Narz Concentration

[JasonA1]

All this talk about "Classic Concentration" lately got me excited about "Conc." in general, so I revisited some tapes. I figured I'd do something in the same vain as Joe Raygor (personal thanks from me for that impressive CC summary!) and try to get the format to Narz's version together. Granted all I have to go from is a 1978 ep. and old posts, but that's where the helping comes in. If anybody can fill it in, feel free.

* Two players compete for the whole show.

* Board has 30 squares. To start, four prizes ("the head starts") are revealed and Johnny O gives them each a plug. As Chris C. reported, this was to guarantee these items plugs.

* The first game is the "three call game" where three numbers are called instead of two. Along with the regular Wild Cards and "Take 1 Gift," there was something called "Free Look." Two such spaces were on the board, and were immediately turned to the rebus when picked.

* Matching Wild Cards is worth $250, win or lose.

* Double Play, for those who don't know, is the bonus round where you solve 2 rebii in 10 seconds. First one is worth $100, second was worth a car. In the final season, a board with 9 squares was presented before the bonus. Whatever they match (prize packages or the car) is what they play for. If they get a special card (did it say "WIN" or "WILD" or what?) they play for all the revealed prizes they have picked, or all of the packages if it's the first pick.

* Second game is the normal, call two numbers part with four Wild Cards in play and the "Bonus Number." Four such cards were on the board, and matching two earned you a third call with your next pick. If you matched in two picks, you could use the third call on the next pick and so on.

* If time is short, the entire puzzle is revealed and the players get on the lockouts a'la CC.

* If there is time left over after the second Double Play, the "money game" is played. The players try to match foriegn currency. Upon a match, Jack reads the American conversion (and considering this show's budget, it was probably low).

And speaking of the budget, this "Concentration" may have had the oddest of prizes on both the front game and end game boards. The front game literally had fee plug items like supplies of salad dressing and small appliances. But it was incredibly cool - a combination of the 60s show with 70s presentation and a great host at the helm. I love the look of the mechanical board, and how they sped up the motors. Of course, that meant more mechanical *problems* but oh well.

Wow that was long-winded.

-Jason

[Ian Wallis]

* Board has 30 squares. To start, four prizes ("the head starts") are revealed and Johnny O gives them each a plug. As Chris C. reported, this was to guarantee these items plugs.

The format for that version of "Concentration" changed over the years.  When it first went on in 1973, there were no "head starts", players only picked two numbers per turn (unless they matched the card that said "Bonus Number", which came along in the third season), Wild Card matches were worth $500 (only remember somebody matching them once or twice), and there was no "Free Look".

All of those things were added as time went on to the way it was in that 1978 episode.

Too bad more of these episodes weren't around...

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'JasonA1\' date=\'Dec 5 2003, 06:28 AM\']And speaking of the budget, this "Concentration" may have had the oddest of prizes on both the front game and end game boards. The front game literally had fee plug items like supplies of salad dressing and small appliances. [/quote]
That was true on the original version, as well--you would regularly see things like "1,000 Hot Dogs" or "10 Lb. Salami" (or "Towel Collection") in each game.  I seem to remember a prize of a complete line of canned goods popping up regularly, but I don't remember what it was called on the board.  Like the gag prizes, those were good in case you matched a Forfeit.  Better to lose 1,000 hot dogs than a trip to Hawaii or a mink coat.

[Starkman]

well even trebek's version had the 1000 cal lottery tix.

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'Starkman\' date=\'Dec 5 2003, 01:58 PM\'] well even trebek's version had the 1000 cal lottery tix. [/quote]
 Yes, but that is a minimum $1000 prize.  I can get 1000 hot dogs for...
1000 hot dogs/8/pk=125.
I can get a package of hot dogs for $1.00
$1X125=$125.

Big difference.

[Jimmy Owen]

[quote name=\'Dsmith\' date=\'Dec 5 2003, 02:28 PM\'] [quote name=\'Starkman\' date=\'Dec 5 2003, 01:58 PM\'] well even trebek's version had the 1000 cal lottery tix. [/quote]
Yes, but that is a minimum $1000 prize.  I can get 1000 hot dogs for...
1000 hot dogs/8/pk=125.
I can get a package of hot dogs for $1.00
$1X125=$125.

Big difference. [/quote]
 You must shop at Costco.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Dsmith\' date=\'Dec 5 2003, 12:28 PM\'] [quote name=\'Starkman\' date=\'Dec 5 2003, 01:58 PM\'] well even trebek's version had the 1000 cal lottery tix. [/quote]
Yes, but that is a minimum $1000 prize.  I can get 1000 hot dogs for...
1000 hot dogs/8/pk=125.
I can get a package of hot dogs for $1.00
$1X125=$125.

Big difference. [/quote]
 It isn't, tho. a California Lottery scratchoff ticket is worth precisely $0 if it's not a winner. I don't remember what the payout scale for prizes on the scratchoff game was, but I think it was something like 30 cents on the dollar. So, if I'm right about that, you're looking at a prize worth roughly $300.

The question _I_ have is, is it taxable, and if so, for how much?

[J.R.]

Though, most of the time it was just 200 California Lottery Tickets  !

Say, anyone know the format to the Classic Classic Classic Concentration (The 1958-1973 version)

-Joe R.

