FULL RECAP - TPiR 01/27/2010

[Joe_Capitano]

Production #5013K - Taped Nov. 30, 2009 Drew: stage entrance First Four lineup: right to left Handoff: Gwen Models of the Day: Manuela Arbeláez, Gwendolyn Osborne-Smith and Rachel Reynolds Wearing: boston proper 1   DIRECTV Satellite TV Package (2 yrs service)(M&R) VICTOR 1900 DELILAH 1000 TIANNA 1350 DANISHA *900 ($999) Danisha plays SPELLING BEE for a Hyundai Genesis 2.0 (Std., Turbo, RKE, Wheels)(G)($22,750) Free Card (19) C   C–– Free Card (20) C Apple Carmel Bowl $ 25 $ 30 –5 * ( 5 ) A   CA– (Doubletreat) Ice Cream Maker 23 17 +6 * (24) R   CAR   WIN! (Hamilton Beach) Coffee Maker 48 43 +5 * ( 1 ) 2   Harley Davidson Riding Package (G) +Victor 1200 +Delilah 800 +Tianna *1201 MICHAEL 1000 ($1803) Tianna from San Diego, CA plays for (what else?) a Harley Davidson XL883 Sportster Motorcycle(M) Setup: 7 4 8 6 9 4 4 3 5 Pick: 7 4[8 6 9 4] Price: $9443   LOSS 3   Swiss Army Men's Watch (from above) +Victor 750 +Delilah 650 TINA 850 Michael *500 ($550) Michael from Las Vegas, NV plays MAGIC # Scandyna Minipod Spaker System (R) $1548 Michael's MAGIC #  1391  LOSS (Samsung) 52" LCD HDTV (M) $2898 SHOWDOWN #1 $ 550 Michael 20 + 65 .85 Through to Showcase Round 1,803 Tianna 75 + 80 OV 23,839 Danisha 65 + 10 .75 4   Mattracks Powerboard (M) +Victor 2500 +Delilah 1500 Tina *1850 RONALD 2100 ($1995) Tina from San Diego, CA plays 5-Number PICK A NUMBER for a trip to Moscow (6n)(G) Setup: $1 0,6 3[–]   [2][4][8] Pick: $1 0,6 3[8] Price: $1 0,6 3[2]   LOSS 5   Ashley Hendler Etegere (R) +Victor 1500 +Delilah 1000 NORA *650 Ronald 950 ($800) Nora from Pittsburgh, PA plays ONE AWAY for a Chevy HHR LS (Std., Stereo, AT, PSeat, Mats, Prot)(M) Setup 1st Try 2nd Try Price 2 1 5 2 4 – 2 6 3 5 – – – 3 – – 1 – – – 3 2 6 3 5 2 3 7 4 6 2 1 5 4 4 2 3 5 2 4 4 3 7 4 6 3 – – – – 3 2 6 – 5 3 – 6 3 5 LOSS So here we stand, one last One-Bid awaits, and Victor and Delilah hope to survive it. Mimi's giving them both the stare, mindful of the fact that another banishment to the "First Four" Breakfast Club is imminent. The only question is who will it be? Working in Delilah's favor: the last bid... 6   Cole-Hann Designer Shoes (3 pk)(G) +Victor 1000 +Delilah *700 DEANNA 550 Ronald 600 ($720) Victor heads off to the clubhouse while Delilah plays TAKE TWO (Target: $3428) 1st 2nd Currie eZip His/Hers Electric Bicycles 998 –––– 40 pc Dinnerware Set –––– 1488 Sony Playstation 3 Video Game Package –––– –––– ($1099) carolinachair.com Henley Sofa   1940   1940 $2938 $3429 WIN! SHOWDOWN #2 $ 800 Nora 65 stay .65 1,995 Tina 95 stay .95 Through to Showcase Round 6,245 Delilah 80 + 95 OV SHOWCASE ROUND Tina has the honor. SC1-Tina Segway I2 Personal Transporter (R) Saddleback California Roadster Golf Cart (M) Hyundai Elantra GLS (Std., 2.0l, Tilt, RKE, AutoARmor, Mats)(G) BID $27,543 PRICE 38,100 DIFF –10,557 TOTAL $40,095 SC2-Michael sportsauthority.com Motorized Treadmill/Inspire M3 Home Gym (JVC) 42" LCD HDTV Apple iMac Desktop Computer (R)/iPod Nano Sports Kit (R) Trip to Athens (6n)(M) BID $26,000 PRICE 19,565 DIFF OVER Today's Pricing Games: 2 for 6 Total Winnings: $73,332 THIS IS THE ONLY OFFICIAL GOLDEN-ROAD.net SHOW RECAP. REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED WITHOUT AUTHOR PERMISSION.

