Could Jeopardy '78 have lasted longer...

[Ian Wallis]

On a lazy Sunday afternoon recently, my wife said "let's watch some game shows".  I showed her two episodes of Fleming Jeopardy - the '78 premiere episode and one from 1974.  She stated she liked the '74 version a lot better because it's very close to the format she knows.  She thought the '78 version was OK but can see why it didn't last.

Question:  after a couple of months they obviously knew what the ratings were.  Do you think they should have changed the format back to the familiar one - with Final Jeopardy - and do you think it would have had a chance of avoiding cancellation after just five months?  Numerous shows have changed formats when the ratings weren't there, and I'm wondering why this one at least didn't try.  Or maybe NBC just decided early on to write off the show(?)

I always thought the '78 version was a neat little gem - maybe the set, music, etc. screamed late '70s, but it was disappointing to see it disappear so quickly.

Any thoughts?

Also, maybe someone knows the answer to this:  what happens in a tie?  With the elimination of a player after each round, what if two players were tied when the gong sounded?  Would they have had one of them pick a remaining answer from the board, or was there some sort of tie-breaking question Art would read?  I don't recall ever seeing this happen.

Anyone know?

[NickintheATL]

I'll offer up a thought here.  I read somewhere but don't know whether or not it's true.  (Maybe those who have a better idea can confirm or deny.)

I've read that Merv was out of the country when his production company put the '78 version into production.  By the time Merv came back, he was aghast at what his show had been turned into and wanted it killed.

---

If you want my guess, part or all of this sounds like bullfunky.  Please dissect.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'255856\' date=\'Jan 29 2011, 10:12 AM\']Also, maybe someone knows the answer to this:  what happens in a tie?  With the elimination of a player after each round, what if two players were tied when the gong sounded?[/quote]
Is it possible that they would simply delay sounding the gong until the tie was broken? The only way they get really screwed on that (i.e. they have to wait a while) is if the tie is for third place in Round One and the leader is on a tear.

[Neumms]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'255856\' date=\'Jan 29 2011, 01:12 PM\']I always thought the '78 version was a neat little gem - maybe the set, music, etc. screamed late '70s, but it was disappointing to see it disappear so quickly.

Any thoughts?[/quote]

Set was pretty darn good for NBC and that era. Seems like they could have ditched the elimination of the player, brought back Final Jeopardy and still kept the bonus game. Not that it was the most scintillating affair, but the bonus was a decent way to up the potential prize and it broke up the show.

Still, I don't think the changes kept it from catching on. It's more that the daytime audience stopped liking hard quizzes.

Did this version make the questions any easier, or did they hold the line until the Trebek version?

[GiraffeBoy]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'255860\' date=\'Jan 29 2011, 10:37 AM\'][quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'255856\' date=\'Jan 29 2011, 10:12 AM\']Also, maybe someone knows the answer to this:  what happens in a tie?  With the elimination of a player after each round, what if two players were tied when the gong sounded?[/quote]
Is it possible that they would simply delay sounding the gong until the tie was broken? The only way they get really screwed on that (i.e. they have to wait a while) is if the tie is for third place in Round One and the leader is on a tear.
[/quote]
Going from vague memories of watching the show...I seem to recall that if there was a tie between the two lagging players at the break, that both laggers played in DJ.  Can anyone back me up on this?

--Charlie

[Jimmy Owen]

I did enjoy it and tried to catch it in the student lounge.  I remember my fellow students were confused on why there were only two players after a while.  When it moved to noon, my NBC affilate dropped it and that was the end of that.

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'255869\' date=\'Jan 29 2011, 02:55 PM\']I remember my fellow students were confused on why there were only two players after a while.  When it moved to noon, my NBC affilate dropped it and that was the end of that.[/quote]
Which I think had more to do with why it met its demise than anything else.  Very few shows between the end of the original J! in 1975 and the debut of SP in 1984 ran more than six months in that slot.

[WarioBarker]

[quote name=\'NicholasM79\' post=\'255857\' date=\'Jan 29 2011, 01:22 PM\']I've read that Merv was out of the country when his production company put the '78 version into production. By the time Merv came back, he was aghast at what his show had been turned into and wanted it killed.

If you want my guess, part or all of this sounds like bullfunky. Please dissect.[/quote]
The pilot was taped March 6, 1977. I doubt Merv was out of the country for nearly two solid years.

[Ian Wallis]

Going from vague memories of watching the show...I seem to recall that if there was a tie between the two lagging players at the break, that both laggers played in DJ. Can anyone back me up on this?

Now that you mention it, I think you may be right.  I seem to recall seeing that happen once.  I guess if there was still a tie at the end of round 2, they must have let the next player in turn select an answer.  It's the senario that makes the most sense.

[alfonzos]

I've read that Merv was out of the country when his production company put the '78 version into production.  By the time Merv came back, he was aghast at what his show had been turned into and wanted it killed.

This is the story behind Reach for the Stars as related in Maxine Fabe's book (page 75). The show was a thirteen-week wonder from 1967 (which was on NBC, not ABC as stated in the book).