Your TPIR "Perfect Lineup"

[JasonA1]

Dumb question: Is there usually a set number of games played at the turnable, played at center stage, and played at one of the doors each episode?  Consistent across episodes, that is, something like two of each?

My educated guess is no; the other considerations probably take precedence 9 times out of 10 in determining what to use, and end up varying the staging anyway. I would have thought in the show's first years, with a more limited stable of games, and the turntable feeling like the favorite spot, that most games would be happening there. But looking at a calendar from 1977, it seems just as inconsistent as modern times. One show in '77 you have 4 games on the turntable, and two weeks later, you have a show with 0 games on the turntable. Looking across a couple of weeks in a row (9/26/77 on) you have the following number of turntable games:
2-1-1-3-2
1-2-1-*-2
2-0-2-1-2
(* 1/2 hour show)

Zoom ahead to October 2005:
1-2-1-1-1
3-2-3-2-1
2-1-2-1-1

I should mention both of those 3s were 3 turntable games in a row; one episode was 3 in the same half of the show. Given they had enough variety by 2005 to swap something out and break that up, I'd point to staging being a secondary concern.

Just for kicks, same chunk of October 2005, games at a door:
3-1-1-1-1
1-1-1-1-2+
2-3-2-2-2
(+ 3 if you count Golden Road)

-Jason

[cmjb13]

Joker
Any Number
Now or Then
It’s in the bag
Cover up
Easy as 1-2-3

See what I did there?

[Unrealtor]

I'm still rather uncertain as to why Buy or Sell was retired.

Wasn't part of it that the prop couldn't show more than $2,000 and More or Less was a more exciting version of the same chrome?

[MSTieScott]

Dumb question: Is there usually a set number of games played at the turnable, played at center stage, and played at one of the doors each episode?  Consistent across episodes, that is, something like two of each?

My educated guess is no; the other considerations probably take precedence 9 times out of 10 in determining what to use, and end up varying the staging anyway.

I can't recall the staging of the pricing games in an overall lineup being a concern... with two exceptions:

1. They'd try to keep an eye on the number of games played at the turntable, simply because if you have more than four turntable games ready to go, the space behind that part of the set becomes too cramped.

2. Now that the first and second games are part of the same act, the goal (not always the goal, but usually the goal) is to tape the entire act without stopping. So the first two games should be able to be staged in such a way that their props and prizes don't overlap. (Note how many times Triple Play is paired with a one-prize game played for a trip that can be displayed on the monitor in the back.)

But on the whole, I don't remember any conscious effort to make sure a certain number of locations was achieved. There's enough of each type of game that things work out on their own. And even if a lineup is a little lopsided, most people don't notice. I wouldn't be able to tell you when, but I seem to remember one episode where just by happenstance, the turntable wasn't used for the entire hour (not even for a One Bid).

[BillCullen1]

Here's my contribution
With current games

Pay the Rent
Safe Crackers
Switcheroo
Swap Meet
Shell Game
Rat Race

An all retro show with past games

Super Ball
Super Saver
Buy or Sell
Credit Card
Fortune Hunter
Split Decision

Just to hear Drew explaining these games would make me watch it.

[Unrealtor]

If we're talking games that we' like to see because we want to see how badly Drew can explain the rules...

Split Decision
Give or Keep
Super Saver
Bump (borrowing Daniel Goddard or Joshua Morrow from Y&R to be alongside James, in the interest of role reversal)
Super Ball!!
It's Optional

I know it has two small-prize games which isn't normally done, but I couldn't come up with another non-SP, non-grocery game that I would rather have had in the place of one of them.

[Sonic Whammy]

Ooo... tough one tough one... Curt, I'll say this before anything else, I'm using this as a future Game Show Talk & Fun podcast episode idea. Scott wanted to talk about the pricing game history anyway sometime soon since we just got done talking about Drew, so what the hey. Maybe in the spring cuz we have some other things planned first.

OK, back to this board... I may change this later, but for now, in no particular order, I'd play...
Punch A Bunch
Rat Race
Let 'Em Roll
Super Ball
Buy or Sell
Super Saver

I'm big on cash games, but the non-cash games here are clever or offer otherwise high excitement. And yes, I see that there's a lot of products in this setup, which would mean the show would have to move lightning quick and/or be edited to the umpteenth degree, but this is a dream lineup discussion, so...

Now, if I had to restrict myself to only present day games, then I would replace the three retired games with:
3 Strikes
Race Game
Do The Math (I'm a math teacher, what do you expect?)
And to keep it at two car games, Rat Race would now be played all for cash

[Sonic Whammy]

Quick question: Would anyone here mind if I included their selections here as part of tonight's podcast on this very subject? I know we did this a while ago, but we didn't get to it til now.

[daveromanjr]

Quick question: Would anyone here mind if I included their selections here as part of tonight's podcast on this very subject? I know we did this a while ago, but we didn't get to it til now.

Feel free to share mine!

[Sonic Whammy]

Fair, but for the sake of the conversation on the show, why did you choose the games and format that you did? It's different for sure, particularly the ending since Roger Dobkowitz has not been associated with the show for 10 years now.

[Neumms]

Magic #
Bonkers
Rat Race
Hot Seat
Credit Card (because of 5 prizes and way better props than Shopping Spree)
On the Nose (worth bringing back even if they pick just one sport, it's a fun car game without small prizes.)

Without retired games, Race Game and Gridlock (because it's short but fun).

These maintain the illusion of skill that I think TPIR needs, as opposed to guessing the fourth digit in the price of a car or what Range Game has become or with tricks like always picking 0 for the last digit.

It's also the props that make most of these. I've always loved Magic #, and it's why I picked Hot Seat over Punch-a-Bunch and It's in the Bag, which both look tacky 80s even though they came about long after.