The Game Show Forum

The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: Otm Shank on March 27, 2010, 11:41:13 PM

Title: Game shows and the 1980 Census
Post by: Otm Shank on March 27, 2010, 11:41:13 PM
I have a vague recollection of most game shows in 1980 taking time out of the show to make a public service announcement to return your census form. The one I can best recall was Bill Cullen on, I believe, "Hot Potato", but I know other shows did as well.

I searched Youtube for some of these PSAs, but came up empty. Did any of these air on GSN, or were they edited out? It's an interesting little time capsule of the era.
Title: Game shows and the 1980 Census
Post by: Jeremy Nelson on March 27, 2010, 11:45:11 PM
Well, Bill didn't do Hot Potato until 84, so if you do remember Bill, you've got the wrong show. Hope that helps.
Title: Game shows and the 1980 Census
Post by: TLEberle on March 27, 2010, 11:46:00 PM
[quote name=\'Otm Shank\' post=\'238392\' date=\'Mar 27 2010, 08:41 PM\']I have a vague recollection of most game shows in 1980 taking time out of the show to make a public service announcement to return your census form. The one I can best recall was Bill Cullen on, I believe, "Hot Potato", but I know other shows did as well.[/quote]I don't think that's possible; Hot Potato was four years later than the census.
Title: Game shows and the 1980 Census
Post by: Chief-O on March 28, 2010, 12:09:38 AM
"Blockbusters" or "Chain Reaction", perhaps?
Title: Game shows and the 1980 Census
Post by: SRIV94 on March 28, 2010, 12:22:04 AM
[quote name=\'Chief-O\' post=\'238401\' date=\'Mar 27 2010, 11:09 PM\']"Blockbusters" or "Chain Reaction", perhaps?[/quote]
CR more likely than BLOCKBUSTERS (that didn't premiere until October--IIRC the census data was dated 7/1/80).
Title: Game shows and the 1980 Census
Post by: Craig Karlberg on March 28, 2010, 04:43:49 AM
IIRC, didn't Allen Ludden reminded the viewing audience to fill out the census on Password +?  I thought I seen that somewhere.
Title: Game shows and the 1980 Census
Post by: chris319 on March 28, 2010, 05:40:18 AM
[quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' post=\'238437\' date=\'Mar 28 2010, 12:43 AM\']IIRC, didn't Allen Ludden reminded the viewing audience to fill out the census on Password +?  I thought I seen that somewhere.[/quote]
You seen it all right. Bobby Sherman was going to have Allen hold up a giant-size pencil and say "I filled out mine" but that idea never materialized.
Title: Game shows and the 1980 Census
Post by: Jimmy Owen on March 28, 2010, 07:03:30 AM
[quote name=\'SRIV94\' post=\'238404\' date=\'Mar 28 2010, 12:22 AM\'][quote name=\'Chief-O\' post=\'238401\' date=\'Mar 27 2010, 11:09 PM\']"Blockbusters" or "Chain Reaction", perhaps?[/quote]
CR more likely than BLOCKBUSTERS (that didn't premiere until October--IIRC the census data was dated 7/1/80).
[/quote]

I can confirm that it was "Chain Reaction."
Title: Game shows and the 1980 Census
Post by: Otm Shank on March 29, 2010, 09:06:25 PM
[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'238441\' date=\'Mar 28 2010, 06:03 AM\']I can confirm that it was "Chain Reaction."[/quote]
Yeah, that sounds familiar to me now. I should've pulled up Bill Cullen's resume before I made a wild guess.

I can't remember where else I saw these little Census plugs other shows, but I do remember seeing quite a few of them. Do any of these Census plugs wind up in any reruns?
Title: Game shows and the 1980 Census
Post by: SRIV94 on March 30, 2010, 12:04:26 PM
[quote name=\'Otm Shank\' post=\'238505\' date=\'Mar 29 2010, 08:06 PM\']I can't remember where else I saw these little Census plugs other shows, but I do remember seeing quite a few of them. Do any of these Census plugs wind up in any reruns?[/quote]
I'm pretty sure the ones on P+ were left in on GSN.  Don't remember about CS (and I didn't have GSN when they ran Cullen's CR).

I do remember GSN leaving in CS and P+'s plugs for the "Year of the Child" a year before.
Title: Game shows and the 1980 Census
Post by: ChrisLambert! on March 30, 2010, 07:58:51 PM
Bill and Geoff's Census shout-outs definitely aired when CR was on USA Network.
Title: Game shows and the 1980 Census
Post by: chris319 on March 30, 2010, 10:59:13 PM
Quote
I do remember GSN leaving in CS and P+'s plugs for the "Year of the Child" a year before.
That's more than I remember, Doug, and I was there when they were taped. Just pass me the rheumatiz medicine.