The Game Show Thread!

[All My Shadows]

IMO, Double Dip should work kinda like WOF's Free Spin. The first time the contestant gets an answer wrong, the Double Dip automatically comes into play and they must answer correctly the second time around in order to continue playing.

I don't even know what they're going for with the "experts." I remember for Real Housewives week, the "expert" was the creator of the RH shows.

Tattletales was one of my GSN favorites! I love the early, early episodes the best, when it wasn't so much a Newlywed Game rip-off. Instead of the simple "ask questions, see if they match answers" format, it was more complex. Bert would read aloud a subject like "Our first date" or "Our worst vacation," and the first spouse to ring in would tell a story in relation to the subject, and then he/she would come up with a one word hint. Then the partners off stage would show up on the videos, Bert would read the subject and the hint, and if the correct partner rung in and told the same story as his/her spouse, they won the money. The Newlywed Game style questions were called Tattletale Quickies and would be played between rounds.

I don't think I understand your question. NG didn't do anything separately, the husbands were all asked their questions at the same time, and then the wives came back and were asked all at the same time.

[DRW50]

AN INSIDE LOOK AT TATTLETALES

Bert Convy: The Man with the Questions

by Debra Nencel

My thanks go to Alexander Graham Bell (and more recently Ma Bell) for giving me the opportunity to have a delightful chat with Bert Convy, the tall, dark and handsome (cliched adjectives but definitely true!) host of "Tattletales." It was over the telephone wires that I asked the questions and Bert very willingly - and with a great dash of humor - supplied the answers.

One of the first things I wanted to know was how a "nice boy like him" (or more rightly, a talented Broadway actor) ended up the host of this rather unique game show. Bert was quick to answer.

"It is funny you should ask. While I was doing 'Cabaret' in New York I was asked to do 'To Tell the Truth' and they asked me I would be a steady panelist on it and I said, 'sure.' And then I went on to 'What's My Line' and did that for 5 years. [When] I came out to California...they came to me and asked if I would like to host a game show. First of all I said, 'no,' I didn't have the time and I thought it would ruin my career as an actor. So one of my agents, who is a very bright fellow, told me to talk to them. He told me not just to say no without listening. So I talked to them, I said if I do this you will have to make it worth my while; you are going to have to make me very rich. They then told me good-bye...and I said good-bye. Then one night I literally got a call backstage from Darryl Hickman in New York, who is a programming executive who runs daytime TV for CBS. He said, 'Do you really want to do this show?' And I told him not for anything less than my terms. And he said that was all he wanted to know. He called back a few days later and opened up negotiations. And i got it. So as a result, instead of ending my career it made it happen. And I love doing the show."

I then commented it looked very easy. Bert quickly corrected my thinking.

"It's not as easy as it looks, believe me. You have to understand there are no scripts or cue cards, just me out there running the show. So everything is in your head, and what I really am is a straightman for these people. And there are straightmen...and there are straightmen. You either know how to do it or you don't...A lot of actors can't do it because they are used to working from a script. But I spent 15 weeks a year in nightclubs, so I can do it. I think if there was a script it wouldn't be as much fun...or as good."

My conscious raised (regarding game show hosting), I then proceeded on with the interview. I was very curious about Bert's conception of "Tattletales" and his role as this game show's host.

"It's a comedy show more than a game show. There is no money involved to speak of. The audience gets all the money, and the most anybody can walk out of there with is about $12. If you are lucky and are there for three shows, and your section of the audience wins, you may come out with about $30."

How does he sees his role as the host? Bert responded, "We do the show for entertainment. What I am really, what it amounts to, is a host of a talk show. That is really what it is. And that is how I look at it. And that is how we play it."

What's an average workday for Bert like? He filled me in.

"...I get to the studio at 3:00 p.m. I go to makeup from 3 to 3:15 or so. Then I go into my dressing room with the producer and director and read over the questions, just once, and then we go out and start. We do two half-hour shows back-to-back, with a ten minute break in between, with one audience. Then we take an hour and a half break for dinner, and come back and do three shows in a row, with ten minutes in between each. And that's it, we do five shows. I get in there at 3 and I'm finished at 8:30 in the evening."

