Episode Numbering

[garffreak]

As many of you have probably know, once TPiR passed 999 weeks of daytime episodes, they switched from a ###WD format to a ###WK format for numbering episodes.

That is, 9995D was followed by 0011K, or 10011D.

The show is closing in on 970WK in numbering.  So they are less than two seasons from overflowing the current "K= +1000" numbering system.  So, in the spirit of the Internet: let the speculation begin!

I do not think episode 9995K will be followed by 10001K.  I predict (boldly and with no inside knowledge) we will see 0011M (following the previous precedent).

What say you?

Yes, I know it should be 2K and not M, but in the spirit of maintaining one letter, I went to the next level.  K=1000 M=1000000.

[blozier2006]

Why not "0011L", since L is the next letter in the alphabet after K?

[garffreak]

I thought about that, but then why not go from XXXWD to XXXWE?  Since the letter carries some meaning perhaps that would/should carry on.

[LiteBulb88]

I believe the K is for "kilo," which is the metric prefix for 1,000. K for 1,000 is also used in finance, where, for example, $25k means $25,000. I don't know of a similar prefix for 10,000. My guess is they'll just add an extra number to the front, so show 10001K would be the Monday show in "week" #10,000; after Y2K, I would hope they wrote computer programs that won't break if they add an extra digit, but I could be wrong. They could also use T as in Ten Thousand if they really want to keep the four digit scheme.

[Thatgameshowguy]

I believe the K is for "kilo," which is the metric prefix for 1,000. K for 1,000 is also used in finance, where, for example, $25k means $25,000. I don't know of a similar prefix for 10,000. My guess is they'll just add an extra number to the front, so show 10001K would be the Monday show in "week" #10,000; after Y2K, I would hope they wrote computer programs that won't break if they add an extra digit, but I could be wrong. They could also use T as in Ten Thousand if they really want to keep the four digit scheme.

If they add an extra number why not just go back to the D system and have it be 20001D? Personally I see them going to T for twenty-thousand.

[GuyWithFace]

9995D was followed by 0011K, or 10011D.

10001D, in fact, since it was the 1,000th week.

[PimpinJC]

It somewhat makes sense they went to K after 9995D since K is short for “thousand”, as LitleBulb referred to.  Going to M would’ve been my first thought, but M would infer “million”, which Price isn’t anywhere close to.

How about adding letters, like A001K, or even AAA1K?  That way we can have up to 33,000+ weeks before it has to change again…long after all of us are gone and probably broadcast TV itself.

Or how about just changing the production code entirely?  I would imagine with computer systems now, the show could go to whatever production number scheme they wanted to and not be set in stone like it was when the show first started.

[pannoni1]

Maybe start with the season number, followed by the show? (51-001 would be the season premiere, 51-005 would be the first Friday of the season, 51-021 the second Monday episode). Keep in mind that the concept of a "season" in network daytime television had not yet existed in the '70s, only in syndication. That's why shows like Match Game '7x and daytime Wheel of Fortune is usually divided by year in episode guides. The only daytime game shows that have a bit of a concept of a "season" are LMAD (Brady) and maybe PYL. Even though shows like The New $25,000 Pyramid premiered around the time that typical fall shows in primetime or syndication did, there really isn't a concept of "season numbers" in that version.

[ooboh]

The only daytime game shows that have a bit of a concept of a "season" are LMAD (Brady) and maybe PYL.

PYL ran new episodes year-round, no? I don't think it had season numbers for that reason. Of course, I could be way off.

[pannoni1]

A popular PYL fan site and later wiki divided the show into seasons. But it just happened to premiere when a lot of scripted/syndicated fall shows did, so it made sense. It did have reruns during the late summer of 1986, only to have several more weeks of new episodes, presumably to air when the reruns were, only to be cancelled, with CBS giving back that half hour to the affiliates.

The last four remaining soaps seem to be the final scripted shows that don't really have a concept of seasons, even if a lot of digital guides state them, since their numbering systems tends to be similar to a lot of daytime game shows, or simply number them straight (#1, #2, #3, and so on.)

But Price was way ahead of the game; the hourlong week of trial shows in 1975 honestly feels more like a premiere week than what official records do, with the previous week "officially" being the first week of the show's fourth season on CBS. With summer reruns at the end of that season, the show became the first game show on a network to have reruns over the summer. No other network game would do something similar, full-time until LMAD in the summer of 2010.

[shell_game]

It somewhat makes sense they went to K after 9995D since K is short for “thousand”, as LitleBulb referred to.  Going to M would’ve been my first thought, but M would infer “million”, which Price isn’t anywhere close to.

If K does represent 1000, or "kilo" as others have noted, then M is the next logical letter per the metric system. M represents 10,000 or "mega."

[Chelsea]

honestly the change from D to K was seemingly unnecessary and a little ridiculous. After 25 years we've all just accepted it. Personally, I say just keep going. 10001K.

[SteveGavazzi]

If K does represent 1000, or "kilo" as others have noted, then M is the next logical letter per the metric system. M represents 10,000 or "mega."

There's nothing logical about using the prefix for "ten thousand" to represent two thousand.

Also, that's not what "M" represents, anyway -- "mega" means "million," which makes it even more nonsensical.

[vnisanian2001]

A popular PYL fan site and later wiki divided the show into seasons. But it just happened to premiere when a lot of scripted/syndicated fall shows did, so it made sense. It did have reruns during the late summer of 1986, only to have several more weeks of new episodes, presumably to air when the reruns were, only to be cancelled, with CBS giving back that half hour to the affiliates.

http://users.btes.tv/syoder/pylboard/

This was the site in question.

[LiteBulb88]

There's nothing logical about using the prefix for "ten thousand" to represent two thousand.

Also, that's not what "M" represents, anyway -- "mega" means "million," which makes it even more nonsensical.

To be fair, I'm the one who brought "ten thousand" into the discussion--not sure why I thought 1,999+1 = 10,000 . It's not like I double majored in math and engineering or anything....