The Game Show Forum

The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: JacksonBrowne1980 on April 12, 2004, 05:26:40 PM

Title: $1,000,000 chance of a lifetime
Post by: JacksonBrowne1980 on April 12, 2004, 05:26:40 PM
anyone remember an 80's game show called "$1,000,000 chance of a lifetime" it was just like wheel of fortune based on te 1979 game show pilot the letter machine; who hosted the letter machine and how as the gameplay? i think $1M COAL deserved a longer run.
Title: $1,000,000 chance of a lifetime
Post by: Dbacksfan12 on April 12, 2004, 05:55:18 PM
[quote name=\'JacksonBrowne1980\' date=\'Apr 12 2004, 04:26 PM\'] anyone remember an 80's game show called "$1,000,000 chance of a lifetime" it was just like wheel of fortune based on te 1979 game show pilot the letter machine; who hosted the letter machine and how as the gameplay? i think $1M COAL deserved a longer run. [/quote]
 No, we're all a bunch of ignorant idiots that haven't ever watched a gameshow in our lives.
Title: $1,000,000 chance of a lifetime
Post by: Steve_Bier on April 12, 2004, 06:10:32 PM
Not to throw this topic completely off-track, but what was the show "The Letter Machine" about, and who was the host/packager/announcer?
Title: $1,000,000 chance of a lifetime
Post by: ChuckNet on April 13, 2004, 02:17:59 PM
Quote
Not to throw this topic completely off-track, but what was the show "The Letter Machine" about, and who was the host/packager/announcer?

As Erik mentioned, it was an unsold 1979 pilot that used a similar format...nothing else is known, unless someone else can throw some light on the subject.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")
Title: $1,000,000 chance of a lifetime
Post by: aaron sica on April 13, 2004, 03:43:34 PM
[quote name=\'ChuckNet\' date=\'Apr 13 2004, 02:17 PM\']
Quote
Not to throw this topic completely off-track, but what was the show "The Letter Machine" about, and who was the host/packager/announcer?

As Erik mentioned, it was an unsold 1979 pilot that used a similar format...nothing else is known, unless someone else can throw some light on the subject.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby") [/quote]
 I can't see a game show with "The Letter Machine" as the title becoming a hit..Reminds of me of something you'd see on a kid's show, maybe like "The Letter People"..
Title: $1,000,000 chance of a lifetime
Post by: Mike Tennant on April 13, 2004, 03:46:24 PM
[quote name=\'aaron sica\' date=\'Apr 13 2004, 02:43 PM\']I can't see a game show with "The Letter Machine" as the title becoming a hit..Reminds of me of something you'd see on a kid's show, maybe like "The Letter People"..[/quote]
Yeah.  Now, if they'd called it The Magnificent Letter Machine, it would have succeeded.  Or maybe not.
Title: $1,000,000 chance of a lifetime
Post by: rigsby on April 13, 2004, 06:16:46 PM
[quote name=\'aaron sica\' date=\'Apr 13 2004, 02:43 PM\']I can't see a game show with "The Letter Machine" as the title becoming a hit..Reminds of me of something you'd see on a kid's show, maybe like "The Letter People"..[/quote]
Then, if nothing else, there would be people around here getting excited every time "Songs of the Letter Machine" shows up on Ebay...
Title: $1,000,000 chance of a lifetime
Post by: gameshowhost1 on April 14, 2004, 10:55:33 AM
I have the home version which I played seemingly endlessly when it first came out.  I haven't played it in years and years, but I really did enjoy the show!
Title: $1,000,000 chance of a lifetime
Post by: Jamey Greek on April 16, 2004, 11:07:21 AM
Did the Lorimar-Telepictures logo appear at the end of $1M COAL?
Title: $1,000,000 chance of a lifetime
Post by: uncamark on April 16, 2004, 11:20:45 AM
[quote name=\'Jamey Greek\' date=\'Apr 16 2004, 10:07 AM\']Did the Lorimar-Telepictures logo appear at the end of $1M COAL?[/quote]
Hell, yes.
Title: $1,000,000 chance of a lifetime
Post by: zachhoran on April 16, 2004, 11:33:59 AM
[quote name=\'Jamey Greek\' date=\'Apr 16 2004, 10:07 AM\'] Did the Lorimar-Telepictures logo appear at the end of $1M COAL? [/quote]
 It was just Lorimar's logo early in the run. The Lorimar-Telepictures wedding happened sometime in 1986, and they were very happy for a few years.
Title: $1,000,000 chance of a lifetime
Post by: BrandonFG on April 16, 2004, 01:00:19 PM
[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Apr 16 2004, 10:20 AM\'] [quote name=\'Jamey Greek\' date=\'Apr 16 2004, 10:07 AM\']Did the Lorimar-Telepictures logo appear at the end of $1M COAL?[/quote]
Hell, yes. [/quote]
 I can vouch for that as well...used to frighten the hell out of me as a child.

