Author Topic: When you're not looking (Read 13711 times)

ActualRetailMike · « **on:** March 23, 2010, 08:32:42 PM »

What visual changes have you noticed that happen on gameshows "when you're not looking"? That is, physical changes that clearly took place before the camera, but we rarely, if ever, see it happen; it always takes place either during the commercial, or when the camera is focusing on something else, like during a fee plug. Stuff you may have wondered what it looked like.

Examples:

TPiR: putting the labels in the showcase podia indicating which contestant bid on which showcase. Also, inserting the little price tag in the pocket on the side. (On the nighttime Dennis James version, this was done while the second showcase was being shown, since there was no commercial between that and price revelations.)

Newlywed game: putting the answer cards on the contestants' laps. Also, when the husbands and wives disappear, although the latest version actually shows the wives getting up to leave, at least at the beginning.

Jeopardy!: Putting up the dividers between the podia for Final Jeopardy! In the Art Fleming version, they also put up those fold-over cards to write on. (With a Goodson-Todman asterisk on the front? How'd that get there.)

What's My Line: Putting on the blindfolds

Concentration: Returning the board back to numbers after puzzle solved. Though in the syndie version, we'd usually hear all the trilons reverting at once; not sure if that ever made it on camera. In the Bob Clayton version, we'd sometimes see the doors close between rounds, done to music in fact, but other times they would suddenly be closed at the end of the Chevy Nova promo.

Wheel of Fortune: Setting up a new puzzle, before the electronic board debuted. Also, putting special items on the wheel.

And there are any number of shows where an electronically-based display would revert, but seldom or never on camera. Such as the Hollywood Squares board de-lettering after a win, the TPiR single-bid displays clearing (other than when everyone overbid), etc.

One that doesn't count is the individual score displays on the 10k pyramid (and others?). Did anyone else ever notice how, while the contestants walked toward the winner's circle, the numeric displays sequentially cycled back, i.e., they went 33, 44, 55.... 99 then blank? I used to be puzzled why the display could go that high since the contestants could never score that much, even if they got every clue right.

Jay Temple · « **Reply #1 on:** March 23, 2010, 11:16:07 PM »

[quote name=\'ActualRetailMike\' post=\'238122\' date=\'Mar 23 2010, 07:32 PM\']One that doesn't count is the individual score displays on the 10k pyramid (and others?). Did anyone else ever notice how, while the contestants walked toward the winner's circle, the numeric displays sequentially cycled back, i.e., they went 33, 44, 55.... 99 then blank? I used to be puzzled why the display could go that high since the contestants could never score that much, even if they got every clue right.[/quote]
Actually, 33 and 44 did happen ... in multiple-tie games of that era.

Once, in a week with blind players, the teams played the first game to a 21-21 tie. Dick suggested that they split the $5,000 and each go to the Winner's Circle. The transition from one team to the other took place entirely off camera.

Someone please remind me: How did NY-era Pyramid handle it when Bill Cullen's team won a tie-breaker?

ETA: If you're counting things that happen during the commercial, let's not forget the category cards from the first few years of J!

Also, does this count? On Lingo, when they draw a wild card, they stop the action to remove whatever number was called.

DoorNumberFour · « **Reply #2 on:** March 24, 2010, 12:00:01 AM »

[quote name=\'Jay Temple\' post=\'238131\' date=\'Mar 23 2010, 11:16 PM\']Someone please remind me: How did NY-era Pyramid handle it when Bill Cullen's team won a tie-breaker?[/quote]
I believe once the tie was reached, they would go to commercial, and once they came back, Bill would be waiting at the Winner's Circle, at which point he would administer the tiebreaker. Whatever team won would play the bonus right then and there.

EDIT: Eep. You asked about his TEAM. My bad.

rjaguar3 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 24, 2010, 12:25:49 AM »

Moving the steps of knowledge offstage on Legends was done off-camera.

BrandonFG · « **Reply #4 on:** March 24, 2010, 12:55:27 AM »

On PYL, the "Earned/Passed" arrow cards always ended up in that middle slot...

On Donnymid, before the Winner's Circle, when they showed a wide shot of the set, the big pyramid monitors were raised. Donny would then explain the rules, and as a dramatic prelude to the Winner's Circle, the now-lowered monitors would rise all over again. Cool effect, but out of place. Why not just keep them down when coming back from commercial?

Also, is my mind deceiving me, or were there two different backdrops for the preliminary and championship rounds on Hit Man? There was round one with the ladder, then the championship round, so to speak...

Also, many games remove the host's podium for the end game. Off the top of my head, the current run of Feud removes the faceoff podium, and I believe M.G.'s Crosswords removed the five lecterns...

ChuckNet · « **Reply #5 on:** March 24, 2010, 01:00:54 AM »

Quote

Also, many games remove the host's podium for the end game. Off the top of my head, the current run of Feud removes the faceoff podium, and I believe M.G.'s Crosswords removed the five lecterns...

