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July 8, 2024“Press Your Luck” recently finished filming new episodes in Hollywood, California. The show is celebrating a 50th anniversary (of episodes) which is worked into the game play.
“Press Your Luck” host, actress, and executive producer Elizabeth Banks, boasted that it’s a celebration for the game show, and herself who is turning 50 years old this year.
For the 50th anniversary, “Press Your Luck” added “The Big 50” square onto the game board. This is in commemoration of both the show and its 50-year-old host.
When a player hits “The Big 50 Square” during their game, it can be 50 of anything. One contestant hit it and it was $50,000!
MARVEL FANS UNITE!
One episode this season is Marvel themed, and it qualifies as the best game of the season (wait for it)! The three players are: Dylan, Hattye, and Frank, are all Marvel fans.
Each episode starts out with three contestants. In the Marvel episode, they seemed to have bonded over their Marvel fandom. But, also were genuinely excited for each other when they scored a big amount of money or fun prize.
Before the actual taping of an episode begins, host Elizabeth Banks comes out to the stage and introduces herself to the contestants and chats for a little bit with each one. It looked like she was getting acquitted with them so that when filming begins, it doesn’t feel impersonal.
After the first round, each contestant explained how they are Marvel fans. Dylan stated that he is in excellent shape (like a superhero). He attends Cosplay dressed as Deadpool, and it was at one of these conventions where he met his wife, who was dressed as a warrior (probably Xena). Only thing is, she couldn’t see what he looked like!
Hattye said she has dreams of dressing up in the Storm costume, but doesn’t think she can pull it off. Frank said he goes to comic conventions dressed as himself, wearing a comic T-Shirt.
Contestants answer two rounds of trivia in order to earn their spins which they use to play the “Big Board” for money.
When a contestant lands on a physical prize, the value of that prize is added to their monetary total. The player with the highest amount wins the game, but is also vulnerable to Spins being passed their way from another player in the hopes that they get a Whammy!
If a contestant chimes in before Banks finishes her question with the correct answer, they get three spins instead of just one.
Why It’s the Best Game of the Season:
Some advice to future Press Your Luck contestants, maybe you might want to be extra physically fit like Dylan, and practice Jiu-Jitsu. Because Dylan broke a record that another contestant had done back in 1984.
Dylan won and BROKE a record after winning a monetary amount before the “Press Your Luck” Bonus Winners round which was six figures! It seemed that he had really good eye-hand coordination and maybe even, possibly studied the board a bit.
Ironically, the man who first broke a “Press Your Luck” record back in 1984 had memorized the original pattern of the gameboard (according to Wikipedia).
Dylan said he had planned to use the money to buy a house for him and his wife.
Prizes on the Marvel game scoreboard included: a Truck, Charger truck, Marvel Studios movie premiere.
Elizabeth Banks to the Rescue:
During filming, two times it happened when a Whammy came in during the “Big Board” games and took away very large amounts of money along with prizes away from two different contestants. Banks came to the rescue and said “we” don’t let Whammies take prizes!
She reinstated all of those contestants’ prizes back into their games, minus the money.
The “Big Bucks Bonanza” featured “Big Bucks” from all previous rounds which are: $25,000; $50,000; $75,000, $100,000. After four Whammies in a player’s game, they are out of the game for good.
Some of the prizes that were given out this season included: trucks, a Disneyland resort vacation, Broadway show.
When the game gets to the Winners round, the prizes are catered specifically to that contestant. There were two different contestants who were obsessed with two boy bands. A prize of a boy band’s concert was added to the board.
One was New Kids on the Block, and another one was obsessed with Justin Timberlake. Her husband brought a childhood painting that she did of the singer who is now married to Jessica Biel.
The Evil Side of Press Your Luck:
There are five rounds in the Bonus round. Players can walk away after any of those rounds. However, during the show tapings, there is an abundance of what feels like high stakes gambling culture.
Viewers can clearly see this in the flashy casino bright lights in the set design. The contestants are ramped up by the electric atmosphere built on by the audience and host alike, pressing (pun intended) them to keep continuing on in the game and to press their luck.
At no point did Elizabeth remind players that they could walk away after any given round. To keep things real, no game show really wants to give away exuberant amounts of money and prizes. And, then there was Dylan!
The new season of “Press Your Luck” premieres Thursday, July 18th at 8 pm ET on ABC.