Author Topic: Misconceptions you have had about game shows (Read 15883 times)

MTCesquire · « **Reply #15 on:** May 06, 2008, 08:54:23 PM »

I used to think that contestants would win $35,000 grand total for making up the Pyramid twice in one show. Wasn't until I saw season one eps of "The New $25,000 Pyramid" on USA that I realized it was really $10,000 for the first trip and $15,000 for the second for a TOTAL of $25,000.

I thought the name of the game board on Family Feud was called "the Feud". Don't ask why, I'd never heard that word before Ray Combs' version premiered. I was only 5 at the time.

BrandonFG · « **Reply #16 on:** May 06, 2008, 09:00:51 PM »

[quote name=\'MTCesquire\' post=\'185529\' date=\'May 6 2008, 08:54 PM\']
I used to think that contestants would win $35,000 grand total for making up the Pyramid twice in one show. Wasn't until I saw season one eps of "The New $25,000 Pyramid" on USA that I realized it was really $10,000 for the first trip and $15,000 for the second for a TOTAL of $25,000.
[/quote]

That one got me too.

Back when more shows aired on networks, I used to think that a show that aired at 10 or 11 in Virginia aired at 9 or 10 Central...and 7 or 8 Pacific. Wasn't familiar with a West Coast feed.

TimK2003 · « **Reply #17 on:** May 06, 2008, 09:27:01 PM »

In the late 60s & early 70's, as a very young lad, I thought that Allen Ludden DID hear me when I shouted out the answers at home and he said something to the effect that, "I hear you at home!!"

I also thought that originally game shows were all done live. When I found out that they were 'taped', I just thought that they taped one show each day, done the day before (based on the "Can you come back tomorrow?" theory)

I also thought that you won the actual ZONK that was behind the LMAD curtain, like the cows or the giant rocking chairs. I also thought that the giant Reddi Whip was a REAL can!

Then when I tried out as a contestant for a game show for the first time, I thought the auditions were done on the actual set with the actual host or at least the producers being there, not a small office in an ordinary office building with staff people who you never heard of before.

And the #1 game show misconception:

That "The Fun Factory" was indeed fun!

/Ditto with the Channel 43 Prize Movie Game.

tvwxman · « **Reply #18 on:** May 06, 2008, 09:50:40 PM »

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'185532\' date=\'May 6 2008, 09:27 PM\']
Then when I tried out as a contestant for a game show for the first time, I thought the auditions were done on the actual set with the actual host or at least the producers being there, not a small office in an ordinary office building with staff people who you never heard of before.
[/quote]

Agreed. I was 6 years old when I sent a letter asking to be a contestant on Kids Week for "Card Sharks". I sent the letter to Jim directly. Ditto Allen for "Password Plus".

Gawd, I wish my mom had kept those letters!

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'185532\' date=\'May 6 2008, 09:27 PM\']
And the #1 game show misconception:

That "The Fun Factory" was indeed fun!
[/quote]
I know I'm in the minority here, but I enjoyed Fun Factory. I was, and still am, a HUGE Bobby Van fan.

William_S. · « **Reply #19 on:** May 06, 2008, 10:01:17 PM »

Here's Mine.

Players who went below $0.00 (IE -$7500) They'd have to pay for it. heh I mean You lost now you have to pay for your failure! Or rather you do If you were a Simpsons character.

Backgrounds seem to go on forever. Then finding out it was just spotlights hitting a white wall.

And Yes I too thought about the "Hell wall," seeing the strange creatures abit from the hole scared the bejeevis out of me! Matter in fact, I think I remember one episode where after the contestant went "Off the Air!" They returned the seat with the Skeleton of the contestant. Now we're getting scary here!!

another one is that the Joker's Wild Had really big slot wheels. This was before I knew about the wonderful technology of Slide projectors.

If a game show had a Big prize, and You won the Bonus round, You won that prize!! Such as On Chance of a Lifetime , I always thought You won the million after winning the bonus round. the $100,000 in Golden Medley.

And this one's the most messed up Misconception I had from Bullseye! That some old guy was behind the "Starboard" turning a crank to spin the Spirals and quickly replacing them with the categories,Money,Lightning,etc!

/That's worse than the one with the guy Who turns out the light in the refrigerator!! lol.
//Good Night!

