The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: 40onTheBlue on February 17, 2012, 01:03:35 AM
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We all know that 2014 will mark the thirtieth anniversary of the current version of Jeopardy! However, what should be cause for greater celebration is that Sunday, March 30th of that year will actually be the show's fiftieth birthday, as it was on that date in 1964 that its first ever episode aired on NBC. What do you think the show should do to mark such an incredible milestone? Special airings of whatever Art Fleming-hosted episodes may be left in broadcast quality? A week's worth of episodes of the current version staged on a replica of the original's set? (a board of pull cards covered by a blue curtain, the old oval logo, "Take Ten" playing over the credits, etc.) I just think it'd be interesting and fun to show the current generation how it was all done back in the day for history's sake. Whether it's cost effective or even possible to begin with...well, discuss.
I have quite a sinking feeling that two years from now, Sony will just gloss over the original Jeopardy!, totally ignore both the 1974-75 syndicated run and the ill-fated 1978-79 revival and focus all of its attention on the current version. Not that thirty successful years of continuous broadcasts isn't a remarkable feat in itself - I only hope they'll pay more homage to the deeper roots of the show than they've done in past anniversaries.
How much am I dreaming in 3D and 5.1 surround sound here?
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I have quite a sinking feeling that two years from now, Sony will just gloss over the original Jeopardy!, totally ignore both the 1974-75 syndicated run and the ill-fated 1978-79 revival and focus all of its attention on the current version. Not that thirty successful years of continuous broadcasts isn't a remarkable feat in itself - I only hope they'll pay more homage to the deeper roots of the show than they've done in past anniversaries.
How much am I dreaming in 3D and 5.1 surround sound here?
My feelings exactly. They won't even mention Art Fleming - certainly not recreate his set. Still, they'll find something to do to celebrate thirty years of Alex Trebek. I couldn't tell you what it will be, or even if it will be any good.
Speaking of 3D - mark my words, Jeopardy will be the third game show to go 3D, right after Wheel Of Fortune. Anybody else find it really weird that the first game show to be broadcast in 3D was High Stakes Poker, a GSN show that arguably doesn't count as a game show at all?
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My question: why does a show need to be in 3D in the first play? It's television!
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My question: why does a show need to be in 3D in the first play? It's television!
As the owner of a 3DTV, the answer is: because it's kinda cool. Association Football is a BLAST to watch in 3D. A free copy of Avatar came with my 3D Blu-Ray player, and the 3D effects almost make it tolerable. (Almost.)
Now, if the question were: "why does a GAME show need to be in 3D in the first place?", the answer is: it doesn't. It REALLY doesn't.
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You'll be eating your words when Peyton Manning finally hangs 'em up and starts his new career in television with the smash hit The All-New 3D Cut That Meat.
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You'll be eating your words when Peyton Manning finally hangs 'em up and starts his new career in television with the smash hit The All-New 3D Cut That Meat.
But who will wanna watch that crapola when you can watch classic CUT THAT MEAT on GSN...OH NO...WAIT...they just yanked it from the schedule for an extra airing of episodes of HIGH STAKES DANCING WITH THE AMAZING SANITATION CREW ON ICE!
JakeT
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Now, if the question were: "why does a GAME show need to be in 3D in the first place?", the answer is: it doesn't. It REALLY doesn't.
What about Wipeout (assuming you consider that a game show)?
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Now, if the question were: "why does a GAME show need to be in 3D in the first place?", the answer is: it doesn't. It REALLY doesn't.
What about Wipeout (assuming you consider that a game show)?
Wipeout is a game show in my mind, and a physical game show of that sort makes a LOT more sense for being shown in 3D than a poker show, a light word game, or a quiz show.
Let's face it though - if I have my facts right, Wheel Of Fortune was both the first game show to have closed-captions and the first game show to be broadcast in HD, with Jeopardy following soon after on both counts. Regardless of whether you think 3DTV is a good idea, you have to admit that High Stakes Poker was very, very lucky to be one of the first TV shows to be broadcast that way.
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Wipeout is a game show in my mind, and a physical game show of that sort makes a LOT more sense for being shown in 3D than a poker show, a light word game, or a quiz show.
