Post by pakman on Mar 22, 2019 13:36:49 GMT -5
I'm returning to season 14 for yet another recap! This comes from English Countryside Week, which aired April 7-11 in 1997. I have two episodes from this week, and the first one I'll be recapping is Monday's show.
My copy of this episode doesn't start until after the first contestant makes the first spin, so I'm unfortunately lacking contestant introductions.
Ellen
Bryan
Khatusha (a side note that I have no idea how to spell her name, since the quality on my tape is pretty bad and I can't read her name tag. This is my best guess)
Round #1
Category: Event
_ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Ellen drew #1, so she spins first and is able to pick up $250 on a solitary R. But Pat tells her not to say anything, because that LOSE A TURN is staring her in the face. Frustrated, Ellen actually smacks the podium. She then starts yelling, “Already?!” Pat asks her if she’s aware how much the podium costs and claims that it’s Naugahyde, but Ellen just keeps yelling, “But already?!” Pat tells Bryan it’s his turn, and replies, “If you think it’s safe,” to which Pat replies that he believes it is.
_ _ _ _ _
_ R _ _ _ _ _
Bryan gets on the board with $300 on a solitary S, but he can’t cash in on $250 because there are no T’s.
S _ _ _ _
_ R _ _ _ _ _
Khatusha’s up next, but she pauses for a second before calling a random J for $900, which she doesn’t get.
S _ _ _ _
_ R _ _ _ _ _
We’re back to Ellen, but her turn is short-lived as she hits BANKRUPT. Pat tries to calm her down while Ellen smiles in exasperation, points to the wheel and says, “This isn’t funny.” The host assures her they still have a long way to go and Ellen says, “Oh well, that’s life.”
S _ _ _ _
_ R _ _ _ _ _
Bryan spins again and gets $800 on a single N. But he doesn’t cash in on $700 because of a dud C.
S N _ _ _
_ R _ _ _ _ _
Khatusha fairs much better on her second go, picking up $550 on a K, then picking up the SURPRISE by finding a solitary P.
S N _ _ K
P R _ _ _ _ _
Khatusha decides that she’s going to solve SNEAK PREVIEW. She’s very happy for her win and screams in excitement, then asks if it was fun. Pat says it was, even though he can’t hear out of his left ear before saying he doesn’t need to. She won just $550, but Charlie details her surprise, which is MARILYN MONROE MEMORABILIA. Specifically, it’s a framed check signed by Marilyn Monroe from back in 1948, and includes a photo of Marilyn striking a classic photo. This unique prize is worth $5,750.
After her prize is revealed, a smiling Khatusha tells Pat, “I prefer diamonds, but let’s get another one!” Pat then remarks, “Was that check made out to cash? I didn’t see.”
Ellen - $0
Bryan - $0
Khatusha - $6,300
Round two is about to begin, but first Charlie has a prize to share. It’s a cooking package with beef provided by Omaha Steaks. The meat is hand-trimmed, naturally aged and flash frozen. Along with the steaks comes a “barbecue center” complete with a grill, rotisserie and side burner from the Robert H. Peterson Company. The package is worth $3,916.
Round #2:
Category: Artist/Song
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ ’ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _
_ _ _ / _ _ _ _
Bryan goes first in round two and is able to pick up $1,400 by correcting guessing two T’s for $700 each. He then hits the shiny blue $2,500 wedge and cashes in thanks to a solitary S. He ends up buying the first vowel of the game, a solitary A, before hitting $600 and doubling his money with two H’s. The next spin nets him $500 on a single C. Bryan buys three E’s and spins again, but he can’t get $500 again because of a dud R.
E _ T _ _ / _ _ H _ ’ S
C A _ _ _ E / _ _
T H E / _ _ _ _
Khatusha then hits some bad luck on her first spin of the round by landing on LOSE A TURN.
E _ T _ _ / _ _ H _ ’ S
C A _ _ _ E / _ _
T H E / _ _ _ _
As for Ellen, her luck is finally turning around. She lands on the COOK OUT package and picks it up thanks to two L’s. She spins again and is able to cash in on $250 thanks to five N’s.
E L T _ N / _ _ H N ’ S
C A N _ L E / _ N
T H E / _ _ N _
Ellen’s ready to solve this thing and happily calls ELTON JOHN’S CANDLE IN THE WIND. Her cash total of $1,250, plus the COOK OUT package, gives Ellen a nice second-place total of $5,166.
Ellen - $5,166
Bryan - $0
Khatusha - $6,300
Round three is the Jackpot round, and with a tight race between first and second, that could make all the difference.
Round #3
Category: Place
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Current leader Khatusha spins first and picks up $550 on a single T, followed by $500 on a solitary S. She then lands on JACKPOT, which it might be too early for, but we won’t find out because Khatusha guesses a dud M.
