Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Author Topic: Long Discontinued Game Show Practices (that Lasted Longer Than You Thought)  (Read 14034 times)

vtown7

  • Member
  • Posts: 1133
Re: Long Discontinued Game Show Practices (that Lasted Longer Than You Thought)
« Reply #30 on: February 17, 2021, 07:27:15 AM »
Without going into specifics, Bob/Drew had/has a way of knowing where the car and master keys are before walking to the locks, although the specific method is different for each host.

So the keys are actually functioning keys? I always assumed the keys were just the equivalent of "pick a number", and someone just pushed a button backstage to do the reveal.

I'm sure I've heard somewhere (possibly multiple places) that there are magnets in the keys which do/don't trigger the locks opening?  And if that's not the case I'd love to hear how they work.

Ryan

Bryce L.

  • Member
  • Posts: 1180
Re: Long Discontinued Game Show Practices (that Lasted Longer Than You Thought)
« Reply #31 on: February 17, 2021, 08:02:39 AM »
Without going into specifics, Bob/Drew had/has a way of knowing where the car and master keys are before walking to the locks, although the specific method is different for each host.

So the keys are actually functioning keys? I always assumed the keys were just the equivalent of "pick a number", and someone just pushed a button backstage to do the reveal.
I'm sure I've heard somewhere (possibly multiple places) that there are magnets in the keys which do/don't trigger the locks opening?  And if that's not the case I'd love to hear how they work.

Ryan
Correct. One magnet in each of the "single prize" keys (on the old keys, these magnets would've been located at the front end of the key, where the "teeth" of a real key would've been; not sure if the current keys work the same way). The master key had magnets in all three "teeth", and the dud key had no magnets whatsoever. When placing the key into the lock and turning it, the two magnets (one in the key, one in the lock itself) connecting would be what triggered the "WIN!" sign popping up.

clemon79

  • Member
  • Posts: 27543
  • Director of Suck Consolidation
Re: Long Discontinued Game Show Practices (that Lasted Longer Than You Thought)
« Reply #32 on: February 17, 2021, 01:52:24 PM »
(and was unsurpisingly done by a Golden-Road regular who knew where the producers would hide the car and master key)

Huh?
Chris Lemon, King Fool, Director of Suck Consolidation
http://fredsmythe.com
Email: clemon79@outlook.com  |  Skype: FredSmythe

Kevin Prather

  • Member
  • Posts: 6596
Re: Long Discontinued Game Show Practices (that Lasted Longer Than You Thought)
« Reply #33 on: February 17, 2021, 02:58:01 PM »
(and was unsurpisingly done by a Golden-Road regular who knew where the producers would hide the car and master key)

Huh?

I'm guessing someone who studies the game enough to notice a pattern of where they put each key.

Steve Gavazzi

  • Member
  • Posts: 3278
Re: Long Discontinued Game Show Practices (that Lasted Longer Than You Thought)
« Reply #34 on: February 17, 2021, 03:44:47 PM »
I'm guessing someone who studies the game enough to notice a pattern of where they put each key.

I don't know exactly what happened on the show in question, but for a long time, there was a pretty reliable rule that the second and fourth keys were, in no particular order, one of the first two prizes and the key that didn't open anything.  As long as you were able to win both items, it worked well enough that you could pretty much guarantee yourself the car.

Jeremy Nelson

  • Member
  • Posts: 2792
Re: Long Discontinued Game Show Practices (that Lasted Longer Than You Thought)
« Reply #35 on: February 18, 2021, 12:11:21 AM »
I'm guessing someone who studies the game enough to notice a pattern of where they put each key.

I don't know exactly what happened on the show in question, but for a long time, there was a pretty reliable rule that the second and fourth keys were, in no particular order, one of the first two prizes and the key that didn't open anything.  As long as you were able to win both items, it worked well enough that you could pretty much guarantee yourself the car.
I mean, that would have to just be dumb luck, right? Wouldn't S&P require the keys to be randomly placed before each playing?
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.

Steve Gavazzi

  • Member
  • Posts: 3278
Re: Long Discontinued Game Show Practices (that Lasted Longer Than You Thought)
« Reply #36 on: February 18, 2021, 01:13:55 AM »
I mean, that would have to just be dumb luck, right? Wouldn't S&P require the keys to be randomly placed before each playing?

I don't see why -- the show has never claimed it was random.  It's no different than deciding where the ball starts in Shell Game or where the $25,000 is in Punch a Bunch.

aaron sica

  • Member
  • Posts: 5687
Re: Long Discontinued Game Show Practices (that Lasted Longer Than You Thought)
« Reply #37 on: February 18, 2021, 08:53:05 AM »
Because I know someone knows...:)

 On "classic" TPiR, after pricing game 4,  is the shot of the audience and the announcer intoning "Stay tuned for more pricing games and the the fabulous showcases coming up on the second half of 'The Price is Right'". Nowadays, Drew just mentions it in passing. When did they do away with that?


