TPiR question...

[Kevin Prather]

Do the first four contestants get to pick which spot in Contestants Row they get?

[ClockGameJohn]

Yes.

[adamkendall]

I was at a recent taping.  There was no mention prior to the taping of where one must go in contestants' row when called.  So, yes, the first contestant gets first choice, and usually he or she chooses position #4 (to be in the strategic last position for the first IUFB).  However, sometimes contestants choose other positions (whether on purpose or not).

The only rules that were given to audience members/potential contestants:

1).  use the left-hand staircase if you win your way up on stage...this was identified as the most important rule

2).  you may hug Bob

3).  ladies may kiss Bob, but may not use tongue

4).  guys may not kiss Bob..."Bob's not like that, not that there's anything wrong with that."

5).  DON'T HURT BOB!

Adam Kendall
Minneapolis, Minnesota

[whewfan]

In Randy West's warmup, he says "just pick any spot you want... they're all the same"... but we all know that the last bidder stands the best chance of winning the IUFB.

[JayC]

Was there ever a time the contestants had to stand in the order they were called?

[tvrandywest]

Was there ever a time the contestants had to stand in the order they were called?

Not to my knowledge.

[quote name=\'whewfan\' date=\'Jun 24 2004, 03:32 PM\'] In Randy West's warmup, he says "just pick any spot you want... they're all the same"... but we all know that the last bidder stands the best chance of winning the IUFB. [/quote]
The comment was to avoid a fight for position at the show's open, and that awkward "which spot is mine" moment that Bob sometimes has to deal with when new players join contestants' row.

Johnny used to cover all the contestants' choreography in his warm-up, often using junior staff members (Roger for a while!) to demonstrate all the things that people do wrong. Roger enjoyed my reviving some of that warm-up material.

The real laugh was for how I reminded the audience to face forward when stepping on toes in their row while working their way to the aisle. You had to be there  ;-)


Randy
tvrandywest.com

[whewfan]

I remember that... "We want to see your horizontal smile, not your vertical one!"

In a similar fashion, when Rod told the audience which steps to use, he'd say "You come up these stairs, we see your smiling face!... if you come up these stairs, we see your butt!"

[Gromit]

Rod did that one at my taping Sure glad I got to see him in my only time there.

When it happens though, we don't actually see the contestant's butt, we see them just fine. Is there an actual reason as to why they don't want people to go up that way?

Why not just remove the steps?

[Craig Karlberg]

Personally, it doesn't matter where the contestant ascends from Contestant's Row as long as they come on UP the steps onto the stage to play their game.  I think that smiling face/butt thing is just a running gag just like the can't start the Range finder for 37 hours bit.

[Frank15]

[quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' date=\'Jun 25 2004, 03:52 AM\'] Personally, it doesn't matter where the contestant ascends from Contestant's Row as long as they come on UP the steps onto the stage to play their game.  I think that smiling face/butt thing is just a running gag just like the can't start the Range finder for 37 hours bit. [/quote]
 Whether or not it really matters depends on where the next pricing game is.  If it's a pricing game where Bob doesn't go anywhere (like Lucky $even, Card Game, or Plinko), then going up the losing stairs certainly does allow everyone to see the contestants' rump .  On the other hand, when the pricing game is on the turntable, the camera actually gets a nicer shot when the contestant does take the wrong stairs.  In other cases (big doors, giant price tag, etc.), it seems to make little to no difference.

[tvrandywest]

[quote name=\'Gromit\' date=\'Jun 25 2004, 12:30 AM\'] Is there an actual reason as to why they don't want people to go up that way? [/quote]
 It was the rule when Marc Breslow and Paul Alter directed because of the "blocking" (planned movement and camera shots). At present the official word from the booth is that it is no longer an issue as the camera shooting contestants' row simply follows that player up the stairs and/or the director cuts to the next shot earlier. But on headset you can still hear long-time crew members complain when players use the "wrong stairs".

It only becomes a potential problem now when that camera is too far downstage and the shot of the player ascending has no-nos like the announcer in the background. But the fix for that is to cut from that stair climbing early to the shot of Bob which is usually next.

There has been criticism here in the past about some of the show's direction in recent years. That includes fewer contestant reaction shots - the holy grail of game shows. While most viewers are totally unaware of a show's direction, it really can add or detract from their enjoyment.


Randy
tvrandywest.com

[Casey]

[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' date=\'Jun 25 2004, 11:43 AM\'] It only becomes a potential problem now when that camera is too far downstage and the shot of the player ascending has no-nos like the announcer in the background. [/quote]
 Heaven forbid that we get to see the announcer by accident!

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' date=\'Jun 25 2004, 11:43 AM\']There has been criticism here in the past about some of the show's direction in recent years. That includes fewer contestant reaction shots - the holy grail of game shows. While most viewers are totally unaware of a show's direction, it really can add or detract from their enjoyment.[/quote]
Does Bart get a bonus for every extra shot he puts on of Barker?  

[drmusic_99]

[quote name=\'isucgv\' date=\'Jun 25 2004, 12:32 PM\'] [quote name=\'tvrandywest\' date=\'Jun 25 2004, 11:43 AM\'] It only becomes a potential problem now when that camera is too far downstage and the shot of the player ascending has no-nos like the announcer in the background. [/quote]
Heaven forbid that we get to see the announcer by accident! [/quote]
 Yeah, it would seem they would even prefer a shot of the directors table/slate area get on camera (which happens frequently on the MDS's).

[Frank15]

[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Jun 25 2004, 04:31 PM\'] Does Bart get a bonus for every extra shot he puts on of Barker?   [/quote]
 Ugh...