The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: wdm1219inpenna on August 14, 2010, 07:27:31 PM
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From time to time, the Sandman forgets to deliver to me on his route, so I end up staying up rather late. I was up watching "Card Sharks" at 3am with Eubanks hosting. I love his style, and the way he could instigate things, especially on the Newlywed Game. That being said, I have a few pet peeves about the show.
The original opening spiel was rather lame, compared to the 1978 version. I often wondered why they couldn't keep the opening poems? The set seemed brighter than Perry's which I actually liked, but the opening, especially the early episodes "From Television City in Hollywood, it's Card Sharks!". Bleh....Gene Wood deserved better copy than this dreck.
Win big money,
And give many thanks,
To our charming host,
Mr. Bob Eubanks onnnnnnnnnnnnnnn CARD SHARKS!!!!
Play the cards right,
You could go far,
Winning thousands of dollars in cash,
Plus this brand new car ONNN....etc. etc.
I loved the advent of the educated guess questions. One thing that annoyed me however, why, when it was an answer under 100, didn't they use the sportstype font readouts? I was never too fond of the 10 person survey questions, I felt they took a little too much time at times too. It was a good effort to add some variety to the game however.
It always irks me when Bob says to a losing contestant "We'll see you again." No you won't. Technically yes we will, in rerun land, but why would you say that? Just seems awkward, makes it seem like they'll be invited back to play again, when that clearly is not the case.
The 2nd end game for the car, while somewhat enjoyable, felt a little bit like having a 2nd dessert after having a 1st dessert. I definitely preferred the jokers in the deck to the 0-10 answer board used toward the end of the show too, although the $500 bonus for being one off wasn't so bad. Sadly, when the jokers popped up, it kind of ruined the flow of the Money Cards game. That's why I was never too keen on the Rafferty version with the prize cards. They always seemed to mess up the flow of the game somehow. I would have preferred instead that any 5 time champion would win the car for having won 5 matches in a row.
I missed the NBC sound effects for this game. The "ding" and the "buzz" sound effects on this version seemed very shallow or weak as compared to the NBC version.
While I admire the show for trying to add new elements to the original, sometimes less is more, as I learned when I hosted "Card Sharks Plus" on another game show related website last year.
I'd be interested in hearing the rest of your opinions about this, and any feedback about the comments shared.
Stay well!
Bill
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Bob also said the "We'll see you again" line on "Dream House".
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[quote name=\'wdm1219inpenna\' post=\'245896\' date=\'Aug 14 2010, 06:27 PM\']The original opening spiel was rather lame, compared to the 1978 version. I often wondered why they couldn't keep the opening poems? The set seemed brighter than Perry's which I actually liked, but the opening, especially the early episodes "From Television City in Hollywood, it's Card Sharks!". Bleh....Gene Wood deserved better copy than this dreck.
[snip]
Play the cards right,
You could go far,
Winning thousands of dollars in cash,
Plus this brand new car ONNN....etc. etc.[/quote]
Not bad. I did, however, like the open copy they used later on.....
I loved the advent of the educated guess questions. One thing that annoyed me however, why, when it was an answer under 100, didn't they use the sportstype font readouts? I was never too fond of the 10 person survey questions, I felt they took a little too much time at times too. It was a good effort to add some variety to the game however.
They did add variety, yes, but in my opinion, they did kind of break away from the basic "survey" format of the CS questions. The audience questions still had the essence of the survey format, though. Problem is, they both slowed down the main game to some extent.
The 2nd end game for the car, while somewhat enjoyable, felt a little bit like having a 2nd dessert after having a 1st dessert. I definitely preferred the jokers in the deck to the 0-10 answer board used toward the end of the show too, although the $500 bonus for being one off wasn't so bad. Sadly, when the jokers popped up, it kind of ruined the flow of the Money Cards game. That's why I was never too keen on the Rafferty version with the prize cards. They always seemed to mess up the flow of the game somehow. I would have preferred instead that any 5 time champion would win the car for having won 5 matches in a row.
I do agree that the prize cards on Rafferty's show got in the way. I really don't think the jokers affected the bonus round too much. As I write this, I just thought that a better idea would've been to give the contestant another joker each time they won. The "5 wins = car" idea does sounds like a good one.
I missed the NBC sound effects for this game. The "ding" and the "buzz" sound effects on this version seemed very shallow or weak as compared to the NBC version.
It seemed NBC always had the edge on sound effects; I definitely prefer the CS/"Scrabble"/CC/etc. bell over the TPIR bell. My personal CS sound effects gripe was why Eubanks and Rafferty didn't use the TPIR overbid buzzer for Money Cards busts.
