LET’S MAKE A DEAL: Fair Play on a Statistics Game Show

LET’S MAKE A DEAL returned to filming new episodes for CBS earlier last month. Host and four-time Emmy winner, Wayne Brady, emcee and “box holder” Johnathan Mangum and “supermodel” Tiffany Coyne are all back for fresh episodes currently being shot in Hollywood, Ca.

“Let’s Make a Deal” is a unique type of game show. Similar to “The Price is Right” in that every audience member is a potential contestant, yet different in that the majority of the show is shot in the audience as Brady stands in the aisle and offers cash and prizes with routine games that are presented often by Mangum who is the predecessor of Monty Hall’s “box holder” and emcee Jay Stewart. Next month marks the twenty-one year anniversary of Stewart’s suicide at his home in the Hollywood Hills.

In a game show that is rich in statistics I always wondered how game show Standards and Practices (S & P) come into play with such an unconventional type of show. Most of the prizes are won by process of elimination or just random luck. There is no potential for cheating on that.

But, on the July 18th episode, such an incident occurred that caused for game show Standards & Practices to step-in. Brady selected two costumed gentlemen players, one of which was a “young Jonathan Mangum” look-alike, from the audience to take a stab at playing a common game on the show. Brady joked with the young look-alike Magnum and ask him to briefly give his best game show announcement voice. The two contestants both stood side-by-side as Brady asked them a trivia question about what year was Nestle Toll house pre-made cookie dough invented. They were each given a blank card to write-down their answers.

The problem came when one contestant looked at the card of the other player. An attempt to get a glance at what his answer was. Brady caught the action and told him that it was a big “no, no”. The show was stopped and executive producer with S & P representative asked the cheating contestant to take his seat. Brady commented that he was an example of a bad contestant.

The non-cheating player was given another opportunity to play for money with a new opponent and new question. Viewers at home won’t see this game show faux pas. But, it’s good to know that “Let’s Make a Deal” is true to upholding the ethics of fair game show play. Not like on some other recent game show sets (that I won’t mention) where HOLLYWOOD JUNKET has visited and witnessed many loose rules and guidelines. One such show even had swayed outcomes in favor of the network. It’s always a sigh of relief when we see S&P doing their jobs!

To get tickets to the show and be in the audience for your chance to win cash and prizes, visit: http://www.ocatv.com/shows/show/269

DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS: Daytime Rules With Mark McGrath!

A freshened-up version of “Don’t Forget the Lyrics” is coming to daytime in September in syndication with a new host, and a simplified game play and set.

“Don’t Forget the Lyrics” is coming soon to a daytime TV set near you!

Rock band Sugar Ray’s lead man and former Extra host, Mark McGrath serves well as the new sing-a-long karaoke game show host.

The main music style categories range from pop, rock, disco, 1990’s, 2000’s, and TV Show Themes. Contestants play for the following money amounts: $1000, $2,500, $5,000, $10,000, and a special category called “Encore” that allows them to play for $50,000. Crooners are equipped with only one “backup” for their help which is multiple choice lyrics. If a contestant misses the first level lyric, they are not out of the game, but they loose their “Encore” option.

If a player goes all the way to the “Encore” level, they risk falling back down to $1000 which is what they walk away with should they miss this final and complex lyric. If a contestant misses any one of the levels, they get the chance to double the last money level they achieved. For instance, if a player goes for the $10,000 lyric, but misses it, they automatically get a chance to double the $5000 that they already earned instead of playing for the “Encore” level which they loose.

The songs are played to the contestant via “Myspace Karaoke“, axing Rickey Minor and his band who performed on the larger prime time production. The theme song has also been replaced. This is a sleeker and lighter version with a perfectly matched host for it. Wayne Brady is still, in my opinion, the best game show host out there and was great for the prime time version. It’s deserving that Brady would fill the shoes of such a great game show legend host as Monty Hall in “Let’s Make a Deal”, but McGrath has found his niche in the daytime version of “Don’t Forget the Lyrics”.