1973-1978 syndie "Concentration" questions
Brian Rathjen
Okay, I guess the WOF questios I had asked were a little too tough to
answer, but that's I guess alright.
Maybe these questions, about the mid-70s syndie version of Concentration
(not the NBC show which aired from 1958-1973) would be easier for
someone out there to answer.
€What kinds of cars were offered for a bonus round win? I've seen a
picture in the Game Show Encyclopedia (the 1987 version, not the newer
2nd edition) from c. 1974 where a Chevrolet Vega was offered, and
another where the Ford Maverick could be had. I've also heard rumors
that more upscale cars (e.g., the Chevrolet Malibu Classic) were offered
as well.
€Were the "gag" prizes (i.e., the joke pair of glasses, the frying pan,
the coat hanger) intermixed with the regular assortment of trips, furs,
furniture, artworks, etc. and FORFEIT and TAKE cards, or were they
deleted by this time and just regular prizes/FORFEITs/TAKEs on the
board?
€What was the rules concerning useage of TAKE cards. Was it similar to
the 1958 Concentration, or Classic Concentration of the late-80s?
€Where is a copy of the book about Concentration the TV Series
available? I've been always wanting to get my hands on one, and I'd
imagine this discusses all versions of the show, including Classic
Concentration.
Remember, I have NEVER seen this show (it would probably be more correct
to say, I don't remember seeing this show), so please take that into
consideration.
Thank you kindly.
Don Del Grande
Brian Rathjen <bdra...@demian.sau.edu> wrote:
>Maybe these questions, about the mid-70s syndie version of Concentration
>(not the NBC show which aired from 1958-1973) would be easier for
>someone out there to answer.
I'll assume you're talking about the Jack Narz version.
>What kinds of cars were offered for a bonus round win? I've seen a
>picture in the Game Show Encyclopedia (the 1987 version, not the newer
>2nd edition) from c. 1974 where a Chevrolet Vega was offered, and
>another where the Ford Maverick could be had. I've also heard rumors
>that more upscale cars (e.g., the Chevrolet Malibu Classic) were offered
>as well.
I must have been asleep when they gave away something other than the Vega.
Since they could (and did) give away two cars on a show, I doubt that
"upscale" cars would be given away.
>Were the "gag" prizes (i.e., the joke pair of glasses, the frying pan,
>the coat hanger) intermixed with the regular assortment of trips, furs,
>furniture, artworks, etc. and FORFEIT and TAKE cards, or were they
>deleted by this time and just regular prizes/FORFEITs/TAKEs on the
>board?
There were no gag prizes in that version.
>What was the rules concerning useage of TAKE cards. Was it similar to
>the 1958 Concentration, or Classic Concentration of the late-80s?
The same as the "1958" version - all takes were the same "color"; you had
to take the prize immediately; if your opponent had no prizes at the time,
that was too bad for you. (Same kind of thing applied to "forfeit one
gift" matches. I think each round had 10 prizes, 4 Take cards, 4 Forfeit
cards, and 2 Wild Cards - BTW, the bonus for "matching" the two Wild Cards
was $500 instead of the car as used on the early NBC version (but unlike
Classic Concentration, the prize was yours to keep even if you lost the
game and couldn't be taken by your opponent).
(And since you never saw this version of the game, here's another thing
about it: if time ran out during the second round, they went to a "buzz in
and solve" system, but rather than reveal one square at a time and then
read clues, they revealed the entire puzzle at once and just played
background music until someone buzzed in and solved it. If the first game
lasted so long that they couldn't start a second game, both contestants got
a chance to win $50 by solving a puzzle within 10 seconds.)