Wipeout would be great in 3D (in fact, since it's eye candy and pretty much nothing else, it would be just about the perfect candidate for 3D), but if Ted's citing it to try to poke a hole in my claim above, then he's clearly letting semantics get in the way of understanding my point.
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Now, if the question were: "why does a GAME show need to be in 3D in the first place?", the answer is: it doesn't. It REALLY doesn't.
Meh. At least Jeopardy has things that could be 3D-able. I still can't figure out how 3D Wheel would work outside of prize copy.
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Meh. At least Jeopardy has things that could be 3D-able.
Um, like? Flying out the clue when it's picked? No difference between that and 3D-ifying the "Tossup" and "Final Spin" and Jackpot Round bumpers.
The thing about 3DTV is that it is at its best when it's natural. When they throw something in for the sake of being 3D (like, in every 3D movie you see, there HAS to be an explosion where crap flies towards the camera. Every time. Doesn't matter if the shot doesn't make sense in any other way.), it looks stupid. Jeopardy! would be NOTHING BUT 3D-for-its-own-sake. No thanks.
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The thing about 3DTV is that it is at its best when it's natural. When they throw something in for the sake of being 3D (like, in every 3D movie you see, there HAS to be an explosion where crap flies towards the camera. Every time. Doesn't matter if the shot doesn't make sense in any other way.), it looks stupid.
3D was that way in its original incarnation back in the 1950s for the most part. One of the few exceptions from what I understand is Inferno (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045911/) in which Robert Ryan is trapped in the desert and from articles I've read from people who have been lucky enough to see it in 3D on a big screen, the 3D often makes the desert look deeper and more imposing. (The movie does have its cheesy shots designed to have things fly out of the screen at the viewer that don't really add artistic value.)
Wipeout would be great in 3D (in fact, since it's eye candy and pretty much nothing else, it would be just about the perfect candidate for 3D), but if Ted's citing it to try to poke a hole in my claim above, then he's clearly letting semantics get in the way of understanding my point.
I was only being partly serious; I had some other more frivolous examples bordering on the tasteless that I edited out of the original response. But if you want slightly more serious: film losing contestants on Russian Roulette from below so that when they fall through the trap door it looks like they're coming out of the screen. Not that I'm particularly interested in seeing it, since I prefer good game play and movies with good stories.
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Folks, this is all fascinating stuff indeed but can we please turn back to my original question? What would you like to see the producers of Jeopardy! do to mark the show's fiftieth anniversary in 2014?
Thanks.
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Folks, this is all fascinating stuff indeed but can we please turn back to my original question? What would you like to see the producers of Jeopardy! do to mark the show's fiftieth anniversary in 2014?
Thanks.
Tip of the hat to Merv, Art Fleming, Don Pardo, show some old clips. Bring out a cake and celebrate!
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Folks, this is all fascinating stuff indeed but can we please turn back to my original question? What would you like to see the producers of Jeopardy! do to mark the show's fiftieth anniversary in 2014?
For a whole bunch of people here what they'd like Jeopardy to do and what they're going to do are probably very different things.
New graphics package, maybe some wacky clips coming in and out of breaks. That's about it. They're probably not going to do a tournament of classic champions and they're almost certainly not going to go to the trouble and expense to build a set for a week of shows. Be happy if we get a mention at all.
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Folks, this is all fascinating stuff indeed but can we please turn back to my original question?
Oooooh, you haven't been here very long. Get used to it.
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The first six categories:
The 60s
Famous Answers
Griffins
Take Ten
Art
Flemish (all answers are in a Dutch dialect)
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Folks, this is all fascinating stuff indeed but can we please turn back to my original question?
Oooooh, you haven't been here very long. Get used to it.
The Game Show Forum: We go off the track more than Amtrak.
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Folks, this is all fascinating stuff indeed but can we please turn back to my original question? What would you like to see the producers of Jeopardy! do to mark the show's fiftieth anniversary in 2014?
For a whole bunch of people here what they'd like Jeopardy to do and what they're going to do are probably very different things.
New graphics package, maybe some wacky clips coming in and out of breaks. That's about it. They're probably not going to do a tournament of classic champions and they're almost certainly not going to go to the trouble and expense to build a set for a week of shows. Be happy if we get a mention at all.
"Build" a new set just for a week? Of course not.