_ _ S _ _ _
_ _ _ T _ _ _ _
Ellen gives it a shot and gets $600 on an R. She doubles $550 thanks to two L’s, then decides to buy two O’s. Ellen gets $400 thanks to a solitary G, then the JACKPOT appears again. Ellen seems nervous, but is able to find a single B. Pat asks her if she wants to try to solve the puzzle.
L _ S B O _
_ O R T _ G _ L
Ellen decides to go for LISBON PORTUGAL and is able to cash in on the $7,600 Jackpot. She starts hitting the wheel again, this time in excitement, which amuses Pat. Combining the Jackpot with her $1,850 in cash, that round was worth $9,450 for Ellen.
Ellen - $14,616
Bryan - $0
Khatusha - $6,300
As we head into round four, Ellen has the lead, while Bryan isn’t on the board yet. But the $5,000 space can change anything and everything.
Round #4
Category: Phrase
_ _ _ / _ _ / _ _ _
_ _ _ _ / _ _
_ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
Ellen gets to kick off the fourth round with $600, but can’t cash in thanks to a dud N.
_ _ _ / _ _ / _ _ _
_ _ _ _ / _ _
_ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
Bryan is looking to finally get on the board and while his first spin hits the lowest dollar amount of $250, he gets six T’s for his effort. With that money, he buys two O’s, then gets a C for $550. Bryan gets $1,800 by finding two R’s on $900, but fails to cash in on $250 with a bad D.
_ _ T / T O / T _ _
C R _ _ / O _
T _ _ / _ _ T T _ R
Khatusha gets $450 thanks to a solitary G, but that money is immediately taken back thanks to BANKRUPT. Khatusha sadly moans for her loss.
G _ T / T O / T _ _
C R _ _ / O _
T _ _ / _ _ T T _ R
Back to Ellen as she lands on $550 and doubles her haul with two H’s before finding a solitary F and getting $250. Ellen buys four E’s and a single A before spinning again and getting $250 off of an M. But she seems puzzled with only two letters left and buys a dud I.
G E T / T O / T H E
C R _ _ / O F
T H E / M A T T E R
Bryan appears confused by the puzzle too, so he buys the final vowel and gets a solitary U. He stands in silence and almost gets buzzed out before spinning, lands on bad luck with BANKRUPT and loses $3,350.
DING DING! DING DING!
But that sound means that time is running out, so Pat gives the wheel the final spin…and lands on $250.
G E T / T O / T H E
C R U _ / O F
T H E / M A T T E R
Khatusha – X
Khatusha then simply reads GET TO THE CRUX OF THE MATTER. Pat tells her he wishes he could’ve hit a larger number for her, but $250 is what she’ll take home.
Bryan wasn’t able to cash in on the fun, so he’ll be taking home some parting gifts. Before he leaves, though, he tells Pat, “I just want America to know that I’m not this dumb in real life.” Pat laughs and tells Bryan, “I’ve been trying to tell them that for 15 years.”
Ellen - $14,616
Bryan - $0
Khatusha - $6,550
Despite starting off on a bad note with Lose a Turn and Bankrupt, Ellen came through in the end and is tonight’s big winner with $14,616! She’ll be playing the Bonus Round!
She accompanies Pat as he and Charlie highlight the prizes that are available in this week’s Bonus Round. They include a Buick Riviera worth $34,000; a trip to Britain worth more than $29,000; a voyage aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2 worth $16,000; a trip to Australia and Tahiti worth $27,000; and of course the $25,000 cash.
Before the Bonus Round starts, Pat has a correction to make. He neglected to mention the show has a house minimum of $500, which Khatusha should have received since she only won $250. Her actual final score is $6,800, though it ultimately doesn’t impact the game.
W – H – E – E – L
Ellen picks the second E for “Ellen.” Why the second? Because it’s closer.
Bonus Round
Category: People
_ _ _ _ _ _
Pat asks for the R, S, T, L, N, E.
_ _ _ _ E S
A nervous-looking Ellen asks for M, C, D and U.
_ _ _ _ E S
“Oh, come on,” Ellen says when Vanna just stays put. Unfortunately, no letters are up there, so Ellen’s got her work cut out for the next 10 seconds. Ellen calls out pretty much everything she can, including BEARS, VIKINGS, RAMS, DUCHESS, PRINCE, QUEENS, KINGS. After the buzzer rings, Pat tells her they were actually looking for tiny people; BABIES. To add insult to injury, the $25,000 is in the envelope. Ellen says that’s okay, but Pat gives her permission to hit him, so she punches him in the shoulder. Still, Ellen gets to take home an impressive haul of $14,616, and she might be coming back on Friday.
Additional Notes:
- No vowels were bought in round one.
