Just returned from my visit to the Feud. Here are some of the changes for the new season.
FORMAT:
Intro
Bullseye
Meet the Families
Round 1 (Single)
- Commercial -
Round 2 (Double)
- Commercial -
Round 3 (Triple)
(Sudden Death, if needed)
- Commercial -
Fast Money
End credits
What's the Same
The set is completely identical, with the exception of a big-ass Chrysler 300 sitting behind the audience. You know where the little children were playing basketball last season during the NBA intros? Yeah, that's all filled with car.
They're still using that same horrid 30-second loop of the Combs theme for every piece of music. Faceoffs, bumpers, intro, and end credits. Oh, and the rhythmic clapping? Conducted by Burton off-stage. "Just look back at me if you get lost in the beat and don't have another black guy near you to help you stay on track."
What's New
The Bullseye Round
As I'd like to refer to it, "Speed Bullseye". After John's intro, he immediately announces it's time for the Bullseye round to build the family banks. The set turns red, the family captains head for the podium, and a giant bullseye is projected onto the big board. John says "Let's put $15,000 in each family's bank." There is silence, then applause. "$1,000" appears in a white, black-outlined and shadowed font on top of the Bullseye on the board. As John reads the first question from his cards (adorned with Bullseyes, no less) suspenseful music plays. This music continues through the entire round. There are no "clangs" or "bells" this time. Just what I can only describe as a "whoosh", then a "thud" as the Bullseye answer is revealed. Standard "strike" sound applies for an incorrect guess. Immediately after the answer is revealed, the players run back and switch places with the next two family members in line. The board then displays $2,000. Lather, rinse, repeat, all the way through $5,000. The whole round lasts maybe 2 minutes, max. On the show I attended, only the $1,000 question was answered correctly, resulting in one $15,000 bank, and one $16,000 bank. After the final question, the suspenseful music ends, the set changes back to its normal colors, and John announces the family totals. Then it's time to meet the families, and after a brief introduction, Round 1 starts with single values.
The Set
The large projection screens that hide the intro furniture and display the family names during gameplay were not lowered at all. I'm not sure if they're even still there. Instead, the furniture stayed as the backdrop the entire game. The family podia still have the same stupid eggcrates in them, and they're still only used to show the main game scores. That's right - Not only are the family names nowhere in sight on the set, neither are the Bullseye bank totals. This means that one if not both of those are either displayed by on-screen graphics, or are just not displayed for the home audience at all. If on-screen graphics are used, I wouldn't know it, because there are no studio monitors in audience view. At least, from where I was sitting, to the left of the "catwalk". The only monitors located behind the audience are a projection screen on either side, and one small boob tube in the center, at the end of the "catwalk". And they all display the big board graphics throughout the show.
Fast Money
They're back to the pre-Celeb FF Fast Money Graphics, with the flying red squares as opposed to the "balls of light". Fast Money consolation is still $5/point. There's a small red display off to the right side of the stage, just to the left of the large piece of set that houses the family on the right, that tells John how many points from 200 the family still needs, and the consolation amount, if needed. Every other piece of information relayed to John throughout the show is done the old-fashioned posterboard and sharpie method.
