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The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: TLEberle on December 08, 2003, 07:13:49 PM

Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: TLEberle on December 08, 2003, 07:13:49 PM
Comparing recent game shows to those from the earlier days of the media, it appears that nearly every new show has some sort of bonus round (among shows where two or more players compete), whereas shows from earlier, like Concentration or Twenty-one did just fine without one?  Hollywood Squares and Wheel of Fortune have a bonus round, but is it really necessary?  I realize that a game like Pyramid would fall flat without the Winner's Circle, but not every program falls in that category.  Do we take it for granted that the champion should get to play for even more cash and prizes against the house before playing another game?  

Travis
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: zachhoran on December 08, 2003, 07:32:54 PM
[quote name=\'TLEberle\' date=\'Dec 8 2003, 07:13 PM\'] whereas shows from earlier, like Concentration or Twenty-one did just fine without one?  Hollywood Squares and Wheel of Fortune have a bonus round, but is it really necessary [/quote]
 Jeopardy! survives without a bonus round(and a format including a solo player bonus round instead of Final J! crashed and burned 25 years ago). Millionaire also survives without a bonus round, and in the Syndicated run, contestants don't even compete against each other. Whammy! doesn't have a bonus round(though when Second Chance was conceived, the creators considered the spin rounds to be the bonus round). Wheel survived most of the WOolery era without a bonus round, and old-school Squares did for 10 years(even when Marshall HS had a bonus round, it was pick a star, win the prize)
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: Steve McClellan on December 08, 2003, 08:01:59 PM
[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Dec 8 2003, 04:32 PM\']Millionaire also survives without a bonus round[/quote]
For all intents and purposes, Millionaire *is* a bonus round. :)
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: DrBear on December 08, 2003, 08:36:20 PM
Street Smarts doesn't have a bonus round either; it's like J! in its bet-it-all ending. (The Wager of Death may be the best name for a game round on any show since 2 Minute Drill's Question of Great Significance.)
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: BrandonFG on December 08, 2003, 08:48:28 PM
[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Dec 8 2003, 08:41 PM\'] [quote name=\'DrBear\' date=\'Dec 8 2003, 08:36 PM\'] Street Smarts doesn't have a bonus round either; it's like J! in its bet-it-all ending. (The Wager of Death may be the best name for a game round on any show since 2 Minute Drill's Question of Great Significance.) [/quote]
Street Smarts and 2 Minute Drill may have great titles for their final rounds, but 2 MInute Drill came a year after Street Smarts debuted. [/quote]
 Ummm...2 Minute Drill debuted in Sept. 2000, Street Smarts in October.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: zachhoran on December 08, 2003, 09:00:16 PM
[quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Dec 8 2003, 08:48 PM\']
Street Smarts and 2 Minute Drill may have great titles for their final rounds, but 2 MInute Drill came a year after Street Smarts debuted. [/QUOTE]
Ummm...2 Minute Drill debuted in Sept. 2000, Street Smarts in October. [/quote]
 My last post has now been deleted :)
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: That Don Guy on December 08, 2003, 09:44:00 PM
Hollywood Squares and Wheel of Fortune have a bonus round, but is it really necessary?

Seeing as how both of those shows ran for quite a few years on daytime TV without a bonus round (if you don't count HS's Secret Square), I would say "no".  (Then again, Wheel nearly got cancelled without it.)

Also, the Cullen-era The Price is Right didn't have a bonus round, although it did have a number of bonus prizes...

-- Don
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: gameshowguy2000 on December 09, 2003, 12:27:59 AM
Winning Lines couldn't survive without the CATCHIEST bonus round ever: The Wonderwall!

That's what made it so successful, even if it lasted only 2 months. People watching at home could play along and shout out the answers, hoping that the finalist would win the million.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: BrandonFG on December 09, 2003, 12:53:11 AM
[quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Dec 9 2003, 12:27 AM\'] Winning Lines couldn't survive without the CATCHIEST bonus round ever: The Wonderwall!

That's what made it so successful, even if it lasted only 2 months. People watching at home could play along and shout out the answers, hoping that the finalist would win the million. [/quote]
 I'll always remember coming home on work break to see the first episode of Winning Lines, and actually watching the female contestant, Catherine, make her way to the very last answer, but ended up with $500K instead.

This was the night before Millionaire became a regular series, so it was still a big deal for someone to win $1 million.

Did CBS really expect this show to make Millionaire-type ratings on a Friday or Saturday night?
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: clemon79 on December 09, 2003, 01:05:49 AM
[quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Dec 8 2003, 10:53 PM\'] I'll always remember coming home on work break to see the first episode of Winning Lines, and actually watching the female contestant, Catherine, make her way to the very last answer, but ended up with $500K instead.
 [/quote]
 And she HAD A PITSTOP LEFT. SHE HAD A FREAKIN' PITSTOP LEFT. {crying}

Best. Endgame. Ever.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: Ian Wallis on December 09, 2003, 09:02:11 AM
Quote
Hollywood Squares and Wheel of Fortune have a bonus round, but is it really necessary?


