The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: johnnya2k3 on October 20, 2003, 11:34:11 PM
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If you think this year's World Series seem too boring, then there's "I Love The '80s Strikes Back" all this week on VH1! Last time they went through the decade, WOF was the only game show featured; the '70s miniseries had Feud, TPIR, Newlywed Game, Battle of the Network Stars, and Gong Show.
Let's hope the second time around they'll cover Press Your Luck and/or Tic Tac Dough (Thom McKee and Michael Larson MIGHT be brought up) on the game shows side. Let's also pray they might get to Inspector Gadget, SCTV, Today's Special, the early years of Entertainment Tonight, the televangelist scandals of Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart, and of course, SQUARE ONE TV!!!!!
Jonathan Allen
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[quote name=\'johnnya2k3\' date=\'Oct 20 2003, 10:34 PM\']Let's hope the second time around they'll cover Press Your Luck and/or Tic Tac Dough (Thom McKee and Michael Larson MIGHT be brought up) on the game shows side. [/quote]
Probably not, but good try.
Let's also pray they might get to Inspector Gadget
Uh, why? HE-MAN was waaay better.
SCTV
SCTV's beginnings go back to the 1970s (although, technically so did WoF's). I guess you could call the early 1980s the glory years for SCTV, what with "Great White North" really catching on as a bit (and I must admit I love the McKenzie Bros.' take on "Twelve Days of Xmas" on the CD). So that's plausible.
Today's Special
Sure, a Canadian kids show seen in some U.S. markets via PBS that made a lasting impact. I'm sure those stars, whatshisname and whosheis, look back with fond memories of those early years (yes, that was a trifle sarcastic).
the early years of Entertainment Tonight
Could very well be covered, given that VH-1 and ET now have a relationship.
the televangelist scandals of Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart
Fer shurr. You mean they weren't covered the first time around?
, and of course, SQUARE ONE TV!!!!!
Three strikes and you're out. But the game show bits were good and I'd swear that Dirk Niblick's voice bore a striking resemblance to Gary Owens'. But you never know.
Doug
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But the game show bits were good and I'd swear that Dirk Niblick's voice bore a striking resemblance to Gary Owens'
Um, Gary Owens WAS the voice of Dirk Niblick.
BTW, I forgot to mention they might feature The Great Space Coaster, Donahue, and if it's alright with the religious folks, Superbook, PTL Club (to go along with the Bakker scandal), and Circle Square (the latter and fellow show 100 Huntley Street (a 700 Club-ish show which began airing Stateside in the mid-'80s) were also Canadian imports along with Today's Special and SCTV).
Jonathan Allen
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What about Match Game and Joker's Wild and Marc Summers' Double Dare (Nickelodeon)?
As for Today's Special - That was a Nickelodeon preschool show like Pinwheel was. Too bad it could have reinstated today on the Nickelodeon owned cable channel named Noggin/The N. I liked that mouse who spoke in poetry - Take that, Nipsey Russell!
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Pinwheel.....that was such a long show! =)
j
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[quote name=\'johnnya2k3\' date=\'Oct 20 2003, 11:48 PM\']
But the game show bits were good and I'd swear that Dirk Niblick's voice bore a striking resemblance to Gary Owens'
Um, Gary Owens WAS the voice of Dirk Niblick. [/quote]
I also loved Sq1. The Great Space Coaster was mentioned above, but I also watched Voltron, You Can't Do That on Television, and Muppet Babies--often imitated, only once or twice duplicated--regularly. And as mentioned on ezBoard, the Hit Man theme seemed to borrow its rolling keyboard riff from Duran Duran's "Rio". And back then, USA was the game show network.
ObGameShows: You Can't alumnus Stephanie Chow was a contestant on Win Ben Stein's Money.
Ob80s: Happy Days, a show about the '50s, succeeded in the '70s. That '70s Show! succeeded in the '90s. Why does every recent show set in the 1980s (Freaks & Geeks, Do Over, et al) flop? The decade wasn't that bad, was it?
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[quote name=\'johnnya2k3\' date=\'Oct 20 2003, 11:48 PM\']
But the game show bits were good and I'd swear that Dirk Niblick's voice bore a striking resemblance to Gary Owens'
Um, Gary Owens WAS the voice of Dirk Niblick.
