Buzzr change effective 1/4/20

[Matt Ottinger]

Looking for some clarity.  For some reason, I thought I remembered seeing someone say that the syndicated Tattletales season was going to start appearing on the regular Buzzr schedule, but now I can't find that.  Is it just the two that were announced for the Valentines Day special, and no others?  For now, anyway?

[Bryce L.]

Only thing I hear they're adding to the regular schedule is Bzzz!

[snowpeck]

Looking for some clarity.  For some reason, I thought I remembered seeing someone say that the syndicated Tattletales season was going to start appearing on the regular Buzzr schedule, but now I can't find that.  Is it just the two that were announced for the Valentines Day special, and no others?  For now, anyway?

Just those two for now at least.

[Ian Wallis]

Would there be ways to distinguish a CBS episode from a syndie one, aside from Bert in a tux?

IIRC, the nighttime TT had five questions, the first four worth $150 and the final one $300.

Well, now that most of us have seen these episodes, (spoiler just in case, rather err on the side of caution) I was a little surprised that there was no real difference between this and the daytime version.  No "more money" syndrome for a nighttime show, and only the same four questions - three $150s and one $300.  The only real differences were that there was no commercial break between the third and fourth question and that the fee plugs were read all at the end (which BUZZR cut out).

Overall, I was happy to finally see something from the nighttime run.

[aaron sica]

Overall, I was happy to finally see something from the nighttime run.

Agreed. Despite the game play being the same, it was neat to finally see a nighttime TT episode after all these years. Makes me wonder why GSN never ran them in all those years they had access to the show.

[PPatters]

Overall, I was happy to finally see something from the nighttime run.

Besides being a novelty to see episodes not rerun in quite some time, there’s nothing really spectacular about these episodes except the formal wear. But, I will say that I really enjoyed watching John Ritter — he gave off some Paul Lynde-esque vibes (and I mean that in absolutely the most complimentary way).

It is intriguing that they essentially just did an extra episode of the daytime version and snaked it in prime time, making no changes to the format except the dress. Match Game PM offered more money. Other nighttime shows did the same. But I think it speaks to Tattletales’ spectacle — that it is truly about the fun of watching the couples and not about who wins at all. (I will say I’m biased — I love Tattletales and find it to be often fun to watch.)

I also found it interesting that Bert was honest about them reusing questions. Of course, we all know that they did — when they air as frequently as they do these days, it’s hard not to notice. But for him to acknowledge it on air is interesting. (Did Gene ever acknowledge this on Match Game, or the stars?)

[WarioBarker]

Not even the $1,000 bonus for the winning section was changed. Still great to see these, though.

Match Game PM offered more money.

The Nighttime Price Is Right offered bigger prizes as well, making nighttime Tattletales (offering the same $1,900 $1,750 as in daytime) stick out even more and in my opinion not really justifying a separate run.

[EDIT: Thanks for the correction, Bryce. I'd misread Ian's post.]

[Bryce L.]

(offering the same $1,900 as in daytime)

$1,900? Don't you mean $1,750?

[TLEberle]

The Nighttime Price Is Right offered bigger prizes as well, making nighttime Tattletales (offering the same $1,900 $1,750 as in daytime) stick out even more and in my opinion not really justifying a separate run.

But that is the justification--aside from the thousand bucks per celebrity and "a representative from the winning section will receive..." they're getting the studio time as part of that shooting day, salaries are folded in--the whole thing is almost completely profit. Every media market that picks up The $25,000 Pyramid, Match Game PM, Name That Tune. The Nighttime Price is Right, Family Feud or Tattletales means more money in the pocket of the production company, and Tattletales has so few expenses that other shows would it seems like a natural choice to turn out an early-evening version. I don't think Tattletales warrants a sixth episode per week if they pull some rando out of the winning section to choose a pair of letters in the show's title and if they reveal the front and back half of a car that person wins a Cadillac. WGAS?

I'm not a fan of Tattletales in the main, but I don't begrudge people who enjoy it--I know that other people aren't as hell-for-leather in for rapid fire trivia as I am and that's OK. The more shows that are out there for consumption means more people can find something they like.

[BillCullen1]

Besides being a novelty to see episodes not rerun in quite some time, there’s nothing really spectacular about these episodes except the formal wear. But, I will say that I really enjoyed watching John Ritter — he gave off some Paul Lynde-esque vibes (and I mean that in absolutely the most complimentary way).

That was some fancy tux John was wearing. He did pretty well with his bride, and he was only married for a week.

[chrisholland03]

Tattletales is one that throwing more money doesn't make sense.  The recipients have no bearing on the outcome of the game.

[tvwxman]

The only obvious thing made larger for primetime was Bert's perm. My 60" tv could barely contain that!

[calliaume]

Besides being a novelty to see episodes not rerun in quite some time, there’s nothing really spectacular about these episodes except the formal wear. But, I will say that I really enjoyed watching John Ritter — he gave off some Paul Lynde-esque vibes (and I mean that in absolutely the most complimentary way).

That was some fancy tux John was wearing. He did pretty well with his bride, and he was only married for a week.

I'll have to try watching more of the Ritter episode at some point.

John Ritter is an example of someone who only did game shows on the way up or the way down. He did a pile of games in the first year or two after Three's Company started, and then nothing after the middle of 1978 for over 20 years. In 2000, he started doing Hollywood Squares again, both before and after 2002 (when 8 Simple Rules started).

[JakeT]

Definitely one of the nice things that came from the airings of the SYN "Tattletales" episodes were the brief tastes of the closing theme that we rarely, if ever, got to hear on the CBS daytime version...

JakeT

[aaron sica]

Only thing I hear they're adding to the regular schedule is Bzzz!

Per a promo I just saw, airing Saturdays @ 7 and 7:30pm beginning this Saturday.