The Game Show Forum

The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: Clay Zambo on September 24, 2011, 10:54:22 AM

Title: Staging
Post by: Clay Zambo on September 24, 2011, 10:54:22 AM
While thinking about how I'd stage a game I've been puttering with--not that it'd be likely ever to make it to air, but what the heck--I put the host's position screen-left (stage right) and the contestants screen-right (stage left).  And it occurred to me that that seemed like sort of an automatic choice.  So I tried to come up with examples where the positions were reversed.  Fleming "Jeopardy" came to mind; so did "College Bowl" and the 70s-80s "Joker's Wild."  But I couldn't come up with any others.  (I'm leaving out roaming-host games like "Price" and "Deal," and host-in-the-middle games like the "Password" family.)  Any other good examples of host-at-screen-right?  And any idea why host-left seemed to be such a common staging choice?
Title: Staging
Post by: bwood on September 24, 2011, 11:09:43 AM
Tic Tac Dough is one that came to mind right away, Bullseye as well.
Title: Staging
Post by: Jimmy Owen on September 24, 2011, 12:38:27 PM
Tic Tac Dough is one that came to mind right away, Bullseye as well.
Also in the B&E stable Play the Percentages and Joker's Wild. From Bob Stewart, Blankety Blanks, Shoot for the Stars, Double Talk.
Title: Staging
Post by: MikeK on September 24, 2011, 12:41:19 PM
Tic Tac Dough is one that came to mind right away, Bullseye as well.
Also Play the Percentages and Joker's Wild.
Play the Percentages for the bonus round du jour and for the latter front game, yes.  During the initial front game, Geoff would be between the two couples.
Title: Staging
Post by: Jimmy Owen on September 24, 2011, 12:42:42 PM
Tic Tac Dough is one that came to mind right away, Bullseye as well.
Also Play the Percentages and Joker's Wild.
Play the Percentages for the bonus round du jour and for the latter front game, yes.  During the initial front game, Geoff would be between the two couples.
Yes, I forgot about the first format. 60's Match Game and IIRC Get the Message also did it that way.  How would you catagorize the panel shows?
Title: Staging
Post by: clemon79 on September 24, 2011, 02:04:03 PM
Interestingly, the UK version of Sale Of The Century flipped the host and players from the US and Australian staging, too, at least for a while.

Ooh, speaking of Reg Grundy: Scrabble. Though it could be argued that was closer to stage-center.
Title: Staging
Post by: Jay Temple on September 24, 2011, 02:27:11 PM
Win Ben Stein's Money
Title: Staging
Post by: Chief-O on September 24, 2011, 04:51:57 PM
I guess "Trivia Trap" could be included. Technically, Bob was screen-center, but the contestants were screen-left.

/uhh, judges? :P
Title: Staging
Post by: CeleTheRef on September 24, 2011, 04:58:34 PM
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire!


and curiously in Italy, the very first (http://"http://www.giralaruota.it/IMMAGINI/STORY/01B.jpg") and the very last (http://"http://www.giralaruota.it/IMMAGINI/STORY/56C.jpg") versions of Wheel Of Fortune had the host on the right side of the screen.
Title: Staging
Post by: BrandonFG on September 24, 2011, 06:12:36 PM
I suppose "Hollywood Squares" would count, at least all post-Marshall versions. I believe Marshall's had a weird setup.

Also "Jackpot!"
Title: Staging
Post by: clemon79 on September 24, 2011, 07:23:39 PM
I suppose "Hollywood Squares" would count, at least all post-Marshall versions. I believe Marshall's had a weird setup.
Erm, why do you believe that?
Title: Staging
Post by: BrandonFG on September 24, 2011, 07:37:00 PM
I suppose "Hollywood Squares" would count, at least all post-Marshall versions. I believe Marshall's had a weird setup.
Erm, why do you believe that?
For some reason, I thought I read somewhere that the contestant/host area and the tic-tac-toe board weren't staged like the subsequent versions. I believe they were set up parallel and facing one another, instead of at an angle like in later versions. But thinking about it, technically the contestants still sat at stage right, even with the supposedly different staging.
Title: Staging
Post by: gameshowcrazy on September 24, 2011, 07:43:08 PM
IMHO, I would put Hollywood Squares in the "host in the middle" category--all versions had the host sit between the contestants, it was the CELEBRITIES that were to the viewers right in all versions other than maybe MG/HS Hour where I think they may have been facing the celebrities, but still to the right of where the hosts and contestants sat.
Title: Staging
Post by: NickS on September 24, 2011, 08:48:14 PM
I guess "Trivia Trap" could be included. Technically, Bob was screen-center, but the contestants were screen-left.

