Bill's Best

[TLEberle]

It deserves a revival

It really doesn't.

[PYLdude]

It deserves a revival

It really doesn't.

Why doesn't it?

[TLEberle]

I love it personally, but it's a very slight and repetitive game. I loved it as the end game on Get the Picture, and I think you could do something with it as an end game to Concentration. I just don't think rounds of that straight through can carry a show. Additionally I don't think there's a host that would be able to play up the humor angle without hitting us over the head with it.

As long as Sunday Funday isn't including Go I think Eye Guess should ride the pine.

[PYLdude]

I love it personally, but it's a very slight and repetitive game. I loved it as the end game on Get the Picture, and I think you could do something with it as an end game to Concentration. I just don't think rounds of that straight through can carry a show. Additionally I don't think there's a host that would be able to play up the humor angle without hitting us over the head with it.

As long as Sunday Funday isn't including Go I think Eye Guess should ride the pine.

Fair points.

I would be more afraid of the show turning out like the attempted Concentration clone that Stewart mounted with Henry Polic II.

I think it could be doable but so much has to be right about it that I would wonder if the effort would be worth it.

[jjman920]

Honestly, I think Eye Guess would be a wonderful game for Jimmy Fallon to take on. Lots of laughs to be had there.

[TLEberle]

Because it would last one segment and not an entire show.

[whewfan]

Nickelodeon's Think Fast also had a game quite similar to Eye Guess. Also, there was Art James' Matches and Mates, which was basically the same game with more answers, only you weren't shown where the answers were in advance, and there was a Hangman element too where you had to solve a word. I would tend to agree with Travis only because Bill Cullen made the game fun to watch, but there was some humor in picking the wrong answers even without Bill having to make a comment to make it even funnier. I would give the game a chance with the right host.

[BrandonFG]

I think the show could work on GSN, but it would need more than just the "memorize eight words, then recall their positions".

That could be one round, then have a round where the contestants watch a music video or TV/movie clip. After the clip, the host asks a few questions about little things in the clip; not dialogue, but stuff like "What color was the detective's hat?" Same could be done with showing a picture for a few seconds.

[clemon79]

After the clip, the host asks a few questions about little things in the clip; not dialogue, but stuff like "What color was the detective's hat?"

And then they could play the Triple Crown for TEN-THOUSAND DOLLARS IN CASH!!!111!!ELEVEN

[Ian Wallis]

I think the show could work on GSN, but it would need more than just the "memorize eight words, then recall their positions".

That could be one round, then have a round where the contestants watch a music video or TV/movie clip. After the clip, the host asks a few questions about little things in the clip; not dialogue, but stuff like "What color was the detective's hat?" Same could be done with showing a picture for a few seconds.

There were a couple of Canadian shows that had that kind of format - I Saw That, which was syndicated from 1973-75 (taped at Hamilton's CHCH), and Eye Bet in 1972-73, seen on CTV and hosted by Jim Perry.  Unfortunately not much seems to exist of either show, although I know of someone who has an episode of the former.

[Fedya]

So now we're back to Hit Man.

Seriously, I've long thought something with the Hit Man conceit of having to answer questions about a video presentation you've just seen (minus the video game stuff) would have been just as good for the E/I requirement as any of the crap that actually does get it.

[chrisholland03]

I'm going against the curve and opining that Bill at his worst was Hot Potato and The Joker's Wild.  Cullen appeared lost and out of his element in both shows.

[TLEberle]

He was also oldest and at his least healthy.

[The Ol' Guy]

Oh, if only this still existed - https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=993701467334069&id=189359747768249&substory_index=0.

[Matt Ottinger]

Oh, if only this still existed - https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=993701467334069&id=189359747768249&substory_index=0.

This remains one of my Holy Grails.  I have descriptions for even more shows than that on my website, which I will be relocating shortly.