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Author Topic: Card Sharks CBS/Syndie ‘86 set  (Read 9733 times)

TLEberle

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Re: Card Sharks CBS/Syndie ‘86 set
« Reply #15 on: May 01, 2020, 08:50:21 PM »
Who would expect a production company to hold an entire set in storage for a few years after news of a phantom syndicated run fizzled and there was no news of CBS wanting companions to Price is Right and $25,000 Pyramid? I can't imagine that the same company that head been responsible for hit after hit for decades would have to scrimp on the set for budgetary reasons but I wasn't there.
Travis L. Eberle

chris319

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Re: Card Sharks CBS/Syndie ‘86 set
« Reply #16 on: May 01, 2020, 09:16:05 PM »
Quote
Password Plus had a lame set.

What didn't you like about it?

At one point we made a significant change to the set — not the Alphabetics board. Do you know what that change was? Then we made another change but that one is kind of obvious.

Casey

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Re: Card Sharks CBS/Syndie ‘86 set
« Reply #17 on: May 01, 2020, 09:55:56 PM »
Was the TattleTales set completely rebuilt in 1982?  The area where the stars sat looked different from the 70s set, but everything else looked pretty much exactly as it had been.  I imagine none of that was hard to reproduce, but having it stored would have saved money and time.

SuperMatch93

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Re: Card Sharks CBS/Syndie ‘86 set
« Reply #18 on: May 01, 2020, 09:57:24 PM »
Quote
Password Plus had a lame set.

What didn't you like about it?

At one point we made a significant change to the set — not the Alphabetics board. Do you know what that change was? Then we made another change but that one is kind of obvious.

Was it a change other then the Password Puzzle board?
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"30 years from now, people won’t care what we’re doing right now." - Bob Barker on The Price is Right, 1983

thomas_meighan

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Re: Card Sharks CBS/Syndie ‘86 set
« Reply #19 on: May 02, 2020, 12:59:33 AM »
At one point we made a significant change to the set — not the Alphabetics board. Do you know what that change was? Then we made another change but that one is kind of obvious.

Is it the subtle repainting of the "plus" walls?

For the first year or a little past it, everything looks like it was painted a consistent, slightly off-white tone. At some point in January or February 1980, the wall backgrounds become a darker gray. The top levels of the "filled" plusses seem to have kept their original color, while the lower levels (which includes the "empty" plusses) are intermediate between off-white and gray.

At first I wondered if the plusses had been rearranged, but comparing the earliest weeks with the latest don't seem to bear that out.




Otm Shank

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Re: Card Sharks CBS/Syndie ‘86 set
« Reply #20 on: May 02, 2020, 02:50:15 AM »
At one point we made a significant change to the set — not the Alphabetics board.

Disconnecting the power to the yellow and red light borders? <ducking>

It looked like at one time there was a recessed area on either side of the password display. By the position of it, was it supposed to be a classic Password style score display? At some point, I believe they were covered up entirely.

The obvious change you alluded to was the puzzle board on the other end of the set.

Neumms

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Re: Card Sharks CBS/Syndie ‘86 set
« Reply #21 on: May 07, 2020, 05:27:47 AM »
What didn't you like about it?

At one point we made a significant change to the set — not the Alphabetics board. Do you know what that change was? Then we made another change but that one is kind of obvious.

Red-yellow-blue doesn’t work. The neon was wasted behind the colored sheets. Despite the plus motif, the white walls just looked flat. The red staircases were nothing special. The desk was big and awkward besides being carpeted. The logo looked amateurish. None of this look had the “class” Ludden said Password had.

Was the change the checked border on the puzzle board? That didn’t fit at all.

I hope I didn’t offend you, Chris. I assume you weren’t involved with the set and art direction.

chris319

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Re: Card Sharks CBS/Syndie ‘86 set
« Reply #22 on: May 09, 2020, 09:39:45 PM »
At one point we made a significant change to the set — not the Alphabetics board. Do you know what that change was? Then we made another change but that one is kind of obvious.

Is it the subtle repainting of the "plus" walls?