[JohnTheGameMan]

I am glad to help you with the original format of "Concentration".  The game had two players play one game.  There were no head starts and the board had 30 squares.  The first person to solve the puzzle wins the game and goes on to meet a new challenger.  
Over the years, the show had regular items such as "Cash Wheel", where players spun for money; "The Envelope", a prize with mystery contents; "Theme days" where an exciting trip was involved in the game.  In addition, plenty of "Forfeit One Gift"'s, "Take One Gift"'s and two "Wild Card"'s, as well as gag prizes of which if the player won nothing else other than the gag prize, or if the player had nothing on the board when solving the puzzle, the contestant was awarded one hundred dollars, as well as the right to continue as champion until defeated.  
There had been a nighttime version of the show on NBC during the late 50s and early 60s, but it wasn't as successful as the daytime run, which lasted a good 14 and a half years hosted first by Hugh Downs, then Bob Clayton, whose run was interrupted for a while by Ed McMahon.  
Note:  Milton Bradley had the original home version and it sold tons and tons of copies.  It was so popular that they produced 25 editions of the game throughout the NBC run and even beyond.

[That Don Guy]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Dec 5 2003, 03:10 PM\'] It isn't, tho. a California Lottery scratchoff ticket is worth precisely $0 if it's not a winner. I don't remember what the payout scale for prizes on the scratchoff game was, but I think it was something like 30 cents on the dollar. So, if I'm right about that, you're looking at a prize worth roughly $300.

The question _I_ have is, is it taxable, and if so, for how much? [/quote]
I'm pretty sure 50% of the money in the California Lottery "scratch-off" games goes back to the players (1/3 to the schools (to make up for the money the legislature moves from the education budget to the general fund under the impression that the lottery will make up the difference), and 1/6 for other costs), at least back then.
Besides, an unscratched California Lottery ticket had a retail value of $1, so I would guess that's what the IRS would use when determining your income.  (And yes, if you won anything, that was counted on top of the $1 per ticket, although California Lottery winnings are not taxable against California state income tax, only Federal.)

More differences between the Narz and the original: if you matched two Wild Cards, you won a car rather than $500 (and you kept the car whether or not you won the game; also, the car could not be lost in a Take or Forfeit), and the original had no end game.

-- Don

[The Ol' Guy]

Yeah, add me to the list of fans who think Concentration is one of the all-time greatest tv games...though I liked the older more than the later. One day I was going through a talk show guest magazine at the radio station I was working at and found a big ad that read, "Have the creator of tv's Concentration on your show to talk about UFOs and other phenomena." Buddy Piper supposedly left show biz a few years after developing Face The Music to devote himself to studying things like UFOs, crop circles, and angels. Guess he's on the lecture circuit, among other things. I checked a couple of websites to see if he's still around. Wonder if he got residuals during the G-T run? Or Bob Noah? Or did NBC get everything?

[davemackey]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Dec 5 2003, 08:46 AM\']

* Board has 30 squares. To start, four prizes ("the head starts") are revealed and Johnny O gives them each a plug. As Chris C. reported, this was to guarantee these items plugs.

The format for that version of "Concentration" changed over the years.  When it first went on in 1973, there were no "head starts" [/quote]
 Nope. There always were head starts on the Narz show. Of course they were to guarantee some mfgs. plug time and also sped up the game.

They used a number of great music cues including a funky piano cue. There's one of those prize music cues kicking around the theme collecting circuit - what of the others?

[Steve McClellan]

[quote name=\'That Don Guy\' date=\'Dec 5 2003, 07:21 PM\'][quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Dec 5 2003, 03:10 PM\'] It isn't, tho. a California Lottery scratchoff ticket is worth precisely $0 if it's not a winner. I don't remember what the payout scale for prizes on the scratchoff game was, but I think it was something like 30 cents on the dollar. So, if I'm right about that, you're looking at a prize worth roughly $300.

The question _I_ have is, is it taxable, and if so, for how much? [/quote]
I'm pretty sure 50% of the money in the California Lottery "scratch-off" games goes back to the players (1/3 to the schools (to make up for the money the legislature moves from the education budget to the general fund under the impression that the lottery will make up the difference), and 1/6 for other costs), at least back then.
Besides, an unscratched California Lottery ticket had a retail value of $1, so I would guess that's what the IRS would use when determining your income.  (And yes, if you won anything, that was counted on top of the $1 per ticket, although California Lottery winnings are not taxable against California state income tax, only Federal.)[/quote]
According to the California Lottery's website, 51.9% of the money goes back to the players. So, you could expect to receive $519, and be taxed on $1000 by California and $1519 by the U.S., resulting in a net gain of just $79 for someone making $30,000 a year.

[CBSJokersWildFan]

On the Narz Concentration, did the players play two-out-of-three matches?

[tvrandywest]

[quote name=\'The Ol' Guy\' date=\'Dec 5 2003, 11:39 PM\'] One day I was going through a talk show guest magazine at the radio station I was working at and found a big ad that read, "Have the creator of tv's Concentration on your show to talk about UFOs and other phenomena." Buddy Piper supposedly left show biz a few years after developing Face The Music to devote himself to studying things like UFOs, crop circles, and angels. Guess he's on the lecture circuit, among other things. [/quote]
 I ran into Buddy a few years ago and enjoyed several long talks with him. Visits with Buddy were great, and his recollections were clear and entertaining. I can clearly see him as a great speaker.

And indeed his attention is focused on several aspects of life far from game shows. We discussed several items of religion and spirituality; Buddy was very enthusiastic about his more recent interests.

Randy
tvrandywest.com