[quote name=\'Neumms\' post=\'182189\' date=\'Mar 22 2008, 11:42 AM\']
[quote name=\'alfonzos\' post=\'182121\' date=\'Mar 21 2008, 03:38 PM\']
Can anyone recall the first game show to eliminate the chatting with contestants and begin with gameplay? I can remember the Jack Kelly hosted $0tC beginning the game with an Instant Bargain before the host entered.
[/quote]
How could they do it before the host entered? Did the players even have any money?[/quote]
The $20 was already posted on the podia (this was after the show had been on the air for a while and they felt they didn't need to discuss the stake) and Bill Wendell (after I believe introing the contestants) would just say, "And here's your first Instant Bargain--for $2.95, this beautiful..."
Remember that in the original format, the Instant Bargains were always available to all three players. If no one buzzed in right away, as the crowd yelling "BUY IT!"/MacKenzie would start up, the host (whether it be Kelly or Joe G.) would then come in and try to exhort someone to buzz in, and then do the "going...going...gone!", at which point Wendell would then formally intro the host. If someone buzzed in, Wendell would then read the plug (on the original, the plug was read only when someone bought), congratulate the player and then intro the host.
(A added reminder that price cuts were very rare on IBs back then and extra cash offers just didn't happen.)
