Author Topic: Hollywood Showdown question (Read 6328 times)

JasonA1 · « **on:** July 07, 2009, 11:39:47 AM »

Why were the buzzers on this show so touchy? Were contestants locking in before they were open? Was there a technique the players didn't master?

-Jason

tvrandywest · « **Reply #1 on:** July 07, 2009, 02:44:40 PM »

[quote name=\'JasonA1\' post=\'219655\' date=\'Jul 7 2009, 07:39 AM\']Why were the buzzers on this show so touchy? Were contestants locking in before they were open? Was there a technique the players didn't master?[/quote]
As I remember it, the the lockouts had to be "armed" before they could be used, just like Jeopardy! and a few other million shows. It allows for a question to be fully asked before the players fall all over each other with wild guesses. Vista Electronics wired it so that a light atop the monitors that showed the contestants the three choices of answers would indicate when the lockouts were armed.

If, by "touchy" you mean the early buzz-ins looked distracting, it's because the lockout buttons were in plain sight. On Jeopardy! the buttons are handheld and not as visible. If by "touchy" you mean tushie, I have no comment ;-)

Randy
tvrandywest.com

TLEberle · « **Reply #2 on:** July 07, 2009, 03:01:05 PM »

[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' post=\'219663\' date=\'Jul 7 2009, 11:44 AM\']As I remember it, the the lockouts had to be "armed" before they could be used, just like Jeopardy! and a few other million shows. It allows for a question to be fully asked before the players fall all over each other with wild guesses. Vista Electronics wired it so that a light atop the monitors that showed the contestants the three choices of answers would indicate when the lockouts were armed.[/quote]That seems like an odd complication. Todd reads the choices, the question, and then people hammer away at the buttons. From what I recall, the questions weren't so hard that you'd have zombie stares, and you had a 1/3 chance of being right anyway.

tvrandywest · « **Reply #3 on:** July 07, 2009, 03:40:19 PM »

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'219666\' date=\'Jul 7 2009, 11:01 AM\'][quote name=\'tvrandywest\' post=\'219663\' date=\'Jul 7 2009, 11:44 AM\']As I remember it, the the lockouts had to be "armed" before they could be used, just like Jeopardy! and a few other million shows. It allows for a question to be fully asked before the players fall all over each other with wild guesses. Vista Electronics wired it so that a light atop the monitors that showed the contestants the three choices of answers would indicate when the lockouts were armed.[/quote]That seems like an odd complication. Todd reads the choices, the question, and then people hammer away at the buttons. From what I recall, the questions weren't so hard that you'd have zombie stares, and you had a 1/3 chance of being right anyway.
[/quote]
Not odd at all, really. Quite a common format. It might have been less awkward if the players actually waited for the armed light or if the lockouts were armed AS the last word of the question was being asked. Again, Jeopardy! works the same way, but we don't see the players pounding away prematurely on their handheld lockouts. But if the show is ever revived, I'll suggest Sande Stewart review this thread for helpful input ;-)

Randy
tvrandywest

dazztardly · « **Reply #4 on:** July 07, 2009, 03:49:17 PM »

Well I can see why the Breter red buttons were retired at the start of the run. That thwapping noise got obnoxious.

rjaguar3 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 08, 2009, 12:33:32 PM »

As a quizbowl player, I miss shows where players could interrupt the reading of the question.

Seriously, has there been a new show in the past 10 years where players were allowed to do this? It seems that every new quiz show won't let you buzz in until the question is finished--turning a battle of knowledge into a game of reflexes (which is one of the things I can't stand on the current version of Jeopardy!).

jmangin · « **Reply #6 on:** July 08, 2009, 01:21:22 PM »

[quote name=\'rjaguar3\' post=\'219757\' date=\'Jul 8 2009, 12:33 PM\']It seems that every new quiz show won't let you buzz in until the question is finished--turning a battle of knowledge into a game of reflexes (which is one of the things I can't stand on the current version of Jeopardy!).[/quote]
You could also argue that the original format was also a battle of reflexes since the contestant's response was not given until the clue had been read, even though contestants could buzz in upon the clue's reveal.

tvrandywest · « **Reply #7 on:** July 08, 2009, 02:58:13 PM »

[quote name=\'rjaguar3\' post=\'219757\' date=\'Jul 8 2009, 09:33 AM\']As a quizbowl player, I miss shows where players could interrupt the reading of the question.

