The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: opimus on July 25, 2003, 11:07:28 AM
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Carson jokes aside, Which network has the worst commissary?
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Maybe I'm not catching on, but what does that have to do with game shows? Did MGP have a comissary or something?
Brandon Brooks
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ObGameShow: Anyone remember the Treasure Hunt ep where Geoff went to the comissary and left the contestant with the box?
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Well, J! and WoF contestants, if they're still around for the lunch break, get to eat at the Sony commissary...I've eaten there, and while it wasn't exactly fine dining, it was at least slightly better than the 1835 Hinman cafeteria at Northwestern University. (Shout-out to Brandon Brooks.)
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[quote name=\'trainman\' date=\'Jul 25 2003, 10:26 PM\'] Well, J! and WoF contestants, if they're still around for the lunch break, get to eat at the Sony commissary...I've eaten there, and while it wasn't exactly fine dining, it was at least slightly better than the 1835 Hinman cafeteria at Northwestern University. (Shout-out to Brandon Brooks.) [/quote]
Yeah, 1835 is not that good. None of the dining serivices are good. Not even Norris. I get gas thinking of it... let me end this right now.
ObGameShow: Center square Paul Lynde went to Northwestern University.
Brandon Brooks
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ObGameShow: Center square Paul Lynde went to Northwestern University.
So did McLean Stevenson. Ever hear the story about him wanting to wear the NU sweater on M*A*S*H? The producers hated the way the purple stood out on the deliberately drab set, so they made Henry Blake an Illinois alum instead.
Anyway, having eaten at both the Sony and the NBC troughs, I prefer NBC's, which was brighter and cleaner, and as I recall had a better variety. I'd be very interested in our friend Randy West's take on this question, since chances are he's been to as many of them as anybody.
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The ABC commissary in NYC was not bad. They did seperate the WWTBAM contestants from the regular diners though, so we did not get the full commissary experience.
Tim :-)
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[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Jul 25 2003, 10:53 PM\'] Anyway, having eaten at both the Sony and the NBC troughs, I prefer NBC's, which was brighter and cleaner, and as I recall had a better variety. I'd be very interested in our friend Randy West's take on this question, since chances are he's been to as many of them as anybody. [/quote]
Thanks Matt. Yes, I truly do look like the kind of guy who has eaten liberally all over town! And with Matt contributing to this thread, I guess it's no longer OT. ;-)
Warning, stop reading now if you're hungry. And stop reading now if you think this is all just silly. It IS just silly, but when you're hanging around everyday during a meal break with little else to do on shows that aren't catered, it's suprising how much it starts to matter!
NBC and that SONY cafe are both pretty good. I think the SONY joint has a little wider variety on the hot dishes, and they win over NBC because they have a soup bar in addition to the salad bar. But NBC's salad bar has those tiny shrimp! NBC can do reasonable catering from that facility; to my knowledge SONY just has their menu fare and daily specials. I prefer the food preparation and handling at SONY. But NBC has a side dining room with linen, and real glassware!
SONY also wins on the days when they feature the pasta-to-order deal... pick the pasta and all the goodies, they fry it all up to order. Yummy. That same deal goes on more frequently at SONY's other lot nearby, the historic Culver Studios. Same food concessionaire, but a bigger, nicer facility, plus a linen, real glassware, classy hidden dining room.
But if you're on the SONY lot, ditch that cafe/diner joint and stroll to the front lot. The dining room remains where it's been since Louis Mayer's MGM days, across from the main screening room not far from the main gate. Real food, real service. And Mayer's mandated matzo on the table and daily chicken soup with matzo balls were discontinued not all that long ago. The decor is still cool, and it's like a real restaurant with a host station at the entrance and a Maitre 'd. The SONY gift shop and electronics store are nearby with great discounts on SONY gear if you have an employee ID.
The CBS commissary is more of a simple cafeteria line with less selection. But the food is good. They're just finishing a remodel and possible little expansion, but I don't know if that will affect the food they offer. Some of the best food can be found at CBS when HS is taping, but it's not in the commissary! Damned if I know what's going on at ABC since they sold their historic Prospect lot. As the ABC studios are now adjacent to the Disney lot I assume you can crash that facility - pretty good stuff there.
Then there's FOX. That movie lot always had a KILLER commissary with the coolest dinnerware... the FOX searchlight logo was on everything! That's all now a memory, but the room remains classy and the food good. Plus the adjacent gift shop is logo-riffic!
