Game Show "Channels" On Roku,...Etc... Thread.

[JasonA1]

As someone who has never cared for the "shopping" format, their shock has made me feel vindicated and youthful, tbh.  Still, it's GREAT to get to see these.

One observation that jumps to mind for me: Chuck hosting the shopping episodes feels like playing a casual, rules-light card game with your friends (Uno, Five Crowns, et al.). Sure, there's not a TON of meat on the bone, but you're all chatting and having a good time, and it's less about the actual competition. Some of the nighttime episodes with Pat (not all) feel like playing that same game, but everybody's focused on their cards instead.

-Jason

[Chelsea Thrasher]

One observation that jumps to mind for me: Chuck hosting the shopping episodes feels like playing a casual, rules-light card game with your friends (Uno, Five Crowns, et al.). Sure, there's not a TON of meat on the bone, but you're all chatting and having a good time, and it's less about the actual competition. Some of the nighttime episodes with Pat (not all) feel like playing that same game, but everybody's focused on their cards instead.

The shopping format suited Chuck's strengths as a host (and vice versa) compared to Pat. In the bulk of Chuck's work as a host, he shines brightest in "never take things too seriously" scenarios - heck, it's a significant part of what makes Scrabble so delightful. The lower stakes daytime shows (and even first couple of years at nighttime) retain some of that energy, but Pat is also a more serious presence at the host position (likely why his attempts at comedy and talked never quite took off). The $5000 wedge was really the first disruption to that, and as the prizes and stakes (and ratings) gradually crept up at night, it got worse.

[Casey Buck]

I can probably see why the daytime version still had shopping through the end of the 80s, despite Lin Bolen being long gone by then (hint: housewife target demo).

But why did the nighttime version even have shopping in the first place, besides "it's cheaper"?

[Chelsea Thrasher]

But why did the nighttime version even have shopping in the first place, besides "it's cheaper"?

Expectation that if they're tuning in to a show called Wheel of Fortune, when Wheel of Fortune is still on the air, that it's still going to be, well, Wheel of Fortune.  A show that DEFINITELY had an established audience (being one of only three daytime games on the air on the first day of 1982 that were still on at the end of it [though Tattletales came on a couple weeks in]) and an established way of doing things. The show has always been slow to change - plus, the prizes would make it more budget friendly. 

If they'd gone to air with the cash format, I suspect it wouldn't have been as well received. As-is, the nighttime show launched, ratings went through the roof (and the daytime show's numbers went up too). That potentially doesn't happen if the show isn't essentially a higher budget clone of the show people already know.

[SuperSweeper]

One unusual thing I noticed about the first Season 5 show (#781) that's up is they took a break right after the first puzzle was solved, had the contestant do her shopping during the commercial break, and had Jack describe them when they came back from the break.

Just skimming the season 5 episodes that have been uploaded and a couple I already had, there are several little tells that they've pretty much already decided what they're about to do - generalizing here; shopping during the break, a round where a contestant wins $200 so they don't even bother and just offer a gift certificate, the last Battle of the Sexes show (and last taped shopping ep) having a big $20K cash prize at the end. At moments, it almost feels like a sneak preview of what's about to happen (without formally committing yet)

None of those were that unusual, though - they often had contestants shop during the breaks when they won over a certain amount; they sometimes didn't have any prizes under $200 in a showcase; and I know of at least one other Battle of the Sexes week where they did a similar (but smaller) thing for the Friday Finals (pretty sure it was a daytime week earlier in '87).

[Chelsea Thrasher]

None of those were that unusual, though - they often had contestants shop during the breaks when they won over a certain amount; they sometimes didn't have any prizes under $200 in a showcase; and I know of at least one other Battle of the Sexes week where they did a similar (but smaller) thing for the Friday Finals (pretty sure it was a daytime week earlier in '87).

Honestly, this being an era I've seen significantly less of compared to the cash format, but knowing the timeline, I drew incorrect conclusions. My bad.

[chad1m]

As someone who has never cared for the "shopping" format, their shock has made me feel vindicated and youthful, tbh.  Still, it's GREAT to get to see these.

