When you're not looking

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'238137\' date=\'Mar 23 2010, 11:55 PM\']On PYL, the "Earned/Passed" arrow cards always ended up in that middle slot...[/quote]
Unless I'm not seeing correctly, I don't think anyone's brought up that on PYL also the score panels for money were covered by slats with the word "Spins" on them during the question rounds.

[William A. Padron]

[quote name=\'SFQuizKid\' post=\'238140\' date=\'Mar 24 2010, 01:09 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.

[/quote]

Yes, on the original CBS $10,000 Pyramid set used at the Ed Sullivan Theater, which was also the same one sent to/from CBS Television City for 15 episodes taped there, the score displays did go up to "00" and stopped prior to the break.  On the set at ABC Studio TV-15, the score displays usually remained at the final score during the segment, but changed to blank during the commercial break.

Now, here is a link to a picture of the small pyramid and host Dick Clark taken from the balcony during a taping session of a $20,000 Pyramid episode in progress.  However, the only *card* of sorts I could recall was on the right side of the stage, and it was taped on the side of the fifth background pylon (behind the contestant on the second team) preventing the players of seeing the television monitor closely nearby on the stage.

http://subway.com.ru/other/images/pyr1.jpg

It should be noted that up above in the former balcony seats along the far left side ridge are the two Signaltron display boxes in use during the game, not seen on camera, with one each for the celebrity captain's team name taped on its top.  Whenever any player wishes to look at his/her score during game play, he/she simply looks upward to the balcony.

[Ian Wallis]

On the 1982-84 version of Tattletales, after about the first three weeks or so, they never turned off the lights indicating a correct answer on camera.  After a round they’d change the score on camera, but the lights would remain on for as long as they were on that shot.  They’d cut to a close-up of Bert, and on the zoom-out heading to commercial, the lights would then be off.

I could never figure out why they did this – did they think it would have been too much of a distraction having the lights go off and the score changing at the same time?  Didn’t seem to be a problem on the ’74-78 version.

[MSTieScott]

In most versions of "Let's Make a Deal" (but not the current version), there was never any indication that curtains 1, 2, and 3 used the same frames as doors 1, 2, and 3, giving viewers the impression that there were separate areas for the curtains and doors.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'MSTieScott\' post=\'238157\' date=\'Mar 24 2010, 10:49 AM\']In most versions of "Let's Make a Deal" (but not the current version), there was never any indication that curtains 1, 2, and 3 used the same frames as doors 1, 2, and 3, giving viewers the impression that there were separate areas for the curtains and doors.[/quote]
I gotta tell you, I never once got that impression.

[WarioBarker]

Now, here is a link to a picture of the small pyramid and host Dick Clark taken from the balcony during a taping session of a $20,000 Pyramid episode in progress.
[...]
http://subway.com.ru/other/images/pyr1.jpg

That looks like it was taken yesterday. I'd try to give a timeframe on the picture, but unfortunately Wikipedia (sprinkle appropriately) seems to be down.

/what's the higher-lower on somebody telling us which episode that picture is from?

[William A. Padron]

[quote name=\'Dan88\' post=\'238159\' date=\'Mar 24 2010, 02:14 PM\'][quote name=\'William A. Padron\' post=\'238153\' date=\'Mar 24 2010, 12:20 PM\']Now, here is a link to a picture of the small pyramid and host Dick Clark taken from the balcony during a taping session of a $20,000 Pyramid episode in progress. http://subway.com.ru/other/images/pyr1.jpg[/quote]
That looks like it was taken yesterday. O_O I'd try to give a timeframe on the picture, but unfortunately Wikipedia seems to be down.

/What's the higher-lower on somebody telling us which episode that picture is from?
[/quote]

The photograph was taken during the year 1979, as I seem to remember that the set's carpet looked a little brighter at that time.  Also, there was an extension (i.e. new addition) of the carpet covering a bit more of the stage floor in a straight line between the bottom edge of the giant pyramid and the triangular arc's end.

[davemackey]

[quote name=\'MSTieScott\' post=\'238157\' date=\'Mar 24 2010, 01:49 PM\']In most versions of "Let's Make a Deal" (but not the current version), there was never any indication that curtains 1, 2, and 3 used the same frames as doors 1, 2, and 3, giving viewers the impression that there were separate areas for the curtains and doors.[/quote]
The director, Joe Behar, had the camera operators zoom in enough so you could never see the curtain frames. But you could tell which curtain was which - there were little stripes on the edge of the curtains indicating the respective door number.