I think both shows were fine when they didn't have bonus rounds.  In fact, when Marshall's "Squares" went to a bonus round in the late '70s, it felt a little out of place in the beginning.  I guess it's because we were so used to seeing it withough a bonus round.  

Another show that comes to mind that didn't have a bonus round:  the ABC run of "Break the Bank".  I've heard people say that the bonus round on the syndie version didn't really fit.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: zachhoran on December 09, 2003, 09:42:03 AM
[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Dec 9 2003, 01:05 AM\'] [quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Dec 8 2003, 10:53 PM\'] I'll always remember coming home on work break to see the first episode of Winning Lines, and actually watching the female contestant, Catherine, make her way to the very last answer, but ended up with $500K instead.
 [/quote]
And she HAD A PITSTOP LEFT. SHE HAD A FREAKIN' PITSTOP LEFT. {crying}

Best. Endgame. Ever. [/quote]
 Were they allowed to use the pitstop with less than 15 seconds on the clock, which was the case with Catherine? There was a bit of a debate about that on Usenet when her episode aired.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: Jimmy Owen on December 09, 2003, 10:23:20 AM
How about Wonderwall becoming a show of its own.  Maybe have three players compete with the Wall getting larger with every round, till you get to the set filling Wonderwall bonus round.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: zachhoran on December 09, 2003, 11:00:57 AM
[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Dec 9 2003, 10:23 AM\'] How about Wonderwall becoming a show of its own.  Maybe have three players compete with the Wall getting larger with every round, till you get to the set filling Wonderwall bonus round. [/quote]
 Perhaps this might work. Recall too that the WOnderwall resembled the bonus round of Stone-Stanley's QUicksilver on USA in 1994, but Wonderwall was much more elaborate than the Silver Streak round. Winning Lines(US version) was co-produced by Stone-Stanley.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: clemon79 on December 09, 2003, 11:40:46 AM
[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Dec 9 2003, 07:42 AM\'] Were they allowed to use the pitstop with less than 15 seconds on the clock, which was the case with Catherine? There was a bit of a debate about that on Usenet when her episode aired. [/quote]
 I honestly don't remember a single rule that implied that she could not, and since using a Pitstop froze the clock completely and not just the ten seconds a player had to answer a question, I don't see where it would have created a problem.

I just remember yelling "YOU STILL HAD A PITSTOP! MY DOG COULD HAVE FOUND "GHIRADELLI" UP THERE GIVEN 15 SECONDS!"
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: uncamark on December 09, 2003, 02:51:35 PM
[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Dec 9 2003, 09:02 AM\']Another show that comes to mind that didn't have a bonus round:  the ABC run of "Break the Bank".  I've heard people say that the bonus round on the syndie version didn't really fit.[/quote]
It didn't--but Dan Enright wanted a beat-the-bad-guy end game anyway (said bad guy being the Bust card).

You can also add the early days of "Scrabble" and "Face the Music" to shows with final rounds that weren't end games (both face-the-champion rounds).  Also, in the last two Ralph Edwards seasons of "NTT," the Golden Medley was a competition between the players rather than a solo end game (and despite Bob Stewart's claim that the "Password" Lightning Round was the first end game, there's strong evidence that the "NTT" Golden Medley deserved that title--and "Play Your Hunch" had two different end games before "Password" came on the air).
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: gameshowguy2000 on December 09, 2003, 08:31:53 PM
[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Dec 9 2003, 11:40 AM\'] [quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Dec 9 2003, 07:42 AM\'] Were they allowed to use the pitstop with less than 15 seconds on the clock, which was the case with Catherine? There was a bit of a debate about that on Usenet when her episode aired. [/quote]
I honestly don't remember a single rule that implied that she could not, and since using a Pitstop froze the clock completely and not just the ten seconds a player had to answer a question, I don't see where it would have created a problem.

I just remember yelling "YOU STILL HAD A PITSTOP! MY DOG COULD HAVE FOUND "GHIRADELLI" UP THERE GIVEN 15 SECONDS!" [/quote]
 IIRC correctly, Catherine had a pit stop, a pass, and THREE seconds left on that clock. 3 seconds isn't enough to even USE that last pit stop or pass!

If I were in the shoes of Catherine, I would've bailed out with the $500K too. I wouldn't have found Ghiradelli's number.

