Post by pakman on Jul 23, 2020 10:34:18 GMT -5
We’ve reached the penultimate day of Ultimate Adventures Week, where, oddly, nobody was won an Ultimate Adventure. Could that change today? Let’s find out!
Preview Puzzle
Category: Phrase
_ _ S S / A N D / T E _ _
For once, Pat actually knows the Preview Puzzle, saying KISS AND TELL was an easy solution. Way to go, Pat!
Dan Cain is from La Mesa, California. He is in the Navy, specifically the Seabees, and has served for 13 and a half years. He is married to his wife Joan, and in his free time he loves going bass fishing.
Ralph DeLuca is from Massapequa Park, New York. He works as a network technician for the largest phone company in the United States, and is married to his wife Nancy, who is in the audience. He has a unique hobby where makes granite etchings (mostly pets, but he can also do other designs).
Kathryn Yateman is from North Hollywood, California. She is a massage therapist, a poet, and performs in a band called Indira. She’s also into astrology and working out. Pat tells her he’s a Scorpio and doesn’t believe in astrology, and Kathryn tells him that she’s also a water sign, which means they’ll get along.
Round one’s winner could become $3,000 richer, because it’s tonight’s Puzzler Round.
Round #1
Category: Place
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
Dan starts off by asking if he can get a T and he’s in luck because there are two of them for $300. He fares even better after landing on $600 and finding three S’s. Dan decides it’s vowel time, finding four O’s and one E before spinning again. He’s racking up more money as he finds two R’s for $500, but hits a wall when he calls a dud H on $300.
S _ O R T _ _ _
_ O O _ S
S T O R E
Ralph’s turn is short-lived after calling a bad L for $600.
S _ O R T _ _ _
_ O O _ S
S T O R E
Kathryn fares better, finding a P for $500, then an N on the same $500 space. She decides to buy a vowel, but calls a repeated E, which she realizes right after she’s buzzed. (The audience is dead silent during this whole moment, which makes it really awkward)
S P O R T _ N _
_ O O _ S
S T O R E
Dan takes a look at the puzzle and realizes he doesn’t need to spin and can solve SPORTING GOODS STORE as it is. He’s on the board with $2,900, and tells Pat, “That’s not a bad start!” He can add even more, though, if he successfully solves the Puzzler.
Puzzler Round
Category: Things
_ _ C K E _ _
Unfortunately the Puzzler puzzles Dan, as he stands in complete silence until the buzzer rings, meaning he can’t solve RACKETS and win the extra money.
Dan - $2,900
Ralph - $0
Kathryn - $0
Almost time for round two to start, but before that happens, Charlie needs to introduce the first prize of the game. It’s a Sony home entertainment system featuring WebTV, which allows the viewers at home to play along with the show from the comfort of their living room. The prize totals $3,528.
Pat says he’s waiting for the Alley McBeal game.
Round #2
Category: Clue
_ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ / _ _ ’ _
_ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Ralph begins to cash in on this massive puzzle by successfully calling four S’s worth $900 apiece, then immediately buying five E’s. He’s able to quadruple his $400 spin by finding four T’s, followed by a purchase of five I’s. But he spins too hard and just barely slides past the $10,000 space and hits the left BANKRUPT, losing $4,700.
_ / _ E _ _ E T _ I _
_ I _ _ _ E / _ _ / I T ’ S
_ / _ E _ _ _ S S I _ _
I _ S T _ _ _ E _ T
Kathryn picks up right where Ralph left off, getting three N’s for $550, followed by a quick purchase of two A’s. She does even better with $800, calling five R’s. (Pat remarks, “It looks like an explosion in a Scrabble factory!”) With her large cash haul, Kathryn buys three U’s, then has a much more successful spin than Ralph, actually stopping on the $10,000 prize! Even better, there is a single P in the puzzle, so she can pick up the prize, which she actually kisses before setting it down in front of her. Now’s a good a time as any for her to buy the final vowel, three O’s. Two C’s double $600, then she doubles $300 with two M’s.
A / _ E O M E T R I C
_ I _ U R E / O R / I T ’ S
A / P E R C U S S I O N
I N S T R U M E N T
Kathryn initially reaches for the wheel, then pauses for a quick second before deciding to solve this massive puzzle, revealing A GEOMETRIC FIGURE OR IT’S A PERCUSSION INSTRUMENT. She solves that for $6,400, plus the $10,000 prize…but she’s still not done, because she can also win $3,000 if she can tell Pat what that is. It takes her no time to yell out TRIANGLE, adding even more money to that massive total. Kathryn and Pat have a little tug of war with the $10,000 space, with Kathryn and Pat each claiming it’s theirs. Pat says she’ll get the cash, but if she really wants, they’ll let her keep the wedge. She settles for the cash, meaning in just one round, Kathryn has won an astonishing all-cash total of $19,400.
