The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: abba on March 05, 2008, 11:17:58 PM
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Do the producers ever tell Pat to land on a certain amount?
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Not frequently, but during the end of the season, producers need to hit certain "prize budget quotas." If they're short, they had Pat aim for a high number; too high, and he aimed for a low one. Recently (in the past four years IIRC), they finally had the good sense to install a small brake controlled by a computer that can "read" the wheel. The season before, there was a stagehand underneath trying to slow the wheel down under the direction of the cue card writer, which never seemed to work. In one episode, the wheel actually spun backward to the point of flipping over the adjacent peg. The look on the contestant's face was priceless. Pat's explanation about "too much gusto" was even better.
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[quote name=\'dale_grass\' post=\'180252\' date=\'Mar 6 2008, 09:03 AM\']
If they're short, they had Pat aim for a high number; too high, and he aimed for a low one. Recently (in the past four years IIRC), they finally had the good sense to install a small brake controlled by a computer that can "read" the wheel. The season before, there was a stagehand underneath trying to slow the wheel down under the direction of the cue card writer, which never seemed to work. In one episode, the wheel actually spun backward to the point of flipping over the adjacent peg. The look on the contestant's face was priceless. Pat's explanation about "too much gusto" was even better.
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What does S&P think of this? I can't help but think that the producers would be flirting with danger here.
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[quote name=\'rollercoaster87\' post=\'180254\' date=\'Mar 6 2008, 09:43 AM\']
[quote name=\'dale_grass\' post=\'180252\' date=\'Mar 6 2008, 09:03 AM\']
If they're short, they had Pat aim for a high number; too high, and he aimed for a low one. Recently (in the past four years IIRC), they finally had the good sense to install a small brake controlled by a computer that can "read" the wheel. The season before, there was a stagehand underneath trying to slow the wheel down under the direction of the cue card writer, which never seemed to work. In one episode, the wheel actually spun backward to the point of flipping over the adjacent peg. The look on the contestant's face was priceless. Pat's explanation about "too much gusto" was even better.
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What does S&P think of this? I can't help but think that the producers would be flirting with danger here.
[/quote]
Wow. And whoosh.
/Unless my sarcasm detector is on the fritz, in which case give the whoosh and wow to me.
//Dale gets another gold star for literary merit.
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[quote name=\'dale_grass\' post=\'180252\' date=\'Mar 6 2008, 09:03 AM\']
Not frequently, but during the end of the season, producers need to hit certain "prize budget quotas." If they're short, they had Pat aim for a high number; too high, and he aimed for a low one. Recently (in the past four years IIRC), they finally had the good sense to install a small brake controlled by a computer that can "read" the wheel. The season before, there was a stagehand underneath trying to slow the wheel down under the direction of the cue card writer, which never seemed to work. In one episode, the wheel actually spun backward to the point of flipping over the adjacent peg. The look on the contestant's face was priceless. Pat's explanation about "too much gusto" was even better.
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Don't forget about the time during the 87 season when they shortened the pegs between the $5000 space inward by 3mm because it was getting "hit too much"..
that, of course, was largely overlooked by the general public with the exception of some astute members of The Game Show Discussion Group (a dial-up BBS precursor to ATGS, that ran off of a 1200 baud modem somewhere in the 213 -- which I believe at least three members here originally posted to..)
/not naming names
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Not to mention this: when Chuck would aim for the $1750 space on his final spin in the '70s version, as he would lick his finger before he spun for good luck, he was actually hitting a large red button under his host area with his other hand that activated a system of weights and pulleys to land the wheel square in the middle of the top dollar space. (S&P thought this was a security buzzer for Chuck in case of overzealous contestants.)
The system was slightly different in international versions of the show, but it's basically the same premise.
And to answer the OP's question, it depends on the day of the week. Monday tapings are usually $450, which is tough for Pat to hit...he prefers the $300 Thursday episodes.
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Dale's been channeling Don Howard lately, I think. :)
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[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'180275\' date=\'Mar 6 2008, 01:22 PM\']
Dale's been channeling Don Howard lately, I think. :)
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And truth be told, I almost fell for it. Usually I'm good at picking up the Don and Dale's dry humor. :-P
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I was ever so close to adding a line at the end requesting that a member explain the concept of Standards and Practices to the OP, but decided against. I think it turned out better this way.
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All of this sounds like "Wheel of Numberwang"! ;-)
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In all seriousness, I will say that when I was on the show a few years ago, and we were waiting to come back from commercial before the 4th round, and they told us we were going straight to the final spin, Pat asked us if we wanted him to hit 5,000. We all said yes, and he said to the contestant in the lead at the time that she may now win if he does, and she said thats fine. He did end up htting it.
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Pat gives his reason why he lands on it so often on his page (http://\"http://www.sonyrewards.com/en/learn/sony_rewards_clubs/wwc/pats_place/ask_pat/details/?id=2759470b-5c66-4737-97c6-49aed63662db\") at Sony Rewards. He's also said before that he never purposely tries to land on it as it'd be unfair to someone in the lead.
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While we're on the subject of Final Spin land, I have a related question:
Why is it now required that every freaking episode has a Final Spin? Most of the time, it seems like it would be faster just to play the rest of the round out normally and not go to a Final Spin at all (especially when there're only one or two letters missing from the puzzle anyway). After all, it used to be normal for an ep to not have a Final Spin.
