Author Topic: Misconceptions you have had about game shows  (Read 9760 times)

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Offline PatrickRox80

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Re: Misconceptions you have had about game shows
« Reply #15 on: June 03, 2019, 06:14:14 PM »
For the first few years when "Wheel of Fortune" was on NBC, I thought Chuck Woolery and Susan Stafford were husband and wife.

That’s what I thought about Pat and Vanna when I first started watching Wheel in the early 90s.

When I was first exposed to straddling shows on GSN, they didn’t seem to make sense because I wasn’t used to games stopping at one point and being picked up when the next show began.

When the Jeopardy! set used to turn blue to red, I thought they taped the two halves of the game on different sound stages.

When I taped my first episodes of Price, I would always fast forward through 3 Strikes because that game was always being lost. I also thought contestants won their cent total on the Showcase Showdown and that the turntable had a “second story” for the Showcase podiums.

I thought the games used on Nick Arcade were real arcade games instead of console ports or simply regular games.

Until I knew of the existence of the kids versions, I thought Double Dare played with the family format through its run.

Until the age of YouTube, I thought if you gave an illegal clue in Pyramid’s Winner’s Circle or Super Password’s bonus round, the contestant won nothing with Donnymid rectifying it by giving you the cash on the board. I also didn’t know the applause was canned on the Clark versions until about a year ago.

Offline Axl

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Re: Misconceptions you have had about game shows
« Reply #16 on: June 03, 2019, 10:09:24 PM »
I also didn’t know the applause was canned on the Clark versions until about a year ago.

What makes you think that?  There are behind the scenes videos on YouTube of both the NY and LA versions showing that there was a live audience.

Offline Grand_game2004

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Re: Misconceptions you have had about game shows
« Reply #17 on: June 04, 2019, 12:01:26 AM »
I don't recall if I've ever had any misconceptions about any gameshows when I was young, and I don't think I ever do now. However, I find this discussion to be quite funny,, and very entertaining.

Offline kens5368035

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Re: Misconceptions you have had about game shows
« Reply #18 on: June 04, 2019, 09:53:31 AM »
I have a real, good one.....................I always thought that, on the $25k/100k Pyramid, if the contestants won both winner circles, then they would win $35k ($10k for the first and $25k for the second win). However, I found out that it's $10k for the first winner circle's win & $15k for the second one...............

Offline whowouldeverhurtawhammy

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Re: Misconceptions you have had about game shows
« Reply #19 on: June 04, 2019, 11:12:15 PM »
The weirdest one I could think of...

On old episodes of Wheel of Fortune (prior to the 97-98) season, when the wheel spun during the end credits and the opening, I (as a kid) actually believed the wheel prop was actually big enough that there would be a person inside the wheel spinning the wheel non-stop during those two sequences, leading me to believe that (if such a guy existed) he retired at the start of the 97-98 season... XD
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Offline Flerbert419

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Re: Misconceptions you have had about game shows
« Reply #20 on: June 04, 2019, 11:47:08 PM »
I have a real, good one.....................I always thought that, on the $25k/100k Pyramid, if the contestants won both winner circles, then they would win $35k ($10k for the first and $25k for the second win). However, I found out that it's $10k for the first winner circle's win & $15k for the second one...............

You learn something new every day!

The current version has changed this practice but I thought that as well.
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Offline PatrickRox80

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Re: Misconceptions you have had about game shows
« Reply #21 on: June 04, 2019, 11:55:42 PM »
What makes you think that?  There are behind the scenes videos on YouTube of both the NY and LA versions showing that there was a live audience.

I left out the Winner’s Circle applause being canned. There was a week on New $25k where the machine broke with no applause on correct guesses.

Offline pannoni1

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Re: Misconceptions you have had about game shows
« Reply #22 on: June 05, 2019, 08:46:46 AM »
I left out the Winner’s Circle applause being canned. There was a week on New $25k where the machine broke with no applause on correct guesses.

A lot of shows have a mix of live and canned applause, though lately on some shows like Wheel, it's obvious that the machine is doing most of the work.

For me, it was the gladiator names on American Gladiators were their real name (though the same can be said about stage names in general!). Then, during the final season, we  knew that Nitro wasn't his real name, which lead me to believe that they're just pet names.

