The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: Skynet74 on April 24, 2004, 12:46:58 PM
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I was just playing the PC version of the game that was produced by Doulos software. Everytime I play that thing it makes me yearn for the days of Press Your Luck again. It was such a simple show, but so much fun! When GSN revived it and gave us WHAMMY! I didn't like the layout of the Board. I hope that the show can be revived one day to more closely resemble it's original form. It really was a cool show just the way it was.
John
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Although they certainly could do a revival with a board resembling the original, there's probably not a lot of people who would want to see it done. In the two-hour documentary that went behind the scenes of the Michael Larsen "scandal", Peter Tomarken actually dismissed his own version's board as "dinosaur technology" compared to the "Whammy!" board which he claimed to be Larsen-proof. There are probably a lot of technos out there who could be as much on top of the patterns as Larsen was, so the old design would have to be a lot more unpredictable in its light patterns.
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Peter Tomarken actually dismissed his own version's board as "dinosaur technology" compared to the "Whammy!" board which he claimed to be Larsen-proof.
Two things. One, it is, and two, I'm pretty sure those were among his written lines.
-Jason
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You could always use new technology and still keep the old appearance.
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Absolutely, keep the light borders from whammy, and use monitors for everything else. But keep one crucial detail, the morphing of the slides. I think this made the show even more eerie, and reinforced the "Play Against The Computer" feel. When Whammy came on, with the instantly changing values, I was kind of disappointed, but what should I have expected?
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[quote name=\'TalkingHeadsFan\' date=\'Apr 25 2004, 09:52 AM\'] Absolutely, keep the light borders from whammy, and use monitors for everything else. But keep one crucial detail, the morphing of the slides. I think this made the show even more eerie, and reinforced the "Play Against The Computer" feel. When Whammy came on, with the instantly changing values, I was kind of disappointed, but what should I have expected? [/quote]
I taped and watched PYL when I could during its CBS run, but considering I was only 10 when it moved to 4:00 (my CBS station dropped it at that time, opting to air some talk show with this Chicago woman with an unusual name...gee, I wonder what happened to that show :-) ), I never realized that the spaces were square. It wasn't even until a few years ago when I realized that the aspect of analog TVs is 4:3. (In programming, this is quite useful when designing interfaces for games involving TV monitors.) After PYL arrived at GSN but before Whammy! came out, I experimented with an updated PYL game with "monitors". The same layout as classic PYL made the board look too wide, and I pared it down to 16 spaces, with 5 spaces along each side. Theoretically, the classic PYL board can be replicated with multimedia projectors, and it is possible to program the fade from one "slide" to another. But when Whammy! premiered, I was blown away by the new-look board.
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[quote name=\'GS Warehouse\' date=\'Apr 25 2004, 08:24 AM\']... Theoretically, the classic PYL board can be replicated with multimedia projectors...[/quote]
Sitting down for this? The king of game show set design, Ed Flesh, who was responsible for the design and creation of the original PYL board, still has his original blueprints, plans, sketches and notes from that job!
You'll remember there was talk a year or two ago about a feature film depicting the Larsen affair; George Clooney was "attached" to the project for a while. That was the motivation for Ed's rummaging through his home of many years, Rancho Temblor in Sylmar, until he found what he needed to re-create the big board.
Too bad some Hollywood suit woke up and realized that the film would probably close as quickly as "Gigli". After all, there's no logical way to add a helicopter chase, pyrotechnics, a gun fight and a sex scene. I, for one, have no desire to see anything resembling Larsen's or Tomarken's bare ass! ;-)
Randy
tvrandywest.com
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Hey, taking this slightly OT, the clip of TTTT in "Catch me if you can" is probably as close as it'll ever get to an actual "game show movie"
So why hasn't GSN made any new Whammy shows this season? I'm sure Todd would be glad to do another round of 'em.
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[quote name=\'passwordplus\' date=\'Apr 25 2004, 10:00 AM\'] So why hasn't GSN made any new Whammy shows this season? I'm sure Todd would be glad to do another round of 'em. [/quote]
Because, you know, the FIRST and ONLY factor that determines if a series continues to produce new episodes is the whim of the host. If he wants to come back, we're shooting, and ratings and network direction be damned.
I don't know how some of you people CONTINUE to amaze me, and yet you do.
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press your luck was a good game showl it aired on CBS; kris lane has a pyl website on his webpage.
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[quote name=\'JacksonBrowne1980\' date=\'Apr 25 2004, 04:37 PM\'] press your luck was a good game showl it aired on CBS; kris lane has a pyl website on his webpage. [/quote]
Thank you, thank you very much, Erik. What would this board do without you (besides be less annoyed)?
Anyway, Randy (Janet)it's West if you're nasty(/Janet), the George Clooney "attachment" is news to me. Is the Larson project still floating around out there? Last I heard, the script for the movie was done, but at the last minute Manadalay (Paramount) put it on turnaround (in layman's terms, put it up for grabs for another studio to buy). Did the documentary pretty much kill it?
