Wheel of Gimmicks

[Jeremy Nelson]

As I watched Wheel tonight for the first time in weeks,  I was reminded that there are too many gimmicks. So I thought "Why don't they take a PiR approach and rotate the special round every show?" Every show, make Round 2 or Round 3 a special round. Then maybe, just maybe, one day we'll actually be able to see dollar amounts again.

Somewhere, blanketed under 256 million colors and glitter (all in HD, of course), there's still a game.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'rollercoaster87\' post=\'169037\' date=\'Nov 7 2007, 05:33 PM\']
As I watched Wheel tonight for the first time in weeks,  I was reminded that there are too many gimmicks. So I thought "Why don't they take a PiR approach and rotate the special round every show?" Every show, make Round 2 or Round 3 a special round. Then maybe, just maybe, one day we'll actually be able to see dollar amounts again.[/quote]
As I have said before, many, many times, the answer to almost any "why don't they" question is usually "money."

[clanky06]

They do a "rotation" of sorts--remember "Megaword," "Fill in the Blank," "Fill in the Number," etc. However in the case of WoF, these "Games Within a Game" rotate out, never to return.

[clanky06]

This is "Best Friends" week. I wondered how they handled it when the best friends were married to other people and they won a vacation. I asked Harry Friedman this at the last GSC. He said that they each win a vacation. Sure enough, I see that the dollar amounts given for the vacations are in the $8K-9K range--twice the usual amount. I told Harry that was good--they're not promoting immorality!

[MSTieScott]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'169038\' date=\'Nov 7 2007, 08:37 PM\']As I have said before, many, many times, the answer to almost any "why don't they" question is usually "money."[/quote]
Not to that specific question. Rotating the special round would save them money in the prize budget and would most likely have no negative effect on viewership (it's not like people would stop watching because they only play the Mystery Wedge round once every three or four days).

But it also wouldn't really help the problem of there being too much stuff on the wheel. The special rounds only add one or two unique spaces. The majority of the clutter comes from the Free Spin, Wild Card, prize, gift tag, and second gift tag/"25" spaces. And the reason those are there, or at least the last three, is "money."

--
Scott Robinson

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'MSTieScott\' post=\'169090\' date=\'Nov 8 2007, 09:53 AM\']
Not to that specific question. Rotating the special round would save them money in the prize budget and would most likely have no negative effect on viewership (it's not like people would stop watching because they only play the Mystery Wedge round once every three or four days).
[/quote]
Except it sounded to me like he wanted to do that to cut back on the sponsored portions of the Wheel itself. Which is TOTALLY a money issue.

I could be wrong. Wouldn't be the first time.

[Jeremy Nelson]

I apologize for not clarifying. I created this thread complaining about the abundance of special spaces/rounds, while totally ignoring the ad aspect. But since the whole ad thing has been brought up, I do have another question to add to the first- even if they were to cut back on ads, wouldn't companies compete more for ads, thereby allowing Wheel to charge more for them?

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'rollercoaster87\' post=\'169102\' date=\'Nov 8 2007, 12:18 PM\']
I apologize for not clarifying. I created this thread complaining about the abundance of special spaces/rounds, while totally ignoring the ad aspect. But since the whole ad thing has been brought up, I do have another question to add to the first- even if they were to cut back on ads, wouldn't companies compete more for ads, thereby allowing Wheel to charge more for them?
[/quote]
No. Or at least, not to a level that would offset the loss in revenue.

[tvwxman]

If the ratings over the course of the past 25 years were steadily declining, this would be a semi-interesting topic. Then again, it probably wouldn't be a topic at all , because the show would have been cancelled long ago.

And that's what you, the game show genre fans, are missing. The people who enjoy a nightly dose of WoF (and there are LOTS of them), still enjoy the show, still enjoy the 'tweaks'. They enjoy that , compared to 35 years ago, there are more PPHF (puzzles per half hour). They enjoy the gimmicks,  the big(ger) bucks, and they enjoy the flashiness that the show may or may not have had back in the 70s... You, the game show genre fans, are part of the overall minority.

The show, while maybe not many of our cups of tea, is still a hit, and Harry remains committed to keeping it a hit by incorporating fresh tweaks every so often .There's nothing wrong with that.

I bet that if the show were still 3 rounds of game, shopping, and no bonus, with Chuck and Susan, many of us would be complaining that the show is stale after 35 years.

[quote name=\'rollercoaster87\' post=\'169102\' date=\'Nov 8 2007, 03:18 PM\']
 even if they were to cut back on ads, wouldn't companies compete more for ads, thereby allowing Wheel to charge more for them?
[/quote]

Asked by someone who clearly doesn't understand how the ratings work. Companies compete only for ad space, whose prices are determined by how many people are watching said show. If wheel or the local affiliates can make more money off the ads, then good for them. They're not going to roll back prices on the wheel because there is a surplus in the ad budget.