---------------------------------------------------
Don Del Grande, del_...@ix.netcom.com
Weeknights at 7:30 - Dealer's Choice, TPIR, Concentration, The New Treasure
Hunt, Name That Tune - those were the days
alpha...@aol.com
In article <5bos76$i...@insosf1.netins.net>, Brian Rathjen
<bdra...@demian.sau.edu> writes:
>€What kinds of cars were offered for a bonus round win? I've seen a
>picture in the Game Show Encyclopedia (the 1987 version, not the newer
>2nd edition) from c. 1974 where a Chevrolet Vega was offered, and
>another where the Ford Maverick could be had. I've also heard rumors
>that more upscale cars (e.g., the Chevrolet Malibu Classic) were offered
>as well.
Lotsa Vegas and Chevettes.
>€Were the "gag" prizes (i.e., the joke pair of glasses, the frying pan,
>the coat hanger) intermixed with the regular assortment of trips, furs,
>furniture, artworks, etc. and FORFEIT and TAKE cards, or were they
>deleted by this time and just regular prizes/FORFEITs/TAKEs on the
>board?
There were no gag prizes.
>Remember, I have NEVER seen this show (it would probably be more correct
>to say, I don't remember seeing this show), so please take that into
>consideration.
The set was rather compact, so to make up for it, G/T installed mirrors
ALL OVER the back of the set (where the car rested). Because of this, in
certain shots of Double Play, you could see many of the stage hands and
production staff.
And Concentration took advantage of whatever TPiR music they could get
their hands on.
"I didn't give ANOTHER illegal clue did I?"
--Dick Martin on Password Plus
Chris Holland
alpha...@aol.com
chrish...@juno.com
alpha...@aol.com
In article <01bc0512$28207fe0$1e3d...@loop.loop.com>, "Randy Amasia"
<ran...@loop.com> writes:
>You think the set was compact?! The studio (Metromedia Studio
>2, now Fox) itself was dinky! If you put everyone who ever
>attended a GSC in to that studio, you'd be in violation of fire
>regulations! (N.B., that's also the asme stage where they shot
>Barker's "T or C" during the 70s.)
I said it's more than compact, it's "rather compact". In answer to his
question, a munchkin Chevette took up too much space on the set. If they
pulled a 75 Caprice in there, they would never get it out, and there would
be no room for a game.
Charles Donegan
alpha...@aol.com wrote:
>And Concentration took advantage of whatever TPiR music they could get
>their hands on.
Yep; the bonus game win cue was actually a TPiR "cheap car" cue, and
the prize music was actually TPiR "showcase" music.
Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")
Steve Leblang
The show was quite similar to the version which had just ceased
production in NYC a few months earlier...resplendent with 70s G-T touches.
.
Mechanical 30-square board...though I think the squares were motorized
instead of relying upon stagehands...color scheme was reversed from NYC...
darker (red with yellow inserts and red numbers) front board and lighter
background (light blue) rebus...contestant area fairly similar to NYC and
prize list identical...even the typeface...only significant difference
was a buzz-in with expanded logo face used whenever time was running out
in a second or third game. To keep each episode self-contained, there
were always at least two bonus rounds per day, so last game of the day,
if necessary, was
"accordionized" to accommodate
Bonus game was "Double Play"--solve two rebuses out loud within 10
seconds. First was usually easier, second a tad more difficult. $100
extra for solving one puzzle, the car for solving both. You've already
heard what kind of car...generally lower-end TPiR prizes in the 3-4 grand
range, with TPiR music to introduce it (under Johnny O's classic VO) and
same music used when they won...
Hope this helps...this is, obviously, one I saw more than my share of SL
Randy Amasia
Chris Holland concentrated and wrote:
>
> The set was rather compact, so to make up for it, G/T
installed mirrors
> ALL OVER the back of the set (where the car rested). Because
of this, in
> certain shots of Double Play, you could see many of the stage
hands and
> production staff.
You think the set was compact?! The studio (Metromedia Studio
2, now Fox) itself was dinky! If you put everyone who ever
attended a GSC in to that studio, you'd be in violation of fire
regulations! (N.B., that's also the asme stage where they shot
Barker's "T or C" during the 70s.)