BTW, what was the number for Ghiradelli?
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: ChuckNet on December 09, 2003, 08:32:26 PM
Quote
And she HAD A PITSTOP LEFT. SHE HAD A FREAKIN' PITSTOP LEFT. {crying}

Best. Endgame. Ever.

Amen to that...sometimes an endgame like the Wonderwall can make it worth sitting through the first 20 min. of an otherwise lackluster show.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: clemon79 on December 09, 2003, 09:17:14 PM
[quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Dec 9 2003, 06:31 PM\'] IIRC correctly, Catherine had a pit stop, a pass, and THREE seconds left on that clock. 3 seconds isn't enough to even USE that last pit stop or pass! [/quote]
 My internal Department Of Ridiculously Obscure Information remembers it as four seconds, but we're arguing semantics. All she had to do was bang her thumb on a button she was holding in her hand, and then she had fifteen seconds to either be ready to blurt out an answer or hit the Bailout button the moment the clock resumed ticking. If you can't do that in three or four seconds, I suggest you work on some hand-eye coordination exercises.

Quote
If I were in the shoes of Catherine, I would've bailed out with the $500K too. I wouldn't have found Ghiradelli's number.

But at least you take the fifteen seconds to think and look! If you don't have an answer THEN, sure, you bail out. (Heck, it might have been legal to bail out DURING a pitstop, but assuming it wasn't she had ample time to do so when it ended.)

(Of course, the trick is doing that with a level head and a million bones on the line, which is why she bailed out with $500K, and I don't blame her either for making that decision. But still, if she were just a LITTLE more level-headed, and aware of the situation...)

Quote
BTW, what was the number for Ghiradelli?

I haven't any idea, and I'm of the opinion that anyone here who does and is willing to admit it needs to get out more. :)
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: TLEberle on December 10, 2003, 01:39:22 AM
Oh, pick me!  Pick me!

Let's go to the RealPLayer...

<fast forward>

DC: Who was known as the Galloping Gourmet? You have twelve seconds.
CR: (29), Graham Kerr.
DC: The Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory can be found in what city? Six seconds, four, three, two...

Catherine bails out and leaves with $502,500.  She had more than enough time to activate the pit stop button, search for the answer and either give the answer, guess, or quit.

The correct answer is (6) San Francisco.  And they make damn good chocolate.

Travis
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: HYHYBT on December 10, 2003, 02:02:24 AM
Would it be useful here to make a distinction between "bonus round" and "end game"? The original Scrabble Sprint, whatever Face the Music called its, Final Jeopardy!, and the Showcases are all end games but are not bonus rounds because you're still competing against other players.

In a sense (a nonsensical sense, if you like), The Price is Right has both, separately, and in backwards order. The Showcases are an end game, but the individual pricing games are essentially a bonus for getting out of Contestants' Row.

I really like the idea of making the Wonderwall its own show.

Anyway, bonus rounds help keep a straddling game from getting monotonous, and help keep one game from running into another in the viewer's mind (and maybe the participants' too for all I know), or give a self-contained show a big finish. If the main game has enough variety in itself, and an appropriate (not necessarily huge, but decent) payout, it could do without.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: Jay Temple on December 10, 2003, 01:24:03 PM
[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Dec 9 2003, 01:51 PM\'] [quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Dec 9 2003, 09:02 AM\']Another show that comes to mind that didn't have a bonus round:  the ABC run of "Break the Bank".  [/quote]
It didn't--but Dan Enright wanted a beat-the-bad-guy end game anyway (said bad guy being the Bust card). [/quote]
 Play the Percentages, in its final version, had a beat-the-bad-guy bonus round, but its "bad guy" was the one answer out of six shown that didn't make the survey.  (Since the percentages of the other five were adjusted to add up to 100, it may well have shown up;  it just wasn't one of the top five.)

As I noted on another thread, Concentration didn't need a bonus round.  However, to work today you would probably need some guaranteed total for everyone who wins at least one game.  Otherwise, you could have a two-game winner whose winnings literally amount to a hill of beans.  (Randy West at the end of the show:  "All players who win at least one game receive a gift card from J.C. Penney's, ..." or whoever they can line up as a sponsor.)
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: gameshowguy2000 on December 10, 2003, 02:55:45 PM
[quote name=\'TLEberle\' date=\'Dec 10 2003, 01:39 AM\'] Oh, pick me!  Pick me!

Let's go to the RealPLayer...

<fast forward>

DC: Who was known as the Galloping Gourmet? You have twelve seconds.
CR: (29), Graham Kerr.
DC: The Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory can be found in what city? Six seconds, four, three, two...

Catherine bails out and leaves with $502,500.  She had more than enough time to activate the pit stop button, search for the answer and either give the answer, guess, or quit.

The correct answer is (6) San Francisco.  And they make damn good chocolate.

