Jack Barry

[tvrandywest]

[quote name=\'ilb4ever2000\' date=\'May 3 2005, 12:29 PM\']Doesn't mean he didn't have problems in his personal life. I remember reading that he became very depressed and was driven to drink after the Scandals.

[snapback]84247[/snapback]

[/quote]
Although Dan Enright told me he was sure that Jack did NOT return to radio in the New England area after the scandals, a now deceased friend of mine with pretty good credibility was certain that Jack did the morning show at a station he worked. I now forget if it was Burlington VT or Portland ME. And according to my friend, Jack was suffering terribly at that time through a particularly difficult period of his alcoholism.


Randy
tvrandywest.com

[TimK2003]

[quote name=\'Robert Hutchinson\' date=\'May 3 2005, 03:44 AM\'][quote name=\'WorldClassRob\' date=\'May 2 2005, 10:06 PM\']What nearly got Jack in trouble during "Joker" was when the staff in the back failed to replace the bonus wheels with the category wheels before a game began, and the champion (who spinned first for a year or so) spinned three jokers on the first spin of the game (all of them saying "Wild" at the bottom).  When that error occurred, Jack invited the challenger (who spinned second) back to play again.  Eventually the bonus-game Jokers were changed so the word "Joker" would be at the bottom instead of "Wild".[/quote]

How in the world could that get Jack in trouble?

[snapback]84202[/snapback]

[/quote]


At that early stage of the CBS run, the rule on TJW was, regardless of whose turn it was, three jokers was an automatic win -- game over.  

In this case, as it was the champion who had the first spin of the match and netted the 3 jokers, the new opponent, in a sense, never played in the match.  To make things fair, and at that moment not yet knowing the error, Jack automatically asked the contestant to come back in the next match (Could've been one of Jack's first 'ad-libbed' rules???).  Had the challenger not been invited back, there would have been some reason for Standard & Practices to 'investigate'.

Not too long after, the rule was changed that for a 3-joker spin, the contestant had to correctly answer a question from the category of their choice in order to win the game right there and then.

Somewhere in there, the rules were changed again so the challenger always had the first pull of the match thus the champion always had a chance to tie or beat the challenger if they were behind.

Then the rule was amended a third time(?) in which if the challenger spun 3 jokers and answered their question right, the reigning champion had one last spin to get 3 jokers and a correct answer to tie the game at $500 to $500, then the game would continue regularly until the tie was broken at the end of each round.  I put a '?' after the third time because I can't recall if that rule only applied to the T of C's or if that rule was later adapted to regular play in which each player always had an equal amount of spins per match.

Going back to the incident of the regular match still using the bonus wheels, had the champ hit the devil in one of those wheels, either we probably would never have seen that 'glitch'....

Or,...

"I'll take The Devil for $200, Jack".

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' date=\'May 3 2005, 06:16 PM\']




Then the rule was amended a third time(?) in which if the challenger spun 3 jokers and answered their question right, the reigning champion had one last spin to get 3 jokers and a correct answer to tie the game at $500 to $500, then the game would continue regularly until the tie was broken at the end of each round.  I put a '?' after the third time because I can't recall if that rule only applied to the T of C's or if that rule was later adapted to regular play in which each player always had an equal amount of spins per match.

[snapback]84255[/snapback]

[/quote]

Seems to me that the "equal number of spins during TofC's, even if someone answers a question with three jokers spun" rule occurred only during TofC's. Unless it was instituted in the CBS run after APril 1973, and GSN never allowed us to see it

[Robert Hutchinson]

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' date=\'May 3 2005, 06:16 PM\']In this case, as it was the champion who had the first spin of the match and netted the 3 jokers, the new opponent, in a sense, never played in the match.  To make things fair, and at that moment not yet knowing the error, Jack automatically asked the contestant to come back in the next match (Could've been one of Jack's first 'ad-libbed' rules???).  Had the challenger not been invited back, there would have been some reason for Standard & Practices to 'investigate'.[/quote]

My question stands: why would Jack get in trouble for this? It's an error. They caught it. He wasn't the guy behind the board, (not) changing the wheels. If you're saying that Jack would specifically take heat for it just because of his past, that seems rather extreme to me.

And your scare quotes are 'puzzling'.

[WhammyPower]

[quote name=\'whewfan\' date=\'May 2 2005, 07:29 PM\']It should be noted that "Mr Barry" ... was also on the Batman series.

[snapback]84154[/snapback]

[/quote]
As the "Joker, Joker, JOKER!!!!!!!!!!!!"?

[Ian Wallis]

Somewhere in there, the rules were changed again so the challenger always had the first pull of the match thus the champion always had a chance to tie or beat the challenger if they were behind.

I believe it was sometime in mid-late 1974 that the rule was changed.  They always had the champion go first, but at around that time switched the chairs so the champ spun second.  That way it would guarantee the challenger having at least one spin and not having to be brought back if three jokers came up.

I vaguely remember from the original airings that it happened much later in the run than GSN ever got to.

[PYLdude]

[quote name=\'WhammyPower\' date=\'May 4 2005, 07:40 AM\'][quote name=\'whewfan\' date=\'May 2 2005, 07:29 PM\']It should be noted that "Mr Barry" ... was also on the Batman series.

[snapback]84154[/snapback]

[/quote]
As the "Joker, Joker, JOKER!!!!!!!!!!!!"?

[snapback]84300[/snapback]

[/quote]

Please tell me that wasn't a serious question.

Either way...I can see why there would be a concern in the three Jokers case, just because of when this took place (first spin of the game).

