Trebek's "Double Dare"

[whewfan]

Trivia Trap didn't age well. I dunno if it's my realization over time that Eubanks is a poor host, or what, but I Tivoed one episode, watched half of it, said "Ya know what? I don't care about this." and deleted it.

I don't think Bob is to blame. Bob said in an interview that Trivia Trap was one of his least favorite shows because he didn't understand the concept of eliminating the wrong answers and leaving the right one. He said "If they KNOW the right answer, why not just pick the RIGHT one?" In the pilot, the teams were originally given the option of picking out the right answer or eliminating a wrong answer. This made the game drag a little. Later in the series, the true/false round was added, and the "pick the 3 wrong answers" format was changed to "all 3 teammates pick what they believe to be the right answer" format. However, now the title of the show made no sense. Where is the TRAP?

[TheLastResort]

[quote name=\'whewfan\' post=\'164729\' date=\'Sep 25 2007, 04:49 AM\']
I don't think Bob is to blame. Bob said in an interview that Trivia Trap was one of his least favorite shows because he didn't understand the concept of eliminating the wrong answers and leaving the right one.
[/quote]

I can sort of understand the concept of eliminating wrong answers.  If you've ever taken a multiple choice test, the first thing the teacher tells you is, if you don't know an answer, start by eliminating the answers you know are wrong.  It might have made more sense if they asked questions with three CORRECT answers and one WRONG answer (a la "Greed").

[Neumms]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'164720\' date=\'Sep 24 2007, 10:04 PM\']
For some reason, I remember seeing an episode / clip / whatever of this show where the "Here's the next clue:" bell didn't ring until after it was already off-screen, so people at home could play along. We're really early on in this run, and as such the bell is sounding immediately. Am I misremembering or did this start happening partway through the series?
[/quote]

This is a really annoying part of the show--I don't see why they'd show the answer. Invariably I screw up the fast forward and see the first answer after a break. It's not like you have Bennett Cerf and Arlene Francis playing for laughs.

As long as it wasn't on in the morning, I think this would be a fantastic show today.

[Neumms]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'164722\' date=\'Sep 24 2007, 10:59 PM\']
Trivia Trap didn't age well. I dunno if it's my realization over time that Eubanks is a poor host, or what, but I Tivoed one episode, watched half of it, said "Ya know what? I don't care about this." and deleted it.
[/quote]

You've often criticized Eubanks and his constant deejay manner, and boy, do I notice it here. On Newlywed Game, he'd ad lib, but here, cripes. He's more plastic than the set.

I still love the show, though. The questions where you eliminate wrong answers are obscure so you don't know the answer off the bat and eliminating wrong answers makes sense, Eubanks be darned. The show only sucked after they changed the rules. For some reason, the red and blue sweaters don't even look so goofy this run.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'whewfan\' post=\'164729\' date=\'Sep 25 2007, 02:49 AM\']
I don't think Bob is to blame. Bob said in an interview that Trivia Trap was one of his least favorite shows because he didn't understand the concept of eliminating the wrong answers and leaving the right one. He said "If they KNOW the right answer, why not just pick the RIGHT one?"
[/quote]
Okay, well, it's not a particularly difficult concept to grok (and there is a world of difference from a gameplay standpoint; sure, Bill Cullen knows the answer, so he has no trouble cutting something, but does Jamie Farr?), so if he had difficulty understanding (and by extension, hosting) the show as a result, then I suggest he is absolutely part of the blame.

Really, the whole show was designed to capitalize on the success of Trivial Pursuit and get a show out there with the word "Trivia" in the title as soon as possible. It's slickly produced, sure, and I enjoy the production (and the theme remains one of my favorites), but the "Let's wrap a Q&A in a "Trivia" package and pretend it's something different!" always bugged me.

[Ian Wallis]

As for Double Dare, I think that was a show a bit ahead of its time.  Brandon's probably right - by the late '70s the "intelligent" Q&A shows were on the outs, but I'm thinking this might have worked better had they brought it back in 1983.  Sale of the Century had just started up, Jeopardy was a year away and it seemed that "intelligent" shows were on the way back.  Once Battlestars was cancelled for the second time, Trebek was free to host another network show!

This show should have had a longer run.