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I do agree that the prize cards on Rafferty's show got in the way. I really don't think the jokers affected the bonus round too much.
Got in the way of what? Didn't the syndicated version as three questions in the first two games and only one in the third? And it wasn't like "Oh, you've revealed an Oak Day Bed, and that isn't lower than a King, so you lose all your cards up to this point." You slide the prize over, rerack another card, and off you go.
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[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'245904\' date=\'Aug 15 2010, 12:32 AM\']Didn't the syndicated version as three questions in the first two games and only one in the third? And it wasn't like "Oh, you've revealed an Oak Day Bed, and that isn't lower than a King, so you lose all your cards up to this point." You slide the prize over, rerack another card, and off you go.[/quote]
The syndicated and CBS version used the basic format of four questions in the first two games and three in the third; later in Eubanks' run, the third game was cut to one question.
Bill kept the game moving along quickly enough where prize cards didn't get in the way. If the games stopped so Gene Wood could do prize copy on each prize card, then it would be a problem for me. But that's not the case here.
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[quote name=\'wdm1219inpenna\' post=\'245896\' date=\'Aug 14 2010, 06:27 PM\']The 2nd end game for the car, while somewhat enjoyable, felt a little bit like having a 2nd dessert after having a 1st dessert. I definitely preferred the jokers in the deck to the 0-10 answer board used toward the end of the show too, although the $500 bonus for being one off wasn't so bad. Sadly, when the jokers popped up, it kind of ruined the flow of the Money Cards game. That's why I was never too keen on the Rafferty version with the prize cards. They always seemed to mess up the flow of the game somehow.[/quote]
I didn't like prize cards and the second dessert either. Prize cards added no excitement, nothing to game play. If they had to have the car game, at least use real cards ("find the ace!") instead of those crummy "no" cards. A joker for every match you won would have helped a little.
I think it would have helped to play whole games (not matches) with the 10 members of the audience and the educated guess questions. It seemed dumb to set the whole thing up for only one question. You wouldn't have both of them (or either of them) everyday then, but that's fine.
My big pet peeve was that the CBS set felt cheaper than the impressive NBC set. That's odd, because CBS games were usually mounted far more stylishly than NBC and ABC's. I'm nitpicking, of course, but the manually operated freeze bar and the absence of a Money Cards lectern were come-downs. I hate having people just stand in the middle of nothing. I'm not crazy about the Today Show plaza either. And the chaser lights around the car looked hastily done and out of place.
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Actually, I felt that the CBS set was an improvement over the NBC one. The NBC set looked like it could fall apart at any minute.
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[quote name=\'gameshowlover87\' post=\'245915\' date=\'Aug 15 2010, 12:52 PM\']Actually, I felt that the CBS set was an improvement over the NBC one. The NBC set looked like it could fall apart at any minute.[/quote]
I was always more partial to the CBS set myself, mainly because a) it was my first exposure to the show*, and b) it seemed more open. IMO, the NBC set was a little cramped, and every time I saw the "G2T2" podium roll out, it looked like it was ready to tip over. However, the NBC version had a sweeter contestant desk and I liked that it had an actual lecturn for the Money Cards, not the cheesy eggcrate chyron that the later version used.
Also loved the tilting Aces on the CBS set, which only seemed to last the first half-season, perhaps not to interfere with the car on stage? However, I thought the light border for the car was cheesy and out of place, and looked like the centerstage door from Face the Music. ;-)
*As a kid, I desperately wanted that card table!
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[quote name=\'Jeremy Nelson\' post=\'245912\' date=\'Aug 15 2010, 09:01 AM\']Bill kept the game moving along quickly enough where prize cards didn't get in the way. If the games stopped so Gene Wood could do prize copy on each prize card, then it would be a problem for me. But that's not the case here.[/quote]That's what I focus on. Bill knew where to find the humor in something (or tension, or silliness) but also knew when to keep things moving. Bob Eubanks will slow the proceedings to zero, whether talking to one of the Audience Ten or probing the reasoning on a question. And it gets so bad that he asks the offstage producer "OK, who's got control of the cards?"
I like the NBC set, I like some of the set pieces from the CBS game. I like both musical scores. I adore the work of Jim Perry and Bill Rafferty, but I loathe Bob Eubanks. That's really what it comes down to for me, not whether the opening has a poem or the sound effects sound like they're gimpy.
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To be honest, I've always preferred the CBS version slightly over the NBC version. I think the set is better - maybe a bit more cozy - and the variety of questions (bringing in the 10 audience members or educated guess) added a little something I felt was lacking on the NBC version.
