Huh? What? Where? Damn! It's January 21 already?!
Me, at roughly 6:30 pm this evening, loading this up online...
"Hmm... 'Great Games'.. Yeah.. 'Exciting Prizes'.. Yep... Wait a second. There's someone in the front row in a green shirt, I've seen him somewhere before. And sitting next to him is some woman wearing a black hat and a Madonna shirt... I have that very same shirt. And I have a hat just like....."
WHATWHATWHAAAAAAT?!?!?! Excuse me while I keep myself from falling out of my chair.
Now? Today? This wasn't supposed to air until January 21... It was even on the board that Chuck paraded around the studio with... January 21, 2008.
Oh boy. I wasn't prepared for this at all. I didn't get up to tape this. I wasn't even prepared to post about this... I suppose the next time I go to a taping and it's supposed to air a little over a week later, I should expect it to air that same night?
Well, too late now. The cat is out of the bag, and it's time to talk about Chuck's Grand Finale.
Triple Play: This one started off so well, too... Cobalt? Easy, take the $14,000... Vibe? Low $18,000's, another easy one...
Oh boy. It's the Escape hybrid. I kept going between the last two choices, before thinking "I dunno. $24,921 seems a little high. Go with $23!"....
I guess it wasn't too high after all. Sorry.
Cliff Hangers: Before discussing the game itself, let me give a little background on Yvonne. Yvonne did pretty much spend the whole show shaking. Drew tried to do his best to get her to relax - first with humor, then by standing next ot her in Contestant's Row during a break and talking to her. No such luck.
But, thanks to him talking to her, we did find out that Yvonne works at a nursing home, caring for Alzheimer's patients. Needless to say, the minute she said that, she had one huge fan sitting in the front row.
At first, I was relieved to see her get to play something nice and easy, like Cliffy. Unfortunately, while a win, it was a rather nervewracking one, with Hans getting a little close to the top for comfort...
I would've personally gone $25, $30, $45 on this, but heck, a win is a win - not like you get extra prizes or cash for keeping Hans back.
After Yvonne won and made her way back into the audience, I took both of her hands in mine and told her "Yvonne, my father has Alzheimer's, and I just want to say thank you for what you do. Bless you!" Yes, she was still shaking like a leaf, and I hope I didn't freak her out by doing that. But it just felt right. I feel that people who do that kind of work don't get thanked nearly enough - if it's even possible to thanked enough.
So, again, Yvonne: Congratulations. And thank you.
Check Game: My second time seeing this game in person - and wouldn't you know it.. I finally get to see someone who thinks that you write on the DISPLAY, and not the check.. Oh, boy!
I thought the trip was a bit more than it was, and would've won by a gnat's rear had I been playing ($2,000 even for my check).. Starcade was thinking $2,500, which worked out even better for the contestant.. Well, kind of. I mean, she's going to fly from Mississippi to Los Angeles to fly to New Orleans, then fly back to LA to fly back home?
Are you dizzy yet? I know I am.
Showdown #1: Eight trips to Mecca. Three $1,000 winners. Now if only I can finally see a $5,000 winner. Or $10,000 winner. Or $20,000 winner. Or $1,000,000 winner.....
2 For The Price Of 1: Wheeeee! It's time for another technical problem!
It all started off as routine: Robert gets up on stage, he and Drew go back to the door, Robert sees his prizes, Drew explains the rules, Robert asks for the second number as the freebie.
Drew asks them to light up the middle number...
He asks a second time...
He asks yet again...
The door starts closing.
Drew stares toward the doors and asks "What did I do wrong now?"
Nothing, of course. The darned number just wouldn't light up. So Robert sat there on the turntable (as we flashed "$579" at him with our fingers) while they worked on the game behind the closed door.
A few minutes later, they re-opened the door and edited out Drew's numerous attempts to ask for the second number. This time, with the set working properly, Robert went with $579, and won himself an ATV and a freezer.
Money Game: Yes, I was one of those suggesting Tristan take 44. Yes, I was wrong. Between how many times I've seen the last two numbers be 30-something or 40-something, and the fact 44 would've been the ol' front & back trick, I thought it was a good guess.
Not that 11 would've been a bad guess, either...
