Eubanks' Card Sharks: A Few Questions

[JonSea31]

I remember seeing an episode of Eubanks' Card Sharks during the first week of January 1989, and it featured cheerleaders as the audience polling group.  Well, I saw an episode from that same week recently, and discovered it may have aired during June 1988, and had the Jokers Car Game (no range board), plus Lacey was still pregnant at that time.

What I'd like to know is, did Card Sharks with Bob Eubanks go into reruns during January 1989?  And if so, around what date did first-run episodes resume?

Also, was it normal for a game show in danger of cancellation to go into a period of reruns for a short period, then resume first-run episodes for the remaining weeks before the finale?  If so, why was that?

[PYLdude]

Something tells me your eyes were playing tricks on you.

[Jimmy Owen]

You were watching a VHS tape you had made the previous summer.

[JonSea31]

Something tells me your eyes were playing tricks on you.

Now that I think of it, it may be possible that the local affiliate in Detroit aired an episode from that week in June 1988 because it may have been then (in June 1988) that the local affiliate dropped Card Sharks in favor of The Morton Downey Jr. Show.  When they moved Morton Downey Jr. to a different time slot in 1989, they may have put Card Sharks back in that time slot, but instead of airing episodes from 1989, they may have continued from where it left off in June 1988.  Maybe somebody from Detroit could clarify this?

I did discover (thanks to Microsoft Excel) that Ep. 756 of Card Sharks most likely aired on 12/23/1988, and using the fill handle to fill in the dates for the remainder of the run, I discovered it was first-run episodes right to the end of the run.

[Dbacksfan12]

Maybe somebody from Detroit could clarify this?

I'm not from Detroit, but I can guarantee that it didn't happen like that.

[aaron sica]

Something tells me your eyes were playing tricks on you.

Now that I think of it, it may be possible that the local affiliate in Detroit aired an episode from that week in June 1988 because it may have been then (in June 1988) that the local affiliate dropped Card Sharks in favor of The Morton Downey Jr. Show.  When they moved Morton Downey Jr. to a different time slot in 1989, they may have put Card Sharks back in that time slot, but instead of airing episodes from 1989, they may have continued from where it left off in June 1988.  Maybe somebody from Detroit could clarify this?

I can't see any station putting him on in the morning...I've only ever seen his show air in late evening/late night slots.

[Ian Wallis]

Also, was it normal for a game show in danger of cancellation to go into a period of reruns for a short period, then resume first-run episodes for the remaining weeks before the finale?

Rarely.  Press Your Luck is the only one I can think of (reruns in August 1986 before the final month of new episodes).  

I can confirm that Card Sharks did NOT air reruns in January 1989.  I watched/recorded the show pretty well every day and there were new episodes right until the end.

[JonSea31]

I can confirm that Card Sharks did NOT air reruns in January 1989.  I watched/recorded the show pretty well every day and there were new episodes right until the end.

Well, maybe it was just the local affiliate in Detroit that aired the week with the L.A. Raiderettes in January 1989 instead of June 1988 - much later than originally aired.

As for Morton Downey Jr.'s talk show replacing Card Sharks in Detroit, maybe the local CBS affiliate in Detroit didn't realize that he was a bad influence (given his swearing, loud mouth, and smoking heavily on air), as this was very early in the talk show's run.

[Dbacksfan12]

and smoking heavily on air), as this was very early in the talk show's run.

What's wrong with this?  People smoked on Match Game too.

[clemon79]

As for Morton Downey Jr.'s talk show replacing Card Sharks in Detroit, maybe the local CBS affiliate in Detroit didn't realize that he was a bad influence (given his swearing, loud mouth, and smoking heavily on air), as this was very early in the talk show's run.

Yeah, program directors who put programming on the air without "realizing" exactly what that programming is all about tend not to be program directors for very long.

Your ignorance is truly striking.

[PYLdude]

and smoking heavily on air), as this was very early in the talk show's run.

What's wrong with this?  People smoked on Match Game too.

That was back in the 1970s, when smoking on television was more acceptable.

Your ignorance is truly striking.

Agreed.

And Jonsy, it's not because of any psychological disorder you may or may not have. It's because you have a crappy attitude.

[SRIV94]

Also, was it normal for a game show in danger of cancellation to go into a period of reruns for a short period, then resume first-run episodes for the remaining weeks before the finale?

Rarely.  Press Your Luck is the only one I can think of (reruns in August 1986 before the final month of new episodes).  

GONG did as well--three weeks of reruns before the final three weeks of new shows in 1978.