6 topics for discussion...

[MSTieScott]

[quote name=\'urbanpreppie05\' date=\'Jul 1 2004, 08:36 AM\'] 6. And finally, do you like your state's (region) lottery show? Name your state, and your answer. [/quote]
 I originally lived in Michigan, and the lottery game show they had was very dull. Now I'm in California, and I don't know what the consensus is about The Big Spin, but I just can't sit through it (with apologies to those here who work on the show). The dream machine could be interesting except nearly everybody stops when they pick up three unique slots. And I find nothing captivating in watching computer-generated wheels spin around offering only three spaces. At least the gold rush game that it replaced provided some excitement in deciding whether to stay or continue (or in trying to find the one needed column out of eight or nine choices). Watching the giant wheel spin is okay, but the journey to it always causes me to lose interest and go watch the Jeopardy! rerun instead.

Has there ever been an even moderately "good" (by our standards) lottery game show? The Press Your Luck big board and the Money Cards prove that an exciting all-luck game is possible, but obviously, it's tough to create one that engages the viewer.


Actually, now that I think about my question, the answer seems fairly clear. The only way to get a viewer engaged in an all-luck game (I assume that a lottery is not allowed to have any element of skill) is to present a game that allows for strategy. Taking the old Michigan lottery show as an example -- watching people pick numbers off several boards to see who gets the highest total is boring. But what if instead of the rule "if you get a number that puts you over 1,000, then you stay at the same score," you make it "if you get a number that puts you over 1,000, then you automatically lose"? And allow contestants to quit at any time, of course. That would make things a lot more interesting, no?

--
Scott Robinson

(This, of course, will not automatically result in a good game. Again, I point to Aces High on The Big Spin.)

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'urbanpreppie05\' date=\'Jul 1 2004, 08:36 AM\'] Here are six questions for you to answer (I added an extra one because of the long weekend)
 [/quote]
1. The fact that it lasted only 2 weeks. It was an aberration to the franchise, and game shows, period.
2.  That Chagnall print...who would want to hang that in their house?
3.  I still say that Go deserves more credit then it has.
4.  Win Ken Jennings Money.
5.  Press Your Luck and The Joker's Wild reruns on USA, circa 1987.
6. Powerball, Iowa.  Not at all--good to see it go.  [Though not as bad as Wisconsin's even more pitiful effort.)

[inturnaround]

1. What did you like about LMAD 03'? IMHO, this version gets a lot of flack despite it's closeness to the original show (minus that 1 risque deal).

I liked that it didn't last too long and that I was able to successfully miss all but the premiere episode.

2. What's the worst prize you ever saw offered on shopping-era Wheel of Fortune?'
(I would say the $35,000 oriental rug, or the $40,000 shipboard party)

The dalmatian was ubiquitous, but why?

3. What game show, past or present, do you think is totally underrated?

I'd say maybe "Couch Potatoes". Growing up, I wanted to be Joe Alaskey. Hell, I still do! He's as close to Mel Blanc as we've ever gotten since we lost him.

I just thought it was a fun show and one that most people forget.

4. Not counting the proposed revival of Match Game, what show do you think is most likely for a revival?

Most likely? Geez, it's whatever show Fremantle wants to produce, isn't it? What I think is overdue is a new Tic Tac Dough.

5. What's your first memory of watching a game show?

Hmm, it's probably TPiR. I was born in May 77...and I remember when "Alice" used to be rerun in the mornings...so whenever that was. I also remember Wink and TTD at a pretty early age.

One local spot I remember was for KYW-3's afternoon block of game show. The singers would sing,  "At 4 O' Clock, we turn the Wheel...at half past 4 Let's Make a Deal! At 5 O' Clock (something I can't remember) family! Here on Channel 3 for a Wheeling, Dealing, Family Feuding afternoon of fun, fun for everyone!"

I have no idea what year that's from. I'm guessing it's 82 or 83?

6. And finally, do you like your state's (region) lottery show? Name your state, and your answer.

Pennsylvania. The only lottery show we get is Powerball and I don't like it at all. It's often very anti-climactic and it's just boring overall. Let 'em spin to win.