[Franc]

Am I the only one who thinks it's unfair to make the contestant guess the last digit in PAN?

[ayoung]

Nice lineup today.. tho going from spelling bee to pushover was kinda weird with no commercial break.
Seems like i havnt seen Take Two won in years.

[brtsimpson142]

Am I the only one who thinks it's unfair to make the contestant guess the last digit in PAN?

No, but I know why it happened:  today's Pick-a-Number was really That's Too Much in disguise!!!  Fingers probably only offered that 5-digit trip because she wanted to try and force a loss, which she ultimately did.  The last digit in any price is almost always the most difficult one to guess (and let's face it, with 2, 4, and 8 as the picks, it's not like any one makes more sense than the other two).  I really felt Tina this day.

Two words:  SPELLING BEE!!!  And the DirecTV package that started the show was a nice touch too.

The IUFB leading into the prize of the pricing game is fast losing its appeal.  I wish they'd quit doing it.

It was nice to see Magic # today, played for two VERY nice prizes that actually complement each other well.  That made the loss just all that more painful to watch!

Pick-a-Number.  Alright so AFAIC this game has long since worn out its welcome.  But to see it show up in 5-digit form...  Absolutely not.  NO thank you.  Not unless you're going to play for a car.  These 5-digit trips have absolutely GOT to stop.

Take Two!  Always a welcome sight.

Now  I'm kind of torn about today's showcases.  I like the assortment of prizes that were offered (even though SC2 ended with a blasted trip), but I'm starting to wonder if they shouldn't have the car showcase be the second one; it just seems to make more sense that way.  If we could've switched Athens with the Hyundai, I would've jumped at SC2 in a heartbeat.  Plus it would only make sense not to have two vehicles (golf cart and a car) in the same showcase.

Overall this seemed like a well put-together show, even though it's still only a 2-for-6 day.  More like this, please!  (oh yes, and only two trips the whole show; can we PLEASE keep it that way?)

[UniquePerspective]

Am I the only one who thinks it's unfair to make the contestant guess the last digit in PAN?

Very difficult, but not unfair. If it were unfair, I don't think any last numbers of anything would be guessed. Also, you very often have to do crapshoot guesses of last numbers in other games, so it's not that uncommon.

[ClassicG]

oh yes, and only two trips the whole show; can we PLEASE keep it that way?

Is there a limit as to what prizes should appear for day? For instance, one trip per episode.

In fact, should there be an episode where they offer no trips whatsoever?

[Cartboy]

Spelling Bee:  Yay, Spelling Bee!   And a good win on it, to!
Magic #:  Oy, oy, oy!   I think they should start the magic number at 1,000 instead of 0 (or wherever it ends up after Drew's done playing with the lever).
Take Two:  Nice to see it won for a change!

An okay show overall, IMHO.

[Briguy]

Is there a limit as to what prizes should appear for day? For instance, one trip per episode.

In fact, should there be an episode where they offer no trips whatsoever?

I don't think there should be a limit per se on some prizes, such as trips. Although it is an oft-refused prize (because contestants don't like the destination or can't get time off of work, among other reasons), trips are a popular prize ... and if well put-togeher in either showcase form or in a regular pricing game prize package, it can be fun to watch contestants play for trips. You just gotta use your instinct and judgement to know when trips should and should not be offered; there's no hard and fast rule, I don't believe.