/uhh, judges? :P

I'll agree; you had the same setup for All-Star Secrets; more in the middle for Eubanks but the contestants are screen-left.  Add Your Number's Up to that list, too.
Title: Staging
Post by: That Don Guy on September 24, 2011, 08:58:10 PM
I'm pretty sure Gambit (and slightly less sure about Las Vegas Gambit) was this way as well.
Title: Staging
Post by: Clay Zambo on September 24, 2011, 09:07:48 PM
Thanks, y'all.  Clearly there were more than I thought.
Title: Staging
Post by: Kevin Prather on September 24, 2011, 09:08:59 PM
Since someone will do it eventually, as someone does in all these list compiling threads, I'll go to another country and say UK's Countdown.
Title: Staging
Post by: Clay Zambo on September 24, 2011, 09:11:44 PM
I'm pretty sure Gambit (and slightly less sure about Las Vegas Gambit) was this way as well.

Hard to be sure, since I don't believe we ever were shown a full-set shot of the original Gambit, but since the Gambit board was to screen left of the couples and Wink approached it from offscreen left, I'm willing to bet that Wink was left, the board was center, and the couples were right.
Title: Staging
Post by: Chief-O on September 24, 2011, 11:19:52 PM
Just came up with another---"Top Card".
Title: Staging
Post by: Jeremy Nelson on September 25, 2011, 12:09:14 AM
Interestingly, the UK version of Sale Of The Century flipped the host and players from the US and Australian staging, too, at least for a while.
You are correct. Actually, the Nicholas Parsons version (the original)was staged like that for the entirety of its run. The Americanized version in the late 80s, as well as the 98 revival did the opposite.

New Zealand's version had the host on the right of the screen as well.
Title: Staging
Post by: Adam Nedeff on September 25, 2011, 02:20:31 AM
I'm pretty sure Gambit (and slightly less sure about Las Vegas Gambit) was this way as well.

Hard to be sure, since I don't believe we ever were shown a full-set shot of the original Gambit, but since the Gambit board was to screen left of the couples and Wink approached it from offscreen left, I'm willing to bet that Wink was left, the board was center, and the couples were right.
There's a full-set shot in the first EOTVGS. You're exactly right.
Title: Staging
Post by: Chief-O on September 25, 2011, 09:16:38 AM
Thought of yet another---"Trump Card".
Title: Staging
Post by: tpirfan28 on September 25, 2011, 09:58:00 AM
Since someone will do it eventually, as someone does in all these list compiling threads, I'll go to another country and say UK's Countdown.
Pointless as well.
Title: Staging
Post by: Clay Zambo on September 26, 2011, 01:07:01 PM
There's a full-set shot in the first EOTVGS. You're exactly right.

And a couple of shots in the second and third editions that show Wink's lectern just a step or so away from the Gambit Board.  (And, curiously, with the Jackpot display showing a multiple of $200 rather than the $500 I remember.  Anybody know if that was the value in a pilot, or if they changed from 2s to 5s midway through the run?)
Title: Staging
Post by: Mr. Armadillo on September 26, 2011, 02:01:05 PM
Since someone will do it eventually, as someone does in all these list compiling threads, I'll go to another country and say UK's Countdown.
Pointless as well.
Until I remembered the UK show of that name, I thought you were discussing this thread in general.

/I agree.
Title: Staging
Post by: Marc412 on September 26, 2011, 07:06:52 PM
I'll add University Challenge (UK's answer to College Bowl) to the list.

(Edited to remove QuizBusters)
Title: Staging
Post by: ChrisLambert! on September 26, 2011, 07:16:48 PM
Interestingly, the UK version of Sale Of The Century flipped the host and players from the US and Australian staging, too, at least for a while.
You are correct. Actually, the Nicholas Parsons version (the original)was staged like that for the entirety of its run. The Americanized version in the late 80s, as well as the 98 revival did the opposite.
Technically the Parsons version was the 'American'-ish version and the Marshall version was 'Australianized', right? :)
Title: Staging
Post by: JasonA1 on September 26, 2011, 07:46:45 PM
I'll add University Challenge (UK's answer to College Bowl) and QuizBusters to the list.

Matt is directly opposite of the two desks (like Anne/George stands opposite the two players going head-to-head on Weakest Link). Not sure if that counts.

-Jason
Title: Staging
Post by: Jeremy Nelson on September 28, 2011, 02:01:22 PM
Interestingly, the UK version of Sale Of The Century flipped the host and players from the US and Australian staging, too, at least for a while.
You are correct. Actually, the Nicholas Parsons version (the original)was staged like that for the entirety of its run. The Americanized version in the late 80s, as well as the 98 revival did the opposite.
Technically the Parsons version was the 'American'-ish version and the Marshall version was 'Australianized', right? :)
Wow, you would actually be right. Never saw the original US Sale, so I assumed that the original UK version was sorta marching to its own beat there. Nice catch. :)