Travis [/quote]
I knew that San Francisco was the answer. Just didn't know the number, but thanks, Travis.

And I never knew that a Pit Stop froze the main clock. I thought the main clock would still be running, just like it would once Dick Clark had finished reading the question. After he read the question, I'd hear the little "tick-tock"'s of the 15-second mini-clock, and that coincided with the main clock.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: Blanquepage on December 10, 2003, 07:18:43 PM
Well now y'all can see the end game to the premiere episode of "Winning Lines" to totally refresh your memory of just how it played out. Scroll down to the "Bonus Round Madness" section for the updated clip.

....end plug. Back to work for me.

--Jamie
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: gameshowguy2000 on December 10, 2003, 07:29:57 PM
Thanks, Jamie.

As for the post on distinguishing Bonus Round from End Game:

Well, the Showcase round and Final Jeopardy! are 2 End Games not considered Bonus Rounds.

Speaking of Final Jeopardy!: I knew that players with negative scores are excluded, but why are people with $0 also excluded?

I know that people had to not be "In The Hole" to be in Final Jeopardy. Heck, I've seen players in Final Jeopardy wager $0. That leads me to believe that even if you have $0, you could still be in Final Jeopardy.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: BrandonFG on December 10, 2003, 07:35:44 PM
[quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Dec 10 2003, 07:29 PM\'] Speaking of Final Jeopardy!: I knew that players with negative scores are excluded, but why are people with $0 also excluded?

I know that people had to not be "In The Hole" to be in Final Jeopardy. Heck, I've seen players in Final Jeopardy wager $0. That leads me to believe that even if you have $0, you could still be in Final Jeopardy. [/quote]
 Negative (no pun intended).

Betting $0 when you have money and having $0 to bet with are two separate things. The people who bet $0 on Final J! still have money to give, but strategically choose not to. Would you walk into a casino with no money, and still expect to be able to put $100 on the blackjack table?
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: zachhoran on December 10, 2003, 07:38:31 PM
[quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Dec 10 2003, 07:29 PM\']
Speaking of Final Jeopardy!: I knew that players with negative scores are excluded, but why are people with $0 also excluded?

I know that people had to not be "In The Hole" to be in Final Jeopardy. Heck, I've seen players in Final Jeopardy wager $0. That leads me to believe that even if you have $0, you could still be in Final Jeopardy. [/quote]
 A player with $0 at the end of Double J! could theoretically play Final J! and wager zero, but the best they could do is end up tied with their opponents(if both of them wagered everything and got FJ! wrong). A three-way tie on zero means nobody comes back, so it makes no sense for them to play in FJ!. During a tournament semi-finals on the other hand, that three-way tie on zero would need to be broken with a tie breaker question to see who would make the finals.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: gameshowguy2000 on December 10, 2003, 08:30:24 PM
OK, now that's understandable. Thanks!
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: rugrats1 on December 10, 2003, 09:54:26 PM
Quote
A player with $0 at the end of Double J! could theoretically play Final J! and wager zero, but the best they could do is end up tied with their opponents(if both of them wagered everything and got FJ! wrong). A three-way tie on zero means nobody comes back, so it makes no sense for them to play in FJ!.

What if that person entered Final Jeopardy with $0 and got it right, but the other 2 contestants blew it all and ended with $0?
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: zachhoran on December 10, 2003, 09:57:14 PM
[quote name=\'rugrats1\' date=\'Dec 10 2003, 09:54 PM\']
What if that person entered Final Jeopardy with $0 and got it right, but the other 2 contestants blew it all and ended with $0? [/quote]
 That would mean there'd be a three-way tie on zero, when that happens, no one comes back. This is Jeopardy!, not PYL we're talking about. If it was the semifinals of a tournament, there'd be a tiebreaker question asked to determine who would go to the finals.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: WilliamPorygon on December 10, 2003, 09:59:45 PM
[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Dec 10 2003, 07:38 PM\'] [quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Dec 10 2003, 07:29 PM\']
During a tournament semi-finals on the other hand, that three-way tie on zero would need to be broken with a tie breaker question to see who would make the finals. [/quote]
 No it wouldn't, actually.  If a semi-final tournament game ends with triple zero, then none of the players from that game advance and the highest scoring non-winner from the other two semi-final games advances.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: zachhoran on December 10, 2003, 11:11:48 PM
[quote name=\'WilliamPorygon\' date=\'Dec 10 2003, 09:59 PM\']
No it wouldn't, actually.  If a semi-final tournament game ends with triple zero, then none of the players from that game advance and the highest scoring non-winner from the other two semi-final games advances. [/quote]
 I don't recall this happening in a semi-final game. I recall non-zero ties that were broken by the tiebreaker question, once in the 1992 college tournament, and in the finale of the 1996 Teen Tournament.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: WilliamPorygon on December 10, 2003, 11:20:28 PM
There's never been a zero tie in a semi-final tournament game before (or any tournament game, to the best of my recollection).  I got this information from a former TOC contestant on Sony's Jeopardy! message board a few months back.  I went digging around for the post but couldn't find it anywhere.  A non-zero tie in any tournament game, of course, would be broken by a tiebreaker question.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: zachhoran on December 11, 2003, 08:30:06 AM
[quote name=\'WilliamPorygon\' date=\'Dec 10 2003, 11:20 PM\'] There's never been a zero tie in a semi-final tournament game before (or any tournament game, to the best of my recollection). [/quote]
 There was a three way tie on zero in a quarter final game of the 1989 Seniors tournament. That was handled by taking the winners of the other four QF games, and the five high scorers among non-winners, and those players moved on to the semifinals.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: Neumms on December 11, 2003, 04:55:15 PM
Do you suppose "Split Second" would've worked without the end game? It did have the Countdown Round, which is sort of like Final Jeopardy.

