What are your favorite opening spiels

[Chief-O]

I believe this matter was already covered here before...

As already noted, it's been a decade. Topics have been recycled after way shorter periods.

Not to mention, I'm sure opinions have changed!

SOTC and CS '78 are up there for me, but the Alpha and Omega of game show intros can be summed up in 3 words that Johnny Gilbert has been saying for the past 31 years.

[Kevin Prather]

I believe this matter was already covered here before...

As already noted, it's been a decade. Topics have been recycled after way shorter periods.

Furthermore that aforementioned thread is FUBAR'd due to the board transition.

[alfonzos]

"In a moment, a game that intrigued a nation. In a moment, the game strategy, knowledge, and fun. In a moment, TIC-TAC DOUGH!"

"The NBC Television Network presents... (chimes) (chimes) (chimes) (chimes) (chimes) CONCENTRATION!'

[Twentington]

"This is Jeopardy!" is up there for me. I actually like it in its current form better, because it seems that Johnny Gilbert puts even more punch into those three words than back when J! still had the swooshy globe thing on their logo.

Also a +1 to Gene Wood's Feud intros, and let's add PYL to the pile too. (Straw poll: do you prefer "After high stakes" or "big bucks"?)

And not really a "spiel" per se, but I always got a giggle out of Bill Anderson and Sarah Purcell pantomiming the dooba-dobba-deeba-dooba-dop-doo-wops (okay, fine, you transcribe that!) in the theme to The Better Sex.

"Every answer to every question is right here before your eyes...and...now...you...see...it." Perfect match of graphics, intro language, and music.

What I didn't like about that intro was how they hacked up the music by cutting out a beat or two during the "Now!" (da da da da, da da da da) "You!" (da da da da, da da da da)… etc." part. It made the song sound a bit staggered and uneven to me. (Although I believe in earlier episodes, they didn't do this.)

"In a moment, a game that intrigued a nation. In a moment, the game strategy, knowledge, and fun. In a moment, TIC-TAC DOUGH!"

That one has always struck me as comically hyperbolic. Which, in a way, fits TTD'90 like a glove.

[TLEberle]

Also a +1 to Gene Wood's Feud intros, and let's add PYL to the pile too. (Straw poll: do you prefer "After high stakes" or "big bucks"?)

Don't care. The job of an announcer is to:

1) Identify the name of the show

2) Tell us any special guests appearing that day

3 Identify the host

4) Set the tone.

As long as the opening sequence accomplishes those things (and there are some cases where the opening doesn't have to do that, like in the case of England's game shows) I really don't care because I'm happy. "Attention, old people! Countdown is on!" is as good as "You have been invited to an Inquizition" or "All these people want to know!" for me.

[Twentington]

"Attention, old people! Countdown is on!"

This made me lol, and I don't even like Countdown that much. British game shows as a whole tend to put me to sleep, unless they involve the phrase "let's rotate the board".

[PYLdude]

"Attention, old people! Countdown is on!"

This made me lol, and I don't even like Countdown that much. British game shows as a whole tend to put me to sleep, unless they involve the phrase "let's rotate the board".

Boo this man.

[TLEberle]

So your favorite British game show is one that is most clearly a parody. That's certainly your own right but you're missing out. Lots of British game shows of late have some sort of animated or visual opening sequence rather than announcer gabbling on. In fact the only one I can think of right now is "University Challenge! Asking the questions: Jeremy Paxman."

The point I'm trying to make is that nostalgia is fun and all, but a laundry list doesn't require much effort in this case because all of the entries are equivalent. The only case that goes off the reservation was Camouflage: 1980.

And in the words of Clive Anderson and those who come after him: thousand Eberle Escudos to Chris Palmer.

[jjman920]

Speaking of British game shows, I don't know if it'd count as an opening spiel since it isn't said before or during the intro sequence, but I love every different thing Victoria Coren says to open Only Connect.

[PYLdude]

I for one enjoy what limited access I have to UK shows...Countdown is such a simple yet appealing game,  I quite enjoy Catchphrase, and I like the old Bullseye as well.

Never understood what their obsession with cartoony opens was but some of them are pretty nice, especially Countdown's and the current Catchphrase's.

[Twentington]

So your favorite British game show is one that is most clearly a parody. That's certainly your own right but you're missing out.

Not the most serious remark, that one. But my experience with British game shows has been that most of them have mostly solid formats that are just too dryly executed for my tastes, Countdown included (I love word based games). Tarrant WWTBaM seems to be one of the exceptions, as what I've seen of it (particularly earlier episodes) seemed to have an urgency and drama comparable to the Regis era. The Weakest Link also had a "flavor" to it that I find often lacking in British game shows, but not a flavor that I liked — I was never a fan of the "be a total dick to the contestants" shtick.

The point I'm trying to make is that nostalgia is fun and all, but a laundry list doesn't require much effort in this case because all of the entries are equivalent. The only case that goes off the reservation was Camouflage: 1980.

Not sure what you mean by the last sentence here, and I just looked up Camouflage 1980.

I did get the point though, and the high stakes/big bucks question was not a terribly serious one anyway. Personally, I think they both work about equally well.

[TLEberle]

Not sure what you mean by the last sentence here, and I just looked up Camouflage 1980.

It means that trying to come up with a list of "the best opening announcer reads" amounts to little more than mental self-gratification, because it asks nothing of the people being questioned, because as long as the announcer can speak (and hey, what do you know, he does because he's paid to do that) then the opening script will accomplish what it sets out to do. Sure, those iconic ones are memorable because they're set to memorable musical pieces or we happen to like those shows, but there's no difference. Someone who grew up during the 1960s or 1970s will probably put forth "now entering the studios are today's contestants" or "one of these stars is sitting in today's Secret Square" while someone who grew up with me would plump for "On your mark! Get set! Go!" and there's not that much space to argue the point or discuss it other than "This is a thing I liked."

[Fedya]

This is the battlefield for our game of speed and strategy!  These are the letters which lead to victory, on BLOCKBUSTERS!

Gotta love that oversized playing board, too; much better than a small video screen on the Rafferty version.

[That Don Guy]

My vote goes to the original NBC Jackpot! opening - that is, under the original rules, where you had to win a jackpot ending in the three digits of the target number to win the Super Jackpot.

The only thing I really remember about it is the last line - "(because) that's the player who'll stand up and yell... (insert contestant yelling "Jackpot!" here as in every other version)"

[CeleTheRef]

"all this people want to know: where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?"

in the Italian edition the host would enter stage and have an excange with the audience

"hi guys!"
"HI MAURO!"
"you are all great!"
"THANK YOU!"
"you're welcome..."


and of course now we have Avanti Un Altro!  where the audience begins the show by singing to the host "remember that you must die!"