FULL RECAP - TPiR 01/14/2010

[SteveGavazzi]

The dinky, little bracelet in Flip Flop was just bizarre.  There's no way it should ever have been offered in a one-prize game.  Hell, I thought it was going to be the 3-digit prize in Any Number!  Add to that the fact that it was practically impossible to win, and you have yourself a disaster (not to mention our 17th straight loss).

I have an idea I'd like to propose.  There was an episode of Cheers where someone hooked a set of electrodes up to Cliff's hind end and gave him a shock every time he made fun of Carla.  I think we should hook a set up to Fingers and shock her every time That's Too Much! ends at the second price.

The song used with the third Item up for Bids may be the worst cue on the show right now.  It just sounds like the exact opposite of the elegant musical image they had for three and a half decades.

Secret "X" had the potential to turn into a disaster today.  Drew never said anything to Anne when she put both of her first two Xs on the right side of the board, which would have lead to a very awkward loss if she hadn't gotten the third one...and then I was afraid she was going to try to use that for a vertical tic-tac-toe, because he also never said she couldn't do that.

I wonder if Mikey realizes how boring Danger Price is without Big Banana Remix.

I have to compliment Drew on Act 5, which seemed to be where this episode finally got off the ground.  Opening the act with his buddy from Twitter was pretty cool, and he hosted Pass the Buck very well.

This showcase contains prizes revealed as Gwendolyn tries to get to work after discovering that her car's won't start.  And as she asks around for help, her neighbot, Rachel, suggests borrowing...her new bicycle!

(Insert bike plug.)

"But it's the middle of winter!" complains Gwendolyn.  "I can't take a bike to work.  I'll freeze!"

"Well, why didn't you say so?" replies Rachel.  "I've got just the thing:  This new ski equipment!"

(Insert ski equipment plug.)

"But it isn't snowing!" Gwendolyn exclaims.  "Don't you ever watch the weather?"

"Sure I do!" answers Rachel.  "Why, just this morning, I watched the Nevada weather so I'll know what to wear when I take my vacation...to Lake Tahoe!"

(Insert Lake Tahoe plug.)

"You're going on vacation?" asks Gwendolyn.  "Well, that solves everything!  While you're away, I'll just sail down the river to work...by borrowing your new boat!"

(Insert boat plug.)

And this showcase, where Gwendolyn has discovered that Rachel's boat was serviced by the same people who put the engine in her car, can be yours if the price is right!

Clyde, your showcase contains the finest prizes straight from Europe.  And it starts with this beautiful German wine refrigerator!

(Insert wine fridge plug.)

Now we move on to Britain, from which we've received this trendy set of luggage!

(Insert luggage plug.)

Next, from Italy, we have the latest in sleek transportation:  This stylish Vespa scooter!

(Insert scooter plug.)

And your final prize is Europe itself.  You'll see all the places your prizes came from and more...on your fabulous train tour of the continent!

(Insert train trip plug.)

And Clyde, this showcase, containing the best Europe has to offer, can be yours if the price is right!

[FPGWillyT]

My issue with Secret X to be clear was more along the lines of "WWBBHD".  I don't ever root for a contestant to fail under any circumstances, but I would have loved to have seen how it was handled had she not gotten the 2nd SP.  But everyone makes a very good point that the loss of clear explanations of how to play these games is a bit unnerving as it is obvious to me that the contestants we are watching are NOT LFaTs much less watchers of the show.

Adding to that point is the fact that our beloived TTM had become SO predictable and yet no one who has played the game recently has picked up on this 2/9 pattern and NO ONE has stopped at those points, which is BTW why the previous staff never placed the win there.  

Anyway, and this will shock some of you to hear me say this, take it easy on Rich please.  I obvously don't watch that much anymore, but when I watched yesterday's show, I heard him say "Look up, here comes the next ITEM up for bids" to which another poster told me he does frequently.  For that, he got a thank you e-mail.

