The Game Show Forum

The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: JacksonBrowne1980 on August 03, 2008, 08:43:27 PM

Title: Diamond Head Game
Post by: JacksonBrowne1980 on August 03, 2008, 08:43:27 PM
GSN should bring back The Diamon Head Game, it was a great game show.  does anyone remember this?
Title: Diamond Head Game
Post by: whewfan on August 03, 2008, 09:19:48 PM
Eh, I didn't think the game had that much substance. As I remember it...

Round One was a little like Pass the Buck. I think they started off with 4 players and played until 2 were eliminated. Round 2 was a Q&A with the 2 remaining players, first to answer 2 questions won the round. Then came the bonus game with the contestant in the cage with flying money. There were dollar bills of various denominations, plus slips that represented prizes, but if you pick a one dollar bill, you lose everything.

While the game wasn't really THAT great IMO, you can't beat the location. Bob was interviewed for TV Guide, and oddly enough he didn't mention Diamond Head as one of his LEAST favorite shows (that honor goes to Trivia Trap and Dream House) Who WOULDN'T want an opportunity to do a tv show in Hawaii?
Title: Diamond Head Game
Post by: TroubadourNando on August 03, 2008, 09:24:57 PM
[quote name=\'whewfan\' post=\'193266\' date=\'Aug 3 2008, 09:19 PM\']

While the game wasn't really THAT great IMO, you can't beat the location. Bob was interviewed for TV Guide, and oddly enough he didn't mention Diamond Head as one of his LEAST favorite shows (that honor goes to Trivia Trap and Dream House) Who WOULDN'T want an opportunity to do a tv show in Hawaii?
[/quote]

Bob disliked Trivia Trap? I must say I'm a little surprised.
Title: Diamond Head Game
Post by: whewfan on August 03, 2008, 09:31:24 PM
Yes, he didn't understand why the contestants would eliminate all the wrong answers, when they KNOW the RIGHT answer. In the pilot, the players had the option to give the correct answer or eliminate a wrong answer, but this practice slowed down the game. The format was later changed to one where contestants each picked what they believe is the RIGHT answer... but then, where's the trap? The game is called Trivia Trap, and the trap was the RIGHT ANSWER.

As for Dream House, he said they should've called the show Dream Furniture, because they seldom gave away a house, but gave away a LOT of furniture. (Correct me if I am wrong but I think 6 houses were won in the show's short run)
Title: Diamond Head Game
Post by: BrandonFG on August 03, 2008, 09:38:22 PM
[quote name=\'whewfan\' post=\'193270\' date=\'Aug 3 2008, 09:31 PM\']
As for Dream House, he said they should've called the show Dream Furniture, because they seldom gave away a house, but gave away a LOT of furniture. (Correct me if I am wrong but I think 6 houses were won in the show's short run)
[/quote]
I thought it was more...around nine or so? I know Mike Klauss had a page with a number of show winners.

As for the infrequency of winners, I'd say it was cool for the large prize they offered (in 1983). However, I think they could've used a different road to winning, say five straight wins. The "find the code and win!" was just a bit too random IMO.

Of course, if the show aired now, you'd just have to climb a money tree to win the house.
Title: Diamond Head Game
Post by: ChuckNet on August 03, 2008, 09:48:36 PM
Quote
As for the infrequency of winners, I'd say it was cool for the large prize they offered (in 1983). However, I think they could've used a different road to winning, say five straight wins. The "find the code and win!" was just a bit too random IMO.

That was actually the other way to win the house...if you remained champion for a certain number of days (originally 7, then 5, and finally 6), the house would be won automatically.

And I think it was considerably more than 6 house wins, I'd say @ least twice that number.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")
Title: Diamond Head Game
Post by: NickintheATL on August 03, 2008, 10:05:36 PM
[quote name=\'JacksonBrowne1980\' post=\'193265\' date=\'Aug 3 2008, 08:43 PM\']
GSN should bring back The Diamon Head Game, it was a great game show.
[/quote]

No. Next?
Title: Diamond Head Game
Post by: TroubadourNando on August 03, 2008, 10:07:18 PM
Bringing it back wouldn't be a good idea, no question. But it would be rather neat, I think, if they did something like a special marathon of curiousities like it.
Title: Diamond Head Game
Post by: MikeK on August 03, 2008, 10:17:45 PM
[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'193272\' date=\'Aug 3 2008, 09:38 PM\']I thought it was more...around nine or so? I know Mike Klauss had a page with a number of show winners.[/quote]
I did?  I think you're confusing me with Matt Sittel.

ETA:  Here's Matt's page (http://\"http://www.angelfire.com/ne/msittel/Dh.html\").
Title: Diamond Head Game
Post by: davemackey on August 03, 2008, 10:41:07 PM
The two best things about the Diamond Head Game: Jane Nelson.
Title: Diamond Head Game
Post by: Eric Paddon on August 04, 2008, 12:21:52 AM
Agreed!    Jane was the best part of the show (and after the first episodes they had her dressing more conservatively than she did in the initial ones).
Title: Diamond Head Game
Post by: Offshored2007 on August 06, 2008, 08:16:50 AM
[quote name=\'Eric Paddon\' post=\'193289\' date=\'Aug 4 2008, 12:21 AM\']
Agreed!    Jane was the best part of the show (and after the first episodes they had her dressing more conservatively than she did in the initial ones).
[/quote]
The Diamon Head Game and The Diamond Head Game should never be arisen from the dead. Now that theme is stuck in my head with images of the money volcano and Waikiki.
Title: Diamond Head Game
Post by: irwinsjournal.com on August 06, 2008, 11:07:11 AM
From Wikipedia (yes, I know...)

"All episodes do exist, and the show was rerun on GSN from October 1997-April 1998 during the 'Dark Period'."

Fortunately, I don't recall the theme.  No one need remind me either... please...
Title: Diamond Head Game
Post by: SRIV94 on August 06, 2008, 11:35:45 AM
[quote name=\'irwinsjournal.com\' post=\'193503\' date=\'Aug 6 2008, 10:07 AM\']
Fortunately, I don't recall the theme.
[/quote]
Take Jane Nelson out (most of us would have liked that opportunity), and the theme was the best part of the show.
Title: Diamond Head Game
Post by: Ian Wallis on August 10, 2008, 01:39:03 PM
Quote
While the game wasn't really THAT great IMO, you can't beat the location. Bob was interviewed for TV Guide, and oddly enough he didn't mention Diamond Head as one of his LEAST favorite shows (that honor goes to Trivia Trap and Dream House) Who WOULDN'T want an opportunity to do a tv show in Hawaii?

There's an episode of Card Sharks from late in the run where Bob mentions how awful Diamond Head Game was.  It was kind of funny...
Title: Diamond Head Game
Post by: Ian Wallis on August 10, 2008, 01:43:48 PM
Quote
As for the infrequency of winners, I'd say it was cool for the large prize they offered (in 1983). However, I think they could've used a different road to winning, say five straight wins. The "find the code and win!" was just a bit too random IMO.


Agreed.  Looking back, maybe there should have been some formula for guessing the number.  Let's say the host would read a mathematical question and the code would have been numbers from the answer to that question.  Just basically guessing was too much of a stab in the dark.

Having said that, they actually gave away quite a number of houses on that show - I want to say over 25.  The show debuted in April 1983, and they had two or three automatic winners (7 shows) before someone finally guessed the right combo in June.  After that, they seemed to have a winner or two a month.  By fall, they even ran graphics at the beginning of the show stating how much they'd given away (thanks to Matt's "megamix" tape for that!)  For the record, they also gave away a house on the show's final episode, with the couple guessing the right combination.