BTW, I forgot to mention they might feature The Great Space Coaster, Donahue, and if it's alright with the religious folks, Superbook, PTL Club (to go along with the Bakker scandal), and Circle Square (the latter and fellow show 100 Huntley Street (a 700 Club-ish show which began airing Stateside in the mid-'80s) were also Canadian imports along with Today's Special and SCTV). [/quote]
No wonder he sounded like him! (And yes, I actually did know that.) :)
Not that there's anything wrong with religion, but you seem to be hung up on VH-1 devoting a lot of segments to these religious shows. PTL was certainly newsworthy because of the scandal, but the other ones you mentioned I wouldn't think they'd have caused enough of a stir to merit a mention, let alone a segment. I could be wrong, though.
GREAT SPACE COASTER? Probably the same deal. Of course, everybody has his or her own favorites from the decade (I was quite partial to HE-MAN and SHE-RA myself). But there's an old saying in life--you can't please everybody.
Granted, I didn't watch all 20 hours of I LOVE THE 70S and I LOVE THE 80S (the original), so I don't know whether DONAHUE was or wasn't mentioned, but I'm a little surprised if he wasn't. Oprah started her regin by toppling DONAHUE from the ratings perch, so he certainly deserves a mention for his accomplishments prior to the Oprah juggernaut.
And to get this back to being on-topic, if any game show besides WoF really deserves a mention/segment, J!'s 1984 revival certainly does probably before any others (and the best part is it's still airing).
Doug
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Was Dave Letterman ever mentioned in the original 80's shows? Just curious, because that would be a rather serious ommission if he wasn't.
Oh, and what about Trebeck J!?
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No one mentioned that Chuck Woolery was on the 1981 episode talking about Hart to Hart. Judging by his chyron, we'll probably see a segment on Love Connection later.
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[quote name=\'SRIV94\' date=\'Oct 20 2003, 11:15 PM\'] Today's Special -- Sure, a Canadian kids show seen in some U.S. markets via PBS that made a lasting impact. I'm sure those stars, whatshisname and whosheis, look back with fond memories of those early years (yes, that was a trifle sarcastic). [/quote]
Wow! I figured I was the only one who remembered "Today's Special". Good old TVO.... sadly, one of the more memorable shows they featured back then. Though you couldn't beat the nature films made lovingly by the NFB.
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The only other game show host so far has been Bil Dwyer.
Not that he was a host for long, but he's still part of the family.
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[quote name=\'inturnaround\' date=\'Oct 21 2003, 09:46 PM\']The only other game show host so far has been Bil Dwyer.
Not that he was a host for long, but he's still part of the family.[/quote]
Hasn't Proops shown up yet? He's been on every other "I Love..." so far (and he was on ESPN2's new morning show "Cold Pizza" yesterday morning doing a smarmy version of what Jim the Announcer used to do on "Breakfast Time" with the weather maps--although he didn't talk about Hugo and Luigi).
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Ob80s: Happy Days, a show about the '50s, succeeded in the '70s. That '70s Show! succeeded in the '90s. Why does every recent show set in the 1980s (Freaks & Geeks, Do Over, et al) flop? The decade wasn't that bad, was it?
Personally, I thought there were a lot of good things about the '80s, from music to certain movies to game shows. Let's not forget that the mid-80s saw another boom time in game shows. After a couple of down years in the early 80s, they were really hot there for several years, before the decline in the '90s.
Eventually I'm sure we'll have a hit sitcom or drama series set in the '80s!
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No, Proops hasn't been on this version yet. We're halfway in, so I doubt he'll pop up.
Bob Barker appeared in the 1985 episode via a PSA made that let the public know that you can't get AIDS from cats. Bob was grey for the spot.
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The 1985 show did cover "Inspector Gadget." Whoo-whoo!
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Today's Special -- Sure, a Canadian kids show seen in some U.S. markets via PBS that made a lasting impact.
It was also seen nationwide on Nickelodeon in the mid- to late-1980s.
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[quote name=\'davemackey\' date=\'Oct 22 2003, 10:50 PM\'] The 1985 show did cover "Inspector Gadget." Whoo-whoo! [/quote]
They also showed a PSA of Bob Barker telling us that cats are friendly creatures and that a person can't get AIDS from cats. Hey, I couldn't make that up if I tried!
