Author Topic: Concentration (Read 173359 times)

normb · « **on:** February 03, 2011, 08:21:53 PM »

Do you remember the show??? I produced the original, not the one with Alex Trebeck. Love to hear drom u>

Twentington · « **Reply #1 on:** February 03, 2011, 09:54:05 PM »

[quote name=\'normb\' post=\'256310\' date=\'Feb 3 2011, 08:21 PM\']Do you remember the show??? I produced the original, not the one with Alex Trebeck. Love to hear drom u>[/quote]

A bit before my time, but we have plenty of people who grew up with the original Concentration.

Personally, I'd like to know: Just how far did your involvement go on the show, besides creating the puzzles? Did you ever watch the Jack Narz revival, the 1985 pilot with Orson Bean or Classic Concentration? If so, what did you think of them?

GameShowGuru · « **Reply #2 on:** February 03, 2011, 10:31:47 PM »

Personally, it was before my time (I was born 6 months after it went off the air). However, Trebek's version did pique my interest in the original version when I was a junior in high school, though it would be another 10 years before I would see an original Concentration ep. I was not disappointed when I did.

chris319 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 03, 2011, 10:49:23 PM »

Hi Norm -

Some of us grew up watching Concentration going back to the Hugh Downs days. Were you with the show from the very beginning, with Mr. Barry and Mr. Enright?

We have a thread in our archive devoted to that marvel of game show technology, the Concentration board. Corey Cooper describes how the electronic game board worked. You may remember Corey's dad, Ted Cooper. If there is anything you would like to add about the board or the puzzles or anything else, please post it here and it will be enshrined in the archive.

Concentration board

BTW, I never knew Milton Kaye was a renowned and in-demand musician apart from Concentration.

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #4 on:** February 03, 2011, 10:53:56 PM »

Mr. Blumenthal , thank you for joining our group. Several of us had the opportunity to hear you speak at the Game Show Congress a few years ago, and others may have heard your interview on Stu Shostak's radio program. We're happy to have you here.

You've already answered some of the questions I had about how the home versions were developed. I guess one of the things I'd like to know is whether you're aware of any surviving episodes of your classic version that we might not know about. Most collectors know of eight classic episodes thay survive in black and white, one very early episode and a few Challenge of Champions and Christmas shows. Some collectors have the very last network episode, and I've seen one episode at the Paley Center in New York. Are you aware of others? Got a few tapes stashed in a closet somewhere, for instance?

geno57 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 04, 2011, 02:06:50 AM »

Hi Mr. Blumenthal, and welcome here!

I recently bought and read your newest book. As a near-lifelong broadcaster myself, I especially love the behind-the-scenes stories.

I am hungry for anything and everything about Concentration, which made its debut only 19 months after I did. By the time I was three, I was a huge fan -- and was already pretty good at matching prizes, and figuring out the solutions to the rebuses. (Seriously!)

I really wish NBC would let go of some of the old tapes. I'd pay to see whatever they have in the vaults!

I'd also love to see a picture of the board from the back side, if any such photos exist. The description of its operation (found elsewhere in this forum) just intrigues the heck out of me.

My best to you, sir.

JamesVipond · « **Reply #6 on:** February 04, 2011, 09:33:17 AM »

Welcome to our group, Norm! I created, and still maintain, the first fan Web site for Concentration.

I wasn't born until 1967, so I remember Bob Clayton but not Hugh Downs. I was, however, very good at the Concentration home games when I was a preschooler in a suburb of Minneapolis. I've also played the Classic Concentration computer games, and I have a copy of Steve Ryan's book. I'm planning to buy a copy of your book in the near future.

Probably more than anyone else, I consider it a shame that NBC won't do anything with the Concentration format, especially since the recent Comcast buyout.

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #7 on:** February 04, 2011, 09:45:28 AM »

[quote name=\'JamesVipond\' post=\'256360\' date=\'Feb 4 2011, 09:33 AM\']especially since the recent Comcast buyout.[/quote]
You know, the Comcast buyout has been blamed for a great many things, but I doubt that there was a meeting where they all got together and said "now that we own NBC, we need to make sure we don't do anything with the format to Concentration."

MrBuddwing · « **Reply #8 on:** February 04, 2011, 10:07:18 AM »

[quote name=\'normb\' post=\'256310\' date=\'Feb 3 2011, 08:21 PM\']Do you remember the show??? I produced the original, not the one with Alex Trebeck. Love to hear drom u>[/quote]

I think I speak for all when I say, pleased to make your acquaintance. Yes, I remember the original Concentration very well.

We were all pleasantly shocked to be told by a board contributor, Two Inch Quad, that contrary to standard practice at the time, NBC actually saved all the episodes, and that while some have been deposited with the Library of Congress, most are locked away in the network vaults. Think any of those will see the light of day? (A former co-worker of mine appeared on the show in 1965.)