Humor anyone? Well I thought so and I proceeded to interject a question which I hoped would bring a humorous anecdote from Bert...and I was right. Bert didn't let me down when I asked him, "What was the most outrageous remark or incident that happened on 'Tattletales'?" He laughed, then said it was probably the time Patty Deutsch was on the show with her husband Donald Ross. The question was "Who is the sexiest woman you have ever met?"

"...The men went off and I asked Patty [the question] and she said, 'Gee, I don't know, he's met so many terrific lady stars, I don't know, I guess the most appealing out would be Dinah (at the time Donald was writing the Dinah Shore Show) - she's a terrific lady.'"

The men came back and Bert asked Don the question.

"So Don, who was the sexiest lady you ever met?and he said, 'my first wife!' Well Patty just turned purple! We had a divorce right on the air! It was unbelievable, it was not dirty - but boy was it something! I tell you, it was like he just hit her in the mouth. It was incredible. The audience took a huge intake of air. I've told people we had no divorces, but two near numbers on the air - and this was one of them. It was wild!"

When he is not doing "Tattletales," Bert is far from idle. He leads a very hectic life and he loves it that way. "I'm a workaholic; I find that the more I do the more energetic I become." He proved this point by telling me about his recent schedule. He had just finished shooting two films back-to-back, for ABC. The first one was "Love Boat II" which was shot on a cruise ship going to Mexico; the second one, which started shooting the day the first one ended, was called, "Flight of the Maiden." Bert described this film as an "Airport"-like saga which takes place in 1984 and is centered on the flight of an SST.

Was this the end? No way! The next item on Bert's agenda was a flight out to Dallas, Texas where he was to begin filming "Semi-Tough." After that it will be on to Las Vegas, where in April he will be appearing at the Sahara Hotel with Totie Fields.

It is quite a hectic schedule, but as Bert said before, he loves every minute of it.

Before bringing the interview to an end, I asked Bert one final question: "Do you have anything to say to readers of our magazine?" Bert responded thusly, "Keep watching 'Tattletales' and root for me, because we need your help. We need the help of those who read and those who watch."

[SFK]

There's a Tattletales on YouTube with CBS soap stars, Marj Dusay and Todd Curtis from Capitol, Marla Adams and I forget from Y&R, and a couple from ATWT.

[bellcurve]

That sounds like a great use for Double Dip. People waste their Double Dip lifelines on weaksauce questions though.

The experts were WAY better when they did the Millionaire events in primetime.(i.e. Ken Jennings, George Stephanopolus, Connie Chung, etc.)

So all the questions for The Newlywed Game were asked off-camera?

[SFK]

Sometimes I like to imagine what kind of ass I would kick if my Phone-a-Friend fucked up like some them on there do. I would recruit a couple of the super smart nerds from high school who I wasn't even friends with and insist that they camp out on Google until they got the message that my game was over. Some people don't even try, and one poor kid was kinda *special* one episode, I think he had a touch of the Aspergers, he had very interesting manic energy and he called his poor brother as a phone a friend who was even WORSE THAN HIM! The poor guy was having a heart attack, breathing all hard as he tried to look up the answer. Time ran out.

Meredith needs to polish her fake-outs. I loved one ep when the audienc clapped when they thought the contestant got it right and Meredith's all, "See, this is why it's bad to clap, actually that is NOT the right answer...*boo-duh-duh-doooooommm*"

[All My Shadows]

Nooo...I think I'm confused

Tattletales:

The couples come out, shake hands with their rooting sections, the women go off stage, the men take their place on the stools. Bert says hello to the men, all of the women appear on the video screens to make sure the audio/video equipment is working right and for Bert to greet them. Bert poses the first question to them all at once, then screens go black. Bert asks the first man for his answer, then his wife/girlfriend/whatever's screen comes on and she gives her answer. Repeat for the other two. Once the woman's screen comes back on to answer the question, it stays on until the round is over.

Newlywed Game:

The couples sit together, then the women go back stage during the first commercial break. Bob asks the men the questions, they give their answers, then the women come back and sit with the men. Bob asks the women for their answers to the questions, and they compare answers to the men. Repeat for the second round.

[All My Shadows]

The last episodes of Pyramid that Dick ever hosted - the final two episodes of the original $100K - are airing tomorrow and Friday on GSN! Or next week. I'm not sure lol They're at the very end of the run, so it should be soon.