Category: Event
_ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Ellen drew #1, so she spins first and is able to pick up $250 on a solitary R. But Pat tells her not to say anything, because that LOSE A TURN is staring her in the face. Frustrated, Ellen actually smacks the podium. She then starts yelling, “Already?!” Pat asks her if she’s aware how much the podium costs and claims that it’s Naugahyde, but Ellen just keeps yelling, “But already?!” Pat tells Bryan it’s his turn, and replies, “If you think it’s safe,” to which Pat replies that he believes it is.
_ _ _ _ _
_ R _ _ _ _ _
Bryan gets on the board with $300 on a solitary S, but he can’t cash in on $250 because there are no T’s.
S _ _ _ _
_ R _ _ _ _ _
Khatusha’s up next, but she pauses for a second before calling a random J for $900, which she doesn’t get.
S _ _ _ _
_ R _ _ _ _ _
We’re back to Ellen, but her turn is short-lived as she hits BANKRUPT. Pat tries to calm her down while Ellen smiles in exasperation, points to the wheel and says, “This isn’t funny.” The host assures her they still have a long way to go and Ellen says, “Oh well, that’s life.”
S _ _ _ _
_ R _ _ _ _ _
Bryan spins again and gets $800 on a single N. But he doesn’t cash in on $700 because of a dud C.
S N _ _ _
_ R _ _ _ _ _
Khatusha fairs much better on her second go, picking up $550 on a K, then picking up the SURPRISE by finding a solitary P.
S N _ _ K
P R _ _ _ _ _
Khatusha decides that she’s going to solve SNEAK PREVIEW. She’s very happy for her win and screams in excitement, then asks if it was fun. Pat says it was, even though he can’t hear out of his left ear before saying he doesn’t need to. She won just $550, but Charlie details her surprise, which is MARILYN MONROE MEMORABILIA. Specifically, it’s a framed check signed by Marilyn Monroe from back in 1948, and includes a photo of Marilyn striking a classic photo. This unique prize is worth $5,750.
After her prize is revealed, a smiling Khatusha tells Pat, “I prefer diamonds, but let’s get another one!” Pat then remarks, “Was that check made out to cash? I didn’t see.”
Ellen - $0
Bryan - $0
Khatusha - $6,300
Round two is about to begin, but first Charlie has a prize to share. It’s a cooking package with beef provided by Omaha Steaks. The meat is hand-trimmed, naturally aged and flash frozen. Along with the steaks comes a “barbecue center” complete with a grill, rotisserie and side burner from the Robert H. Peterson Company. The package is worth $3,916.
Round #2:
Category: Artist/Song
_ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ ’ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _
_ _ _ / _ _ _ _
Bryan goes first in round two and is able to pick up $1,400 by correcting guessing two T’s for $700 each. He then hits the shiny blue $2,500 wedge and cashes in thanks to a solitary S. He ends up buying the first vowel of the game, a solitary A, before hitting $600 and doubling his money with two H’s. The next spin nets him $500 on a single C. Bryan buys three E’s and spins again, but he can’t get $500 again because of a dud R.
E _ T _ _ / _ _ H _ ’ S
C A _ _ _ E / _ _
T H E / _ _ _ _
Khatusha then hits some bad luck on her first spin of the round by landing on LOSE A TURN.
E _ T _ _ / _ _ H _ ’ S
C A _ _ _ E / _ _
T H E / _ _ _ _
As for Ellen, her luck is finally turning around. She lands on the COOK OUT package and picks it up thanks to two L’s. She spins again and is able to cash in on $250 thanks to five N’s.
E L T _ N / _ _ H N ’ S
C A N _ L E / _ N
T H E / _ _ N _
Ellen’s ready to solve this thing and happily calls ELTON JOHN’S CANDLE IN THE WIND. Her cash total of $1,250, plus the COOK OUT package, gives Ellen a nice second-place total of $5,166.
Ellen - $5,166
Bryan - $0
Khatusha - $6,300
Round three is the Jackpot round, and with a tight race between first and second, that could make all the difference.
Round #3
Category: Place
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Current leader Khatusha spins first and picks up $550 on a single T, followed by $500 on a solitary S. She then lands on JACKPOT, which it might be too early for, but we won’t find out because Khatusha guesses a dud M.
_ _ S _ _ _
_ _ _ T _ _ _ _
Ellen gives it a shot and gets $600 on an R. She doubles $550 thanks to two L’s, then decides to buy two O’s. Ellen gets $400 thanks to a solitary G, then the JACKPOT appears again. Ellen seems nervous, but is able to find a single B. Pat asks her if she wants to try to solve the puzzle.
