Author Topic: The Best "Tweaked" Format... (Read 13256 times)

TimK2003 · « **on:** November 02, 2005, 08:54:25 AM »

In most cases, the "If it aint broke, don't fix it" adage was/has been the unwritten rule in game shows. However, there have been a few shows when a major rule or game format was changed during it's incarnation and the game became stronger because of it.

What have been the best "tweaks" made to a game show as far as the maingame play goes and as far as a bonus game goes?

Seeing the first few months of the original CBS Joker's Wild on GSN several years back, compared with the shows later in the 70's could be a good example of this:

MAINGAME:

Was -- Champion went first.
When 3 jokers pop up, game over, no questions asked (no pun intended)!

Tweaked Format -- Challenger went first.
If 3 jokers popped up, question was asked for win.
Champion always had last spin to tie/beat challenger's score or 3 joker spin.

BONUS GAME:

Was -- Jokers and Devils, survive spin to advance to next prize level.

Tweaked Format -- Spin to $1000, avoid the bad guy. (This would become one of Barry & Enright's signature formats).

Others??

Jimmy Owen · « **Reply #1 on:** November 02, 2005, 09:08:01 AM »

The switching of the gameplay on "Tattletales" from buzz-ins to the "Newlywed Game" format was a good move, IMO.

zachhoran · « **Reply #2 on:** November 02, 2005, 09:08:13 AM »

You could make a case for Scrabble being a stronger game upon some of its format changes, notably the axing of the spelling format(Mosquitos).

PYLdude · « **Reply #3 on:** November 02, 2005, 10:02:33 AM »

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' date=\'Nov 2 2005, 09:54 AM\']Was -- Jokers and Devils, survive spin to advance to next prize level.

Tweaked Format -- Spin to $1000, avoid the bad guy. (This would become one of Barry & Enright's signature formats).

[snapback]101045[/snapback]

[/quote]

I thought the Joker/Devil prize level game was better. Call me crazy.

I liked when The Challengers changed their format from the every three day Ultimate Challenge to the daily UC- while I liked the fact that there was a possibility for a big cash jackpot, playing it only every so often kinda took some of the luster away from it. I mighta kept the accumulating pot, but it was a better bonus round to do everday. I also thought that eliminating the Challengers Sprint to put it in was good as well, because it never made sense to me that a speed round was in the very beginning of the show.

BrandonFG · « **Reply #4 on:** November 02, 2005, 10:04:25 AM »

MAINGAME
Karn Feud making a double/triple round to make the game fair for both teams. Of course, it also gives us a chance to hear our favorite chant. ;-)

H^2 switching to the 2-out-of-3 format its final season.

END GAME
Hollywood Squares dumping the :60 "Double or Nothing" bonus round in favor of the two-part H^2 bonus round.

Osmond Pyramid allowing contestants to have their choice of giving or receiving...clues, that is. :-P (Bad Brandon, bad!)

SRIV94 · « **Reply #5 on:** November 02, 2005, 11:29:05 AM »

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Nov 2 2005, 09:04 AM\']Osmond Pyramid allowing contestants to have their choice of giving or receiving...clues, that is. :-P (Bad Brandon, bad!)

[snapback]101050[/snapback]

[/quote]
Didn't the Clark/Cullen/Davidson PYRAMID offer the same option (I seem to recall a few occasions where the civilian gave the clues in the WC)?

Doug -- and the countdown to 1600 continues

Dbacksfan12 · « **Reply #6 on:** November 02, 2005, 11:35:33 AM »

[quote name=\'SRIV94\' date=\'Nov 2 2005, 11:29 AM\']Didn't the Clark/Cullen/Davidson PYRAMID offer the same option (I seem to recall a few occasions where the civilian gave the clues in the WC)?
[/quote]
Yes; Kris Lane's site feature a clip of a civilian giving who won $0 giving to Tom Poston.

Brandon is refering to, I believe, the change Pyramid made in season 2--in season 1, only celebs. could give.

SRIV94 · « **Reply #7 on:** November 02, 2005, 11:39:53 AM »

[quote name=\'Modor\' date=\'Nov 2 2005, 10:35 AM\']Brandon is refering to, I believe, the change Pyramid made in season 2--in season 1, only celebs. could give.

[snapback]101059[/snapback]

[/quote]
Oh. That's very different. Never mind.

Good night and have a pleasant tomorrow.

Doug -- and the countdown to 1600 continues

Ian Wallis · « **Reply #8 on:** November 02, 2005, 12:29:42 PM »

Quote

MAINGAME:

Was -- Champion went first.
When 3 jokers pop up, game over, no questions asked (no pun intended)!

Tweaked Format -- Challenger went first.
If 3 jokers popped up, question was asked for win.
Champion always had last spin to tie/beat challenger's score or 3 joker spin.

I believe they didn't switch to having the Challenger go first until sometime in 1974. They had a rule that everybody had to have at least one spin, so if the champ spun three jokers and answered correctly, they'd have the challenger back (usually the very next game).

