Author Topic: Play It Back: '70s Game Shows (Read 5733 times)

That Don Guy · « **on:** September 08, 2008, 01:30:52 AM »

I never thought I'd see a retrospective of game shows that included clips from The Big Showdown, The $20,000 Pyramid, and Jackpot! but not The Price is Right.

(Yes, I know, TPIR is on the "GSN no-show list by order of Fremantle until the CBS version is cancelled," but you think they would have at least mentioned this.)

Speaking of missing shows, why no The Joker's Wild? (It's not as if GSN doesn't have any of the CBS episodes.)
And don't they have any Woolery Wheel of Fortune episodes either? (Then again, there probably aren't any 1970s WoF episodes with any moments "exciting" enough to make the show.)

(And for those of you who didn't understand the Kathie Lee Gifford reference: in the second season of the syndicated Name That Tune in its $100,000 format, the second round had Kathie Lee (then Johnson, her first husband's name) singing tunes that the contestants named by writing the titles down on cards; however, she had to replace each word in the title of the song with "la" - hence, "the 'la la' girl".)

-- Don

Kniwt · « **Reply #1 on:** September 08, 2008, 02:01:59 AM »

Yes, it was certainly an eclectic selection of clips. Random observations that I wasn't going to bother with but will do so now:

-- I'm guessing they couldn't license the music for Gene Gene the Dancing Machine, which made the stock music over the clip seem woefully inadequate.

-- Some of the clips, especially Gary Burghoff on "Tattletales," had video that looked fine but audio that clearly sounded like it had been taken from YouTube or even an old Real Audio file.

-- On the other hand, that has to be the best quality I've ever seen for the clip of the $38,750 win on "Jackpot!"

-- And I actually managed to learn a new random fact about Bob Eubanks from the show, assuming that it was indeed presented accurately.

Clay Zambo · « **Reply #2 on:** September 08, 2008, 09:36:08 AM »

In the bumper-question about <I>Dating Game celebs, Caroline read the name of Annette Bening's main squeeze as "Warren BEEEE-tee."

Bee-tee? Really? They didn't do a re-take for that? I mean, who was the host? Caroline REEEE?

Aside from that, a moderately enjoyable hour. Not much with the assortment of clips, but you do what you can with the budget you have.

That Don Guy · « **Reply #3 on:** September 08, 2008, 03:49:13 PM »

Speaking of the bumpers, the one about the sitcom characters on two game shows confused me at first, as I thought two of the answers were right.

Then I noticed they were referring to the specific characters, and not the show itself. Sanford & Son had scenes from both Let's Make a Deal and The Gong Show, but I'm fairly certain that both Fred Sanford and his son Lamont were not shown as contestants on both.

(I wonder what show holds the record for being on the most fictional TV series with the actual set and host? I know 227 ("Santa Fe Trail...no, Santa Fe Train"), Gimme a Break ("Give me liberty or give me a car!"), and L.A. Law ("Bald is Beautiful") have had contestants on Wheel with Pat Sajak and the actual set used; I can also think of three "appearances" of The Gong Show (Sanford & Son, The Carol Burnett Show, and What's Happening!), but the third was with a fake set and no Chuck Barris. I think Jeopardy! sort of counts, as it has been on three shows with Alex Trebek, but one (The Simpsons) was an animated version of the real set (the live-action versions were Mama's Family and Beverly Hills 90210).)

-- Don

BrandonFG · « **Reply #4 on:** September 08, 2008, 03:54:27 PM »

[quote name=\'That Don Guy\' post=\'196526\' date=\'Sep 8 2008, 03:49 PM\']
Speaking of the bumpers, the one about the sitcom characters on two game shows confused me at first, as I thought two of the answers were right.

Then I noticed they were referring to the specific characters, and not the show itself. Sanford & Son had scenes from both Let's Make a Deal and The Gong Show, but I'm fairly certain that both Fred Sanford and his son Lamont were not shown as contestants on both.
[/quote]
Correct...and Sanford and Son did a show called "Wheel and Deal", and Fred appeared on the "show" with Grady and Bubba.

/I'm a Vi-KING, not a Vi-QUEEN!

mmb5 · « **Reply #5 on:** September 08, 2008, 04:12:58 PM »

[quote name=\'That Don Guy\' post=\'196526\' date=\'Sep 8 2008, 03:49 PM\']
I think Jeopardy! sort of counts, as it has been on three shows with Alex Trebek, but one (The Simpsons) was an animated version of the real set (the live-action versions were Mama's Family and Beverly Hills 90210).)
[/quote]
Don't forget Cheers.

ChrisLambert! · « **Reply #6 on:** September 08, 2008, 04:16:22 PM »

nor The Golden Girls.

tpirfan28 · « **Reply #7 on:** September 08, 2008, 04:20:31 PM »

Was it ever determined if the Family Guy episode with "Xebert Zela" was voiced by Alex himself?

