Unused set elements visible on air

[Kniwt]

*Punch-a-Bunch originally had a number + multiplier format, and the P-U-N-C-H-B-O-A-R-D letters covered slots that contained the numbers. This format was revised after 11 playings and the slots above the main part of the board were now superfluous, but they stayed in place until the prop was redone in 1996.

I'm not a TPIR scholar by any means, but I'm familiar enough with the history, and I remember nothing like that, that my first reaction was to call this one of those "Game Show False Memories."

But here it is:

[Marc412]

The scoreboards on Body Language had space for four digits, but they only ever used three.

[Steve Gavazzi]

No, that's Door #2.

It's been ages since I've watched TPIR, but I thought Safe Crackers and Lucky Seven were both played at the door that's more stage right than the others.  (I suppose the turntable would be further stage right, but it's also downstage from the doors.)  Are the doors not numbered from stage right to stage left?

1.  Do you mean Safe Crackers and 5 Price Tags?  Because I'm really not sure how Lucky $even comes into this discussion.

2.  This is easier to explain another way.  Door #1 is orange, Door #2 is blue, and Door #3 is green.  If you look at the start of any playing of Safe Crackers or 5 Price Tags, you'll see Drew is standing between the blue door and the green door.  The same holds true of Bob and the doors' previous designs.

[Fedya]

I was also thinking of 5 Price Tags being played behind that door.  As for Lucky Seven, I thought that the car comes onstage from the wings stage right, and then Drew (or Bob before him) would go all the way to where the car is stage right and play the game.

As I said, it's been years since I've watched an episode, probably not since Mom died back in 2015.  Dad and I would leave the TV running for her; 11:00 was TPIR and the afternoon was all those shitty court shows.

[Mr. Armadillo]

The car is rolled all the way past Door #1 to in front of Door #2, and the board itself is behind Door #3.  Due to social distancing, Drew is currently standing in about the same place he'd be for Safe Crackers and 5 Price Tags, just facing Door #3 instead of Door #2.

[carlisle96]

I consider The Gong Show more of a comedy show than a game show, but I seem to remember there were two scoreboards, one on both sides of the stage, bit only one ever seemed to be used.

[nowhammies10]

I suppose this counts: on Wheel, the old trilon puzzleboard had four trilons partially covered by the frame of the puzzleboard.

[MSTieScott]

Because they're not in alignment with the other trilons in the column, I'd be willing to bet that those four green rectangles weren't functioning trilons but rather just flat panels attached to the curved border in order to fill what would otherwise be large empty spaces.

[Bryce L.]

Because they're not in alignment with the other trilons in the column, I'd be willing to bet that those four green rectangles weren't functioning trilons but rather just flat panels attached to the curved border in order to fill what would otherwise be large empty spaces.

Funny thing is, they were empty spaces when the board was first expanded to four rows in December 1981. And said spaces were also there on the duplicate board they used for road shows.

[SRIV94]

I consider The Gong Show more of a comedy show than a game show, but I seem to remember there were two scoreboards, one on both sides of the stage, bit only one ever seemed to be used.

In the beginning, they had the act's name on both sides, but the scoreboard was only on the left.  A few months later (right around the time John Dorsey took over directing chores from Terry Kyne), they got rid of the card on the right.  Then in the summer of 1977 (around August), they ditched the scoreboard and card showing the act entirely (which eventually set the stage for them to adorn the set with photos).

[TimK2003]

I know there are at least a half-dozen unused elements I have seen over the decades...

The only one that comes to mind is on the original Battlestars:  There were vertical columns of neon triangles on the contestant's desk in the silver area.  I never saw those lit up in use or why they were there ‐‐ only the horizontal scoring triangles and the neon arrows designating who was in control.

https://images.app.goo.gl/ARpeBCrcznVeGLAL9

[SwohS Emag]

The bottom two screens on Bumper Stumpers were completely pointless during the era of the third bonus round (season 3?).

[parliboy]

Because they're not in alignment with the other trilons in the column, I'd be willing to bet that those four green rectangles weren't functioning trilons but rather just flat panels attached to the curved border in order to fill what would otherwise be large empty spaces.

As evidenced by the lack of depth for those panels in this video at 0:33.

[SamJ93]

One more TPiR example...

"Pass The Buck" originally had 8 spaces to choose from, with spaces #1 and 2 flanking the game's logo. This didn't last too long before it was streamlined to 6, but the extraneous spaces still remain on the board, covered up with dollar bill graphics.

[pds319]

Additionally, the neon lights that trimmed the set also trimmed the challengers' area. But presumably they were too bright and distracting in close-ups, so while the glass tubes remained, those lights were never turned on.

I wonder if the hum from the neon also played into this as those lights would've been right on top of the mics. The hum from the neon during quiet moments on Super Password was still noticeable even with those set pieces back a considerable way from the desk.