The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: chad1m on February 01, 2009, 03:29:55 AM
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I recently had a discussion with someone who was present at the taping of the Million Dollar Password episode with Aisha Tyler and William Shatner. That episode is known for Aisha's superb gameplay and Shatner's horrid gameplay. We discussed how poorly he had played here at the forum... but this person let me in on something else from that tape day. This is verbatim from our conversation:
The only weird thing I can really think of to mention about that day, is that there was a woman, who was a champion on Super Password in the late 80's... who got to play w/Shatner and the other celeb... Aisha Tyler. It was such a slaughterhouse -- she somehow made it to the end game with Shatner by some miracle, but he played so badly, that she could not even win at the $10,000 level. And they let her try twice. It was just pitiful. After the second attempt, all of a sudden they cleared the end game set up and started setting up for the next game, and she just... disappeared. No "oh wells," no goodbyes.
So, yeah. Even with the two tries at $10,000 rule, Shatner could not get five out of ten with his contestant in the end game. I couldn't imagine failing spectacularly with Shatner, TWICE, and then not having any TV time to show for it! I know this is kind of a random post, but I just thought this would be a nice tidbit to add in addition to what actually made the cut.
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"Congratulations for being so good at our game, you were able to overcome your complete idiot of a celebrity partner! Now, here's that same idiot again to harm you when it really counts."
BTW, Chad, just remembered I meant to e-mail you something. Sorry about the hold-up - it'll be on the way in the next couple of days.
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Yet another reason why the "highest scoring celebrity" rule is extremely flawed. I'm more surprised she was able to make it to the bonus game w/Shatner, unless she won by default.
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That really is a shame that a former "Super Password" champion bombed out like that in the money round on "Million Dollar Password", thanks largely in part to getting William Shatner as her partner.
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[quote name=\'bandit_bobby\' post=\'207355\' date=\'Feb 1 2009, 05:14 PM\']
That really is a shame that a former "Super Password" champion bombed out like that in the money round on "Million Dollar Password", thanks largely in part solely to getting William Shatner as her partner.
[/quote]
I'd feel more inclined to say that.
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[quote name=\'PYLdude\' post=\'207357\' date=\'Feb 1 2009, 02:58 PM\']
I'd feel more inclined to say that.[/quote]
It is the poor handyman who blames his tools.
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[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'207373\' date=\'Feb 1 2009, 11:33 PM\']
[quote name=\'PYLdude\' post=\'207357\' date=\'Feb 1 2009, 02:58 PM\']
I'd feel more inclined to say that.[/quote]
It is the poor handyman who blames his tools.
[/quote]
So if it wasn't Shatner, then what was it?
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So even with the Mulligan rule, Shatner messed it up. Assuming he was receiving the clues and the $10K round is supposed to be the easiest, if this isn't a reason to test celebs BEFORE booking them on MDP, I don't know what is.
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This scenario didn't just happen with Shatner. They played the 2 strikes and out rule with Sara Evans in season one.
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Maybe they should book only Charles Siebert and Mary Cadorette. If you feel you have a bad partner, you should be skilled enough to modify your clues. Aristophones was a great clue....if you've got the right partner.
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[quote name=\'tvwxman\' post=\'207411\' date=\'Feb 2 2009, 12:27 PM\']This scenario didn't just happen with Shatner. They played the 2 strikes and out rule with Sara Evans in season one.[/quote]Did they eventually make it past $10,000 though?
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[quote name=\'tvwxman\' post=\'207411\' date=\'Feb 2 2009, 12:27 PM\']
This scenario didn't just happen with Shatner. They played the 2 strikes and out rule with Sara Evans in season one.
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At least Shatner is well-known and funny. (Not that that helps the contestant much, but did benefit the home viewer.)
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Sara's partner did clear the $10,000 level during a Season 1 episode, but not the $25,000 level.
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So now that this new dirt about Shatner has come out, it begs the question...who the hell helped him write all those TekWar and Star Trek books? I just can't conceive of a published author sucking at "Password".
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[quote name=\'Robair\' post=\'207485\' date=\'Feb 3 2009, 11:04 AM\']
So now that this new dirt about Shatner has come out, it begs the question...who the hell helped him write all those TekWar and Star Trek books? I just can't conceive of a published author sucking at "Password".
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Ron Goulart was the ghostwriter of the TekWar novels.
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[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'207486\' date=\'Feb 3 2009, 11:16 AM\']Ron Goulart was the ghostwriter of the TekWar novels.[/quote]
And what a smart, smart man.
TekWar by Ron Goulart: Who cares?
William Shatner's TekWar: Massive, monster hit.
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[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'207488\' date=\'Feb 3 2009, 11:43 AM\']
[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'207486\' date=\'Feb 3 2009, 11:16 AM\']Ron Goulart was the ghostwriter of the TekWar novels.[/quote]
And what a smart, smart man.
TekWar by Ron Goulart: Who cares?
William Shatner's TekWar: Massive, monster hit.
[/quote]
Well, I guess it's true...the kids have to learn about TekWar sooner or later.
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The Shat Trek books were "co-written" by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens.
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[quote name=\'Robair\' post=\'207485\' date=\'Feb 3 2009, 12:04 PM\']
So now that this new dirt about Shatner has come out, it begs the question...who the hell helped him write all those TekWar and Star Trek books? I just can't conceive of a published author sucking at "Password".
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Probably part of the contract that the ghost writer was kept anonymous.
I know when I was working on Tor books that we had to completely pitch out the first manuscript for a book "written" by Jonathan Frakes because he didn't like it.
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I realize that I'm diverting the discussion away from TekWar, but I'd like to put in that I think it's really lame when a game show unilaterally decides that a contestant's appearance may as well have never existed for whatever reason they choose.
Yes, I know. It's in the contracts and all of that. I also know that the example in question ended with no money being won. But part of the reason that game shows are interesting and exciting is because you don't know if someone is going to win or lose. (In the case of MDP, though, you do know when someone's last money round; by fail or bail, is coming.) Millionaire would be much less interesting if everyone got to $1,000.
That's to say nothing of the contestant who tells all of her friends and family that she's going to tape an episode of Password, and has to come home and explain that her game was so utterly awful that it was chucked, and they replaced it with something else.