Beat The Clock '79

[Allstar87]

The late Sunday-early Monday episode of Beat The Clock marked the debut of the All-Star format.

The PDFs on Steve Beverly's site say it was episode 34, so it had the civilian format for just seven weeks. I'm surprised to see it go all-celebs that quickly; were ratings really that bad?

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'Allstar87\' post=\'179684\' date=\'Mar 3 2008, 03:40 AM\']
The PDFs on Steve Beverly's site say it was episode 34, so it had the civilian format for just seven weeks. I'm surprised to see it go all-celebs that quickly; were ratings really that bad?
[/quote]
I don't know if ratings were all that bad, but considering its competition was Perry CS, I'm not sure the ratings would have ever been great.

Also, the 10AM ET / 9AM everywhere else slot wasn't fabulous for clearances (especially for CT/MT/PT stations that wanted to run DONAHUE or other profitable syndie fare instead of network offerings in the 9AM hour).

[calliaume]

[quote name=\'SRIV94\' post=\'179697\' date=\'Mar 3 2008, 12:02 PM\']
I don't know if ratings were all that bad, but considering its competition was Perry CS, I'm not sure the ratings would have ever been great.

Also, the 10AM ET / 9AM everywhere else slot wasn't fabulous for clearances (especially for CT/MT/PT stations that wanted to run DONAHUE or other profitable syndie fare instead of network offerings in the 9AM hour).
[/quote]
CBS had a series of flops, both games and sitcom reruns, in that slot both before and after Beat the Clock, regardless of the competition on NBC.  I've watched a few clips on YouTube -- I don't see anything wrong with the show itself, other than 1979 probably wasn't the best time to introduce any kind of game show, much less a stunt show whose day had likely come and gone.

[aaron sica]

[quote name=\'Allstar87\' post=\'179684\' date=\'Mar 3 2008, 04:40 AM\']
The late Sunday-early Monday episode of Beat The Clock marked the debut of the All-Star format.

The PDFs on Steve Beverly's site say it was episode 34, so it had the civilian format for just seven weeks. I'm surprised to see it go all-celebs that quickly; were ratings really that bad?
[/quote]

Can't say what the ratings were, but after Beat The Clock left, it would be a good 2 1/2 years before CBS dared to try a game show in the 10AM slot again...

/$25,000 Pyramid was that lucky show
//I feel Horanish
///Someone shoot me now

[narzo]

CBS seemed to think adding celebrities were going to save that whole hour.  That exact same day the show that followed "Beat The Clock" added stars as well.  It became the "All-Star Beat the Clock", "Celebrity Whew" hour.

[chris319]

I've watched a few clips on YouTube -- I don't see anything wrong with the show itself, other than 1979 probably wasn't the best time to introduce any kind of game show, much less a stunt show whose day had likely come and gone.

The impetus to bring back BTC came from Mike Ogiens of CBS. The sentiment around the office was that if they want BTC, we'll give them BTC.

How great was the difference in revenue for a station to pay for a syndicated show and sell it themselves vs. taking a show off the network and being compensated? This was back in the day of full network compensation and I think before the day of widespread barter syndication?

And does anyone have a handle on why Monty did the show when he was one of our business competitors?

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'179870\' date=\'Mar 4 2008, 09:36 AM\']
And does anyone have a handle on why Monty did the show when he was one of our business competitors?
[/quote]
The same reason Ludden took any gig he could get between Passwords? He needed a job?

[Eric Paddon]

I think at that point, Monty was no longer involved in the production end of game shows (Hatos-Hall was defunct and would only be resurrected for the next LMAD revival) and so it wouldn't have been unusual for him to take a hosting job for another company.

[calliaume]

[quote name=\'Eric Paddon\' post=\'179977\' date=\'Mar 4 2008, 08:17 PM\']
I think at that point, Monty was no longer involved in the production end of game shows (Hatos-Hall was defunct and would only be resurrected for the next LMAD revival) and so it wouldn't have been unusual for him to take a hosting job for another company.
[/quote]
But that would happen within a few months' of this show's cancellation (albeit in a little-seen version).

Chris, didn't you once theorize that Monty had a project that didn't make it with CBS, and they somehow got him to do this instead as part of a payoff deal?

[chris319]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'179880\' date=\'Mar 4 2008, 10:17 AM\']
[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'179870\' date=\'Mar 4 2008, 09:36 AM\']
And does anyone have a handle on why Monty did the show when he was one of our business competitors?
[/quote]
The same reason Ludden took any gig he could get between Passwords? He needed a job?
[/quote]
Was Allen Ludden an established game show packager? (Hint: at this stage of his life I kinda doubt Monty was struggling to pay the rent each month.)

Monty was no longer involved in the production end of game shows (Hatos-Hall was defunct and would only be resurrected for the next LMAD revival)

Wrong! Their company did a pilot for NBC and if I recall correctly it was in 1979 before Monty got BTC.

Chris, didn't you once theorize that Monty had a project that didn't make it with CBS, and they somehow got him to do this instead as part of a payoff deal?

I did theorize that, the same way Arte Johnson got Knockout. Now that I think back on that pilot H-H did for NBC, I'm less inclined to think he got BTC to complete some unfulfilled obligation to CBS. Perhaps Mike Ogiens wanted Monty to do BTC the same way Bud Grant wanted Barker to do TPIR? I think it's a safe bet that Goodson didn't seek out Monty.

I have never heard of Hatos and Hall dissolving their partnership or their company (the way Heatter and Quigley did)  before the death of Stefan Hatos a few years ago.

[Jimmy Owen]

It does seem odd, it had to have been a network edict. Otherwise, wouldn't Jack Narz have been the guy? I know Dick Martin was busy with "Mindreaders"

I also thought it was a little strange when Monty filled in for Allen on ABC Password during the heyday of LMAD.

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'180050\' date=\'Mar 5 2008, 07:52 AM\']
It does seem odd, it had to have been a network edict. Otherwise, wouldn't Jack Narz have been the guy? I know Dick Martin was busy with "Mindreaders"

I also thought it was a little strange when Monty filled in for Allen on ABC Password during the heyday of LMAD.
[/quote]

Not that much.  They were on the same network and Monty was frequently a guest on the show.

And it seems to me that the only week Monty did was the week that Allen played the game (with Betty as the other celeb for the week).  IIRC, Ludden stepped in at the end and did the "Password for Today" bit.

[Jimmy Owen]

In the book "Emcee Monty Hall" the story is told of Monty bringing his friend's idea of a game based on word-association to Bob Stewart and the consideration of a lawsuit against Goodson when "Password" hit the air. Since "Your First Impression" was picked up, Monty reconsidered.  I guess by the '70's, it was all water under the bridge.

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'180050\' date=\'Mar 5 2008, 08:52 AM\']
It does seem odd, it had to have been a network edict. Otherwise, wouldn't Jack Narz have been the guy? [/quote]
Nothing against Monty, but I wish Jack Narz had been tapped to host this. Personal preference and nothing more.
However, if Jack weren't the announcer, we wouldn't have been treated to this daily laugher each weekday at 10:28am ET:
"Stay tuned for (Celebrity) Fwoo...."

[BillCullen1]

I think Jack Narz might have gotten the announcing gig because G-T's two main announcers, Johnny Olson and Gene Wood, were both very busy at the time.  Johnny O was doing TPIR, MG and Mindreaders, and Gene was doing, FF, CS and PP. I can't say this is the absolute reason Narz got the job, but it's a definite possibility.