$ale of the Century discussion

[WarioBarker]

For every lot winner during the daytime shopping era, they had 2 more contestants that bought the cash jackpot and walked.  It was an unintended consequence of the speed round.

I'd say it was also a consequence of having the Cash Jackpot be its own prize level between the car and the Lot. You're going to have very few people turn down a cash payout of over $50,000 to try for the six onstage prizes as well.

WBMG was from an NBC edict that every show have a true bonus round.

In that case, how did Win, Lose or Draw get to be the exception?

If you're going to have an actual bonus round for Sale, tying it in to a shopping-related mechanic is the way to go IMO. As much as we rag on US Temptation, playing Wipeout Super Knock-Off at least earned you Temptation Dollars for the major prizes.

Even so, it feels like it was there to compensate for the five-day limit.

[BrandonFG]

WBMG was from an NBC edict that every show have a true bonus round.

In that case, how did Win, Lose or Draw get to be the exception?

Didn't the daytime version eventually add a bonus round? Given the show premiered when $ale still had the Winner's Board, so I imagine Bert and Burt eventually got the memo they needed an actual bonus game.

[chrisholland03]

WBMG was from an NBC edict that every show have a true bonus round.

In that case, how did Win, Lose or Draw get to be the exception?

Didn't the daytime version eventually add a bonus round? Given the show premiered when $ale still had the Winner's Board, so I imagine Bert and Burt eventually got the memo they needed an actual bonus game.

It absolutely did - in late '88.

[chris319]

What that chart doesn't show you are the demos. The great lament about game shows has always been that they attract an older audience. I don't know if game shows had lower production costs than soaps to make them worth it. Consider that five game shows could be taped in one day with minimal rehearsal. Soaps typically taped one show per day with a full rehearsal.

[Sodboy13]

What that chart doesn't show you are the demos. The great lament about game shows has always been that they attract an older audience.

Speaking from semi-personal experience, Million Dollar Password got axed despite being in the weekly top 10 for almost every episode in its first season, and top 20 for its truncated run in the second, because the demos were certifiably ancient. Though I don't know what kind of audience CBS was expecting to get on a game show with 60 Minutes as its lead-in.

[SuperMatch93]

IIRC, and the episode isn't up on YouTube anymore, there was one participant in the tournament who wasn't in that photo.  Wasn't there a black man by the name of Michael who participate? Probably was the replacement for Ray Winston when he was declared ineligible.

It's been reposted; the guy you're referring to is actually Michael Todaro.

[jlgarfield]

^ Re: Michael Todaro: I thought his last name, for the longest time was pronounced "TOH-DAH-ROE". It's actually "TOH-DARE-OH". XD

Also, he was on Jeopardy! in November 1986.