Having said that, I like both...or maybe I should say all three (the prize cards on the Rafferty version didn't bother me), but CBS gets the nod - slightly.
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I preferred the NBC set, and Perry over Eubanks (never saw a syndicated Rafferty episode until recently -- and I liked Rafferty more than Eubanks).
It was good to see that Card Sharks finally got it's own original theme when the show went to CBS, and the CBS theme fit the CBS set. That said, I still prefer the NBC/Double Dare-retread theme over the CBS/Syndie theme.
As far as overall gameplay, I prefer the original NBC format. There was no extra or special games either during the match or the Money Cards. Those Educated Guess/Audience Poll Questions and the post-Money Cards bonus games were just distractions which ate up actual game time -- Much the same way that the High Rollers bonus games did in the Martindale Syndie eps which also happened around the same time.
To a lesser extent, I kind of disliked the CBS version from the start. since it bumped Press Your Luck into oblivion, seeing that the CBS affiliate in Toledo chose syndicated programming (Oprah, etc...) over airing PYL in the afternoon.
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[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'245923\' date=\'Aug 15 2010, 02:33 PM\']and the CBS theme fit the CBS set.[/quote]Does not compute.
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[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'245925\' date=\'Aug 15 2010, 06:07 PM\'][quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'245923\' date=\'Aug 15 2010, 02:33 PM\']and the CBS theme fit the CBS set.[/quote]Does not compute.
[/quote]
Perhaps he meant that cartridge on which the CBS theme was recorded fit the cartridge player at CBS. Woulda been bad had it not.
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[quote name=\'Clay Zambo\' post=\'245926\' date=\'Aug 15 2010, 07:14 PM\'][quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'245925\' date=\'Aug 15 2010, 06:07 PM\'][quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'245923\' date=\'Aug 15 2010, 02:33 PM\']and the CBS theme fit the CBS set.[/quote]Does not compute.
[/quote]
Perhaps he meant that cartridge on which the CBS theme was recorded fit the cartridge player at CBS. Woulda been bad had it not.
[/quote]
Well played.
I felt that the CBS theme sounded too much like stock commercial music.
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[quote name=\'Jeremy Nelson\' post=\'245912\' date=\'Aug 15 2010, 09:01 AM\'][quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'245904\' date=\'Aug 15 2010, 12:32 AM\']Didn't the syndicated version as three questions in the first two games and only one in the third?[/quote]
The syndicated and CBS version used the basic format of four questions in the first two games and three in the third;
[/quote]
Travis is nearly right; for a brief period on the syndie version (as noted here (http://\"http://gameshow.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=8339\")) one less question was asked in each round. Other posts I'm finding add another configuration to the mix, saying they briefly asked 4 questions, then 3, then 2, before going back to the original setup.
-Jason
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[quote name=\'JasonA1\' post=\'245928\' date=\'Aug 15 2010, 07:30 PM\'][quote name=\'Jeremy Nelson\' post=\'245912\' date=\'Aug 15 2010, 09:01 AM\'][quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'245904\' date=\'Aug 15 2010, 12:32 AM\']Didn't the syndicated version as three questions in the first two games and only one in the third?[/quote]
The syndicated and CBS version used the basic format of four questions in the first two games and three in the third;
[/quote]
Travis is nearly right; for a brief period on the syndie version (as noted here (http://\"http://gameshow.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=8339\")) one less question was asked in each round. Other posts I'm finding add another configuration to the mix, saying they briefly asked 4 questions, then 3, then 2, before going back to the original setup.
-Jason
[/quote]
It was kind of hard to tell because they always seemed to have an inaccurate number of question places lit up on the podium. For example, during round 2 on many occasions, all 4 would be lit up when there would only be 3 actual questions, and other variations.
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[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'245925\' date=\'Aug 15 2010, 04:07 PM\'][quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'245923\' date=\'Aug 15 2010, 02:33 PM\']and the CBS theme fit the CBS set.[/quote]Does not compute.
[/quote]
In other words, as much as I loved the old Card Sharks/Double Dare theme, I think it would have sounded a bit outdated, if they had resurrected it on the CBS version.
/Why I said "set"??? 2 Honey Brown and 1 Corona Beer. Pre-season football is on!
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[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'245931\' date=\'Aug 15 2010, 06:14 PM\']In other words, as much as I loved the old Card Sharks/Double Dare theme, I think it would have sounded a bit outdated, if they had resurrected it on the CBS version.[/quote] OK, that at least makes sense. I don't necessarily agree completely, but I understand why you would say so.
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While never being a huge fan of Card Sharks(the contestants are a huge turnoff), I've always preferred the 80s run to the 70s. The set is cleaner and crisper.