Another big one was the taping cycle in terms of how far in advance shows were taped. I'd always assume Wheel and Jeopardy! were taped just a day or two prior to airing unlike TPIR since at the beginning of the year (at least until the mid-90s), Wheel/Jeopardy!'s copyright date would always change right after the New Year, while for TPIR, it would be around Valentine's Day or so. But seeing "new" episodes of Nick Arcade from May 1992 that happened to have a 1991 copyright made me think "how could they have really waited so long to finally air these?" Another was that I'd really assume that only one show was taped per day instead of multiple shows, with the illusion of different clothes being the myth provider for myself.

Another obvious one that many of you may have believed is that all the winnings were tax-empt. It wasn't until Millionaire that I understood that taxes were indeed levied on contestant winnings.
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Offline CBSpromoman

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Re: Misconceptions you have had about game shows
« Reply #23 on: June 06, 2019, 06:38:09 PM »

I always assumed 'Price's' big doors were mechanical. I was surprised when I went behind the scenes and saw they're opened just like curtains by a stagehand pulling cables.

I was standing next to veteran stage manager Doug Quick at the time and I guess I had a look of shock on my face because he looked at me and said, "What's the matter?"

I told him I'd always assumed the doors were motorized.

Without missing a beat, he said, "This is CBS. We can't afford motors." We both had a laugh over that.
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Offline b_masters8

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Re: Misconceptions you have had about game shows
« Reply #24 on: June 08, 2019, 03:56:18 AM »
Another obvious one that many of you may have believed is that all the winnings were tax-empt. It wasn't until Millionaire that I understood that taxes were indeed levied on contestant winnings.

True enough-- that said, I'd much rather be on a show where the prize was strictly cash, because it's easier to determine how much California (and Washington) will get; it's much harder if you win other prizes!

Offline Richie

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Re: Misconceptions you have had about game shows
« Reply #25 on: June 08, 2019, 04:01:35 PM »
Here is mine: David Ruphrect’s version of Supermarket Sweep.

I thought the winning team got to keep the groceries won in the Big Sweep.  I was wrong.  Almost all the products were indeed real.  The meats were props and kudos to the art department: their meats looked real when I watched this show.

On the Lifetime version of the final season of Supermarket Sweep, the teams were only allowed to get two out of the three meats.  The PAX version didn’t have that rule.

Offline gamesurf

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Re: Misconceptions you have had about game shows
« Reply #26 on: June 08, 2019, 04:27:31 PM »
Me too! Supermarket Sweep has so many examples.

I used to wonder why people didn't grab products they actually wanted to win instead of going for a bunch of hams and giant cheeses and industry-sided mayonnaise. Nobody's going to use that! (I grew out of that one).

I used to think they were actually called out of the audience a la TPIR, by calling grocery products at random and the people holding them were genuinely surprised to come down. (I also thought the audience was much bigger than it was, it had two mirrors on either side)

I also thought the losing teams kept their winnings. They didn't. They got to keep their sweatshirts. That was it. (It was misdirected well. I didn't find out until years after it was cancelled)

Such a cheap production budget compared to other shows...and yet it was still so enjoyable to watch.
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Offline PatrickRox80

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Re: Misconceptions you have had about game shows
« Reply #27 on: June 08, 2019, 05:54:34 PM »
I also thought the losing teams kept their winnings. They didn't. They got to keep their sweatshirts. That was it. (It was misdirected well. I didn't find out until years after it was cancelled.

Actually they got parting gifts to go with their sweatshirts. Which also brings me to thinking the winners got the sweatshirts too. They actually don’t.

Offline COINBOYNYC

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Re: Misconceptions you have had about game shows
« Reply #28 on: June 16, 2019, 09:31:24 PM »
For me, it was the gladiator names on American Gladiators were their real name (though the same can be said about stage names in general!).

Since you brought up American Gladiators, I always wondered if we were supposed to root for the gladiators or the contenders.  (Still do.)  What about Iron Chef?
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Offline Ton80

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Re: Misconceptions you have had about game shows
« Reply #29 on: June 16, 2019, 09:36:52 PM »
Quote from: kens5368035
I have a real, good one.....................I always thought that, on the $25k/100k Pyramid, if the contestants won both winner circles, then they would win $35k ($10k for the first and $25k for the second win). However, I found out that it's $10k for the first winner circle's win & $15k for the second one...............

I never knew that was the case.  On the current version, I can tell you without a doubt that if you win both Winner's Circles, you get $50,000 for the first and $100,000 for the second - totaling $150,000.
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