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Post by Millioncolorsoflight on Apr 13, 2014 19:21:42 GMT -5
Hi all!
So, I've been going through about a dozen boxes of tapes I came into possession of from another game show fan not too long ago, and while going through a tape from '97, came upon an oddity I had ZERO recollection of.
It's the 9/19/97 show. (Already matched the date via the Jeopardy episode that airs after). Friday Finals. Pat informs us that round 1 will be a new feature this season...the Prize Puzzle. Exclusive to the Friday Finals shows, the puzzle will somehow describe a bonus prize the contestant will win if they solve the puzzle. Game itself played out exactly like the 2003-Present version. Charlie's prize copy is even in the same place with a similar toss by Pat.
Prize for the first one was a trip to China.
Prior to finding this tape, I had ZERO recollection of this happening. I can't imagine it lasted too long, though I only caught the show very infrequently in the late 90s.
Anyone here know how long it hung around before going back into mothballs?
I'll post an upload of this one shortly, just for funsies.
Merged video thread with this one.
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Post by Bryce L. on Apr 13, 2014 20:01:53 GMT -5
Wow, that's news to me... and if this info came from anyone other than you, Bobby or Dan, I'd be saying "Proof or Not Real"... very interested in seeing what you got there Lauren!
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Post by Millioncolorsoflight on Apr 13, 2014 20:27:05 GMT -5
As referenced in a thread elsewhere, here's the video of the Prize Puzzle ca. September 19, 1997. |
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Post by ultimaganon on Apr 13, 2014 20:31:46 GMT -5
Wow, I can't believe in our vast knowledge of the show that somehow this was missed...
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Post by whammy007 on Apr 13, 2014 20:41:25 GMT -5
Well this is new - or is it old? It's kind of like watching today's show with yesterday's dollar values: lots of duplicate spin values (excess of $250 on the wheel, just as $500 is overloaded now), no reaction to the $1,000 spin, a repeated letter, a late dud, and even on its first appearance, a puzzle that over-describes the prize to be given. If we knew then what we know now... well, we'd still be stuck with the Prize Puzzle today, but we'd be less shocked at how bad some of them can be.  |
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Post by MarioGS on Apr 13, 2014 20:46:21 GMT -5
This is a HUGE discovery!  Major props to you, Lauren, and welcome to the site!  Indeed this clip does give a big "modern-day show" vibe, but still with the late 90s charm. What is with contestants calling F when they don't know the puzzle with about one or two blanks left? Several examples of this on the WOF WhatAnIdiot TVTropes page, where I'm sure this will be added eventually (one example: the "SETTING __ BEACH CHAIRS" fail). Do we know if they did this on any subsequent Friday Finals? Either way, it looks like they didn't like the idea...which doesn't explain why they decided to revive it permanently. What were the final scores for this episode? Did the yellow contestant win the game thanks to the trip? |
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Post by Millioncolorsoflight on Apr 13, 2014 20:52:57 GMT -5
What were the final scores for this episode? Did the yellow contestant win the game thanks to the trip? Red: $0 Yellow: $20.829 (Winner) Blue: $12,300 |
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Post by genius2751 on Apr 13, 2014 21:00:53 GMT -5
WHAT?! A PRIZE PUZZLE IN 1997?! Or something like it?
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Post by WarioSajak on Apr 13, 2014 22:18:32 GMT -5
... Well, this is...uh...very, very prophetic. Pat gives an example of a crappy Prize Puzzle at the start, which is both obvious of what you're going to get and uses fluffy adjectives. Wow, that's news to me... and if this info came from anyone other than you, Bobby or Dan, I'd be saying "Proof or Not Real". Well, I appreciate the mention, Bryce.  Do we know if they did this on any subsequent Friday Finals? Sadly, no. All the other Season 15 episodes that are online aren't Friday shows, so I can't check. Besides, it definitely didn't last beyond this season, and I'd like to think Harry would be smarter than to bring back something so crappy-OH WAIT. WHAT?! A PRIZE PUZZLE IN 1997?! Or something like it? No, it's the exact same thing. And it sucks just as hard as it has for the past 11 years. Really, Wheel? |
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Post by mechamind on Apr 13, 2014 22:24:20 GMT -5
^ December 5, 1997 was a Friday, and it did not have the Prize Puzzle.