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[quote name=\'TenPoundHammer\' post=\'180588\' date=\'Mar 9 2008, 12:42 AM\']Why is it now required that every freaking episode has a Final Spin?
[/quote]I can only assume it's part of the show's attempt to include as much gameplay as possible (see Toss-up, Unnecessary $1,000). Personally, even though it may seem forced, I don't mind it. More puzzles isn't really a bad thing.
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[quote name=\'TenPoundHammer\' post=\'180588\' date=\'Mar 8 2008, 09:42 PM\']While we're on the subject of Final Spin land, I have a related question:
Why is it now required that every freaking episode has a Final Spin? [/quote]Producer Fiat.
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I prefer always having a final spin, because it at least serves as a warning to the players that the game's about to be over. I never liked "you just won a lot in that round to get back in the game . . . but time is up, and Joe is our big winner."
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Amazing. I never knew such mechanics existed. It's not surprising though, at least from a budgeting standpoint.
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[quote name=\'GrandMasterGalvatron\' post=\'180843\' date=\'Mar 11 2008, 01:47 AM\']
Amazing. I never knew such mechanics existed. It's not surprising though, at least from a budgeting standpoint.
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Wow.
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[quote name=\'tvwxman\' post=\'180851\' date=\'Mar 11 2008, 06:03 AM\']
[quote name=\'GrandMasterGalvatron\' post=\'180843\' date=\'Mar 11 2008, 01:47 AM\']
Amazing. I never knew such mechanics existed. It's not surprising though, at least from a budgeting standpoint.
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Wow.
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Don't be hatin' :P I only spent the years watching, not researching or whatever.
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[quote name=\'GrandMasterGalvatron\' post=\'180964\' date=\'Mar 11 2008, 04:47 PM\']
I only spent the years watching, not researching or whatever.
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I'll say.
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[quote name=\'GrandMasterGalvatron\' post=\'180964\' date=\'Mar 11 2008, 07:47 PM\']
[quote name=\'tvwxman\' post=\'180851\' date=\'Mar 11 2008, 06:03 AM\']
[quote name=\'GrandMasterGalvatron\' post=\'180843\' date=\'Mar 11 2008, 01:47 AM\']
Amazing. I never knew such mechanics existed. It's not surprising though, at least from a budgeting standpoint.
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Wow.
[/quote]
Don't be hatin' :P I only spent the years watching, not researching or whatever.
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One need not do extensive research to know that rigging a show in any fashion isn't going to be allowed, and therefore to recognize that Dale's story was not meant to be taken seriously.
That said, you aren't the first (http://\"http://gameshow.ipbhost.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=4976&view=findpost&p=50588\") to fall for such a preposterous story, and I doubt you'll be the last.
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[quote name=\'Robert Hutchinson\' post=\'180622\' date=\'Mar 9 2008, 09:58 AM\']I prefer always having a final spin, because it at least serves as a warning to the players that the game's about to be over. I never liked "you just won a lot in that round to get back in the game . . . but time is up, and Joe is our big winner."[/quote]And if they just did the Final Spin as the end of a round, I'd be fine with that.
The producers's adding of $1,000 to the Final Spin tells me that they want to make the last round more relevant, as opposed to just finishing off the last round of the day. And the problem with having the last full round as a Final Spin round is that it fails either way: Spin $5,000 and a runaway leader just might get lubed. Spin, well, anything else and the leader can't be caught. Damned if you do and all that.
(You could also fix that balance issue by not having the TDV of the wheel as a sore-thumb-outlier. But let's fix one problem at a time.)
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[quote name=\'dzinkin\' post=\'180967\' date=\'Mar 11 2008, 07:50 PM\']
That said, you aren't the first (http://\"http://gameshow.ipbhost.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=4976&view=findpost&p=50588\") to fall for such a preposterous story, and I doubt you'll be the last.
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Had a feeling that I would see Kleist's name once I clicked on the link.....
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[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'180979\' date=\'Mar 11 2008, 08:47 PM\']
The producers's adding of $1,000 to the Final Spin tells me that they want to make the last round more relevant, as opposed to just finishing off the last round of the day.[/quote]
Plus, that gives us all the chance to hear and enjoy The Art Fleming Gong which tells us that it's time for that special spin.
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[quote name=\'dzinkin\' post=\'180967\' date=\'Mar 11 2008, 06:50 PM\']
One need not do extensive research to know that rigging a show in any fashion isn't going to be allowed, and therefore to recognize that Dale's story was not meant to be taken seriously.
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I'm just waiting for Dale to give us his explanation behind how Feud paid off S&P so they could turn a blind eye towards the lollipop trees..
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[quote name=\'lobster\' post=\'181047\' date=\'Mar 12 2008, 07:51 AM\']
[quote name=\'dzinkin\' post=\'180967\' date=\'Mar 11 2008, 06:50 PM\']
One need not do extensive research to know that rigging a show in any fashion isn't going to be allowed, and therefore to recognize that Dale's story was not meant to be taken seriously.
[/quote]
I'm just waiting for Dale to give us his explanation behind how Feud paid off S&P so they could turn a blind eye towards the lollipop trees..
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Paid off? No, they just gave "special" lollipops to S&P. Problem ignored. ;-)
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I was gonna capriciously suggest a link between lollipops and suckers, but decided against in the name of decorum.