Eubanks sucked balls as a host and his version comes in last in my book. Perry/Rafferty are tied in hosting...but the 80s syndie run gets the nod due to the addition of the educated guess questions, prize cards, etc. However...I felt that the CBS theme sounded too much like stock commercial music.
this, I would agree with. Not a fan of the 70s theme either though...neither theme has much drama/mood to it.
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The CBS Card Sharks music was one of Kalehoff's better works since emerging from his dark period with Goodson and working independently of Score. Can't say MG/HS Hour or Trivia Trap were any great shakes.
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[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'245962\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 06:18 AM\']The CBS Card Sharks music was one of Kalehoff's better works since emerging from his dark period with Goodson and working independently of Score. Can't say MG/HS Hour or Trivia Trap were any great shakes.[/quote]
They actually went through three different mixes of that Kalehoff theme. The first one used when the show went on the air in January 1986 is the one you hear at TVPMM. No horns, just synth, guitar, drums, bells, etc. It was only used for about four or five weeks. The second one was used only for a few weeks and went a little too in-your-face with horns. The third one was used for most of the run and was a happy medium between the other two, adding subtler horns.
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I like the scale of the CBS set. Everything was just a little bit smaller (the cards) or shorter ... mainly because not many hosts are as tall as Jim Perry.
The educated guess and 10-in-the-audience questions were probably the only CBS additions that I felt added a real element to the game. Also, maybe, the $400 addition to the second level of the money cards ... to get the maximum win to an even $32,000.
Otherwise, the NBC approach to the game play was my favorite.
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I never liked the educated guess questions. They felt out of place when all of the other questions were about public opinion -- it would be like watching an episode of "Family Feud," and all of a sudden they're asking the teams to name the six longest rivers in the world. Plus, watching the Chyron operator type the answer onto the screen (where it didn't necessarily even fit in the on-set display area) looked really tacky.
The survey of ten didn't do anything for me either, but at least that was in the spirit of the show.
I prefer the Perry version, which is interesting since the Eubanks version is the first version I saw in my childhood -- you'd think the childhood memories would make me remember it more fondly.
(Although when I play Money Cards at home, I use the Eubanks version's rules.)
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I didn't care for the educated guess questions. Other than that I have no preference between network versions.
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[quote name=\'MSTieScott\' post=\'245978\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 12:37 PM\']I never liked the educated guess questions. They felt out of place when all of the other questions were about public opinion -- it would be like watching an episode of "Family Feud," and all of a sudden they're asking the teams to name the six longest rivers in the world. Plus, watching the Chyron operator type the answer onto the screen (where it didn't necessarily even fit in the on-set display area) looked really tacky.[/quote]
This. Well said.
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[quote name=\'MSTieScott\' post=\'245978\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 12:37 PM\'](Although when I play Money Cards at home, I use the Eubanks version's rules.)[/quote]
I agree with everything you said, except for this. Yeah, it's disappointing when you bust on a pair, but I don't like a bet where there isn't some slight chance of losing, as on aces and 2s. People on Perry's version didn't get too skittish to bet the wad, did they?
Choosing which one of the three change cards felt pointless, but that's no big deal, and I suppose it's nice to give you the change option where you want it. I like it simpler, though, so I'd just take the Perry version and front players more money.
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[quote name=\'Neumms\' post=\'245994\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 02:35 PM\']People on Perry's version didn't get too skittish to bet the wad, did they?[/quote]
No, which is why it seriously seriously sucked, and was unsatisfying television, when it bit them in the ass. Especially when it effectively ended the game.
(At first I was going to say "after the first level" to head the people who would be bouncing up and down in their chairs to point that out off at the pass. But you know what? As far as I'm concerned, when your max payout dives from $28K down to $3,200, the game's basically over.)
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[quote name=\'Neumms\' post=\'245994\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 04:35 PM\']I agree with everything you said, except for this. Yeah, it's disappointing when you bust on a pair, but I don't like a bet where there isn't some slight chance of losing[/quote]I 'spose you'd be OK with the dealer taking your money on a blackjack if they had one as well?
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[quote name=\'Neumms\' post=\'245994\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 04:35 PM\']Yeah, it's disappointing when you bust on a pair, but I don't like a bet where there isn't some slight chance of losing, as on aces and 2s. People on Perry's version didn't get too skittish to bet the wad, did they?[/quote]
Eh, I think the push rule brought more fun to the game. Likable contestant has built up a nice bank, they see an Ace or 2, crowd gets excited, contestant goes bonkers. It's a nice moment.
