Author Topic: Which Would You Choose? Part 1 (Read 9531 times)

calliaume · « **on:** January 21, 2004, 04:37:45 PM »

I was just thinking about this when someone mentioned the unfairness of TPIR and Hollywood Squares running at the same time in their market.

Most of the younger members of the board haven't had an issue with two great games running against one another -- but older readers certainly have. So I thought I'd pick out a few instances where this occured, and ask which you would have chosen (or which you did choose!) and why.

The first example:

Dates: 3/20/72 - 1/4/74

Shows: The Who, What or Where Game on NBC, Split Second on ABC

My Own Take: I rarely watched the ABC 12-1 p.m. games until NBC scuttled the 3 Ws and moved Jeopardy! out of the noon slot -- I guess I was just a creature of habit, even though I hadn't yet hit age 10. I stuck with Who, What or Where (which was a pretty darn good game).

Late Edit: I should point out that, in retrospect, I would have chosen Split Second, but that's not the way I went in 1973.

Robair · « **Reply #1 on:** January 21, 2004, 04:58:30 PM »

Split Second. Faster, meaner, richer. Better host. Great format. It was an incredible game.

SRIV94 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 21, 2004, 04:59:11 PM »

Great topic starter.

I went with SS. At the age I was (not even 10), there was no playalong value for either game for me, but the way the cars were displayed along with the lighted screens behind them was enough to hook me. And Tom Kennedy seemed nice (not that Art James didn't--mind you).

Doug

Robert Hutchinson · « **Reply #3 on:** January 21, 2004, 05:21:41 PM »

Does it count if you're missing one only because you're too lazy to set the VCR?

From recent years: TPIR beats Hollywood Squares, and Jeopardy! beats Win Ben Stein's Money (but only barely, and I'd still watch it during J!'s commercial breaks). I've always found HSq to slip into extended lulls often enough to lose my interest, and WBSM, while a great show, had a pretty low game-playing to everything-else ratio. Final Jeopardy! takes about ten seconds to introduce; the Bo10ToK, more like three or four minutes.

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #4 on:** January 21, 2004, 05:29:05 PM »

Quote

Shows: The Who, What or Where Game on NBC, Split Second on ABC

Agonizing decision, and I remember having to make it each day. (BTW, whippersnappers, leave any talk about VCRs out of this!)

Back then, in my early teens, I usually favored Split Second for the reasons Robair mentioned, plus the fact that of the two, SS would have a greater number of easier questions. Had I been in my forties then, I probably would have appreciated the more challenging material that The Three W's provided.

Jimmy Owen · « **Reply #5 on:** January 21, 2004, 05:31:58 PM »

I generally watched "Split Second" by '72. I was already aquainted with the 3W's and wanted to give the new guy a chance. Enjoyed the car starting thing. Rick Rosner did too.

SplitSecond · « **Reply #6 on:** January 21, 2004, 05:40:48 PM »

Any takers on which show I'd have chosen?

BrandonFG · « **Reply #7 on:** January 21, 2004, 05:48:02 PM »

[quote name=\'SplitSecond\' date=\'Jan 21 2004, 05:40 PM\'] Any takers on which show I'd have chosen? [/quote]
Jeopardy? The Price is Right?

davemackey · « **Reply #8 on:** January 21, 2004, 05:50:38 PM »

I think we kind of switched back and forth. Both 3W and SS were good solid brain games - just the thing when you're 11.

But I have to give the edge to SS because Tom Kennedy did such a bang-up job hosting this one. He was at his very best here.

Esoteric Eric · « **Reply #9 on:** January 22, 2004, 12:21:10 AM »

Back in pre-cable 1972 on the North Shore of Boston, TV reception played a part in my decision.
As has been mentioned in previous threads, the Boston network affiliates didn't show network offering during the noon hour. At my house, we were able to get Split Second from WMUR in Manchester, NH. Meanwhile, the Three W's on Boston's WSBK (then a true independent) was (were?) a victim of poor UHF reception.