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Yes, Gadget WAS covered, but not Today's Special or The Raccoons (yet another Canadian kids' show which was also popular with American viewers). Maybe VH1 doesn't care about '70s/'80s Canadian pop culture after all with those two shows, SCTV, Circle Square, and 100 Huntley Street hitting the U.S. airwaves.
As for other syndie fare, they had Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous (loved Donal Louge's Robin Leach imitation; too bad they didn't cue up the Good Charlotte song), People's Court, and Jem; sorry, no Tic Tac Dough, Joker's Wild, or even PYL on the game shows front!
Tonight they'll be at 1986 and 1987; let's hope they'll feature the REAL reason men were watching Entertainment Tonight (Mary Hart's legs), the final months of the PTL Club, and hopefully Square One TV! As for PSA's, the "This is your brain (on drugs)" one.
Jonathan Allen
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The editing in this series defies explanation. Logue and the other "experts" have made some really explicit sexual comments, but the "steers and queers" line from "An Officer and a Gentleman" got bleeped.
Yes, I know this is irrelevant.
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[quote name=\'rugrats1\' date=\'Oct 22 2003, 11:05 PM\']
Today's Special -- Sure, a Canadian kids show seen in some U.S. markets via PBS that made a lasting impact.
It was also seen nationwide on Nickelodeon in the mid- to late-1980s. [/quote]
Has anyone happened to see any information related to this on the internet, I remember faintly parts of theme song, but that's all.
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[quote name=\'Dsmith\' date=\'Oct 23 2003, 03:29 PM\'][quote name=\'rugrats1\' date=\'Oct 22 2003, 11:05 PM\']
Today's Special -- Sure, a Canadian kids show seen in some U.S. markets via PBS that made a lasting impact.
It was also seen nationwide on Nickelodeon in the mid- to late-1980s. [/quote]
Has anyone happened to see any information related to this on the internet, I remember faintly parts of theme song, but that's all.[/quote]
This web site (http://\"http://www.schuminweb.com/todays-special/main-page.htm\") should tell you everything you need to know about the show. The webmaster seems to be the former a.t.g-s regular who got a threatening letter from King World legal over a "Squares" fan site he had during the Whoopi days.
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The 1986 show covered "Double Dare". No mention of "Family" or "Super Sloppy" was made and I think all the clips were of their Philadelphia era.
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1987 saw coverage of Remote Control. Only one of the hostesses (Kari Wuhrer) was named (though the others were shown) and only the original endgame was shown. Adam Sandler was shown prominently.
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[quote name=\'inturnaround\' date=\'Oct 24 2003, 02:02 AM\'] 1987 saw coverage of Remote Control. Only one of the hostesses (Kari Wuhrer) was named (though the others were shown) and only the original endgame was shown. Adam Sandler was shown prominently. [/quote]
I'm not surprised. Kari's had a couple of dramas to her name since then, but I wonder what became of that Sandler guy...
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[quote name=\'Card Shark\' date=\'Oct 23 2003, 06:50 AM\'] [quote name=\'davemackey\' date=\'Oct 22 2003, 10:50 PM\'] The 1985 show did cover "Inspector Gadget." Whoo-whoo! [/quote]
They also showed a PSA of Bob Barker telling us that cats are friendly creatures and that a person can't get AIDS from cats. Hey, I couldn't make that up if I tried! [/quote]
Just caught that PSA.
Wasn't this 1987?
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[quote name=\'GS Warehouse\' date=\'Oct 24 2003, 07:24 AM\'] 1987 saw coverage of Remote Control [/quote]
Why didn't Remote Control last longer than it did? It was a great show.
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[quote name=\'melman1\' date=\'Oct 24 2003, 10:36 PM\']
Why didn't Remote Control last longer than it did? It was a great show. [/quote]
MTV probably reasoned that a game show took away time that could be used to show music videos.....no wait, that's not it. I think the bloom was off the rose at the end, For trendy MTV, RC had a long run
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Seems like a perfect show for GSN today. Much better than just about any of their "originals".