Seriously, has there been a new show in the past 10 years where players were allowed to do this? It seems that every new quiz show won't let you buzz in until the question is finished--turning a battle of knowledge into a game of reflexes (which is one of the things I can't stand on the current version of Jeopardy!).[/quote]
From a pure quiz standpoint, I'd prefer having the opportunity to buzz-in once I anticipated the rest of the question and had an answer. But for TV quizzes the emphasis in on home viewer playalong which requires that the entire question be read and the action slowed down a bit from the pace we might see with a couple of genius-types. Most of the audience would be lost and feel stupid. Not good TV ;-)

But the ever-brilliant Jay Wolpert created and developed a game around 1982 that exploited the fact that players would anticipate the question, and it was great fun. The never-saw-air "Faker's Fortune" had questions that purposely "made a left turn" and fooled the players who buzzed-in too quickly.

Randy
tvrandywest.com

clemon79 · « **Reply #8 on:** July 08, 2009, 03:02:26 PM »

[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' post=\'219769\' date=\'Jul 8 2009, 11:58 AM\']The never-saw-air "Faker's Fortune" had questions that purposely "made a left turn" and fooled the players who buzzed-in too quickly.[/quote]
There's a really good reason that never saw air. Yes, it's sadistic entertainment for the folks at home watching these know-it-alls get screwed, but otherwise, swerve questions like that are total power-trip dick moves on the part of the writers...it's basically a writer saying "What? they're interrupting my hard work? Well, I'LL show THEM!" And the whole swerve angle totally blows up the playalong.

tvrandywest · « **Reply #9 on:** July 08, 2009, 03:37:35 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'219770\' date=\'Jul 8 2009, 12:02 PM\'][quote name=\'tvrandywest\' post=\'219769\' date=\'Jul 8 2009, 11:58 AM\']The never-saw-air "Faker's Fortune" had questions that purposely "made a left turn" and fooled the players who buzzed-in too quickly.[/quote]
There's a really good reason that never saw air. Yes, it's sadistic entertainment for the folks at home watching these know-it-alls get screwed, but otherwise, swerve questions like that are total power-trip dick moves on the part of the writers...it's basically a writer saying "What? they're interrupting my hard work? Well, I'LL show THEM!" And the whole swerve angle totally blows up the playalong.
[/quote]
I thought it was fun to watch, and didn't see it as anything near sadistic.

Didn't I see a "power-trip dick move" on the Spice channel?

Randy
tvrandywest.com

clemon79 · « **Reply #10 on:** July 08, 2009, 03:39:11 PM »

[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' post=\'219777\' date=\'Jul 8 2009, 12:37 PM\']Didn't I see a "power-trip dick move" on the Spice channel?[/quote]
No, that was a "power tool that Dick moved." Close, though!

tvrandywest · « **Reply #11 on:** July 08, 2009, 05:02:50 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'219778\' date=\'Jul 8 2009, 12:39 PM\'][quote name=\'tvrandywest\' post=\'219777\' date=\'Jul 8 2009, 12:37 PM\']Didn't I see a "power-trip dick move" on the Spice channel?[/quote]
No, that was a "power tool that Dick moved." Close, though!

[/quote]
Not a match. The board goes back.

Randy
tvrandywest.com

CJBojangles · « **Reply #12 on:** July 08, 2009, 05:55:31 PM »

Someone give these two their own show.

TimK2003 · « **Reply #13 on:** July 08, 2009, 08:37:00 PM »

One game show that used both elements (interrupted the question AND read the whole question) was the 1970's Split Second.

Whoever buzzed in first had to answer based on what little info was already given, while the 2nd & 3rd placers would get to hear the question in full, regardless of what the first person did, before they could give their answer.

That was probably one of the best Q & A buzz-in and one of my favorites since a) everybody at home could play even though one of the parts might have been answered already, and b) the fastest finger could be rewarded for their effort or could get burned.

I don't recall Monty's 1987 version stopping the question in mid-stream, though. IIRC, players could buzz in as soon as the 3 parts were revealed, and Monty read the whole question before going to the first person for their choice & answer. Just one of the many tweaks in the "Canadian" version which turned me off of that remake (that, the end game, the clouds, and Monty's blue suits).

I know its been said before, but this is one show that, if it returned to it's original format, should be revived.

clemon79 · « **Reply #14 on:** July 08, 2009, 08:50:14 PM »

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'219803\' date=\'Jul 8 2009, 05:37 PM\']I don't recall Monty's 1987 version stopping the question in mid-stream, though.[/quote]
It didn't, which broke the game pretty good.