$ale update

[WarioBarker]

Surprised these haven't really been mentioned by now, but given the advance schedules for January 26-February 1 have been posted I figure I should make a new thread.

The biggest thing is that this week's shows are the last with the shopping format. Next Monday will start off the syndicated Winner's Board era, with Tuesday (#S-147) being the first appearance of Alan Cevednik.

Per the advance schedules, #S-153 (November 27, 1985) will be skipped on January 28, going straight to #S-154. Interestingly, this means the lease goes through at least #S-156 (December 2, 1985: Rich/Pauletta/Alan), an episode that's been online for a while.

This is gonna be a really fun month.

[TLEberle]

How would a person who doesn't know the players because he doesn't have a program know which episode 156 is?

[WarioBarker]

Fair point -- I've edited the player names into the OP. (The episode is on the "Game Show Temple" YouTube channel.)

[Vahan_Nisanian]

Today's contestants are Brad/Buffy/Mark.

Brad's next episode was the last with the Syndicated Shopping Game. Bill/Lauren/Brad.

EDIT: Bold means returning champion.

[dale_grass]

Today's contestants are Brad/Buffy/Mark.

Brad's next episode was the last with the Syndicated Shopping Game. Bill/Lauren/Brad.

It took me half a second, but the names in bold are returning champs, correct?

[aaron sica]

It took me half a second, but the names in bold are returning champs, correct?

I believe that's how it works. And this is not a slam or knock on anyone, but I never understood the purpose of these reference guides, aside from having cataloged every single episode for posterity. Knowing who wins the game, at least for me, ruins the joy of watching that episode.

[WarioBarker]

And this is not a slam or knock on anyone, but I never understood the purpose of these reference guides, aside from having cataloged every single episode for posterity.

Two come to my mind:
* One is to try and clear up confusion (generally just on my part), especially since some shows made changes which generally aren't noted in tape collections -- the $1,000 "car round" box on the 1986 Cross-Wits, the CAR/Fur/Vacation graphic changes on Split Second very late in the run (after the 1987 tapings began), the addition of nameplates for the panel on the syndicated I've Got A Secret, etc. They're not big deals, of course -- just things I've noticed while watching game shows on YouTube.
* Another is because some shows have been thoroughly recapped by Game Show News Net (the GSN Chain Reaction, the final season of Shop 'Til You Drop, and the American Temptation come to mind), but said recaps are buried on the GSNN site.

Personally, I try to avoid giving spoilers unless it's a show with returning champs.

Knowing who wins the game, at least for me, ruins the joy of watching that episode.

Fair enough. Personally, I've found that if I don't look at the listings for too long, I'll forget the outcomes and be able to watch the episodes I haven't seen yet.

[TLEberle]

Personally, I try to avoid giving spoilers unless it's a show with returning champs.

But when there's returning champions, spoiling is OK? I want to make sure I'm not putting words in your mouth or getting your point wrong; is this what you meant to say?

[WarioBarker]

Now, see, that's a bit of a hard question for me -- if you're listing episodes for a show with returning champs, even if it's just in a tape collection, there's gonna be spoilers kinda by default since you're listing the returning champ (if applicable).

In the case of shopping-era Sale and the second bonus format of the 1980s Split Second, there's the "Quit or play on?" choice where you can't really put "{Champ}" in the next listing instead of the winner's name because it says "someone came back" and can't really list three new player names since it reveals that someone walked.

It's a bit of a double-edged sword, admittedly. I get that some tape collections don't put the player names at all, but for me I find it simpler and less confusing to just give the names outright. I tend to avoid spoilers such as how much someone won and what they won, though, but it's kind of a case-by-case basis I guess.

[TLEberle]

Now, see, that's a bit of a hard question for me -- if you're listing episodes for a show with returning champs, even if it's just in a tape collection, there's gonna be spoilers kinda by default since you're listing the returning champ (if applicable).

Absolutely. When someone linked to Al McDonald's ten day stretch on Sale of the Century as his "entire run" it did in fact spoil the mystery of who would win any particular episode other than the tenth, where he could have either lost or stopped with the winners bored prizes. And you're right, there's not a great answer for how to differentiate episodes of Blockbusters other than by who the champion is (and if you append "just a run-of-the-mill episode, nothing too exciting happens" in your trading catalog then why even bother to put it out there, it's like having forty rookie cards of somebody who washed out of the majors.)

[ivoryman1986]

In the case of shopping-era Sale and the second bonus format of the 1980s Split Second, there's the "Quit or play on?" choice where you can't really put "{Champ}" in the next listing instead of the winner's name because it says "someone came back" and can't really list three new player names since it reveals that someone walked.

The "Quit or play on" choice also occured in the Joker's Jackpot-era episodes of the original TJW. In that and in the shopping-era $ale, there still could be a carry-over champion would be leaving with only parting gifts, this could also occur particularly with Pyramid, though very rarely.

[SRIV94]

So if I see correctly, today should've been the last shopping episode.  (I'm at work, so I didn't see the ep.)  Was it treated as though shopping were going to continue, or was it mentioned there'd be a new format for Monday?

[Vahan_Nisanian]

So if I see correctly, today should've been the last shopping episode.  (I'm at work, so I didn't see the ep.)  Was it treated as though shopping were going to continue, or was it mentioned there'd be a new format for Monday?

At first, it was treated like shopping was going to continue, but then when they actually got to it, they cut the prize rundown very short. Then, when they got back from commercial, Jim Perry announced that they were going to start using the Winner's Board (which they had been using on the daytime edition for a year), and that the prize Brad had enough money for was his to take.

[jimlangefan]

So if I see correctly, today should've been the last shopping episode.  (I'm at work, so I didn't see the ep.)  Was it treated as though shopping were going to continue, or was it mentioned there'd be a new format for Monday?

On top of what Vahan mentioned, Jim gave him the options of leaving the prize and coming back (as normal), taking the prize and leaving (as normal), or taking the prize AND coming back with the Winner's Board.

[clemon79]

Jim gave him the options of leaving the prize and coming back (as normal), taking the prize and leaving (as normal), or taking the prize AND coming back with the Winner's Board.

"Fark you and your Winner's Board. No prize, play on."