Post by pakman on Mar 16, 2019 17:01:33 GMT -5
Trying my hand at my first recap! I'm a longtime lurker on this forum, but I decided to join so I could recap all the episodes in my fairly extensive collection!
My first recap attempt is from Best Friends Week in 1996. I believe this to be the Wednesday episode, which, based on the wiki, is likely the November 6, 1996 episode.
My copy cuts off the majority of the contestant introductions, but otherwise it's nearly 100% intact.
Tonight's competing best friends are as follows:
Kim Anne & Melanie
Joe & Aurelia
Sten & Michael. They've known each other for 25 years and even dated the same girl when they were teenagers. There's an awkward moment when Pat asks for the story behind that and Sten says "Lydia was a fully-developed eighth-grader." Pat then awkwardly says, "I think the question segment has ended. Let's move on to the game portion of our program."
Round #1
Category: Event
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Kim Anne and Melanie drew #1, so they're off first. Their first spin lands on $600 and they correctly guess two R's. They hit $600 again on their next spin and do even better after finding three N's. The best friends buy an E and get three of them, but don't get to cash in on $400 due to a dud G.
_ E N - _ E _ R
_ _ _ _ _
R E _ N _ _ N
_ _ _ _ _
R E _ N _ _ N
Joe and Aurelia are up next and they hit it big by landing on the $1,000 space. Joe calls an S, and there are two of them, doubling their money. Aurelia is jumping up and down with excitement.
_ E N - _ E _ R
_ _ _ S S
R E _ N _ _ N
_ _ _ S S
R E _ N _ _ N
Aurelia says she wants to solve and goes for TEN-YEAR CLASS REUNION, which nets her and Joe $2,000.
Kim Anne & Melanie – $0
Joe & Aurelia – $2,000
Sten & Michael – $0
Joe & Aurelia – $2,000
Sten & Michael – $0
Round two is about to begin, but first Charlie has a prize to add to the wheel. It's a vacation to Palm Springs, California. The winner will stay at the historic Ingleside Inn and get to dine at Melvyn's restaurant. The total package is worth $4,200.
Round #2
Category: Where Are We?
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Fresh off their first round victory, Joe and Aurelia get to spin first. They get $600 from a single R, but it's taken right back after the pair hits a BANKRUPT. Joe cringes, but Aurelia says "That's alrighty!"
_ _ _ R _ / _ _ _
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_ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _
Sten and Michael get their first shot at the wheel. They land on $250 and get four N's, giving them $1,000 right off the bat. They land on $250 again and find two S's in the puzzle. They buy a solitary A, but fare much better after they buy an E, since there are a whopping seven of them in the puzzle. $250 appears to be their lucky number as they hit the space again and correctly guess two T's. It's $250 once more when the pair finds three H's, adding $750 to their total. After buying two O's, they finally hit a new dollar amount - $300 - and cash in thanks to a solitary L. The best friends then land on the PALM SPRINGS trip and pick it up thanks to four W's. They buy the last vowel in the puzzle, revealing three I's. But their luck runs out after they hit LOSE A TURN.
W H E R E / T H E
W I N _ / _ O _ E S
S W E E _ I N’ / _ O W N
T H E / _ L A I N
W I N _ / _ O _ E S
S W E E _ I N’ / _ O W N
T H E / _ L A I N
Kim Anne and Melanie try their luck and successfully call two D's on $500. They spin again and get two P's after landing on $250.
W H E R E / T H E
W I N D / _ O _ E S
S W E E P I N’ / D O W N
T H E / P L A I N
W I N D / _ O _ E S
S W E E P I N’ / D O W N
T H E / P L A I N
Despite Pat's best efforts at coaxing another spin out of them, they decide to solve, and correctly guess WHERE THE WIND COMES SWEEPIN' DOWN THE PLAIN. They have $1,500, but Pat reminds them that the category is Where Are We? and they can get an extra $2,000 if they can identify the place the puzzle is referring to. Unfortunately, neither of the best friends appears to be musical savvy, as they guess Utah instead of the actual state, OKLAHOMA.
Kim Anne & Melanie – $1,500
Joe & Aurelia – $2,000
Sten & Michael – $0
Joe & Aurelia – $2,000
Sten & Michael – $0
Before starting round three, Pat reminds contestants that whoever wins the Bonus Round on Friday Finals will win a "super prize;" an $18,000 trip to Hawaii. The package includes a pair of Klein bicycles, which Charlie briefly describes.
Round three is the Jackpot round tonight, and Pat tells contestants that people have been landing on it and winning it a lot lately, so let's try to do it again tonight.
Round #3
Category: Things
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_ _ _ _ _ _ &
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_ _ _ _ _ _ &
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Sten and Michael, who are currently in third place with no money, start off the round. Sten says they're ready to go, and calls for the JACKPOT. He gets his wish and does a little dance, which causes Pat to chuckle and reveal, after a single S is called, that Sten and Michael can win $5,000 if they solve the puzzle right now. Sten, saying he wasn't really clear on that, spins again. They land on $600 and cash in on a single T. The JACKPOT strikes again, but this time there's a dud H, so they can't even try to solve the puzzle.