For the first year or a little past it, everything looks like it was painted a consistent, slightly off-white tone. At some point in January or February 1980, the wall backgrounds become a darker gray. The top levels of the "filled" plusses seem to have kept their original color, while the lower levels (which includes the "empty" plusses) are intermediate between off-white and gray.

At first I wondered if the plusses had been rearranged, but comparing the earliest weeks with the latest don't seem to bear that out.

Yes, that was it. Good eye! No rearranging; just a paint job.

chris319

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Re: Card Sharks CBS/Syndie ‘86 set
« Reply #23 on: May 09, 2020, 09:45:52 PM »
Quote
the checked border on the puzzle board? That didn’t fit at all.

I agree. The first puzzle board was designed by Bente Christensen, the second by Dennis Roof. I never liked the second puzzle board with those silly checks.

The projector for the stage left game board was up on a "tower". We started having trouble with that projector and we got a lot of fan noise from it, so it was replaced with art cards.

Also, they wanted to duplicate the dimensions of the original Password desk from New York.

SuperMatch93

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Re: Card Sharks CBS/Syndie ‘86 set
« Reply #24 on: May 09, 2020, 10:05:00 PM »
Sorry if you've answered this before, Chris, but why was the decision made to change the Alphabetics board from the hanging sign to the wall after the first week or two of shows? Was it always planned that way and the wall just wasn't ready in time?
-William https://dekochunterzz.bandcamp.com/
"30 years from now, people won’t care what we’re doing right now." - Bob Barker on The Price is Right, 1983

Bryce L.

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Re: Card Sharks CBS/Syndie ‘86 set
« Reply #25 on: May 09, 2020, 10:07:53 PM »
Sorry if you've answered this before, Chris, but why was the decision made to change the Alphabetics board from the hanging sign to the wall after the first week or two of shows? Was it always planned that way and the wall just wasn't ready in time?
Didn't someone hit their head on the board while crossing over there or something like that?

Jeremy Nelson

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Re: Card Sharks CBS/Syndie ‘86 set
« Reply #26 on: May 10, 2020, 12:04:30 AM »
It looked like at one time there was a recessed area on either side of the password display. By the position of it, was it supposed to be a classic Password style score display? At some point, I believe they were covered up entirely.
I just went back to the premiere week to see what you're referring too, and now I can't unsee them. If that was the case, the score behind the contestants was definitely the right change.


Red-yellow-blue doesn’t work. The neon was wasted behind the colored sheets. Despite the plus motif, the white walls just looked flat. The red staircases were nothing special. The desk was big and awkward besides being carpeted. The logo looked amateurish. None of this look had the “class” Ludden said Password had.
Wow- tell us how you really feel.

Preferences aside, the primary color-heavy motif was popular at its time. I feel the same way about the oranges and tans of the Match Game set- not my ideal color scheme, but that's what was in.

Obviously Chris would know more, but I feel like everything they did with Password Plus was an effort to rid themselves of the stigma surrounding previous versions of Password.
Fact To Make You Feel Old: Just about every contestant who appears in a Price is Right Teen Week episode from here on out has only known a world where Drew Carey has been the host.

chris319

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Re: Card Sharks CBS/Syndie ‘86 set
« Reply #27 on: May 10, 2020, 01:33:02 AM »
Decisions about the Alphabetics board were made by others before I went to work there.

It was decided not to move it to the stage-right wall until after the first 13-week cycle due to both time and cost.

There was no "stigma" associated with the old show. For some reason they decided to get away from words popping up out of the desk. For one thing, Alphabetics involved 10 words instead of the five of the old lightning round.

Kevin Prather

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Re: Card Sharks CBS/Syndie ‘86 set
« Reply #28 on: May 10, 2020, 05:00:13 PM »
For some reason they decided to get away from words popping up out of the desk. For one thing, Alphabetics involved 10 words instead of the five of the old lightning round.

Password is the only game show I can think of off the top of my head where the bonus round is played at home base. Every other game show I can think of involves moving to a different part of the set.

Long live Jeopardy!

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Re: Card Sharks CBS/Syndie ‘86 set
« Reply #29 on: May 10, 2020, 05:06:33 PM »
^Hollywood Squares (Bergeron) before Nov. 2001 also comes to mind.