Press Your Luck: USA Network Broadcast History?

[JonSea31]

I have a question to ask Ian Wallis or Vahan Nisanian regarding Press Your Luck's broadcast history on USA Network:

What ranges of episodes (months/years) aired in the years that USA aired Press Your Luck?

I do know this much:

- The Syndication package by Republic Pictures aired on USA Network during 1987 and maybe 1988.

- The last months of USA airings were from the spring of 1986.

- 1986 episodes aired in 1989, don't know what months from 1986.

- A few months of 1983 episodes aired in the early 1990s, don't know when.

- Sometime in 1993, episodes from the late-Spring and Summer 1986 aired.  I did read a comment that one episode from that range did air on a day in September 1993.

I did remember reading someone ask a question about this somewhere and got a reply, wasn't sure if it was on these boards or on Facebook or another place.

[Vahan_Nisanian]

1987-1988: Republic Pictures package

1989: Most 1986 episodes

1990: Most 1984 episodes from the second half of 1984

1991: 1985 episodes (including December)

1992: 1983-early 1984 episodes

1993: 1986 and 1985 episodes

1994: late 1984, 1985, and 1986 episodes

1995: July-August had early 1985 episodes, September-October had Spring 1986 episodes

[JonSea31]

So, does that mean that some 1986 episodes that aired in 1989 ended up being rerun in 1993, 1994 and 1985?

And when you say most 1986 episodes for 1989, does that mean they aired virtually all of 1986 (omitting consecutive weeks in February and March 1986 as well as all of September 1986), and did they replay them in 1993 to 1995?

[Ian Wallis]

I only started watching the USA reruns in Oct 1992, but watched pretty well to the end in 1995.  I made notes of what was run during that time, and used Jason Hernandez's old episode guide for notes on the rest.

One thing USA did was air six months worth of episodes from Jan-June, then repeat the same six months in the exact order from July-Dec.  Then the next Jan, the whole process restarted with a new group of episodes.  Another thing USA did was jump around - a lot!  They'd usually air about 6-8 weeks from one part of the run, then jump to a different part (usually in the same year) over and over.  Why they couldn't just run them in chronological order (especially since the show had returning champions) is beyond me.

Here are the shows that were NEVER aired on USA (as far as we know): 
--the first two weeks from 1983; the home player spins (including Larson) from spring 1984; Christmas and New Year's week 1985; late-Feb-late March 1986; September 1986, and maybe a few other scattered episodes.

Here's what they ran:

Sept '87-Dec '88 - the 1985 syndication package from Republic pictures

1989 - I've been told they were 1986 episodes, but I too would like to know which ones.  I'm assuming Jan-June, but did they air them all consecutively, or jump around to other parts of that year, or another year.  Did they air the "missing months" during this time?  Based on what they aired in the '90s, I'd be surprised if it was all six months in a row.  They must have jumped around a bit.

1990 - I've been told they were 1984 episodes, I'm assuming from the last half of the year but again, were they all six months consecutively?  According to Jason's guide, 6/18/84 was the first episode in this six-month package

1991 - I've been told 1985 - but again, which parts?  I have a recording of a USA broadcast of the 7/12/85 episode from 11/19/91 (you can tell the date of the USA broadcast because of promos contained within the show)

1992 - early 1984 episodes, then Oct-Dec 1983; when I started watching in Oct 1992, they aired 1983 all the way to Christmas time

1993 - they started out with early 1984 episodes, but after a month switched to June-July 1986; then jumped back to Jan-mid Feb 1986, then mid-fall 1985; the 1/6/86 episode was aired on USA on 3/30/93

1994 - they started this package with late-March-May 1986; then cycled back to Aug-Sept 1985; then back to spring 1985

1995 - mostly 1986 episodes; last ep aired in Oct was the 5/23/86 show

Hopefully this helps.  If anyone has any other details, feel free...

[Vahan_Nisanian]

1991 - I've been told 1985 - but again, which parts?  I have a recording of a USA broadcast of the 7/12/85 episode from 11/19/91 (you can tell the date of the USA broadcast because of promos contained within the show)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI93OODBgWy5aUvrAwy9TJxhv4MxFvNMB

This guy has some December 1985 episodes from 1991 reruns, judging from the USA ID at the time. USA began having a logo at the bottom-right corner, around mid-1991. It was originally in small, red letters. By the end of 1991, it was now big, transparent letters.

That same guy also has the 10/19/84 episode, from when it aired on 11/18/94.

[JonSea31]

As for Vahan's question about USA airing the "missing months" from 1986, it may be possible, and I am not sure if the developer of the online PYL Episode Guide developed his guide in the early 1990s based on data he may have recorded after recording the 1990s USA airings as well as the new-to-GSN airings during 2001-2005 (of course, I could be dead wrong on this theory).  I am not sure if he even recorded any 1989 rebroadcasts.

Of course, there was one episode that may not have been recorded on the episode guide in the first place: the March 26, 1986 episode, which is presently on YouTube:



Notice that the USA Network ID appears at the beginning of the clip, and the USA watermark appears in transparent form.  I'm guessing it aired between 1993 and 1995.

[Vahan_Nisanian]

USA began using the "The Remote Stops Here" campaign (seen at the very start of the above video) towards the end of 1993, until mid-1996. So that airing you posted is possibly from either 1994 or 1995.

[ivoryman1986]

Right, the earliest episode that USA reran was the October 5, 1983 show and the latest they reran was the July 25, 1986 show but Ian, I'm wondering if USA actually reran the April 10-May 11, 1984 shows and/or any of the June 1984 shows prior to the debut of Tammy Whammette.

[tyshaun1]

Here are the shows that were NEVER aired on USA (as far as we know): 
--the first two weeks from 1983; the home player spins (including Larson) from spring 1984; Christmas and New Year's week 1985; late-Feb-late March 1986; September 1986, and maybe a few other scattered episodes.

They also didn't air episodes from November 18, 1984 to December 21, 1984. Most likely because the show started promoting the 2nd "Home Player Game" and they didn't want to confuse the audience.

Tyshaun

[Ian Wallis]

Thanks Tyshaun.  I knew there was another handful in there somewhere.  I remember seeing some late 1984 episodes on USA, but as I recall I think they jumped from something like mid-November to Christmas week, which would line up with the dates you outlined.

[JonSea31]

I learned that USA didn't air Christmas and New Year's weeks from 1985.  Christmas week, most likely for obvious reasons.  But I wonder if USA elected not to air any episodes from New Year's week 1986 because of Peter announcing the new time slot as of January 6, 1986 when the Bob Eubanks-hosted revival of Card Sharks was set to debut?

I really am glad GSN is doing a great job of airing Press Your Luck.  It's nice that they air episodes that USA Network never aired in the first place.