[brtsimpson142]

I heard him say "Look up, here comes the next ITEM up for bids"

That's kudos for one Rich.  To the other, the one in the director's chair, I have the following statement:  "Don't you EVER do what you did today in Secret X again!!!  You cut away from the board just as Drew hit the button.  The answer is, get your closeups of the contestant BEFORE Drew hits the button, then catch them in a wide shot or something."

[GameShowKid]

I obvously don't watch that much anymore, but when I watched yesterday's show, I heard him say "Look up, here comes the next ITEM up for bids" to which another poster told me he does frequently.  For that, he got a thank you e-mail.

Hear hear. I do applaud Rich for saying at least a few of the things Bob used to say such as the quote you mentioned, Here comes the next item "around on the turntable" and "Here comes the lovely _____ with the next item up for bids."

[whinbaby]

The 7,192nd set of Pricing Games (80th for Season 38)

Showcase #1
Mountain Bikes - $1,448
Ski Equipment - $2,790
Trip to Lake Tahoe - $4,248
Maxum Boat - $18,670

Showcase #2
Wine Refrigerator - $7,995    
Luggage - $3,825
Motorscooter - $3,199
Rail Tour of Europe - $19,020

Your Modeling Scorecard for January 14, 2010
Daily Records
$88,219/2004, $14,861/2009

Rachel Reynolds
Total:  10/$71,362 (4/$13,357, 6/$58,005)
Cars:  1/$24,715 (0/$0, 1/$24,715)
Trips:  1/$19,020 (0/$0, 1/$19,020)

Manuela Arbelaez
Total:  11/$60,741 (7/$13,997, 4/$46,744)
Cars:  1/$20,700 (0/$0, 1/$20,700)
Trips:  2/$23,268 (1/$4,248, 1/$19,020)

Gwennie Osborne
Total:  6/$32,632 (3/$23,169, 3/$9,463)
Cars:  0/$0 (0/$0, 0/$0)
Trips:  0/$0 (0/$0, 0/$0)

And for the season
Rachel Reynolds (66 shows)
Total:  649/$3,162,167 (363/$1,217,672, 286/$1,944,495)
Cars:  57/$1,348,705 (19/$406,723, 38/$941,982)
Trips:  59/$470,964 (23/$157,907, 36/$313,057)

Manuela Arbelaez (48 shows)
Total:  376/$2,429,919 (254/$1,216,974, 122/$1,212,945)
Cars:  50/$1,157,004 (22/$467,652, 28/$689,352)
Trips:  47/$425,320 (31/$257,856, 16/$167,464)

Gwennie Osborne (35 shows)
Total:  297/$1,735,606 (168/$740,587, 129/$995,019)
Cars:  31/$679,668 (8/$184,201, 23/$495,467)
Trips:  37/$334,540 (21/$226,415, 16/$108,125)

[JasonA1]

I thought the bracelet presentation in Flip Flop was neat...when I thought it was part of something bigger, like the start of Any Number. At least seeing Flip Flop from the old Breslow perspective was a unique treat.

-Jason

[Wayoshi]

I was hoping that Greco would play a toss-up card with 2641 or 2614, but instead it was just a forced randomly expensive thing. Something that's not in a door isn't supposed to be $6214.

TTM was winnable today guys, OK? When it's 2nd, people actually are thinking "yeah...maybe..." but then they just think it's too early. They're going to catch onto 2nd at least soon...or even better, we move back towards the middle like we should (but...that may not happen this season).

[FPGWillyT]

TTM was winnable today guys, OK? When it's 2nd, people actually are thinking "yeah...maybe..." but then they just think it's too early.

Sorry to be redundant, but you hit the proverbail nail.  Any pricing game created goes thru (at least it used to) numerous trials before it's used, and when it was in its trial phase, very few if any at all times was anyone stopping at 2 or going even as far as 8.

[Wayoshi]

I agree that people are naturally inclined towards the middle of the board, but the prices compared to the cars looked too low or high at those points. Now it's skewed one way or the other - she knew today the Mazda 3 was a low 20s car.