The Warner lot in Burbank has similar coolness, but I haven't eaten there in years. I also can't speak for the food at Sunset-Gower. Down the street the Tribune/KTLA lot has a cool outdoor patio with palm trees just outside the commissary, but I can't remember much about the food quality.
OK, now I'm hungry! Did I leave anyplace out?
Randy
tvrandywest.com
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Question: So; besides being a contestant or an employee; is there any other way to gain access?
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[quote name=\'Dsmith\' date=\'Jul 25 2003, 11:47 PM\'] Question: So; besides being a contestant or an employee; is there any other way to gain access? [/quote]
Well, you can't eat in the commissary if you're a contestant on HSq. Drats.
Brandon Brooks
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What about in New York, especially 30 Rock (I bet they have better food than Burbank)?
I don't know if BBC in London have one as well as the other studios there.
Jonathan Allen, wondering if the studios also have ATM machines.
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The CBS commissary is more of a simple cafeteria line with less selection. But the food is good. They're just finishing a remodel and possible little expansion, but I don't know if that will affect the food they offer.
I was told during a tour by a CBS technician that the cafeteria equipment would be replaced and it would only be a few weeks. It will be interesting to see it when it's finished.
Some of the best food can be found at CBS when HS is taping, but it's not in the commissary!
It can be, if you can ever get your hands on it. The way the food table is left, you would think those people haven't eaten in years. Of course, there is always, the endless supply of water in the fridge.
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The CBS commissary is more of a simple cafeteria line with less selection. But the food is good.
I guess it says something that while I remembered eating at Sony and NBC, I completely forgot that I'd been to the Television City cafeteria as well. You're absolutely right, no big deal.
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The CBS commissary is more of a simple cafeteria line with less selection. But the food is good.
Yes, I would have to agree with that. When at TPIR two weeks ago, I chowed down on a sandwich, but I hope that maybe at one point, they'll put exterior washrooms - you couldn't move for trying, especially when someone in a wheelchair was trying to get through.
At SONY for Wheel in 1997 I was given a $10 coupon for my meal, which was more than enough. I remember that I had grilled cheese and fries. Not necessarily a healthy meal, but just fine for a 19-year-old with enough butterflies to build a nature park. Oh, and we were separated from both the normal staff AND the contestant coordinators - I thought this was kind of odd, I figured they'd sit with us.
Having been to two BBC tapings in 2002, here's what the deal is. At Pinewood, where Link tapes, we were given small chocolate bars and box drinks. At the BBC TV Centre in West London, nothing was free, but my word, it was an impressive place in which to mingle. There was a very nice cafeteria which featured alcohol (I had a smirnoff ice) and a gift shop. I was very impressed; and possibly the Brig Bother can add a touch to this as he was in the audience with me for both of these quality productions.
Cheers,
Ryan V.
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Did I leave anyplace out?
There is an erstwhile studio at La Brea and Willoughby which is across from a 99 Cents Only store. They have candies imported all the way from Mexico and you can stock up on Sunsweet Pitted Prunes there for just 99 cents. Personally I recommend the pistachio nuts, a generous supply for 99 cents. I have not checked out the cosmetics aisle so I cannot say whether they carry Jungle Gardenia by Tuvache or My Sin by Lanvin.
http://www.99only.com/ (http://\"http://www.99only.com/\")
ObGameShows: TJW and TTD predate the 99 Cents Only store.
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What about in New York, especially 30 Rock (I bet they have better food than Burbank)?
NBC NY commisary I remember having low ceilings, and a real greasy spoon smell in the place. The food at NBC Burbank was better in my opinion.
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[quote name=\'bricon\' date=\'Jul 26 2003, 11:06 AM\'] NBC NY commisary I remember having low ceilings, and a real greasy spoon smell in the place. The food at NBC Burbank was better in my opinion. [/quote]
Brian,
I thought for sure you would comment on the HS food!
You're right about \"Enbece\" (pronounced NBC). That's what they named that NY greasy spoon just before Carson left 30 Rock. It was up on the 7th floor straight down the center hallway from the elevators, and on the left. And yes Brian, the ceilings were low, the place smelled, and it was noisy from all the chatter and the monitors blaring WNBC.
