Sounds like this Jay Flats guy will be hosting that night. I was hoping for Mark. Who is this guy anyway? Never heard of him before.

Last night I learned there were two hosts of The Game Plane, the first being Mark L. (If I had a nickel...)

It makes sense that they put in the 2nd string in and around holidays, but as someone who drew JD Roberto for TPIR Live on both sides of the country, I'm now convinced I'm cursed for host luck.

I'm going Tuesday night in Red Bank, but according to the rules, I cannot be a contestant again until next year, as it has not been one full calendar year since I won last year.

Sounds like this Jay Flats guy will be hosting that night. I was hoping for Mark. Who is this guy anyway? Never heard of him before.

One year on from this thread America's Game wheeled back into the Delaware Valley and the historic Keswick Theatre in Glenside, PA. Jay Flats was host along with announcer Cody Dove. Notable changes and/or omissions from splinky's report include:

• The bloopers & sizzle reel were updated to include Seacrest-era clips, including ones from the current season
• The graphics are styled off of Pat's last set
• Toss-Up heats are now first to 3, and earn their pre-selected audience member the same parting gift the losers got(coasters in Q1, the Wheel umbrella in Q2 & Q3
• The Cash Explosion end game Wedge Game to be Vanna was first to 4
• TDV was 1500 for R1, 2500 & Express for R2 & R3, 5K w/ Mystery for all of Act 3 (R4-R6 in this case). Wedges were added like it was house ruling that one version of the home game everyone liked.
• The Mystery Wedge was for 5000 points that could be immediately spent
• At least one of the gift tags (a spa gift card) was instant-win, no solve necessary. I assume all full-size prize wedges required at least a solve. (The Surprise wedge did)
• The Audience Wedge got a random audience member $100 (which sounded like they had to sign paperwork for)
• A random audience member also wins the bonus prize if the bonus round is won
• Losing main game contestants got $200

Philly being Philly, there was a lot of rowdiness, which resulted in one qualifying toss-up getting thrown out. There was also a stop because a player was incorrectly told their letter was already called. The night's winner went wire to wire and nearly held onto the $10k but lost it to a Bankrupt in Round 5 (with Round 6 starting in Speed Up). However, she called the right letters to win a $1200 backyard package for herself and a lucky audience member.

My parents came with and they had a good time. Once the game proper got underway, this would've been almost like the location tapings I went to 20 years ago if it weren't for the misbehaving audience. I don't know Cody Dove's history but he certainly seemed more attuned to the locale than you'd expect from a guy originally from New Mexico. He probably had the line of the night in warm-up when he joked that they were going to add a token to the wheel where if you won it you would become the Eagles' new Offensive Coordinator. Despite my biases as a game show nerd who designed his own Wheel software in two different engines, and despite getting annoyed by the audience, I'd still recommend it. I had very good seats (center section, 8 rows behind pit) for about $67/head and at least at the Keswick, the cheaper seats (sub-$50) would've been fine. All that being said, I don't think I would spring to see TPIR Live there (which is happening in May)

Recently, the Los Angeles Times published an article specifically about the many game shows that have recently moved production outside the United States. If you have a subscription to the Times, you can read the article here, although it's behind a paywall for non-subscribers.

However, today only (Sunday), you can go to the main page of the paper's website, click on "Read today's eNewspaper" near the beginning of the page, and find the article in the lower right corner of the first page of the digital paper, where you can click on it and read the entire text. (At least, it worked for me without having a subscription.)

The article references the Wordle pilot that was recently shot in England and identifies some, but not all, of the other game shows that have recently taken place outside the United States.

In addition to pointing out that overseas production has increased because it reduces costs, the article quotes Kim Kleid, executive vice president of current programming for Fremantle North America, noting that post-pandemic working conditions contributed to the move away from Los Angeles studios:

"Everyone was in different locations, even in the studio because you couldn't be together," Kleid said. "It created a certain realization that not only can we do a show with a different set of circumstances, but we could do more with less."

The article ends with the following:

"We pray on a daily basis that California will include game shows in their tax incentive programs," Kleid said. "California is where Hollywood is and that's what a lot of us came here for. But California has to make it advantageous for us."

[...]

"The Price Is Right" and "Let's Make a Deal" are not just shows but local tourist attractions. Kleid does not want that to change, but she can't make guarantees.

"They are iconic Southern California fixtures," Kleid said. "We really hope to continue producing them here, but we're in a time we have to be open to anything."

I would have misremembered the spelling. I believe Eye Guess gave out his home study course to contestants that flubbed some number of questions consecutively.

Thanks, you guys!