[quote name=\'gshowguy\' date=\'Aug 17 2004, 04:49 PM\'] Here's how I think I could use for a new version of "$ale of the Century" (hopefully, StinkMantle is reading this and ISN'T screwing this up!):
Three players, each starting with $20 (or $200 on on my proposed prime-time version). Players may ring-in during the question, and each right answer is worth $5 ($50 prime-time, note all values are 10x higher on prime-time), while a wrong answer loses that amount. After five, six, or seven questions, the player with the most cash is offered an "In$tant Bargain", like a 13" television worth $145 for $8. There is also a "Fame Game" round, where a really long question is asked about a famous (or infamous) someone, and the player who gets it right chooses one of nine numbers on the "Fame Game" board, which could be from $5-$15, or a cash jackpot starting at $1,000 and rising up by $500 each day until won. After three "In$tant Bargains" and two "Fame Games", we culminate with a 60-second lightning round (which I call the "Fast 60 Seconds of TV"), this time, with each right answer worth $10, and a wrong answer losing $10. The highest score after this round goes to play a two-part bonus round. If there's a tie, a sudden-death tie-breaker question is asked, or, if time is allowed, one final "Fame Game" question to determine the winner.
In the first part of the bonus round, I use the same word puzzle game we know and hate, but this time, the clues are to answers that are actually related to the prizes on the stage. It's only 15 seconds long, and each right answer adds $15 to your final score. When time runs out...
"Let's go shopping!" Now, comes the shopping part that builds up the suspense, whether or not you want to take this prize, or discard it in an attempt to build up more money to win the lot (you need at least $1,000 total in score money to win the lot). If you lose the game on your second day (and subsequent days) everything goes bye-bye, but if you score $1,000 total (again, in score money), you win everything plus a jackpot that starts at $100,000 and goes up by $25,000 each time it isn't won (on prime-time, it's $1,000,000 and goes up by a quarter-million each time it isn't won, and you need $10,000 in score money to claim it).
That's the game.
Here's what I'd use:
Set: Same as the one on the more recent Australian version (only difference is that the podiums' score displays are in EggCrate font, and they use red buttons on yellow stands like on most US game show podiums)
Host: I'd get Jim Perry back, but if he can't make it, I could use Peter Tomarken, or I could use some Aussie flair from Tony Barber or Glenn Ridge.
Hostess: Definitely Summer Bartholomew.
Announcer: Burton Richardson or Charlie O'Donnell comes to mind, maybe even Pete Smith from the Aussie version (I could picture Charlie-O giving a long emphasis on 100 THOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSAND DOLLARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRSSSSS!!! on this show).
Where to put it: Syndication for daytime, NBC for prime-time
What do you think? [/quote]
Sounds like a good proposal to me. I don't think inflating to ten times the normal amount on the prime-time version would work; perhaps double the value (start with $40 and each question is worth $10).
There are other ideas. Start with $20 and the value of the questions increase like it did during the original version (hosted by the late Jack Kelly and Joe Garagiola).
The fame game idea I like. The way it should always be actually by having the player pick a number instead of stopping a flashing light like it did before.
The speedround of course has to be in there.
And of course the grandaddy of them all... the shopping part. Its been a part of this game show for years; and yeah the winner's board was fun to watch during the Jim Perry days.
Egg-crate displays? Absolutely. Its the best known game show display around.
Jim Perry as host -- not sure if he would do it... he is retired now. Peter Tomarken, sure; I like him. Todd Newton, absolutely. Bob Goen, yes.
Summer Bartholomew as hosted, you betcha. Of course there are others like Stacey from Lingo, any of the Price Is Right models would work out too.
Burton Richardson and Charlie O'Donnell are good choices. Charlie I think should've been the voice of $OTC instead of Don Morrow after Jay Stewart left. You certainly can't rule out Randy West or even Rich Fields.
NBC, yes. Syndication, if there's room for it to compete with Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!, yes.
