"$ale of the Century" Episode Guide

[jjman920]

I don't know if GSN's still using their speed-up machine, but if so, then it totally crapped out during the shopping round today.

If you watch the beginning of Blockbusters, I can assure you that they're still using their speed-up machine.

[sotcfan2004]

Seeing as I have the free time (recovering from wisdom tooth surgery), I'm gonna fiddle with the video and audio in Final Cut Pro and see if I can post a fixed-up version of the shopping round on YT. It was freaky as hell coming back from commercial with everything so slowed down.

Well, so much for that. Not only do I not have the proper audio software or plugins to correct the slowed-down audio, but it would seem that a good chunk of the audio from the decision part of the shopping round wasn't even aired (although my lip-reading tells me he declined the crystal and dinnerware). Since I still have a morning to kill, I guess I'll just upload the shopping portion in 1080p HD.

[TLEberle]

(although my lip-reading tells me he declined the crystal and dinnerware).

If the balloons stayed in the rafters he decided not to buy.

[sotcfan2004]

As promised, here's the entire shopping round...

[JonSea31]

Gonna let you in on a little hint: JonSea31 doesn't have the first friggin' idea of what he's talking about.

I will admit to that.  I don't know what really goes on in the GSN control room.  So it's just pure guesswork on my part.

But back on the topic of $ale of the Century, I do have one question regarding the GSN airings of the 1988-89 NBC run:  I did use an Excel Spreadsheet to apply the episode numbers to the corresponding dates:  The calculation came up with the finale being #1580, and this is obviously not the case (as the PDF schedule for July 1, 2013 showed it as #1578).  What I ask is, was there a pre-emption of some sort during the original run between November 10, 1988 and March 24, 1989?  I know that the George Bush, Sr. inauguration occurred on January 20, 1989, so I didn't count that on my spreadsheet.  What I just realized now was that I didn't account for was January 2, 1989, which I wonder if there was a nationwide pre-emption that day?  So was there one other nationwide pre-emption that I overlooked between November 10, 1988 and March 24, 1989?

Also, regarding Al McDonald's run on $ale in September 1986, I wonder if anyone knows the actual airdates of those episodes when they aired on NBC?  I am not sure if Al McDonald commented on any of his uploaded videos as to when any one of his ten episodes originally aired.  I might be able to catalog the episode numbers for his run in my Excel Spreadsheet, and I know full well that any fresh new $ale uploads to YouTube will be downloaded to my computer in a flash, as knowing GSN/WorldWinner's practices since last April, they won't last long.

I remember asking the uploader about that episode, and he said early July 1983. IIRC, July 8th or so.

Out of curiosity, anyone known when they changed the intro, to where the dollar sign on the logo "spiraled" onto the screen, as opposed to the counter-clockwise wipe shown here?

ETA: Per David himself (see the comments), July 12, 1983.

Barring any nationwide pre-emptions prior to July 12, 1983, David's appearance should be designated as Ep. #0137 (gotta love Microsoft Excel's fill handle feature).

[Vahan_Nisanian]

Least as far as I could tell, Al McDonald's 10 episodes aired from 9/3/86-9/16/86.

[snowpeck]

I do have one question regarding the GSN airings of the 1988-89 NBC run:  I did use an Excel Spreadsheet to apply the episode numbers to the corresponding dates:  The calculation came up with the finale being #1580, and this is obviously not the case (as the PDF schedule for July 1, 2013 showed it as #1578).  What I ask is, was there a pre-emption of some sort during the original run between November 10, 1988 and March 24, 1989?  I know that the George Bush, Sr. inauguration occurred on January 20, 1989, so I didn't count that on my spreadsheet.  What I just realized now was that I didn't account for was January 2, 1989, which I wonder if there was a nationwide pre-emption that day?  So was there one other nationwide pre-emption that I overlooked between November 10, 1988 and March 24, 1989?

The only national pre-emptions during that period were on 11/24/88 (Thanksgiving parade), 11/25/88 (Day-after-Thanksgiving cartoons), 1/2/89 (Rose parade, football) and 1/20/89 (presidential inauguration.) If you're still coming up with the wrong episode count, you have an error somewhere else.

