The Game Show Forum

The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: saussage on April 10, 2005, 10:04:45 PM

Title: Converting B&W game shows to Colour
Post by: saussage on April 10, 2005, 10:04:45 PM
Tough question.

I guess any series that colour was used in the middle of a run would be nice to see the whole thing in colour. Password came to mind first. Other than that, I don't know.

The Three Stooges DVD will be out soon with digitally remastered eps in colour. Will it affect its popularity? Will it attract a new audience for people who can't bear to watch old B&W eps. It's problably expensive too but if they can do it for eps of "McHale's Navy" with the blue teeth, any series could be done. Can the same theory be applied to game show libraries. Will kids now be attracted to BTC because it's crisp picture and it's in colour (in other words, appealing to the eyes of a younger audience).

Or let's bend the question a bit. What game show series needs "cleaning up". Digitally remaster them by removing noise from old B&W gameshows or even middied colour gameshows that were neglected ($20,000 Pyramid anyone?)

Saussage
I wish raw game show feeds were still available on the old C-band dish... ahhhh black screen for commercial blocks.
Title: Converting B&W game shows to Colour
Post by: mystery7 on April 10, 2005, 10:48:32 PM
It costs a lot to colorize something, and in this case the size of the audience that would be interested would be too small to justify that kind of money. Kids who weren't interested in the old shows before wouldn't be interested even after the shows were colorized. Just wouldn't be worth it. Besides, I've still got bad memories of the movies Ted Turner had colorized in the '80s.

PS: there are still game shows on C-band. Check IA 5, transponder 14 H for Family Feud at 7 & 7:30 AM eastern, and IA 6, transponder 24 H for Wheel and Jeopardy at noon and 12:30 eastern, respectively. All shows feed 2 days ahead of airdate.
Title: Converting B&W game shows to Colour
Post by: DjohnsonCB on April 11, 2005, 01:53:42 AM
As I mentioned some time earlier, I'd love for someone to colorize the entire 1966-67 season of "What's My Line?" since it was originally colorcast in the first place, trying to get the women's clothing and a few other details as convincingly accurate as possibly since all memory may have dimmed regarding what colors the fashions were originally.

I'm not one of those folks who is totally dead set against colorization; I don't mind it as long as it looks convincing enough, as it did in the "Zorro" reruns on the Disney Channel or the first-season "I Dream Of Jeannie" eps that Hallmark ran a while back.  But when HBO or Cinemax ran a colorized version of the first "Topper" film many years ago, it looked ghastly--like someone had watercolored over it.   I tried a bit of home colorization on something I'd have loved to have seen made in full color originally--click here:

http://www.wtv-zone.com/dpjohnson/smothers/index.html (http://\"http://www.wtv-zone.com/dpjohnson/smothers\")
Title: Converting B&W game shows to Colour
Post by: Craig Karlberg on April 11, 2005, 04:59:27 AM
As far as B&W game shows being colorized, there are 3 that I can think of, but they have to look realistic for me to like them better than its B&W versions.

The original Beat The Clock
The Hugh Downs Concentration shows from the 50's & 60's.
The Bill Cullen TPIR(although there may have been a color episode or two torards the end of its run)
Title: Converting B&W game shows to Colour
Post by: Ian Wallis on April 11, 2005, 09:08:37 AM
I'm not in favor of colorizing anything...however, if it was originally in color it would be neat to see.  The last seasons of "I've Got a Secret" and "What's My Line" were originally in color (too bad we'll never see it) - in fall 1966, each network made a commitment to air its entire primetime lineup in color.  If they could do it right...

On the topic of DVDs, "Bewitched" is coming out in June and is being offered both in black and white and colorized versions.  I know which one I'll be buying!!
Title: Converting B&W game shows to Colour
Post by: aaron sica on April 11, 2005, 09:28:53 AM
To me, the 1960s are the most interesting decade in TV when it comes to change. At the start of the decade, not too many shows were in color - by the end, in 1969, most (if not ALL!) programs were in color.

Hazel colorcasted early on, but from what I remember, it looked horrible.

ObGameShows: I always thought those few color eps of TTTT from near the end looked weird in color - almost as if was meant to be watched in B&W.
Title: Converting B&W game shows to Colour
Post by: Matt Ottinger on April 11, 2005, 12:49:50 PM
[quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' date=\'Apr 11 2005, 04:59 AM\']The Hugh Downs Concentration shows from the 50's & 60's.[/quote]
Even after the shows began airing in color, producer Norm Blumenthal always insisted that the puzzle board itself remain two-toned.  His attitude was that the puzzles would be too easy to solve in color.  I think some of the goombas on the Trebek version proved THAT theory to be wrong...
Title: Converting B&W game shows to Colour
Post by: DjohnsonCB on April 11, 2005, 01:01:00 PM
[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Apr 11 2005, 11:49 AM\'][quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' date=\'Apr 11 2005, 04:59 AM\']The Hugh Downs Concentration shows from the 50's & 60's.[/quote]
Even after the shows began airing in color, producer Norm Blumenthal always insisted that the puzzle board itself remain two-toned.  His attitude was that the puzzles would be too easy to solve in color.  I think some of the goombas on the Trebek version proved THAT theory to be wrong...
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The Jack Narz version was first to prove that theory to be wrong.
Title: Converting B&W game shows to Colour
Post by: Matt Ottinger on April 11, 2005, 02:55:45 PM
[quote name=\'DjohnsonCB\' date=\'Apr 11 2005, 01:01 PM\'][quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Apr 11 2005, 11:49 AM\'][quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' date=\'Apr 11 2005, 04:59 AM\']The Hugh Downs Concentration shows from the 50's & 60's.[/quote]
Even after the shows began airing in color, producer Norm Blumenthal always insisted that the puzzle board itself remain two-toned.  His attitude was that the puzzles would be too easy to solve in color.  I think some of the goombas on the Trebek version proved THAT theory to be wrong...[/quote]
The Jack Narz version was first to prove that theory to be wrong.[/quote]
I would argue that the Narz version was simply the first one to have color puzzles.  Back then, they still seemed to be selecting contestants based on their ability to solve rebus puzzles.  That no longer appeared to be a prerequisite for the pretty but empty-headed types that played Classic.
Title: Converting B&W game shows to Colour
Post by: uncamark on April 11, 2005, 03:24:31 PM
And "Bewitched" and the proposed "Three Stooges" DVD release aside, there seems to be no market for colorization.  Even Ted Turner stopped colorization because there was no noticeable increase in ratings or video sales for colorized product.  (And then he started TCM, which is probably now the most purist of all cable channels when it comes to movies--nothing colorized, anything made in wide-screen formats letterboxed, etc.)

Perhaps someone should tell Sony.
Title: Converting B&W game shows to Colour
Post by: zachhoran on April 11, 2005, 07:15:18 PM
[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Apr 11 2005, 01:55 PM\']
I would argue that the Narz version was simply the first one to have color puzzles.  Back then, they still seemed to be selecting contestants based on their ability to solve rebus puzzles.  That no longer appeared to be a prerequisite for the pretty but empty-headed types that played Classic.
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As per Al Martella's website a few years ago featuring a contestant who tried out for it, Classic Concentration did have as part of their audition process rebus test where prospective contestants had to solve a certain number of rebus puzzles correct. There was no memory test, apparently. Like some would argue about the written test for WOF these days, how much weight was placed on that written test is not known.