I can understand avoiding other identical or similar prizes — other than the obvious exception of cars — in multiple games and/or in a Showcase. Remember that on the very first TPiR way back in 1972, Any Number had a range as one of its prizes on offer, and then one of the Showcases also had a range (the one that had a trip to Acapulco, Mexico). Who wants to win two gas ranges? Who uses two dishwashers, or two patio furniture sets? Or see two separate contestants play for prize packages that both feature refrigerators or TV sets in different pricing games? Variety is the spice of life in this case.

As for today's show, I was kind of hoping for a double showcase win. I liked the content of the two Showcase prize packages. Wow — a car (good, not a Toyota, but boo, not a true American car); a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Athens, Greece; a golf cart; a personal transporter; a big screen HDTV; a computer with all the equipment; and a home gym.

The contestant who played Magic # was way off the mark, I thought, and it constituted one of the weakest playings that I've seen in awhile. Appropriate prize matching with the Harley Davidson gift package and the motorcycle.

One suggestion for the future: In Take Two, regardless of the outcome, all four windows should be opened up to reveal their prices. Some of us do like to know how much everything costs, even if it's all moot with a win.

Brian

[brtsimpson142]

Is there a limit as to what prizes should appear for day? For instance, one trip per episode.  In fact, should there be an episode where they offer no trips whatsoever?

Is there a limit as to what dumb questions should be asked in a day?  For instance, one dumb question per day.  In fact, should there be a day where there are no dumb questions asked whatsoever?

Seriously, did you space out the last few months, during which trips were practically the only thing on the show?  when it wasn't uncommon to see two all- or mostly-trip showcases finish out the day?  when it wasn't at all uncommon to see a big 5-digit trip appear on a show with both car games set up for losses?

I have no problem with trips in and of themselves.  What I have a problem with is when trips crowd out cars and other more normal prizes, particularly in the showcases.  What I have a problem with is trips going for 5-digit prices because they're so ridiculously overaccessorized that no one in their right mind could price them properly (or, worse yet, when the trip is to Randomville or is something like a bus trip around California).  Trips like today's visit to Greece are one thing; I could see wanting to go to a place like that.  The train trip that recently appeared is another good example.  But the infamous bus trip, or trips that include impossible-to-price things like Mariachi bands or massages or a year's supply of nail polish...no thank you.

Today's show felt like it had a good balance of prizes, trips and otherwise (more to the point it felt like an assortment of prizes The Dob himself might have picked).  And I'd like to see it stay that way.

[leafsfan17]

Nice win there in Spelling Bee.

[Mallory16]

What difference did it make that the price of the trip was 5 digits instead of 4 digits?  It's not like the last digit of a 4-digit price would've been any easier to guess.

Getting a fair number of shoutouts to contestants' haters lately.

[brtsimpson142]

You're right, last digits are tough regardless.  All I was saying was that since Kathy made the last one the number the contestant had to fill in (instead of the second or third one like usual), it seemed like this game was set up for a forced loss.

[GameShowKid]

Dark chocolate suede booties! 

[rodroddyfan]

Honestly, if I got on the show and won the half the trips that are offered, I would be refusing them.  I just have a thing with not traveling outside the US>

[Kev347]

OK, I'll bite. I'm the first one to call the show out when it forces losses, but there's nothing bad about setting up the last digit to be the blank in Pick A Number. Sure, it's hard (although we're lucky today was a random crapshoot; usually Greco sticks in a 0, 5, 9) but frequently in Pick A Number the only digit that can possibly be an intuitive guess is the first digit anyway (the second digit can be reasoned through in that game sometimes, but less often than you think).

Another nice show today. Solid lineup, great contestants (especially the winners today), reasonable showcases again (I tell you, these make a lot of difference. I liked the theme idea in SC1)). Solid Drew, although we do need to stop joking about the prizes so much, please. The OB6 exchange was kinda funny though (and potentially one of the first time "booties" was ever said on the show!) Still, I'm really encouraged overall by the way this week has been going. It's a lot more fun to watch when the games are winnable, the showcases are reasonable and Drew is on the ball.

Timings:
Spelling Bee (6) - 6:11
Push Over (4) - 2:52
Magic # (4.5) - 3:57
Pick A Number (3.5) - 2:53
One Away (5) - 5:35
Take Two (4.5) - 4:44
Total (27.5): 26:12