This brings up the point about the Wonderwall--great end game, not-so-good front game. What others can you name?

Pitfall
Magnificent Marble Machine
Split Second(?)--I was 8 years old at the time and only really enjoyed the part with the cars
Big Showdown--same as above
Pyramid (?)--I've never liked the part at the desks, but then, they do play two bonus rounds a show.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: clemon79 on December 11, 2003, 06:30:11 PM
[quote name=\'Neumms\' date=\'Dec 11 2003, 02:55 PM\'] Split Second(?)--I was 8 years old at the time and only really enjoyed the part with the cars
 [/quote]
 It may have been fun to watch in your youth, but is pick-a-key-and-let's-see-if-the-car-starts really that interesting a premise? I can think of a LOT of endgames more engaging than that. :)

Besides, the front game of Split Second kicks a lot of ass. Big Showdown, too, really.

And I don't think Pyramid's front game is _bad_, per se...the Winner's Circle is just so damn good that it tends to overshadow.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: zachhoran on December 11, 2003, 07:29:28 PM
[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Dec 11 2003, 06:30 PM\']
It may have been fun to watch in your youth, but is pick-a-key-and-let's-see-if-the-car-starts really that interesting a premise? I can think of a LOT of endgames more engaging than that. :)

Besides, the front game of Split Second kicks a lot of ass. Big Showdown, too, really.

And I don't think Pyramid's front game is _bad_, per se...the Winner's Circle is just so damn good that it tends to overshadow. [/quote]
 Many would argue Tom Kennedy's being at the helm did help make the 70s SPlit Second endgame a bit more tolerable and engaging. John Davidson's Squares of course had a bonus much like that, and we all know he doesn't make things too engaging :)(JD had an Atlantic City casino gig last week, BTW)

THat having been said, the 1986-87 Split Second bonus, pick numbers from 1-5 and hope to find a car behind the number(s) picked is a less engaging endgame.

I think the WInner's Big MOney Game from late period $otC would be a decent bonus for Split Second, certainly better than the two formats described above, as it was normally won with a second or two left on the clock.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: DrBear on December 11, 2003, 09:08:29 PM
Back in the ATGS days, I suggested a bonus round for Split Second:
Winner gets three more three-part questions, 10 seconds on each. $250 for each portion got right, for $2000 if eight of the nine answers are right; $10,000 for a nine-for-nine.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: ChuckNet on December 11, 2003, 09:43:55 PM
Quote
Besides, the front game of Split Second kicks a lot of ass. Big Showdown, too, really.

I agree...SS's front game was one that required fast thinking, especially if the contestant who rang in first took the part you were hoping to answer.

And TBS was also unique and strategy-reliant...do you take the 5-point category you know less about to try and reach the payoff point, or play it safe w/the easier 3-point category, knowing an opponent could beat you to the buzzer?

Oh, and I wouldn't mind seeing a revival of either show in the near future...whatever happened to the planned SS revival I read about on Beverly's page a coupla yrs ago, anyway? :-D

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: Don Howard on December 11, 2003, 10:34:35 PM
Quote
whatever happened to the planned SS revival I read about on Beverly's page a coupla yrs ago, anyway? :-D

That was an April Fool's Day prank, I believe.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: gameshowguy2000 on December 11, 2003, 10:46:03 PM
Zach,

Was the WBMG from $OTC, was that the one with the board of numbers where after winning the prizes, the player had to risk them, and if he or she lost his or her next match, all the prizes were lost?

If it wasn't, then the "Board Of Numbers" bonus game was the one that wasn't so good.

