The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: mmb5 on January 04, 2004, 09:20:47 PM
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For the past year, I've been working on a few web pages on Game Show pilots I've had a chance to see, whether it's through GSN, tape trades or the UCLA archive. Feel free to take a look at: The Game Show Pilot Light (http://\"http://www.mikeburger.com/pilots\"). So far, I have info on 42 pilots.
Play nice, because I'm sure there's errors in there. And knowing you guys, you'll let me know of every single one of them.
--Mike
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I really think it's a neat page - I've been looking over it for about 1/2 hour now, lots of good pictures to supplement the pilots! Fine job.
My only "pick" is that the pictures may take a little bit to load for the dialup folks..
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[quote name=\'mmb5\' date=\'Jan 4 2004, 09:20 PM\'] For the past year, I've been working on a few web pages on Game Show pilots I've had a chance to see, whether it's through GSN, tape trades or the UCLA archive. Feel free to take a look at: The Game Show Pilot Light (http://\"http://www.mikeburger.com/pilots\"). So far, I have info on 42 pilots.
Play nice, because I'm sure there's errors in there. And knowing you guys, you'll let me know of every single one of them.
--Mike [/quote]
All I can say is niiiiiiiiiice...you really did some work here. Good job! :-)
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Nice page. Very informative. Thanks!
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Wow! Awesome stuff! Contribute to the page at your leisure - I'll just be chomping at the bit to read it. :)
-Jason
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Super job, Mike - and you answered a question for me. I had just bought the Big Payoff tape from Bruce Simon and after watching it, was sure it was a pilot, based on the fact that all commercial cutaways were local, vs. for their classic net sponsor Colgate. Thanks for the confirmation.
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Speaking of pilots, the Page O' Clips now has a "Legendary Firsts" section (http://\"http://thepageoclips.isgreat.tv/\") that has clips of the Family Feud pilot, the 1st Trebek Jeopardy pilot, and the MG'73 pilot (as well as Pat Sajak's first WOF episode and the first few minutes of the first episode of TNPiR'72).
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[quote name=\'Casey Buck\' date=\'Jan 4 2004, 11:52 PM\'] Speaking of pilots, the Page O' Clips now has a "Legendary Firsts" section (http://\"http://thepageoclips.isgreat.tv/\") that has clips of the Family Feud pilot, the 1st Trebek Jeopardy pilot, and the MG'73 pilot (as well as Pat Sajak's first WOF episode and the first few minutes of the first episode of TNPiR'72). [/quote]
And let me speak my mind on Feud and Jeopardy.
Feud: the actual show was fine, but that set was way too cramped. I'm also glad the decided on the oval-shaped game board.
Jeopardy: Who was the art director for this? I'd like to know what the hell they were smoking when they decided to make the podia and board look like computers. If that set had gone to air, it would've gotten dated very quickly. The show also seemed more laid back than what it became in the 80s. The blonde on the right was kind of annoying with her side comments in between questions.
One more thing, how did they transform the game board for (tacky neon) Final Jeopardy? Was it simply a black board that slid down over the grid?
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Bert Parks was hosting the HS pilot? So, how did they get Peter Marshall to host the SHOW, instead of Parks?
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[quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Jan 5 2004, 12:15 AM\'] Bert Parks was hosting the HS pilot? So, how did they get Peter Marshall to host the SHOW, instead of Parks? [/quote]
I don't have a copy of Marshall's HSq book, but IIRC, it was two big factors:
1) The show sat on the shelf at CBS for a year. When it finally went over to NBC, Parks was busy with another project.
2) I don't think Marshall expected the show to last too long, and I remember reading that he wanted to spite Dan Rowan, who was also up for the job. So he went ahead and made the move to host the show. The rest is history.
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Its quite impressive, because I'm reading about the rules and the background about the different shows. I think some of them should've sold, but alas, they haven't.
Really beautiful stuff!
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Very nicely done.
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[quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Jan 4 2004, 10:11 PM\'] Jeopardy: Who was the art director for this? I'd like to know what the hell they were smoking when they decided to make the podia and board look like computers. [/quote]
Not Ed Flesh, I sure as hell hope. My God was that one of the most amazingly hideous things I've ever seen. They shoulda made Alex a big-ass prop floppy disk to shove into the "drive" to make the Final Jeopardy answer pop up. :)
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Anyone know where that Jeopardy! pilot taped?
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Excellent job!
I can vouch for the fact that Mindreaders was first taped in studio 3 at NBC Burbank, now home to Jay Leno and the Tonight Show. The correct name of the second phase of the Mindreaders end game was "Celebrity Turnabout".
For the record, thanks to Johnny Carson's penchant for taking time off, Puzzlers and Blockbusters both started in studio 1 at NBC Burbank, home at the time to Carson's Tonight Show and later The Weakest Link.
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Anyone know where that Jeopardy! pilot taped?
Merv's TAV Celebrity Theater, on Vine St., where his talk show, Headline Chasers, and several years of Love Connection taped.
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[quote name=\'bricon\' date=\'Jan 5 2004, 11:04 AM\']
Anyone know where that Jeopardy! pilot taped?