Dan - $2,900
Ralph - $0
Kathryn - $19,400
As we get ready to start the Jackpot Round, Charlie lets us know that tonight, it’s brought to us by Toaster Breaks from Hot Pockets. There’s also a new Ultimate Adventures prize being added to the wheel; it’s a trip to Bali! The winner of this prize will stay at the Mata Hari Beach Resort and Spa, a 5-star hideaway with breathtaking views. The grand total is $6,300.
Round #3
Category: Phrase
_ _ _ / _ / _ _ _ _
_ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ ?
Kathryn limbers up before her first spin, which gets her $600 for a single R. Her next spin doubles $550 with the help of two N’s, but as quickly as she got that $1,700, she loses it to the BANKRUPT. Kathryn takes a deep breath and says that’s okay.
_ _ N / _ / _ _ _ _
_ / R _ _ N / _ _ _ _ _ ?
Dan’s first spin since round one helps him earn $300 with a T, but his next $300 spin isn’t as successful due to a dud S.
_ _ N / _ / T _ _ _
_ / R _ _ N / _ _ _ _ _ ?
We’re back to Ralph, who has good luck with $300 because there are three C’s in the puzzle. He cheers for the JACKPOT, but he’ll have to settle for $800, which he doubles with two K’s. But he’s clearly happy with his next spin, which nets him $3,500 on a single H.
C _ N / _ / T _ K _
_ / R _ _ N / C H _ C K ?
There are no more consonants, but Ralph is fine with that, because he’s able to solve CAN I TAKE A RAIN CHECK? without any vowel assistance. He's on the board with $6,000, which means every player will be taking home some money tonight.
Dan - $2,900
Ralph - $6,000
Kathryn - $19,400
But as we come back from commercial break, time is short, so Pat needs to give the wheel the final spin. Vowels are worth nothing, of course, but somebody will be going home with a big pay day because Pat lands on $5,000, meaning each consonant is worth $6,000 apiece.
Round #4
Category: Proper Name
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
Dan – No T
Ralph – 1 R (guesses CARLY SIMON)
Kathryn – 1 N (guesses SHARON STONE)
Dan – 3 L’s (says Lauren but can’t get the last name)
Ralph – 1 H (guesses LAURYN HILL, LAUREN HALL and LAUREN HELLE, the last of which makes Pat chuckle)
Kathryn – 1 Y
L _ _ R _ N
H _ L L Y
Kathryn finally gets LAUREN HOLLY, padding her lead with $12,000.
Dan - $2,900
Ralph - $6,000
W – H – E – E – L
After telling Pat she has plans for the money, Kathryn picks the H.
Bonus Round
Category: Thing
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
When the R, S, T, L, N and E are added, Kathryn has this to work with…
S _ _ _ _ _ R E
And Kathryn’s picks are G, F, P and I, revealing…
S _ P P _ I R E
Kathryn immediately calls SAPPHIRE, and we have our first Bonus Round win this week, marking the first time in a week someone has won! Pat struggles a bit with the envelope, but finally reveals Kathryn will be driving off in a MOTORCYCLE! Charlie explains that it’s an Indian Chief Motorcycle, marking the company’s return to the road. Altogether, it’s worth $24,900!
Kathryn’s roommate/bandmate/soulmate Jen runs on stage to congratulate her as the two hug and dance and celebrate. Kathryn’s total haul is $56,300!
Additional Notes
- Pat makes a reference to his talk show after interviewing Kathryn. Once they finish their chat, Pat looks off-stage and says, “You know, every now and then, you find out why I’m not doing a talk show.”
- There was a weird delay after Dan solved the first puzzle. The audience starts cheering, it takes a second for the music to start, and Pat says, “That’s right!” just after the music begins, and the letters don’t immediately all fill in. Glitch at the control room perhaps?
- There are only nine unused letter spaces on the board in round two. I don’t know where that ranks in terms of record-length puzzles, but that has to be one of the longest.
- For the second day in a row, no vowels are bought in round three.
- The speed-up puzzle, LAUREN HOLLY, is actually kind of amusing, since during the previous week, one of the speed-up puzzles was her ex-husband, JIM CARREY. By the time these episodes were taped (December 1999) the pair had been divorced for two years. I wonder if, at one point, the show was going to feature them as a Husband & Wife puzzle, but the divorce changed those plans.
