October 25, 1977

[jlgarfield]

[William]

That second Showcase: 

[GuyWithFace]

* The opening titles have their "rapidly and repeatedly grows and shrinks, flashing all the while" behavior, moving the change up nearly three weeks.
* 3 Strikes is good, as per usual.
* The shot at 37:40 is rather...unorthodox.
* Showcase #2 is a nighttime Showcase. No doubt of that in my mind.

[Hag]

That just seems wrong...one person gets appliances and a bed, the other gets 2 cars, including a Cadillac, and a load of other stuff. I would have felt like walking off.

[tonygrace]

Since, if I'm not mistaken, there was a $25,000 winnings limit at the time ... I suspect what happened is that they added the second car because both of the contestants hadn't won much already ... meaning an extravagant showcase (which normally wouldn't be seen because of that prize winnings limit) COULD be feasible this time.  Just a thought.

[temptation1979ga]

Since, if I'm not mistaken, there was a $25,000 winnings limit at the time ... I suspect what happened is that they added the second car because both of the contestants hadn't won much already ... meaning an extravagant showcase (which normally wouldn't be seen because of that prize winnings limit) COULD be feasible this time.  Just a thought.

The prizes are planned well in advance of the show's taping. Adjustments aren't made on the fly during taping based on how much contestants have won or lost.

[ILoveBonusGame]

I wish the cut of Second Thoughts heard in the second IUFB would show up in the TVPMM someday.

[goldroadfanatic]

The prizes are planned well in advance of the show's taping. Adjustments aren't made on the fly during taping based on how much contestants have won or lost.

There is at least one exception to this-I read that Plinko was supposed to have been played for $100,000 on the 30th anniversary special but because Triple Play was won, the game was played for the regular $50,000.

[Swingbatta0]

There is at least one exception to this-I read that Plinko was supposed to have been played for $100,000 on the 30th anniversary special but because Triple Play was won, the game was played for the regular $50,000.

Hard to believe.

[blozier2006]

Hard to believe.

I believe it, since it's in the timeline, and I doubt Steve would pull something like that from his rear.

[temptation1979ga]

There is at least one exception to this-I read that Plinko was supposed to have been played for $100,000 on the 30th anniversary special but because Triple Play was won, the game was played for the regular $50,000.

Wow, I never knew that before. Thank you for bringing that to my attention. However, other than on a very special episode such as that, I highly doubt they would just add an extra car for the heck of it. It'd mess with showcase scripts, rehearsals, staging, and bringing prizes from the warehouse, and probably other things I'm not mentioning. I feel as though we'd know more about things like that happening if it took place from time to time.

[Wayoshi]

That just seems wrong...one person gets appliances and a bed, the other gets 2 cars, including a Cadillac, and a load of other stuff. I would have felt like walking off.

This is hardly the only time it's ever happened...

... And when you're the runner-up, that's what can happen.

[Hag]

I didn't say it only happened that time. I would disagree with it no matter how many times it happened.

I just feel there should be parity in the showcases...they don't have to offer the exact same things, but at least be somewhat balanced. The showcases in the episode in question were anything but.

[SteveGavazzi]

I just feel there should be parity in the showcases...they don't have to offer the exact same things, but at least be somewhat balanced. The showcases in the episode in question were anything but.

I don't think I could disagree more strongly with this statement.  Part of the beauty of the Showcase before Season 37 was that you really never knew what you were going to get -- they could be a mixed bag, they could both have tons of neat stuff, or they could both be garbage.  There was never an obvious answer to the question, "Do you want to bid or pass?"

(Of course, this is back when the people producing the show understood that the Showcase was not about winning big prizes, but just winning more prizes.)

[Hag]

I understand what you're saying. I think I was thrown off by those showcases because I'd never seen such a discrepancy between prizes in two showcases before. Clearly I haven't watched enough episodes from those seasons.