On-Air April Fool's Day Gags

[SRIV94]

OK, since we can't actually do April Fool's jokes here (which suits me fine--I'm fooled enough on REAL posts on occasion), why not talk about April Fool's Day jokes from game shows past?

We've beaten the proverbial dead horse on the HSq8x prank on John Davidson (certainly merits a mention, though).  

One of my personal faves came from Chuck Woolery, who as he made his entrance on a SCRABBLE episode immediately started reciting his old WoF spiel ("Top dollar value on the wheel is $500, be careful not to hit Bankrupt because you'll lose your cash but not your merchandise because once you buy a prize it's yours to keep.")  As he's saying this, the SFX maven plays the WoF puzzle cue (and Mother McKenzie giggles happily in the background).

Woolery then remarked to one of the contestants on that day's show, "I'm surprised how much of that I remembered."

Anyone else recall any notable April Fool's jokes?

Doug

[1978-Jeopardy]

How about the hilarious april fools day showcases on TPIR 83 & 87? In 1983, the prizes were all destroyed! My favorite was the grandfather clock, watch it's pendulum: it's held by a string! In 87, they were offering some really horrible trips.

[adamjk]

Speaking of Price gags, how about the SC from 99 I think were they offered small hot wheels cars?

[uncamark]

Off the top of my head (and it isn't really an April Fools joke), every year the Art Fleming "J!" did an April Fools category with clues like "Of Louisville, Lexington and Paducah, the capital of Kentucky" (the correct response, of course, is "What is Frankfort?").  They were part of the game, though, and the contestants had to figure out the tricks to get the score.  Fleming usually said after the category was completed, "I'm glad April Fools' Day is just once a year."

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'SRIV94\' date=\'Apr 1 2004, 01:38 PM\'] Anyone else recall any notable April Fool's jokes?
 [/quote]
 I'm sorry if this is considered an inappropriate question, but was it ever revealed whether the late Art James filled in for Gene on Match Game for April Fool's?

[ChuckNet]

I'm sorry if this is considered an inappropriate question, but was it ever revealed whether the late Art James filled in for Gene on Match Game for April Fool's?

He did indeed...but contrary to what the EoTVGS said, Art was hosting Say When at the time, which is what he traded places w/Gene on.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

[Kevin Prather]

Back in, I believe first or second season on Burgeron Squares...

<Announcer> Today on Hollywood Squares...
Queen Elizabeth II!
Bill Clinton!
Saddam Hussein!
Fidel Castro!
Emperor Hirohito!
<Tom> Now THAT'S April Fools!

These names aren't all right, but you get the idea.

BTW: Is this clip available for download anywhere?

[gameshowguy2000]

I don't know, but there's a clip from last season's show. As per Henry Winkler's words: Those teachers weren't actually teachers.

[Steve Gavazzi]

TPiR's got at least one other April Fools showcase on the books -- an Everyroom showcase with such wonderful prizes as an eggbeater for the kitchen.

Anyone happen to know what year that was in?

[digiblader]

Hey where did those horrible trips go to on that 1987 ep of TPIR anyway? Just wondering.

[That Don Guy]

Pardon me for mentioning what I think are the two obvious ones, but...

First, the TPIR episode where Bob was introduced, the doors were opened...and a white card on an easel said "APRIL FOOL!" as Bob came down through the audience.  (It ended with a showcase of relatively minor prizes, "And this showcase can be...what?  April Fool!  There's one more prize!" and in came a Cadillac from the side.)

Second, "And now, the host of Jeopardy!...Pat Sajak!" (followed by Alex hosting a WoF special with Pat and Vanna playing for charity, and Pat's wife turning the letters.  I think it would have worked out better had they not decided to split all winnings between their charities and play the bonus round together...speaking of which, did you know that the two charities (Boy Scouts USA and the American Cancer Federation) were the two charities played for (by Pat Boone and Flip Wilson, respectively) in the Celebrity Sweepstakes special Christmas Day episode?)

-- Don

[GSWitch]

[quote name=\'ChuckNet\' date=\'Apr 1 2004, 04:34 PM\']

I'm sorry if this is considered an inappropriate question, but was it ever revealed whether the late Art James filled in for Gene on Match Game for April Fool's?

He did indeed...but contrary to what the EoTVGS said, Art was hosting Say When at the time, which is what he traded places w/Gene on.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby") [/quote]
 Never knew that!  Thought Gene did Who What or Where years later.

[gameshowguy2000]

[quote name=\'1978-Jeopardy\' date=\'Apr 1 2004, 02:26 PM\'] How about the hilarious april fools day showcases on TPIR 83 & 87? In 1983, the prizes were all destroyed! My favorite was the grandfather clock, watch it's pendulum: it's held by a string! In 87, they were offering some really horrible trips. [/quote]
 Speaking of that 1983 showcase, Beatrice, who thought that was her showcase, actually got a showcase featuring 2 Camaros.

And, who could forget the current batch of GSN Originals, when all the hosts switched places (except Lingo, where Chuck was host, and Todd was in the announcer's booth, in for Randi).

[Craig Karlberg]

As far as the Every Room in the House gag goes, according to golden-road.net, that episode was in the mid 70's('74 or '75).

[cmjb13]

[quote name=\'That Don Guy\' date=\'Apr 1 2004, 10:35 PM\']First, the TPIR episode where Bob was introduced, the doors were opened...and a white card on an easel said "APRIL FOOL!" as Bob came down through the audience. [/quote]
Was this the episode where Bob came out of the otherside of the audience?