The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: Brig Bother on July 19, 2004, 07:46:10 PM
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I'm just watching these now. Some observations:
1) Ken Jennings is a brilliant player, no doubt about that. However from what people say on here, I was expecting the questions to be a little more difficult. Actually, I'm currently finding the questions down the bottom which are worth more are fairly easy whilst the lower value questions are stumping me a bit more. These are the non-US centric categories, at any rate.
2) Way too much clapping on Wheel of Fortune. I've always said that the Brit version would have been improved with a live audience but even so.
3) And what's with buying all the vowels? This just didn't happen on the UK show. It's most frustrating when it's patently obvious what the puzzle is when there are just three or four blanks left and they go ahead and waste their cash anyway.
Anyway, interesting stuff.
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[quote name=\'Brig Bother\' date=\'Jul 19 2004, 06:46 PM\'] I'm just watching these now. Some observations:
1) Ken Jennings is a brilliant player, no doubt about that. However from what people say on here, I was expecting the questions to be a little more difficult. Actually, I'm currently finding the questions down the bottom which are worth more are fairly easy whilst the lower value questions are stumping me a bit more. These are the non-US centric categories, at any rate.
2) Way too much clapping on Wheel of Fortune. I've always said that the Brit version would have been improved with a live audience but even so.
3) And what's with buying all the vowels? This just didn't happen on the UK show. It's most frustrating when it's patently obvious what the puzzle is when there are just three or four blanks left and they go ahead and waste their cash anyway.
Anyway, interesting stuff. [/quote]
1) I can't agree/disagree with you on this point -- I rarely get the chance to watch much J!.
2) I agree with your clapping point. At least on J!, you can see each of the player's personalities and traits throughout the gameplay. Whereas on Wheel, it seems that the contestant coordinators try too hard to turn them into homogenized robots with the constant hand claps, "Big Money" chants and cheerleader-ish letter calling.
3) Maybe it's the lights, the 200+ people in the audience watching your every quiver, those contestant coordinators, or something else that makes too many people buy too many vowels, but some of those partially revealed puzzles are just too obvious, yet they buy 'em anyways. (Maybe because buying 'obvious' vowels keeps them on the camera longer).
I do have to say that as far as finally seeing the BBC version of "Weakest Link", Anne's UK hosting and contestants seems to me to flow better than those on the US version seen on GSN.
However, George Gray's syndie version is still my fave!
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Buying obvious vowels near the end of a round does something far more important than give one extra camera time--it gives one extra time to figure out what in heaven's name that last consonant could be. And buying obvious vowels early on should be Rule #1 for any Wheel player. The E is not bought because they're not sure what TH_ is, it's bought because it's easier to figure out what the word _HEE_E is after the E is placed.
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Thoughts from a half Brit half American:
1) I dunno... the whole "it's only easy if you know the answer" thing comes to mind here - some days I can clear the board, some days I struggle to get more than 4 or 5 answers.
2) That's about *any* American game show, which I've always guessed to be a byproduct of using "professional audiences." Even if you watch eps of Super Millionaire, you can see what seems to me a more fake audience than the original ABC run. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it seems different in a bad way. Even British canned crowds sound more "honest".
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[quote name=\'tommycharles\' date=\'Jul 20 2004, 12:28 AM\'] I can't quite put my finger on it, but it seems different in a bad way. Even British canned crowds sound more "honest". [/quote]
So you mean the whole audience is like Anne Robinson?
Brandon Brooks
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On reflection:
1) I think I was expecting J! to much more academic in nature than it actually is. This isn't a complaint, incidentally, just an observation.
2) I'm not entirely convinced this is endemic in most American gameshows. I've seen loads, but Wheel has more claps and 'alriiiiiights!' per minute than any other show ever. I think my favourite version regards to this sort of thing is probably the Australian version, which is nicely loose and relaxed.
3) This is probably culture shock more than anything else, as nobody ever bought vowels over here ever, mainly because with clever picking of consonants it's fairly easy top work out what words are in the wider context of the puzzle.