--
Randy Amasia
Team Gates
-----
Keeper of the un-celebrity Whew! official rules page
http://www.geocities.com/~randy_amasia/whewrulz.htm
-----
"It's a lot like playing the violin
You can not start off and be Yehudi Menuhin"
Dave Mackey
Charles Donegan (Cyber...@worldnet.att.net) wrote:
: alpha...@aol.com wrote:
:
: >And Concentration took advantage of whatever TPiR music they could get
: >their hands on.
:
: Yep; the bonus game win cue was actually a TPiR "cheap car" cue, and
: the prize music was actually TPiR "showcase" music.
Not all of it. While there was some overlap in the music for both shows,
Edd Kalehoff wrote some very nice prize music cues for "Concentration"
that were never heard on "TNPIR." Some were beautiful, some extremely
funky. They were all great. The car cue for "Concentration" is still
heard on "Price".
Incidentally, on the earliest episodes of "Concentration" the music plays
slower than normal. It sounded like it was pitched down a whole step.
Eventually they fixed the music so it was played in the key that Mr. K.
composed it at.
It's times like this I get to reminiscing about "Concentration" and wish
it wasn't in such a rights tangle so we could all see it again.
--
dma...@raven.cybercomm.net Dave Mackey
All Unsolicited E-Mail Of A Commercial Nature Is Ignored
http://www.cybercomm.net/~dmackey
call...@aol.com
In article <5bqqsv$k...@usenetz1.news.prodigy.com>, BCB...@prodigy.com
(Steve Leblang) writes:
>.contestant area fairly similar to NYC
Except the prize board (a listing of prizes behind the contestants and the
host that was virtually identical in all three versions) did not contain
the new challengers upon the crowning of a champion and the exit of the
losing player. This, if I recall correctly, was how the new player was
introduced in the 1958-73 version, amidst an organ fanfare. (No need,
since two new players were introduced at the top of every show.)
Must have gotten very stuffy waiting in there (stand in your bedroom
closet for five minutes to get a feel for it).
-- Curt Alliaume
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"One morning Egor Samba awoke from uneasy dreams to find himself
transformed into a gigantic Volkswagen."
Michael O'Donoghue, from "How to Write Good."
I'd tell you more about it, but suddenly I am run over by a truck.
Brian Rathjen
I take it, then, that no "returning" champions were used for the
1973-1978 syndie "Concentration."
Michael Kotler
>Brian Rathjen <bdra...@demian.sau.edu> wrote:
>>Maybe these questions, about the mid-70s syndie version of Concentration
>>(not the NBC show which aired from 1958-1973) would be easier for
>>someone out there to answer.
>
>
> the bonus for "matching" the two Wild Cards
>was $500 instead of the car as used on the early NBC version
I remember that quite clearly on the NBC version in the early 1970s.
I think it was in between the two rounds that the host would go into
this monologue:
"When ya call that double Wild Card, whether you win the game or not,
what you _do_ win is a Nova Coupe by Chevrolet." Fade to the exact
same film every time, of a Nova driving down a dead-straight 2-lane
road while the host does the voice-over. Usually, after the film
clip, the sliding louvered doors (from which the contestants had
emerged) were suddenly closed!
I also remember that the show's music consisted almost exlusively of
pipe organs, similar to the kind you hear at a hockey game. IIRC, the
closing theme was such that it got the studio audience to applaud in
rhythm.
And who remembers "The Envelope" specials? These appeared to last for
two days each, in which the host would bring in an envelope with a big
question mark on it at the beginning of each show (but not opened and
read until the end of the second show). "The Envelope" was also a
prize on the board -- whenever it was called you'd hear a
"ding-ding-ding-ding-ding..." sound. That same bell also cued the
host to grab a smaller envelope from some huge, horizontal,
transparent barrel filled with envelopes, a barrel slightly
foreshadowing of the Bowling for Dollars Pin Pal barrel.