On the other bonus games, you didn't have to risk your prizes to play again. Or did you?
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: BrandonFG on December 11, 2003, 10:51:35 PM
[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Dec 11 2003, 10:34 PM\']
Quote
whatever happened to the planned SS revival I read about on Beverly's page a coupla yrs ago, anyway? :-D

That was an April Fool's Day prank, I believe. [/quote]
 It was, but Chuck was making a joke.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: zachhoran on December 11, 2003, 11:10:27 PM
[quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Dec 11 2003, 10:46 PM\'] Zach,

Was the WBMG from $OTC, was that the one with the board of numbers where after winning the prizes, the player had to risk them, and if he or she lost his or her next match, all the prizes were lost?

If it wasn't, then the "Board Of Numbers" bonus game was the one that wasn't so good.

On the other bonus games, you didn't have to risk your prizes to play again. Or did you? [/quote]
 The "Board of Numbers" you describe was the winner's board format. The WInner's Big Money Game had players solving four or five puzzles within 20 or 25 seconds. The puzzles were six-word clues to a person, place or thing. ONe word at a time was revealed, one per second or two. They hit a buzzer to stop the clock. If they solved four in 20 seconds(early on it was five in 25 seconds) they won and the prizes were as follows: First day $5K, second day $6K, third day $7K, fourth day $8K, fifth day $9K, sixth day $10K, seventh day CAR, eighth day $50K.

The WInner's Board format allowed the players to win a prize(the first prize they matched on the board with numbers 1-20) each day. After winning all ten of those prizes, they could stop and take those prizes and retire, or risk them to win one more day to win all those prizes and $50K cash. If they won, they retired as champion. If they lost, they lost all ten prizes from the Winner's Board, but kept frontgame winnings.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: Little Big Brother on December 12, 2003, 12:22:38 AM
Since no one has mentioned it yet, I suppose I will.  One of the (if not THE) most successful games on the BBC would have to be Mastermind, which not only didn't have a bonus round/end game, but the only "prize" was bragging rights and an elegant punch bowl/trophy.  BBC America showed some episodes sporadically a few years ago, and I have to say that it really is one of the best quiz shows ever.  Unfortunately, bragging rights just can't compete with Spa Vacations or million dollar jackpots, so the likelihood of a "good" version in the States is unlikely.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: Don Howard on December 12, 2003, 12:36:21 AM
Quote
whatever happened to the planned SS revival I read about on Beverly's page a coupla yrs ago, anyway? :-D

Quote
That was an April Fool's Day prank, I believe.

Quote
It was, but Chuck was making a joke.

Ah, yes. So sorry. I've been out of it ever since I ran out of Geritol. That's what tired blood will do to you.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: uncamark on December 12, 2003, 12:28:38 PM
[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Dec 11 2003, 06:30 PM\'][quote name=\'Neumms\' date=\'Dec 11 2003, 02:55 PM\'] Split Second(?)--I was 8 years old at the time and only really enjoyed the part with the cars
 [/quote]
It may have been fun to watch in your youth, but is pick-a-key-and-let's-see-if-the-car-starts really that interesting a premise? I can think of a LOT of endgames more engaging than that. :)[/quote]
Back then, a Time magazine critic who was doing one of those "daytime television is the decline and fall of Western civilization" articles said that he liked the (perhaps unintended) nastiness of giving the winner on "Split Second" a new car and then taking it away from them if it didn't start.

I liked it (as I liked everything about that show), but one does wonder if the car gimmick is what might've sold the show to ABC, not the fast-paced battle of brains.  After all, those shots of the five cars in front of the flashing light panels look great in the ads and promos--and neither "J!" nor "3Ws" had that gimmick.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: Lemonjello on December 12, 2003, 12:33:31 PM
[quote name=\'Jimmy Fiono Coyne\' date=\'Dec 10 2003, 08:18 PM\'] Well now y'all can see the end game to the premiere episode of "Winning Lines" to totally refresh your memory of just how it played out. Scroll down to the "Bonus Round Madness" section for the updated clip. [/quote]
 Where is this "Bonus Round Madness" section that you speak of?
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: Neumms on December 12, 2003, 05:43:51 PM
[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Dec 11 2003, 06:30 PM\'] [/QUOTE]
It may have been fun to watch in your youth, but is pick-a-key-and-let's-see-if-the-car-starts really that interesting a premise? [/quote]
 Well, it did beat the end game on "Search for Tomorrow," which my mother would be watching on the upstairs TV.

On the topic of "Mastermind"--did Michael Davies ever shoot a pilot back when they were talking about a US version? I know the show morphed into "2 Minute Drill"--did "Mastermind" have a similar Question-of-Great-Significance? (And for that matter, did it have a panel? What else happened on it?)
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: Little Big Brother on December 12, 2003, 06:14:21 PM
Quote
did "Mastermind" have a similar Question-of-Great-Significance? (And for that matter, did it have a panel? What else happened on it?)

