Game Rule Changes

[Jay Temple]

Back when you could actually read the credits, the boilerplate frequently included a sentence close to, "All contestants are selected in advance and advised of the rules of the game." I imagine that the latter is true on almost all shows.

\I say "almost" because some shows like Truth or Consequences and Double Dare depend on unpredictability.

[Unrealtor]

Back when you could actually read the credits, the boilerplate frequently included a sentence close to, "All contestants are selected in advance and advised of the rules of the game." I imagine that the latter is true on almost all shows.

ISTR one of the behind-the-scenes specials back during Wheel's ratings juggernaut days showed a physical rulebook that was given to each contestant. Don't know if anyone bothers with that sort of expense any more.

\I say "almost" because some shows like Truth or Consequences and Double Dare depend on unpredictability.

I've always assumed that it was CYA wording against viewers (or unhappy contestants) complaining that it wasn't fair that some rule was invoked without being explained on the air. And I've always assumed that the lack of ability to do the same without giving the surprise away is why Double Dare walked through every stunt other than the cold open on the air, Drew Carey still explains the one-bids and showcase showdown on a daily basis, and Alex Trebek occasionally explains the specific type of response they expect in a category with a punny name.

[SamJ93]

I have heard some folks (not me) argue that the rule change in J! preventing contestants from buzzing in before Alex finished reading the question was actually for the worse.  Apparently part of the "jeopardy" in the original version (and first season of the current one) was being first to the buzzer on a question, taking a risk that you may not know it.

Anyone have any thoughts?  I personally wouldn't find an episode of nothing but buzzer battles, wrong answers, and low scores very entertaining, but then I haven't seen very much of the Fleming versions.

[catnap1972]

I also seem to remember reading about a rule change in Win, Lose, or Draw's bonus round during the Robb Weller era. From what I remember reading, the original rule was to start out with the first word worth say, $100, then doubling from there. Apparently, one early contestant went on a tear and racked up about $25,000+, prompting the producers to make it 7 in whatever time period for $5,000.

This was prolly posted in the ATGS era, so I'm going off a 10-year-old memory here. Forgive me if it's nothing more than just urban legend.

I'm pretty sure I'd seen the episode when it was originally run so I don't think it was just an urban legend.  Recall thinking how insane the money she?'d won was...didn't think that was what the show intended.

[mmb5]

I have heard some folks (not me) argue that the rule change in J! preventing contestants from buzzing in before Alex finished reading the question was actually for the worse.  Apparently part of the "jeopardy" in the original version (and first season of the current one) was being first to the buzzer on a question, taking a risk that you may not know it.

Anyone have any thoughts?  I personally wouldn't find an episode of nothing but buzzer battles, wrong answers, and low scores very entertaining, but then I haven't seen very much of the Fleming versions.

IMO the material was a bit harder in the Fleming era, making it more of a risk.  Trebek (even early on) not so much.

[Jay Temple]

I have heard some folks (not me) argue that the rule change in J! preventing contestants from buzzing in before Alex finished reading the question was actually for the worse.  Apparently part of the "jeopardy" in the original version (and first season of the current one) was being first to the buzzer on a question, taking a risk that you may not know it.

Anyone have any thoughts?  I personally wouldn't find an episode of nothing but buzzer battles, wrong answers, and low scores very entertaining, but then I haven't seen very much of the Fleming versions.

Argo's original question was for changes that made the game harder. This change didn't make it more or less difficult; it merely shifted the difficulty.

I like the game with the rule change, and I liked Blockbusters' way of reading the clue w/o text. I'm not a fan of letting them ring in AND giving them the clue. It rewards speed-reading instead of knowledge or risk-taking.

[ten96lt]

Wow a lot of worse rule changes. Thanks for the feedback.  I was also wondering how have the show or hosts advertised the new rules? I understand them promoting the heck out of rule changes that can be benefital to the contestant(s), but when changing the rules the other way, how do they do advertise them. Obviously i guess the contestants are briefed backstage of any changes, but viewers at home are probably left wondering...