(Any further info on The Envelope and what all that stuff meant would
be much appreciated).
----------------------------------------------------
Michael E. Kotler
mek...@radix.net
Meowmtmla
Correct...they were stand-alone episodes...
Meowmtmla
And that music that accompanied the Nova plug was a reconstituted opening
of "Shall We Dance" from "The King and I"...
C319Chris
Ted Cooper, Mark Bowerman and Ira Skutch have told me stories about
syndicated Concentration. It was done on the slimmest of budgets and was,
I think, the only post-sixties G-T show where Ted himself was the scenic
designer. He updated the color scheme and type faces, colorized the
puzzles, hung a "Concentration" sign over the set, put up those reflective
Mylar panels and designed the Double Play area. The rest of it was the old
NBC set lock, stock and barrel. Originally two identical game boards were
shipped from New York, but one was cannibalized for parts. The old
Concentration game board was always motorized; each wedge had a motor and
solenoid inside, and three holes in a plate attached to the top of the
wedge. When activated, the solenoid would retract from the hole, the
motor would turn and the solenoid would re-engage in the next hole to keep
it in position. Ted and Ev Penn designed a completely new controller for
the board.
Ted also devised the Head Start feature in which four prizes were revealed
prior to each game. This device was more than a strategic aid for the
contestants; it guaranteed that at least four fee items would be plugged
for each game, thus defraying the prize budget (in the old days, if those
prizes weren't won they would never be plugged and the fee never
collected).
Dave Mackey is right about the music. It was composed for Concentration I
think by Sheila Cole and probably entirely performed by Edd Kalehoff and a
percussionist. All there is is synthesizer, bass guitar, percussion and
some kind of chimey thing.
Somebody once told me that the syndicator Jim Victory had the rights to
that version of Concentration and engaged the services of G-T to produce
it. At some point the rights must somehow have reverted to NBC.
C319Chris
>Edd Kalehoff wrote some very nice prize music cues for "Concentration"
that were never heard on "TNPIR."
You sure that wasn't Sheila Cole?
Do you know the name of the chime-like instrument used on that and a lot
of the other G-T shows? It's usually played glissando-style.
Dave Mackey
C319Chris (c319...@aol.com) wrote:
: NBC set lock, stock and barrel. Originally two identical game boards were
: shipped from New York, but one was cannibalized for parts. The old
: Concentration game board was always motorized; each wedge had a motor and
: solenoid inside, and three holes in a plate attached to the top of the
: wedge. When activated, the solenoid would retract from the hole, the
: motor would turn and the solenoid would re-engage in the next hole to keep
: it in position. Ted and Ev Penn designed a completely new controller for
: the board.
I've always been intrigued by the mechanics of the "Concentration" game
board. I think that during the syndie run they reworked the motors because
the cubes started turning much faster one day. The fact that they made two
game boards probably harkens back to the late 1950's when daytime "C" and
primetime "C" were produced in two different places.
More later.
Dave Mackey
Dave Mackey (dma...@cybercomm.net) wrote:
: C319Chris (c319...@aol.com) wrote:
:
: : NBC set lock, stock and barrel. Originally two identical game boards were
: : shipped from New York, but one was cannibalized for parts. The old
: : Concentration game board was always motorized; each wedge had a motor and
: : solenoid inside, and three holes in a plate attached to the top of the
: : wedge. When activated, the solenoid would retract from the hole, the
: : motor would turn and the solenoid would re-engage in the next hole to keep
: : it in position. Ted and Ev Penn designed a completely new controller for
: : the board.
:
: I've always been intrigued by the mechanics of the "Concentration" game
: board. I think that during the syndie run they reworked the motors because
: the cubes started turning much faster one day. The fact that they made two
: game boards probably harkens back to the late 1950's when daytime "C" and
: primetime "C" were produced in two different places.
:
: More later.