The show had four contestants.  One by one, they would sit in the chair and get pelted with questions about a specific subject of their choosing (i.e. The White Chapel Murders (Jack the Ripper)).  After all four contestants played, the lowest scoring contestant would begin the second round of general knowledge questions.  The player with the highest score wins and advances in the tournament.  I believe if there was a tie, the number of questions that a player passed would be taken into consideration (I'm not positive, I don't recall ever seeing a tie).  No prize, no QoGS, just a player, a chair, a spotlight, and a bombardment of questions from the host.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: starcade on December 12, 2003, 06:16:45 PM
I think it's possible -- there's no essential bonus round in TPiR (though there might be some discussion as to the Showcases being an equivalent concept...).

I would have one idea for the Million Dollar Spectaculars...

At bare minimum if no one has spun for the million on a particular show (or make it standard), the Showcase winner spins for a million.  Bonus spin rules apply.

The only way there's no guaranteed million-dollar spinner is if no one gets the dollar in the main showdowns and there's a double overbid.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: gameshowguy2000 on December 12, 2003, 08:31:16 PM
Right.

As stated on loogslair.com, the Showcase round is the End Game.

In addition, I'd also consider the Final Round of Weakest Link an End Game, because that's where the money is won.

The first set of rounds is all about banking the money, which makes that part the Front Game.

But the Final Round, which is all about winning the money, is the End Game.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: clemon79 on December 13, 2003, 02:07:18 AM
[quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Dec 12 2003, 06:31 PM\'] As stated on loogslair.com, the Showcase round is the End Game.
 [/quote]
 Will all due respect to Tim, who is a nice guy, a fine writer, and an excellent DDR player, his site is not the official authority on TPiR, and shouldn't be quoted as such.

Well, I suppose you COULD, but you'd look awfully silly doing it. :)
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: Brandon Brooks on December 13, 2003, 02:11:35 AM
Quote
As stated on loogslair.com, the Showcase round is the End Game.
While I would agree, see Chris' comment.
Quote
In addition, I'd also consider the Final Round of Weakest Link an End Game, because that's where the money is won.

The first set of rounds is all about banking the money, which makes that part the Front Game.

But the Final Round, which is all about winning the money, is the End Game.
I strongly disagree.  For some reason, I've always considered end games "extra" -- a bonus.  There is no bonus here, just a different type of game, played at the end.

Brandon Brooks
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: Lemonjello on December 13, 2003, 01:41:37 PM
Can anyone answer my question above?
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: BrandonFG on December 13, 2003, 02:21:14 PM
[quote name=\'Lemonjello\' date=\'Dec 13 2003, 01:41 PM\'] Can anyone answer my question above? [/quote]
It's all the way at the bottom...look for a Bullseye and GO logo.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: Lemonjello on December 14, 2003, 05:21:20 PM
[quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Dec 13 2003, 03:21 PM\'] [quote name=\'Lemonjello\' date=\'Dec 13 2003, 01:41 PM\'] Can anyone answer my question above? [/quote]
It's all the way at the bottom...look for a Bullseye and GO logo. [/quote]
 Heh. Thanks, but that doesn't help me, because I don't know the URL of the webpage. I'm new here.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: BrandonFG on December 14, 2003, 05:26:04 PM
[quote name=\'Lemonjello\' date=\'Dec 14 2003, 05:21 PM\'] [quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Dec 13 2003, 03:21 PM\'] [quote name=\'Lemonjello\' date=\'Dec 13 2003, 01:41 PM\'] Can anyone answer my question above? [/quote]
It's all the way at the bottom...look for a Bullseye and GO logo. [/quote]
Heh. Thanks, but that doesn't help me, because I don't know the URL of the webpage. I'm new here. [/quote]
 http://pageoclips.web1000.com/ (http://\"http://pageoclips.web1000.com/\")

And welcome! :-)
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: Lemonjello on December 15, 2003, 10:45:55 PM
[quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Dec 14 2003, 06:26 PM\'] [quote name=\'Lemonjello\' date=\'Dec 14 2003, 05:21 PM\'] [quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Dec 13 2003, 03:21 PM\'] [quote name=\'Lemonjello\' date=\'Dec 13 2003, 01:41 PM\'] Can anyone answer my question above? [/quote]
It's all the way at the bottom...look for a Bullseye and GO logo. [/quote]
Heh. Thanks, but that doesn't help me, because I don't know the URL of the webpage. I'm new here. [/quote]
http://pageoclips.web1000.com/ (http://\"http://pageoclips.web1000.com/\")

And welcome! :-) [/quote]
 Thank you!
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: gameshowguy2000 on December 16, 2003, 05:06:20 PM
Hey guys, I found a video clip of the Wonderwall from the British version of Winning Lines. Check this out:

http://www.celador.co.uk/programmes_past.php?id=38 (http://\"http://www.celador.co.uk/programmes_past.php?id=38\")
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: HYHYBT on December 19, 2003, 03:54:40 AM
Quote
At bare minimum if no one has spun for the million on a particular show (or make it standard), the Showcase winner spins for a million. Bonus spin rules apply.