As for Ed Flesh's design, what was he going with the Aztec-like design for the lights framing the board? Or do you have any further anecdotes on his designs? Boy, you can't tell if I'm a PYL fan, can you? ;)
Tyshaun
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[quote name=\'passwordplus\' date=\'Apr 25 2004, 12:00 PM\'] Hey, taking this slightly OT, the clip of TTTT in "Catch me if you can" is probably as close as it'll ever get to an actual "game show movie" [/quote]
Except for a little thing called Quiz Show.
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[quote name=\'tyshaun1\' date=\'Apr 25 2004, 05:56 PM\'] Anyway, Randy (Janet)it's West if you're nasty(/Janet), the George Clooney "attachment" is news to me. Is the Larson project still floating around out there? Last I heard, the script for the movie was done, but at the last minute Manadalay (Paramount) put it on turnaround (in layman's terms, put it up for grabs for another studio to buy). Did the documentary pretty much kill it?
As for Ed Flesh's design, what was he going with the Aztec-like design for the lights framing the board? Or do you have any further anecdotes on his designs? Boy, you can't tell if I'm a PYL fan, can you? ;)
Tyshaun [/quote]
I think it is in turnaround hell and will never see the light of day.
As to "What was Ed thinking?", damned if I know. I don't even know what you mean by "Aztec-like", but my eye for design and fashion is not strong. You'd know if you ever saw the clothes I wear!
I don't see Ed as often as I did when "Supermarket Sweep" was in production, so I can't even volunteer to ask him for ya. But rest assured that he can tell you about some purpose behind everything he ever did.
Randy
tvrandywest.com
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[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' date=\'Apr 25 2004, 09:38 PM\'] [quote name=\'tyshaun1\' date=\'Apr 25 2004, 05:56 PM\'] Anyway, Randy (Janet)it's West if you're nasty(/Janet), the George Clooney "attachment" is news to me. Is the Larson project still floating around out there? Last I heard, the script for the movie was done, but at the last minute Manadalay (Paramount) put it on turnaround (in layman's terms, put it up for grabs for another studio to buy). Did the documentary pretty much kill it?
As for Ed Flesh's design, what was he going with the Aztec-like design for the lights framing the board? Or do you have any further anecdotes on his designs? Boy, you can't tell if I'm a PYL fan, can you? ;)
Tyshaun [/quote]
I think it is in turnaround hell and will never see the light of day.
As to "What was Ed thinking?", damned if I know. I don't even know what you mean by "Aztec-like", but my eye for design and fashion is not strong. You'd know if you ever saw the clothes I wear!
I don't see Ed as often as I did when "Supermarket Sweep" was in production, so I can't even volunteer to ask him for ya. But rest assured that he can tell you about some purpose behind everything he ever did.
Randy
tvrandywest.com [/quote]
By Aztec-like, I really should have said "southwestern" design, you know, the zig zag design you see on a lot of quilts and blankets fron Native American culture. But sad to see the flick will probably never see the light of day. Could have been interesting.......
Tyshaun
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Let's do the math: A game board custom built with 1970s technology and which was intended to be amoritzed over a period of at least 13 weeks, co-starring in a motion picture which will close as fast as Gigli. I don't see "Big Bucks" here. Translation: the bill from CBS Electronics alone would eat up a large part of the revenue from the couple thousand tickets they might sell.
I don't know what people see in this show. Seeing people press plungers while they watch a board with flashing lights is about as thrilling as watching people play Keno.
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[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' date=\'Apr 25 2004, 10:55 AM\'] Too bad some Hollywood suit woke up and realized that the film would probably close as quickly as "Gigli". After all, there's no logical way to add a helicopter chase, pyrotechnics, a gun fight and a sex scene. I, for one, have no desire to see anything resembling Larsen's or Tomarken's bare ass! ;-)
Randy
tvrandywest.com [/quote]
Who says it has to be Larsen's or Tomarken's? Find an excuse for us to see Janey's.
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Something to consider....
If Bill Murray had gone ahead and made the "Press Your Luck" movie, there's a possibility that he'd have missed out in participating in a little movie I like to call... "Lost In Translation".
And we all know what happened to Billy after that movie.
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[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Apr 25 2004, 10:40 PM\']
I don't know what people see in this show. Seeing people press plungers while they watch a board with flashing lights is about as thrilling as watching people play Keno. [/quote]
Well Chris.... you and I definitely disagree on this one. Using your analogy, a person could say... what's so thrilling about watching a Wheel Spin on Price Is Right or what's so exciting about seeing people drop Plinko chips from 15 Feet up?
Some of the simplest Games are the most entertaining to watch. You don't need to be able to play along for it to be fun. Sometimes just watching people is entertainment enough.