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Post by germanname1990 on Apr 13, 2014 22:25:32 GMT -5
So, they had it in 1997, brought it back in 2003, and it's still on today. If the Prize Puzzle was revived, I don't see why the Jackpot shouldn't be, especially when you consider its popularity, longevity, and legacy as it continues to dominate WOF Slots over at GSN's Casino. My hopes for Jackpot returning within the next few seasons has gone way up, even though I still wonder if its longevity led to its replacement by the Express in a way to try something new.
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Post by WarioSajak on Apr 13, 2014 22:54:00 GMT -5
Lauren, what did the Jackpot wedge look like on the 9/19 show? I know that it still had the "gold top, vertical JACKPOT on red background below sponsor logo" style on the 11th, but had become blue with a vertical NordicTrack logo by the 29th. December 5, 1997 was a Friday, and it did not have the Prize Puzzle. Huh. So if this is the case, rather than something they randomly decided to drop and pick back up later in Season 15, it didn't even last until midseason. The Prize Puzzle was used at least one other time in early Season 15, this one confirmed to be while the Jackpot wedge had its NordicTrack logo (so late September or sometime in October): searching through ATGS did led me to this recap of a Season 15 show reran 11/21/98 (Tony/Connie/Shannon), where the puzzle WHITE WATER RAFTING IN IDAHO (Event) led to a $5,700...white-water rafting trip to Idaho. Pat explains on the 9/19 show that the Prize Puzzle describes the prize, rather than simply being related to it somehow. |
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Post by MarioGS on Apr 13, 2014 23:01:47 GMT -5
So there WAS evidence of this on ATGS. I was just about to say the opposite, though that could have easily been interpreted as a Surprise win.
Speaking of which, the Surprise wasn't used on the 9/19 episode, probably because the PP technically replaces it, but did it use two Prize wedges?
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Post by genius2751 on Apr 13, 2014 23:03:16 GMT -5
I wish the Prize Puzzles were occasional rather than daily now. That's why I like seasons 21 and 22.
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Post by Millioncolorsoflight on Apr 13, 2014 23:04:39 GMT -5
 Sponsor is actually the Bravo Card. With an awkwardly placed little card at the top as the logo. |
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Post by WarioSajak on Apr 13, 2014 23:47:41 GMT -5
Hey, thanks! That definitely limits when the Jackpot changed (September 22 or 29), as well as how early the Tony/Connie/Shannon episode was (sometime between September 26 and October 24, since the set was decorated for Halloween the week of 10/27 and the recap makes no mention of that...not that I'd expect the weekend feed to run a Halloween show around Thanksgiving).
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Post by WarioSajak on Apr 14, 2014 0:46:53 GMT -5
Sorry for the double-post, but the Season 15 recaps here indicate that the Prize Puzzle may have been removed by November 21 (last show of College Week/Denver road trip). On the other hand, the week of November 24 has the pre-NordicTrack Jackpot wedge, which may indicate it has the Prize Puzzle as well. I'm done with editing stuff for the moment, though. |
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Post by tenpoundhammer on Apr 14, 2014 2:58:53 GMT -5
Wow, this is an interesting discovery! 1997-2002ish still has a ton of gaps, since there weren't a lot of repeats of those episodes and even then, most of a.t.g-s wasn't Wheel fans. Millioncolorsoflight, I wouldn't mind seeing the rest of the episode. It'd be a good addition to Guint's puzzle archive too. |
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Post by MarioGS on Apr 14, 2014 10:00:10 GMT -5
Come to think of it...did any Friday Finals shows in S15 use the Surprise wedge? The other circulating one doesn't even though that doesn't use the PP, but does add a second Prize wedge in R3. Does 9/19 have a R3 Prize as well, Lauren?
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Post by StrangerCoug on Apr 14, 2014 18:34:19 GMT -5
Does the X on the puzzle board look off-model to anyone else?
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Major props to you, Lauren, and welcome to the site! 
