Scattergories: 1993, Part 3

[vnisanianisback]

Didn't they change the endgame slightly near the end? I could have sworn later on, they changed the endgame, so that the monitors with incorrect answers said "Sorry" and the correct one would say "Jackpot".

[supersaver87]

@vnisanianisback

Other way around; the format you describe was used first, then they switched to this one.

It doesn't seem like the first format lasted long, the only two episodes I have with it are from the first week.

[viddykiddy18]

pantskraken, tahuaroa, for your information, the show did have buzzers, they just don't use them until the tiebreaker, though the show used them at the beginning of the game on Scattergories' first week.

[landrykkb]

1993 had pretty much been the year where the final nail had been driven into the coffin of game shows with th exception of TPIR on CBS,but Let's Make A Deal has also made a comeback on CBS,so we may see a slow but sure resurrection of the game show on network television.

[wdm1219]

$4,000 seems like such a cheap and off kilter amount, even in 1993. Crap, make it $5,000 anyway! And maybe $1,000 for winning the game. Ah well, this show wasn't meant to last long anyway. This show is more enjoyable than I originally remembered, but still not all that good to me.

[samsticka]

The clock music cue or sound effect (whatever it is) from "Scrabble" was used here. That's interesting. I guess that was a result of them hurrying to get the shows on. If they'd come back for another season, maybe they could have come up with their own piece?

[pantskraken]

why exactly do they raise their hands? was the funding so bad that they couldn't afford buzzers

[HYHYBT]

This is much better than the other bonus game the show used.

[tahuaroa]

i have never seen a gameshow with no buzzers, putting up your hand? it's like maths tiggy

[gamshwfan]

The bonus round was a decent adaption of the main game; still with the civilized way of raisning hands instead of shouting. Though in 1993 $4,000 is kind of cheap, for a game of this caliber $10,000 is more appropriate since it is a simple word game.

Dick Clark had his game run is if it were board game night at his house; not a bad thing but knowing him he would run it more like a game show. Btween the cheap production values, judging and celebs I don't think this flowed very well. 2.5 stars.

[johnissoevil]

One thing that surprised me is that USA didn't pick this or Scrabble '93 up the September after the shows ended, considering they seemed to have a good relationship with Grundy when it came to leasing their shows ($otC and the original Scrabble being examples of that).

[jwgreek8606]

and better yet Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak and Time Machine!

[ollietheweatherman]

such an awesome show!

[godgundam10]

Scattergories wasn't taped at NBC?

[Digifan23]

This game show should be on GSN

[supersaver87]

I agree. :) I know it's unlikely, but I hope GSN gets the rights to the Grundy library one day...lot of real great shows there.

[Digifan23]

GSN needs to get of there lazy butts and talk

to talk FremantleMedia (the owners of the Reg

Grundy libray)

and I Agree with you there a lot good shows in that libary (especially Scrabble) :)

[ShaDeed329]

Who knows? But we already know that FremantleMedia already lets GSN syndicate the Goodson-Todman/Mark Goodson libraries because of All American Communications, then later Pearson.

[BlackwoodCompany]

Actually, Fremantle needs to stop acting so stupid!

[Digifan23]

nuff' said

[jhzenor61481]

Digifan23, I agree with you I was 12 when this show was on, it was on WHO-TV Channel 13 in my area, I live in Central Iowa by the way.

[xsmootx4]

The Bonus Round music sounded similar to the Scrabble Sprint music.

Not really suprising seeing how the main theme is almost similiar to this one as mentioned earlier.

[GarfieldVsSnoopy]

Post More Scattergories.

[mittdawson]

The clock effect was written by Marc Ellis, and is the same effect we used on Scrabble...the times up fx was created for Scattergories...btw, thanks for posting this..it's hard to believe it was 16 years ago that I was sleeping on the floor of my office editing celebrity footage 24/7, yikes!

[supersaver87]

You're quite welcome...this was one of my favorite shows as a 5-year old. :)

[aman1016]

I can only echo supersaver's love of this show. I wish NBC had given it more of a chance to find an audience. Dick Clark was just great on this!

[mittdawson]

We wished we could have run this one longer too, but I seem to remember it, and the remake of Scrabble, were always intended as a brief one-hour block fill-in while Leeza Gibbons' talk show was being readied. I forget which soap was cancelled leaving a 60 minute window for a few months, and we were thrilled to get both slots.

[howierules86]

The soap opera you're thinking of was "Santa Barbara," which ended on 1/15/93 and was replaced by "Scrabble" & "Scattergories" the following Monday.

[mittdawson]

That's it! Of course, thanks!

Now I remember....Scrabble was taped in Studio 10, which had been the home of Santa Barbara since the stage was built.

Scrabble was the first game show to be taped in 10, which really worked the kinks out of that switcher, since it had only been used for a "cuts only" series, and Scrabble was so technically demanding...but I'm getting off topic.

[johnissoevil]

I'm surprised you guys didn't look to other networks or syndication after the shows left NBC. CBS was getting set to pull Ray Combs' hourlong Family Feud Challenge from the 10 am hour, that would've been a good spot to go for. Scrabble, Scattergories, and The Price is Right in the same lineup. One could only dream. :-)

[mittdawson]

who says we didn't...;)

[johnissoevil]

True on that. At least Scrabble did come back and we were treated to a game show adaptation of Scattergories. What I wouldn't give to see the Grundy shows on GSN's regular lineup someday. Again, one can dream. :-)

[palmercomm]

Would you give up your soul?

[palmercomm]

Hey, Mitt. Do you still have some influence at Fremantle? Maybe you can give us some phone number or e-mail address for us. Then we can get SOTC and Scrabble on GSN!

[TVLubber]

The music used in the bonus round during the countdown clock is similar to Scrabble, another Reg Grundy game show.

[supersaver87]

And the music from the main game was also used on Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak.