Game Show Disclaimers

[That Don Guy]

I didn't see it referenced upthread....watched an old episode of TPiR earlier today.  One of the prizes was gold bars...at the end of the script, Johnny made a reference to "Price accurate as of tape date".

Sometimes, it would be something like, "Price based on the close of trading on the day of taping," and other times it would be based on the price at the opening of trading on that day.

[gromit82]

I was just watching Match Game 77 and noticed the disclaimer, "Contestants are selected in advance and are advised of the rules of the game."

Why would CBS Standards and Practices want that disclaimer? What would people think if that disclaimer didn't appear? Would anyone say, "Oh, I thought that the contestants aren't selected until after the show is taped, and the rules are kept secret from them"?

[snowpeck]

I was just watching Match Game 77 and noticed the disclaimer, "Contestants are selected in advance and are advised of the rules of the game."

Why would CBS Standards and Practices want that disclaimer? What would people think if that disclaimer didn't appear? Would anyone say, "Oh, I thought that the contestants aren't selected until after the show is taped, and the rules are kept secret from them"?

Generally it's so people don't think they can be picked as a contestant from the studio audience, or that any over-simplified rules explanation given by the host is all the contestants receive. People really do have to have that kind of thing spelled out for them.

[Bryce L.]

I was just watching Match Game 77 and noticed the disclaimer, "Contestants are selected in advance and are advised of the rules of the game."

Why would CBS Standards and Practices want that disclaimer? What would people think if that disclaimer didn't appear? Would anyone say, "Oh, I thought that the contestants aren't selected until after the show is taped, and the rules are kept secret from them"?

Generally it's so people don't think they can be picked as a contestant from the studio audience, or that any over-simplified rules explanation given by the host is all the contestants receive. People really do have to have that kind of thing spelled out for them.

Though to be fair, didn't Johnny Olson flat-out say that they picked contestants for Match Game from the audience, when he'd rattle off the ticket plug?

[gromit82]

I was just watching Match Game 77 and noticed the disclaimer, "Contestants are selected in advance and are advised of the rules of the game."

Why would CBS Standards and Practices want that disclaimer? What would people think if that disclaimer didn't appear? Would anyone say, "Oh, I thought that the contestants aren't selected until after the show is taped, and the rules are kept secret from them"?

Generally it's so people don't think they can be picked as a contestant from the studio audience, or that any over-simplified rules explanation given by the host is all the contestants receive. People really do have to have that kind of thing spelled out for them.

Thanks for the explanation. I'm not sure how effective the disclaimer was in communicating those messages, though, if a viewer like me didn't know what it meant.

[Otm Shank]

Though to be fair, didn't Johnny Olson flat-out say that they picked contestants for Match Game from the audience, when he'd rattle off the ticket plug?

I've heard that hundreds of times, and the way I always mentally processed it was that they may select you from the audience and screen you for the contestant pool for a future episode. But now I'm thinking I was always wrong.......?

[Kevin Prather]

Judging how often Twitter fires up with the "That's not fair! Bring her back! Give her the money!" with Wheel of Fortune contestants lately, those viewers clearly don't get the fact that contestants are briefed on the rules.

[PYLdude]

I would love to see some of these complainers actually get picked to be on a show just so they could realize how much stuff you have to do before you even get to be on.

I never had to fill out so much stuff before. I'd seen medical forms.that were more concise. 😉

[aaron sica]

I've heard that hundreds of times, and the way I always mentally processed it was that they may select you from the audience and screen you for the contestant pool for a future episode. But now I'm thinking I was always wrong.......?

I think it went something like this - "If you'd like to see Match Game in person, we'd love to meet you - write to Tickets, Match Game, 7800 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles CA, 90036". I don't remember any contestant plug, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen.

[JasonA1]

At least earlier on, it went: "Many of our contestants are chosen from the studio audience, so if you'd like to be one, write us. Enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope and mail to: Tickets, Match Game '73, CBS Television City..."



-Jason

[Mr. Matté]

I was just watching Match Game 77 and noticed the disclaimer, "Contestants are selected in advance and are advised of the rules of the game."

Why would CBS Standards and Practices want that disclaimer?

Earlier in the decade (and presumably from even earlier than that), that announcement was read aloud (like Johnny Jacobs on Joker's Wild/Hollywood's Talking, Bob Clayton on $10K Pyramid, can't recall offhand if any of the G-T shows had Johnny O do that) on CBS shows.

Building off that item, CBS had the above announcement, NBC I and others have mentioned earlier in the thread that anything edited out of the program had a summary read, I wonder if ABC had any network-specific disclaimers, or really anything network-specific period other than the hard $20,000 winnings limit in the 70s.

[Otm Shank]

At least earlier on, it went: "Many of our contestants are chosen from the studio audience, so if you'd like to be one, write us. Enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope and mail to: Tickets, Match Game '73, CBS Television City..."

And one variation "for future shows" which means I wasn't misremembering that audience members don't become contestants on the same taping day.

[Dbacksfan12]

ISTR a story on Curt’s old Game Shows ‘75 page in which a family attended a taping of Spin-Off.  They filed out contestant cards and were selected, but they had other plans on the next taping day.

[chris319]

Most of these disclaimers are unnecessary and have no legal basis. The only things they're required by law to disclose are the prize suppliers (section 317) and maybe the emcee's wardrobe. Everything else is superfluous, including edit and contestant-selection disclaimers.

If Monty Hall gets a discount on his Botany 500 suits and Botany 500 gets an on-air credit, that has to be disclosed to the audience. If they don't get an on-air credit then they have no incentive to give Monty a discount on his suits.

[Neumms]

On a 60s episode of The Dating Game, they did an odd thing and put up the disclaimer during the show, supering it while Jim showed the bachelorette to her seat. "Contestants receive assistance from the producer in the selection and preparation of questions."