I remember a story Hugh Downs once told in an interview about the time a contestant left him at a loss for words. Downs said that for legal reasons, he had to get every contestant to confirm on the air that he or she knew the rules of the game before they started playing. So on one occasion, they brought out the next contestant, whom Downs described as the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. So as not to keep staring at her, he quickly started reading off her personal information card. Downs said, "It says here, Mrs. So-and-So, that you've been married for 8 years, but that you have a 9-year-old son. Surely there's been a mistake ..." And the woman, horribly embarrassed, said, "No - well - you see - I HAD to get married." And Downs could only say, "Well, Mrs. So-and-So, I'm sure you know how our game is played ..."

I wonder if that moment made it onto the air.

Bob Zager · « **Reply #9 on:** February 04, 2011, 12:23:19 PM »

Mr. Blumenthal, welcome to the forum, and yes, I grew up watching Concentration on NBC, and was hooked on watching the show during summer vacation from school, as well as days when I was home, sick from school. When I was very young, I'd be good at matching prizes, and as I got older, I got good at solving your rebus puzzles!

I've been a long time collector of home game versions of game shows, and have many copies of Concentration among them. Would you happen to know why Milton Bradley didn't release a 13th edition (they just jumped from 12th to 14th).

I, too, would love to know if any other episodes still exist. Particulary the 10th, 11th, and 13th anniversary shows. I remember:

The 10th anniversary show featured you hosting a game played by Hugh Downs and Bob Clayton.

The 11th anniversary show had announcer Bob Clayton hosting a game played by then-host Ed McMahon and Johnny Carson.

[quote name=\'geno57\' post=\'256353\' date=\'Feb 4 2011, 02:06 AM\']I'd also love to see a picture of the board from the back side, if any such photos exist. The description of its operation (found elsewhere in this forum) just intrigues the heck out of me.[/quote]

The 13th anniversary show had host Bob Clayton give a guided behind-the-board tour. He was greeted behind the board by former host Hugh Downs.

I'd gotten your book "The TV Game Shows," for Christmas the year it was published, and I'm awaiting receiving your new book, which I'm sure I'll enjoy reading!

Again, welcome to the forum, and "Thank you, for" producing, "Concentration!"

itiparanoid13 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 04, 2011, 12:23:41 PM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'256363\' date=\'Feb 4 2011, 09:45 AM\'][quote name=\'JamesVipond\' post=\'256360\' date=\'Feb 4 2011, 09:33 AM\']especially since the recent Comcast buyout.[/quote]
You know, the Comcast buyout has been blamed for a great many things, but I doubt that there was a meeting where they all got together and said "now that we own NBC, we need to make sure we don't do anything with the format to Concentration."
[/quote]

Hell, I was scanning NBC's formats page and they have Concentration listed there, right beside Twenty-One and Minute to Win It, for sale. So there's someone there that likes it still.

SRIV94 · « **Reply #11 on:** February 04, 2011, 12:37:12 PM »

[quote name=\'Bob Zager\' post=\'256370\' date=\'Feb 4 2011, 11:23 AM\']I've been a long time collector of home game versions of game shows, and have many copies of Concentration among them. Would you happen to know why Milton Bradley didn't release a 13th edition (they just jumped from 12th to 14th).[/quote]

Did other MB home games do this as well? (Granted, not many home games lasted as long as CONCENTRATION did.)

If so, probably to avoid the "13" stigma (like why most buildings didn't call the 13th floor the 13th floor). If not (and there were actual 13th editions floating around), your guess is as good as mine, but maybe Norm does have the answer.

/And welcome Norm! Got to meet you during the Game Show Congress in 2005 (I think).

Offshored2007 · « **Reply #12 on:** February 04, 2011, 12:45:38 PM »

Welcome to the boards, Norm. Just finished reading your book and enjoyed it.

A lot of people here have fond memories of the original "Concentration" as evidenced by the replies
to your initial posts. I watched it fairly regularly as a child from 1967-1973.

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #13 on:** February 04, 2011, 01:01:14 PM »

[quote name=\'SRIV94\' post=\'256372\' date=\'Feb 4 2011, 12:37 PM\']Did other MB home games do this as well? (Granted, not many home games lasted as long as CONCENTRATION did.)[/quote]
Yes, Jeopardy and Password both skipped unlucky #13.

WarioBarker · « **Reply #14 on:** February 04, 2011, 04:15:17 PM »

Quote from: Bob Zager on February 04, 2011, 12:23:19 PM

The 10th anniversary show featured you hosting a game played by Hugh Downs and Bob Clayton.

I once read that Downs was confronted with an entire board of Forfeit One Gift and a blank puzzle on an anniversary show. If so, it'd make sense to happen the day the guy who made the puzzles was hosting.