Author Topic: most heartbreaking moments in game show history (Read 23840 times)

Robert Hutchinson · « **Reply #30 on:** December 15, 2007, 07:41:27 PM »

[quote name=\'whoserman\' post=\'172180\' date=\'Dec 15 2007, 07:32 PM\'][quote name=\'ChuckNet\' post=\'172176\' date=\'Dec 15 2007, 04:00 PM\']- WWtBaM: Katie Knudsen's $218K loss, after agonizing for an eternity whether or not to answer the $500K question[/quote]That was a tough one, especially since she came close to locking in the right answer within the first minute or two.[/quote]
Not that it can't qualify for this discussion, but she "came close to locking in" every one of the four answers at some point.

[quote name=\'ChuckNet\' post=\'172176\' date=\'Dec 15 2007, 07:00 PM\']- TJW: A 1982 ep where the champion's down by more than $200 over his opponent's $500, but Fast Forward's a category, which Jack reminds him of...he takes his final spin and gets 2 jokers and a non-FF category, so what does he choose? The non-FF category showing on the wheels.[/quote]
As 13-letter words go, instead of picking "heartbreaking", I'm gonna go off the board and take "schadenfreude" for this one.

clemon79 · « **Reply #31 on:** December 15, 2007, 08:30:52 PM »

[quote name=\'Robert Hutchinson\' post=\'172181\' date=\'Dec 15 2007, 04:41 PM\']
[quote name=\'ChuckNet\' post=\'172176\' date=\'Dec 15 2007, 07:00 PM\']- TJW: A 1982 ep where the champion's down by more than $200 over his opponent's $500, but Fast Forward's a category, which Jack reminds him of...he takes his final spin and gets 2 jokers and a non-FF category, so what does he choose? The non-FF category showing on the wheels.[/quote]
As 13-letter words go, instead of picking "heartbreaking", I'm gonna go off the board and take "schadenfreude" for this one.

[/quote]
Jack steps away from the podium and the screen doors open to reveal:

http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/673/hairaftersk5.jpg

Robert Hutchinson · « **Reply #32 on:** December 15, 2007, 10:32:10 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'172182\' date=\'Dec 15 2007, 08:30 PM\']Jack steps away from the podium and the screen doors open to reveal:

http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/6084/hairafterwr2.jpg[/quote]
Was that for me? I honestly can't tell, since my reply was so goofy.

Mr. Armadillo · « **Reply #33 on:** December 16, 2007, 01:08:25 AM »

How about the woman who bid $12,000 on an $11,999 Showcase on The Price is Right a couple years ago?

Especially when you note it was the first showcase that was under $12,000 for about five years...

TravisP · « **Reply #34 on:** December 16, 2007, 09:01:40 AM »

We had a heartbreaking moment on Are You Smarter Than a 10 Year Old? Daytime Edition last week. A contestant decided to play the £50,000 jackpot question on Ancient History but ended up giving the incorrect answer, thus losing £23,500. His wife and young daughter were sitting in the audience.

Deal or No Deal and In It to Win It are the real killers for heartbreaking moments over here. Many times on In It to Win It we see contestants build up the share of the prize fund, only to end up answering the final (and all important question to secure their share) question wrong. Also there are few times where none of the five contestants win anything on the show.

Deal or No Deal speaks for it's self. The ultimate heartbreaker is dealing but ending up with £100K & £250K in the final two. We've seen that about four/five times now.

tvmitch · « **Reply #35 on:** December 16, 2007, 10:46:39 AM »

[quote name=\'TravisP\' post=\'172205\' date=\'Dec 16 2007, 09:01 AM\']
Deal or No Deal speaks for it's self. The ultimate heartbreaker is dealing but ending up with £100K & £250K in the final two. We've seen that about four/five times now.
[/quote]
See, that wouldn't be a heartbreaking moment for me. Maybe a little more so if I had the top amount in my case. But you've always got to remember that the contestant might have picked those last case amounts in any order. That 100K case might have been eliminated on the next pick.

Kevin Prather · « **Reply #36 on:** December 16, 2007, 01:29:39 PM »

I submit Trevor Bruce's game from UK DoND. His highest bank offer came in the third to last round, £9,900.
His penultimate round was a decent one, but the Banker chose to not raise the offer, instead sticking at £9,900. At this point, Trevor was left with the £250k, 1p, and three other blues.
He turned down the £9,900 again, and played on. His next two picks were blue. His final choice...the £250k.
His final offer is £99. With 1p and £250 left, he plays on and leaves with 1p.

Sure playing on with only the £250k left on the right might not have been wise, but to be honest, that's quite a low offer for a board with such potential. I could understand him playing on.

Unrealtor · « **Reply #37 on:** December 16, 2007, 02:57:22 PM »

I'd probably go with the Pyramid "late buzz" losses. It's hard to get more heartbreaking than having the celebration interrupted.

clemon79 · « **Reply #38 on:** December 16, 2007, 03:13:16 PM »

[quote name=\'whoserman\' post=\'172212\' date=\'Dec 16 2007, 10:29 AM\']
I submit Trevor Bruce's game from UK DoND. His highest bank offer came in the third to last round, £9,900.
His penultimate round was a decent one, but the Banker chose to not raise the offer, instead sticking at £9,900.[/quote]
I realize that the appeal of the UK DoND is that there is no sizzle and a lot of steak, but I do wish there was a *little* more sizzle. Their Banker is *brilliant*.

