Seeing a game show for the first time

[ITSBRY]

Having never seen a game show taping, I've always wondered if I would be wow'd or dissappointed.  Things seem so cool on TV, but would the "real thing" live up to my expectations?

So...for those of you that have seen a game show taping or have been on a game show, what did you think was cool about it and what did you find disappointing?

I'd really like to hear from Randy West regarding his experience on PYL.  I met Mr. West back in May and over lunch, he described how the PYL set looked in person and how the board worked.  Unfortunately, I don't remember much about that conversation so I'd LOVE to hear more!  :-)

ITSBRY
itsbry@juno.com

[whewfan]

Hollywood Squares was neat when I went there. I don't know if they have the same warm up guy, but when I attended, Whoopi was still with the show.
If you attend a 3 show taping, expect to stay 3 hours, because there's a LOT of audience warmup action going on between commercials.  The warmup guy was kind of corny, prank calling people that placed Pennysaver ads, challenging audience members to a dance contest. Overall, it was fun, but exhausting.

I also saw Card Sharks 01. Let's say, the warmup was more interesting than the gameplay itself. Gary Kroeger did a good job considering the circumstances. Once, they stopped tape when Pat proceeded with Money Cards without asking the contestant for a wager. As a result, he actually won MORE money than he would've on the card accidentally revealed.

Jeopardy!- Surprisingly fun! Alex is far more loose, and funnier than he is on camera. He also appears more personable. Johnny Gilbert was also fun.

[The Ol' Guy]

My one and only so far was catching a taping of JOKER back in '79 at KCOP 13. By the time my wife and I got there, Bob Hilton was wrapping up the audience warm-up, which on that day seemed to be a bit of a struggle. He talked about the door prizes, asked if anybody wanted to tell a joke - then the taping started. I was surprised at how small the studio and set was. The use of black drapes in the back gave the studio an expansive look. It always looked huge on tv. Had a front row seat, and what also was funny was how shabby the walls with the logos in front of the audience were. Small dents and paint scuffs in the front, bent nails and cracked wood in the back. It showed me how forgiving cameras are. We stayed for all five shows. The staff was cordial, and Jack took audience questions after the second show. Things moved right along. The only problem occurred when Jack and the staff had to figure out how to deal with a situation where a contestant gave the correct answer to a mystery category question after the time limit buzzer. They decided to give the opponent their choice of a new mystery question. It was a fun experience, and showed that with the right tricks, what some would call a dumpy set looks like a million bucks on the small screen.

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'The Ol' Guy\' date=\'Jan 14 2004, 09:58 PM\'] It was a fun experience, and showed that with the right tricks, what some would call a dumpy set looks like a million bucks on the small screen. [/quote]
 Nope...it looked dumpy on screen as well. ;-)

Seriously, I actually liked the neon set, but it looked a bit cluttered.

[The Ol' Guy]

...okay...how about "looks like a thousand bucks"...?

Gotta laugh at something. That Pyramid news bites!

[Card Shark]

[quote name=\'ITSBRY\' date=\'Jan 14 2004, 12:37 PM\'] Having never seen a game show taping, I've always wondered if I would be wow'd or dissappointed.  Things seem so cool on TV, but would the "real thing" live up to my expectations?

So...for those of you that have seen a game show taping or have been on a game show, what did you think was cool about it and what did you find disappointing?

I'd really like to hear from Randy West regarding his experience on PYL.  I met Mr. West back in May and over lunch, he described how the PYL set looked in person and how the board worked.  Unfortunately, I don't remember much about that conversation so I'd LOVE to hear more!  :-)

ITSBRY
itsbry@juno.com [/quote]
 I attended J! tapings followed by TPIR the next day. J! wasn't as much of a thrill for me because I am not really a fan of the show, but going for the experience was cool. The set is a lot smaller than actually appears on t.v. But, as someone else pointed out, Alex Trebek is less of a pompous know-it-all off camera when he's talking with the audience. TPIR was the ultimate thrill. The set is tiny compared to how it appears on television. This experience actually made me more knowledgeable about the program as far as minor technical things. For example, when I watch the show with my wife, I am able to point out little factoids to her about the process for taping, etc. I actually had a question of mine answered by Bob. It was so cool. I also attended a taping of WoF when they taped at CBS. That was not such a big deal, but it was good for the experience. It was my first trip to L.A. and I knew I wanted to see a game show tape. I wanted to see FF, but clearly it wasn't taping that day (since both shows taped in the same studio). My father bought me a TPIR shirt as a souvenir and I put it on before going in to the studio. When Vanna was talking to the audience, she noticed that and walked up to me and said "Wrong show, Mister!"

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'The Ol' Guy\' date=\'Jan 14 2004, 09:58 PM\'] The only problem occurred when Jack and the staff had to figure out how to deal with a situation where a contestant gave the correct answer to a mystery category question after the time limit buzzer. They decided to give the opponent their choice of a new mystery question. [/quote]
 The opponent should've been given a shot at that same question. When time is up, time is up. And if you answer anyway when time is up, then too bad for you. Hope the opponent got the back-up question correct.

[Ian Wallis]

The set is a lot smaller than actually appears on t.v.

That's what I noticed when I saw "Battlestars" in 1983.  When you see the opening on TV, the set looks huge, but in actual fact there were only a few feet between Alex and the celebrities.

The magic of TV!

[The Ol' Guy]

Don -

I agree. Jack did not confirm that the answer given was correct, and the opponent could have had another answer in mind - now it would be up to the opponent to agree or disagree. The opponent did answer his new question correctly, so the producers dodged the bullet. Looking back at it now, I think the error was on Jack's part. Once he hesitated and said, "let's see what we're going to do about this", it seemed to confirm the answer was correct. However, IIRC, in the early days of JOKER (CBS), I thought I heard Jack mention that the time signal just indicated that thinking time was over and a contestant must now either give an answer or give up. Can anyone confirm that?