There is an episode in this batch where the shopping and prize copy for a single round takes more than five minutes and ten seconds to complete. I know we're talking the times of only three broadcast networks, minimal cable TV, and longer attention spans, but it's almost shocking to me that the Jack Clark Describes Golden Fish era of this show not only survived, but thrived.

[Chelsea Thrasher]

Pat's first daytime show is in the Season 10 folder as of this writing. (it's episode number is in the same cluster). 

[Joe Mello]

One unusual thing I noticed about the first Season 5 show (#781) that's up is they took a break right after the first puzzle was solved, had the contestant do her shopping during the commercial break, and had Jack describe them when they came back from the break.

None of those were that unusual, though - they often had contestants shop during the breaks when they won over a certain amount;

I want to say that it's a little weird it happened after round 1, but I would be unsurprised if they wanted strict timing.

[SuperSweeper]

None of those were that unusual, though - they often had contestants shop during the breaks when they won over a certain amount; they sometimes didn't have any prizes under $200 in a showcase; and I know of at least one other Battle of the Sexes week where they did a similar (but smaller) thing for the Friday Finals (pretty sure it was a daytime week earlier in '87).

Honestly, this being an era I've seen significantly less of compared to the cash format, but knowing the timeline, I drew incorrect conclusions. My bad.

No worries - I can absolutely understand why you’d draw that conclusion.

[BrandonFG]

A couple of friends (who are generally in the "like game shows but are a person outside of the genre fandom" category) have introduced their zoomer and (whatever is next) kids/friends to shopping on wheel today via these episodes.  Reactions from the young ones include:

"wtf"
"WHY ARE THEY ONLY GETTING SIX LETTERS for the last puzzle"
"why are they not getting real money this lasted HOW long?"
"okay the ceramic dog thing is funny i guess but what IS THIS!?"
(and even the parents/my friends are very much glued in to "yeah, I can see why this was dropped")

As someone who has never cared for the "shopping" format, their shock has made me feel vindicated and youthful, tbh.  Still, it's GREAT to get to see these.

I love the shopping era because it takes me back to childhood but it’s a slog to sit through at times, so I understand.

If they were to bring it back, I would take a page from the Retro Week where one round is the “shopping round” and you can land on a space with a gift card. Maybe have a monitor with changing dollar amounts up to $5,000 to add a little razzle, or just make it a flat amount like the 10K space.

Anyway, solve the puzzle, don’t Bankrupt, etc. and you can buy one or two things from the video wall.

[Adam Nedeff]

None of those were that unusual, though - they often had contestants shop during the breaks when they won over a certain amount; they sometimes didn't have any prizes under $200 in a showcase; and I know of at least one other Battle of the Sexes week where they did a similar (but smaller) thing for the Friday Finals (pretty sure it was a daytime week earlier in '87).

Honestly, this being an era I've seen significantly less of compared to the cash format, but knowing the timeline, I drew incorrect conclusions. My bad.

No worries - I can absolutely understand why you’d draw that conclusion.

I haven't watched any of the episodes yet, but I get the impression that Chelsea is talking about just...like...a regular round where they went to commercial for shopping. In all the instances I've seen where they took a commercial break for shopping, it was because the contestant had a massive amount of money ($10K+) to play with. So to my way of thinking, it IS unusual and her read that they're over shopping at this point is accurate.

[jmangin]

Maybe have a monitor with changing dollar amounts up to $5,000 to add a little razzle, or just make it a flat amount like the 10K space.

Was there something like this in the late 90s/early 2000s? I'm thinking it was a small monitor that rotated something like $5k, $10k, $25k each spin, and the amount was added if you called a correct letter. There might have been a Bankrupt in the shuffle as well...or am I out of my mind?

[parliboy]

Was there something like this in the late 90s/early 2000s? I'm thinking it was a small monitor that rotated something like $5k, $10k, $25k each spin, and the amount was added if you called a correct letter. There might have been a Bankrupt in the shuffle as well...or am I out of my mind?

https://wheeloffortunehistory.fandom.com/wiki/Big_Money_Wedge

[BrandonFG]

What Gene said.