[ivoryman1986]

Now, regarding the $78,000 cash jackpot win on January 18, 1984, did that cash jackpot start at $50K on December 8 or December 9, 1983(if there was a first-run on January 2, 1984)? We've talked about all the CBS game shows being pre-empted on January 2, 1984, also, a number of NBC game shows(Go!, Dream House) were also pre-empted on that day. For the latter, the total episode count is 322. Now for $ale, did it have a first-run episode on January 2, 1984 or was it pre-empted, meaning the December 30, 1983 episode's cash jackpot being $66K?

[JonSea31]

According to Vahan's post regarding nationwide pre-emptions for $ale during its run, I was kind of surprised to learn that $ale aired on New Year's Day in 1985, 1986 and 1987.  Maybe NBC didn't follow suit of at least CBS with regards to special programming for such holiday, and it was business as usual for NBC that day with regards to at least a few of their daytime shows.

I have now done up an Excel spreadsheet giving a more accurate list of episode numbers for airdates up to and including May 1, 1987.  I am not sure if Oliver North coverage started sometime in May 1987 (though I don't remember such coverage in June 1987 but definitely by July 1987), but given that the Summer 1987 pre-emptions were scattered due to Oliver North coverage, it's hard to figure out what episode numbers have actually aired on the corresponding airdates for the summer of 1987.  Because of this, I have the episode numbers with the corresponding airdates done right up to and including May 1, 1987.

And thanks to the Excel spreadsheet I created, I can now designate the unofficial episode numbers for Al McDonald's run as the following:

#0952 (9/3/1986) -- Al/Gisele/Vince
#0953 (9/4/1986) -- Steven/Marianne/Al
#0954 (9/5/1986) -- Bryan/Anna/Al
#0955 (9/8/1986) -- Art/Rebeca/Al
#0956 (9/9/1986) -- Raymond/Carol/Al
#0957 (9/10/1986) -- Ed/Cindy/Al
#0958 (9/11/1986) -- Ort/Barbra/Al
#0959 (9/12/1986) -- Rob/Rebecca/Al
#0960 (9/15/1986) -- Larry/Flo/Al (Day #1 of the Fall 1986 Home Viewer Contest)
#0961 (9/16/1986) -- Michael/Yvonne/Al (Day #2 of the Fall 1986 Home Viewer Contest)

As for airing Saturday morning cartoons on the day after Thanksgiving in 1988 (despite being a Friday), I don't know if it's true.  I know it was definitely true in 1983 as I remember seeing The Smurfs instead of Wheel of Fortune that Friday, and I am pretty sure I saw the "April Smurf's Day" short.

[JonSea31]

Sale was preempted a total of six times by September 1986. Ergo, it should really be #0952-#0961.

Just to clarify:  What were the dates for the six pre-emptions prior to September 3, 1986?

I am aware of the following pre-emption dates prior to Al McDonald's run:

November 24 and 25, 1983 (2 episodes)
November 22, 1984 (1 episode)
January 21, 1985 (Reagan's inauguration) (1 episode)
November 28, 1985 (1 episode)
July 4, 1986 (either due to Wimbledon coverage or Lady Liberty's 100th birthday coverage) (1 episode)

6 pre-emptions total.

I am sure I didn't include those dates in my spreadsheet.  I did use the fill handle in Excel to display all the episode numbers right up to and including May 1, 1987.  I am pretty certain that my original unofficial labeling of Al McDonald's run (#0951 to #960) was pretty much right.   I can upload the spreadsheet if you'd like and prove it.

[Vahan_Nisanian]

You got them already. And yes, upload the spreadsheet.

[JonSea31]

And here is the link to the spreadsheet:

http://we.tl/byRUqSVZaZ

I believe the link will only be around for up to a week or two.

[Vahan_Nisanian]

You were off by one number because of not taking 1/2/84 into account as an episode. #1496 aired on 11/10/1988. Anyways, keep up the good work.

[snowpeck]

As for airing Saturday morning cartoons on the day after Thanksgiving in 1988 (despite being a Friday), I don't know if it's true.  I know it was definitely true in 1983 as I remember seeing The Smurfs instead of Wheel of Fortune that Friday, and I am pretty sure I saw the "April Smurf's Day" short.

It's true because I have the New York Times TV listings to prove it. Do you doubt every piece of information that's given you? (I can check any other date you'd like me to as well... just let me know.)

And Vahan is right... the first episode GSN aired was from 11/10/88, not 11/11/88. That makes you off by two numbers... which is because you have episodes listed for 11/12/88 and 11/13/88, which were a Saturday and a Sunday respectively.

[Vahan_Nisanian]

#S-052 Joe/Janet/Steve