Esoteric Eric... and even when I saw the Three W's, I'd see a game where at least half the categories were (Art James) "POT LUCK!" (/AJ)

Jay Temple · « **Reply #10 on:** January 22, 2004, 01:03:30 AM »

[quote name=\'calliaume\' date=\'Jan 21 2004, 03:37 PM\'] Shows: The Who, What or Where Game on NBC, Split Second on ABC

In retrospect, I would have chosen Split Second, but that's not the way I went in 1973. [/quote]
Exactly the opposite: I watched SS then, but now I would probably watch WWW.

Dbacksfan12 · « **Reply #11 on:** January 22, 2004, 01:04:05 AM »

[quote name=\'calliaume\' date=\'Jan 21 2004, 04:37 PM\'] I was just thinking about this when someone mentioned the unfairness of TPIR and Hollywood Squares running at the same time in their market.

Most of the younger members of the board haven't had an issue with two great games running against one another -- but older readers certainly have. So I thought I'd pick out a few instances where this occured, and ask which you would have chosen (or which you did choose!) and why.

The first example:

Dates: 3/20/72 - 1/4/74

Shows: The Who, What or Where Game on NBC, Split Second on ABC

My Own Take: I rarely watched the ABC 12-1 p.m. games until NBC scuttled the 3 Ws and moved Jeopardy! out of the noon slot -- I guess I was just a creature of habit, even though I hadn't yet hit age 10. I stuck with Who, What or Where (which was a pretty darn good game).

Late Edit: I should point out that, in retrospect, I would have chosen Split Second, but that's not the way I went in 1973. [/quote]
I'd choose "The Parent Game" on my local independent.

Winkfan · « **Reply #12 on:** January 22, 2004, 01:35:35 AM »

Quote from: Modor on January 22, 2004, 01:04:05 AM

I'd choose "The Parent Game" on my local independent.

Sorry to burst your bubble, Don, but The Parent Game was a once-a-week gamer at the time; and one of those one-season wonders to boot.

But getting back to the topic. Some of you may recall my telling of being a fan of the original Jackpot on NBC, until late 1974 when I dumped it in favor of The Money Maze on ABC. Same was true two and ¼ years later when I switched from NBC's Shoot For the Stars to ABC's Second Chance.

Cordially (and awating Don's snubbng of me),
Tammy Warner--the 'Nancy Dussaut of the Big Board!'

davidhammett · « **Reply #13 on:** January 22, 2004, 01:59:14 AM »

My choice was usually "Split Second" by default... because, like Boston, Atlanta's affiliates didn't like to give up their noon news. And the NBC affiliate took it one step further by having local news at noon, then either a movie or talk show (Mike Douglas or Merv Griffin) from 12:30 until 2:00... so there were LOTS of NBC game shows that I only saw on out of town trips if ever.

That being said, there were a couple of years when channel 17, the fledgling independent WJRJ (now Superstation WTBS), did pick up the noon to 1 pm block from NBC, so based on the novelty of that I would watch "Jeopardy!" and "Who, What, or Where." But I believe they had stopped doing that not long after "Split Second" premiered.

Thus my constant refrain when discussing a lot of these 70s shows... everyone all together now... "We didn't get it in Atlanta." :-)

GSWitch · « **Reply #14 on:** January 22, 2004, 04:06:25 AM »

Well, KPRC didn't have the 3W's because of Midday (news show), so Split Second won by default.

However, (then) KVRL-26 (now KRIV Fox 26) did carry Who What or Where as well as Three on A Match when KPRC was too busy.

Did like the final thinking music off Who What or Where which sounded like something Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass would do.

YES! I did enjoy the car starting round. But @ least Split Second didn't drop balloons or a 4 car winning streak Rosner's shows had!

Author Topic: Which Would You Choose? Part 1 (Read 9531 times)

SplitSecond

GSWitch