What really bugs me is when it's quite clear they know what the answer to the puzzle is because they're picking their consonants very deliberately, and for no particular reason they go and buy a vowel or two. Or in yesterday's show the guy bought an O for DIRECTIONAL COMPASS when it was just the O and one letter in COMPASS left as his last move before solving (why not spin once more and get the final points for that, eh?). It's just baffling and frustrating, really.
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Well Wheel of Fortune has alot of clapping because some of the time, they are in huge theatres, because they travel alot around the country. You can't really can't except a huge audience in a these huge theatres to be quiet 75% of the time.
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[quote name=\'Brig Bother\' date=\'Jul 20 2004, 06:00 AM\'] 3) This is probably culture shock more than anything else, as nobody ever bought vowels over here ever, mainly because with clever picking of consonants it's fairly easy top work out what words are in the wider context of the puzzle.
[/quote]
Oh, yeah, baby. You nailed it. Especially the part about "clever picking of contestants". Do you they scream their letters and puzzle solutions over there? Bet your version doesn't have 1.5 million colors of light, though.
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[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Jul 20 2004, 12:36 PM\'] [quote name=\'Brig Bother\' date=\'Jul 20 2004, 06:00 AM\'] 3) This is probably culture shock more than anything else, as nobody ever bought vowels over here ever, mainly because with clever picking of consonants it's fairly easy top work out what words are in the wider context of the puzzle.
[/quote]
Oh, yeah, baby. You nailed it. Especially the part about "clever picking of contestants". Do you they scream their letters and puzzle solutions over there? Bet your version doesn't have 1.5 million colors of light, though. [/quote]
Ironically, you've confused "consonants" with "contestants".
We don't actually have a version over here at the moment.
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[quote name=\'Brig Bother\' date=\'Jul 20 2004, 07:41 AM\'] [quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Jul 20 2004, 12:36 PM\'] [quote name=\'Brig Bother\' date=\'Jul 20 2004, 06:00 AM\'] 3) This is probably culture shock more than anything else, as nobody ever bought vowels over here ever, mainly because with clever picking of consonants it's fairly easy top work out what words are in the wider context of the puzzle.
[/quote]
Oh, yeah, baby. You nailed it. Especially the part about "clever picking of contestants". Do you they scream their letters and puzzle solutions over there? Bet your version doesn't have 1.5 million colors of light, though. [/quote]
Ironically, you've confused "consonants" with "contestants". [/quote]
Ah, so I did! To the Rolf Room I go. See you tomorrow.
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Brig -
As a wheel of fortune contestant you are given many "strategical" tips before appearing on the show.
I do notice since my appearance that there are many more high fives and everyone generally is very 'chummy'... but trust me, you get lessons on the clapping.
Ryan :)
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For the UK Game Show Page's review of Jeopardy:
www.ukgameshows.com/atoz/programmes/j/jeopardy/index.htm
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[quote name=\'rmfromfla\' date=\'Jul 20 2004, 01:45 PM\'] For the UK Game Show Page's review of Jeopardy:
www.ukgameshows.com/atoz/programmes/j/jeopardy/index.htm [/quote]
Embarrasingly, I wrote that when I was younger and stupider.
I am enjoying the US version though, possibly it's the novelty, I don't know. In the same way that I dislike our Wheel of Fortune but am quite receptive to other versions.
Besides, you messed up The Krypton Factor and Fort Boyard :)
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[quote name=\'Brig Bother\' date=\'Jul 20 2004, 06:00 AM\'] 2) I'm not entirely convinced this is endemic in most American gameshows. I've seen loads, but Wheel has more claps and 'alriiiiiights!' per minute than any other show ever. I think my favourite version regards to this sort of thing is probably the Australian version, which is nicely loose and relaxed. [/quote]
I can think of two good examples right of the bat in Hollywood Squares and The Price is Right. We like to clap and holler.
