TV Game Show Vault '12

[BrandonFG]

Man was Camouflage bad...from Tom's faux suspense and borderline pornographic lines ("Don't stop now...") to the excitement over the money up for play ("$650!!!") to the trippy synth music. Yet, it had some charm somewhere, and is still better than so many shows on TV today. Maybe it's because it took itself a little too seriously, yet knew when to add the trademark Barris goofiness.

Contestant Jim could've used a little valium there too...

[clemon79]

When you hear Johnny Jacobs talking about the contestants winning "HUNDREDS of dollars in cash!", you know you are dealing with a seriously cheap-ass production.

[TLEberle]

When you hear Johnny Jacobs talking about the contestants winning "HUNDREDS of dollars in cash!",

I am so glad I'm not the only one who noticed that.

/Did Tom get fifty bucks every time he said "A brand new Chevrolet"?

[clemon79]

/Did Tom get fifty bucks every time he said "A brand new Chevrolet"?

I believe you have him mixed up with Tim McCarver.

[TLEberle]

Maybe it's because it took itself a little too seriously, yet knew when to add the trademark Barris goofiness.

It was the inverse of Show Me the Money. Camouflage had no reason to be laying on suspense and tension because you're playing for fifty bucks a question (and not exactly brain burners at that) and hundreds of dollars per game. It doesn't compute. Show Me was answering simple questions for tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars, but didn't take itself seriously enough. "Sorry, you didn't answer the Killer Question correctly so that knocks you out of the game. Everybody dance!"

[Bryce L.]

Two TJW questions and a comment

1 did they have different piles of questions for 50-100-200 dollar  questions>

2 when  did they  have the joker jackpot

1.  I'm 99% certain they did not.  (100% certain with the Mystery category, as the contestant chose a question from seven cards on the front of Jack's podium.)

2.  It started with the first episode.  For the first 10 shows, you needed four wins, but one of the changes made on the 11th show (along with "triples are worth $200 instead of $150", "if you get three Jokers, you don't automatically win, but you have to answer a question first", and switching the bonus round to "Jokers and Devil") was to reduce the number needed to three.

In response to #2, any idea when the Joker's Jackpot was dropped? From what I understand, both it and the "Jokers and Devils" endgame went at the same time, and that is when "Money and Devils" started (the one used for the duration of the 1977-1986 run). Also, I've heard that the switch was purportedly sometime in 1974...

My own question about CBS-era TJW: Any idea when Perrey & Kingsley's "The Savers" would have been axed as theme music and replaced by Alan Thicke's "Joker's Jive"? Once again, I've heard sometime around 1974, but nothing more precise... Thank you in advance!

[trustno1]

Bryce, I think the Joker's Jackpot was axed when the show started its syndicated run (IIRC).

[Blanquepage]

Small update today, starting with the premiere of The Movie Masters. By no means a great show, but still interesting to see Gene's last show.
Happy Easter!

--Jamie

[Ian Wallis]

In response to #2, any idea when the Joker's Jackpot was dropped? From what I understand, both it and the "Jokers and Devils" endgame went at the same time, and that is when "Money and Devils" started (the one used for the duration of the 1977-1986 run). Also, I've heard that the switch was purportedly sometime in 1974...

My own question about CBS-era TJW: Any idea when Perrey & Kingsley's "The Savers" would have been axed as theme music and replaced by Alan Thicke's "Joker's Jive"? Once again, I've heard sometime around 1974, but nothing more precise... Thank you in advance!

Going by hazy memories from when I was a kid...but to the best of my recollection, the theme was changed sometime during the last season.  I want to say late summer of 1974, or it could have been sometime that fall.  I remember tuning into the show one day and heard this new theme and I was surprised, so it could have been on Columbus Day when there was no school (and having not seen the show since Labor Day) - but I'm sure it was sometime around that time.

As for the Joker's Jackpot, when GSN ran the first 8 months of the CBS version a decade ago, I was surprised to see the JJ lasted as long as it did.  I thought it was only the first few months.  I do remember several contestants racking up the $25,000 limit (and Jack making a big deal about it) sometime in '73 - late summer (just before school started, maybe) and I was sure there was no Joker's Jackpot then.  I think they could stay on as long as they won, or until they reached $25K.  So I'm saying by summer '73 it was gone.

Anyone have any clearer memories than that?

[narzo]

In response to #2, any idea when the Joker's Jackpot was dropped? From what I understand, both it and the "Jokers and Devils" endgame went at the same time, and that is when "Money and Devils" started (the one used for the duration of the 1977-1986 run). Also, I've heard that the switch was purportedly sometime in 1974...

My own question about CBS-era TJW: Any idea when Perrey & Kingsley's "The Savers" would have been axed as theme music and replaced by Alan Thicke's "Joker's Jive"? Once again, I've heard sometime around 1974, but nothing more precise... Thank you in advance!

Going by hazy memories from when I was a kid...but to the best of my recollection, the theme was changed sometime during the last season.  I want to say late summer of 1974, or it could have been sometime that fall.  I remember tuning into the show one day and heard this new theme and I was surprised, so it could have been on Columbus Day when there was no school (and having not seen the show since Labor Day) - but I'm sure it was sometime around that time.

As for the Joker's Jackpot, when GSN ran the first 8 months of the CBS version a decade ago, I was surprised to see the JJ lasted as long as it did.  I thought it was only the first few months.  I do remember several contestants racking up the $25,000 limit (and Jack making a big deal about it) sometime in '73 - late summer (just before school started, maybe) and I was sure there was no Joker's Jackpot then.  I think they could stay on as long as they won, or until they reached $25K.  So I'm saying by summer '73 it was gone.

Anyone have any clearer memories than that?

Based on clips that were shown during the TOC held in the first syndicated season, the Joker's Jackpot was in place as late as Dec. 1973.  Jack showed a clip of one of the 25k winners from her initial appearance and the jackpot amount was clearly illuminated on Jack's podium.  Same TOC, we see another playing the bonus we are all familiar with and that was dated June 1974.  That narrows it a bit.

[Blanquepage]

Small update with a nice complete edition of the 8/9/74 episode of Winning Streak, which includes Don Pardo's fee plugs, plus a 1955 episode of The Name's The Same with Mike Wallace on the panel.
I was going to upload the episode of The Big Surprise, but I then found late in the game that videoarchives1000 has a much nicer clean copy on his Youtube page.

I'm off tomorrow and Wednesday and plan to continue making up for the 3 months of no updates. :-)

--Jamie

[Blanquepage]

I'm piloting a new playlist style that I thought would be more visually appealing and colorful. Just click the logo of the series to play the available episode. The textual playlist is on the right part of the page.
Feedback on it here or through email would be highly appreciated!
And yes, I'm still working on the iPod / iPhone / iPad version...

Thanks,

--Jamie

[Jimmy Owen]

Why not just put them on YouTube?

[Blanquepage]

Why not just put them on YouTube?

For starters I recently renewed the site for another 12 months, so it would be a waste of money if I did that. Furthermore, the ad revenue that the site generated easily paid for the aforementioned renewal. I can't monetize my videos on Youtube because I don't own the material.
So for now the current plan is to use my Youtube page for clips and attracting the audience, and reserving really good stuff for the main site.

Ask me that again in 2013 when it comes time for me to decide if I can keep it going.

--Jamie

[clemon79]

I can't monetize my videos on Youtube because I don't own the material.

But you're fine with monetizing them on your own site, even though you STILL don't own the material.

Don't ever change, man.