I know back in the day there was a similar coding system on the Big TPIR doors - the shape of the outline box of the logo was unique to each door.

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' post=\'238145\' date=\'Mar 24 2010, 04:16 AM\']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.[/quote]
It was...as they went to commercial, they'd show a wide shot of the set, and the background would change. At least that was the case for the "checkerboard" set era. The first season of the "sushi bar" set changed from blue to red, but I don't think that was on-camera.

[quote name=\'SRIV94\' post=\'238152\' date=\'Mar 24 2010, 11:33 AM\'][quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'238137\' date=\'Mar 23 2010, 11:55 PM\']On PYL, the "Earned/Passed" arrow cards always ended up in that middle slot...[/quote]
Unless I'm not seeing correctly, I don't think anyone's brought up that on PYL also the score panels for money were covered by slats with the word "Spins" on them during the question rounds.
[/quote]
Ahh, forgot all about that one...

[irismason42]

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'238164\' date=\'Mar 24 2010, 03:06 PM\'][quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' post=\'238145\' date=\'Mar 24 2010, 04:16 AM\']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.[/quote]
It was...as they went to commercial, they'd show a wide shot of the set, and the background would change. At least that was the case for the "checkerboard" set era. The first season of the "sushi bar" set changed from blue to red, but I don't think that was on-camera.

[quote name=\'SRIV94\' post=\'238152\' date=\'Mar 24 2010, 11:33 AM\'][quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'238137\' date=\'Mar 23 2010, 11:55 PM\']On PYL, the "Earned/Passed" arrow cards always ended up in that middle slot...[/quote]
Unless I'm not seeing correctly, I don't think anyone's brought up that on PYL also the score panels for money were covered by slats with the word "Spins" on them during the question rounds.
[/quote]
Ahh, forgot all about that one...
[/quote]
Well, actually, the first and second seasons of the "sushi bar" set change from blue to red with the door itself changing from red to blue. Later on, only the door itself would change colors but it's usually not seen.

[MrBuddwing]

[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'238147\' date=\'Mar 24 2010, 07:38 AM\']On TTTT they lowered the curtain off camera (the one the team of challengers stood behind).[/quote]

Yeah, I always noticed that on Collyer TTTT. The curtain would go up, they'd go through the "What-is-your-name-please?" routine, the announcer would say "One of these people is the real so-and-so, two are imposters and will try to fool the panel," and then after the panelists were introduced, Bud Collyer would walk out - and the curtain would be back down. And after Collyer settled down, and he'd start reading aloud the affidavit and they'd cut to the stage, the curtain would (of course) be up again. I never understood why the curtain was lowered in the interim.

[Neumms]

We never saw the hot-seat area get pushed into place after the Fastest Finger questions or removed on Regis's "Who Wants to Be."

And the sudden-death tie-breaker card and marker caddies on "Match Game PM" came out during the break. And we were never told what would happen if the contestants wrote the same answer. (Thank heavens for this Forum, solving the mystery some 30 years later!)

[whewfan]

Gene Rayburn acknowledged on MG PM once that they played the tiebreaker game 3 times, as a result of the contestants writing the same answer. Thankfully MG/HS resolved that problem by having contestants choose from 4 possible answers.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'whewfan\' post=\'238171\' date=\'Mar 24 2010, 02:02 PM\']Thankfully MG/HS resolved that problem by having contestants choose from 4 possible answers.[/quote]
...and created a new one in allowing someone the advantage of choosing first.

[chris319]

[quote name=\'MrBuddwing\' post=\'238169\' date=\'Mar 24 2010, 12:26 PM\'][quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'238147\' date=\'Mar 24 2010, 07:38 AM\']On TTTT they lowered the curtain off camera (the one the team of challengers stood behind).[/quote]

Yeah, I always noticed that on Collyer TTTT. The curtain would go up, they'd go through the "What-is-your-name-please?" routine, the announcer would say "One of these people is the real so-and-so, two are imposters and will try to fool the panel," and then after the panelists were introduced, Bud Collyer would walk out - and the curtain would be back down. And after Collyer settled down, and he'd start reading aloud the affidavit and they'd cut to the stage, the curtain would (of course) be up again. I never understood why the curtain was lowered in the interim.[/quote]
Right, but even after the show opening, some time after the challengers took their seats, that curtain was lowered yet you never saw it being lowered on camera.