Brandon Brooks
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2) I'm not entirely convinced this is endemic in most American gameshows. I've seen loads, but Wheel has more claps and 'alriiiiiights!' per minute than any other show ever. I think my favourite version regards to this sort of thing is probably the Australian version, which is nicely loose and relaxed.
Incidentally, I am curious as to your thoughts to the Australian version as a whole. From what I have seen and heard about it, I don't like it. To me, the rules are too confusing. Here's a few things I found at a webpage about the show:
For the bonus round here is how the number of letters the contestant gets is determined:
The first two consonants and one vowel are given free. For every $2000 scored, another consonant is allowed. For contestants who win more than one show, the number of letters is calculated from the scores from ALL shows on which they appear, until they win a major prize. Then calculating starts from scratch again there.
That to me is too confusing. Why can't they just have something set in stone like Wheel here does?
Another thing I don't like is that unlike here, each dollar amount is a flat amount. By that I mean if you spin $500, call a T and get 4, instead of getting $2000, you would only get $500. Also, each round isn't self contained. By that I mean, you do keep whatever earned in previous rounds, but your scores carryover to other rounds, and whatever is spun there, gets added to your total. Not to mention you play for points, which you use to get prizes.
And the way they determine a tie at least according to the page I am looking at, is by a spin off, who ever gets the highest spin wins. Though they have a toss up round, and a computerized board now, so that might have changed.
Another thing I don't like, is that for most of their bonus prizes put on the wheel(sans the surprise space), all you have to do to win them, is land on them, and get a letter in the puzzle. So overall, I don't like Aussie Wheel, rules are too confusing, and the scoring rules are terrible.
Here's a link to that page I referenced BTW:
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~cedar95/moreinformation.htm (http://\"http://members.ozemail.com.au/~cedar95/moreinformation.htm\")
You can also find video from the show in the multimedia section there.
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[quote name=\'Brandon Brooks\' date=\'Jul 20 2004, 04:53 PM\']
I can think of two good examples right of the bat in Hollywood Squares and The Price is Right. We like to clap and holler.
[/quote]
Never seen Hollywood Squares properly.
It doesn't bother me on TPIR, possibly because it's kind of expected and our version was the same. It's celebration in gameshow form really.
I have no problem with clapping and hollering, but I can't see why the Wheel is that exciting.
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[quote name=\'adamjk\' date=\'Jul 20 2004, 12:56 PM\'] So overall, I don't like Aussie Wheel, rules are too confusing, and the scoring rules are terrible. [/quote]
You say the rules are confusing, but then you sound as though you understand them. Exactly what do you find confusing about the rules?
It sounds as though you don't like the rules simply because they're different from the rules for the US version.
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Re: Aussie Wheel
For all of its faults, I like its feel as a show.
The idiosynchrocies are annoying, and the wheel seems to spin forever, but it plays an OK game and the hosts have a chemistry. And I like the bonus wheel at the end (which predates the US one, does it not?)
I haven't seen the modern relaunched version yet.
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You say the rules are confusing, but then you sound as though you understand them. Exactly what do you find confusing about the rules?
Well, okay the rules aren't that confusing, except for the bonus round, and how many letters the contestant gets is.
The idiosynchrocies are annoying, and the wheel seems to spin forever, but it plays an OK game and the hosts have a chemistry. And I like the bonus wheel at the end (which predates the US one, does it not?)
It does, except for the fact that the prizes are not covered like here. Speaking of that wheel, is there amounts of cash on it?
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[quote name=\'dzinkin\' date=\'Jul 20 2004, 05:04 PM\']
It sounds as though you don't like the rules simply because they're different from the rules for the US version. [/quote]
In fairness, I felt a bit short changed when I realised they were only scoring once per call out rather than once per appearence. You get used to it though.