Unrealtor · « **Reply #39 on:** December 16, 2007, 08:48:38 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'172218\' date=\'Dec 16 2007, 02:13 PM\']
[quote name=\'whoserman\' post=\'172212\' date=\'Dec 16 2007, 10:29 AM\']
I submit Trevor Bruce's game from UK DoND. His highest bank offer came in the third to last round, £9,900.
His penultimate round was a decent one, but the Banker chose to not raise the offer, instead sticking at £9,900.[/quote]
I realize that the appeal of the UK DoND is that there is no sizzle and a lot of steak, but I do wish there was a *little* more sizzle. Their Banker is *brilliant*.
[/quote]

...and a great example of creating drama without throwing around huge amounts of money at every opportunity.

rebelwrest · « **Reply #40 on:** December 16, 2007, 09:38:04 PM »

[quote name=\'whoserman\' post=\'172212\' date=\'Dec 16 2007, 01:29 PM\']
I submit Trevor Bruce's game from UK DoND. His highest bank offer came in the third to last round, £9,900.
His penultimate round was a decent one, but the Banker chose to not raise the offer, instead sticking at £9,900. At this point, Trevor was left with the £250k, 1p, and three other blues.
He turned down the £9,900 again, and played on. His next two picks were blue. His final choice...the £250k.
His final offer is £99. With 1p and £250 left, he plays on and leaves with 1p.

Sure playing on with only the £250k left on the right might not have been wise, but to be honest, that's quite a low offer for a board with such potential. I could understand him playing on.
[/quote]

After watching that moment for the first time, you think about it for awhile. I think that was the moment when it was realized that the UK DOND has made the game perfect. They just took the game added just some music and a brillant host, everything else was added by the emotion of the contestants, the atmosphere created the particular game, and letting the game flow. The one reason why that moment keeps being heartbreaking is because of the quote Trevor said before the last round, " Don't believe in luck. I think you make your own luck. You think about other people first, and help other people when you can. One day it will all come back round. That's why I've had so much happiness. It all comes back round."

Neumms · « **Reply #41 on:** December 17, 2007, 11:00:35 AM »

[quote name=\'Robert Hutchinson\' post=\'172181\' date=\'Dec 15 2007, 07:41 PM\']
[quote name=\'whoserman\' post=\'172180\' date=\'Dec 15 2007, 07:32 PM\'][quote name=\'ChuckNet\' post=\'172176\' date=\'Dec 15 2007, 04:00 PM\']- WWtBaM: Katie Knudsen's $218K loss, after agonizing for an eternity whether or not to answer the $500K question[/quote]That was a tough one, especially since she came close to locking in the right answer within the first minute or two.[/quote]
Not that it can't qualify for this discussion, but she "came close to locking in" every one of the four answers at some point.
[/quote]

A fellow lost $218K when his phone-a-friend (the comedian Will Durst) said he was 100% sure of the wrong answer. That was heartbreaking.

Since "Survivor" came up on the board, there's this heartbreak. A really sweet deaf woman was playing, up against the "wicked stepsisters," as she called them. One was the model Jenna, who won. The moment came when she finally had some power in the game; she was the swing vote between two battling alliances. She dithered so long that the alliances agreed to vote her out. Probst wasn't the least bit sympathetic, the heel.

clemon79 · « **Reply #42 on:** December 17, 2007, 01:04:14 PM »

[quote name=\'Neumms\' post=\'172272\' date=\'Dec 17 2007, 08:00 AM\']
Since "Survivor" came up on the board, there's this heartbreak. A really sweet deaf woman was playing, up against the "wicked stepsisters," as she called them. One was the model Jenna, who won. The moment came when she finally had some power in the game; she was the swing vote between two battling alliances. She dithered so long that the alliances agreed to vote her out. Probst wasn't the least bit sympathetic, the heel.
[/quote]
I fail to see why that is the least bit "heartbreaking," even by the asinine definition of "heartbreaking" put forward by this thread.

Neumms · « **Reply #43 on:** December 17, 2007, 04:50:23 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'172274\' date=\'Dec 17 2007, 01:04 PM\']
[quote name=\'Neumms\' post=\'172272\' date=\'Dec 17 2007, 08:00 AM\']
Since "Survivor" came up on the board, there's this heartbreak. A really sweet deaf woman was playing, up against the "wicked stepsisters," as she called them. One was the model Jenna, who won. The moment came when she finally had some power in the game; she was the swing vote between two battling alliances. She dithered so long that the alliances agreed to vote her out. Probst wasn't the least bit sympathetic, the heel.
[/quote]
I fail to see why that is the least bit "heartbreaking," even by the asinine definition of "heartbreaking" put forward by this thread.
[/quote]

I'm not telling it well, but the girl was sweet and overcoming a serious disadvantage. She could read lips, but didn't want to admit she was deaf so as not to appear weak. It was sad to see her go, especially at a moment when the game appeared to be going her way (at last). She wasn't so heartbroken, I guess, but it was heartbreaking for us at home (at least at my home).

But I realize, it's no hitting a pair at the Money Cards.

clemon79 · « **Reply #44 on:** December 17, 2007, 05:36:04 PM »

[quote name=\'Neumms\' post=\'172290\' date=\'Dec 17 2007, 01:50 PM\']
I'm not telling it well, but the girl was sweet and overcoming a serious disadvantage. She could read lips, but didn't want to admit she was deaf so as not to appear weak.[/quote]
I'm sure she was delightful. But:

1) the highest compliment her opponents could have paid her was to treat her like everyone else, and that means not giving her special dispensation for being deaf, and

2) She screwed up. She had power, she fumbled when she had the chance to use it, and as a result she got bounced. I just have a hard time feeling sorry for that. At ALL.

Quote

But I realize, it's no hitting a pair at the Money Cards.

http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/9759/picardbv6rw9.jpg