[joeyboy]

Adding to that point is the fact that our beloived TTM had become SO predictable and yet no one who has played the game recently has picked up on this 2/9 pattern and NO ONE has stopped at those points, which is BTW why the previous staff never placed the win there.I shudder to think what Kathy will do when people start to catch on to her tricks in That’s too Much!

I shudder to think what Kathy will do when people start to catch on to her tricks in That’s too Much!

Speaking of that game, I’m officially at the point where I either change the channel or fast-forward the game when it's played.

Flip Flop for a prize that should be given away as a showcase prize is not right.

Secret “X” had disaster written all over it. Luckily, it snapped our 18 game losing streak.

I really enjoyed seeing Safe Crackers and Danger Price show up today.

I have an idea I'd like to propose.  There was an episode of Cheers where someone hooked a set of electrodes up to Cliff's hind end and gave him a shock every time he made fun of Carla.  I think we should hook a set up to Fingers and shock her every time That's Too Much! ends at the second price.

Would the same thing happen if she put it at the ninth spot?

[SteveGavazzi]

Would the same thing happen if she put it at the ninth spot?

Only if it happened more than twice a season.

[RKO36]

Not a terrible show today compared to the last two days.


Flip or Flop was just strange.  I didn't even realize at first that their was an option for $6200+ that's how ridiculous that prize was.

That's Too Much of second and ninth spots with the price.  Please.  The old staff never did anything like that.


In the chat I asked what would happen if she put the third X in the middle yellow spot on the right side.  I agree that it could have been a technical win because Drew didn't say she couldn't.  He said it's just like Tic Tac Toe, and in a normal Tic Tac toe game that is a winning line.


Danger Price was good.   I thought it was the camera and it was.  Those DSLRs are expensive.


Safe Crackers was really really easy.  I thought the price might have ended up being 360 or 306 it was so obvious.



A 20k train trip?  Who in their right mind would put that trip at 20k?

[kingpin623]

FLIP FLOP:

The dinky, little bracelet in Flip Flop was just bizarre.  There's no way it should ever have been offered in a one-prize game.  Hell, I thought it was going to be the 3-digit prize in Any Number!

I was thinking the same thing here, so I was suprised to see Flip Flop there in the back rather than seeing the camera cut to the big doors to reveal...A NEW CAR!  And I would've never flipped that 26 to a 62.

THAT'S TOO MUCH!:  As soon as I saw that jump from $18K to $21K I yelled, "That's Too Much!" and then thought "That's Too Early!", even though I was pretty sure it was the right answer.  I'm not surprised she didn't win.

DANGER PRICE:  I would've made the same mistake; I would think the computer was $1649.  Tricky!

SECRET "X":   As Bob used to say it:  "You have to get three X's across here, across here, across here, diagnonally here, or diagonally here".  He believed in CYA!

PASS THE BUCK:  Tastykakes® as a grocery item!  Who smuggled those in from PA?!  They're pretty much a regional thing, but I have seen them in FL once, and in TX once...  Ironically, I might have blown that first pair of items -- $3.99 a box?!  I'm just spoiled and not used to paying full price for them; you can get them 4 boxes or even 5 boxes for $10 at some grocery stores up in PA.

SAFE CRACKERS:  Almost too easy...then again, with as tricky as Flip Flop was, who's to say they wouldn't have dug up some $360 tennis equipment?

[ElectricPeterTork]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...

Somebody buy 'em a 10 sided die, tell them whenever That's Too Much is going to be played toroll the dice, and whatever number comes up is the spot they put the winning price in.

That makes almost as much sense as That's the Second or Ninth Price!

 

[Mallory16]

SECRET "X":  As Bob used to say it:  "You have to get three X's across here, across here, across here, diagnonally here, or diagonally here".  He believed in CYA!

It'd be that simple too.  I mean, sure, Drew may want to do his own thing, but if his own thing isn't explaining the rules properly, and Bob had the explanation for the game down to a science, with both completeness and simplicity combined... Drew really ought to adopt Bob's explanation for the game.