Long Discontinued Game Show Practices (that Lasted Longer Than You Thought)

[TheInquisitiveOne]

Good day to all of you.

In my years of watching random episodes of game shows on YouTube, there have been practices that I didn’t pay too much attention to in the past - which have been discontinued for a long time - but these practices ran longer than I thought. I personally chalk it up to lapsed viewing cycles or having school. Examples:

On The Price is Right, the rule informing contestants to “bid in dollars only” is considered ancient at this point. I thought it was done away with at the start of the 90s, but I was surprised to find an episode from 1996 with Bob still letting contestants know to do precisely that.

From season two onward in the early years of Trebek Jeopardy!, the camera would zoom in on the first clue on the board (in each round and after the first commercial break, not counting Daily Doubles). I thought that production technique was done away with when the set change happened in fall 1991. I saw that it went until some point in 1992 or 1993.

Finally, on Wheel of Fortune, it wasn’t uncommon for the show to come back from commercial break with the Final Spin (when Pat announces there’s not enough time for another round). I didn’t know this was a thing until all the way in 2000 (just before the toss ups were implemented...or was it because of them? I forget.)

Any examples like these come to mind? Let’s discuss. Thank you in advance for your responses, and stay safe.

The Inquisitive One

[JasonA1]

I was shocked when I revisited the Jeopardy! set change from November 2002 and saw they were still shooting the real category screens at the top of the round, rather than the all-graphics pan. Every episode I could find online from early 2003 however indicates that didn't last long at all.

-Jason

[nowhammies10]

Speaking of Wheel, Pat still told players that "we're playing for cash" on the nighttime show well into the late '90s.

[BrandonFG]

Keeping with Wheel, after the list of consolation prizes but right before the credits, Wheel used to plug its ticket mailing address. I thought this ended during the Chuck and Susan era, but looking at Youtube recently, it at least went into the first syndicated season. On GSN reruns, they abruptly cut to a GSN ad before going back to the credits, so I imagine they were covering up said ticket plug.

I swear they briefly brought back this plug not long after they switched to the video puzzle board.

[Bob Zager]

I can't remember the last time Sajak said, "I'd like to point out there's a used letter board, which the home audience can't see, but you players can..."  I know they now have a monitor doing the job.

Also, more so on daytime WOF, the contestants would be asked to turn their backs toward the puzzle if it wasn't solved before going to a commercial.

[SuperSweeper]

Keeping with Wheel, after the list of consolation prizes but right before the credits, Wheel used to plug its ticket mailing address. I thought this ended during the Chuck and Susan era, but looking at Youtube recently, it at least went into the first syndicated season. On GSN reruns, they abruptly cut to a GSN ad before going back to the credits, so I imagine they were covering up said ticket plug.

I swear they briefly brought back this plug not long after they switched to the video puzzle board.

They did a different version of the plug on the new board, plugging the ticket phone line (seen at 19:41 here):

[BrandonFG]

That's the one I remember. Thank you!

[MSTieScott]

For The Price Is Right, I always associate the pricing game Give or Keep, with its unnecessarily labor-intensive staging and premature reveal, with the '70s and early '80s. I hadn't realized that the game lasted all the way to 1990. Similarly, my brain always thinks that Hurdles didn't last as long as it did.

As an example of the inverse of the question, I was surprised to learn that Wheel of Fortune has been spotting its bonus round players the RSTLNE since 1988. I thought that didn't come about until the mid-'90s.

[JMFabiano]

For The Price Is Right, I always associate the pricing game Give or Keep, with its unnecessarily labor-intensive staging and premature reveal, with the '70s and early '80s. I hadn't realized that the game lasted all the way to 1990. Similarly, my brain always thinks that Hurdles didn't last as long as it did.

As an example of the inverse of the question, I was surprised to learn that Wheel of Fortune has been spotting its bonus round players the RSTLNE since 1988. I thought that didn't come about until the mid-'90s.

Nope it was definitely the late 80s.  I have a TV Guide that Jeered the change.

[JasonA1]

Well into the debut year of the WoF Jackpot round (96-97), Pat was still saying "we're playing for cash" before the first puzzle.

-Jason

[Kevin Prather]

Well into the debut year of the WoF Jackpot round (96-97), Pat was still saying "we're playing for cash" before the first puzzle.

Probably a product of me not being a regular viewer, but I didn't realize the Jackpot lasted all the way till 2013.

[aaron sica]

Nope it was definitely the late 80s.  I have a TV Guide that Jeered the change.

I remember this............They jeered it, if I recall, because it made the puzzles (at the time) way too easy.

[chargeradiocom]

Does wiping count for this discussion? I thought the practice had pretty much ended by the late 70s/the advent of cable, when program distributors realized they could make a little cash by selling game show reruns in syndication. But then, there’s the matter of the swaths of missing 80s $otC episodes.

More pointed to the question: the Feud theme as a car cue on TPIR. I actually thought they had stopped using it shortly after FF became a hit on its own (at least by around ‘80 or so), but it’s still showing up on the ‘82-83 eps on the TPIR Pluto channel.

[Jeremy Nelson]

I thought that the camera pan left/right to award the bank on Family Feud lasted until they brought the show back in ‘99, but it looks like the Combs version removed it by ‘93, and it was never a thing on the Dawson revival.

[BrandonFG]

A conversation about Super Ball!!’s camera blocking led me to Youtube. I thought the game was retired in the mid-90s at the latest, but apparently its final playing was January of ‘98.