The Set &/Or Prizes Were Cheap...

[TimK2003]

There were some shows that we have chided in the past because the producer(s) came up with a show that, in their time, was waayyy under par for either it's prize and or/cash giveaways or they had a set that looked like it came from a High School play, yet the game was intriguing and fun to play.

What is the Best of The Worst of Cheap Game Shows for you???

[Game Show Man]

No question:  smush   FYI, the idea for the show's party vibe actually came from its creators, Jellyvision, who actually taped their own pilot for the show at somebody's house.  I for one liked the vibe, and I certainly liked the clever gameplay.  But only $8,000?  They couldn't have at least played for $10,000?  Really?

[Jimmy Owen]

Did Barker's T or C even have a "set"?

[Jeremy Nelson]

Canada's The Mad Dash wasn't glitzy, and IIRC, the prizes weren't much of anything, but I still liked it a lot.

[bandit_bobby]

Talkabout.

[chrisholland03]

My favorite part of The Mad Dash was the intro with the man and woman running back and forth on the gameboard.  It was like an awkwardly synchronized disco move.

I always felt that the original Joker's Wild set was cheap.  And Mindreaders with all of its remnant carpeting.  I found out recently that the giant neon YES NOs were quite expensive.

In retrospect, there wasn't much to the original Pyramid set outside of the trilons, or the early 70s Password set either.  I don't think simplicity negatively impacted any show in general.  Expense certainly didn't help the Magnificent Marble Machine.

[Jeremy Nelson]

[quote name=\'chrisholland03\' post=\'231172\' date=\'Nov 24 2009, 01:17 PM\']In retrospect, there wasn't much to...the early 70s Password set either.  I don't think simplicity negatively impacted any show in general.[/quote]
There wan't much to the Password set until Plus came along. You're right though-Simplicity never hurts, though.

The Mad Dash, is the only "cheap" show I can recall that had a healthy run (7 years, IIRC.) I can't think of another show that survived that long and looked that way without overhauling the set.

[Offshored2007]

"Pitfall" was a pretty cheap show.  Slashed the top prize from $5,000 to $2,500.  Just the mention of this one here is giving Alex Trebek nightmares

[TimK2003]

[quote name=\'Offshored2007\' post=\'231196\' date=\'Nov 24 2009, 03:25 PM\']"Pitfall" was a pretty cheap show.  Slashed the top prize from $5,000 to $2,500.  Just the mention of this one here is giving Alex Trebek nightmares[/quote]


It's because they blew the wad on all them elevators, lifts or whatever they were officially called.  Those babies did not come cheap!

[WilliamPorygon]

I'd go with the (nearly) gimmick-free daytime Wheel of Fortune.  While the set didn't look particularly cheap, the payouts certainly were, especially in the Goen years.

[alfonzos]

I'll second Talkabout. Is that "Talkaboot" in Canadian?

[TimK2003]

[quote name=\'alfonzos\' post=\'231204\' date=\'Nov 24 2009, 06:07 PM\']I'll second Talkabout. Is that "Talkaboot" in Canadian?[/quote]

Actually,  Toque-A-Boot


/On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a BEER.....
//...In a Tree.

[opimus]

You bet your life
Diamond Head game
Run Around
Bible Baffle

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'231206\' date=\'Nov 24 2009, 07:27 PM\']/On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a BEER.....
//...In a Tree.[/quote]
I think it ranks up there with "Stairway To Heaven."

/What?
//And wouldn't GONG qualify?  $516.32 ain't exactly $5,000 in "Super Match" money.

[BrandonFG]

The payouts weren't great*, but LMaD's sets were pretty cheap in the 60s and 70s. A bunch of plywood, three sets of kitchen curtains, and some more plywood with Christmas lights. The 1984 diamond vortexes were pretty cool though.

Okay, the ABC version was pretty low with payouts, even by early-70s standards.