Author Topic: Local Game Shows (Read 18968 times)

Dbacksfan12 · « **on:** March 19, 2005, 11:28:26 PM »

For those of you that have had the good fortune of having a game show locally produced; what are the worst formats that you've seen?

Chief-O · « **Reply #1 on:** March 20, 2005, 07:18:20 AM »

If lottery shows count, "The Super Money Game".

zachhoran · « **Reply #2 on:** March 20, 2005, 08:00:08 AM »

[quote name=\'Modor\' date=\'Mar 19 2005, 11:28 PM\']For those of you that have had the good fortune of having a game show locally produced; what are the worst formats that you've seen?

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If we can count bowling shows which are considered game shows to some degree, Bowling with Bo on the local access station in the Atlantic City area in 1996. It was Bo and his friends playing a round of bowling. No prizes, no contestants, just people playing bowling at a local bowling alley.

dmota104 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 20, 2005, 09:10:56 AM »

[quote name=\'Modor\' date=\'Mar 19 2005, 11:28 PM\']For those of you that have had the good fortune of having a game show locally produced; what are the worst formats that you've seen?

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Most of the locally produced game shows I've seen have been limited to academic quiz shows -- including "As Schools Match Wits" on WKEF in Dayton which was hosted by Mike Gallagher (yup, the same MG who's gone on to become a successful radio talk show host). Outside of that, I've seen Steve Beverly's "I've Heard That Song". Pretty decent cross of "Name That Tune" and "Hollywood Squares".

Everything else in terms of "game shows locally produced" I've seen have been limited to game segments inside of newscasts or talk shows.

Back in the mid '70s, the "POW!" segment on WTVK's Metro 26 News in Knoxville, TN, was pretty pathetic. This was played after the weather segment and hosted by its weather guy.

One of the games involved Tic Tac Toe. The lucky caller played X and the computer player was O. A cursor would go around the board (left to right across the top row of the board, then do same for middle and bottom row) until the caller screamed "POW!". The computer would then strategically place an O in an empty space. If the caller made three X's in a row, (s)he won a prize.

Another "POW!" game was bowling. A cursor would move across the bottom of the screen and scream "POW!" to have the cursor roll down the alley. IIRC, they only played about 2 or 3 frames and if the player scored enough points, (s)he won a prize.

I'm somewhat certain an aircheck with "POW!" included exists somewhere in the universe. Check out the British-based TV Ark and you'll find a Metro 26 NewsBrief.

WTVK's been through a good number of changes in owners, call letters and even channel number -- plus cancelled its late night news for a while. Shows you how stable they were. Nowadays, they're known as WVLT Volunteer TV 8.

Finally, check this out. The infamous Game o' Names from my birthplace of Wichita, KS.

SamJ93 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 20, 2005, 01:42:16 PM »

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Finally, check this out. The infamous Game o' Names from my birthplace of Wichita, KS.

Wow, when even the HOST doesn't understand the rules of the show, I'd say you've got problems...

--Sam

clemon79 · « **Reply #5 on:** March 20, 2005, 02:54:58 PM »

[quote name=\'dmota104\' date=\'Mar 20 2005, 07:10 AM\']Back in the mid '70s, the "POW!" segment on WTVK's Metro 26 News in Knoxville, TN, was pretty pathetic. This was played after the weather segment and hosted by its weather guy.

Another "POW!" game was bowling. A cursor would move across the bottom of the screen and scream "POW!" to have the cursor roll down the alley. IIRC, they only played about 2 or 3 frames and if the player scored enough points, (s)he won a prize.
[/quote]
Hell yeah! In San Francisco this was called TV POWWWW! and was hosted by the ubiquitous Pat McCormick (the San Francisco weatherman and Dialing for Dollars host, not the frequent game-show celebrity) during the afternoon cartoon block on Channel 2 (now the SF Fox affil), which ran from 3:00-4:30.

Same concept...kids would send in postcards to get a phone call to play (I sent in a boatload, being too young to realize they weren't gonna call me LD in Monterey to play a game in SF), and they would play video games on the air by saying "POW!" to fire / roll the ball / spin the slot machine / pass the football / whatever. A minimum score won a small prize and the high score of the day won a bigger, but still nominal, prize.

I remember in the early run, the games were player on a modified Fairchild Channel-F system (I remember Shooting Gallery and Bowling), and later they were modified Intellivision games (Football, Slots, and Space Battle, all heavily modified for the TV show).

Good stuff. Far worse ways to spend 90 minutes after school than to watch TV POWWW! and Bugs Bunny cartoons.

BrandonFG · « **Reply #6 on:** March 20, 2005, 06:16:38 PM »

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Mar 20 2005, 08:00 AM\'][quote name=\'Modor\' date=\'Mar 19 2005, 11:28 PM\']For those of you that have had the good fortune of having a game show locally produced; what are the worst formats that you've seen?

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[/quote]

If we can count bowling shows which are considered game shows to some degree, Bowling with Bo on the local access station in the Atlantic City area in 1996. It was Bo and his friends playing a round of bowling. No prizes, no contestants, just people playing bowling at a local bowling alley.

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I would count Bowling For ~~Columbine~~ ~~Soup~~ Dollars as a game show. What you just described sounds like a bunch of folks just bowling, and it sounds pretty damn boring too.

Back to the subject, the only local games I can remember are high school competitions like QuizBusters...and from what I remember, they've all been pretty decent.

Anyone who's been through Norfolk pre-1985, has Norfolk ever had a Bowling For $$$ or any such local game show?

aaron sica · « **Reply #7 on:** March 20, 2005, 06:22:05 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Mar 20 2005, 02:54 PM\']
Hell yeah! In San Francisco this was called TV POWWWW! and was hosted by the ubiquitous Pat McCormick (the San Francisco weatherman and Dialing for Dollars host, not the frequent game-show celebrity) during the afternoon cartoon block on Channel 2 (now the SF Fox affil), which ran from 3:00-4:30.

