The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: ActualRetailMike on May 14, 2012, 07:59:02 PM
-
It seems like a lot of pre-1980 game shows made use of "darkness" as a special effect in their opening sequence. The most common way was to begin with a darkened stage, then quickly bring up the lights as the players and/or host was introduced. The stage wasn't completely dark; you'd often have conspicuous strings of light bulbs, either steady, blinking, chasing, or progressively turning on. There might also be strategic backlighting effects to silhouette the show's sets.
One textbook example of this was Match Game ‘7x. After introducing the celebrities via that “flipper”, we’d see a darkened set. The word “Match” would diffusively turn on, then “Game” all at once, then “‘7x”, after which the stage lights would quickly brighten as the turntable rotated.
Another example, albeit a distant memory, was Password, I think from 1971. In this case, the show began with the camera zoomed in on the chase lights in a dark studio. The camera then zoomed out enough to make out the word, then the shape of the studio, then the lights came on. (Though I’m not sure they always did that that incarnation of Password. I seem to recall that for the first episode or two, they started out with the studio fully lit and the camera zoomed in on the word Password flashing on and off. They then zoomed out as usual.)
One reason that the darkness special effect was so common, IMHO, is that it was easy enough to pull off with the technology of the time. When TV cameras were tube-based, you needed a LOT of light to produce broadcast-quality programs. I seem to recall being advised to not even look directly at the Fresnel studio lights for danger of hurting your eyes. So it was easy to depict a darkened stage by merely dimming the stage lights to less than high-noon brightness. Over time, TV camera tubes became more light-sensitive, and today most studio TV cameras don’t even use tubes, but rather CCDs to capture the image. As such, while studio lighting still needs to be set “just right”, the foot-candle reading in the camera field doesn’t need to be nearly as high.
Some gameshows used darkness for effects other than the show’s opening. One example was on The Dating Game (original), where they kept each of the 3 bachelors silhouetted in darkness until they were introduced, one-by-one. (Same with the less-common 3 bachelorettes, except they superimposed a lacy heart frame). And a rather odd example was found in the mid-’70s show Baffle. When they “turned off sound” in each player’s booth, they also turned off the stage light in there, making it appear that they were sitting in darkness. (I used to ask myself, as a kid, what being in the dark had to do with whether or not you could hear what was going on. But anyway.)
And of course, many gameshows dimmed the main studio lights, perhaps selectively, as a backdrop for the closing credits. This was done on some variety shows as well, and even some local or national news programs.
-
80s Sale of the Century immediately comes to mind as a show that used a dark open. Another example is the 80s versions of Pyramid and Winning Streak in the 70s also used a dark open if I recall from the one episode I saw.
-
Sandy Frank, as I recall, was fond of such openings. Both Face the Music and Lange Name That Tune used a dark set with chase lights to open the show.
-
-70s Pyramid as well
-80s Scrabble
-80s versions of the Newlywed and Dating games
-the TPiR Thursday night specials, featuring a spotlight roaming the crowd
-Wipeout I believe
-Password Plus/Super Password
There's quite a few shows; it's a trend that really seemed to peak in the 80s...it's also an aspect that's missing from the games of today IMO.
-
80s "Card Sharks".
-
The 1976 (Kennedy/Barry) version of Break the Bank. The New Treasure Hunt.. The original open for The Money Maze. There's lots to choose from here.
-
Didn't NBC-era Jackpot! also start with a dark set?
-
Didn't NBC-era Jackpot! also start with a dark set?
[checks a few YT videos]
Partially dark, but yes. So did [strike]Darrow's.[/strike] ETA: Edwards' return, yes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWInyWtIaYc). Darrow's, no (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC-ybaY8EP4).
-
Not so much an opening to a show, per se, but I always liked the "Trip down Main Street" showcase when they would start out with the crawl lights on the big doors..
-
I would think the current Jeopardy would be an example, although it wasn't until the second season (I think) that they started dimming the whole set.
-
Add to the "dark open" mix:
• Jack Clark's version of Cross Wits
• Stumpers
• Hit Man
-
Not only did Break the Bank '76 started in the dark, but it also ended that way too. That's the only one I remember that does that on a regular basis. When the CBS version of The Joker's Wiled ended, the whole set gradually got darker untill it was completely dark. A true example of a show saying its fond farewell.
Not sure if Pitfall opened in the dark or not, I do however remember seeing the set being partially darkened before the bonus round. That's where the player has to watch the sequence of lights on the bridge to locate where the 3 pirfalls are because they always flashed twuce.
-
Jack Barry's Twenty One, Concentration's Challenge of Champions, The $64,000 Challenge,Winning Streak, and (possibly) 100 Grand.
-
Jack Barry's Twenty One
The Povich Twenty One also, IIRC.
-
Face The Music ended in the dark too. I believe Bumper Stumpers opened and closed in the dark too.
-
If we're talking opening and closing with the lights dimmed, there's also both of Geoff's "Treasure Hunt" runs.
The early months of Perry's $otC did as well, with the camera doing a slow zoom out during the credits.
-
Not sure what season of (Trebek) J! it was when they dimmed the stage lights while the contestants wrote their Final J! questions, to the think music. To us it may have appeared as if they were writing in the dark (unless there was some soft key lighting on the podiums), but in reality, there was plenty of light available.
-
Not sure what season of (Trebek) J! it was when they dimmed the stage lights while the contestants wrote their Final J! questions, to the think music. To us it may have appeared as if they were writing in the dark (unless there was some soft key lighting on the podiums), but in reality, there was plenty of light available.
IIRC it was when they went switched to the "checkerboard" set, so season 8?
ETA: Wait...did Super Jeopardy! dim the lights for FJ?
-
I'd love to answer the BFG, but the clip of the Finale cuts out the thinking time.
-
ETA: Wait...did Super Jeopardy! dim the lights for FJ?
That's where it started. It didn't officially become part of the game until the following season, when they went to the new set.
-
I remember seeing a season 7 episode from the S7 premiere week, and the lights stayed on during FJ. HYHYBT used to have that episode on his YT account, but it was terminated.
-
I remember seeing a season 7 episode from the S7 premiere week, and the lights stayed on during FJ. HYHYBT used to have that episode on his YT account, but it was terminated.
The new set was season 8 (1991-92).