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Author Topic: Scrabble's "1-900" Game?  (Read 11388 times)

jimlangefan

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Re: Scrabble's "1-900" Game?
« Reply #15 on: July 08, 2014, 12:39:39 AM »
I'm not proud of this, but I can remember in the summer of 1992, the Fox station, WVAH, ran this infomercial every single day at 9 a.m. And I watched it. Every day.

I can do one better...My informercial's not even a game show! I really enjoyed watching the "Amazing Discoveries" one where they advertised "Memory Power". I even convinced my parents to get it (better grades, etc.). I don't think I even made it halfway through the book.

I LOVED "Amazing Discoveries."   That and the LMAD informercial were my favorites.  Honorable mention has to go to the Ronco Food Dehydrator.
TV's Big Dealer

J.R.

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Re: Scrabble's "1-900" Game?
« Reply #16 on: July 08, 2014, 02:23:22 AM »
As far as I'm concerned, nothing will top the "Magic Bullet" infomercial.
-Joe Raygor

aaron sica

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Re: Scrabble's "1-900" Game?
« Reply #17 on: July 08, 2014, 02:26:38 AM »
As far as I'm concerned, nothing will top the "Magic Bullet" infomercial.

That one is my second favorite. I like the cynical, chain-smoking woman.

BrandonFG

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Re: Scrabble's "1-900" Game?
« Reply #18 on: July 08, 2014, 01:03:48 PM »
I always loved the theme song for the Ronco infomercials. Had a cheesy game show vibe to it, kinda like TPiR Showcase music or something. :-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG43jyZ65R8#t=00m20s

/Just set it...
//And forget it!
"I just wanna give a shoutout to my homies in their late-30s who are watching this on Paramount+ right now, cause they couldn't stay up late enough to watch it live!"

Now celebrating his 21st season on GSF!

clemon79

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  • Director of Suck Consolidation
Re: Scrabble's "1-900" Game?
« Reply #19 on: July 08, 2014, 01:29:34 PM »
That one is my second favorite. I like the cynical, chain-smoking woman.

"Ooh, nachos, those are MY favorite." Like someone enjoying nachos is a friggin' revelation. :)
Chris Lemon, King Fool, Director of Suck Consolidation
http://fredsmythe.com
Email: clemon79@outlook.com  |  Skype: FredSmythe

gamed121683

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Re: Scrabble's "1-900" Game?
« Reply #20 on: July 08, 2014, 02:31:20 PM »
I always loved the theme song for the Ronco infomercials. Had a cheesy game show vibe to it, kinda like TPiR Showcase music or something. :-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG43jyZ65R8#t=00m20s

/Just set it...
//And forget it!

Ah, yes...from the Killer Tracks production music library. That's a tune called "Central Park".

http://www.killertracks.com/#!/browse/browsed-results.aspx?SelectedCDId=2724

Allstar87

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Re: Scrabble's "1-900" Game?
« Reply #21 on: July 08, 2014, 07:53:37 PM »
I remember a spelling game called Spellit.

And what a scam it was.

I tried looking this up, but came up empty. How was it played, and why was it a scam?

BrandonFG

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Re: Scrabble's "1-900" Game?
« Reply #22 on: July 08, 2014, 08:27:01 PM »
I'm not sure about the scam portion, but from what I remember, you were given a word, then tried to spell it out via your keypad. For example, if the word was "computer", you'd dial the corresponding numbers (2-6-6-7-8-8-3-7).

Here's a commercial for it...they used to air all the time during USA's game show block in the early-90s. Apparently, you had 2 minutes to spell 21 words.

"I just wanna give a shoutout to my homies in their late-30s who are watching this on Paramount+ right now, cause they couldn't stay up late enough to watch it live!"

Now celebrating his 21st season on GSF!

Adam Nedeff

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Re: Scrabble's "1-900" Game?
« Reply #23 on: July 08, 2014, 10:24:40 PM »
I'm not sure about the scam portion, but from what I remember, you were given a word, then tried to spell it out via your keypad. For example, if the word was "computer", you'd dial the corresponding numbers (2-6-6-7-8-8-3-7).

Here's a commercial for it...they used to air all the time during USA's game show block in the early-90s. Apparently, you had 2 minutes to spell 21 words.


When I worked for "Wheel of Fortune," I made a call to I-don't-remember-what-anymore in search of $1,000 gift cards for the Gift Tags. And the guy I talked to began veering into a discussion about his previous endeavors and mentioned that he was the creator of the "Spellit" phone game. As I recall (and it's been a while) it started as an idea for a game show that he absolutely could not get sold, and the idea got stripped down and stripped down until finally, "Fine, we'll make it a 900-number game."

PYLdude

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Re: Scrabble's "1-900" Game?
« Reply #24 on: July 09, 2014, 12:09:53 AM »
I seem to remember another commercial for Spellit with a blue background.
I suppose you can still learn stuff on TLC, though it would be more in the Goofus & Gallant sense, that is (don't do what these parents did)"- Travis Eberle, 2012

“We’re game show fans. ‘Weird’ comes with the territory.” - Matt Ottinger, 2022

knagl

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Re: Scrabble's "1-900" Game?
« Reply #25 on: July 13, 2014, 03:43:05 PM »
Ah, yes...from the Killer Tracks production music library. That's a tune called "Central Park".

http://www.killertracks.com/#!/browse/browsed-results.aspx?SelectedCDId=2724

I'm fairly certain that was used in a chase scene from TVs "CHiPs".

/...and if it wasn't, it should have been.