It's hard for me to do my messages in the morning because there is so
little time. I have one more reminisce of the syndicated "Concentration."
And it had to do with a slight mishap with the game board.
Generally, Jack and contestant would cross over to the Double Play board,
and in the midst of that, the puzzle board (which had shown the complete
rebus) would reset to show the 30 numbers. One day during the cross, the
puzzle board appeared to make some sort of grinding noise. The audience
tittered as the puzzle board suffered a major hiccup -- the solenoids
Chris spoke of obviously didn't kick in and all 30 of the squares were in
random patterns. It was a mess and Ira Skutch got a nice shot of the
hopeless game board. Everything was back to normal by the time Game 2
began.
"Classic Concentration" with its Dubner video system didn't have half the
charm of that creaky old game board.
Albert J. Martella
I really appreciated Chris' comments on this great show.
I wonder how many on the group remember the last season where it wasn't
guaranteed that you would play for the car. In the Double Play area
they would put a mini-board with 9 boxes and you kept picking numbers
until you made a match. That would determine your prize.
Jack Narz, Johnny O, the set and music were all great!
Here's to the "game of puzzle and prizes, Concentration!"
Al
gen...@ix.netcom.com
On 22 Jan 1997 10:28:55 GMT, c319...@aol.com (C319Chris) wrote:
>The old Concentration game board was always motorized; each wedge had a
>motor and solenoid inside, and three holes in a plate attached to the top
>of the wedge. When activated, the solenoid would retract from the hole,
>the motor would turn and the solenoid would re-engage in the next hole to
>keep it in position. Ted and Ev Penn designed a completely new controller
>for the board.
I'd be interested in knowing more about the construction of the Concentration
board and the controller:
* What were the measurements of a frame?
* How were the thirty frames mounted?
* How were the graphics attached to the faces of the frames? (The numbers were
permanent; but prizes and rebus pieces had to be easily changed. Which brings us
to:)
* Additionally, how were the puzzles and prizes changed quickly enough between
games?
* What kind of switches were found on the control panel? (Each position on the
board had to swivel 120 degrees at a time, in either direction. They had to be
able to reveal the entire rebus at once; then, before setting up for the start
of a new game, they had to be able to bring all positions to the number side at
once.)
Any other info you have on this, I'd appreciate it if you'd share. (Does this
sound totally wacky??? I'm considering building a working model of the board.)
-- Geno
(6 days to 40) =:-O
Michael Kotler
On Wed, 22 Jan 1997 15:09:49 GMT, gen...@ix.netcom.com wrote:
>
>I'd be interested in knowing more about the construction of the Concentration
>board and the controller:
>* How were the graphics attached to the faces of the frames? (The numbers were
>permanent; but prizes and rebus pieces had to be easily changed. Which brings us
>to:)
>* Additionally, how were the puzzles and prizes changed quickly enough between
>games?
>* What kind of switches were found on the control panel? (Each position on the
>board had to swivel 120 degrees at a time, in either direction. They had to be
>able to reveal the entire rebus at once; then, before setting up for the start
>of a new game, they had to be able to bring all positions to the number side at
>once.)
I remember -- at least on the Hugh Downs version -- that after the
contestant guessed the rebus, the host asked to see the entire puzzle
to explain the solution. Shortly after that, in fact, just as the
winner was taken to the Double Play area, you could hear all the
blocks turning back at once to the numbers-out position. This was
done, presumably, (a) to restore the board to a more pristine look in
the background, and (b) to give the stage hands a chance to reload the
blocks from the back.
However, while the rebus could easily be loaded from the rear with the
numbers facing out, wouldn't the prizes have had to be loaded
sideways? Either that, or was the fourth, unused side of the blocks
facing out during the commercial -- or were there numbers on that side
perhaps? (not likekly, IMHO, since that would have made the mechanism
more complicated than it had to be.)