For a second, though, just ponder this. Say that this turned out to be a major scandal, just like the 1950s rigging scandal was. Do you think that a second game show scandal, a decade and change later, would have turned people permanently off to game shows? Would people be a little less critical, knowing that it came from one of the central figures of the previous scandal? Or do you think people would care less either way?

[SamJ93]

[quote name=\'PYLdude\' date=\'May 4 2005, 09:19 AM\'][quote name=\'WhammyPower\' date=\'May 4 2005, 07:40 AM\'][quote name=\'whewfan\' date=\'May 2 2005, 07:29 PM\']It should be noted that "Mr Barry" ... was also on the Batman series.

[snapback]84154[/snapback]

[/quote]
As the "Joker, Joker, JOKER!!!!!!!!!!!!"?

[snapback]84300[/snapback]

[/quote]

Please tell me that wasn't a serious question.

Either way...I can see why there would be a concern in the three Jokers case, just because of when this took place (first spin of the game).

For a second, though, just ponder this. Say that this turned out to be a major scandal, just like the 1950s rigging scandal was. Do you think that a second game show scandal, a decade and change later, would have turned people permanently off to game shows? Would people be a little less critical, knowing that it came from one of the central figures of the previous scandal? Or do you think people would care less either way?

[snapback]84307[/snapback]

[/quote]

I don't think it would've even had the ability to do that, considering it was a prop malfunction and nothing deliberate like the scandals were.  If it did, somehow...it may have had some impact, but likely not the massive reaction that people had when the first scandals took place.

I, for one, credit Jack's ability to think on his feet and come up with a solution quickly like that--no doubt his experience working in the early days of live TV helped immensely.  Of course, it also left some old habits that were hard to break ("Can you come back for tomorrow's show?" "No, Jack, I decided to lock myself in the green room instead.")

--Sam

[uncamark]

Even if it was a technical error, there's no doubt that S&P was watching "TJW" like a hawk.  The error was probably more embarrassing to S&P than anyone else, since they didn't catch it--and I'm sure from that point forward an S&P person was backstage making sure that the reels got changed correctly.

[chris319]

Jeez, you people have vivid imaginations.

Even if it was a technical error, there's no doubt that S&P was watching "TJW" like a hawk. The error was probably more embarrassing to S&P than anyone else, since they didn't catch it--and I'm sure from that point forward an S&P person was backstage making sure that the reels got changed correctly.

S&P: What happened?

Producer: They forgot to change the wheels.

S&P: Oh.

So much for your grand inquisition.

Take it from someone who's worked on a few game show tapings: S&P watched all game shows like a hawk, but it was the production company's respoinsibility to make sure the wheels were changed. There is not some game show policeman roaming the set, shining a MagLite at the projector to make sure they had been.

You don't honestly believe B&E would try to rig a show again when they were trying to rebuild their company and their reputations and after quiz rigging had been made a federal offense, do you?

[AH3RD]

Here is my addenda to this tidbit.

With partner Dan Enright, Barry originated such game show favorites as Winky Dink And You, Concentration, Tic Tac Dough, and Bullseye. The 1950s Game Show Scandals stemming from programs Twenty-One and The $64,000 Question made them the most controversial figures of TV history. As a result of The Scandals, Jack Barry was a virtual pariah to the networks until his work on Generation Gap and The Reel Game, and his creation of The Joker's Wild, which originally aired on CBS between 1972 and 1975, restored his status in TV game show culture.

Many closed door meetings on whether what to do about Joker in 1984 occurred until Bill Cullen was named host following his brief stint on NBC's Hot Potato, another Barry-Enright venture. This would be Cullen's final game.

In fact, The Joker's Wild turned out to be the final game for each one of its emcees, including 1983 interim host Jim Peck.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'AH3RD\' date=\'May 4 2005, 02:13 PM\']In fact, The Joker's Wild turned out to be the final game for each one of its emcees, including 1983 interim host Jim Peck.

[snapback]84370[/snapback]

[/quote]
That version, maybe. While his career hasn't been anything to write long letters to the Pope about, Pat Finn hasn't done badly for himself.

[sshuffield70]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'May 4 2005, 04:19 PM\'][quote name=\'AH3RD\' date=\'May 4 2005, 02:13 PM\']In fact, The Joker's Wild turned out to be the final game for each one of its emcees, including 1983 interim host Jim Peck.

[snapback]84370[/snapback]

[/quote]
That version, maybe. While his career hasn't been anything to write long letters to the Pope about, Pat Finn hasn't done badly for himself.

[snapback]84373[/snapback]

[/quote]

Agreed.  And I wouldn't mind Finn coming back to TJW if the damn show was done correctly.

[TimK2003]

[quote name=\'sshuffield70\' date=\'May 4 2005, 07:29 PM\'][quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'May 4 2005, 04:19 PM\']That version, maybe. While his career hasn't been anything to write long letters to the Pope about, Pat Finn hasn't done badly for himself.

[snapback]84373[/snapback]

[/quote]

Agreed.  And I wouldn't mind Finn coming back to TJW if the damn show was done correctly.

[snapback]84401[/snapback]

[/quote]


According to the Pat Finn Book of Logic, if "The Joker's Wild" was a game of Definitions, then what does Pat perceive the Canadian show "Definition" to be???

[The Ol' Guy]

I wonder how Jack felt about being relegated to local tv in the 60s for so long, hosting several L.A. games and a variety show. There must have been some real frustration over helping to get a game going locally like You Don't Say (for Ralph Andrews), then being told he couldn't be a part when it graduated to a network. I would imagine he appreciated the local work, but knowing he couldn't get in the net doors a few buildings down had to be tough.