Let's go to the Bonus Round...

[WilliamPorygon]

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Dec 10 2003, 07:38 PM\'] [quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Dec 10 2003, 07:29 PM\']
During a tournament semi-finals on the other hand, that three-way tie on zero would need to be broken with a tie breaker question to see who would make the finals. [/quote]
 No it wouldn't, actually.  If a semi-final tournament game ends with triple zero, then none of the players from that game advance and the highest scoring non-winner from the other two semi-final games advances.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'WilliamPorygon\' date=\'Dec 10 2003, 09:59 PM\']
No it wouldn't, actually.  If a semi-final tournament game ends with triple zero, then none of the players from that game advance and the highest scoring non-winner from the other two semi-final games advances. [/quote]
 I don't recall this happening in a semi-final game. I recall non-zero ties that were broken by the tiebreaker question, once in the 1992 college tournament, and in the finale of the 1996 Teen Tournament.

[WilliamPorygon]

There's never been a zero tie in a semi-final tournament game before (or any tournament game, to the best of my recollection).  I got this information from a former TOC contestant on Sony's Jeopardy! message board a few months back.  I went digging around for the post but couldn't find it anywhere.  A non-zero tie in any tournament game, of course, would be broken by a tiebreaker question.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'WilliamPorygon\' date=\'Dec 10 2003, 11:20 PM\'] There's never been a zero tie in a semi-final tournament game before (or any tournament game, to the best of my recollection). [/quote]
 There was a three way tie on zero in a quarter final game of the 1989 Seniors tournament. That was handled by taking the winners of the other four QF games, and the five high scorers among non-winners, and those players moved on to the semifinals.

[Neumms]

Do you suppose "Split Second" would've worked without the end game? It did have the Countdown Round, which is sort of like Final Jeopardy.

This brings up the point about the Wonderwall--great end game, not-so-good front game. What others can you name?

Pitfall
Magnificent Marble Machine
Split Second(?)--I was 8 years old at the time and only really enjoyed the part with the cars
Big Showdown--same as above
Pyramid (?)--I've never liked the part at the desks, but then, they do play two bonus rounds a show.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Neumms\' date=\'Dec 11 2003, 02:55 PM\'] Split Second(?)--I was 8 years old at the time and only really enjoyed the part with the cars
 [/quote]
 It may have been fun to watch in your youth, but is pick-a-key-and-let's-see-if-the-car-starts really that interesting a premise? I can think of a LOT of endgames more engaging than that.

Besides, the front game of Split Second kicks a lot of ass. Big Showdown, too, really.

And I don't think Pyramid's front game is _bad_, per se...the Winner's Circle is just so damn good that it tends to overshadow.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Dec 11 2003, 06:30 PM\']
It may have been fun to watch in your youth, but is pick-a-key-and-let's-see-if-the-car-starts really that interesting a premise? I can think of a LOT of endgames more engaging than that.

Besides, the front game of Split Second kicks a lot of ass. Big Showdown, too, really.

And I don't think Pyramid's front game is _bad_, per se...the Winner's Circle is just so damn good that it tends to overshadow. [/quote]
 Many would argue Tom Kennedy's being at the helm did help make the 70s SPlit Second endgame a bit more tolerable and engaging. John Davidson's Squares of course had a bonus much like that, and we all know he doesn't make things too engaging (JD had an Atlantic City casino gig last week, BTW)

THat having been said, the 1986-87 Split Second bonus, pick numbers from 1-5 and hope to find a car behind the number(s) picked is a less engaging endgame.

I think the WInner's Big MOney Game from late period $otC would be a decent bonus for Split Second, certainly better than the two formats described above, as it was normally won with a second or two left on the clock.

[DrBear]

Back in the ATGS days, I suggested a bonus round for Split Second:
Winner gets three more three-part questions, 10 seconds on each. $250 for each portion got right, for $2000 if eight of the nine answers are right; $10,000 for a nine-for-nine.

[ChuckNet]

Besides, the front game of Split Second kicks a lot of ass. Big Showdown, too, really.

I agree...SS's front game was one that required fast thinking, especially if the contestant who rang in first took the part you were hoping to answer.

And TBS was also unique and strategy-reliant...do you take the 5-point category you know less about to try and reach the payoff point, or play it safe w/the easier 3-point category, knowing an opponent could beat you to the buzzer?

Oh, and I wouldn't mind seeing a revival of either show in the near future...whatever happened to the planned SS revival I read about on Beverly's page a coupla yrs ago, anyway? :-D

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

[Don Howard]

whatever happened to the planned SS revival I read about on Beverly's page a coupla yrs ago, anyway? :-D

That was an April Fool's Day prank, I believe.

[gameshowguy2000]

Zach,

Was the WBMG from $OTC, was that the one with the board of numbers where after winning the prizes, the player had to risk them, and if he or she lost his or her next match, all the prizes were lost?

If it wasn't, then the "Board Of Numbers" bonus game was the one that wasn't so good.

On the other bonus games, you didn't have to risk your prizes to play again. Or did you?

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Dec 11 2003, 10:34 PM\']

whatever happened to the planned SS revival I read about on Beverly's page a coupla yrs ago, anyway? :-D

That was an April Fool's Day prank, I believe. [/quote]
 It was, but Chuck was making a joke.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Dec 11 2003, 10:46 PM\'] Zach,

Was the WBMG from $OTC, was that the one with the board of numbers where after winning the prizes, the player had to risk them, and if he or she lost his or her next match, all the prizes were lost?

If it wasn't, then the "Board Of Numbers" bonus game was the one that wasn't so good.

On the other bonus games, you didn't have to risk your prizes to play again. Or did you? [/quote]
 The "Board of Numbers" you describe was the winner's board format. The WInner's Big Money Game had players solving four or five puzzles within 20 or 25 seconds. The puzzles were six-word clues to a person, place or thing. ONe word at a time was revealed, one per second or two. They hit a buzzer to stop the clock. If they solved four in 20 seconds(early on it was five in 25 seconds) they won and the prizes were as follows: First day $5K, second day $6K, third day $7K, fourth day $8K, fifth day $9K, sixth day $10K, seventh day CAR, eighth day $50K.

The WInner's Board format allowed the players to win a prize(the first prize they matched on the board with numbers 1-20) each day. After winning all ten of those prizes, they could stop and take those prizes and retire, or risk them to win one more day to win all those prizes and $50K cash. If they won, they retired as champion. If they lost, they lost all ten prizes from the Winner's Board, but kept frontgame winnings.

[Little Big Brother]

Since no one has mentioned it yet, I suppose I will.  One of the (if not THE) most successful games on the BBC would have to be Mastermind, which not only didn't have a bonus round/end game, but the only "prize" was bragging rights and an elegant punch bowl/trophy.  BBC America showed some episodes sporadically a few years ago, and I have to say that it really is one of the best quiz shows ever.  Unfortunately, bragging rights just can't compete with Spa Vacations or million dollar jackpots, so the likelihood of a "good" version in the States is unlikely.

[Don Howard]

whatever happened to the planned SS revival I read about on Beverly's page a coupla yrs ago, anyway? :-D

That was an April Fool's Day prank, I believe.

It was, but Chuck was making a joke.

Ah, yes. So sorry. I've been out of it ever since I ran out of Geritol. That's what tired blood will do to you.