What does everyone think of the changes made on "Now You See It" in Dec 1974? Was it a stronger game after eliminating the first round?

Mike Tennant · « **Reply #9 on:** November 02, 2005, 01:25:25 PM »

Three tweaks to TPIR that really improved it (two in particular):

1. Going to an hour. This made the show more of an event and has, I think, contributed to its longevity.

2. Adding the Showcase Showdown (which, obviously, coincides with #1). This made it possible for a contestant who didn't win his pricing game, or won just a dinette instead of a car, still to get into the Showcase. It's still luck-based, much as the original system was (since being the top winner mostly depended on which prize you were fortunate enough to be offered in your pricing game), but a contestant's fate is in his own hands more than in the hands of the producer. Plus, it's probably the signature prop of the show now.

3. The Double Showcase Rule. Granted, this is the least of the three tweaks, but it still provides one important benefit (besides the excitement of seeing someone win both Showcases): It gives the second bidder an incentive to place a genuine bid even if he thinks that the first bidder has overbid. That makes the finish more exciting than it would be if the second bidder went for the $1 sucker punch.

DJDustman · « **Reply #10 on:** November 02, 2005, 03:15:58 PM »

On $ale's daytime version, they went to the WInner's Board in late 1984. This was a good change for two reasons.

1) In Daytime Shopping, contestants needed $650 for just the Cash Jackpot or $760 for all the prizes and the JP. This probably caused almost every major champ retired with the pot. Most of the time it was very anti-climatic. The Winner's Board added at lot more risk once that contestant won all 10 prizes off that board, they had the opportunity to try to win an 11th game and add $50,000. Or possibly lose that 11th game, and lose all their prizes.

2) This bonus game lasted a lot longer and brought a whole bunch of lot winners with it. I am assuming this made Sale last longer on NBC.

It's too bad that the board was done for in December of 87 and replaced with hell.

Don Howard · « **Reply #11 on:** November 02, 2005, 03:35:30 PM »

[quote name=\'DJDustman\' date=\'Nov 2 2005, 03:15 PM\']The Winner's Board added at lot more risk once that contestant won all 10 prizes off that board, they had the opportunity to try to win an 11th game and add $50,000. Or possibly lose that 11th game, and lose all their prizes.

[snapback]101084[/snapback]

[/quote]
Did anyone ever go on to an 11th game and lose? Did anyone ever stop after their 10th win? Yes, being a $otC megafan, I should know this answer. But I don't....yet.

brianhenke · « **Reply #12 on:** November 02, 2005, 03:45:22 PM »

While we're at it...

Powerball - The Game Show (Eubanks version, season 1): In the first few shows, the survey game was first. Afterwards, it was played last before the winner played Zero Gravity (with the last two with the most Powerball miles competing). The first show under the revised format saw contestant Timothy Holbrook win the $1 million. Also, Capsize's apparatus was changed from what appeared to be an anchor to a buoy.

(Eubanks version, season 2): Among the changes: a game called "Brainiac" was played second, with confusing rules. They went back to Capsize shortly afterwards. Only three contestants played the survey game and they had to answer by percentage instead of "YES/NO" in season 1. In Zero Gravity, there was only one spin (where in season 1, Eubanks asked the contestant to decide whether he/she would take the money from the first spin or risk it for the $1 million).

Brian

The Jehovah's Witnesses distribute Mad magazine?

Neumms · « **Reply #13 on:** November 02, 2005, 04:06:05 PM »

[quote name=\'DJDustman\' date=\'Nov 2 2005, 03:15 PM\']1) In Daytime Shopping, contestants needed $650 for just the Cash Jackpot or $760 for all the prizes and the JP. This probably caused almost every major champ retired with the pot. Most of the time it was very anti-climatic.

[snapback]101084[/snapback]

[/quote]

On the syndicated version, didn't one win all the prizes on the stage first, then go for the jackpot? That's a simpler solution to the issue you raise.

I thought the winners' board blew. All the excitement of watching a stranger scratch off a lottery ticket. The original endgame (which wasn't really a game, per se) fit with the premise of the show. Not to say it couldn't have stood some tinkering--maybe a chance to gamble and win extra shopping money--but it shouldn't have been tossed aside entirely.

Two good tweaks from old panel shows: Letting the panel hold up their ballots and explain them rather than Bud gathering them on TTTT, and ditching the wild guess and the walk in front of the panel on WML?

DJDustman · « **Reply #14 on:** November 02, 2005, 04:39:08 PM »

[quote name=\'Neumms\' date=\'Nov 2 2005, 04:06 PM\']
On the syndicated version, didn't one win all the prizes on the stage first, then go for the jackpot? That's a simpler solution to the issue you raise.

[snapback]101089[/snapback]

[/quote]

Right, it was $640 for all prizes or $750 for everything and the pot. But I was only speaking of the Daytime version.

The syndicated version shouldn't have been touched. The way they did shopping was excellent BUT things changed...