Concentration

[normb]

So, for my puzzle, it would be: "ST+RYE+KING A HEART BAR+GUN" (that would be a whiskey bottle, with word, RYE on it), Here again, I would never use a rye bread, that could be called "BREAD", "LOAF" or who knows what.

This may be a dumb question but, why not?

If the contestant has essentially figured out something-KING A HARD BARGAIN then Loafking or Breadking doesn't make sense. 1 vs 100 used this plenty of times in questions like "Who was the first US President? A: The one born in Pennsylvania, B: The one born in Delaware, C: The one born in Virginia."

Do you consider this (added) level of complexity considered unnecessary?

I cannot understand the relevance of your question.  Please explain.

[DoorNumberFour]

Norm, what are your memories of working with Art James? He's one of my favorite hosts of that era.

[JayDLewis]

Do you consider this (added) level of complexity unnecessary?

I cannot understand the relevance of your question.  Please explain.

Sorry, sir.

If you use a loaf of rye bread to represent RYE (in the puzzle ST+RYE+KING A HEART BAR+GUN), you're asking the contestant to go the extra step of coming up with RYE rather than BREAD or LOAF (as ST+LOAF+KING or ST+BREAD+KING makes no sense).

Do/did you think asking a contestant to work out 2 bits of information (in my 1 vs 100 example) to get the correct answer is/was unnecessarily complex?

[normb]

Norm, what are your memories of working with Art James? He's one of my favorite hosts of that era.

One of the nicest guys I worked with in this business. We were working together on game shows that we hoped would be the start of our own production company. But, being busy with other projects made this impossible.  After a while we both adapted our expertise in the game show field and started doing industrial shows (not on the air).  We created "learning by playing" games sessions for corporate giants like General Motors, Budweiser Beer, etc. He not only conceived the training programs, but emceed them as well.  I did the same, but hired other emcees.  Most people don't know of this other aspect or off-shoot of tv game shows, but it is big business.  I won the Advertising Age Promotion of the Year for a nationwide treasure hunt for Chrysler Ram trucks. Art and I were also close personal friends.  I've missed him an awful lot since he passed away, at much too young an age.

[normb]

Do you consider this (added) level of complexity unnecessary?

I cannot understand the relevance of your question.  Please explain.

Sorry, sir.

If you use a loaf of rye bread to represent RYE (in the puzzle ST+RYE+KING A HEART BAR+GUN), you're asking the contestant to go the extra step of coming up with RYE rather than BREAD or LOAF (as ST+LOAF+KING or ST+BREAD+KING makes no sense).

Do/did you think asking a contestant to work out 2 bits of information (in my 1 vs 100 example) to get the correct answer is/was unnecessarily complex?

[normb]

Do you consider this (added) level of complexity unnecessary?

I cannot understand the relevance of your question.  Please explain.

Sorry, sir.

If you use a loaf of rye bread to represent RYE (in the puzzle ST+RYE+KING A HEART BAR+GUN), you're asking the contestant to go the extra step of coming up with RYE rather than BREAD or LOAF (as ST+LOAF+KING or ST+BREAD+KING makes no sense).

Do/did you think asking a contestant to work out 2 bits of information (in my 1 vs 100 example) to get the correct answer is/was unnecessarily complex?

Please go to #361 (Sept 3, 2011 and reread it.  I never said I would use a pic of a bread and expect the player to read my mind and call it a rye bread.  That wouldn't be fair -- or next to impossible.  For my example of only using identifiable objects as opposed to words of actions, like "PULLING," etc. for "PULL."  In my explanation, I did use a pic of a bottle of liquor labeled, "RYE" and used that (so it wouldn't be thought of as a bottle). Same thing with the bread, if I wanted it to be thought of as a rye bread, I would have drawn it in a package labeled "RYE BREAD."  If I wanted them to say the word BREAD as in "S+BREAD THE NOOSE"  I would have just drawn a bread, which meant only what it was, a BREAD -- not a loaf, a rye or anything else. Hope this clears this up.  By the way, in my rebus  language, "clears" would be "CL+EARS." --- NOT C+LEERS (the action of a face leering).  With regard to 1 vs 100 -- I cannot answer that one -- I rarely watched that show.

[TimK2003]

Norm,

What were some of the most memorable prizes offered on the board, either on the legitimate prize or gag prize side?

[normb]

Norm,

What were some of the most memorable prizes offered on the board, either on the legitimate prize or gag prize side?