Merv's TAV Celebrity Theater, on Vine St., where his talk show, Headline Chasers, and several years of Love Connection taped.[/quote]
ET shared Merv's stage for several years.
I seem to remember also the Buddy Hackett YBYL pilot and a pilot with Fred Travalena (the name of which escapes me) being shot there, all of this in the early '80s.
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[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Jan 5 2004, 04:42 PM\'][quote name=\'bricon\' date=\'Jan 5 2004, 11:04 AM\']
Anyone know where that Jeopardy! pilot taped?
Merv's TAV Celebrity Theater, on Vine St., where his talk show, Headline Chasers, and several years of Love Connection taped.[/quote]
ET shared Merv's stage for several years.
I seem to remember also the Buddy Hackett YBYL pilot and a pilot with Fred Travalena (the name of which escapes me) being shot there, all of this in the early '80s.[/quote]
The entire Hackett "YBYL" series was shot at the TAV Celebrity Theatre. The far shots from the camera in the back of the hall were a giveaway for anyone who watched Merv regularly, just like the back of the hall shots of 33 on "MG."
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That page is outstanding! I swear I didn't know The Big Payoff was an unsold pilot; I always thought it was just another obscure 1950s show. Dag.
Awesome job! ^_^
--Jamie
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[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Jan 5 2004, 04:55 PM\']
The entire Hackett "YBYL" series was shot at the TAV Celebrity Theatre. The far shots from the camera in the back of the hall were a giveaway for anyone who watched Merv regularly, just like the back of the hall shots of 33 on "MG." [/quote]
Chris C. mentioned that there was consideration to move Match Game from CBS TV City to the TAV Celebrity Theater during the daily syndie era.
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[quote name=\'Casey Buck\' date=\'Jan 4 2004, 11:52 PM\'] Speaking of pilots, the Page O' Clips now has a "Legendary Firsts" section (http://\"http://thepageoclips.isgreat.tv/\") that has clips of the Family Feud pilot, the 1st Trebek Jeopardy pilot, and the MG'73 pilot (as well as Pat Sajak's first WOF episode and the first few minutes of the first episode of TNPiR'72). [/quote]
Boy, that MG pilot even foreshadows the School Riot!
In any event, since it's not said enough, kudos to the operators of both the Page o'Clips, and the new Pilot Page. Well done, both of you!
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I must say that you've done a great job with your pilot page! Keep up the good work. :-)
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Was it "Anything for Money" that Travalena did at TAV?
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Was it "Anything for Money" that Travalena did at TAV?
Most likely, since AFM was mentioned as taping at TAV during J!'s first season in Harry Eisenberg's book.
Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")
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I must say that Jeopardy! pilot was unlike anything I would have expected. Must have been a real sight to see in person, though! At least they included that classic arrangement of the "Final Jeopardy!" music, something that's sadly missing from the show today.
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Very nice page!
I would just like to point out a couple things about Crossword: You could say that it did make it to air, eventually it was sold as "The Cross-Wits" [I assume the Jerry Payne credited with creating Cross-Wits is the same guy who produced Crossword]
There were two pilots shot with George Fenneman [the one on your site, and one with Paul Lynde as a celeb] But this post on ATGS references a third pilot, with Lynde HOSTING:
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=lynde+cr...ogle.com&rnum=2 (http://\"http://groups.google.com/groups?q=lynde+crossword+group:alt.tv.game-shows.*&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&group=alt.tv.game-shows.*&c2coff=1&selm=aafafe81.0106300122.6ec90279%40posting.google.com&rnum=2\")
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[quote name=\'PeterMarshallFan\' date=\'Jan 6 2004, 09:18 PM\'] There were two pilots shot with George Fenneman [the one on your site, and one with Paul Lynde as a celeb] But this post on ATGS references a third pilot, with Lynde HOSTING: [/quote]
Actually, if you read that post a little more closely, I'm pretty sure that Mr. Kaiser simply mistyped and meant to say that Lynde was a *guest* and that George did a better job hosting THAT pilot than he did the OTHER one.
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[quote name=\'PeterMarshallFan\' date=\'Jan 6 2004, 08:18 PM\']Very nice page!
I would just like to point out a couple things about Crossword: You could say that it did make it to air, eventually it was sold as "The Cross-Wits" [I assume the Jerry Payne credited with creating Cross-Wits is the same guy who produced Crossword][/quote]
Probably. He was also the longtime head writer on "Truth or Consequences," which would figure into Ralph Edwards picking up the idea as "Cross-Wits" ("T or C" longtime producer Ed Bailey also co-produced the first season with Ray Horl before retiring--and "Cross-Wits" was Metromedia's official replacement for "T or C").
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[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Jan 6 2004, 11:56 PM\'] [quote name=\'PeterMarshallFan\' date=\'Jan 6 2004, 09:18 PM\'] There were two pilots shot with George Fenneman [the one on your site, and one with Paul Lynde as a celeb] But this post on ATGS references a third pilot, with Lynde HOSTING: [/quote]
Actually, if you read that post a little more closely, I'm pretty sure that Mr. Kaiser simply mistyped and meant to say that Lynde was a *guest* and that George did a better job hosting THAT pilot than he did the OTHER one. [/quote]
You're right. I read it to say that George was better as host than Paul was, myself. But still, you're right.