Change the rules (even for one day) to allow players to ring in when the answer is exposed? Doubtful. (Was this the rule in the first Trebek season?)
Here's an idea they might consider: for one round, have the monitors emulate the original board (a "virtual" blue curtain reveals the dollar values in the 1960s-era typeface), with the original music. There can even be one category dedicated to the show (more or less - here's a possible answer: "From 1978 to 1982, Art Fleming hosted the national championships of this university-based quiz show; by then, G.E. no longer sponsored it").
If Don Pardo is still alive at the time, they could even get him to introduce the contestants.
However, I have a feeling any NBC Jeopardy! anniversary will get about as much mention on the current version as NBC's Wheel of Fortune did on that show's current version.
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Change the rules (even for one day) to allow players to ring in when the answer is exposed? Doubtful. (Was this the rule in the first Trebek season?)
First season, yes. And I'm glad they changed it...I'm not a fan of allowing premature buzz-ins.
However, I have a feeling any NBC Jeopardy! anniversary will get about as much mention on the current version as NBC's Wheel of Fortune did on that show's current version.
Pretty much, though subtle nods like the ones you referred to would be nice. Then again, both shows give a nod to their roots during their milestone episodes. I just doubt they'll do much to acknowledge the big anniversary of the initial premieres. Honestly, I loved the fact that they even bother to show the Trebek premiere for the 25th season.
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Folks, this is all fascinating stuff indeed but can we please turn back to my original question?
Oooooh, you haven't been here very long. Get used to it.
The Game Show Forum: We go off the track more than Amtrak.
That is funny..(and true)
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When it comes to celebrating anniversaries, I only remember shows sticking to their current versions. WoF doesn't like to reference before 1983, the beginning of the syndicated version. In November, 2006, we didn't see TPIR celebrating its 50th anniversary going back to the Cullen era. And so far J! has been marking its time from 1984. I'd love to see some sort of homage as much as the rest of you, but I'm not holding my breath.
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WoF doesn't like to reference before 1983 December 28, 1981
FTFY, minus the Susan. And even that doesn't count the fact they've mentioned and shown clips of a 1974 pilot on #3,000. They also showed an open from 1978 on #3,000 and #4,000, but somehow managed to date it "1983" on the latter milestone show.
I'd love to see some sort of homage as much as the rest of you, but I'm not holding my breath.
Jeopardy! is far more likely than, say, Wheel.
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Jeopardy! is far more likely than, say, Wheel.
Based on what evidence aside from your own mental excretions?
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Jeopardy! is far more likely than, say, Wheel.
Based on what evidence aside from your own mental excretions?
On the 4000th episode clip show, they showed a clip or two of the Fleming version, and as a whole, I think more people are aware of Jeopardy's longevity than Wheel's.
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Jeopardy! is far more likely than, say, Wheel.
Based on what evidence aside from your own mental excretions?
What Jeremy and I mentioned, plus the fact that Jeopardy! has shown pictures and clips of the Fleming era while Wheel basically ignores everything between Byrnes and Sajak (including Stafford). Further, Jeopardy! says "You've been on a non-Trebek version? Come on back! :D" while Wheel goes "You've been on a non-Sajak version (even the cheap-ass Wheel 2000), or his daytime run? Tough shit. >:)"
There's also the fact that the only times the full (or near-full) history of Wheel has been discussed, it was never on Wheel itself: namely, Peter Tomarken's history "essay"-thing on GSN's first day, the showing of a 1976 episode by GSN after Merv passed away in 2007, and (most notably) the show's E! True Hollywood Story in 2005.
If Wheel has done any homage to its true longevity, it's been very rare and certainly not on any January 6 show I'm aware of. I know Chuck's been mentioned a few times, but that's about it; there was a 2001 discussion about that on ATGS (http://groups.google.com/group/alt.tv.game-shows/browse_thread/thread/51ac701ac7be0785/b4d19fa7ff66e9cd?lnk=gst&q=%22Chuck+and+Susan%22#b4d19fa7ff66e9cd), although the one mentioned by "Streaming Wizard" is quite bizarre (and, you know, saying "Hey, we keep Woolery and Stafford locked up in the dungeon! >:)" sounds mean-spirited given that their contributions are almost always ignored).
