BUZZR "Prime Time Party" beg. February 6th

[Strikerz04]

The difference is that Michael at least participated in the premise of the show and purchased some Instant Bargains.

I'm not sure why people get so hung up on this aspect of Sale.  The majority of the stuff was overpriced luxury items with no realistic use.  Or, as the series came to a close, worthless junk.  But if I'm building a bank to win thousands of dollars in cash, I'm passing on the imported European sofa.

This is essentially how the daytime version (pre-Winner's Board) yielded so many Cash Jackpot wins...

[SRIV94]

Screener/Zap2It has updated--schedule holding as is.

[TLEberle]

This is essentially how the daytime version (pre-Winner's Board) yielded so many Cash Jackpot wins...

Well, that and the fact they put the Cash Jackpot as its own step before the Lot, which (based on the available footage) led to Jackpot winners understandably not wanting to risk that cash for a shot at getting the other major prizes as well.

That's just human nature. Real talk there are only ever three things in the show room I care about: the exotic trip, the luxury car, and that glass case full of currency. I can see stopping after the first if it was somewhere I wanted to go and was exhausted. I can see stopping after the second if it was the kind of car I wanted/could convert into a lesser-valued car plus tax money and perhaps I had been in a couple of tiebreakers. But when you put that kind of money in front of a sane person, they're going to say "Thanks, bye."

[WarioBarker]

I didn't realize someone responded to my post. I'd second-guessed myself on it, then deleted it figuring that it probably didn't need to be said. Still...

But when you put that kind of money in front of a sane person, they're going to say "Thanks, bye."

Exactly, and that's why I prefer the syndicated shopping format. Having the Cash Jackpot at the end makes more sense to me.

[TLEberle]

So here's what's interesting. It took $760 to win All the Things and $650 to win just the money. Barbara Phillips won with a total of $764, so by virtue of passing on the car and playing the next game she had enough in the bank to win the jackpot with the twenty bucks contestants started with.

I think that most contestants liked the idea of winning a massive amount of money, and in all likelihood passed on more of those major prizes than they accepted, other than the trip and car. I also think that viewers were more interested in that amount of money more than the smaller prizes unless it was something wacky like the Laserdisc player or that mini-Lamborghini that was in the first bit of the second season. I can see why the last two steps were ordered that way and I can further see why they'd go to the winners bored so soon.

[Sodboy13]

Wait, so the daytime progression was Car -> Cash -> Lot? How did nobody involved understand that the tens of thousands of dollars in cash was the biggest lure?

[chrisholland03]

Wait, so the daytime progression was Car -> Cash -> Lot? How did nobody involved understand that the tens of thousands of dollars in cash was the biggest lure?

Affirmative.  I'm scrounging round for fact, but I've heard second/third hand Barb Phillips mentioning she had no intention of going for the lot.

[MSTieScott]

Wait, so the daytime progression was Car -> Cash -> Lot? How did nobody involved understand that the tens of thousands of dollars in cash was the biggest lure?

I think they understood that very well. Once a contestant won five or six games in a row, it was likely that they would win their sixth or seventh. It's better for the prize budget to give up tens of thousands in cash rather than give away tens of thousands in cash plus six prizes that included a luxury car.

[parliboy]

Wait, so the daytime progression was Car -> Cash -> Lot? How did nobody involved understand that the tens of thousands of dollars in cash was the biggest lure?

Speculating, but I'm pretty sure everyone involved understood it.  It allowed them to advertise a giant jackpot that they never really intended to give away.

[snowpeck]

It turns out there is a schedule change on March 27. Two hours of infomercials are now on the weekday lineup at 6AM eastern. It's four hours of infomercials on Saturday and Sunday at the same time.

[MSTieScott]

Hmm. I don't know the business side of running a television network, but that seems less than ideal?

On the positive side, the prime time runs of Password Plus and Sale of the Century are continuing with new-to-Buzzr episodes next week (also Card Sharks, I think -- I haven't been following as closely what Buzzr has aired of that).

[Nick]

Hmm. I don't know the business side of running a television network, but that seems less than ideal?

I'm only minorly familiar on the subject from my encounters with it at one of the radio stations I worked at (and our TV station across the hall aired infomercials on a daily basis too), but bottom line is when you can do something with your off-peak hours to help your bottom line, you take it.  To your second point of new-to-Buzzr episodes of multiple shows: If this can raise the capital, it's a worthy investment.

As I recall, was it not at the time when GSN entered the "Dark Period" that they first picked up infomercials?  Obviously Buzzr can't lose the Goodson-Todman library or they'd have no programming to air.  On the other hand, does this mean The Price Is Right and Feud '94 can make the schedule?

[snowpeck]

Quick question for those more familiar... how far has Buzzr gotten with its Press Your Luck reruns?

[jimlangefan]

Quick question for those more familiar... how far has Buzzr gotten with its Press Your Luck reruns?

They're still plugging along in 1984.  According to their schedule, next Wednesday they'll be up to 2/22/1984.  To my knowledge, except for LMAD, the whole Prime time lineup is new to BUZZR episodes I believe. 

[MSTieScott]

Quick question for those more familiar... how far has Buzzr gotten with its Press Your Luck reruns?

Ooh! I know this one, because that's the run I'm patiently waiting for more episodes of!

The most recent episode of Press Your Luck that Buzzr has aired (not including the two Michael Larson episodes and that episode they aired as part of an Independence Day marathon) is episode 131 (original air date: March 21, 1984).