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[quote name=\'adamjk\' date=\'Jul 20 2004, 01:09 PM\'] Well, okay the rules aren't that confusing, except for the bonus round, and how many letters the contestant gets is. [/quote]
The rules aren't that hard to follow -- the longer you've been on without winning a major prize, the more help you get to win that prize. Dream House did it by taking away numbers from the choices to open the golden doors, while Hollywood Squares took away more "losing" keys for each win. Here, Wheel gives help in the form of extra letters.
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For the record, H2 didn't take away keys for contestants this season who got to the bonus game more then once. Ok, maybe it isn't that confusing, but I just don't really care for the rule. It's probably because, I am used to the rstlne free and then 4 consonants and a vowel rule. So I suppose for the most part you are right, I don't like the rules because I am not used to them.
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[quote name=\'adamjk\' date=\'Jul 20 2004, 01:18 PM\'] For the record, H2 didn't take away keys for contestants this season who got to the bonus game more then once. [/quote]
Hence my use of the past tense "took away" rather than "takes away."
Ok, maybe it isn't that confusing, but I just don't really care for the rule. It's probably because, I am used to the rstlne free and then 4 consonants and a vowel rule.
Sheesh, it HAS been a while since I watched regularly. :-) When did Wheel start allowing contestants to pick four consonants?
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Whoops, my fault. Meant to say 3 consonants.
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[quote name=\'Brig Bother\' date=\'Jul 20 2004, 12:01 PM\'] I have no problem with clapping and hollering, but I can't see why the Wheel is that exciting. [/quote]
I take it you haven't seen Richard Karn on "Family Feud." I'm STILL trying to figure out what's so exciting about doubling the points...not dollars, POINTS. :-)
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[quote name=\'Brig Bother\' date=\'Jul 20 2004, 06:00 AM\'] On reflection:
1) I think I was expecting J! to much more academic in nature than it actually is. This isn't a complaint, incidentally, just an observation. [/quote]
In recent years, the show's made a conscious effort to be less academic in nature than it had been in the past, in an attempt to gain younger viewers (among other reasons). Ten years ago, you would never see movie categories in Double Jeopardy! unless it was Foreign Films, music categories unless it was Classical Composers (or maybe Jazz) and TV categories not at all. Now, they do mix in pop culture in what had been in the past a predominately academic round.
FYI, "J!" categories generally fall into four main areas: Academic, pop culture, people (which could be anyone famous or infamous, but tend to obviously lean pop culture) and word play (Anagrams, Crossword Clues, In Other Words..., etc.). There have been a lot more word play categories added in recent years, including taking from "Wheel" the Before and After (BEYOND OUR KEN JENNINGS) and Rhyme Time categories (which I don't know if the British version ever had, along with Same Name [SIR TREVOR & NORM MACDONALD])--and word play categories are more often seen in DJ!, usually as the category on the far right.
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[quote name=\'Brig Bother\' date=\'Jul 20 2004, 12:01 PM\'][It doesn't bother me on TPIR, possibly because it's kind of expected and our version was the same. It's celebration in gameshow form really. [/quote]
Hi Brig...greetings from the US! I wonder if you'd mind giving the folks on this side of the pond a list of the UK games that are currently in production or airing new episodes and roughly how long their current run has lasted?
I've always been curious as to what is in first run over there. The Fremantle site lists Bruce's TPIR for example but from the way your statement is worded, it sounds like it isn't currently running.
To help narrow it down, I'm interested in 'classic' in-studio game shows and not reality shows (unless you'd care to list both :) ).
If you wouldn't mind doing that, I'd be very interested in seeing it. If you don't want to take the time, that's cool too...just thought I'd ask.
Thanks in advance!!!
ITSBRY (Bryan)
itsbry@juno.com
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[quote name=\'dzinkin\' date=\'Jul 20 2004, 12:04 PM\']You say the rules are confusing, but then you sound as though you understand them. Exactly what do you find confusing about the rules?
It sounds as though you don't like the rules simply because they're different from the rules for the US version.[/quote]
I think complicated might be a better word.
