Author Topic: Anyone know if this is real? (Read 5909 times)

Lemonjello · « **on:** March 01, 2005, 07:10:03 PM »

If vulgar words offend you, don't watch this video.

http://www.big-boys.com/articles/gameshowletter.htm

Kevin Prather · « **Reply #1 on:** March 01, 2005, 07:29:39 PM »

This is the British show "Countdown." According to snopes.com, "E-R-E-C-T-I-O-N" once made it onto the screen. Supposedly, the letters once came up "W-A-N-K-M-E-O-F-F" as well, but that was debunked by Snopes.

One thing is definitely false about the clip: it did not air live. Countdown was pre-recorded. Furthermore, such instances as the one you've mentioned would never have aired. Unless this was pulled from the network's vault, the clip is likely false.

For more information: http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/countdwn.htm

Hope I helped a little bit.

aaron sica · « **Reply #2 on:** March 01, 2005, 07:48:37 PM »

[quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Mar 1 2005, 07:29 PM\']
One thing is definitely false about the clip: it did not air live. Countdown was pre-recorded. Furthermore, such instances as the one you've mentioned would never have aired. Unless this was pulled from the network's vault, the clip is likely false.

For more information: http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/countdwn.htm

Hope I helped a little bit.

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I agree with you...I didn't watch the entire clip, but there were enough noticeable edits that it didn't seem real to me...

Lemonjello · « **Reply #3 on:** March 01, 2005, 08:08:57 PM »

[quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Mar 1 2005, 08:29 PM\']For more information: http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/countdwn.htm

Hope I helped a little bit.

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Thanks. I actually searched for it on Snopes before I posted it, but I guess I didn't search well enough.

Kevin Prather · « **Reply #4 on:** March 01, 2005, 08:13:56 PM »

The one on Snopes was a different event.

ChuckNet · « **Reply #5 on:** March 01, 2005, 08:56:10 PM »

Personally, I don't see what the "flap" is all about. :-D

As for my theory, I think it's an outtake that occured, but was never aired on the actual show...on the aforementioned Snopes page, it says that whenever an incident like that occurs, tape is stopped, and that portion of the round is replayed.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

clemon79 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 01, 2005, 09:16:49 PM »

[quote name=\'Lemonjello\' date=\'Mar 1 2005, 05:10 PM\']If vulgar words offend you, don't watch this video.

http://www.big-boys.com/articles/gameshowletter.htm

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On a totally unrelated note, if you've never seen the Mike Legg hockey goal on that same site, it's worth having a look at.

Kevin Prather · « **Reply #7 on:** March 01, 2005, 09:24:10 PM »

I'm pretty sure I saw that on ebaumsworld. Pretty cool stuff. Kinda surprising that no one else thought to pick up the puck with the stick before. lol

JasonA1 · « **Reply #8 on:** March 01, 2005, 09:34:19 PM »

I personally thought the whole clip was a sham. Not only did it appear some letters were "floating" (i.e. superimposed grabs of the letters from other rounds) but if such an incident DID occur, they would have reshot before they let the players have their 30 seconds. Carol could have been laughing about a narrow miss of...that dirty C-word. Similarly, the players, Carol and Richard would have had to have seen the entire joke, rather than laugh when only the first four letters showed up.

-Jason

Kevin Prather · « **Reply #9 on:** July 06, 2005, 01:59:58 PM »

Sorry to drudge this back up, but I just noticed something.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but on Countdown, don't 3-5 vowels have to be chosen? If so, this clip is clearly a fake, as only two vowels have been chosen. They wouldn't have allowed the contestant to make the last letter another consonant.

When we play Countdown on Palace, the 3-5 vowel rule is observed. I assume it'd be the same on the actual show, but I could be wrong.

clemon79 · « **Reply #10 on:** July 06, 2005, 02:24:15 PM »

[quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Jul 6 2005, 10:59 AM\']Correct me if I'm wrong, but on Countdown, don't 3-5 vowels have to be chosen? If so, this clip is clearly a fake, as only two vowels have been chosen. They wouldn't have allowed the contestant to make the last letter another consonant.
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Ya know, just as an aside, if it IS three to five vowels, why don't they just whip out three vowels and three consonants and let the player pick what they want the other two letters to be? Wouldn't that speed things up some?

TLEberle · « **Reply #11 on:** July 06, 2005, 02:28:05 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Jul 6 2005, 11:24 AM\']Ya know, just as an aside, if it IS three to five vowels, why don't they just whip out three vowels and three consonants and let the player pick what they want the other two letters to be? Wouldn't that speed things up some?

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It sure would. But it also makes for better TV to have the 'illusion of choice' that the contestants are choosing. Even if everyone knows what seven of the nine choices will be.

clemon79 · « **Reply #12 on:** July 06, 2005, 03:30:44 PM »

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' date=\'Jul 6 2005, 11:28 AM\']It sure would. But it also makes for better TV to have the 'illusion of choice' that the contestants are choosing. Even if everyone knows what seven of the nine choices will be.
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Do not concur.

Maybe I'm missing some kind of subtle nuance of Countdown strategy that revolves around the order in which the letters are picked having some bearing on how many of what you ask for, but I think if six of the eight calls are predetermined, that the "illusion of choice" is more an insult to the intelligence of your viewer than it is good television. Besides, one would think that the viewership of Countdown would be brighter than to fall for such things.

Kevin Prather · « **Reply #13 on:** July 06, 2005, 04:05:52 PM »

Some may choose to pick the consonants and vowels in a certain order if after, say, 3 or 4 letters, they start to see a meaty word. They could pick consonants or vowels accordingly in an attempt to shoot for that word.

I think the rule is in place just so a smartass player in the lead can't pick all consonants just to keep their opponent out. No vowels = no words = no points for your opponent.

Just a thought.

clemon79 · « **Reply #14 on:** July 06, 2005, 04:37:02 PM »

[quote name=\'whoserman\' date=\'Jul 6 2005, 01:05 PM\']I think the rule is in place just so a smartass player in the lead can't pick all consonants just to keep their opponent out. No vowels = no words = no points for your opponent.
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I think yer missing my point. The rule states that there have to be between three and five vowels, right? So, with eight letters, that means that there has to be a minimum of three vowel calls, and since there can be no more than five, a minimum of three consonant calls. So six of the eight calls in a given round are set in stone. There will ALWAYS be three vowels and three consonants, and then Two Other Picks.

I'm saying, if that's true, just pop up those six right off the bat without making a player go "vowel, consonant, consonant, vowel, vowel", and then have the player decide what they wanna do with the last two. It would go faster and allow for more game.