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Author Topic: Scrabble's "1-900" Game?  (Read 12429 times)

jimlangefan

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Re: Scrabble's "1-900" Game?
« Reply #15 on: July 08, 2014, 12:39:39 AM »
I'm not proud of this, but I can remember in the summer of 1992, the Fox station, WVAH, ran this infomercial every single day at 9 a.m. And I watched it. Every day.

I can do one better...My informercial's not even a game show! I really enjoyed watching the "Amazing Discoveries" one where they advertised "Memory Power". I even convinced my parents to get it (better grades, etc.). I don't think I even made it halfway through the book.

I LOVED "Amazing Discoveries."   That and the LMAD informercial were my favorites.  Honorable mention has to go to the Ronco Food Dehydrator.
TV's Big Dealer

J.R.

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Re: Scrabble's "1-900" Game?
« Reply #16 on: July 08, 2014, 02:23:22 AM »
As far as I'm concerned, nothing will top the "Magic Bullet" infomercial.
-Joe Raygor

aaron sica

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Re: Scrabble's "1-900" Game?
« Reply #17 on: July 08, 2014, 02:26:38 AM »
As far as I'm concerned, nothing will top the "Magic Bullet" infomercial.

That one is my second favorite. I like the cynical, chain-smoking woman.

BrandonFG

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Re: Scrabble's "1-900" Game?
« Reply #18 on: July 08, 2014, 01:03:48 PM »
I always loved the theme song for the Ronco infomercials. Had a cheesy game show vibe to it, kinda like TPiR Showcase music or something. :-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG43jyZ65R8#t=00m20s

/Just set it...
//And forget it!
"They're both Norman Jewison movies, Troy, but we did think of one Jew more famous than Tevye."

Now celebrating his 22nd season on GSF!

clemon79

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  • Director of Suck Consolidation
Re: Scrabble's "1-900" Game?
« Reply #19 on: July 08, 2014, 01:29:34 PM »
That one is my second favorite. I like the cynical, chain-smoking woman.

"Ooh, nachos, those are MY favorite." Like someone enjoying nachos is a friggin' revelation. :)
Chris Lemon, King Fool, Director of Suck Consolidation
http://fredsmythe.com
Email: clemon79@outlook.com  |  Skype: FredSmythe

gamed121683

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Re: Scrabble's "1-900" Game?
« Reply #20 on: July 08, 2014, 02:31:20 PM »
I always loved the theme song for the Ronco infomercials. Had a cheesy game show vibe to it, kinda like TPiR Showcase music or something. :-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG43jyZ65R8#t=00m20s

/Just set it...
//And forget it!

Ah, yes...from the Killer Tracks production music library. That's a tune called "Central Park".

http://www.killertracks.com/#!/browse/browsed-results.aspx?SelectedCDId=2724

Allstar87

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Re: Scrabble's "1-900" Game?
« Reply #21 on: July 08, 2014, 07:53:37 PM »
I remember a spelling game called Spellit.

And what a scam it was.

I tried looking this up, but came up empty. How was it played, and why was it a scam?

BrandonFG

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Re: Scrabble's "1-900" Game?
« Reply #22 on: July 08, 2014, 08:27:01 PM »
I'm not sure about the scam portion, but from what I remember, you were given a word, then tried to spell it out via your keypad. For example, if the word was "computer", you'd dial the corresponding numbers (2-6-6-7-8-8-3-7).

Here's a commercial for it...they used to air all the time during USA's game show block in the early-90s. Apparently, you had 2 minutes to spell 21 words.

"They're both Norman Jewison movies, Troy, but we did think of one Jew more famous than Tevye."

Now celebrating his 22nd season on GSF!

Adam Nedeff

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Re: Scrabble's "1-900" Game?
« Reply #23 on: July 08, 2014, 10:24:40 PM »
I'm not sure about the scam portion, but from what I remember, you were given a word, then tried to spell it out via your keypad. For example, if the word was "computer", you'd dial the corresponding numbers (2-6-6-7-8-8-3-7).

Here's a commercial for it...they used to air all the time during USA's game show block in the early-90s. Apparently, you had 2 minutes to spell 21 words.


When I worked for "Wheel of Fortune," I made a call to I-don't-remember-what-anymore in search of $1,000 gift cards for the Gift Tags. And the guy I talked to began veering into a discussion about his previous endeavors and mentioned that he was the creator of the "Spellit" phone game. As I recall (and it's been a while) it started as an idea for a game show that he absolutely could not get sold, and the idea got stripped down and stripped down until finally, "Fine, we'll make it a 900-number game."

PYLdude

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Re: Scrabble's "1-900" Game?
« Reply #24 on: July 09, 2014, 12:09:53 AM »
I seem to remember another commercial for Spellit with a blue background.
I suppose you can still learn stuff on TLC, though it would be more in the Goofus & Gallant sense, that is (don't do what these parents did)"- Travis Eberle, 2012

“We’re game show fans. ‘Weird’ comes with the territory.” - Matt Ottinger, 2022

knagl

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Re: Scrabble's "1-900" Game?
« Reply #25 on: July 13, 2014, 03:43:05 PM »
Ah, yes...from the Killer Tracks production music library. That's a tune called "Central Park".

http://www.killertracks.com/#!/browse/browsed-results.aspx?SelectedCDId=2724

I'm fairly certain that was used in a chase scene from TVs "CHiPs".

/...and if it wasn't, it should have been.