Face the Music seasons

[Casey]

With the passing of Ron Ely, and several new episodes of Face the Music being shared on YouTube in recent days, I'm curious about the show's production history - perhaps others on here will know details.

My recollection was that the second season, with John Harlan announcing, was longer than the first season, with Dave Williams.  Watching some of the recent videos on YouTube has made me question that.  As an example, the angular center door border from the pilot appeared in many more episodes than I had remembered. 

All of that is to say, does anyone know more details about the production history of Face the Music?

[BrandonFG]

I know it was a midseason replacement, premiering in January 1980 so I'm guessing they started production in November or December of '79. I swear I saw an ad promoting a third season in Broadcasting magazine, but can't find it now.

FWIW, here's another shot from the pilot.

EDIT: I remember the source now. It was on the Game Show Wiki. I'm guessing this was a Variety ad.

Also, this trade ad indeed confirms December '79 tapings for a January '80 start.

[TimK2003]

I must say the contestant podiums looked a lot nicer than the clunky ones they went to in the series.

Even though it's been said before, seeing the tribute episode that Winc posted reminded me how this show had that "so bad it was good" vibe, like a series of SNL skits. 

Perhaps Sandy Frank and this particular game show started the over-caffeinated contestant pools that are more common now.

[BrandonFG]

I can't tell but it looks like they used the Name That Tune podiums. I'd love to see the pilot one day.

[steveleb]

Sandy indeed intended to sell a third season and acquired the rights to You Asked For It to offer an hour.  But as you know Feud’s expansion and immediate success soured competitors and a little show called Entertainment Tonight was buying satellite dishes for stations and offered a new kind of genre for the marketplace.  YAFI was greenlit because it too wasn’t a game show. Face simply went away like many other shows did.

[aaron sica]

a little show called Entertainment Tonight was buying satellite dishes for stations

I never knew this, but it makes perfect sense. ET was the first satellite-fed syndicated show if I recall. I also realized that Philadelphia never carried FtM. WPVI carried YAFI at 7:30pm (it replaced Hollywood Squares, which of course ended its run). In order for WPVI to have carried the entire hour, they would have had to bump TTD (which would last another 3 years at the 7pm slot).

[TimK2003]

a little show called Entertainment Tonight was buying satellite dishes for stations

I never knew this, but it makes perfect sense. ET was the first satellite-fed syndicated show if I recall. I also realized that Philadelphia never carried FtM. WPVI carried YAFI at 7:30pm (it replaced Hollywood Squares, which of course ended its run). In order for WPVI to have carried the entire hour, they would have had to bump TTD (which would last another 3 years at the 7pm slot).

Same thing in Cleveland. No FtM, but WEWS aired YAFI, but I don't think it was for a full season. WEWS was airing Kennedy NTT, which was distributed by Sandy Frank, IIRC.

[BrandonFG]

a little show called Entertainment Tonight was buying satellite dishes for stations

I never knew this, but it makes perfect sense. ET was the first satellite-fed syndicated show if I recall. I also realized that Philadelphia never carried FtM. WPVI carried YAFI at 7:30pm (it replaced Hollywood Squares, which of course ended its run). In order for WPVI to have carried the entire hour, they would have had to bump TTD (which would last another 3 years at the 7pm slot).

I had to look but WAVY aired YAFI at 5 pm, followed by M*A*S*H. Given how the latter was red-hot in syndication, I imagine WAVY was very reluctant to give up that show. Can't say I blame them. They prolly could've ran the two around 9-10 am, but it's moot since FtM was cancelled.