Dawson/Combs Family Feud Board - Merry Xmas / Happy New Year

[daveromanjr]

In catching reruns on GSN and Buzzr I've caught a couple episodes of both the Dawson and Combs runs of Family Feud where the digital board said something other than "FAMILY FEUD".  I've seen both say MERRY XMAS and seem to recall a HAPPY NEW YEAR during the Dawson run. In searching for clips online it seems that on the Combs run they may have only done that one year and maybe even the same for Dawson's run.

I know this is very nitpicky and such a weird question but I wonder why they didn't do that each year.  The programming for what the board had to do to say those different words/phrases was obviously complete.  I also wonder if there were other things they had the board say aside from FAMILY FEUD, MERRY XMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR.  Always took particular interest in little variations from the norm like this so if this is too obscure to bring up I apologize.

Every year I always make my computer wallpaper at work a screen shot of both boards saying MERRY XMAS. (Nerd Alert)

[knagl]

if this is too obscure to bring up I apologize.

You must be new here.

[JasonA1]

Here's an episode where they did something special for Valentine's Day:



-Jason

[KrisW73]

if this is too obscure to bring up I apologize.

You must be new here.

I lol'd hard

[SuperMatch93]

if this is too obscure to bring up I apologize.

If we can have multi-page threads on people breaking out in hives from balloon drops, I think you're good.

My guess with the heart is that they had to create special characters to form that in a proto-ASCII art sort of way, or perhaps those were included with the software for the purpose of making designs like that.

[knagl]

My guess with the heart is that they had to create special characters to form that in a proto-ASCII art sort of way, or perhaps those were included with the software for the purpose of making designs like that.

Many of the characters used to create that heart are also used in the giant "Family Feud" letters.

I don't know the source of this picture and I'm sorry that this relatively small screenshot from my phone is all I have of it, but I presume this is from a pilot for the show where they were still experimenting with the board display:

[dale_grass]

I don't know the source of this picture and I'm sorry that this relatively small screenshot from my phone is all I have of it, but I presume this is from a pilot for the show where they were still experimenting with the board display:
[image snip]

If I recall it was from a computer magazine article about such-and-such hardware begin used to run the display.

[chris319]

In the photo it looks like Ted Cooper standing to the left with his jacket open. The photo would have been taken at 1313 N. Vine before the show moved to Prospect Ave.

[chris319]

If I recall it was from a computer magazine article about such-and-such hardware being used to run the display.

I think it would be interesting to find this article if it indeed exists. How many computer magazines were around circa 1976? Can't be that many.

I probably still have some Ferranti Packard literature around somewhere.

[JasonA1]

If I recall it was from a computer magazine article about such-and-such hardware being used to run the display.

I think it would be interesting to find this article if it indeed exists.

Right here (from a previous thread).

-Jason

[chris319]

Wow, that was quick! Thanks, Jason.

Placing a link in the Archive.

[chris319]

I know a former ABC maintenance engineer who was involved with Family Feud when it was at ABC. He explained how the FF main game board worked.

Each of the flaps on the main game board was attached to a piece of spring wire which effectively formed a coil spring. In the "unrevealed" position (answer not facing the audience) the flap was under constant tension from the coil spring. A solenoid with a retractable plunger kept the flap from turning and held it in the unrevealed position. To reveal an answer, the solenoid plunger was retracted, allowing the coil spring to unwind and rotate the flap into the "revealed" position.

[KrisW73]

I know a former ABC maintenance engineer who was involved with Family Feud when it was at ABC. He explained how the FF main game board worked.

Each of the flaps on the main game board was attached to a piece of spring wire which effectively formed a coil spring. In the "unrevealed" position (answer not facing the audience) the flap was under constant tension from the coil spring. A solenoid with a retractable plunger kept the flap from turning and held it in the unrevealed position. To reveal an answer, the solenoid plunger was retracted, allowing the coil spring to unwind and rotate the flap into the "revealed" position.

So this would account for the *tic clack* noise we heard as the answer was revealed along with the bell?

[chrisholland03]

I always thought it was a piped in 'spittoon bell' sound like I've heard at Carnivals

[clemon79]

So this would account for the *tic clack* noise we heard as the answer was revealed along with the bell?

I would think so, yes.