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ S
_ _ T _ _ _ &
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ S
_ _ T _ _ _ &
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Pat must have jinxed the wheel, as Kim Anne and Melanie hit the JACKPOT for the third time this round. While there is an R in the puzzle, the best friends are nowhere close to getting a solution. They spin again, but BANKRUPT out.
_ _ _ _ _ R
_ _ _ _ _ S
_ _ T _ _ _ &
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_ _ _ _ _ S
_ _ T _ _ _ &
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Joe and Aurelia's luck isn't much better, as they also hit BANKRUPT.
_ _ _ _ _ R
_ _ _ _ _ S
_ _ T _ _ _ &
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_ _ _ _ _ S
_ _ T _ _ _ &
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Sten and Michael give it another go and actually land on $600, which they get thanks to an L. They buy an E and get three of them, but fail to cash in on $250 after calling a dud P.
_ _ _ _ E R
_ L _ _ E S
_ _ T _ E _ &
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_ L _ _ E S
_ _ T _ E _ &
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It's a break for Kim Anne and Melanie as they hit the biggest dollar amount on the wheel, $3,500. And they're in luck, because there are five N's in the puzzle. "Where's my computer?" Pat asks as the letters are revealed. With their newfound cash, the best friends buy two O's and two I's before spinning again. They hit $250 and get some of their vowel money back thanks to two C's. With that extra money, they buy the two remaining vowels and get a single A and a single U. Their next spin almost lands on BANKRUPT, but they're able to hold on to $500, which they get $1,500 from thanks to three G's.
G I N G E R
C L O _ E S
N U T _ E G &
C I N N A _ O N
C L O _ E S
N U T _ E G &
C I N N A _ O N
That last spin was too close for comfort, so they decide to solve GINGER CLOVES NUTMEG & CINNAMON. Pat tells them to scream after they solve, and rightfully so, as the $18,500 they won that round has catapulted them into the lead.
Kim Anne & Melanie – $20,000
Joe & Aurelia – $2,000
Sten & Michael – $0
Heading into the fourth round, Kim Anne and Melanie have a commanding lead, while Sten & Michael still have no money. As we come back from commercial, Pat says they don't have a lot of time for the fourth round, so he'll give the wheel a final spin. He'll ask for a letter, and if it's in the puzzle, contestants have five seconds to solve it. Vowels are worth nothing, while consonants are worth $300 apiece.
Joe & Aurelia – $2,000
Sten & Michael – $0
Heading into the fourth round, Kim Anne and Melanie have a commanding lead, while Sten & Michael still have no money. As we come back from commercial, Pat says they don't have a lot of time for the fourth round, so he'll give the wheel a final spin. He'll ask for a letter, and if it's in the puzzle, contestants have five seconds to solve it. Vowels are worth nothing, while consonants are worth $300 apiece.
Round #4
Category: Proper Names
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& _ _ _ _ _ _
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Kim Anne & Melanie – 3 T’s
Joe & Aurelia – 1 R
Sten & Michael – 1 J
Kim Anne & Melanie – 1 N
Joe & Aurelia – No S’s
Sten & Michael – 1 H
Kim Anne & Melanie – 2 L’s
Joe & Aurelia – 1 W
Sten & Michael – 1 C
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& _ _ _ _ _ _
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Kim Anne & Melanie – 3 T’s
Joe & Aurelia – 1 R
Sten & Michael – 1 J
Kim Anne & Melanie – 1 N
Joe & Aurelia – No S’s
Sten & Michael – 1 H
Kim Anne & Melanie – 2 L’s
Joe & Aurelia – 1 W
Sten & Michael – 1 C
J _ C _ / L _ _ _ _ N
& W _ L T _ R
_ _ T T H _ _
& W _ L T _ R
_ _ T T H _ _
Sten & Michael ask to solve before calling out JACK LEMMON & WALTER MATTHAU. They get $900, and while they got third place, they don't seem too disappointed, with Pat telling Sten he loves him and the two embracing (though Michael tells Pat not to hug him).
Kim Anne & Melanie – $20,000
Joe & Aurelia – $2,000
Sten & Michael – $900
With a two-round total of $20,000 even, Kim Anne and Melanie are heading to the Bonus Round!
In Bonus Land, Pat tells the best friends that there are four prizes left. They include a pair of cars, an annuity, a trip to the West Indies, and of course $25,000 cash (the fifth prize, a Mall of America shopping spree, was won earlier in the week).
Bonus Round
Category: Thing
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Pat asks Vanna for the R, S, T, L, N, E.
_ _ _ _ R _ _ _ _
"Thanks heaps," he tells his co-host, as he asks Kim Anne and Melanie for three more consonants and a vowel. They go with C, M, D and A.
_ _ _ _ R A _ _ _
Unfortunately, their choices proved unsuccessful. They spend their entire 10 seconds in complete silence and don't even make a single guess. The letters just weren't there, and they weren't able to write a happy ending to their BIOGRAPHY. Pat tells them at least they don't have to kick themselves, since that was a tough one. While they weren't able to visit the WEST INDIES, they don't seem too disappointed to be taking home $20,000 in cash.
And thus is my first recap! I kind of looked around a bit and borrowed from other recaps I'd seen, so I hope this looks okay.
