40 years ago today, NBC Concentration came to an end

[brianhenke]

  March 23, 1973. That was the date the rebuses came to an end for a while

 

  After over 3,700 episodes, NBC aired the last episode of Concentration. It went through three regular hosts - Hugh Downs, Bob Clayton and Ed McMahon. The show\'s final rebus was YOU\'VE BEEN MORE THAN KIND, which was a thank you from Norm Blumenthal et al to its fans. As the show ended, Auld Lang Syne was played (it was also played at the end of the last Howdy Doody Show in 1960). The show held the record for the longest run by a daytime game show until The Price Is Right broke the record (and then some) in 1987. In addition, Concentration had two runs on NBC primetime: in 1958 (with co-creator Jack Barry) and 1961 (with Downs after Barry was banished from TV after the scandals).

 

  Concentration would later return in the form of the 1970s syndicated show and the 1987-1991 Alex Trebek-hosted Classic Concentration (plus a 1985 pilot). 

 

  Personally, I was hoping that Concentration would return in 2008 for the show\'s 50th anniversary. When that didn\'t happen, I thought that it would be back in 2009 so it could join TPIR and TTTT as the shows that have appeared in new episodes in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s.

 

  With NBC in FIFTH place in primetime, maybe the execs can roll the proverbial dice and bring Concentration back, but with many people unfamiliar with rebuses, will we ever see two contestants trying to solve them again? Or will we see some other type of puzzle in its place?

 

   Brian

[Jimmy Owen]

I hate to say this, but I think if they ever brought it back, they would jettison the rebuses and make it a competition to match prizes or dollar amounts.  Whomever got the most valued prizes or cash after all cards are matched would win.

[The Pyramids]

There is a precedent for it. I believe the unsold 1985 or so pilot matched words instead of rebuses. I could be mistaken. 

[mystery7]

Matched words instead of prizes, you mean? True. It led to some funny word associations but there was something kind of \"off\" about it. Orson Bean as host didn\'t help.

[geno57]

Concentration debuted when I was about a year-and-a-half old.  It remains my favorite game show of all time.  The noisy charm of that mechanical board!  Great memories.

 

The farewell episode is available on YouTube, in full, thanks to Hondo20132 ...  Here\'s the link to the first part of it.

 

[dale_grass]

The farewell episode is available on YouTube, in full,

Eh, not quite. We never get to see the end of the first game... there\'s a jump at 7:42.

[clemon79]

I hate to say this, but I think if they ever brought it back, they would jettison the rebuses and make it a competition to match prizes or dollar amounts.  Whomever got the most valued prizes or cash after all cards are matched would win.

 

And the mass majority of the time the game will be decided well before the board is matched off, making for an exceptionally anticlimactic finish.

 

But, hey, I bit, so well done, I guess.

[Ian Wallis]

Odd thing is, I don\'t remember much about the original Concentration, but I remember very well watching the Jack Narz version from the beginning.  Must have been the time slots - the Narz version was seen at 1 PM in my area, meaning I could catch most of it at lunch before I had to head back to school.  I\'m glad the last NBC episode turned up...now...if more of Narz could turn up...

 

Of course, the following Monday Baffle and $10,000 Pyramid debuted.  I remember seeing promos for the debut of Pyramid - some of them featured Jack Klugman and Tony Randall and were quite amusing.

[Jimmy Owen]

I hate to say this, but I think if they ever brought it back, they would jettison the rebuses and make it a competition to match prizes or dollar amounts.  Whomever got the most valued prizes or cash after all cards are matched would win.

 

And the mass majority of the time the game will be decided well before the board is matched off, making for an exceptionally anticlimactic finish.

 

But, hey, I bit, so well done, I guess.

See, it would depend on the value of the prizes. You could have more prizes, but if you\'ve got French\'s mustard and your opponent has a flokati rug, the greater value would win.

[clemon79]

See, it would depend on the value of the prizes. You could have more prizes, but if you\'ve got French\'s mustard and your opponent has a flokati rug, the greater value would win.

 

No. If anything you exacerbate the problem by ranging the prizes, especially if your big-ticket item ends up getting matched early on. At best you\'re just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

[Adam Nedeff]

The farewell episode is available on YouTube

And holy moses, could they have been saddled with two more inept contestants for their final game?

[Jimmy Owen]

See, it would depend on the value of the prizes. You could have more prizes, but if you\'ve got French\'s mustard and your opponent has a flokati rug, the greater value would win.

 

No. If anything you exacerbate the problem by ranging the prizes, especially if your big-ticket item ends up getting matched early on. At best you\'re just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Well, there\'s always the possibilty of getting a TAKE card, which would change things quickly.

[clemon79]

Well, there\'s always the possibilty of getting a TAKE card, which would change things quickly.

 

...until it goes too. Your idea has an ounce of merit as long as the prizes go off the board in the order you want them to, which isn\'t going to happen the mass majority of the time.

[J.R.]

You do realize who you\'re trying to debate with, Chris?

[clemon79]

You do realize who you\'re trying to debate with, Chris?

 

Who\'s debating?