They're showing the very last tournament from this run right now, and my god, Henry Polic II is a freak! On yesterday's episode, for the clue "Things that tinkle," his clue was "A little boy's pee pee." And today, it's "Things that are supported," and he goes "Your breasts." The poor contestant goes "Things that are small!?" And then Henry says, "An athlete's privates!!"

[SFK]

LMFAO! We were talking about him a few months back on another forum I post on. Someone was saying how he was giving a clue for Cosby and was like, "The new black show..." *Awk-ward*

He was one of Betty White's celebrity friends when she was on Family Feud.

I can't believe Mary said "a little boy's peepee." *DEAD!!!*

If he had said Webster's peepee, just go ahead and shovel the dirt over me.

[All My Shadows]

LOL! I'm glad he didn't say Webster's peter. I can just hear the contestant. "Little black things!!" They always say "black" in that way like they're desperately trying to say, "I'm saying black, but I'm NOT RACIST!!"

Whenever it's a dreaded "people" category during the regular game, whenever it's someone like Bill Cosby, the general script is...

GIVER: He's on a very popular sitcom...

RECEIVER: Ted Danson! John Ritter!....Michael J. Fox!

GIVER: He's black!

RECEIVER: Bill Cosby!!!

On a different note, I'll never forget the episode that made me hate Mary Cadorette. The category was popular TV shows (or something like that), and one of the answers was Dynasty, so her clue was "Ew...that thing with Alexis." I wanted to strangle her.

[SFK]

LOL! Not that Joan would be watching *such drivel* but can't you imagine her eyes getting all big and choking on her champagne? "Who is this heffa'??"

[alphanguy74]

While wer'e on this subject, I have GOT to find that pyramid episode where Michael Corbett has to give clues to "things that are stiff" or soemthing similar. I remembr it being HILARIOUS, but cna't remember exactly what he said.. but it referred to the male organ, I remmeber THAT. He was on with Beth Maitland that week, and after the commercial break, she said "We know alot more about Michael, don't we?" She was a riot.

[All My Shadows]

LOL

Speaking of Joan, I wish I could catch her on Match Game. She was on for a week in 1975, and I can only imagine her type of sense of humor blending in with the regular panelists' And of course, La Dickson was on a few weeks before her, and I must see that as well.

MTS has been on 25K this week, and she's doing good. Plays with real effort, unlike some people. I love Ria, but when she did it a few years ago, she was just too cool for the freaking room.

[alphanguy74]

Melody does play with alot of effort, and she was on quite a few times... I think 4 or 5 over the years. Terry Lester was great at it, too. With tyhat "things that are supported" category, Vicki Lawrence used "Sagging breasts" as the perfect clue, and it worked like a charm. I remember fondly the episode where in the first round, "Orgy" came on as the word that Maureen Reagan had to describe... her little conservative eyes just about popped out of their sockets! but one of my all time faves is the infamous Didi Conn winner's circle. I LOVE how she just dances around with euphemistic language and then says "To hell with it" and lets go with the right clue. And wiht her little girl voice saying it.. PURE COMEDY:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImNrQjif9sY

[bellcurve]

Leave it to ABC/Disney to destroy Millionaire. Here's an account of a test taping from someone who was there:

http://regisfan.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=hostedbymeredithvieira&action=display&thread=634&page=1

The clock is one of the few things I thought worked effectively that kept the game moving. I don't want to see contestants talking their way through questions and being annoying.

Double Dip was also a great lifeline. It sucks that that is no longer there.

I don't like the concept of this "banked" Money Tree. It just makes it into a completely different gameshow(IMO) and I really hope Ludia doesn't add these new rules into the game or delay the release of Millionaire on Wii for them. I'll be watching for the new rules, but it sounds completely asinine to me.

Also, the Matthew Strachan score is one of the biggest reasons why I like watching Millionaire. The music and stings are so dramatic and fun and the way he worked the cues into the "clock" format were really great too. If that is gone(as this poster suggests), I'm not sure how long I will want to stick around to watch it.

[DRW50]

Do the UK and the US have the same producers? I read that the UK version, which has been declining for years, recently had a revamp.

http://www.tv.com/story/23577.html