 PM\']
I'll get an audio clip up later...don't have the capability right now to upload the video from my VHS.

(Added bonus:  I think this was when Jack Clark was announcing.  And I have it off Old GSN...so I have plugs too. )
[/quote]
Here 'tis.  $10 garage sale find comes in handy now!