Hell, with the exception of the studios that encompass two stories it's a depression era office building. I can't imagine how they vented the grill from the middle of the 7th floor of a 50+ story building!
Randy
tvrandywest.com
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I thought for sure you would comment on the HS food!
I would have, but the talk of NBC NY commissary spoiled my appetite :)
The HS food is indeed good, and it's all too easy to eat dinner for lunch...must remember to skip the real dinner a few times this year.
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[quote name=\'Dsmith\' date=\'Jul 25 2003, 09:47 PM\'] Question: So; besides being a contestant or an employee; is there any other way to gain access? [/quote]
Well, in my case, I sent someone some scans for his web site; he turned out to be a Sony employee, and he invited me to lunch to thank me.
Now, this has absolutely no connection to game shows: I've also eaten at the mediocre commissary at NBC in Chicago (called the Peacock Cafe, if I recall correctly), but that was because I sat through two tapings of \"Jerry Springer\"...in 1992, back when it was a generic, semi-respectable daytime talk show.
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Actually, when I was there for my Pyramid taping last November, those of us that were remaining for lunchtime ordered in some tasty Mexican food. Pretty good soft tacos and some good nachos, too, if memory serves me correctly.
(Speaking of my Pyramid taping, my episode will be rebroadcast as the primary episode this coming Wednesday, July 30. Shane Elsberry's episode airs this coming Monday also.)
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Now, this has absolutely no connection to game shows: I've also eaten at the mediocre commissary at NBC in Chicago (called the Peacock Cafe, if I recall correctly), but that was because I sat through two tapings of \"Jerry Springer\"...in 1992, back when it was a generic, semi-respectable daytime talk show.
Actually, it has a connection...Springer did 2 wks of HS (once in Jul. 99 and again this past season), and hosted the short-lived UK version of Greed (did a good job, too).
Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious \"Chuckie Baby\")
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And here's a Springer-ism few know. The disgraced former mayor hosted the first US pilot for \"Fear Factor\"!
The show had the working title \"Now or Never - Face Your Fears\". International reality TV mogul John DeMol (Endemol Prods.) was present with his UK posse, as was the pilot's US producer Phil Gurin and staff. Jerry Springer made sense as a host by virtue of his well-known name, but was out of his element.
We taped at Hollywood Center Studios one evening in January, 2000 (I did warm-up). We were next door to that short-lived Dick Clark hosted CBS thing... that was \"Winning Lines\", wasn't it?
The format had the fearful folks sitting in the audience having been brought to the taping by a relative or friend, but unaware that they were to be part of the show. As I remember, some of the fears being faced included some woman being buried alive in a coffin, a guy who was phobic about dentists having his teeth (almost) worked on, a lady in the middle of a big fire, and some fool crawling through a maze filled with rats.
Come to think of it, that last stunt sounds like my career!
Randy
tvrandywest.com
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[quote name=\'trainman\' date=\'Jul 26 2003, 09:59 PM\'] [quote name=\'Dsmith\' date=\'Jul 25 2003, 09:47 PM\'] Question: So; besides being a contestant or an employee; is there any other way to gain access? [/quote]
Well, in my case, I sent someone some scans for his web site; he turned out to be a Sony employee, and he invited me to lunch to thank me.
Now, this has absolutely no connection to game shows: I've also eaten at the mediocre commissary at NBC in Chicago (called the Peacock Cafe, if I recall correctly), but that was because I sat through two tapings of "Jerry Springer"...in 1992, back when it was a generic, semi-respectable daytime talk show. [/quote]
NBC(WMAQ the call letters) in Chicago was also the home of the 90s comedy improv quasi game-show Kwik Witz IIRC.
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And here's a Springer-ism few know. The disgraced former mayor hosted the first US pilot for \"Fear Factor\"!
I thought I'd read that back on ATGS...thanks for the clarification. And while I'm no fan of Springer's talk show, I think he might have made a better host than Joe Rogan.
Chuck Donegan (The Grateful \"Chuckie Baby\")
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[quote name=\'ChuckNet\' date=\'Jul 28 2003, 11:20 AM\'] I thought I'd read that back on ATGS [/quote]
Yes, I'm in summer reruns! ;-)
Randy
tvrandywest.com
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According to my old TV Guides, that show, under the title \"Now or Never\" made it to the air on Fox on 7/28/2000 at 9pm eastern.