[bricon]

Hollywood Squares was neat when I went there. I don't know if they have the same warm up guy, but when I attended, Whoopi was still with the show.

That would have been Bob Perlow, no longer with the show.  Current warmup is named Tom Riles, who has also done some episodes of Funniest Home Videos.  

First game show taping for me (other than opening the door to the Concentration when at NBC on a kids show as a 5 year old) was a taping of Moneymaze.  Freezing cold December day, and we're waiting outside the studio on West 66th St.  The pages came out to apologize for the delay in letting us in, because "the celebrities were still rehearsing".  Whaaaa? Celebrities? Moneymaze isn't a celebrity show!  Well it was this week.  I got to see the Monday show of the week where Soupy Sales and Anita Gillette were celebrity teammates to the civilians.
The set blew me away when we got inside, climbing up the stairs to the bleachers, I just got chills seeing it in person.  It looked huge.  And I remember the lights being very very bright (amazing how much less light is used these days for video).
And how cool the theme sounded when it blared into the studio.

Years later, visiting a friend who worked at ABC in New York, he was taking me around the building, into the various studios there.  When we got to TV-1, which was set up for PrimeTime Live with an audience, I saw the stairway in the back that Nick Clooney went up after the taping, to get to his dressing room.   It brought back all the cool memories of that first taping.

[ChuckNet]

That's what I noticed when I saw "Battlestars" in 1983. When you see the opening on TV, the set looks huge, but in actual fact there were only a few feet between Alex and the celebrities.

The magic of TV!

Indeed...when I saw TPiR in 1997, my first thought was how much smaller Studio 33 looked in person. :-)

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

[gameshowhost1]

My 1st show to see was when I was a youngster was Camouflage with Don Morrow.  I was so in awe of just being there that I really don't remember much except the contestant won the car in the bonus round.

I have seen Jeopardy! twice:  The Million Dollars Masters Tourney(2 tapings)at Radio City Music Hall and the College Tourney in Columbus(about a 3 hour drive from here in Huntington, WV).  Alex was much looser than on-camera which really surprised me.  Johnny Gilbert was lots of fun.  I went up to the stage after the 2nd taping and talked to him and got his autograph.  The winner of the Masters Tourney and I now work together at the National Academic Tournament as moderators.  Brad Rutter is a class act.

I had tickets for TPIR in Feb. '02, but didn't even get in because of the over-distribution of the tickets.  I flew all the way there JUST for that show.  I had a friend in radio in San Diego at the Jefferson Pilot stations group who invited me to go with him.   He had been in twice before and never experienced the disappointment I had.  He told me I'd be disappointed at the "set size."

I can relate, because, for 14 years I hosted "High Q," the high school version of "College Bowl" here on our local CBS affiliate--until it was cancelled in 1998--not that I'm bitter."  All the students who played remarked how small the studio was in person compared to seeing it at home.

[calliaume]

[quote name=\'bricon\' date=\'Jan 15 2004, 11:17 AM\'] First game show taping for me (other than opening the door to the Concentration when at NBC on a kids show as a 5 year old) was a taping of Moneymaze.  Freezing cold December day, and we're waiting outside the studio on West 66th St.  The pages came out to apologize for the delay in letting us in, because "the celebrities were still rehearsing".  Whaaaa? Celebrities? Moneymaze isn't a celebrity show!  Well it was this week.  I got to see the Monday show of the week where Soupy Sales and Anita Gillette were celebrity teammates to the civilians.
The set blew me away when we got inside, climbing up the stairs to the bleachers, I just got chills seeing it in person.  It looked huge.  And I remember the lights being very very bright (amazing how much less light is used these days for video).
And how cool the theme sounded when it blared into the studio.
 [/quote]
 I went to a Money Maze taping a few weeks after this (because the celebrity episodes hadn't aired yet, but Alan Kalter mentioned them in the warmup).  The great thrill was being able to sit around the maze, so nearly everybody got some camera time.  Also, during a technical delay in one of the shows, Nick Clooney took questions from the audience, and assured us the hair on his head was all his.  (He got a perm for the series, if I remember correctly -- all the pictures on my page are from the pilot.)

The first taping I ever went to, however, was What's My Line? in 1970, at the old Ed Sullivan Theater (heck, Ed was still using it at that point!).  We were in the upper level for the first show, then the lower level closer to the stage for the next two.  And confirming what everyone has said, the set doesn't take up that much room -- it looked absolutely tiny on that stage.

Bennett Cerf and Arlene Francis were on the panel (don't remember the other two panelists or the Mystery Guests), but the main attraction was, of course, Johnny O.  What a nice, nice guy.

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'gameshowhost1\' date=\'Jan 15 2004, 11:39 AM\'] I can relate, because, for 14 years I hosted "High Q," the high school version of "College Bowl" here on our local CBS affiliate--until it was cancelled in 1998--not that I'm bitter."  All the students who played remarked how small the studio was in person compared to seeing it at home. [/quote]
 Holy smoke!! I know who you are! I used to watch that. WOWK Channel 13, right? Could this be Ernie G. Anderson?

[gameshowhost1]

Don Howard----yes, the one and only, the lovely & talented, the most powerful broadcaster in Huntington, Wv, heck the the tri state for that matter, the rivercities most beloved entertainer(have I stolen enough of Letterman's lines?)

Then, are you from here?  Do I know you?

Actually, I'm in preliminary talks with the new ownership at WOWK and their family of stations for a "revival" of "High Q."  Wish me well
Ernie