Tomorrow I’ll be recapping the final show of Ultimate Adventures Week, which features a contestant with a…secret identity?
Preview Puzzle
Category: Phrase
_ _ S S / A N D / T E _ _
For once, Pat actually knows the Preview Puzzle, saying KISS AND TELL was an easy solution. Way to go, Pat!
Dan Cain is from La Mesa, California. He is in the Navy, specifically the Seabees, and has served for 13 and a half years. He is married to his wife Joan, and in his free time he loves going bass fishing.
Ralph DeLuca is from Massapequa Park, New York. He works as a network technician for the largest phone company in the United States, and is married to his wife Nancy, who is in the audience. He has a unique hobby where makes granite etchings (mostly pets, but he can also do other designs).
Kathryn Yateman is from North Hollywood, California. She is a massage therapist, a poet, and performs in a band called Indira. She’s also into astrology and working out. Pat tells her he’s a Scorpio and doesn’t believe in astrology, and Kathryn tells him that she’s also a water sign, which means they’ll get along.
Round one’s winner could become $3,000 richer, because it’s tonight’s Puzzler Round.
Round #1
Category: Place
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
Dan starts off by asking if he can get a T and he’s in luck because there are two of them for $300. He fares even better after landing on $600 and finding three S’s. Dan decides it’s vowel time, finding four O’s and one E before spinning again. He’s racking up more money as he finds two R’s for $500, but hits a wall when he calls a dud H on $300.
S _ O R T _ _ _
_ O O _ S
S T O R E
Ralph’s turn is short-lived after calling a bad L for $600.
S _ O R T _ _ _
_ O O _ S
S T O R E
Kathryn fares better, finding a P for $500, then an N on the same $500 space. She decides to buy a vowel, but calls a repeated E, which she realizes right after she’s buzzed. (The audience is dead silent during this whole moment, which makes it really awkward)
S P O R T _ N _
_ O O _ S
S T O R E
Dan takes a look at the puzzle and realizes he doesn’t need to spin and can solve SPORTING GOODS STORE as it is. He’s on the board with $2,900, and tells Pat, “That’s not a bad start!” He can add even more, though, if he successfully solves the Puzzler.
Puzzler Round
Category: Things
_ _ C K E _ _
Unfortunately the Puzzler puzzles Dan, as he stands in complete silence until the buzzer rings, meaning he can’t solve RACKETS and win the extra money.
Dan - $2,900
Ralph - $0
Kathryn - $0
Almost time for round two to start, but before that happens, Charlie needs to introduce the first prize of the game. It’s a Sony home entertainment system featuring WebTV, which allows the viewers at home to play along with the show from the comfort of their living room. The prize totals $3,528.
Pat says he’s waiting for the Alley McBeal game.
Round #2
Category: Clue
_ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ / _ _ ’ _
_ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Ralph begins to cash in on this massive puzzle by successfully calling four S’s worth $900 apiece, then immediately buying five E’s. He’s able to quadruple his $400 spin by finding four T’s, followed by a purchase of five I’s. But he spins too hard and just barely slides past the $10,000 space and hits the left BANKRUPT, losing $4,700.
_ / _ E _ _ E T _ I _
_ I _ _ _ E / _ _ / I T ’ S
_ / _ E _ _ _ S S I _ _
I _ S T _ _ _ E _ T
Kathryn picks up right where Ralph left off, getting three N’s for $550, followed by a quick purchase of two A’s. She does even better with $800, calling five R’s. (Pat remarks, “It looks like an explosion in a Scrabble factory!”) With her large cash haul, Kathryn buys three U’s, then has a much more successful spin than Ralph, actually stopping on the $10,000 prize! Even better, there is a single P in the puzzle, so she can pick up the prize, which she actually kisses before setting it down in front of her. Now’s a good a time as any for her to buy the final vowel, three O’s. Two C’s double $600, then she doubles $300 with two M’s.
A / _ E O M E T R I C
_ I _ U R E / O R / I T ’ S
A / P E R C U S S I O N
I N S T R U M E N T
Kathryn initially reaches for the wheel, then pauses for a quick second before deciding to solve this massive puzzle, revealing A GEOMETRIC FIGURE OR IT’S A PERCUSSION INSTRUMENT. She solves that for $6,400, plus the $10,000 prize…but she’s still not done, because she can also win $3,000 if she can tell Pat what that is. It takes her no time to yell out TRIANGLE, adding even more money to that massive total. Kathryn and Pat have a little tug of war with the $10,000 space, with Kathryn and Pat each claiming it’s theirs. Pat says she’ll get the cash, but if she really wants, they’ll let her keep the wedge. She settles for the cash, meaning in just one round, Kathryn has won an astonishing all-cash total of $19,400.