>Any other info you have on this, I'd appreciate it if you'd share. (Does this
>sound totally wacky??? I'm considering building a working model of the board.)
>
Anyone have any surviving home games? If so, how did they work?
Chris Clementson
In <32e82b80...@nntp.ix.netcom.com> gen...@ix.netcom.com writes:
>
>I'd be interested in knowing more about the construction of the
Concentration board and the controller
>
>* How were the thirty frames mounted?
numbers were
>permanent; but prizes and rebus pieces had to be easily changed. Which
brings us
>to:)
>* Additionally, how were the puzzles and prizes changed quickly enough
between
>games?
>* What kind of switches were found on the control panel? (Each
position on the
>board had to swivel 120 degrees at a time, in either direction. They
had to be
>able to reveal the entire rebus at once; then, before setting up for
the start
>of a new game, they had to be able to bring all positions to the
number side at
>once.)
>
(Does this
>sound totally wacky??? I'm considering building a working model of the
board.)
Well, if you're -really- serious about building a model of the
Concentration board, you could start by calling Mark Goodson
Productions in L.A. and asking for a fellow named Mark Bowerman. He's
a terriffic guy - tell him I gave you his name - and that you're
curious as to whether any plans or drawings for the old board still
exist. For that matter, the actual board itself may be sitting in a
warehouse God-knows-where. If no plans exist, Mark could describe the
general design and operation of the board and controller to you.
If you build a model board, it has to *sound* like the old board!
I imagine the controller could make each wedge turn either clockwise or
counterclockwise. When a contestant picked a number, the wedge would
turn clockwise until the solenoid engaged in the next hole. If there
was no match, the two wedges would turn in the opposite direction. If
there was a match, the wedges would make another clockwise turn to
reveal the puzzle pieces. The tricky part is that when a puzzle was
solved, all of the wedges showing numbers would have to turn
counterclockwise, while all of the wedges showing puzzle would have to
stay put. Viewed from the back, the wedges swivelled on vertical
shafts.
I think the reason there were two boards is that in New York, two
boards were loaded before each show. Between games the first board was
wheeled away from the opening in the set wall and the second, loaded
board wheeled in. At one point during the Hollywood run, someone
apparently decided the wedges turned too slowly and needed to turn
faster. I imagine the voltage to the motors was increased in an effort
to increase the swivel speed, with the result that during one show,
while attempting to turn all 30 squares at once, the motors drew too
much current and tripped a circuit breaker. The wedges all stopped in
mid-swivel.
Mark Bowerman
**Concentration Game Board - There were a total of three, the first
built in New York when NBC produced the original run. Mark Goodson got
involved later when the rights to produce the show were purchased by GT.
The show was moved to California and two faster boards were built by Ev
Penn, a designer and builder of now obsolete electro-mechanical devices.
The original N.Y. board was retired after the basic design had been
duplicated and slightly improved.
**The trilons were controlled from a console layed out to geographically
match the game board with three switches for each trilon. One switch
rotated left, one rotated right and the 3rd took the trilon to its home
or number position. There was also 3 master buttons which rotated ALL
trilons on the board, one button for right, one for left and one to take
all trilons to their home position in the shortest path. Each trilon was
composed of the following elements. 1> a rotating base plate with motor
and solenoid mechanism attached. This portion also supported the
permanently attached number facet of the trilon. 2> a wedge shaped,
removable "frame" which held both the prize/match card and the rebus
card. This "frame" made up the last two sides of the trilon and clipped
onto the base assembly. The prize/match card and the rebus card were
loaded in advance of the game (their were 6 sets of "frames" in rolling
cases) These elements were then supported by a shaft running
vertically. A plate, with a gear that engaged the gear on the motor and
three locking holes in it, was attached to the shaft under each trilon.
The trilons had bearings which connected the trilons to the shaft.