[Winkfan]

1.) No Comment.

2.) see #1

3.) Second Honeymoon and Talkabout. (Aren't you sorry you asked me?)

4.) Hopefully, Gambit hosted by Wayne Cox; Bumper Stumpers is another good choice.

5.) Art James hosting Concentration.

6.) We do have The Big Spin, but I don't watch it.

Cordially,
Tammy Warner--the 'Heather Cunningham of the Big Board!'

[HairMetalLives]

[quote name=\'urbanpreppie05\' date=\'Jul 1 2004, 09:36 AM\'] 1. What did you like about LMAD 03'? IMHO, this version gets a lot of flack despite it's closeness to the original show (minus that 1 risque deal). [/quote]

I didn't watch it.

2. What's the worst prize you ever saw offered on shopping-era Wheel of Fortune?'
(I would say the $35,000 oriental rug, or the $40,000 shipboard party)

I've never seen an episode from the shopping era.

3. What game show, past or present, do you think is totally underrated?

"Small Talk," "Fun House," & "That's My Dog!"

4. Not counting the proposed revival of Match Game, what show do you think is most likely for a revival?

I'm not sure what the most LIKELY candidate would be, but I would like to see "That's My Dog!" return; maybe on Animal Planet.

5. What's your first memory of watching a game show?

"Fun House" when I was three or four.

6. And finally, do you like your state's (region) lottery show? Name your state, and your answer.

I'm not sure if Washington has a state lottery show.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'HairMetalLives\' date=\'Jul 1 2004, 03:23 PM\'] I'm not sure if Washington has a state lottery show. [/quote]
 Aside from the major drawings (which I think NWCN runs for all of their 60 seconds), we do not.

[DrBear]

1. What did you like about LMAD 03'?
Didn't watch it.
2. What's the worst prize you ever saw offered on shopping-era Wheel of Fortune?'
Can't think of one, but I'm the weird guy who actually liked the ceramic Dalmatian.
3. What game show, past or present, do you think is totally underrated?
The Who, What or Where Game. With all due respect to haters of Mo'Money Syndrome, put some bigger stakes on that and you could have some riveting drama.
4. Not counting the proposed revival of Match Game, what show do you think is most likely for a revival?
In 63 years, "Dream Girl of '67"
5. What's your first memory of watching a game show?
Probably Concentration (loved the board like so many of you) or Play Your Hunch (the big light bulb scared me)
6. And finally, do you like your state's (region) lottery show? Name your state, and your answer.
Wisconsin has dropped its show. A half-hour of static or an infomercial is an improvement. Imagine "Wheel of Fortune" without the wheel or "Gambit" without the questions and you have the idea. It managed to both blow and suck at the same time.
Well, maybe not THAT bad, but Lord, it wasn't good.

[aaron sica]

1. What did you like about LMAD 03'? IMHO, this version gets a lot of flack despite it's closeness to the original show (minus that 1 risque deal).

I only watched it once or twice; unfortunately, I don't remember much from it.

2. What's the worst prize you ever saw offered on shopping-era Wheel of Fortune?'
(I would say the $35,000 oriental rug, or the $40,000 shipboard party)

The only thing I remember is the dalmatian.

3. What game show, past or present, do you think is totally underrated?

"Greed". I really enjoyed this show - it was not given a long enough time on the air.

4. Not counting the proposed revival of Match Game, what show do you think is most likely for a revival?

Password. One of my favorites to watch, especially in the P+/SP eras.

5. What's your first memory of watching a game show?

Match Game, in 1977. I was 2 1/2.

6. And finally, do you like your state's (region) lottery show? Name your state, and your answer.

I live in PA - the only lottery game show is Powerball, as others have stated. I watch it occasionally. I never did get to see the special w/ Dick Clark for the PA lottery when it aired a few weeks back.

[GS Warehouse]

[quote name=\'urbanpreppie05\' date=\'Jul 1 2004, 09:36 AM\'] Here are six questions for you to answer (I added an extra one because of the long weekend)[/quote]
1) What I like about LMaD: That it got clobbered by American Idol.  j/k  Seriously, I can't blame NBC for trying, but Tuesday at 8 was the wrong time slot.  Besides, it just wasn't the same.

