Dennis James PIR #083N

[TPIRCheeringGuy2001]

This is another special recap, from a nighttime episode from 1974. This is the 5th episode of the 3rd season. Enjoy!

Episode #083N, taped in September 29, 1974
*****/*\*****
Dolores Medante COME ON DOWN! Cynthia Becker, COME ON DOWN! Helen Camp, COME ON DOWN! And, Rosemary Davis, COME ON DOWN!

IUFB #1: "Gran Trak 10" Video Arcade Game from Atari

Dolores: $750 | Cynthia: $550 | Helen: $800 | Rosemary: $600

ARP: $1,795

Helen, is very excited, and she can win a new Chevrolet Caprice Classic Convertible, for just $1, playing LUCKY SEVEN

First number: Guess: 8 | Actual Number: 6 | $5 left
Second number: Guess: 9 | Actual Number: 1 | $0!

Unfortunately, they didn't reveal the last two numbers.

LOSS
*****/*\*****
Lucy Brillia, COME ON DOWN! (The daytime show with Bob is mentioned, as she says she watched both daytime and nighttime "Price")

IUFB #2: Kimball Organ

Dolores: $995 | Cynthia: $996 | Lucy: $450 | Rosemary: $850

ARP: $900

Rosemary won the organ, and she can win a new Kids Room: Broyhill Youth's Room furniture from the "Commodore" group, 2 Serta "Perfect Sleeper" Mattresses, Jorges "Games People Play" carpeting & game pieces and a supply of  Spray n' Vac Rug Cleaner, all worth $2,470! And she can win, playing SHELL GAME

Prize #1: 3 Pairs of Ladies Shoes by Kinney Shoes
Price: $51 | Guess: LOWER | Price: $44
Chip placed in shell #4

Prize #2: Westclox Clock Radio
Price: $60 | Guess: LOWER | Price: $68
No chip

Prize #3: Sunbeam "Deluxe Mixmaster" Mixer
Price: $75 | Guess: LOWER | Price: $89
No chip

Prize #4: Hoover "Celebrity" Vaccum
Price: $110 | Guess: HIGHER | Price: $130
Chip placed in shell #2

Ball is under shell #3

LOSS
*****/*\*****
Frank Eckhart, COME ON DOWN!

IUFB #3: Panasonic 19" Color TV w/ Stand

Dolores: $500 | Cynthia: $510 | Lucy: $525 | Frank: $425

ARP: $505

Dolores can win a Zinman Natural Full-lenght Glacial Mink Coat from the "Defino Custom Collection", if she wins the RANGE GAME

The price of the coat is between $2,400 and $3,000

She stops the range between $2,618-$2,768
ARP: $2,700

WIN!
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SHOWCASE TIME
Top Winner: Dolores | Runner Up: Helen

Showcase #1:
Gibson Freezer
A whole supply of beef
24 bottles of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce, 24 boxes of Oh-Boy garlic bread, 24 Johnston's Ready-Crust pie crusts, 24 cans of Wyler's soft drink mixes, 48 cans of Old El Paso Mexican taco sauces, 24 bottles of Daisy Fresh Exotic fruit juices, 24 cans of Swanson main dish dinners, 48 cans of Franco American Raviolio's and 4-dozen packages of Borden's American cheese
Broyhill "Bedford Collection" Dining Room Set
Anchor Hocking "Hospitality Service" Glasses for 8
Trip to Acapulco (RT economy for 2 to Acapulco by Mexicana Airlines; week-stay "modified American plan" at El Presidente Hotel)
4-piece American Tourister Luggage
Merle Norman's "Three Steps to Beauty" Cosmetic Case
Living Nail Treatment for Nails
Diamond Ring by Cosmic Diamonds
Lucien Piccard Gold-plated Bracelet Watch

Dolores passes, Helen bids $6,000

Showcase #2:
24 Boyer Mallo Cup Candies
Hang Glider by Escape Country w/ flying lessons
Kayot Aqua Bike
BeDe 5D Airplane from BeDe Aircraft, Inc.
$600 in cash

Dolores bids $9,000

Dolores bids $9,000 | ARP is $7,519 | OVER
Helen bids $6,000 | ARP is $5,441 | OVER

DOUBLE OVERBID

Contestants not appearing on stage, is gonna receive: an assortment of Mr. and Mrs. "T" Cocktail Mixes and a case of Castrol GTX Motor Oil
*****/*\*****
Pricing Games: 1 of 3
Total Winnings: $6,074

[Briguy]

I'm guessing the Chevrolet Caprice convertible was loaded with more options than we heard in Johnny's copy. I have a pricing guide from 1974 – the old Consumer Guide Auto '74 – and tallied up the cost of the car on offer as described and only got to about $5500. Either inflation really kicked in between the time CG published Auto '74 (in the late fall of 1973) or we had a fully-equipped car (which would have been very close to $6100-plus).

This is one of two currently circulating episodes – including the audio-only j-shea episodes – where a grouping of food such as this was offered as a showcase prize. (The other being the fall 1976 episode where a "wall of food" was one of the prizes, in a showcase where the grand prize was a motorhome.) Which gets me to wonder if there were other episodes, at least during the nighttime era, where there were such groupings of food items like this.

In any case, it's neat to see these quirky prizes, and it has you wondering what the contestants did with the food if they actually won their showcase. (My guess is gave it to a food pantry and kept only what they could actually use ... unless they were given a gift certificate or something.)

Also: I loved seeing the show offer an arcade video game. It had me putting together a game room prize package that had all the bells and whistles to it. In addition to the video game, you'd have to include the GA Systems home soda fountain, the computer bar from Leisure Products, maybe one of the many pinball machines the show offered (via CA Robinson), the Murrey & Sons pool table, the Brunswick air hockey table, a 3-in-1 game table, a Seeberg stereo jukebox (along with 200 45 RPM singles) and the Jorges game carpeting. That would have been quite a prize package if you ask me!

But that's the fun of watching these 1970s TPiR shows ... putting together your own showcases and/or prize packages, thinking about everything that was available back then and so much more.

Glad to have seen this episode.

Brian