When current was applied to any one of the trilons the solenoid withdrew
its spring loaded plunger from a locking hole in the shaft plate
allowing the trilon to rotate. At the same time a micro switch closed
applying current to the motor which rotated the trilon in the desired
direction. As soon as the current was applied to the motor, current was
switched off to the solenoid so its plunger would engage in the next
locking hole in the shaft plate stopping rotation of the trilon. When
the solenoid engaged in a hole, it switched the current off to the motor
completing the cycle.
There was a reason two boards were built when the show came to
California. They were (as was the New York version) a maintenance
nightmare. This speed of rotation combined with the weight of the
trilons caused the machine to tear itself apart constantly.
**The sad news is that none of these game boards exist any longer. In
storage for a long time they were finally demolished in the late 80's.
When Classic Concentration came along it was decided to execute the
board in video rather than what would have been one of the most
expensive game boards ever to be built. Much debate was had internally
at GT (Mark Goodson Productions by then) but technology and budget won
in the end. If any drawings exist (they did at the time of the AATV
purchase of MGP, I know because I cataloged them for AATV and they
resided in my office for many years before the purchase) All American is
in possession of them if they didn't throw them away.
Hope this is a help or least interesting.
Michael Kotler
A few extra memories from the two "Concentration" series.
-- After a match, and showing of "...two more parts to our puzzle...",
Jack Narz used to say the exact same words each time: "Tell us what it
says" <pause> <Bahh-ahh>,"It is still your turn". Hugh Downs would
just causally say something like "Any ideas?" The latter made a lot
more sense, IMHO; afterall, is it not a tad ludicrous to ask someone
what the puzzle says after just the first two squares are shown -- and
when they're both blank besides? (I never actually saw anyone try to
guess the puzzle when there was little or no information revealed;
indeed, I am hard-pressed to recall _anyone_ trying to read the puzzle
until they had it right. Presumably it didn't cost them anything or
their turn if they got it wrong, unlike, say, taking a
shot-in-the-dark on Wheel of Fortune.)
-- The NBC version used to present the loser (and presumably the
winner as well) with a number of consolation prizes, including the
home game and the Concentration "Puzzle Book". What did this puzzle
book contain, if not merely some rebuses?
-- On the NBC version, they closed the closet (entry) doors during the
Nova plug. However, once in a blue moon, they actually showed us the
doors closing. Narz would say "Let's play Concentration", and a short
musical number played, followed by a crude (but neat) audio simulation
of the doors locking. (email me, if, by remote chance, you'd like a
.wav file of me attempting to emulate that sound.)
-- Speaking of the NBC doors, anyone know how they got the prize names
on those louvers so quickly? I understand that there was probably a
quick stage hand or two back there, (on a par with the answer card
handlers on the old Jeopardy!), but the transfer that took place on
uneven levels during a forfeit or a take seemed much too swift for
human hands.
-- Who remembers, on the NBC version, the special pair of episodes
called "The Envelope" that they ran periodically. This ranks right up
there with the Storybook Squares special on the Hollywood Squares
(though I think those ran for a week at a time) BTW, since "The
Envelope" ran for two shows, this may have been the only exception to
the rule of standalone shows. (It was at the end of the second show
that one of the contestants opened and read the contents of the
envelope).
-- My first encounter with the word "brief" was from the NBC version.
During the "we will continue..." reminder, the announcer always said
"Concentration will (be back) after this... brief... word."
-- When I first saw the syndie version, I used to wonder why there
were so many cars on stage. I eventually realized that there was only
one car there -- the entire area was mirrorred! The reflective
surface was a sort of copper color, IIRC, so the "adjacent cars"
(reflections) appeared to be colored differently.
-- Once, on the syndie, some super-contestant won both games in record
time. They then started (but didn't finish) a third round in which
they did something unique: all the prizes were for cash ...but in
foreign currency values. After each number was called he'd say
something like "10,000 lire, from Italy"
-- The syndie version had an interesting musical theme, especially
with that glockenspiel/chime thingy. However there was one really
unusual note in the song; it was a sort of low pitched "beep" whose
sole purpose appeared to be to remind you that the song was about to
resume the main chorus.