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #8 on:** September 08, 2008, 04:29:43 PM »

Certainly an intriguing choice of clips. I'm sure one of you will correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe GSN has ever used the Jackpot and The Big Showdown clips before, meaning somebody had to go to some amount of trouble to get them. That's not typically like GSN, which has usually been content to use stuff they already have access to. And yeah, the Tattletales clip looked fine but sounded like it was recorded in a fishbowl. They should have had access to the master tape, so that's particularly odd.

MikeK · « **Reply #9 on:** September 08, 2008, 05:28:47 PM »

[quote name=\'tpirfan28\' post=\'196536\' date=\'Sep 8 2008, 04:20 PM\']Was it ever determined if the Family Guy episode with "Xebert Zela" was voiced by Alex himself?[/quote]
If that isn't Trebek, whomever did his voice had it down absolutely perfectly.

BrandonFG · « **Reply #10 on:** September 08, 2008, 05:32:34 PM »

[quote name=\'MikeK\' post=\'196558\' date=\'Sep 8 2008, 05:28 PM\']
[quote name=\'tpirfan28\' post=\'196536\' date=\'Sep 8 2008, 04:20 PM\']Was it ever determined if the Family Guy episode with "Xebert Zela" was voiced by Alex himself?[/quote]
If that isn't Trebek, whomever did his voice had it down absolutely perfectly.
[/quote]
I wonder about that though. There was a contestant who put Kebert Xela in his Final Jeopardy! response, and Alex seemed genuinely dumbfounded.

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #11 on:** September 08, 2008, 10:50:26 PM »

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'196561\' date=\'Sep 8 2008, 05:32 PM\'][quote name=\'MikeK\' post=\'196558\' date=\'Sep 8 2008, 05:28 PM\'][quote name=\'tpirfan28\' post=\'196536\' date=\'Sep 8 2008, 04:20 PM\']Was it ever determined if the Family Guy episode with "Xebert Zela" was voiced by Alex himself?[/quote]If that isn't Trebek, whomever did his voice had it down absolutely perfectly.[/quote]I wonder about that though. There was a contestant who put Kebert Xela in his Final Jeopardy! response, and Alex seemed genuinely dumbfounded.[/quote]
Every internet reference I see (Wiki, tv.com, IMDB for starters) say that he provided his own voice, and even though most of that is fan-generated, Family Guy fans are quick to catch minutiae like that when it's wrong. I think you pretty much have to go with it being him.

PYLdude · « **Reply #12 on:** September 09, 2008, 12:31:39 AM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'196654\' date=\'Sep 8 2008, 09:50 PM\']
[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'196561\' date=\'Sep 8 2008, 05:32 PM\'][quote name=\'MikeK\' post=\'196558\' date=\'Sep 8 2008, 05:28 PM\'][quote name=\'tpirfan28\' post=\'196536\' date=\'Sep 8 2008, 04:20 PM\']Was it ever determined if the Family Guy episode with "Xebert Zela" was voiced by Alex himself?[/quote]If that isn't Trebek, whomever did his voice had it down absolutely perfectly.[/quote]I wonder about that though. There was a contestant who put Kebert Xela in his Final Jeopardy! response, and Alex seemed genuinely dumbfounded.[/quote]
Every internet reference I see (Wiki, tv.com, IMDB for starters) say that he provided his own voice, and even though most of that is fan-generated, Family Guy fans are quick to catch minutiae like that when it's wrong. I think you pretty much have to go with it being him.
[/quote]

And if I remember correctly he is credited in the episode...

Joe Mello · « **Reply #13 on:** September 09, 2008, 12:37:36 AM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'196654\' date=\'Sep 8 2008, 10:50 PM\']
[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'196561\' date=\'Sep 8 2008, 05:32 PM\']I wonder about that though. There was a contestant who put Kebert Xela in his Final Jeopardy! response, and Alex seemed genuinely dumbfounded.[/quote]
Every internet reference I see (Wiki, tv.com, IMDB for starters) say that he provided his own voice, and even though most of that is fan-generated, Family Guy fans are quick to catch minutiae like that when it's wrong. I think you pretty much have to go with it being him.[/quote]
I thought it was, too. Just have to watch the credits for whatever episode that was to find out.

I just credited Trebek's confusion to not just getting the joke right then and there.

PYLdude · « **Reply #14 on:** September 09, 2008, 12:42:24 AM »

[quote name=\'Joe Mello\' post=\'196680\' date=\'Sep 8 2008, 11:37 PM\']
[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'196654\' date=\'Sep 8 2008, 10:50 PM\']
[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'196561\' date=\'Sep 8 2008, 05:32 PM\']I wonder about that though. There was a contestant who put Kebert Xela in his Final Jeopardy! response, and Alex seemed genuinely dumbfounded.[/quote]
Every internet reference I see (Wiki, tv.com, IMDB for starters) say that he provided his own voice, and even though most of that is fan-generated, Family Guy fans are quick to catch minutiae like that when it's wrong. I think you pretty much have to go with it being him.[/quote]
I thought it was, too. Just have to watch the credits for whatever episode that was to find out.

I just credited Trebek's confusion to not just getting the joke right then and there.
[/quote]

I'd say it was more disbelief that someone actually went there.