Same concept...kids would send in postcards to get a phone call to play (I sent in a boatload, being too young to realize they weren't gonna call me LD in Monterey to play a game in SF), and they would play video games on the air by saying "POW!" to fire / roll the ball / spin the slot machine / pass the football / whatever. A minimum score won a small prize and the high score of the day won a bigger, but still nominal, prize.

I remember in the early run, the games were player on a modified Fairchild Channel-F system (I remember Shooting Gallery and Bowling), and later they were modified Intellivision games (Football, Slots, and Space Battle, all heavily modified for the TV show).

Good stuff. Far worse ways to spend 90 minutes after school than to watch TV POWWW! and Bugs Bunny cartoons.

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WPIX-11 in NYC used to do the same thing. "TV PIX" it was called, with the viewer saying "PIX!". As well, I believe the games were on an Intellivision...

trainman · « **Reply #8 on:** March 20, 2005, 09:17:16 PM »

[quote name=\'aaron sica\' date=\'Mar 20 2005, 03:22 PM\']WPIX-11 in NYC used to do the same thing. "TV PIX" it was called, with the viewer saying "PIX!". As well, I believe the games were on an Intellivision...

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I know it also ran as "TV POW" on Channel 33 in Youngstown, Ohio, because a former co-worker of mine was once a contestant. I don't recall what she won (she might not even have remembered).

tommycharles · « **Reply #9 on:** March 20, 2005, 10:19:36 PM »

[quote name=\'SamJ93\' date=\'Mar 20 2005, 01:42 PM\']

Quote

Finally, check this out. The infamous Game o' Names from my birthplace of Wichita, KS.

Wow, when even the HOST doesn't understand the rules of the show, I'd say you've got problems...

--Sam

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John Davidson would beg to disagree.

Don Howard · « **Reply #10 on:** March 20, 2005, 10:48:58 PM »

[quote name=\'tommycharles\' date=\'Mar 20 2005, 10:19 PM\'][quote name=\'SamJ93\' date=\'Mar 20 2005, 01:42 PM\']

Quote

Finally, check this out. The infamous Game o' Names from my birthplace of Wichita, KS.

Wow, when even the HOST doesn't understand the rules of the show, I'd say you've got problems...

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John Davidson would beg to disagree.

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Begging might explain how John got his many hosting assignments.

ITSBRY · « **Reply #11 on:** March 20, 2005, 11:39:22 PM »

[quote name=\'Chief-O\' date=\'Mar 20 2005, 07:18 AM\']If lottery shows count, "The Super Money Game".

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"Hoosier Millionaire" is like watching paint dry...with lotsa hillbillies.

ITSBRY
itsbry@juno.com

DrBear · « **Reply #12 on:** March 21, 2005, 07:12:09 AM »

Oh, I agree with Chief-O.

Wisconsin has had two lottery games. I've seen laundry lines with better production values.

On one, contestants picked letters from a board with WISCONSIN LOTTERY MONEY GAME and got whatever was behind them. "I'll take the second T in Lottery." For 20 MINUTES. The winner got to spin the wheel with a bunch of $10K spaces and a few $25K.

They jazzed it up with the Super Money Game series, with representatives from two teams playing a version of blackjack. Almost as boring.

The big excite would come when they brought on the lottery mascots, two cows named Moo and La. (Get it? Get it?)

Now, they don't even show the drawings on TV any more.

JasonA1 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 21, 2005, 09:22:49 AM »

Quote

On one, contestants picked letters from a board with WISCONSIN LOTTERY MONEY GAME and got whatever was behind them. "I'll take the second T in Lottery." For 20 MINUTES.

Wasn't this on at some obscene time? I believe it was Saturday at 10:30 central, but I could be wrong. I just remember I could hardly stay awake as a kid to watch them spin the wheel (the reason I watched it in the first place).

-Jason

TimK2003 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 21, 2005, 09:51:02 AM »

Darn, I feel sorry for all of you who had the TV POWW concept and had news and weather personalities who hosted.

Here in Cleveland, on the 1st reincarnation of Channel 61 (WKBF went dark around 1976, and returned around 1981 rebranded as WCLQ), our version was known as Video Arcade. I think it was a 2-hour block of games in between cartoons.

Anyhoo, the local Cleveland host was Candi Kramer (sp?). She was the hottest (& youngest) looking TV personality around (had to be around 19-21 years old). There wasnt much of a set -- a light blue wall with a cardboard logo hanging on it.

I didn't really care about playing the game, I sent in post cards in the hopes that the blond bombshell would call! Of course the day I got called, Candi was out sick was stuck with a last minute station staffperson filling in that day.

On the flip side, I was the days top player & I won a transistor radio & a Video Arcade T- Shirt.

<BEN STEIN> "wow." </BS>

The cheesiest show was not too long ago on the local Cleveland/Akron low power sister stations Channels 29 & 35/The Cat. It was a 2-hour show every Wednesday evening called "The Son of Ghouls House of Fun & Games".

4 callers would play, the host would read general trivia questions, and the person with the highest score at the end of the 3 rounds won. A wheel would be spun, and whatever number came up, you would win whatever was in the corresponding numbered bag. Anything from tickets to Cedar Point all the way down to such klunks as a roll of toilet paper, a can of Beanie Weenie, or a *NEW (Hot Wheels) CAR!!*.

What killed the show was that it was live until Janet Jackson came along, then they tried to play using a 7 second delay, but the contestans got too confused. And the show has been off for nearly a year.