1) It would make the million dollar spin feel like an afterthought, especially after all these decades of the Showcases being the big finish, and

2) The Big Wheel would be in the way of showing the prizes.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: zachhoran on December 19, 2003, 08:13:46 AM
[quote name=\'HYHYBT\' date=\'Dec 19 2003, 03:54 AM\']
Quote
At bare minimum if no one has spun for the million on a particular show (or make it standard), the Showcase winner spins for a million. Bonus spin rules apply.

1) It would make the million dollar spin feel like an afterthought, especially after all these decades of the Showcases being the big finish, and

2) The Big Wheel would be in the way of showing the prizes. [/quote]
 IIRC, the Big Wheel on last Saturday's MDS was placed closer to the turntable rather than in its normal spot so that the prizes won could still be displayed. I suspect that if the winner was a DSW(if that rule is in effect), there'd be an edit between the wheel spin and Bob's goodbye so that the prizes in both showcases could be won.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: clemon79 on December 19, 2003, 03:59:33 PM
[quote name=\'HYHYBT\' date=\'Dec 19 2003, 01:54 AM\'] 1) It would make the million dollar spin feel like an afterthought, especially after all these decades of the Showcases being the big finish, and

 [/quote]
 Yeah, it kinda did.

Quote
2) The Big Wheel would be in the way of showing the prizes.

This, my friend, is why we have tape edits. :)
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: tommycharles on December 19, 2003, 04:03:10 PM
[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Dec 19 2003, 03:59 PM\']

Quote
2) The Big Wheel would be in the way of showing the prizes.

This, my friend, is why we have tape edits. :) [/quote]
 *heading off topic of original post*

Yes, but not nearly as many as BPiR. There, there is no commercial break between the final pricing game, the wheel, and the showcase. And boy does it look awkward.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: HYHYBT on December 20, 2003, 06:14:51 AM
[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Dec 19 2003, 03:59 PM\'] [quote name=\'HYHYBT\' date=\'Dec 19 2003, 01:54 AM\'] 1) It would make the million dollar spin feel like an afterthought, especially after all these decades of the Showcases being the big finish, and

 [/quote]
Yeah, it kinda did.
 [/quote]
 Sorry. I didn't remember the show until I was already at work and missed it and had no idea they'd actually *done* a spin after the Showcases!

Quote
Quote
2) The Big Wheel would be in the way of showing the prizes.

This, my friend, is why we have tape edits. :)

And Price's a better show for avoiding them whenever possible, or at least whenever it makes things not "fit" (like the table on TTTT's appearing from nowhere)
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: Don Howard on August 18, 2004, 05:05:17 PM
[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Dec 9 2003, 01:05 AM\'] [quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Dec 8 2003, 10:53 PM\'] I'll always remember coming home on work break to see the first episode of Winning Lines, and actually watching the female contestant, Catherine, make her way to the very last answer, but ended up with $500K instead.
 [/quote]
And she HAD A PITSTOP LEFT. SHE HAD A FREAKIN' PITSTOP LEFT. {crying}

Best. Endgame. Ever. [/quote]
 Catherine Rahm was at Game Show Mecca on Sunday and she and I talked about her appearance on Winning Lines. On her own, she brought up the fact that she later realized that she had that pit stop on the table. However, by that point, she was in her 10th hour on the set. Consequently, her focus wasn't as sharp as it could have been. Alas and alack. It should be noted that she was very happy with her $500,000....when she finally got the check, which took over four months to arrive after the episode was telecast.
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: Jimmy Owen on August 18, 2004, 06:01:17 PM
Did she skydive in?
Title: Let's go to the Bonus Round...
Post by: clemon79 on August 18, 2004, 06:42:11 PM
[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Aug 18 2004, 02:05 PM\'] On her own, she brought up the fact that she later realized that she had that pit stop on the table. However, by that point, she was in her 10th hour on the set. Consequently, her focus wasn't as sharp as it could have been. [/quote]
 Oh, I certainly don't begrudge her for bailing out in the heat of the moment and under what has to have been more pressure than I personally have ever endured in a similar situation. It just broke my heart to see that on a different day, under not-entirely different circumstances, she could have won the whole thing.