[gsfreak82]

[quote name=\'SRIV94\' post=\'164693\' date=\'Sep 24 2007, 05:49 PM\']
[quote name=\'Chief-O\' post=\'164687\' date=\'Sep 24 2007, 03:34 PM\']
Like most Jay Wolpert creations, it was clever and underrated. Unfortunately, it was, IMO, a little too clever and too intellectual for daytime TV.

Then again, J! was fairly intellectual for its time back then.....
[/quote]
That's a pretty fair assessment.  I didn't appreciate it way back then (I have a tendency to do that with some Wolpert shows--WHEW! being another, for example, although I dug HIT MAN from the get-go), but I'm enjoying it now.
[/quote]



My example is Blackout.  I thought that was a wonderful format except maybe the bonus game since that had nothing to do with the main game.

[uncamark]

I suspect that the network wanted the answer reveal, so that the viewers wouldn't feel too stupid in the early going.

Even if the SFX were cool, the whole door opening and closing thing did take up time.  Today, I would probably solve it by having the clues Chyronned and have monitors in each isolation booth instead of a big screen on the stage next to the host.  When the player hits the buzzer, in the other booth the monitor goes out along with the light going out and the music cutting in on the booth over the speaker.  For any other "opening or closing," you just have a bell ring before or after the lights going out and the music coming on in the appropriate booth.

And it may be minor, but I did feel that the contestants shouldn't have had to spend all of their time on the show (if they didn't win) in the isolation booth.  I would've had them introduced and walk out and chat with the host before entering the booths (with two models to lead them over and open and close the doors to the booths).  At the end of the game, they both come out for the wrapup (and while the applause is going on).

But I'd keep the Spoilers in their booths all the time on camera (and if I were the host, make jokes about how they're not let out and that Craig Ferguson brings 'em food from the CBS commissary).  (Change network references at will.)

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'uncamark\' post=\'165004\' date=\'Sep 28 2007, 09:44 AM\']
I suspect that the network wanted the answer reveal, so that the viewers wouldn't feel too stupid in the early going.
[/quote]
I suspect so too...my issue was more about tweaking the bell so that people could play along more easily.

When the player hits the buzzer, in the other booth the monitor goes out along with the light going out and the music cutting in on the booth over the speaker.

...and the player can still see. My pick: liquid crystal. I wonder how much that would cost.

[jmangin]

[quote name=\'uncamark\' post=\'165006\' date=\'Sep 28 2007, 09:44 AM\']
[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'165006\' date=\'Sep 28 2007, 01:34 PM\']
When the player hits the buzzer, in the other booth the monitor goes out along with the light going out and the music cutting in on the booth over the speaker.[/quote]
...and the player can still see. My pick: liquid crystal. I wonder how much that would cost.
[/quote]

What did they use on Twenty One in 2000 to isolate the contestants' views? Was it a combination of convexed glass and lighting?

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'jmangin\' post=\'165009\' date=\'Sep 28 2007, 11:33 AM\']
What did they use on Twenty One in 2000 to isolate the contestants' views? Was it a combination of convexed glass and lighting?
[/quote]
I don't think it was convex, it was just slightly slanted, then when the TV lights hit it the glare would wash out the audience, supposively. The problem with that was that the players had to stand a little bit away from it in order for the effect to work, then step forward when it was their turn.

[tvrandywest]

[quote name=\'jmangin\' post=\'165009\' date=\'Sep 28 2007, 11:33 AM\']
What did they use on Twenty One in 2000 to isolate the contestants' views? Was it a combination of convexed glass and lighting?
[/quote]
It was lighting only, and it wasn't as effective as most believe. Iso'ed contestants could see the first 2 rows of the audience. They arranged to have the pool of future contestants sit in those seats that were visible.

Randy
tvrandywest.com

[Clay Zambo]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'164741\' date=\'Sep 25 2007, 11:33 AM\']
[quote name=\'whewfan\' post=\'164729\' date=\'Sep 25 2007, 02:49 AM\']
"If they KNOW the right answer, why not just pick the RIGHT one?"
[/quote]
It's slickly produced, sure, and I enjoy the production (and the theme remains one of my favorites),[/quote]

Every time I hear the theme comes up in my iTunes "Game Show" playlist, I think, "What 80's sitcom is that from?"  

As for the Eubanks's difficulty with the show: it always seemed to me that that *was* the "trap"--when you're asked a question, the instinct is to look for the *right* answer.