(tl;dr -- Wheel has barely recognized anything pre-Sajak despite being on continuously since 1975, while Jeopardy! has a long association with the Fleming era despite going off the air twice before Trebek began. I don't see any reason why this would change anytime soon.)
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Are you going to stage a protest or something outside Sony? Is the fact they only recognize Syndicated Wheel this big of a friggin' tragedy for you? Are you seriously crying and shaking your fist over this injustice?
You are too good to be true.
/#occupywheel
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WoF doesn't like to reference before 1983 December 28, 1981
FTFY, minus the Susan.
My statement still stands, Dan. Yes, they may have mentioned Pat's joining the show on 12/28/81, and they may have used clips from prior to that. However, they have always measured the duration of the current show from its nighttime inception in 1983; references before that are few and far between.
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Further, Jeopardy! says "You've been on a non-Trebek version? Come on back! :D" while Wheel goes "You've been on a non-Sajak version (even the cheap-ass Wheel 2000), or his daytime run? Tough shit. >:)"
And the problem with this is what?
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If Wheel has done any homage to its true longevity, it's been very rare and certainly not on any January 6 show I'm aware of. I know Chuck's been mentioned a few times, but that's about it; there was a 2001 discussion about that on ATGS (http://groups.google.com/group/alt.tv.game-shows/browse_thread/thread/51ac701ac7be0785/b4d19fa7ff66e9cd?lnk=gst&q=%22Chuck+and+Susan%22#b4d19fa7ff66e9cd), although the one mentioned by "Streaming Wizard" seems way too mean-spirited to be true.
That was hardly a mean-spirited comment, and if it was a Halloween episode, it fits the context perfectly. Pat joked that he and Vanna got the job by locking their predecessors in a dungeon. Oh the humanity!
Both shows make nods to their roots, and I honestly don't see a reason to go all out in celebrating the original premieres. Mention it in passing, sure, but that's prolly about it, esp. since both have done retrospective eps. during the anniversary seasons of their current runs. I'm more bothered that the current run of Feud never mentioned its 10th season back in 2008. I barely expect them to mention Louie* or Richard Karn, let alone Dawson or Combs...
/RIP Zinkin
*//Not that they would after that scandal
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One thing to consider about versions previous to the current incarnations of Jeopardy, WoF and TPiR is they all got cancelled. Syndie WoF and Jeopardy are going on 30 years without ever being cancelled. TPiR is going on 40 years. Although we can discuss at length how important and good the predecessors are, the current incarnations are doing what their predecessors didn't: stay on the air.
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That would be in direct contrast to the ABC special "What's My Line at 25." The focus was not on the then current version (there were but a handful of syndie WML clips) but the CBS network version which only lasted 17 years or so but counted the hiatus and syndie version to get to 25.
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Further, Jeopardy! says "You've been on a non-Trebek version? Come on back! :D" while Wheel goes "You've been on a non-Sajak version (even the cheap-ass Wheel 2000), or his daytime run? Tough shit. >:)"
And the problem with this is what?
Not that I want to queue up behind Dan more than I absolutely have to, but it does seem awfully capricious.
I remember reading on a FAQ about Wheel that one of the reasons against returning champions was "We want to give as many people as possible a chance to spin the wheel." I guess they weren't kidding.
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Further, Jeopardy! says "You've been on a non-Trebek version? Come on back! :D" while Wheel goes "You've been on a non-Sajak version (even the cheap-ass Wheel 2000), or his daytime run? Tough shit. >:)"
And the problem with this is what?
Not that I want to queue up behind Dan more than I absolutely have to, but it does seem awfully capricious.
I remember reading on a FAQ about Wheel that one of the reasons against returning champions was "We want to give as many people as possible a chance to spin the wheel." I guess they weren't kidding.
I agree with you, Travis. The restriction of "Once in a lifetime" is silly. And they say they want everyone to have a chance, eh? How many people would be getting screwed out of that chance in a season assuming only 2 new players appeared on any given episode instead of 3? Can't be THAT many...
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I agree with you, Travis. The restriction of "Once in a lifetime" is silly. And they say they want everyone to have a chance, eh? How many people would be getting screwed out of that chance in a season assuming only 2 new players appeared on any given episode instead of 3? Can't be THAT many...