Besides..... there is a lot more strategy in playing Press Your Luck then you give it credit for. Passing your spins or Pressing Your Luck at the right time isn't always an easy decision. Then when you combine that strategy with the elment of chance of hitting that plunger at just the right moment, it just makes it an all around fun game to both watch and to play!
I dare you to Download the Press Your Luck Game from Curt King and tell me that you arn't having fun. I have a feeling you will never look at the game the same way again.
John
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My impression is that a quirky comedy movie COULD be made about the Larsen experience -- and every one of the Tomarkenites would absolutely hate it. That's because no screenwriter is going to look at this as some Historic Moment In Game Shows. In fact, I'd probably spend no more than fifteen minutes -- in the middle of the film -- on Press Your Luck. All the interesting stuff is before and after.
The story is about a get-rich-quick dreamer who stumbles across this one scheme that works out for him, and about how he handles actually being successful at something for once in his life. PYL is the catalyst that drives the story, but no way is an audience interested in a movie that's just about a guy who figured out the "right" way to press a button on a game show.
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Then when you combine that strategy with the elment of chance of hitting that plunger at just the right moment, it just makes it an all around fun game to both watch and to play!
I always thought there were certain strategies about when to push the button - and I'm not necessarily talking about memorizing board patterns. I've read interviews with former contestants on some of the sites out there, and a few of them even state that when there were a lot of whammies showing, they waited until the board changed and there were fewer. Some of them won games using that strategy.
Besides, I'm sure all of us actually hoped for a whammy to be hit occasionally - some of the reactions contestants gave when hitting one over the years were quite humorous!
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[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Apr 26 2004, 11:56 AM\']
In fact, I'd probably spend no more than fifteen minutes -- in the middle of the film -- on Press Your Luck. All the interesting stuff is before and after. The story is about a get-rich-quick dreamer who stumbles across this one scheme that works out for him, and about how he handles actually being successful at something for once in his life. [/quote]
I agree with Matt. A Press Your Luck movie would Bomb big time if it was basicly only the TV shown on the Big Screen. A proper setup would be about how Larsen hates getting up every morning to drive his Ice Cream truck. Kids complain that he didn't put enough Ice Cream in their cone or how the Frozen Lemonade tastes bad. Kids even kick him and stuff. He is the most hated Ice Cream man ever. Larsen is such a looser that he can't even do such a simple job right.
His personal life is also a mess. He can't keep a girlfriend for longer than a week. The Guy is miserable. He just wants a way out. So he buys a newspaper to see if he can find a better job which may result in some happiness. While scanning the classifieds he comes across an ad for a TV show that promises Big Bucks! It's a show that he has never heard of before since he is driving his Ice Cream truck at that time of day. So he looks in TV Guide and finds out when it is aired. He then starts taping the show religiously. He is motivated at the thought of not having to be an Ice Cream man that summer.
He falls in Love with the program. He tapes it every day and the more he sees people win, the more it feeds into his ultimate Goal of being a contestant on the show. A Neighbor even gives him a new puppy that Larson decides to name Peter (after Tomarken of course.) This is no longer just a goal now. Larsen has turned it into an obsession. He watches his Press Your Luck tapes over and over as he studies the board like a MadMan. He tells himself there has to be pattern to all this. He soon thinks he figures one out. He takes his VCR's remote control and starts hitting the pause button as if he was hitting the Stop Button on the show. First time he hits $5,000 and a spin ....... 2nd Time he hits $5000 and a spin again .... third time he hits $5,000 and a spin again. He can't believe that there IS a Pattern! He envisions his whole future changing from this TV show.
Now the most challenging part is to come. That is passing the Contestant tryout. If he can do that he'll be home free!
So yes..... you can definitely build a movie around this premise. But as Matt mentioned...... most of the movie would have to be about what I have written here and not just 90 minutes inside Television City.
John
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[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Apr 26 2004, 11:56 AM\'] My impression is that a quirky comedy movie COULD be made about the Larsen experience -- and every one of the Tomarkenites would absolutely hate it. That's because no screenwriter is going to look at this as some Historic Moment In Game Shows. In fact, I'd probably spend no more than fifteen minutes -- in the middle of the film -- on Press Your Luck. All the interesting stuff is before and after.
The story is about a get-rich-quick dreamer who stumbles across this one scheme that works out for him, and about how he handles actually being successful at something for once in his life. PYL is the catalyst that drives the story, but no way is an audience interested in a movie that's just about a guy who figured out the "right" way to press a button on a game show. [/quote]
That more or less WAS how the script was going to play out. There's a review of the script around somewhere, I'll have to find it. It basically was going to deal with how Larson was a get-rich-quick kind of person, and how it affected his family and life in general. And then he found PYL....... The actual game playing wasn't going to last very long.
Tyshaun