It's the 25th Anniversary of...

[GSWitch]

CLOSE CALLS!

NARROW ESCAPES!

SPLIT SECOND DECISIONS!

AND $25,000 IN CASH!

As we celebrate the 25th Silver Anniversary of...WHEW!

[aaron sica]

IMHO, one of the most fun game shows ever to watch. It was wonderful to see it after so many years when I was able to get a copy of an episode back in 1995...

Even more so than the actual gameplay, I will always remember that show as the first lead-in to 11:00 a.m. TPiR, as it aired 10:30-11:30 previously before WHEW's debut...

[Ian Wallis]

It's certainly one of my favorites of all-time.  I think it deserved longer than the one year run it had - I was really disappointed when CBS replaced it with "Alice" reruns.  Even if they could have replaced it with another game show it wouldn't have been so bad...

[The Ol' Guy]

I agree. Overall, it was a pretty well-crafted game show, with humor, excitement, and strategy. You had to be a little sharper than the average bear (like the Dr. is) to think on your feet and change the gag clues fast. Funny thing - I spoke with Jay Wolpert and he told me MB wouldn't make a home game because it would have been too expensive. Baloney! Made one for Jay recycling some old Jeopardy parts and adding a Quick-Tick timer. We were cheated! Add me to the list that thinks in a dream world, WHEW should have stayed longer.

[Jimmy Owen]

Do you think the title was the problem?  Even Tom's brother couldn't pronounce it right when billboarding the show on BTC.  I would have called it "Charge!" or "Run the Gauntlet" or some such folderol.  Whatever became of Bud Austin?

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Apr 23 2004, 09:49 AM\'] Do you think the title was the problem? Even Tom's brother couldn't pronounce it right when billboarding the show on BTC. [/quote]
 It's certainly possible. It's damn hard to spread the news by word of mouth when the name of the show is difficult to pronouce without feeling silly.

I would have called it "Charge!" or "Run the Gauntlet" or some such folderol.

"Charge!" wouldn't be bad. That would be a well that Bob Stewart would go to with "Go!"

[mbclev]

I've seen "Jeopardy!" pay tribute to "Whew!" with the category "Fix the Malaprop".  That plays just about exactly like "Whew!" 's front game, in that you have to correct the mistake in the clue, and like on "Whew!", you have to wait for Alex to finish reading the clue before you can respond (after you ring in, of course).

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Apr 23 2004, 11:49 AM\'] Do you think the title was the problem?  Even Tom's brother couldn't pronounce it right when billboarding the show on BTC.  I would have called it "Charge!" or "Run the Gauntlet" or some such folderol.  Whatever became of Bud Austin? [/quote]
 I believe the title presented a problem as well...while a cute title, as well as the graphic that accompnied it, the title "Whew" really had nothing to do with the show.

[GS Warehouse]

[quote name=\'Dsmith\' date=\'Apr 23 2004, 06:42 PM\'] I believe the title presented a problem as well...while a cute title, as well as the graphic that accompnied it, the title "Whew" really had nothing to do with the show. [/quote]
 Let's say your opponent is charging and has just solved a level 5 blooper with four seconds left.  He calls for his level 6 blooper...and it's the one you've blocked!  Time runs out during the penalty, and you have just snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.  That would make you say, "Whew!"

ObWhew: Randy Amasia would have liked it here.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'GS Warehouse\' date=\'Apr 23 2004, 03:55 PM\'] Let's say your opponent is charging and has just solved a level 5 blooper with four seconds left.  He calls for his level 6 blooper...and it's the one you've blocked!  Time runs out during the penalty, and you have just snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.  That would make you say, "Whew!" [/quote]
 While certainly that's a combination guaranteed to make you say that, it doesn't change the fact that a name most people are embarrassed to pronounce as the name of a show they watch is not the most brilliant of marketing techniques.

[Don Howard]

If Jack Narz were reading this post, he might reply by saying, "Happy silver anniversary to Pfwoo".

[HYHYBT]

How *is* "Whew" pronounced, anyway?

[Jamey Greek]

Yeah!  Whew! was a brilliant game but cancelled.  Man, it deserved a very longer run, i don't know why CBS replaced it with "Alice" reruns.  CBS should have kept Whew! and not cancel it for Alice Reruns!  I mean look You want to cancel a game show for Alice reruns?!  And before you alice fans send me a smattering of emails and chew me out, You may have seen the episodes over and over again, and would have watched something else.  Oh well, I guess it was fuel for the reruns in syndication and on TBS, and E!, and TNN/Spike TV

[adamjk]

I think had they not added the celebs, maybe the game would have ran longer. The celebs were sorta pointless. They had no business being part of this show. They just didn't fit.

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'Jamey Greek\' date=\'Apr 26 2004, 07:26 PM\'] Yeah!  Whew! was a brilliant game but cancelled.  Man, it deserved a very longer run, i don't know why CBS replaced it with "Alice" reruns.  CBS should have kept Whew! and not cancel it for Alice Reruns!  I mean look You want to cancel a game show for Alice reruns?!  And before you alice fans send me a smattering of emails and chew me out, You may have seen the episodes over and over again, and would have watched something else.  Oh well, I guess it was fuel for the reruns in syndication and on TBS, and E!, and TNN/Spike TV [/quote]
 You weren't even around when the show was in first-air.  Have you ever seen an episode of Whew?