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[quote name=\'melman1\' date=\'Oct 24 2003, 10:36 PM\'] [quote name=\'GS Warehouse\' date=\'Oct 24 2003, 07:24 AM\'] 1987 saw coverage of Remote Control [/quote]
Why didn't Remote Control last longer than it did? It was a great show. [/quote]
RC was a good show....Was it ever determined where that scrolling "THE PRICE IS RIGHT" graphic came from, that one would see during the opening theme? Considering it was never seen anywhere else..
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That was from a CBS promo spot of the 70's.
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Not enough men were pleasuring themselves to Kari Wuhrer, and the rest of the show was, sadly, a joke...
*still remembering Colin Quinn and a female contestant mangling "Electric Youth" in the "Sing Along With Colin" round...*
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[quote name=\'starcade\' date=\'Oct 25 2003, 11:11 PM\'] Not enough men were pleasuring themselves to Kari Wuhrer, [/quote]
Well, it's good to know that I was, um, doing my part to keep Remote Control on the air... :)
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[quote name=\'starcade\' date=\'Oct 26 2003, 01:11 AM\'] Not enough men were pleasuring themselves to Kari Wuhrer, and the rest of the show was, sadly, a joke...
[/quote]
Sadly? It was supposed to be a joke. Everything about it was a joke. I'm glad it was. It made me laugh from "Beat the Bishop" to "Brady Physics" to "Dead or Canadian?".
I'm sorry you didn't get the joke. Still, a TV trivia game would be a good show to put somewhere. I'm surprised the idea hasn't been used since Couch Potatoes (save for the Chuck Woolery hosted TV Land shows)
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[quote name=\'inturnaround\' date=\'Oct 26 2003, 02:06 AM\'][quote name=\'starcade\' date=\'Oct 26 2003, 01:11 AM\'] Not enough men were pleasuring themselves to Kari Wuhrer, and the rest of the show was, sadly, a joke...
[/quote]
Sadly? It was supposed to be a joke. Everything about it was a joke. I'm glad it was. It made me laugh from "Beat the Bishop" to "Brady Physics" to "Dead or Canadian?".[/quote]
"GO POPE GO! GO POPE GO!"
As already pointed out, "Remote Control" had a good run for an MTV show (except for "Real World" and "Road Rules," most shows on that channel have a short shelf life by definition). The fact that the weekly syndicated version bombed didn't help it stay on MTV--and the fact that Ober and Quinn were obviously sick and tired of the whole thing in the last series probably sealed it. Of course, if you'd taped 65 MTV shows and 13 syndicated shows over the course of a month, immediately left for a two-month live college "Remote Control" tour where you were doing the same material every night, and then come back to tape another 65 MTV episodes over a three-week period only a couple of weeks later, you'd be sick and tired of it too.
For those of you with memories of the days of live television, where the host had to do the show every day, and saying "What's their complaint?", the host in the live days was done in a half-hour in the morning with no retakes or pickups and then off to the track, Yankee Stadium or the bar in the afternoon, not taping five episodes in a day with possible retakes or pickups and then coming back the next day and doing it all over again for several days straight.
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Jonathan Allen wrote:
Yes, Gadget WAS covered, but not Today's Special or The Raccoons (yet another Canadian kids' show which was also popular with American viewers). Maybe VH1 doesn't care about '70s/'80s Canadian pop culture after all with those two shows, SCTV, Circle Square, and 100 Huntley Street hitting the U.S. airwaves.
How could you forget Degrassi Junior High? :-)
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[quote name=\'Fedya\' date=\'Oct 26 2003, 08:57 PM\']Jonathan Allen wrote:
Yes, Gadget WAS covered, but not Today's Special or The Raccoons (yet another Canadian kids' show which was also popular with American viewers). Maybe VH1 doesn't care about '70s/'80s Canadian pop culture after all with those two shows, SCTV, Circle Square, and 100 Huntley Street hitting the U.S. airwaves.
How could you forget Degrassi Junior High? :-)[/quote]
Turn on MTV Networks' sister channel Noggin/The N some evening--they haven't over there.
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As for Today's Special - That was a Nickelodeon preschool show like Pinwheel was. Too bad it could have reinstated today on the Nickelodeon owned cable channel named Noggin/The N.
...which would actually be ideal, since TS was a 26-min. show (as opposed to the usual 22-23 min that a half-hr show usually adds up to) and Noggin is a non-commercial network. That and the fact that it was a damn good show. :-) Hocus-pocus, alimagocus!
Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")