Mark

This was how Millionaire addressed the removal of PaF before eventually going to the shuffle format a season later IIRC.

[Jeremy Nelson]

Wow a lot of worse rule changes. Thanks for the feedback.  I was also wondering how have the show or hosts advertised the new rules? I understand them promoting the heck out of rule changes that can be benefital to the contestant(s), but when changing the rules the other way, how do they do advertise them. Obviously i guess the contestants are briefed backstage of any changes, but viewers at home are probably left wondering...

Mark

This was how Millionaire addressed the removal of PaF before eventually going to the shuffle format a season later IIRC.

That was the best way to explain it, I suppose, but it struck me as awkward when they made the change mid season. It wasn't like it happened right after a contest had used the PAF on a million dollar question (which I recall happening once on the primetime version). It was midseason during a time when contestants were already struggling to make it to the top tier. They had every right to make the change, but considering how tough the game was as is, it just seemed a bit evil.

[Kevin Prather]

That was the best way to explain it, I suppose, but it struck me as awkward when they made the change mid season. It wasn't like it happened right after a contest had used the PAF on a million dollar question (which I recall happening once on the primetime version). It was midseason during a time when contestants were already struggling to make it to the top tier. They had every right to make the change, but considering how tough the game was as is, it just seemed a bit evil.

It was perhaps a change that needed to be made a lot sooner, even though the Googling method was rarely effective, especially when the contestant tried to parse the question FOR the PaF. As a matter of fact, the British show's official rules used to (and still might) have a rule saying any contestant with a googler for a PaF may be disqualified.

[Twentington]

Chalk me up as another who didn't like Bullseye on Combs Feud. Part of it is because I like seeing all the answers to a Feud question, not just #1; part of it is because it often led to fairly small Fast Money banks unless one family swept. (And part of it was because they chyroned it instead of using the board.)

I thought WWTBaM switching to the clock was a bad idea, in part because they started the clock when Meredith read the question. One contestant actually kept interrupting her mid-question to just to get as much time as possible ("Which fast food place serves the Tendercrisp? A.) McDonald's, B.) Burger King, C.) Har—" "A.) Burger King, final answer!"). And there was a primetime episode where Regis got the giggles, leaving the poor contestant with a whopping 2 seconds to give an answer — on the $100 question!

Finally, I felt timing the questions just made it too structured. Part of why I liked original-recipe WWTBaM so much was seeing the host-contestant interaction (moreso with Reege than Meredith), and so much of that is reduced when you only have a couple minutes banked up per question. (Not that I'm saying you should pull a Kati Knudsen and take an hour-plus mulling over one question.)

[Joe Mello]

As a matter of fact, the British show's official rules used to (and still might) have a rule saying any contestant with a googler for a PaF may be disqualified.

How do you police that now when your phone may double as a Google?  Landlines only?  And how do you police that, too?

[Jay Temple]

Policing the landline-only policy should be fairly easy. If I look up a number, the first piece of information it gives me is whether it's a landline or cell phone.

[Marc412]

Actually in the last set of episodes, contestants' Phone-a-Friends were sequestered backstage.

[Kevin Prather]

Actually in the last set of episodes, contestants' Phone-a-Friends were sequestered backstage.

That's because those episodes were live.

[cacLA8383]

Phone a Friend.

This was actually discussed a little on Game Show Garbage (and if you don't visit that site semi-regularly...why not?) after the induction of the $400-to-win format of Family Feud.  Here's the thread:

Because I'm really not a fan of the proprietor nor his output. He's as bad as Tiller is in terms of the quality of his output, just for different reasons. (And actually, if you like watching seven questions per show, $400 is the best thing that happened to it.)

That poor soul who has to host that site on his web server isn't that bad I don't think.... :-)