Set pieces/props damaged during shows

[Casey]

I think on one of the TPIR episodes in the current cycle on Pluto, a contestant playing Check Game tried to write on the reveal instead of the check, leaving a black dot that was visible for several subsequent playings.

Also - Gene Wood:

[weaklink75]

One time on Family Double Dare, a guy put a hole in one of the bowls during a toss up challenge.

Ah yes, that reminds me of a physical challenge where they had to stomp on "grapes" (balloons) to "juice" them. Unfortunately, the output was connected to a tap that kept closing due to the force of the stomps, but eventually, the entire box gave way, which caused the container to fill past the line, and they gave them the win.

There was another Double Dare ep where the final obstacle on the course was giant cannolis- the intention was the player would stick their hands into the openings on the sides to find the flag in the filling- the player ended up ripping it open from the middle to get the flag out..

[Bobby B.]

The original Feud buzz-in button (sorry about the watermark):

I think PYL's original buttons were broken once or twice before they changed out the style of buttons as well.

I remember a similar Family Feud incident from when they had the old buzzers, as shown in this old GSN promo.  The contestant missed the buzzer and knocked her podium mic out of its stand.

[Steve Gavazzi]

I think on one of the TPIR episodes in the current cycle on Pluto, a contestant playing Check Game tried to write on the reveal instead of the check, leaving a black dot that was visible for several subsequent playings.

Not quite -- the contestant did try to write there, but Bob is the one who actually made the mark while he was reacting to her.

Of course, that didn't stop him from blaming her for it the couple of times he referenced it.

[SuperMatch93]

I think on one of the TPIR episodes in the current cycle on Pluto, a contestant playing Check Game tried to write on the reveal instead of the check, leaving a black dot that was visible for several subsequent playings.

Something similar happened in the 90s and Bob suggested that they leave the mark there and refer to it as "Timothy's dot" from then on (at 16:38).

[Fedya]

In Italy one of the water tanks of the final round of Ciao Darwin broke and flooded the stage 

At least it didn't contain thousands of tropical fish.

[thewhammy_2000]

Match Game:
First 74: "Wacko" contestant Dorothy slammed her desk so hard that the screen of her score fell off, causing Gene to put it back on, saying "You're breaking the whole set!"
Another contest was jumping near the blue dot, causing Gene to look at the floor, saying that she split the whole set, and to stay still if she wins more money.

[Otm Shank]

At 20 minutes in....

[Mr. Brown]

How about when Flip Flop lost its second set of digits?



Or (and I can't find the clip) when Bob and a contestant had to rip the reveal off of Squeeze Play?

[MSTieScott]

How about when

Bob and a contestant had to rip the reveal off of

Flip Flop

?

[weaklink75]

IIRC, the episode of The Moneymaze at the Paley Center had an incident where the runner ripped the carpet on the steps accidentally after a win (and the guider was so excited about the win he ripped the back of his pants and Nick Clooney commented something to the effect or "she broke our maze, he ripped his pants...")

[Sodboy13]

Is the story true that the big electronic percent sign on Play The Percentages ended up as useless decor after a couple episodes, because it damaged the set when it came up?

[bossjock967]

Somewhere there's an ep of Eubanks' "Card Sharks" where the tilting mechanism for the giant lit cards fails, and they come crashing down to their normal resting position.  I don't think you see them tilt again after that, which is a shame.  I think that was the only redeeming quality about that set.

[BrandonFG]

I’d wondered why the cards stopped tilting so early in the run. That was a really cool feature IMO.

[nowhammies10]

I thought they stopped tilting so as not to smash into the car they put upstage centre.