I have no idea why, but the opening to PYL in the 80s was so cool!!! I loved the opening part where various moments are shown, with a final clip declaring the winner from a previous episode, then the opening spiel (love the lights moving down one row after another) "Today, these three player are after BIIIIIIIIIG BUCKS, but they'll have to avoid THE WHAMMY as they play THE MOST EXCITING GAME OF THEIR LIVES!!!" (then the board fills up) "From TELEVISION CITY IN HOLLYWOOD, IT'S TIME TO PRESS YOUR LUCK!!!" (at this point the background lights surrounding the big board change from red to purple to finally blue and a 'box-in transition effect is shown as the words "Press Your Luck" light up one after another) "And now here's your host, THE STAR of PRESS YOUR LUCK, PETER TOMARKEN!!!!" (the whole opening was so awesome)
I noticed in later episodes there'd be some cool things that happen right before the commercials. For example in episode #488 as they get ready for commercial, the lights surrounding the big board go back to red (started at blue, then purple, then red) and there's a cool lighting effect as the board loads for the first round and the turntable turns and while all this is happening, the lights above the players are off, but when the turntable stops, the lights fade on. When the commercials are over, the jig camera moves up from the back of where the contestants are sitting and the red lights outside of the big board are alternating!!! After the first big board round, as they get ready for the next commercial, as the turntable spins, the lights above the contestants fade to off, so now, only the scores are shown after the 1st big board round. And another neat thing is that they use a 'box-in' to show a poem from someone for the whammy, and then they do a 'box-out' transition effect so that the jig camera can zoom into the logo in the center of the big board!
After they come back from commercial, the red lights surrounding the big board are still flashing!! Then the lights that surround the outside of the big board 'fill in' from opposite sides. The bottom one fills down from the top, while the top one fills up from the bottom, and to end the transition, the lights above the players fade on!!!! (I love all these effects, however subtle they might be to anyone else)
I noticed that sometimes the outside red lights surrounding the big board would be alternating as they were getting ready to play the big board round.
What are your favorite moments on the show (besides the episodes with Mr. Larson)?