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[quote name=\'J.R.\' post=\'245998\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 05:46 PM\'][quote name=\'Neumms\' post=\'245994\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 04:35 PM\']Yeah, it's disappointing when you bust on a pair, but I don't like a bet where there isn't some slight chance of losing, as on aces and 2s. People on Perry's version didn't get too skittish to bet the wad, did they?[/quote]
Eh, I think the push rule brought more fun to the game. Likable contestant has built up a nice bank, they see an Ace or 2, crowd gets excited, contestant goes bonkers. It's a nice moment.
[/quote]
Agreed. Losing money on a tie makes for really bad television.
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[quote name=\'davemackey\' post=\'245963\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 04:36 AM\'][quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'245962\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 06:18 AM\']The CBS Card Sharks music was one of Kalehoff's better works since emerging from his dark period with Goodson and working independently of Score. Can't say MG/HS Hour or Trivia Trap were any great shakes.[/quote]
They actually went through three different mixes of that Kalehoff theme. The first one used when the show went on the air in January 1986 is the one you hear at TVPMM. No horns, just synth, guitar, drums, bells, etc. It was only used for about four or five weeks. The second one was used only for a few weeks and went a little too in-your-face with horns. The third one was used for most of the run and was a happy medium between the other two, adding subtler horns.[/quote]
You remember all this 24 years later? You know, "Zach Mackey" has a nice ring to it.
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[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'246016\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 09:24 PM\'][quote name=\'davemackey\' post=\'245963\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 04:36 AM\'][quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'245962\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 06:18 AM\']The CBS Card Sharks music was one of Kalehoff's better works since emerging from his dark period with Goodson and working independently of Score. Can't say MG/HS Hour or Trivia Trap were any great shakes.[/quote]
They actually went through three different mixes of that Kalehoff theme. The first one used when the show went on the air in January 1986 is the one you hear at TVPMM. No horns, just synth, guitar, drums, bells, etc. It was only used for about four or five weeks. The second one was used only for a few weeks and went a little too in-your-face with horns. The third one was used for most of the run and was a happy medium between the other two, adding subtler horns.[/quote]
You remember all this 24 years later? You know, "Zach Mackey" has a nice ring to it.
[/quote]
I noticed this when GSN was running it back in '01.
/Does this make me Zach Mooneyhan?
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I mostly preferred Eubanks' version to Perry's. Didn't care much for the "out of ten" questions, though. I liked Perry on $ale, but not as much seeing him on CS. However, I never saw Perry's version until long after its original run in repeats on GSN.
Which leads me to wonder how much our opinions differ due to age. I was born in 1980, and generally prefer the shows and hosts of the 80's to their 70's counterparts. Contrary to popular opinion I prefer Combs' Feud to Dawson's and have a certain fondness for Davidson Squares. I'm very much a product of the 80's.
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[quote name=\'LA the DJ\' post=\'246021\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 10:26 PM\']Which leads me to wonder how much our opinions differ due to age. I was born in 1980, and generally prefer the shows and hosts of the 80's to their 70's counterparts. Contrary to popular opinion I prefer Combs' Feud to Dawson's and have a certain fondness for Davidson Squares. I'm very much a product of the 80's.[/quote]
Interesting. I was born two years after you...as I mentioned, Eubanks was the first version I saw, so I'm more partial to that one, and it could explain why I consider 80s Pyramid the standard as to how a game show should be produced (Perry's $ale is a close second), and why I liked the 80s set so much more than that from NYC. I liked different elements from the two Feuds...
However, gotta disagree a bit with you on Davidson's HSq. Loved it as a kid, but watching it as an adult, it felt like too many inmates running the asylum. That being said, Marshall's version was cool to see on GSN, but was missing something IMO. I thought Bergeron's was the perfect medium for that one.
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[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'246024\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 08:04 PM\']Interesting. I was born two years after you...as I mentioned, Eubanks was the first version I saw, so I'm more partial to that one,[/quote]Do I still get to call you whippersnapper?
I was originally introduced to Card Sharks with the Bob and Bill, so that was my frame of reference. When I see the reruns on GSN of NBC Sharks, I facepalm because that was the version that I think is the better one.
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[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'246025\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 11:08 PM\'][quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'246024\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 08:04 PM\']Interesting. I was born two years after you...as I mentioned, Eubanks was the first version I saw, so I'm more partial to that one,[/quote]Do I still get to call you whippersnapper?
[/quote]
How about this...I'll get myself the hell off your lawn. ;-)
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[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'246029\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 08:41 PM\']How about this...I'll get myself the hell off your lawn. ;-)[/quote]Naw, come have a seat; there's more than enough of both popcorn and pigeons.