2) Worst WoF prize: See Dr. Bear's answer.

3) Un-der-rated: Monopoly, Russian Roulette, Fun House (longest run of all Double Dare's competitors), The Challengers, current Feud

4) Revive this!: Either The Challengers or Monopoly could work with some tweaking.

5) GS addict since: CS, P+, Whew!, TPiR, and Feud, et al, circa 1979.  I was 4.

6) Lottery show of choice: I liked Road to Riches the best of Michigan's old lottery shows, but I will be packing up for Hoosier Millionaire territory soon.

[CarShark]

1. I liked "The Stock Market Game," since it fit in with the show well. Luck with scant amounts of strategy. "The ATM Game" was a cool spin on "The Money Machine," but the guy who played it the one time was an obnoxious jerk. I liked the show overall, but it could have been done much better. (I had a much better idea for the first deal, called "Lost In The Translation," which wouldn't have offended anyone's sensibilties.)

2. The Estate in Maine. The Antarctic Expedition. The Log Cabin. Pat Sajak made fun of those stupid prizes every day.

3. Shop 'Til You Drop, hands down. It and Supermarket Sweep lasted through all of the '90s, arguably the worst decade for game shows. It has survived on three different cable networks. It's been on for 13 years, going into its TENTH season this year. Longer than Perry's Sale of the Century, Scrabble, Card Sharks and other classics. Despite the fact that many love to whip Stone-Stanley, they do make good shows.

4. Personally, I don't see any old show getting revived. I think any chance of that was killed with Hollywood Squares and Pyramid. Hollywood Squares did a good job of remaining close to its originator, and Pyramid didn't do too badly, but it is a different time now. Celebrity games get expensive, and turn into a thirty-minute promo. Non-celebrity games need a really strong format, and the extra commercial time needed today would slow the quiz games down. Stunt shows do fairly well, but the stunt show of today, Fear Factor, would likely be the drawing point. Not good.

5. My first memory would be USA's block in the '90s. Tic Tac Dough was my favorite show, then.

6. I didn't really understand Michigan's lottery show. They just picked numbers, and I forget what happened after that.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'STYDfan\' date=\'Jul 1 2004, 06:04 PM\'] 3. Shop 'Til You Drop, hands down. [/quote]
 'Magine that.

[SamJ93]

1 and 2. Never got a chance to catch the most recent version of LMaD, and they abandoned shopping on WoF when I was 4, so can't really comment on either.

3. Three-way tie with these shows:

-Paranoia-as others have said, great and original concept, great host, lots of fun...I'm curious to know whether it would have lasted longer had it aired on a major network instead of FOX Family

-Shop 'til You Drop, at least until the format/set/host change this season.  Sure, the format is derivative and nothing to scream about and the prizes are kinda chinsy, but sometimes it's just dumb fun.  Oh, and Pat Finn really isn't that bad a host.  Seriously.

-Legends of the Hidden Temple.  I thought this was a great kids show, cool atmosphere, that big talking head thing--Olmec was his name, right?  Only problem was the bonus round, which was very creative, but way too difficult.

4. Show most likely to be revived? Tough one...game shows unfortunately seem to be at yet another nadir in popularity.  But regardless, just in case any syndicators out there are listening, I'll go out on a limb and say Talk About would be a great candidate for a revival--a simple yet engaging and fun concept, and it can also probably be easily adapted to today's commerical pressures.

5. TPiR was probably the earliest memory I had...like most kids, I didn't really understand what was going on, but man did those colors and flashing lights look cool. The memory that sticks out the most was getting upset and hiding whenever Cliff Hangers or Pathfinder would be played--I really hated whenever Hans fell off the cliff or the "wrong guess" buzzer sounded.  I recall watching PYL on USA frequently as well, and of course I pretty much learned my alphabet from watching WoF.

6. Pennsylvania has no lottery show.  The few times I was able to catch "Powerball," I was unimpressed, but I've never been a huge fan of lottery shows anyway so no matter.