[Jeremy Nelson]

[quote name=\'tvwxman\' post=\'169104\' date=\'Nov 8 2007, 02:27 PM\']
[quote name=\'rollercoaster87\' post=\'169102\' date=\'Nov 8 2007, 03:18 PM\']
 even if they were to cut back on ads, wouldn't companies compete more for ads, thereby allowing Wheel to charge more for them?
[/quote]

Asked by someone who clearly doesn't understand how the ratings work. Companies compete only for ad space, whose prices are determined by how many people are watching said show. If wheel or the local affiliates can make more money off the ads, then good for them. They're not going to roll back prices on the wheel because there is a surplus in the ad budget.
[/quote]
Seriously, I didn't know how ratings and ad space worked together. Now I've learned something today.

[Mr. Armadillo]

[quote name=\'rollercoaster87\' post=\'169037\' date=\'Nov 7 2007, 07:33 PM\']
As I watched Wheel tonight for the first time in weeks,  I was reminded that there are too many gimmicks. So I thought "Why don't they take a PiR approach and rotate the special round every show?" Every show, make Round 2 or Round 3 a special round. Then maybe, just maybe, one day we'll actually be able to see dollar amounts again.
[/quote]
The answer to your complaint is Round Four.  The $5,000 space, Bankrupt, Lose A Turn, and 21 precious, colorful, $300-$900 spaces.

[TLEberle]

[quote name=\'tvwxman\' post=\'169104\' date=\'Nov 8 2007, 12:27 PM\']The show, while maybe not many of our cups of tea, is still a hit, and Harry remains committed to keeping it a hit by incorporating fresh tweaks every so often .There's nothing wrong with that.[/quote] That's all fine and good, but a "special space" on the wheel no longer becomes special when the wheel is covered in cardboard. Just like on Millionaire, when everyone and their dog was getting into the top level, it stops becoming a big deal, just like the cash games on TPIR. Back in the day, a cash game was rare; now you can't go a day or two without one. </onion> I like the idea of round two being the "Big Bucks" round, if the show has to have gimmicks like that at all.

How much of the Wheel audience is there because of momentum? "It's seven o'clock, time for the Wheel," nevermind there might be something a channel or two up the dial that they'd like more.

[Mr. Armadillo]

Actually, I watch it to feel superiour over contestants from New York City who can't solve THE //_ _ _// APPLE.  Or whatever the dumb play of the day is.  Not to mention seeing whether I can get the bonus puzzle today on just the RSTLNE.

/Before anyone asks, yes, today I did accomplish that.
//No one was going to ask, were they?

[Robert Hutchinson]

[quote name=\'tvwxman\' post=\'169104\' date=\'Nov 8 2007, 03:27 PM\']I bet that if the show were still 3 rounds of game, shopping, and no bonus, with Chuck and Susan, many of us would be complaining that the show is stale after 35 years.[/quote]
Well, yes. But you say that as though there's no middle ground. Wheel in the late '80s and early '90s was 4+ rounds of game, cash and the occasional prize (not just trips), and a bonus.

I completely understand the reason why they keep adding thinly-disguised ads gimmicks, but I am surprised that they apparently haven't yet reached the tipping point. For several years now, whenever they go on the road or have a special week (like this week in New York), the editors get to earn their paychecks by trimming out every non-gameplay second or two they can find just to get the show crammed into the half-hour. Note how every contestant (as opposed to the usual 50% or so) seems to be spinning almost as soon as they call a consonant, but not a vowel. I'll eat my hat if that's not deliberate bumping-ahead of the sound effects to save time, which they can't do with vowels because you'll have a discontinuity with what Vanna's doing.

And, no, I doubt that almost anyone else who's watching the show picks up on that consciously. But eventually, even a casual viewer is going to start noticing that the show barely has time to breathe.

[Jeremy Nelson]

[quote name=\'Mr. Armadillo\' post=\'169134\' date=\'Nov 8 2007, 07:55 PM\']The answer to your complaint is Round Four.  The $5,000 space, Bankrupt, Lose A Turn, and 21 precious, colorful, $300-$900 spaces.
[/quote]
...when there's time to actually play a round four.

[quote name=\'Robert Hutchinson\' post=\'169162\' date=\'Nov 8 2007, 10:42 PM\']For several years now, whenever they go on the road or have a special week (like this week in New York), the editors get to earn their paychecks by trimming out every non-gameplay second or two they can find just to get the show crammed into the half-hour.[/quote]
Wait till they figure that Vanna's walk across the board takes too much time. Goodbye Vanna, hello, automated puzzleboard! -which, strangely enough, was the way it was originally supposed to be.