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[quote name=\'Modor\' post=\'245961\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 02:55 AM\']While never being a huge fan of Card Sharks(the contestants are a huge turnoff),[/quote] In what way?
The set is cleaner and crisper.
I think it is time for another round of Defend That Definition.
[quote name=\'Neumms\' post=\'245994\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 02:35 PM\']People on Perry's version didn't get too skittish to bet the wad, did they?[/quote]But they did, especially if they had pushed before during the Money Cards. I will never understand this. Even the NBC version corrected this, along with the change of base card on each level, as a way for contestants to win more. After all, it is a game show, and it is fun to watch people winning piles of money.
The game is played with playing cards. Players go into it knowing that luck will be almost all the battle. You can be a wizard at predicting human nature, but if the cards go 3 and then 2, well, you're just hosed. If you want a game that has less to do with luck, I suppose there was either Password Plus or Blockbusters, depending.
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[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'246033\' date=\'Aug 17 2010, 01:48 AM\'][quote name=\'Modor\' post=\'245961\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 02:55 AM\']While never being a huge fan of Card Sharks(the contestants are a huge turnoff),[/quote] In what way?
[/quote]
If Mark and I are on the same page, the contestant rambling as to why 42 second-graders still believe in Santa kinda annoyed me, and I always took it as game filler. That being said, I can't fault the contestants for the design of the game, and IMO, a situation like the following is extremely boring...
JIM/BOB/BILL: Martha, How many second-graders do you think still believe in Santa Claus?
MARTHA: I'll say 42.
J/B/B: Okay, Tom, higher or lower?
TOM: Umm, that's lower.
J/B/B: All right, the number is........51! It was higher!
However, I always groaned a bit when the kids had to speculate about their answer.
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But that isn't the contestants being a turnoff, that's the explaining of answers. And Jim would always hurry them along when it was the final segment of the show anyway. Do I care why the number is exactly 42? No. Would I like to see if I think the contestant is terribly off base in the reasoning, or if I agree completely? Yeah, I would.
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One thing that bothered me in the Eubanks version was contestants who seemingly didn't want to freeze even though they had a crappy card staring them in the face (most notably a 6 or 10), and more often than not, they'd miscall the next card (when they could've frozen and potentially change the card by winning the next question)--and I'm talking two or three cards into the line. At least in the Perry version, running the board was a $500 bonus (in 1980-81 only) but that incentive never carried over to Eubanks' version--yet contestants seemingly were playing like it was still there.
Never watched Rafferty's version enough to see if it was the same thing.
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/Does this make me Zach Mooneyhan?
Hope that it doesn't.
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[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'246035\' date=\'Aug 17 2010, 02:24 AM\']But that isn't the contestants being a turnoff, that's the explaining of answers. And Jim would always hurry them along when it was the final segment of the show anyway. Do I care why the number is exactly 42? No. Would I like to see if I think the contestant is terribly off base in the reasoning, or if I agree completely? Yeah, I would.[/quote]
If they're not explaining their reasoning, it's just like Power of 10.
To be honest, yes, the contestants are just making it up as they go along. That having been said, I've always liked that the contestants gave their reasoning, no matter how idiotic that reasoning may be: it gives the home viewer a bit more opportunity to play along, and -- especially if you've got somebody watching with you -- the opportunity to argue about whether the contestant is dumb to argue a high number of people will answer the question a certain way, or not (and, by extension, show off when you're closer to the actual answer than the person sitting next to you at home).
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[quote name=\'SRIV94\' post=\'246049\' date=\'Aug 17 2010, 11:11 AM\']At least in the Perry version, running the board was a $500 bonus (in 1980-81 only) but that incentive never carried over to Eubanks' version--yet contestants seemingly were playing like it was still there.
Never watched Rafferty's version enough to see if it was the same thing.[/quote]
IIRC, Rafferty's version did not have this. But they had prize cards and other things going on. I liked the $500 bonus for running the board. This was only for Games 1 and 2, not Game 3 where there were just three cards.
Eubanks' version and Rafferty's added the 10-member audience question and the car, which was good. Didn't care much for the "educated guess" questions. IIRC, I saw the car on Rafferty's version first, so I thought "Okay, they've done something big here to distinguish this version from Eubanks'." But the cars started showing up on the daytime as well. It gave contestants who bombed out on the Money Cards a shot at redemption.
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[quote name=\'BillCullen1\' post=\'246075\' date=\'Aug 18 2010, 07:54 AM\']But the cars started showing up on the daytime as well. It gave contestants who bombed out on the Money Cards a shot at redemption.[/quote]
Fair point but, if the contestant did really well on the money cards but bombs out on the car game, it kinda ends the bonus round on a bit of a sour note.
