Split Second coming to Buzzr 9/30.

[RMF]

Query: What is the status of the Hatos-Hall shows? Are they intact or destroyed?

Nineteen years ago, someone on alt.tv.game-shows who claimed to be doing research in surviving materials claimed to have found 20 episodes of NBC LMaD (largely of the prime-time run) at the Library of Congress, and that Hatos-Hall ended up with "over 500 eps." of the ABC LMaD when they found out ABC still had them:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.tv.game-shows/TtOukZGYlWg

Granted, this is one show, and there are aspects of its accuracy that are hard to check (for a start, I'm not sure who, exactly, is making this claim)- but there are several aspects of its implications (the fact that 500 episodes would only equal about two years of the daytime run, the implication that this was stuff Hatos-Hall obtained years after the fact) that wouldn't exactly seem promising with regards to the ABC run of Split Second, as it suggests that Hatos-Hall weren't maintaining an archive during the original run.

[Dbacksfan12]

I ran the e-mail address of "gameshowking@yahoo.com" through a Google Groups search.  It could have been spoofed, but that address came back to Jaimal Ware.  I believe he's jimlangefan around these parts.

[Argo]

Clean Split Second Music!!.

If these are the same recordings that GameTV in Canada aired a few years ago, there are some episodes that have audio mix issues, resulting in clean music and sound effects on one channel. From the few episodes I recorded from GameTV, I was able to get a clean opening, countdown round, bonus round board reveals, bumper music and almost complete end theme. I know all music has been on TVPMM for awhile now, but audio quality from the episodes is much clearer.

[TimK2003]

Havent been home at the time SS airs, but did Buzzr keep those 5-second home viewer quizzes coming back from the breaks?

[jimlangefan]

Havent been home at the time SS airs, but did Buzzr keep those 5-second home viewer quizzes coming back from the breaks?

As of yet, they have not.

[Matt Ottinger]

I enjoyed the one episode of the 1974 version that's floating around the trading circuit.
Hopefully that's not the only episode of the 1974 version that exists today!

You always want to hope that syndicated shows from that era are still gathering dust somewhere.  Plus, Monty owned the rights to that version, which if EOTVGS is to be believed, had a bunch of familiar game show people as guests.  Not to mention Richard Dawson as host.  Plus it was weekly, so there can't be more than a few dozen episodes total.  Come on, Buzzr, make this happen!

[Kniwt]

The few existing episodes of Kennedy SS are exciting, intense, free-wheeling, and fast. While it's good that Monty's version is basically the same game (and the extra "1" in the Countdown Round is actually a good change), the show is just so ... friendly. That fake blue sky, the chattiness, the low-budget '80s synth theme and background -- all of that takes a great format and somehow makes it all seem so bland.

I think someone else said elsewhere that Monty seemed out of his element hosting a straight quizzer, but the flaws go deeper than that. Nonetheless, it's totally awesome (dude) that this version is back on the air... and, yes, I'm watching more than I thought I would. (And I'd really love to have that Fiero GT. )

[BrandonFG]

The few existing episodes of Kennedy SS are exciting, intense, free-wheeling, and fast. While it's good that Monty's version is basically the same game (and the extra "1" in the Countdown Round is actually a good change), the show is just so ... friendly. That fake blue sky, the chattiness, the low-budget '80s synth theme and background -- all of that takes a great format and somehow makes it all seem so bland.

I think someone else said elsewhere that Monty seemed out of his element hosting a straight quizzer, but the flaws go deeper than that. Nonetheless, it's totally awesome (dude) that this version is back on the air... and, yes, I'm watching more than I thought I would. (And I'd really love to have that Fiero GT. )

That Fiero was my dream car as a kid.

My observation is that Monty was a little too charming as host, which is not a bad thing, but it seems jarring for a fast-paced trivia game. IMO, the big flaws were that it was a fast-paced, difficult trivia game that was also lenient on the judging. I think those two factors, along with the overall Canadian friendliness took away some of the drama.

I loved the set layout, even though I always thought the clouds were random. Someone else mentioned that it fit in well with the lightning bolt logo.

[JakeT]

The few existing episodes of Kennedy SS are exciting, intense, free-wheeling, and fast. While it's good that Monty's version is basically the same game (and the extra "1" in the Countdown Round is actually a good change), the show is just so ... friendly. That fake blue sky, the chattiness, the low-budget '80s synth theme and background -- all of that takes a great format and somehow makes it all seem so bland.

"Bland" is definitely the best descriptor...the Kennedy version was an edge-of-your-seat fun time...the Hall version leaves you feeling, "thank God this is finally over"...

JakeT

[JakeT]

I loved the set layout, even though I always thought the clouds were random. Someone else mentioned that it fit in well with the lightning bolt logo.

The clouds would have made more sense in the Kennedy version as a throwback to "You Don't Say"...

Yup...the 80's "Split Second" looked a bit too "happy churchy" for me...

JakeT

[SuperMatch93]

Did 80s Split Second have a studio audience? I was watching earlier and the applause sounds flatter than most sweetened audiences I've heard.

The few episodes of the ABC series I've seen have an audience that sounds more genuine; even if they did use a McKenzie, I love how the crowd goes wild at the end of the Countdown Round every show.

[Casey Buck]

The big problem of 80s Split Second is that they ruined the whole buzz-in routine by having the answers revealed after the question, rather than before the question. Instead of having the players try and anticipate the question (and risking answering too soon), it's just a glorified buzzer race.

[Chief-O]

Did 80s Split Second have a studio audience? I was watching earlier and the applause sounds flatter than most sweetened audiences I've heard.

It sounded to me that there were probably just a few people in there (I've heard occasional minor reactions that certainly sounded real). There just wasn't enough energy in the room, and the lack of an audience can certainly make that obvious.

[BillCullen1]

On the show aired on 10/14, Monty almost signed off without revealing which panel had the word "car" behind it. Fortunately, he caught that and showed it.

[TLEberle]

The few existing episodes of Kennedy SS are exciting, intense, free-wheeling, and fast. While it's good that Monty's version is basically the same game (and the extra "1" in the Countdown Round is actually a good change),

Perhaps you mistyped.

the low-budget '80s synth theme and background

Excuse me--the music was possibly the best thing about the show. Sandy Hoyt is in there too.