Ditto for Face the Music, which had no podium for Ron Ely during game 1 and the Championship Game, but had it during games 2 and 3.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

William_S. · « **Reply #6 on:** March 24, 2010, 01:09:28 AM »

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'238137\' date=\'Mar 24 2010, 12:55 AM\']On Donnymid, before the Winner's Circle, when they showed a wide shot of the set, the big pyramid monitors were raised. Donny would then explain the rules, and as a dramatic prelude to the Winner's Circle, the now-"SUDDENLY"-lowered monitors would rise all over again. Cool effect, but out of place. Why not just keep them down when coming back from commercial?[/quote]
THANK YOU!! NOW I ahem... I know that I'm not alone on this . That always bothered the **** out of me. I mean what's the point. Bad directing IMHO

SFQuizKid · « **Reply #7 on:** March 24, 2010, 01:09:36 AM »

[quote name=\'ActualRetailMike\' post=\'238122\' date=\'Mar 23 2010, 05:32 PM\']One that doesn't count is the individual score displays on the 10k pyramid (and others?). Did anyone else ever notice how, while the contestants walked toward the winner's circle, the numeric displays sequentially cycled back, i.e., they went 33, 44, 55.... 99 then blank? I used to be puzzled why the display could go that high since the contestants could never score that much, even if they got every clue right.[/quote]
Too bad you say that one doesn't count! Signaltron displays had a fixed number of leaves and so each digit had to go 1-2-3-...-9-0-blank. And on the original Pyramid tiebreakers just added to the existing round score. One game score with several tiebreakers went into the 30s or 40s.

Now here's one for you collectors: Somehow I remember that on the CBS New York Pyramids (as opposed to the ABC version or the CBS TV City originated shows) that the score displays went to 00 rather than blank when the winners walked to the winners' circle. Anyone care to confirm this?

Having seen a few of the Pyramids in TV-15 (the Elysee Theater) in New York, I remember a few other resets:

A stagehand moved the host's podium while the last category was being played. That's why you see Dick Clark standing with one foot on the steps for the tiebreakers.
Also the leftmost flat (behind the celebrity on the first team) was turned a few degrees outward so it would look right in the Winner's Circle shot.
And while it doesn't count as a "reset" I remember the wide shot of Dick and the small pyramid was slightly masked with a black card to avoid showing the old boxes (as in box seats) that hung above the small pyramid.

SFQuizKid · « **Reply #8 on:** March 24, 2010, 01:13:12 AM »

[quote name=\'Jay Temple\' post=\'238131\' date=\'Mar 23 2010, 08:16 PM\']Someone please remind me: How did NY-era Pyramid handle it when Bill Cullen's team won a tie-breaker?[/quote]
There was no walk, just a gradual zoom out from a shot of Bill and his partner.

BrandonFG · « **Reply #9 on:** March 24, 2010, 01:19:15 AM »

[quote name=\'William_S.\' post=\'238139\' date=\'Mar 24 2010, 01:09 AM\']THANK YOU!! NOW I ahem... I know that I'm not alone on this . That always bothered the **** out of me. I mean what's the point. Bad directing IMHO[/quote]
Not at all. :-) It caused annoyance amongst a few members when the shows first aired as well...

clemon79 · « **Reply #10 on:** March 24, 2010, 02:01:44 AM »

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'238137\' date=\'Mar 23 2010, 09:55 PM\']Also, is my mind deceiving me, or were there two different backdrops for the preliminary and championship rounds on Hit Man? There was round one with the ladder, then the championship round, so to speak...[/quote]
Nope, this was definitely the case. Separate sets of podiums, even. I believe they showed that part of the set rotating at least once during the run.

Craig Karlberg · « **Reply #11 on:** March 24, 2010, 04:16:20 AM »

Not only did they change the puzzle board on WoF, they also changed the wheel layout between rounds.

In addition to the resetting of the displays on TPIR, during an IUFB, whenever that particular IUFB disappears from view, new prizes are loaded on stage mostly behind closed doors(except the car being wheeled out in Lucky $even).

On J!(Alex Trebek version), I use to remember when the background behind the players went from blue after the J! round to red in Double J! but I'm not sure if it was viewed on camera or not.

chris319 · « **Reply #12 on:** March 24, 2010, 07:38:39 AM »

On TTTT they lowered the curtain off camera (the one the team of challengers stood behind).

On WML? they changed the sign-in card off camera.

On FF they set the downstage mic off camera.

On P+ did we show the Alphabetics doors closing (or the board flying out during the first few months)?

Lirodon · « **Reply #13 on:** March 24, 2010, 07:40:52 AM »

[quote name=\'ActualRetailMike\' post=\'238122\' date=\'Mar 23 2010, 08:32 PM\']TPiR: putting the labels in the showcase podia indicating which contestant bid on which showcase. Also, inserting the little price tag in the pocket on the side. (On the nighttime Dennis James version, this was done while the second showcase was being shown, since there was no commercial between that and price revelations.)[/quote]

Well, they added an animation on those labels for passes with the new computerized podiums recently.

Mr. Armadillo · « **Reply #14 on:** March 24, 2010, 09:27:16 AM »

[quote name=\'Jay Temple\' post=\'238131\' date=\'Mar 23 2010, 10:16 PM\']Also, does this count? On Lingo, when they draw a wild card, they stop the action to remove whatever number was called.[/quote]
Did they? It would seem to make more sense to leave the ball in, and only stop tape if the contestants pulled the corresponding number later in the round.