I can see Adam's point. While I understand the rules by reading them, it does seem unnecessarily complicated to me. Isn't one of the 'golden' gameshow format rules "keep it simple"?
ITSBRY
itsbry@juno.com
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Yeah, it amazes me that the show has lasted as long as it has over there. I mean it has had 5 different hosts. The strangest version though, was the shortest one with Tony Barber. In that one, your totals after each round were not saved, meaning if you had like over $10,000 let's say going into round 4, and hit a bankrupt, you would lose everything you had earned in the entire game. Also, that version was the only one to have lyrics in the theme.
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[quote name=\'ITSBRY\' date=\'Jul 20 2004, 06:56 PM\']
To help narrow it down, I'm interested in 'classic' in-studio game shows and not reality shows (unless you'd care to list both :) ).
[/quote]
Erm, traditional gameshow wise, not much at the moment really.
The Vault,
Weakest Link,
Countdown,
Beat the Nation,
Headjam,
In It To Win It
(You can find reviews of The Vault, Beat the Nation, In It To Win It and Headjam in the reviews bit of my new page, link in my sig)
Are the only ones off the top of my head. Reality wise, this Big Brother is looking like it's going to be the most popular yet, three weeks from the end.
Simply The Best, a new version of Intervilles, started at the weekend and a review is going up this evening.
Otherwise it's a bit quiet. Bruce Forsyth was recently involved in Strictly Come Dancing, a celebrity ballroom dancing competition, but Play Your Cards Right and Price Is Right are currently not in production.
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Oh yes, and a new series of Celebrities Under Pressure (a reversion of The Moment of Truth, which I gather was called The Big Moment over your side of the pond) started on Saturday as well.
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[quote name=\'Brig Bother\' date=\'Jul 20 2004, 02:30 PM\']Oh yes, and a new series of Celebrities Under Pressure (a reversion of The Moment of Truth, which I gather was called The Big Moment over your side of the pond) started on Saturday as well.[/quote]
Well, "*Your* Big Moment," but whatever it was, it didn't last long. If we'd found our own Cilla instead of Brad Sherwood... :)
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[quote name=\'Brig Bother\' date=\'Jul 20 2004, 12:01 PM\'] [quote name=\'Brandon Brooks\' date=\'Jul 20 2004, 04:53 PM\']
I can think of two good examples right of the bat in Hollywood Squares and The Price is Right. We like to clap and holler.
[/quote]
Never seen Hollywood Squares properly.
It doesn't bother me on TPIR, possibly because it's kind of expected and our version was the same. It's celebration in gameshow form really.
I have no problem with clapping and hollering, but I can't see why the Wheel is that exciting. [/quote]
I can tell you why. Lots of money. More then Aussie offers. I mean there are some really big spaces on our Wheel. You got $2500, $3500, and $5000 spaces, not all together of course. Also, in round 1, there is a $10,000 space, wedged in between two small bankrupts. They are all on the same space mind you. Not to mention a possible $100,000 win in the bonus round.
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[quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Jul 20 2004, 01:22 PM\'] I take it you haven't seen Richard Karn on "Family Feud." I'm STILL trying to figure out what's so exciting about doubling the points...not dollars, POINTS. :-) [/quote]
And when they triple those points... all hell breaks loose on the set.
Brandon Brooks
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[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Jul 20 2004, 01:49 PM\'] In recent years, the show's made a conscious effort to be less academic in nature than it had been in the past, in an attempt to gain younger viewers (among other reasons). Ten years ago, you would never see movie categories in Double Jeopardy! unless it was Foreign Films, music categories unless it was Classical Composers (or maybe Jazz) and TV categories not at all. [/quote]
And like Wheel, J! has also started doing little plugs, with their categories. I know a couple of cable channels have received their own category (CNN, Nick, The History Channel), but there's also been a couple of actual businesses such as The New York Times and Ford Motors (celebrating Ford's Centennial). In all cases, the company's logo appears in the respective screen.