It did take some restraint to not yell something after he took 99, though. Yes, Gretzky rocks. And Mikan rocked. But Roger hasn't put the back of the car behind 90-something in 39 years!</Bob Barker>
Most Expensive: From the minute Rich described all three prizes, I was fairly sure it was the computer. Then I thought about my last to Mecca, where Most Expensive had a computer as one of the three prizes (in fact, it was the most expensive) and thought "You WOULDN'T do that again, would you Roger?... Yeah, you would. You're not going to fool me again.
"
Well, sure enough, I was yelling for #3. Michael was yelling for #3... Sadly, she took #2.
D'OH!
Showdown #2: Yes, I was one of the people urging Alyssa to spin again at 65. Sadly, that didn't work out either..
Showcases: A lot of us got a real kick out of the Priceleones.. Nice work, Stan..
I was more than a little shocked that Robert passed Showcase #1.. Like Laura, I too thought $26,000 would be a good bid on her Showcase...
I was not one bit surprised to see Robert's Showcase consist of furniture and a trip. And of course, unlike the last time, Laura wasn't clearly over, so considering bailing out with a $1 bid wouldn't work...
I was shouting to go with $16,700.. And, of course, in a mirror of my prior taping, he went a couple hundred less than I suggested, by bidding $16,500 - which I still thought was pretty good.
Michael got a look at Roger after Robert bid, and told me Roger was sitting there, his arms on the desk, and his head leaning over his arms. I heard that and thought "Uh oh. Either we have another painful DOB, or...."
Naw. No way. I mean, a DSW? During Chuck's final show? After all, the first time I went to a taping and came across Chuck - and the Legend Of Chuck was born, Vickyann became part-owner of CBS... What are the odds of another DSW to close out Chuck's time as a page?
Lightning never strikes twice in the same place, after all.
Then again, two prior tapings where Chuck was working.. We got Vickyann's DSW... We got Dennis' painful reverse-DSW. So two tapings, two insanely close Showcase bids...
Well, with the Showcase prices about to be revealed, I knew one thing: We were in for some excitement, one way or another..
When Drew led off by revealing the price of Laura's Showcase, I was even more convinced that Robert was insanely close. At $2,675 away, she was in fairly good shape.. But how good? Because needless to say, his bid was the one I most anxious over...
Drew starts off by saying that "the actual retail price of your Showcase is... Sixteen thousand", and it's time for deja vu all over again, as Yogi Berra used to say... I'm standing there thinking "Don't be over... Don't be over..."
I heard Drew up until he said "six"... I couldn't hear anything else he said after I started screaming. I didn't hear Drew say "forty four" - not that it mattered of course...
Lightning had just struck twice in the same place, after all. And, what a fitting way to close out Chuck's stint as The World's Greatest Page.
After the show closed, we went over to shake hands with Robert (as we had with all of the contestants throughout the show). He actually hugged the both of us, genuinely thrilled over his big day.
Congratulations, Robert!
As everyone started to file out, we got another chance to shake hands with Roger, where he again thanked us for coming. Michael brought up his reaction to Robert's bid, and The Dob said "Well, we are slightly over budget..."
Whoops.
Well, with that said, I think it's safe to say I now only have three more chances to be a contestant on the show. Why?
Taping #4: DSW.
Taping #8: DSW.
Which means I am sure I will receive a lifetime ban (for betting on baseball?) after taping #11, because Roger surely knows that if I come back a twelth time, there'll be yet another DSW to blow up the budget..
I'm teasing, of course.
Though, I'm sure Roger will run for the hills if he ever comes out to see Chuck and I there at the same time.
All in all, another very special day. Some great contestants, a lot of fun, a DSW, and of course... CHUCK! CHUCK! CHUCK!
The best news of all, of course, is that since it's now January 21, 2008, I have another 11 months to go until Christmas. How was the 2007 Christmas show?
Edit: As far as the enthusiatic audience today? Of course. We had Chuck (Chuck! Chuck! Chuck!), and Starcade, and Maddy. Get the three of us in there, and you can bet on sixty minutes of noise - especially since you'll have two mouths who will go at full volume the whole time.
Even Jeff knows we don't need to "save it for the show".
Seriously, though.. Chuck worked the crowd all day... Rich did his usual great job on the warmup.. And by the time the cameras started rolling, everyone else turned the ignition (finally) and showed a great deal of energy and enthusiam as well.
I do hope we can see this kind of energy more often... Maybe that means I need to go more often? Live there, perhaps? I'm sure they have a nice, comfy bed in the warehouse? Lots of Little Debbies and Campbell's soup and Hot Pockets... Maybe one of the models has the same sized feet I do?