L _ S B O _
_ O R T _ G _ L
Ellen decides to go for LISBON PORTUGAL and is able to cash in on the $7,600 Jackpot. She starts hitting the wheel again, this time in excitement, which amuses Pat. Combining the Jackpot with her $1,850 in cash, that round was worth $9,450 for Ellen.
Ellen - $14,616
Bryan - $0
Khatusha - $6,300
As we head into round four, Ellen has the lead, while Bryan isn’t on the board yet. But the $5,000 space can change anything and everything.
Round #4
Category: Phrase
_ _ _ / _ _ / _ _ _
_ _ _ _ / _ _
_ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
Ellen gets to kick off the fourth round with $600, but can’t cash in thanks to a dud N.
_ _ _ / _ _ / _ _ _
_ _ _ _ / _ _
_ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _
Bryan is looking to finally get on the board and while his first spin hits the lowest dollar amount of $250, he gets six T’s for his effort. With that money, he buys two O’s, then gets a C for $550. Bryan gets $1,800 by finding two R’s on $900, but fails to cash in on $250 with a bad D.
_ _ T / T O / T _ _
C R _ _ / O _
T _ _ / _ _ T T _ R
Khatusha gets $450 thanks to a solitary G, but that money is immediately taken back thanks to BANKRUPT. Khatusha sadly moans for her loss.
G _ T / T O / T _ _
C R _ _ / O _
T _ _ / _ _ T T _ R
Back to Ellen as she lands on $550 and doubles her haul with two H’s before finding a solitary F and getting $250. Ellen buys four E’s and a single A before spinning again and getting $250 off of an M. But she seems puzzled with only two letters left and buys a dud I.
G E T / T O / T H E
C R _ _ / O F
T H E / M A T T E R
Bryan appears confused by the puzzle too, so he buys the final vowel and gets a solitary U. He stands in silence and almost gets buzzed out before spinning, lands on bad luck with BANKRUPT and loses $3,350.
DING DING! DING DING!
But that sound means that time is running out, so Pat gives the wheel the final spin…and lands on $250.
G E T / T O / T H E
C R U _ / O F
T H E / M A T T E R
Khatusha – X
Khatusha then simply reads GET TO THE CRUX OF THE MATTER. Pat tells her he wishes he could’ve hit a larger number for her, but $250 is what she’ll take home.
Bryan wasn’t able to cash in on the fun, so he’ll be taking home some parting gifts. Before he leaves, though, he tells Pat, “I just want America to know that I’m not this dumb in real life.” Pat laughs and tells Bryan, “I’ve been trying to tell them that for 15 years.”
Ellen - $14,616
Bryan - $0
Khatusha - $6,550
Despite starting off on a bad note with Lose a Turn and Bankrupt, Ellen came through in the end and is tonight’s big winner with $14,616! She’ll be playing the Bonus Round!
She accompanies Pat as he and Charlie highlight the prizes that are available in this week’s Bonus Round. They include a Buick Riviera worth $34,000; a trip to Britain worth more than $29,000; a voyage aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2 worth $16,000; a trip to Australia and Tahiti worth $27,000; and of course the $25,000 cash.
Before the Bonus Round starts, Pat has a correction to make. He neglected to mention the show has a house minimum of $500, which Khatusha should have received since she only won $250. Her actual final score is $6,800, though it ultimately doesn’t impact the game.
W – H – E – E – L
Ellen picks the second E for “Ellen.” Why the second? Because it’s closer.
Bonus Round
Category: People
_ _ _ _ _ _
Pat asks for the R, S, T, L, N, E.
_ _ _ _ E S
A nervous-looking Ellen asks for M, C, D and U.
_ _ _ _ E S
“Oh, come on,” Ellen says when Vanna just stays put. Unfortunately, no letters are up there, so Ellen’s got her work cut out for the next 10 seconds. Ellen calls out pretty much everything she can, including BEARS, VIKINGS, RAMS, DUCHESS, PRINCE, QUEENS, KINGS. After the buzzer rings, Pat tells her they were actually looking for tiny people; BABIES. To add insult to injury, the $25,000 is in the envelope. Ellen says that’s okay, but Pat gives her permission to hit him, so she punches him in the shoulder. Still, Ellen gets to take home an impressive haul of $14,616, and she might be coming back on Friday.
Additional Notes:
- No vowels were bought in round one.
- It's kind of humorous looking at Ellen and Bryan's faces in round four when Khatusha finally solves the speed-up puzzle. Both of them have looks on their face that say, "Oh, why didn't I think of that?!"
- I do not have the Friday Finals from this week recorded, but I did watch it when it aired. If my memory is not mistaken, Ellen did in fact return on Friday, but I can't remember how well she did.
And that's the first episode from English Countryside Week! I've got one more episode from this week to recap, and I'm fairly certain it's the Tuesday show. I'll recap that one either later today or tomorrow.