Jay Temple · « **Reply #20 on:** May 06, 2008, 10:10:05 PM »

[quote name=\'MTCesquire\' post=\'185529\' date=\'May 6 2008, 07:54 PM\']
I used to think that contestants would win $35,000 grand total for making up the Pyramid twice in one show. Wasn't until I saw season one eps of "The New $25,000 Pyramid" on USA that I realized it was really $10,000 for the first trip and $15,000 for the second for a TOTAL of $25,000.[/quote]
I forgot about that one. I even assumed that they'd have a third game if the first two were split.

TimK2003 · « **Reply #21 on:** May 06, 2008, 10:36:51 PM »

[quote name=\'William_S.\' post=\'185537\' date=\'May 6 2008, 10:01 PM\']
Here's Mine.

another one is that the Joker's Wild Had really big slot wheels. This was before I knew about the wonderful technology of Slide projectors.

[/quote]

Count me in on that misconception as well. I remember when Jack would ask "are they ready back there?" referring to the person(s) who changed the slides on the "giant"reels before they would start the bonus round.

For a while I thought that if they started the wheels up too soon, I'd see a silhouette of a stage hand caught on a spoke getting "spun to death". What a bad time to "Face The Devil" had it ever been true! :-)

Chief-O · « **Reply #22 on:** May 06, 2008, 11:31:41 PM »

[quote name=\'Adam Nedeff\' post=\'185526\' date=\'May 6 2008, 07:31 PM\']
This led me to believe that "Play the Percentages" was housed in the weirdest studio in Hollywood
[/quote]

I think some can say KCOP was one of the weirdest studios in Hollywood.

One of my main misconceptions----and I mentioned this at Golden-Road.net----was that "Price" was live. Believe it or not, I also kind of thought that about "Millionaire" back in the Reege days.

bscripps · « **Reply #23 on:** May 07, 2008, 01:02:37 AM »

Maybe it's just me, but this one seems even dumber now than it ever seemed to me before...

The TPiR Giant Price Tag (tm) had (has?) a black circle on the left side of its face, representing the hole through which a string would pass on a real price tag. When I was young, I always thought that black circle was a button Bob pressed to make the GPT rise up. I dunno, I think it was because it looked about the same size and shape as the buttons on the "Ten Chances" board.

That, and I always thought there were two turntables on TPiR. (But I write that one off to the staging of "Give or Keep"...games *have* to come 'round on the turntable!)

Johnissoevil · « **Reply #24 on:** May 07, 2008, 04:02:08 AM »

On Dream House, behind the golden door, the picture of the house was actually a house, and winning contestants could go through the door and walk right to the house. But here's my biggest one...

When Sajak took over on Wheel, I thought Chuck was just on vacation, and Pat was just filling in for him until he came back.

Gus · « **Reply #25 on:** May 07, 2008, 04:59:59 AM »

[quote name=\'Johnissoevil\' post=\'185577\' date=\'May 7 2008, 03:02 AM\']
When Sajak took over on Wheel, I thought Chuck was just on vacation, and Pat was just filling in for him until he came back.
[/quote]
Y'mean he's not coming back?!

/was -5 when it happened
//When did "Woolery left Wheel" become a stock phrase here, anyway?

bossjock967 · « **Reply #26 on:** May 07, 2008, 07:13:38 AM »

I thought Jack Barry looked like the devil on TJW.

Come to think of it... he really kinda does.

DrBear · « **Reply #27 on:** May 07, 2008, 08:50:27 AM »

[quote name=\'Adam Nedeff\' post=\'185526\' date=\'May 6 2008, 07:31 PM\']
My misconception was that TV studios housed only one show, and that the set was built to conform to the way that the studio was designed. [/quote]

Mine, too ... I once did a design of a TV station building (back in the day when TV stations did local stuff other than news) with separate rooms for news, sports, cartoon shows, outdoor show, Dialing for Dollars, movie host, etc.

Nothing specific about game shows, but I often wondered what was under the desks when they would put used answers or Password folders down those little slots. Did they have wastebaskets? Did they just pile up on the floor?

(And don't get me started on asking how the Lightning Round cards worked)

cmjb13 · « **Reply #28 on:** May 07, 2008, 09:17:29 AM »

I had thought Supermarket sweep was live and they really did total the groceries inside a few minute commercial break.

On the intro to Kennedy TPIR, I thought the prizes in the doors were actually there when the show began not realizing they must have taped it and inserted it into the show. Or maybe they didn't.

Fedya · « **Reply #29 on:** May 07, 2008, 09:56:48 AM »

I thought everybody else liked game shows as much as I did.