Staging

[Clay Zambo]

While thinking about how I'd stage a game I've been puttering with--not that it'd be likely ever to make it to air, but what the heck--I put the host's position screen-left (stage right) and the contestants screen-right (stage left).  And it occurred to me that that seemed like sort of an automatic choice.  So I tried to come up with examples where the positions were reversed.  Fleming "Jeopardy" came to mind; so did "College Bowl" and the 70s-80s "Joker's Wild."  But I couldn't come up with any others.  (I'm leaving out roaming-host games like "Price" and "Deal," and host-in-the-middle games like the "Password" family.)  Any other good examples of host-at-screen-right?  And any idea why host-left seemed to be such a common staging choice?

[bwood]

Tic Tac Dough is one that came to mind right away, Bullseye as well.

[Jimmy Owen]

Tic Tac Dough is one that came to mind right away, Bullseye as well.

Also in the B&E stable Play the Percentages and Joker's Wild. From Bob Stewart, Blankety Blanks, Shoot for the Stars, Double Talk.

[MikeK]

Tic Tac Dough is one that came to mind right away, Bullseye as well.

Also Play the Percentages and Joker's Wild.

Play the Percentages for the bonus round du jour and for the latter front game, yes.  During the initial front game, Geoff would be between the two couples.

[Jimmy Owen]

Tic Tac Dough is one that came to mind right away, Bullseye as well.

Also Play the Percentages and Joker's Wild.

Play the Percentages for the bonus round du jour and for the latter front game, yes.  During the initial front game, Geoff would be between the two couples.

Yes, I forgot about the first format. 60's Match Game and IIRC Get the Message also did it that way.  How would you catagorize the panel shows?

[clemon79]

Interestingly, the UK version of Sale Of The Century flipped the host and players from the US and Australian staging, too, at least for a while.

Ooh, speaking of Reg Grundy: Scrabble. Though it could be argued that was closer to stage-center.

[Jay Temple]

Win Ben Stein's Money

[Chief-O]

I guess "Trivia Trap" could be included. Technically, Bob was screen-center, but the contestants were screen-left.

/uhh, judges?

[CeleTheRef]

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire!


and curiously in Italy, the very first and the very last versions of Wheel Of Fortune had the host on the right side of the screen.

[BrandonFG]

I suppose "Hollywood Squares" would count, at least all post-Marshall versions. I believe Marshall's had a weird setup.

Also "Jackpot!"

[clemon79]

I suppose "Hollywood Squares" would count, at least all post-Marshall versions. I believe Marshall's had a weird setup.

Erm, why do you believe that?

[BrandonFG]

I suppose "Hollywood Squares" would count, at least all post-Marshall versions. I believe Marshall's had a weird setup.

Erm, why do you believe that?

For some reason, I thought I read somewhere that the contestant/host area and the tic-tac-toe board weren't staged like the subsequent versions. I believe they were set up parallel and facing one another, instead of at an angle like in later versions. But thinking about it, technically the contestants still sat at stage right, even with the supposedly different staging.

[gameshowcrazy]

IMHO, I would put Hollywood Squares in the "host in the middle" category--all versions had the host sit between the contestants, it was the CELEBRITIES that were to the viewers right in all versions other than maybe MG/HS Hour where I think they may have been facing the celebrities, but still to the right of where the hosts and contestants sat.

[NickS]

I guess "Trivia Trap" could be included. Technically, Bob was screen-center, but the contestants were screen-left.

/uhh, judges?

I'll agree; you had the same setup for All-Star Secrets; more in the middle for Eubanks but the contestants are screen-left.  Add Your Number's Up to that list, too.

[That Don Guy]

I'm pretty sure Gambit (and slightly less sure about Las Vegas Gambit) was this way as well.