That's a difficult one to recall.  Most of our fellow game shows and my own used the same sources of prize material, so none were that unique.  We all tried to add our own extras like "his and her cars," "tix to every show on Broadway," "1,000 Gallons of Gas," etc.  The one that I remember best are the trips around the world we awarded as the grand prize on our annual Challenge of Champions, and the "$100,000 Shower of Money" (also a once a year extra).
On the negative side, certain prizes offended the public and I quickly removed them.  Exotic pets like pure-bred very rare and expensive dogs or giant tanks of tropical fish (worth a small fortune), or even thoroughbred horses got a lot of threatening audience reaction.  They were correct, giving live creatures to certain people who might treat them poorly,was tantamount, to criminal practices.  Same with luxurious fur coats -- animals had to be killed to make m'lady glamourous.  Soooooo, we immediately ceased and desisted.  One more memorable "dead giveaway" from the early days of game shows, was the most prevalent of all prizes on all shows -- cartons of cigarettes.

[Ian Wallis]

I can't remember if this has been answered in the 25 pages in this thread (tried doing a general forum search and it didn't turn it up), but the thread about color conversion dates got me thinking:  I remember reading that Concentration was the last daytime game show to switch to color - sometime in mid'67 if I recall - Norm, can you give us any details on that?

[normb]

I can't remember if this has been answered in the 25 pages in this thread (tried doing a general forum search and it didn't turn it up), but the thread about color conversion dates got me thinking:  I remember reading that Concentration was the last daytime game show to switch to color - sometime in mid'67 if I recall - Norm, can you give us any details on that?

Dear Ian:  I know I've answered that several times -- here at the Forum, in my latest book, "When Game Shows Ruled Daytime TV" and several other places.  Before I answer it again, I'd like to find out how many of your fellow members read about it in my book. If enough of them respond, I promise to divulge a little known trivia gem about the original Concentration game board. A fascinating tale that few people know and is not included in your game board archives by Corey Cooper or anyone else. I recall it, because I created it and lived it.  It isn't necessary to repeat the story of "why I was the last black & white game show to convert to color" -- I already know it.

[geno57]

I remember reading that Concentration was the last daytime game show to switch to color - sometime in mid'67 if I recall - Norm, can you give us any details on that?

Dear Ian:  I know I've answered that several times ... Before I answer it again, I'd like to find out how many of your fellow members read about it in my book. If enough of them respond, I promise to divulge a little known trivia gem about the original Concentration game board.

I read it in your book, Norm!  (I had already heard the story, anyway ... but the book's great.)

[Offshored2007]

I can't remember if this has been answered in the 25 pages in this thread (tried doing a general forum search and it didn't turn it up), but the thread about color conversion dates got me thinking:  I remember reading that Concentration was the last daytime game show to switch to color - sometime in mid'67 if I recall - Norm, can you give us any details on that?

Dear Ian:  I know I've answered that several times -- here at the Forum, in my latest book, "When Game Shows Ruled Daytime TV" and several other places.  Before I answer it again, I'd like to find out how many of your fellow members read about it in my book. If enough of them respond, I promise to divulge a little known trivia gem about the original Concentration game board. A fascinating tale that few people know and is not included in your game board archives by Corey Cooper or anyone else. I recall it, because I created it and lived it.  It isn't necessary to repeat the story of "why I was the last black & white game show to convert to color" -- I already know it.

One vote for having read about it in your book!  But wasn't the color conversion date sometime in late 1966?

[CRussMason]

I can't remember if this has been answered in the 25 pages in this thread (tried doing a general forum search and it didn't turn it up), but the thread about color conversion dates got me thinking:  I remember reading that Concentration was the last daytime game show to switch to color - sometime in mid'67 if I recall - Norm, can you give us any details on that?

Dear Ian:  I know I've answered that several times -- here at the Forum, in my latest book, "When Game Shows Ruled Daytime TV" and several other places.  Before I answer it again, I'd like to find out how many of your fellow members read about it in my book. If enough of them respond, I promise to divulge a little known trivia gem about the original Concentration game board. A fascinating tale that few people know and is not included in your game board archives by Corey Cooper or anyone else. I recall it, because I created it and lived it.  It isn't necessary to repeat the story of "why I was the last black & white game show to convert to color" -- I already know it.

I read it in your book, too, Norm!

[JamesVipond]

Norm, I also read in your book about why you were reluctant to convert your show to full color.

[DoorNumberFour]

So have I.