Pretty much why I didn't care for the addition.
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[quote name=\'J.R.\' post=\'246087\' date=\'Aug 18 2010, 02:58 PM\'][quote name=\'BillCullen1\' post=\'246075\' date=\'Aug 18 2010, 07:54 AM\']But the cars started showing up on the daytime as well. It gave contestants who bombed out on the Money Cards a shot at redemption.[/quote]
Fair point but, if the contestant did really well on the money cards but bombs out on the car game, it kinda ends the bonus round on a bit of a sour note.
Pretty much why I didn't care for the addition.
[/quote]
I agree. I wonder if it would work to play for the car at the end of every show, instead of right after Money Cards. I'm not sure, but I assume after the last commercial, they only left time for Bob to say "so long for now." Whoever the current champ is hands over their jokers, picks the damn number, then they can say so long. One good thing is that it would give a straddling show something nice at the end.
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[quote name=\'Neumms\' post=\'246099\' date=\'Aug 18 2010, 11:50 PM\']I agree. I wonder if it would work to play for the car at the end of every show, instead of right after Money Cards. I'm not sure, but I assume after the last commercial, they only left time for Bob to say "so long for now." Whoever the current champ is hands over their jokers, picks the damn number, then they can say so long. One good thing is that it would give a straddling show something nice at the end.[/quote]
Interesting concept, but how would the show be structured? When I read your post, the only logical thing I came up with was what Scrabble did when they added the Bonus Sprint.
Thing is, Scrabble's main game played a lot quicker. With that concept, the only way you could probably fit two maingames, two Money Cards games, and a car game would be if matches only consist of one game. Then maybe the highest Money Cards winner gets to play for the car, which sucks if you're the first player and you BUST. And what about ties?
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[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'246101\' date=\'Aug 18 2010, 09:13 PM\']Interesting concept, but how would the show be structured? When I read your post, the only logical thing I came up with was what Scrabble did when they added the Bonus Sprint.[/quote]As loathsome as I find the car game, I understand why they do it. The car gets won maybe one in six playings, and every time it isn't won, the show gets some coin for showing off the car and having Gene Wood read that copy.
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[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'246101\' date=\'Aug 18 2010, 11:13 PM\']Then maybe the highest Money Cards winner gets to play for the car, which sucks if you're the first player and you BUST. And what about ties?[/quote]
..then you put the second set of players in an isolation room, which is what they did on Scrabble since they (eventually) played the same words in Scrabble Sprint. If they tie...well, either let them both play, play one more high/low question, or award the match to the player who had more money going into the Big Bet. I didn't care for the car game much anyways....not to mention I hated its second format. As summed up already, it turns winners into losers, and basically ends the bonus round on a sour note when lost.
I remember Play Your Cards Right made the Big Bet turn for a car if the contestant reached a certain amount on the Money Cards (I think it was $4K). Although it could be exciting, it seemed awkward playing the top row for a car when that's supposed to be the "high risk" area of the bonus round (I believe if you were playing for the car, your cash was safe at that point, rendering the "Big Bet" riskless.
For me, with a show that relies on gambling and winning/losing wads of cash on turns of cards, a car just doesn't fit into that equation in any way, shape or form.
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[quote name=\'Jeremy Nelson\' post=\'246106\' date=\'Aug 18 2010, 09:58 PM\']..then you put the second set of players in an isolation room, which is what they did on Scrabble since they (eventually) played the same words in Scrabble Sprint. If they tie...well, either let them both play, play one more high/low question, or award the match to the player who had more money going into the Big Bet.[/quote]"Let's bring out our winners for a chance to win the car. Everyone has a joker for being champ plus jokers scored in the Money Cards. If you cover the car card with a joker, you're driving it home. Line up and get to work."
And yes, that's quite a kludge. That should tell you something.
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[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'246033\' date=\'Aug 17 2010, 12:48 AM\']
The set is cleaner and crisper.
I think it is time for another round of Defend That Definition.[/quote]My apologies for getting back to this so late. I never liked the glittery, thick "jumbo" cards that rotated around the set. The '80s set had a more "Vegas" feel to it, with the gold accents on the contestants podium. Which leads me to wonder how much our opinions differ due to age. I was born in 1980, and generally prefer the shows and hosts of the 80's to their 70's counterparts.
Somewhat in this camp. I prefer the 80s run of FF, LMaD, and CS, but through internet viewing, prefer the 70s runs of "Crosswits", "Split Second", and High Rollers". If Mark and I are on the same page, the contestant rambling as to why 42 second-graders still believe in Santa kinda annoyed me, and I always took it as game filler.
