ABC Game shows of the 1970s

[Pyramid20000]

Why were the original tapes of these shows destroyed?

[Chief-O]

Very simple answer----the 2" reels of tape those shows were recorded on were crazy expensive, and ABC [sadly] didn't think the game shows recorded on them were worth saving. So they reused the tapes. And they weren't alone; any game show that has been destroyed, on any network, was most likely destroyed for the same reason.

[PYLdude]

But who was the worst at keeping tapes? ABC or NBC?

[DoorNumberFour]

But who was the worst at keeping tapes? ABC or NBC?

Probably ABC. IIRC NBC erased most of their stuff from 1978 and back. By comparison, ABC was still reusing Better Sex master tapes to record Dawson Family Feud.

[PYLdude]

But who was the worst at keeping tapes? ABC or NBC?

Probably ABC. IIRC NBC erased most of their stuff from 1978 and back. By comparison, ABC was still reusing Better Sex master tapes to record Dawson Family Feud.

True, but wasn't NBC still into erasing into the 80s? I don't believe a lot of Wheel exists from before 1983, I'm pretty sure Las Vegas Gambit has a lot of its episodes missing, and even Sale had a few, no?

[Chief-O]

But who was the worst at keeping tapes? ABC or NBC?

Probably ABC. IIRC NBC erased most of their stuff from 1978 and back. By comparison, ABC was still reusing Better Sex master tapes to record Dawson Family Feud.

True, but wasn't NBC still into erasing into the 80s? I don't believe a lot of Wheel exists from before 1983, I'm pretty sure Las Vegas Gambit has a lot of its episodes missing, and even Sale had a few, no?

All I know is that "Dream House" is gone, but that was due to flood/fire [don't remember which] at the storage vault. [I'll need to go through TVPMM's Twitter to find out]

[chris319]

Very simple answer----the 2" reels of tape those shows were recorded on were crazy expensive, and ABC [sadly] didn't think the game shows recorded on them were worth saving. So they reused the tapes. And they weren't alone; any game show that has been destroyed, on any network, was most likely destroyed for the same reason.

This is incorrect. The respective production companies owned the tapes of their shows. They were charged for the tape stock at the time the shows were recorded. Each show was double recorded, i.e. 2 reels per show. In case of a problem with one of the recordings they had a backup copy, and it did happen on occasion. The production companies were also charged for the engineering labor and the use of videotape facilities to record the shows. They were also charged for facilities for any editing, as well as an engineer and an A.D. to supervise the editing.

If a production company wanted to keep its tapes after the initial network airing, they had to pay for their storage. Goodson kept everything and the tapes were stored at the Bekins warehouse at Santa Monica Blvd and Highland in Hollywood. If a producer didn't want to pay for storage, they could then authorize the network to erase the recording and dispose of the tape. Producers were paying for new tape stock so they didn't reuse the tapes to record new shows.

[Chief-O]

This is incorrect. The respective production companies owned the tapes of their shows. They were charged for the tape stock at the time the shows were recorded. Each show was double recorded, i.e. 2 reels per show. In case of a problem with one of the recordings they had a backup copy, and it did happen on occasion. The production companies were also charged for the engineering labor and the use of videotape facilities to record the shows. They were also charged for facilities for any editing, as well as an engineer and an A.D. to supervise the editing.

If a production company wanted to keep its tapes after the initial network airing, they had to pay for their storage. Goodson kept everything and the tapes were stored at the Bekins warehouse at Santa Monica Blvd and Highland in Hollywood. If a producer didn't want to pay for storage, they could then authorize the network to erase the recording and dispose of the tape. Producers were paying for new tape stock so they didn't reuse the tapes to record new shows.

If anyone could hit the nail on the head, it'd be you......I'm not afraid to own up to being wrong [unlike certain parties!].

[BrandonFG]

Keeping Chris's info in mind, is there any rhyme or reason as to how the syndicated Hollywood Squares episodes still exist, while the network version is more or less gone? Does it boil down to the amount of available space, and the syndie version being weekly as opposed to daily?

I'm sure the reasoning is very simple, but if Heatter-Quigley would've owned the shows, I'm a bit baffled as to how one exists over the other. Obviously, both versions taped at NBC, no?

[chris319]

All I can think of is that they had to hustle the synd tapes off the NBC lot and get them to a dub house where they could be duplicated and bicycled around to the stations, so they had to pay for storage somewhere. The synd tapes, unlike the NBC tapes, didn't have to be stored at NBC between the tape date and the network air date, during which time an NBC A.D. would time them and NBC Broadcast Standards would listen for dirty words that had to be blooped. Then they would air on NBC and maybe HQ didn't feel it necessary to pay to store them. At that time, cable was in its infancy and no one thought these shows would ever be rerun in any venue. This was even reflected in the talent releases which didn't cover cable.

When HS left NBC for good, the lot was all abuzz because NBC wanted way too much money for the HS set which HQ wanted to buy from them. HQ said "screw you" and had a new set built from scratch. Apparently that was cheaper than what NBC was asking for the old set.

NBC was desperate for money in those days. At one point in 1979 or 1980 the fee packages went from 6 fee plugs at 7 seconds each to 7 fee plugs at 6 seconds each, and the announcers had to read 7 seconds of copy in 6 seconds. On Mindreaders I remember Ira Skutch checking with Johnny Olson to make sure he was OK with this, which of course he was. NBC was stooping over to pick up pennies off the floor.

Goodson always kept copies of all of his shows. He wasn't a visionary who could possibly have foreseen cable TV or any rerun value for his shows. Maybe he took a cue from Desi Arnaz and kept them anyway.

[PYLdude]

But who was the worst at keeping tapes? ABC or NBC?

Probably ABC. IIRC NBC erased most of their stuff from 1978 and back. By comparison, ABC was still reusing Better Sex master tapes to record Dawson Family Feud.

True, but wasn't NBC still into erasing into the 80s? I don't believe a lot of Wheel exists from before 1983, I'm pretty sure Las Vegas Gambit has a lot of its episodes missing, and even Sale had a few, no?

All I know is that "Dream House" is gone, but that was due to flood/fire [don't remember which] at the storage vault. [I'll need to go through TVPMM's Twitter to find out]

I seem to remember "flood" being the reason, but I could be wrong.

[BrandonFG]

Nope, you remember correctly, but I thought it was just the reels with music on it, the second theme song included.

[snowpeck]

Nope, you remember correctly, but I thought it was just the reels with music on it, the second theme song included.

Was the episodes too.

Just confirmed that all 395 episodes from 1983/84 Dream House videotape masters were destroyed in a flood with production materials/music.

https://twitter.com/tvpmm/status/361071540529414145

[chrisholland03]

Goodson always kept copies of all of his shows. He wasn't a visionary who could possibly have foreseen cable TV or any rerun value for his shows. Maybe he took a cue from Desi Arnaz and kept them anyway.

The password is 'ego'...*ding*

[narzo]

Goodson always kept copies of all of his shows. He wasn't a visionary who could possibly have foreseen cable TV or any rerun value for his shows. Maybe he took a cue from Desi Arnaz and kept them anyway.

ABC "Password" and syndicated "Concentration" don't seem to exist, except for the few episodes floating around.