--Sam

[J.R.]

[quote name=\'urbanpreppie05\' date=\'Jul 1 2004, 08:36 AM\'] Here are six questions for you to answer (I added an extra one because of the long weekend)

1. What did you like about LMAD 03'? IMHO, this version gets a lot of flack despite it's closeness to the original show (minus that 1 risque deal).

2. What's the worst prize you ever saw offered on shopping-era Wheel of Fortune?'
(I would say the $35,000 oriental rug, or the $40,000 shipboard party)

3. What game show, past or present, do you think is totally underrated?
(My decision is Karn Family Feud-granted it's not a good as it was before, but it's still an enjoyable way to spend a half-hour-but not "appointment televison," Mind you :-)

4. Not counting the proposed revival of Match Game, what show do you think is most likely for a revival?

5. What's your first memory of watching a game show?

6. And finally, do you like your state's (region) lottery show? Name your state, and your answer. [/quote]
1: It tried to work, but I think time has passed the show by. Billy Bush was better than Bob Hilton, but just seemed to get a little too excited at times. (Remember the Spasm Dance he went into when that lady won the Hawaii trip ?)

I think what killed it was the perverse "Up the man-skirt" deal. It must of had parents rushing to the remote, older folks aghast, and people thinking that this was just a bad sign of what the show was going to offer later.

But I would list the "Wrecking Ball on Car" zonk on my list of the 50 greatest moments in game show history.

EDIT: Personally, without the costumes and a good host, I don't think the original LMAD would of lasted more that 13 weeks.

2: Charlotte: "Take the...(sigh)... Candy Dish !"

3: Wipeout. Great fast-paced game, but something just seemed... ordinary and plain about the show. In 1988, Peter still hadn't gotten over PYL, he made constant refrences to the show.

4: "Classic Concentration". Since its all prizes, it would be cheep to produce. Fremantle seems to be slowly getting over the trademark "GEM Car/M&Ms" cheepness that was their trademark.

I'd like to see "$ale of the Century" brought back, but as soon as people start taking down the lot. It's going to be "Winners Big Money Game" again.

5: I can vaugely remember watching Combs "Family Feud" with my grandma circa 1989. I can also remember watching "Super Jeopardy!" and "Monopoly" in 1990.

-Joe R.

[RMF]

1) Never had a chance to see it.

2) Don't remember it.

3) Still making up my mind on this.

4) Password

5) My earliest memories are of WoF/J!/TPIR/the USA block, from around 1991 or so.

6) California. The actual "Big Spin" is interesting, but I don't care for any of the side-games.

[Gus]

Having not read any of the other responses, I'll take a stab:

1: I liked most of the things I saw, personally. I thought the host handled the show pretty well, the deals were good... good overall. I personally wouldn't mind seeing a show like that in syndication.

2: I can't say I've seen much shopping-era Wheel, mostly because they dropped it when I was only a few months old. I haven't actually seen the ceramic dalmation, but two prizes I remember seeing a few years ago on a GSN rerun were a fibreglass hen-shaped planter and a 120-some dollar Toblerone chocolate bar.

3: Hmm... I've always liked Blockbusters, as do many on this board. I can't at all say it's underrated by us game-show fans, but ask your average Joe on the street, and see if he's ever heard of it. I guess what I'm getting at is that Blockbusters is a show that should be more well-known, considering how good it was. (I know, I haven't really answered the question. Whatever.)

4: Most likely... well, what I'd like to see and what's likely are two different things, so... sorry, folks, can't think of anything aside from MG/WTB.

5: Apparently, I was watching game shows since before I was 1, but the earliest memory I have is actually a lack of it; I remember wondering why The Price is Right wasn't on. (Turned out they preempted it for Gulf War coverage.) I must've been about 4.

6: Ohio, and not anymore, I don't. I used to, but it hasn't changed a bit. Another early memory I have is watching CEDP at age 5-ish, in 1992, and the rules, dollar values, everything mechanics-wise except for the end game were exactly the same asnt hey are now.