That's exactly it.
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However, gotta disagree a bit with you on Davidson's HSq. Loved it as a kid, but watching it as an adult, it felt like too many inmates running the asylum. That being said, Marshall's version was cool to see on GSN, but was missing something IMO. I thought Bergeron's was the perfect medium for that one
I've always held Marshall's Squares in high regard and adored it as a kid, but in watching many of those shows again, I can see why it didn't do well on GSN.
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Very awesome replies. I still am left to wonder why Mr. Eubanks would tell a losing player "We'll see you again." I know it's something to say, but I think "Thanks for playing" or "Thank you for being here with us" would be much better than "We'll see you again!". No Bob, you won't. Maybe it happened rarely if there was a technical foul up somehow and a losing player was invited back, but 99.9% of the time, you will not see them again.
The Rafferty version annoyed me with the prize cards, and the way he'd say "take a breath" during the Money Cards round almost every time. Overall though I really enjoyed Rafferty on this and on Blockbusters '87 too. He was also good on the show "Real People", which I'm guessing more of us than not on these boards probably has little or no memory of.
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[quote name=\'wdm1219inpenna\' post=\'246280\' date=\'Aug 23 2010, 02:21 PM\']I still am left to wonder why Mr. Eubanks would tell a losing player "We'll see you again."[/quote]
Ah, one of those mysteries of gameshowdom. Like the fourth digit at the top of the FF9x display.
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[quote name=\'wdm1219inpenna\' post=\'246280\' date=\'Aug 23 2010, 03:21 PM\']I still am left to wonder why Mr. Eubanks would tell a losing player "We'll see you again."[/quote]
Maybe they were planning a Tournament of Losers similar to the ones on Super Password from the same era.
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[quote name=\'TheLastResort\' post=\'246282\' date=\'Aug 23 2010, 03:40 PM\'][quote name=\'wdm1219inpenna\' post=\'246280\' date=\'Aug 23 2010, 03:21 PM\']I still am left to wonder why Mr. Eubanks would tell a losing player "We'll see you again."[/quote]
Maybe they were planning a Tournament of Losers similar to the ones on Super Password from the same era.
[/quote]
If memory serves, he says it to the losing contestant on the last episode as well, though. Perhaps it was just a crutch.
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[quote name=\'SRIV94\' post=\'246283\' date=\'Aug 23 2010, 02:01 PM\']Perhaps it was just a crutch.[/quote]
I refuse to believe that. Bob Eubanks does not have any crutches.
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[quote name=\'wdm1219inpenna\' post=\'246280\' date=\'Aug 23 2010, 01:21 PM\']Very awesome replies. I still am left to wonder why Mr. Eubanks would tell a losing player "We'll see you again." I know it's something to say, but I think "Thanks for playing" or "Thank you for being here with us" would be much better than "We'll see you again!". No Bob, you won't. Maybe it happened rarely if there was a technical foul up somehow and a losing player was invited back, but 99.9% of the time, you will not see them again.[/quote]
ISTR that Chuck Woolery did that a lot on Love Connection to "the chosen ones" (the ones who were part of the 3 choices) who didn't get the second date. And probably their tapes were already erased/taped over by the time Chuck said to them on air that "...we''ll see you again".
This is an interesting question, as far as what other shows used that "Sure, come back and try again next time you're in town (....NOT!!!)" line.
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If memory serves, he says it to the losing contestant on the last episode as well, though.
Yes, but there was also a future contestant plug on that show as well.
\Beats the heck out of me...
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[quote name=\'SRIV94\' post=\'246281\' date=\'Aug 23 2010, 04:17 PM\'][quote name=\'wdm1219inpenna\' post=\'246280\' date=\'Aug 23 2010, 02:21 PM\']I still am left to wonder why Mr. Eubanks would tell a losing player "We'll see you again."[/quote]
Ah, one of those mysteries of gameshowdom. Like the fourth digit at the top of the FF9x display.
[/quote]
Or the second announcer on Yahtzee.
Hmm. Here's my take.
Perry: Disliked the lack of a "push" rule. Liked everything else. Particularly enjoyed Jim's dramatic card-flips. The DD76 music is one of my 10 favorite game show themes.
Eubanks: Thought Eubanks was too chummy and gabby. He was also very sloppy at turning the cards IMO, just flipping them over so nonchalantly. Not a fan of the educated guess/10 people questions. I agree that the car game was tacked on. The theme music sounds good in the clear, but for some reason it doesn't sound so good when I hear it on the show.
Rafferty: Not quite as good as Perry but he more than held his own.