Depends on your definition of many: assuming that you always have a carryover champion that means 200 people aren't getting to play the game.
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I agree with you, Travis. The restriction of "Once in a lifetime" is silly. And they say they want everyone to have a chance, eh? How many people would be getting screwed out of that chance in a season assuming only 2 new players appeared on any given episode instead of 3? Can't be THAT many...
Depends on your definition of many: assuming that you always have a carryover champion that means 200 people aren't getting to play the game.
I'm not sure just how many contestant applications they receive in a season, but I'm guessing it's quite a few. So 200 would probably be a drop in the bucket versus the sheer number of applications they receive (the way they make it out to be, at least).
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I agree with you, Travis. The restriction of "Once in a lifetime" is silly. And they say they want everyone to have a chance, eh? How many people would be getting screwed out of that chance in a season assuming only 2 new players appeared on any given episode instead of 3? Can't be THAT many...
Depends on your definition of many: assuming that you always have a carryover champion that means 200 people aren't getting to play the game.
Times that by about 15 (about how many years it's been since we've had returning champs), and that's 3000 more people who have gotten to play.
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I'm not sure just how many contestant applications they receive in a season, but I'm guessing it's quite a few.
Show FAQ says over a million.
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I'm more bothered that the current run of Feud never mentioned its 10th season back in 2008. I barely expect them to mention Louie* or Richard Karn, let alone Dawson or Combs...
Hell, they don't even like to acknowledge that they were on the air yesterday...unless the defending champs are playing for the car, they barely even mention the fact that the show has returning champions at all. (And even that is usually "If the Jingleheimerschmidt family wins today, they drive off in that brand new car!" without mentioning why they win it.)
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I'm more bothered that the current run of Feud never mentioned its 10th season back in 2008. I barely expect them to mention Louie* or Richard Karn, let alone Dawson or Combs...
Hell, they don't even like to acknowledge that they were on the air yesterday...unless the defending champs are playing for the car, they barely even mention the fact that the show has returning champions at all. (And even that is usually "If the Jingleheimerschmidt family wins today, they drive off in that brand new car!" without mentioning why they win it.)
That. It is quite odd how Feud went to that trouble of bringing returning champs back in '02 but barely seemed to point it out other than when necessary- and that was even back then!
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(And even that is usually "If the Jingleheimerschmidt family wins today, they drive off in that brand new car!" without mentioning why they win it.)
WOW! Their name is my name, too! BA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA (or something like that) :)
JacobT Jingleheimerschmidt
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Further, Jeopardy! says "You've been on a non-Trebek version? Come on back! :D" while Wheel goes "You've been on a non-Sajak version (even the cheap-ass Wheel 2000), or his daytime run? Tough shit. >:)"
And the problem with this is what?
Not that I want to queue up behind Dan more than I absolutely have to, but it does seem awfully capricious.
I remember reading on a FAQ about Wheel that one of the reasons against returning champions was "We want to give as many people as possible a chance to spin the wheel." I guess they weren't kidding.
I agree with you, Travis. The restriction of "Once in a lifetime" is silly. And they say they want everyone to have a chance, eh? How many people would be getting screwed out of that chance in a season assuming only 2 new players appeared on any given episode instead of 3? Can't be THAT many...
OK, put yourself in a potential contestants shoes. The contestant coordinator can pick between two people: You, or a contestant who was on the show in 1989 and won $25,000 in loot. They pick the contestant who already had his day in the sun. You get the WoF pin and never hear from them again.
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OK, put yourself in a potential contestants shoes. The contestant coordinator can pick between two people: You, or a contestant who was on the show in 1989 and won $25,000 in loot. They pick the contestant who already had his day in the sun. You get the WoF pin and never hear from them again.
But that doesn't make any sense. "If you've been on the show before, you don't get to be on again" is SOP. It makes less sense to do that for a kid who won a game.com and limo rides to school for a week. The fact that TPIR does that makes them an outlier, not the norm.
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(And even that is usually "If the Jingleheimerschmidt family wins today, they drive off in that brand new car!" without mentioning why they win it.)
WOW! Their name is my name, too! BA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA (or something like that) :)
JacobT Jingleheimerschmidt
1 Intarnets for you. :)