Close Enough...

[TimK2003]

Doing a 180 on the recent J! thread on the Berenstain Bears ruling, what shows had the most lax rules when it came to determining correct answers?

The non-Donnymid Pyramid formats were pretty good at "dinging" answers that were close enough as well as Match Game, but I think the shows that were the most lenient were "Face The Music" and the Sandy Frank/Jim Lange version of "Name That Tune".  

Letting contestants practically recite a whole verse of a song for a correct answer, or even being one word off was OK on Sandy's shows.  Ralph Edwards' versions were much better at making sure that answers were correct, even going as far to say in the $100,000 tunes that there was to be "no leeway" when giving an answer.  

Any others?

[gameshowcrazy]

Just my opinion, don't know if others feel the same, but I feel Jeopardy has been very inconsistent in recent seasons.

[Jimmy Owen]

Isn't it ironic that on "The Price Is Right," the price is almost never right?  And when it is, there's a big controversy?

[BrandonFG]

Pyramid's early years. I remember them allowing "Things You Iron" for "Things You Press" (or vice versa). In later years, they'd put direct synonym in parentheses. Feud seems to be pretty lenient in branching answers into one category.

[pyrfan]

I'd add the '60s "Password" to this list. Not for the main game, though -- I seem to recall hearing Allen Ludden saying "I'll take it" a good deal during the Lightning Round.


Brendan

[Kevin Prather]

I'd add the '60s "Password" to this list. Not for the main game, though -- I seem to recall hearing Allen Ludden saying "I'll take it" a good deal during the Lightning Round.

Hell, often in the Lightning Round, the player would get auto-credit if the giver accidentally said the word.

[davidhammett]

I've been watching Match Game '75 on GSN, and heard a response the other day that somewhat floored me.  It was the head-to-head match, and the question was ____ NIGHTS.  The contestant answered "1001," and Richard said "Arabian," but despite the fact that they always say it has to be an exact match, they called it a match and awarded the contestant the money.  (By the way, I also noticed on some recent episodes the use of a rule I don't remember... if you win with a celebrity in the head-to-head match, you're not allowed to choose them again the next time you play the head-to-head.  Anyone know how long that was around?)

[Kevin Prather]

(By the way, I also noticed on some recent episodes the use of a rule I don't remember... if you win with a celebrity in the head-to-head match, you're not allowed to choose them again the next time you play the head-to-head.  Anyone know how long that was around?)

This rule was around until they brought on the Star Wheel. Not sure when it started. Both changes were apparently to get someone other than Richard playing the head-to-head once in a while.

[JasonA1]

(By the way, I also noticed on some recent episodes the use of a rule I don't remember... if you win with a celebrity in the head-to-head match, you're not allowed to choose them again the next time you play the head-to-head.  Anyone know how long that was around?)

This rule was around until they brought on the Star Wheel.

Pretty sure this came up before, and pretty sure it lasted for only a brief period in '75.

-Jason

[Craig Karlberg]

I always thought that whenever a player solved a Megaword puzzle on WoF, that player had to use that word in a sentence.  More often than not, Pat would sort of "give it to them" even though the word doesn't quite make sense in terms of how it was used in a sentence as long as the player used that word in a sentence.

[whewfan]

The head to head rule only lasted for one week. It was an early attempt to keep players from choosing Dawson all the time.

[chris319]

The head to head rule only lasted for one week. It was an early attempt to keep players from choosing Dawson all the time.

One week on the air is one taping day. One wonders if they implemented this rule on a Saturday, Richard made a stink, and the rule was rescinded on Sunday.

[Mr. Armadillo]

I always thought that whenever a player solved a Megaword puzzle on WoF, that player had to use that word in a sentence.  More often than not, Pat would sort of "give it to them" even though the word doesn't quite make sense in terms of how it was used in a sentence as long as the player used that word in a sentence.

Nobody ever said the sentence had to be coherent.

Marc Summers would often say 'good enough' on the Obstacle Course if someone, say, fell off the Monkey Bars one bar short.  The more obvious it became that the family was out of the running for the grand prize, the more lenient Marc was on obstacles that were causing trouble.

[Neumms]

Pyramid's early years. I remember them allowing "Things You Iron" for "Things You Press" (or vice versa). In later years, they'd put direct synonym in parentheses. Feud seems to be pretty lenient in branching answers into one category.

That's odd about Pyramid, because "press" includes things that "iron" doesn't: a button, the flesh.

On Family Feud, they have to be kind of lenient, because it affects how someone might answer down the line.

[ten96lt]

I always thought that whenever a player solved a Megaword puzzle on WoF, that player had to use that word in a sentence.  More often than not, Pat would sort of "give it to them" even though the word doesn't quite make sense in terms of how it was used in a sentence as long as the player used that word in a sentence.

Nobody ever said the sentence had to be coherent.

Marc Summers would often say 'good enough' on the Obstacle Course if someone, say, fell off the Monkey Bars one bar short.  The more obvious it became that the family was out of the running for the grand prize, the more lenient Marc was on obstacles that were causing trouble.

It seemed sometimes during the obstacle course also if it was a close race to finish if the family hit an obstacle where the flag was delayed coming out or showed no sign of coming out (like Soda Jerk or The Blimp) when it should have (with the exception of "Pick It") Marc would just tell them to tag and keep moving since he didn't want the flag not coming out when it was supposed to to give an unfair disadvantage.