BrandonFG

  • Member
  • Posts: 18171
Re: Long Discontinued Game Show Practices (that Lasted Longer Than You Thought)
« Reply #38 on: February 18, 2021, 09:04:08 AM »
2003 or so. I remember asking the same thing a few years ago.
"I just wanna give a shoutout to my homies in their late-30s who are watching this on Paramount+ right now, cause they couldn't stay up late enough to watch it live!"

Now celebrating his 21st season on GSF!

PYLdude

  • Member
  • Posts: 8224
  • Still crazy after all these years.
Re: Long Discontinued Game Show Practices (that Lasted Longer Than You Thought)
« Reply #39 on: February 18, 2021, 09:27:38 AM »
2003 or so. I remember asking the same thing a few years ago.

I thought that when Drew took over, they started doing it again?

I know the practice did stop when Rod Roddy was still alive.
I suppose you can still learn stuff on TLC, though it would be more in the Goofus & Gallant sense, that is (don't do what these parents did)"- Travis Eberle, 2012

“We’re game show fans. ‘Weird’ comes with the territory.” - Matt Ottinger, 2022

Mr. Armadillo

  • Member
  • Posts: 1227
Re: Long Discontinued Game Show Practices (that Lasted Longer Than You Thought)
« Reply #40 on: February 18, 2021, 10:18:21 AM »
(and was unsurpisingly done by a Golden-Road regular who knew where the producers would hide the car and master key)

Huh?
It's another one of those psychological tricks that producers can use to influence whether a game is won or lost.  Humans, when presented with a set of five otherwise-identical options (keys in this case), will pick one of the middle options far more often than the outside two.  Checking the TPiR stats page, over the last 20 years, contestants have selected key #1 only 11% of the time and key #5 16% of the time.

The producers know this, and in order to save on the budget, often put the car and master key in those positions to "hide" them.  Out of the 21 times Key #1 was selected (and used), it unlocked the car lock **17** of them.  Likewise, Key #5 won the car 20 of the 32 times it was selected.

So, obviously, if a contestant were actually to get on The Price is Right and play Master Key, it would be very much in their interest to take key #1 (and #5 to a lesser extent), but who outside of this little corner of game show fandom would even think to look for a pattern there?

TL;DR: If the keys were assigned randomly, each one would win the car 40% of the time, but they're not, and Key #1 wins the car over 80% of the time, though nobody outside of g-r would realize it
« Last Edit: February 18, 2021, 10:32:07 AM by Mr. Armadillo »

JasonA1

  • Executive Producer
  • Posts: 3001
Re: Long Discontinued Game Show Practices (that Lasted Longer Than You Thought)
« Reply #41 on: February 18, 2021, 12:32:51 PM »
I thought that when Drew took over, they started doing it again?

I know the practice did stop when Rod Roddy was still alive.

November 2005. Bob -- and later Drew -- throws it to break with "more pricing games coming up on the second half of The Price Is Right!"

-Jason
Game Show Forum Muckety-Muck

clemon79

  • Member
  • Posts: 27543
  • Director of Suck Consolidation
Re: Long Discontinued Game Show Practices (that Lasted Longer Than You Thought)
« Reply #42 on: February 18, 2021, 12:41:02 PM »
TL;DR: If the keys were assigned randomly, each one would win the car 40% of the time, but they're not, and Key #1 wins the car over 80% of the time, though nobody outside of g-r would realize it

Right. I'm just completely baffled that S&P lets that stand when it's so easy to rent a monkey to pull pool balls out of a bag.
Chris Lemon, King Fool, Director of Suck Consolidation
http://fredsmythe.com
Email: clemon79@outlook.com  |  Skype: FredSmythe

WilliamPorygon

  • Member
  • Posts: 387
Re: Long Discontinued Game Show Practices (that Lasted Longer Than You Thought)
« Reply #43 on: February 18, 2021, 01:11:19 PM »
Right. I'm just completely baffled that S&P lets that stand when it's so easy to rent a monkey to pull pool balls out of a bag.
Because, again, they've never claimed the keys are placed randomly.  Much like how in the early days of Millionaire the 50:50 would be preprogrammed to keep the wrong answer that the producers thought would be most likely to be the one a contestant would be considering.

(If there's anything that baffles me as to how S&P is fine with it, it's how Family Feud prevents 3-round wins by changing the double round question based on the scores after the single questions.)

clemon79

  • Member
  • Posts: 27543
  • Director of Suck Consolidation
Re: Long Discontinued Game Show Practices (that Lasted Longer Than You Thought)
« Reply #44 on: February 18, 2021, 01:49:53 PM »
Because, again, they've never claimed the keys are placed randomly.

That's a fair point.

Quote
(If there's anything that baffles me as to how S&P is fine with it, it's how Family Feud prevents 3-round wins by changing the double round question based on the scores after the single questions.)

That's no different than the Idiot Stack that Tomarken would go to on PYL if there weren't enough spins handed out to be interesting.

So, yeah, point well taken.
Chris Lemon, King Fool, Director of Suck Consolidation
http://fredsmythe.com
Email: clemon79@outlook.com  |  Skype: FredSmythe