The Set &/Or Prizes Were Cheap...

[TLEberle]

[quote name=\'crazdgamer\' post=\'231308\' date=\'Nov 27 2009, 06:10 AM\']Well, the set is essentially a car with a light pattern on the ceiling.  Inexpensive in terms of production, but it looks good for what it is.[/quote]But they do good work with what they have. That doesn't say "cheap" to me. Cheap is one coat of paint over plywood, using strings of Christmas lights, stock music and a studio-apartment sized set.

The payouts, if I recall correctly, usually range between $500-$1000 (haven't seen the show in months though, so I'm not sure if this is accurate.)  This seems paltry, especially if compared to the bigger game shows.  But, IMO, you can't compare Cash Cab to studio-based game shows.

The money is up to $50-$100-$200 for the questions, except for the Double Rides. And for what amounts to a ride of ten minutes or so, that's damn good money. Whether the show airs on Discovery or NBC, the money is decent. Just because other shows are throwing around cash like they have been doesn't make Cash Cab cheap.

[Jeremy Nelson]

[quote name=\'Strikerz04\' post=\'231319\' date=\'Nov 27 2009, 06:22 PM\']\still better than half of the reality shows on television...[/quote]
Half? You, sir, are being quite generous

[GiraffeBoy]

Match Game '98. Good format, but "Cheap Boom Box" as a parting gift. $5K in the 70s is one thing, but $5K 20 years later?

--Charlie

[That Don Guy]

TattleTales - $1750/day total ($1900 if they squeezed in a fourth round), plus "parting gifts" given to someone in the winning team's audience.  I think that's cheap enough to qualify.

Those Amazing Animals also had an incredibly cheap set (although each winner did get a $5000 charity donation) - no visible electronics, as I recall (they kept score by placing small stuffed animals in front of each contestant).  Then again, it was a Saturday morning show...but so was Runaround.

Also, late '60s/early '70s(?) syndicated Beat the Clock (the Jack Narz and Gene Wood versions).

-- Don

[Jimmy Owen]

Tammy mentioned the original WML?, but did the Blyden version give away any cash at all?

[rugrats1]

[quote name=\'That Don Guy\' post=\'231361\' date=\'Nov 28 2009, 09:34 PM\']Those Amazing Animals also had an incredibly cheap set (although each winner did get a $5000 charity donation) - no visible electronics, as I recall (they kept score by placing small stuffed animals in front of each contestant).  Then again, it was a Saturday morning show...but so was Runaround.[/quote]

That was "Animal Crack-Ups" -- "Those Amazing Animals" was an earlier, prime-time reality show, practically a "That's Incredible!" with animals.

[Mr. Bill]

[quote name=\'catkins522\' post=\'231266\' date=\'Nov 25 2009, 06:05 PM\']Come on... $1.98 Beauty Pagent...Rip Taylor was a geinus!!![/quote]
It's a matter of personal opinion whether $1.98 Beauty Pageant should be included here, since the whole premise of the show was to be cheap.

[tvrandywest]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'231362\' date=\'Nov 28 2009, 06:40 PM\']Tammy mentioned the original WML?, but did the Blyden version give away any cash at all?[/quote]
Both Bruner and Blyden gave away the same $50. Mine came with a Sarah Coventry star saphire ring which proved to be real and minorly impressive when I had a jeweler recently clean it.

Randy
tvrandywest.com

[vtown7]

I love how there seems to be alot of nitpicking about the Canadian production values and prizes - we do what we can!  I think I can safely assume that with a lower population, we have lower payouts - but I'm just happy for any game shows up here in the North!

Ryan

/made off with $1100 on two different Canadian games - not complaining.
//pitfall: tres cool

[DjohnsonCB]

Does the original Art Fleming Jeopardy! count?  The most $ anyone won there was around $1500, plus the encyclopedia set and the home game, and the set was "tacky cardboard" if you believe Maxene Fabe.

[TLEberle]

[quote name=\'DjohnsonCB\' post=\'231391\' date=\'Nov 29 2009, 03:12 PM\']Does the original Art Fleming Jeopardy! count?  The most $ anyone won there was around $1500, plus the encyclopedia set and the home game, and the set was "tacky cardboard" if you believe Maxene Fabe.[/quote]I don't think it does. I compare what you could win on shows at the same time, and the thousand dollars or so on Jeopardy! is comparable to what you could win elsewhere.

[crazdgamer]

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'231320\' date=\'Nov 27 2009, 07:35 PM\'][quote name=\'crazdgamer\' post=\'231308\' date=\'Nov 27 2009, 06:10 AM\']Well, the set is essentially a car with a light pattern on the ceiling.  Inexpensive in terms of production, but it looks good for what it is.[/quote]But they do good work with what they have. That doesn't say "cheap" to me. Cheap is one coat of paint over plywood, using strings of Christmas lights, stock music and a studio-apartment sized set.

The payouts, if I recall correctly, usually range between $500-$1000 (haven't seen the show in months though, so I'm not sure if this is accurate.)  This seems paltry, especially if compared to the bigger game shows.  But, IMO, you can't compare Cash Cab to studio-based game shows.

The money is up to $50-$100-$200 for the questions, except for the Double Rides. And for what amounts to a ride of ten minutes or so, that's damn good money. Whether the show airs on Discovery or NBC, the money is decent. Just because other shows are throwing around cash like they have been doesn't make Cash Cab cheap.
[/quote]
Ah, I didn't know they doubled to 50-100-200.  That does indeed make the money pretty good for 10 minutes worth of question-answering.  

Just so I'm not misunderstood, I'm in agreement with you on all points; the car doesn't look cheap.  It's a nice-looking taxi cab which happens to be the setting of a game show on wheels.  It's inexpensive compared to other shows, but it's not cheap-looking.

[Twentington]

I would say Lingo in its first season. Everything on the show screamed "bargain basement" but the game itself, despite its slightly ham-fisted attempt at not straddling, was rock-solid.

[Darion Blackwood Daniel]

If there was any show of this category, it has to be Definition.  Just to find out those clues and fill in letters.  It sounded so simple that it should have been in the U.S.

[Mr. Bill]

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'231392\' date=\'Nov 29 2009, 06:30 PM\'][quote name=\'DjohnsonCB\' post=\'231391\' date=\'Nov 29 2009, 03:12 PM\']Does the original Art Fleming Jeopardy! count?  The most $ anyone won there was around $1500, plus the encyclopedia set and the home game, and the set was "tacky cardboard" if you believe Maxene Fabe.[/quote]I don't think it does. I compare what you could win on shows at the same time, and the thousand dollars or so on Jeopardy! is comparable to what you could win elsewhere.
[/quote]
Don't forget that the Fleming version also had the returning champion format -- win 5 times and retire undefeated.  Considering that factor into things, a player could conceivably win over $5,000, which was not chump change in the '60s and early '70s.  Inflation didn't really start to devalue the dollar until roughly 1975 when the Fleming version was ending.

As to Lingo's first season, it must be remembered that it was a trial series at the time, so the budget was quite small.  Also, GSN didn't want to build a set for Lingo until they knew it would work -- therefore the first season was taped in Holland using the set of the Dutch version.

Finally, regarding The $1.98 Beauty Contest as being intentionally cheap, I forgot completely about its sister, The Cheap Show.  Both were from the same producers