-- Finally, is it not interesting that two popular shows -- Jeopardy
and Concentration -- both centered around a rectangular board of 30
squares arranged 5x6? I might add that both were ultimately revived
in video format, albeit one far more popular than the other, and both
hosted by Trebek!
Brenda and Myron M. Meyer
Michael Kotler wrote:
<snip>
>
> -- The NBC version used to present the loser (and presumably the
> winner as well) with a number of consolation prizes, including the
> home game and the Concentration "Puzzle Book". What did this puzzle
> book contain, if not merely some rebuses?
If it's the book I'm thinking of, the one they released during classic
concentration), it had a bunch of rebuses, and pictures and a history of
the show. A bunch of copies just showed up at a second-hand bookstore
here in Atlanta (price less than 5.00, if I remember right), if anyone
needs me to play dealer for them.
Cordially,
Myron M. Meyer
(not Brenda, who worries about MY concentration sometimes.)
Dave Mackey
Mark Bowerman <art...@primenet.com> wrote in article
<32F064...@primenet.com>...
> **The trilons were controlled from a console layed out to geographically
> match the game board with three switches for each trilon. One switch
> rotated left, one rotated right and the 3rd took the trilon to its home
> or number position. There was also 3 master buttons which rotated ALL
> trilons on the board, one button for right, one for left and one to take
> all trilons to their home position in the shortest path.
I would assume that this was the switch that revealed the puzzle after it
had been solved by a contestant (or in the speed up round). Not every
square needed to turn at this point, only those that were on square
numbers. After that one of the master switches would take the entire board
around one rotation to reveal the 30 numbers.
Thanks for your informative post and welcome to ATGS, Mark! I do have a
question for you. On "Super Password" you were credited as "Associate", but
Associate WHAT? ;)
--
dma...@raven.cybercomm.net / Dave Mackey
http://www.cybercomm.net/~dmackey
I have removed my address from the message
header to combat unwanted E-mail from spammers &
solicitors.
bma...@mail.sgi.net
Dave Mackey wrote:
>
> Thanks for your informative post and welcome to ATGS, Mark! I do have a
> question for you. On "Super Password" you were credited as "Associate", but
> Associate WHAT? ;)
Whoa! Somebody else from "Super Password" joins us! Hey, Mark, mind if I
ask you some "Super Password" questions sometime?
The Beatmaster
James D. Baines, Sr.
Michael Kotler wrote....
>Jack Narz used to say the exact same words each time: "Tell us what it
>says" <pause> <Bahh-ahh>,"It is still your turn". Hugh Downs would
>just causally say something like "Any ideas?" The latter made a lot
>more sense, IMHO; afterall, is it not a tad ludicrous to ask someone
>what the puzzle says after just the first two squares are shown -- and
>when they're both blank besides? (I never actually saw anyone try to
>guess the puzzle when there was little or no information revealed;
>indeed, I am hard-pressed to recall _anyone_ trying to read the puzzle
>until they had it right. Presumably it didn't cost them anything or
>their turn if they got it wrong, unlike, say, taking a
>shot-in-the-dark on Wheel of Fortune.)
I remember one guy who solved a puzzle after revealing only pieces on
NBC's Classic Concentration. One piece was complete white, while the
other barely showed an apple core. The contestant threw out a wild
guess of "Night Court." Bells sounded, the audience gasped, and the
entire puzzle was revealed to show a knight, the aforementioned core,
+ T. The contestant covered his mouth in surprise, while Alex Trebek
said he did it because his opponent would demand a saliva test.
+====================================================================+
|\ Jim Baines bai...@maine.maine.edu M M
|/ Orono, Maine, U.S.A. MM MM
\ |\ University of Maine Class of 1989 M MM M
\|/ GO BLACK BEARS! M M