ObGameShows: They also did Fun House, among some other shows. And Zach, no the L-T logo was there from the start, it just wasn't on the black background used during the late-80s.
Title: $1,000,000 chance of a lifetime
Post by: TPIRkid79 on April 16, 2004, 06:31:05 PM
I darn well remember watching that show! I mostly recall watching the season where two new cars were given away. I remember the first season airing at 7:30 p.m, and the second season at 8:30 p.m. on WWOR channel 9.

I also had the home game which had Jim Lange's picture on the cover. The contents were different from the ones pictured on the back. Mine had a clear plastic board with cardboard tiles.
Title: $1,000,000 chance of a lifetime
Post by: Craig Karlberg on April 17, 2004, 04:20:28 AM
[quote name=\'TPIRkid79\' date=\'Apr 16 2004, 05:31 PM\'] I darn well remember watching that show! I mostly recall watching the season where two new cars were given away. I remember the first season airing at 7:30 p.m, and the second season at 8:30 p.m. on WWOR channel 9.

I also had the home game which had Jim Lange's picture on the cover. The contents were different from the ones pictured on the back. Mine had a clear plastic board with cardboard tiles. [/quote]
Me too!  Mine is at my mom's house collecting dust somewhere in a window cabinet in the dining room.
Title: $1,000,000 chance of a lifetime
Post by: ChuckNet on April 18, 2004, 12:00:50 AM
Quote
I darn well remember watching that show! I mostly recall watching the season where two new cars were given away. I remember the first season airing at 7:30 p.m, and the second season at 8:30 p.m. on WWOR channel 9.

Yeah, the 8:30 slot was occupied in the 85-86 season by Best of (Dawson) FF reruns...when WWOR got Entertainment Tonight for a season following flagship station WABC (Ch. 7) temporarily dumping it for Davidson HS, Ch. 9 put ET in the customary 7:30 PM slot and moved $1M CoaL to 8:30.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")
Title: $1,000,000 chance of a lifetime
Post by: familyfeudfan on April 18, 2004, 03:46:26 AM
[quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' date=\'Apr 17 2004, 03:20 AM\'] [quote name=\'TPIRkid79\' date=\'Apr 16 2004, 05:31 PM\'] I darn well remember watching that show! I mostly recall watching the season where two new cars were given away. I remember the first season airing at 7:30 p.m, and the second season at 8:30 p.m. on WWOR channel 9.

I also had the home game which had Jim Lange's picture on the cover. The contents were different from the ones pictured on the back. Mine had a clear plastic board with cardboard tiles. [/quote]
Me too!  Mine is at my mom's house collecting dust somewhere in a window cabinet in the dining room. [/quote]
They turn up on ebay every so often, I should get one to add to my collection.
Title: $1,000,000 chance of a lifetime
Post by: bradhig on April 18, 2004, 09:50:00 PM
I remember the stinger coming out at you when it was revieled to the auidence. The keyboard looked like a giant Apple II computer to me.
Title: $1,000,000 chance of a lifetime
Post by: JacksonBrowne1980 on April 18, 2004, 09:56:55 PM
i think they should make a revival of this good game with the same rules and a new host.  it would be a good revival
Title: $1,000,000 chance of a lifetime
Post by: tyshaun1 on April 18, 2004, 10:59:20 PM
[quote name=\'JacksonBrowne1980\' date=\'Apr 18 2004, 08:56 PM\'] i think they should make a revival of this good game with the same rules and a new host.  it would be a good revival [/quote]
 Sure, except they have this show called "Wheel of Fortune" which is pretty much (save for "Scrabble" elements) THE EXACT SAME GAME.

Tyshaun
Title: $1,000,000 chance of a lifetime
Post by: Jamey Greek on April 19, 2004, 08:56:18 AM
I hope I could get this show in a trade someday, it seems like a good show.  I did not get a chance to see it.  (I was born in 1986)
Title: $1,000,000 chance of a lifetime
Post by: tommycharles on April 19, 2004, 10:54:15 AM
[quote name=\'Jamey Greek\' date=\'Apr 19 2004, 07:56 AM\'] I hope I could get this show in a trade someday, it seems like a good show.  I did not get a chance to see it.  (I was born in 1986) [/quote]
 Now, this is certainly not an attack on people who trade game shows, but can I ask what the point is? If you build up this massive tape library of shows that (after viewing once) you already know the outcome of...then what do you do with them?

(Now, that's not a stab at the whole idea of collecting and trading...I'm just about to run to the post office to send out some Brian May bootlegs, so I have no room to talk there, but collecting game shows just doesn't make sense to me.)