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Bumping this because I just saw an entire episode of UK Wheel on a website...and here are my thoughts...
-Jenny Powell is HOT. And she actually gets to talk! (NOTE: Vanna has had more to say in the last few years, but nothing like Jenny)
- The set (2000 or so) is nice, the wheel is colorful, and I like the puzzle on it's turntable. The board setup is very similar to how it's done now (you know-with the borders) I did notice tho, it's very barren.
- A male model? Only in Britain! (And Australia)
-Things are definately done on the cheap side there- the top prize (2000 Pounds, about $3200 +/- american) and the shopping part had CD's, makeup/perfume kits, and microwaves. Are we one of the only countries that play for cash and big prizes?
-The opening was funny-cause it was the US 1998-1999 opening !(with the over head shot of the logo and the doors opening to the set).
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Where did you find it?
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[quote name=\'urbanpreppie05\' date=\'Jul 27 2004, 05:27 PM\'] Bumping this because I just saw an entire episode of UK Wheel on a website... [/quote]
If you don't mind me asking, what's the URL of this episode's location? I wanna see how fast this DSL downloads. :-)
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Oh right, that was a daily show you've seen there.
Up until a few years ago there was a weekly episode with slightly better puzzle solving prizes and a top prize of £20,000 for the end game.
Things you might have noticed:
-No live audience, no atmosphere.
-You get to keep whatever points you spin whether you solve the puzzle or not. This wasn't always the case.
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[quote name=\'urbanpreppie05\' date=\'Jul 27 2004, 02:27 PM\'] A male model? Only in Britain! (And Australia) [/quote]
...and on $ale of the Century...
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[quote name=\'gameshowsteve\' date=\'Jul 27 2004, 06:29 PM\'] [quote name=\'urbanpreppie05\' date=\'Jul 27 2004, 02:27 PM\'] A male model? Only in Britain! (And Australia) [/quote]
...and on $ale of the Century... [/quote]
Dan Dougherty modeled some of the prizes on Caesar's Challenge too.
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Brig Bother:
You say you're in the UK...How are you getting these shows, off a dish? I'm in Germany, and I'd love to be able to see J! again...it's been 2 years since I've seen it (that was when I moved from the US).
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There are now two ways us Brit folk can now see WOF and J!
1) The standard tape trade route, it might be a week or two delay but when you get the episodes its worth it.
2) There is now a live streaming feed via the internet for those high speed/broadband users.
mms://199.218.4.68/10tvlive
Its being streamed at 152K and its from the east coast so it would be 1am-2am for J! & WOF to be shown in your area, its a bonus for US folk if they miss either show if their market is aired earlier in the morning.
From Brig Bother
Re: Aussie Wheel
I haven't seen the modern relaunched version yet.
I have and its gone all Americanised with the introduction of the eletronic board and using the same game format even including those Toss-Up rounds but the audience, credits and logo are the same while Sophie Faulkner remains as co-host but there is a new host called Steve Omecke who is completely crap, however saying that I've only seen his early shows in the first couple of weeks after the relaunch.
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[quote name=\'TravisP\' date=\'Aug 5 2004, 04:43 PM\']
From Brig Bother
Re: Aussie Wheel
I haven't seen the modern relaunched version yet.
I have and its gone all Americanised with the introduction of the eletronic board and using the same game format even including those Toss-Up rounds but the audience, credits and logo are the same while Sophie Faulkner remains as co-host but there is a new host called Steve Omecke who is completely crap, however saying that I've only seen his early shows in the first couple of weeks after the relaunch. [/quote]
Does this mean, that the following things have changed:
the contestants are only given credit for the dollar amount spun no matter how many of one letter they have in the puzzle
the extremely complicated bonus puzzle format
scores carrying over from round to round
points being played for instead of cash, and those points are used to go shopping
among other oddities that Aussie Wheel had compared to ours. If they have changed these, then all I can say is: "It's about time!"