This Makes No Sense To Me...

[Jeremy Nelson]

I have a feeling that just about every game show related topic has been brought up here at some point, but this is one I don't recall ever seeing (at least not in relatively recent memory): What game shows had bonus rounds that just didn't fit the show to you?

For me, I've got two that stick out:

Split Second: For such a great quizzer, the bonus round seemed almost like an afterthought.
Chain Reaction: I guess you could say that the clue givers were creating a "chain" of words, but that's a stretch.

Any others?

[PYLdude]

Well, if you go Split Second, you have to go with the 1980s Hollywood Squares round too...same principle.

While we're on Squares, the Big Money Round is on the list too- totally out of place.

Few others: The Turnabout Round on Child's Play- the whole point of the game was to guess how kids defined words, right? Why change it? The Big Numbers Round on Las Vegas Gambit- call me crazy, but why are you going to bring dice to a game based on blackjack if you really don't need to? Casino theme notwithstanding?

(Considering where these threads tend to go, perhaps some of you might find it funny to see that, when you click on "Reply", it says "Replying To This Makes No Sense To Me." Yet I did it anyway. Bad me. Bad bad bad.)

[weaklink75]

I can think of three-

The Big Showdown- the dice rolling is exciting, but doesn't fit with the hard quiz front game.

Winning Lines- great endgame in the Wonderwall- but really didn't fit well with the front game.

Pitfall- good endgame, but front game should have been Q&A as well instead of predicting audience responses...

[PYLdude]

Winning Lines- great endgame in the Wonderwall- but really didn't fit well with the front game.

In a case like this, as well as Pitfall, I would say that the argument should be in reverse- an end game with an unfitting front game.

[Matt Miller]

-The Winner's Big Money Game from $ale of the Century is another bonus that had nothing to do with the main game.(Solving 4 six clue puzzles in 20 seconds had nothing to do with answering questions and shopping.)

- The Battlestars Two from Battlestars also comes to mind (uncovering and guessing the picture of a celebrity had nothing to do with capturing the celebs or agreeing/disagreeing with their answers.)

[whewfan]

Well, if you go Split Second, you have to go with the 1980s Hollywood Squares round too...same principle.

The Split Second Bonus Game may not be related to the main game, but it was fun. If you haven't seen the Robb Weller pilot for the Split Second revival, be grateful... that bonus game, also based on luck, had NONE of the excitement of the Kennedy or later Hall version.

While we're on Squares, the Big Money Round is on the list too- totally out of place.

Few others: The Turnabout Round on Child's Play- the whole point of the game was to guess how kids defined words, right? Why change it?

It was either changed because the original format was too hard or too easy. Also, it's possible that they felt the children should be featured more and allow Bill to play Art Linkletter to get more "gems" out of them.

The Big Numbers Round on Las Vegas Gambit- call me crazy, but why are you going to bring dice to a game based on blackjack if you really don't need to? Casino theme notwithstanding?

The original bonus game was a "live deck" of cards. Audience members represented cards, and it was identical to the original Gambit bonus game. I suppose that didn't work out and not having a better bonus game, just played the High Rollers bonus game instead.

[TheInquisitiveOne]

Four Words; Sale of the Century.

Four more words: Winner's Big Money Game.

I know NBC was trying to cut costs at the inception of this bonus round, but could they have whipped up something a little better? Solving a series of word puzzles - to me, anyway - had nothing to do with the premise of buying lavish prizes at decent prices. My least favorite era of what was an excellent game show.

The Inquisitive One

[SRIV94]

Four Words; Sale of the Century.

Four more words: Winner's Big Money Game.

I know NBC was trying to cut costs at the inception of this bonus round, but could they have whipped up something a little better? Solving a series of word puzzles - to me, anyway - had nothing to do with the premise of buying lavish prizes at decent prices. My least favorite era of what was an excellent game show.

The Inquisitive One

I'll add the Winner's Board as well.  Since when did $otC become CLASSIC CONCENTRATION?

[DJDustman]

Four Words; Sale of the Century.

Four more words: Winner's Big Money Game.

I know NBC was trying to cut costs at the inception of this bonus round, but could they have whipped up something a little better? Solving a series of word puzzles - to me, anyway - had nothing to do with the premise of buying lavish prizes at decent prices. My least favorite era of what was an excellent game show.

The Inquisitive One

By no means did this bonus round cut costs. If anything, it added more. If you won all Winner's Big Money Games, you'd take $95,000 right off the bat. Then you add a car, all 7 the "prizes of the day." THEN you have instant bargains, instant cash and fame games to add in there.

[JasonA1]

I believe the word from Mitt Dawson was that NBC wanted $ale to have an actual endgame, thus, the WBMG.

-Jason

[clemon79]

Few others: The Turnabout Round on Child's Play- the whole point of the game was to guess how kids defined words, right? Why change it?

'Cuz here's why.

[BrandonFG]

I'll add "$ale" and the Big Money Game as well. Felt really out of place for that kinda show.

As for "Split Second" and "Big Showdown", I forgive those two as their bonus rounds were more of a light reward for the hard work and strategizing the contestant just went through. Both were mentally taxing, but brilliant shows.

[Jimmy Owen]

On "Big Showdown," in retrospect, since it was so hard to win $10,000 on the first roll, I had a returning champs suggestion that if you win the next day, you could have the fives and sixes covered with Show and Down, on the third day the fours fives and sixes, etc. until you reach your fifth day when only the ones were uncovered, thus virtually assuring you the ten grand as a reward for 5 days of play.  A player would be retired after 5 days if he or she was unable to roll Show Down. This would only be on the initial roll. For the 30 seconds of timed rolling, the normal Show Down dice would be rolled for $5000 and the player retired if successful.

[jmangin]

If you haven't seen the Robb Weller pilot for the Split Second revival, be grateful... that bonus game, also based on luck, had NONE of the excitement of the Kennedy or later Hall version.

How was the bonus played on the pilot?

[Robert Carter]

Disagree somewhat on Big Showdown end game being out of place. The whole game was loosely based on craps - hitting a "point" exactly, categories worth 1 to 6 points as indicated with sides on a die. Would've liked it if they had made the first-roll jackpot a progressive with a $10,000 base.