Dan - $2,900
Ralph - $0
Kathryn - $19,400
As we get ready to start the Jackpot Round, Charlie lets us know that tonight, it’s brought to us by Toaster Breaks from Hot Pockets. There’s also a new Ultimate Adventures prize being added to the wheel; it’s a trip to Bali! The winner of this prize will stay at the Mata Hari Beach Resort and Spa, a 5-star hideaway with breathtaking views. The grand total is $6,300.
Round #3
Category: Phrase
_ _ _ / _ / _ _ _ _
_ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ ?
Kathryn limbers up before her first spin, which gets her $600 for a single R. Her next spin doubles $550 with the help of two N’s, but as quickly as she got that $1,700, she loses it to the BANKRUPT. Kathryn takes a deep breath and says that’s okay.
_ _ N / _ / _ _ _ _
_ / R _ _ N / _ _ _ _ _ ?
Dan’s first spin since round one helps him earn $300 with a T, but his next $300 spin isn’t as successful due to a dud S.
_ _ N / _ / T _ _ _
_ / R _ _ N / _ _ _ _ _ ?
We’re back to Ralph, who has good luck with $300 because there are three C’s in the puzzle. He cheers for the JACKPOT, but he’ll have to settle for $800, which he doubles with two K’s. But he’s clearly happy with his next spin, which nets him $3,500 on a single H.
C _ N / _ / T _ K _
_ / R _ _ N / C H _ C K ?
There are no more consonants, but Ralph is fine with that, because he’s able to solve CAN I TAKE A RAIN CHECK? without any vowel assistance. He's on the board with $6,000, which means every player will be taking home some money tonight.
Dan - $2,900
Ralph - $6,000
Kathryn - $19,400
Can Dan or Ralph overtake Kathryn's massive lead? Anything's possible, especially with the $5,000 space on the wheel.
Round #4
Category: Proper Name
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
Dan – No T
Ralph – 1 R (guesses CARLY SIMON)
Kathryn – 1 N (guesses SHARON STONE)
Dan – 3 L’s (says Lauren but can’t get the last name)
Ralph – 1 H (guesses LAURYN HILL, LAUREN HALL and LAUREN HELLE, the last of which makes Pat chuckle)
Kathryn – 1 Y
L _ _ R _ N
H _ L L Y
Kathryn finally gets LAUREN HOLLY, padding her lead with $12,000.
Dan - $2,900
Ralph - $6,000
Kathryn - $31,400
All three players performed very well tonight, but they couldn't overtake Kathryn, who is taking home an impressive $31,400, and heading to the Bonus Round to possibly win more!
W – H – E – E – L
After telling Pat she has plans for the money, Kathryn picks the H.
Bonus Round
Category: Thing
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
When the R, S, T, L, N and E are added, Kathryn has this to work with…
S _ _ _ _ _ R E
And Kathryn’s picks are G, F, P and I, revealing…
S _ P P _ I R E
Kathryn immediately calls SAPPHIRE, and we have our first Bonus Round win this week, marking the first time in a week someone has won! Pat struggles a bit with the envelope, but finally reveals Kathryn will be driving off in a MOTORCYCLE! Charlie explains that it’s an Indian Chief Motorcycle, marking the company’s return to the road. Altogether, it’s worth $24,900!
Kathryn’s roommate/bandmate/soulmate Jen runs on stage to congratulate her as the two hug and dance and celebrate. Kathryn’s total haul is $56,300!
Additional Notes
- Pat makes a reference to his talk show after interviewing Kathryn. Once they finish their chat, Pat looks off-stage and says, “You know, every now and then, you find out why I’m not doing a talk show.”
- There was a weird delay after Dan solved the first puzzle. The audience starts cheering, it takes a second for the music to start, and Pat says, “That’s right!” just after the music begins, and the letters don’t immediately all fill in. Glitch at the control room perhaps?
- There are only nine unused letter spaces on the board in round two. I don’t know where that ranks in terms of record-length puzzles, but that has to be one of the longest.
- For the second day in a row, no vowels are bought in round three.
- The speed-up puzzle, LAUREN HOLLY, is actually kind of amusing, since during the previous week, one of the speed-up puzzles was her ex-husband, JIM CARREY. By the time these episodes were taped (December 1999) the pair had been divorced for two years. I wonder if, at one point, the show was going to feature them as a Husband & Wife puzzle, but the divorce changed those plans.
Tomorrow I’ll be recapping the final show of Ultimate Adventures Week, which features a contestant with a…secret identity?
