The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: BMaurice06 on March 16, 2007, 03:28:36 AM
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Recently I downloaded a full episode of the Australian version of $ale of the Century during the latter days of the Tony Barber/Alyce Platt era and compared them to our version. These are my results laced with some of my commentary:
1. In the 1983 U.S. episode I recently viewed on Page 'O Clips, the Shopping format played exactly like the Aussie version's original rules: only one Money Card ($25) in the Fame Game, no cash jackpot, and three final questions ending the game.
2. Jim Perry started out in a similar manner as Tony Barber when it came to reading the Fame Game questions, but as time went on Jim (either on his own terms or under the producers' suggestions) stopped beginning the questions with "who am I" or "what's my name" etc. IMO he really should have kept that aspect alive on US $ale because it is so synonymous with "is that your final answer" as a game show catch phrase.
3. On the Aussie version, when they switched to the Winner's Board they still offered the more luxurious prizes and continued using the daily cash jackpot (despite the fact that the then-new Cash Cards game also featured a small daily jackpot as well). Here I tend to prefer this system because although us Yanks originated the Winner's Board, the 20-space version seemed quite cheapened compared to the higher-staked one used Down Under.
4. Getting into the subject of audience applause, I noticed that on U.S. $ale the audiences in later years clapped every time a contestant answered a regular question correctly. In Australia, the audiences there didn't applaud until after the last question before a Gift Shop or Fame Game segment. To me the timing of the applause seems less annoying on the Aussie version; what was it with NBC and canned applause tracks?
5. I wish Summer Bartholomew or Lee Menning would have joined Jim in interviewing the contestants like they did on the Aussie version because it at least gave the female co-host equal prominecy (as much as I liked Jim Perry's hosting, he sometimes has a habit for being a ham).
To sum it up, although the American version is enjoyable, I feel it only slightly pales in comparison to the long-running Australian institution which had better pacing and higher stakes. I will say, though, that the '85 syndicated edition in its shopping phase came darn near close.
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[quote name=\'BMaurice06\' post=\'148363\' date=\'Mar 16 2007, 03:28 AM\']
4. Getting into the subject of audience applause, I noticed that on U.S. $ale the audiences in later years clapped every time a contestant answered a regular question correctly. In Australia, the audiences there didn't applaud until after the last question before a Gift Shop or Fame Game segment. To me the timing of the applause seems less annoying on the Aussie version; what was it with NBC and canned applause tracks?
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IIRC, the on the eipsodes I have on tape, Australian $OTC did not have a studio audience per-se. But you're right about NBC overdosing on the sugar in the 'audience sweetening' department.
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[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'148380\' date=\'Mar 16 2007, 06:39 AM\']
But you're right about NBC overdosing on the sugar in the 'audience sweetening' department.
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Particularly since, at the very start of the series, I remember them NOT doing that for every single question, and I found it refreshing.
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[quote name=\'BMaurice06\' post=\'148363\' date=\'Mar 16 2007, 03:28 AM\']
2. Jim Perry started out in a similar manner as Tony Barber when it came to reading the Fame Game questions, but as time went on Jim (either on his own terms or under the producers' suggestions) stopped beginning the questions with "who am I" or "what's my name" etc. IMO he really should have kept that aspect alive on US $ale because it is so synonymous with "is that your final answer" as a game show catch phrase.
3. On the Aussie version, when they switched to the Winner's Board they still offered the more luxurious prizes and continued using the daily cash jackpot (despite the fact that the then-new Cash Cards game also featured a small daily jackpot as well). Here I tend to prefer this system because although us Yanks originated the Winner's Board, the 20-space version seemed quite cheapened compared to the higher-staked one used Down Under.[/quote]
Reply to #2 - I superbly & definetly agree with you. Famous Person, Place etc. sounded kind of lame. Not only that, but I also like the last clue in the Aussie Fame Game questions in which the host says "My first name is (insert first name), and my last name begins with (insert letter), who am I?" Why can't we have that as the last clue instead of just I am (insert first name only, if possible)?
Reply to #3 - Not only that, the Aussie board also had fewer spaces (12 to be exact). I had dreams of a kids version of the soon-to-be new U.S. version of Temptation, and I was thinking that the board in that version (if possible) would have 16 spaces (otherwise I/we could go the normal way with the Aussie Temptation format), for looking back, matching 10 prizes & staying up to 11 days seemed too long for me.
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Is it just me or did NBC tend to sweeten every game show in the 1980's?
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[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'148380\' date=\'Mar 16 2007, 08:39 AM\']
[quote name=\'BMaurice06\' post=\'148363\' date=\'Mar 16 2007, 03:28 AM\']
4. Getting into the subject of audience applause, I noticed that on U.S. $ale the audiences in later years clapped every time a contestant answered a regular question correctly. In Australia, the audiences there didn't applaud until after the last question before a Gift Shop or Fame Game segment. To me the timing of the applause seems less annoying on the Aussie version; what was it with NBC and canned applause tracks?
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IIRC, the on the eipsodes I have on tape, Australian $OTC did not have a studio audience per-se. But you're right about NBC overdosing on the sugar in the 'audience sweetening' department.
[/quote]
We did have an audience in the Australian version.
Some of the applause on the Australian version was pre-recorded. On other occasions, you can clearly hear the real applause of the audience.
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[quote name=\'Joe Mello\' post=\'148410\' date=\'Mar 16 2007, 04:48 PM\']
Is it just me or did NBC tend to sweeten every game show in the 1980's?
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Pretty much.