Great trivia find, Matt!
Do you know if Eye Guess was done live and then transitioned to pre-taped shows, or was Bob referring to pre-taping Price is Right?
Bob Stewart was referring to "Price." I'm old enough to have lied about my age to sit in the audience for "Eye Guess" tapings. That was way after "Price" transitioned to tape.
From "Johnny Olson: A Voice in Time"
Experiences at The Price is Right and Play Your Hunch were typical of the transition to tape. NBC came to Goodson-Todman producers, Bob Stewart and Ira Skutch respectively, with requests to change production schedules from the live broadcast of one show each day, to producing two episodes each day in the studio. Skutch reported that he reluctantly started the transition with Merv Griffin and Johnny broadcasting live, Monday through Wednesday, but performing two shows on Thursdays, the first live and the second taped to air on Friday.
Stewart recalled that his host, Bill Cullen, was resistant at first, as were many staffers, who were required to prepare two entire shows’ prizes, scripts, and contestants for each day in the studio; it seemed like double work. Stewart delayed NBC for as long as possible, but within a few weeks, he reluctantly retooled for the new scheduling. Soon after, the production company from Bill Cullen and Bob Stewart on down enjoyed working half as many days.
Cullen reportedly loved the use of videotape so much that he was among those soon advocating for the production of an entire week’s worth of programs in two days. Completing two episodes on one day, and then three on the next became the norm for the Goodson-Todman shows on which Johnny worked in the mid 1960s. By the end of the decade, producers and networks were confident enough to begin taping five episodes during a single day in the studio. For the first time ever, production costs were slashed by stockpiling episodes. Furthermore, people associated with an on-going hit program enjoyed the luxury of vacations.
Randy
tvrandywest.com
