Tic Tac Dough 1986 series finale (Caldwell strikes again!)

[emlsox4life]

What a way to end the show with the Dragon "dancing" around on the board!

[9409312]

Of the two nine square game shows on TV back then out of Tic Tac Dough and Hollywood Squares i have to call it a Draw both the Wink Martindale hosted Tic Tac Dough & Peter Marshall hosted version of the Hollywood squares are the two best nine square game shows of all time.

[tnawcwvictoria]

and also, this show was on when T.J. Hooker, Magnum P.I., Knight Rider and Airwolf was on the air.

and also, HUNTER was renewed for a 2nd Season on NBC and moved to Saturday Night and became an instant hit and also, Punky Brewster, Miami Vice and Snorks were all renewed for a 2nd Season on NBC and Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears joined NBC and also, Smurfs, The Facts of Life, Gimme a Break, Hill Street Blues, St. Elsewhere and Remington Steele were all on NBC during the 85/86 Season.

[tnawcwvictoria]

Well here's something for all of you:

During the 85/86 Season, Superfriends became the Super Powers Team: Galatic Guardians, Diff'rent Strokes & Pink Panther & Sons moved to abc, The Cosby Show became the #1 Show on television, Lorna Luft joins the cast of the final season of Trapper John, M.D., Game Show Legend Betty Wihte becomes a Golden Girl and Dick Clark hosted The NEW $25k and The $100,000 Pyramid, WOW!

[megamanj2004X]

And in the '85-'86 TV season: Who's the Boss?, Mr. Belvedere, and Moonlighting all reached their 2nd seasons on ABC. Also MacGyver and Growing Pains debuted in the fall that season on ABC. While Murder She Wrote and Crazy as a Fox made their 2nd seasons on CBS. The Equalizer, The New Twilight Zone, and the original version of The Berenstain Bears cartoon debuted on CBS.

[tnawcwvictoria]

@megamanj2004X yep, Henry Winkler better known as The Fonz produced MacGyver and took Richard Dean Anderson under his wing along w/Paramount, the same company that owns Happy Days and also, during the 85/86 Season, Legendary Soul Singer Dionne Warwick returned to Solid Gold for the 1st time in 4 years and plus, Bugs Bunny returned to abc w/The Bugs Bunny Looney Tunes Comedy Hour, plus, Star Wars came to abc w/The Ewoks/Droids Adventure Hour and SuperStation WTBS began 24 Hr. Stereo Transmission

[willjarmon]

Dick Clark was also hosting the next to last season of American Bandstand on ABC

[KashFourierKitten]

Oh no! Bowser behind #3!

[sylviabh8ule]

I didn't know Crazy Fun was the title of the Tic Tac Dough theme. I would like to add something about Wink's last show. Wink was unable to finish the game with Giselle and Archie. Jim Caldwell had to pick up where they left off.

[sylviabh8ule]

I do have Wink's last show on tape and am currently seeking a DVDr copy of it, preferably the original off the air one. The GSN copy made some edits. They edited out Wink announcing the end of the season and presumably giving an extended thank you.

[wdm1219]

I miss WOR-TV Channel 9 from back then, even earlier from the 70s with Romper Room, miss WPIX too, Saturday morning cartoons, quality network daytime game shows...sigh......oh and I e-mailed Wink a while ago and he was kind enough to write back even! That was very kind of him to say the least!

[johnissoevil]

Channel 9 was the shit back then. It was even better when MCA bought the station, you still had the afternoon game shows and other good stuff, but Looney Tunes and other cartoons would join that gold mine. In fact, 1987 was when Wink returned to 9 on High Rollers.

[prodigal79]

TTD. Best game show of the 80s.

It seems that the 80s era was beginning to peel off back in'86 with all these cancellations of popular tv programs

[TimFrith24]

It was on WOR-TV Channel 9 back in '86.

[pacmannick]

They made the Dragon as a rapper in 1990

[matthewfein]

I remember that. They also added a dragon slayer. That was when Patrick Wayne was the host.

[AdamStabelli777]

Cool way to end Tic Tac. From what I've seen of him Jim wasn't that bad. Wink should have appeared on this episode to say goodbye with Jim. And of course the Dragon roaring for the last time. RIP Tic Tac Dough. 1978-1986. This was the best version.

[juan833cheer]

Yeah, way better than the crappola 1990 version with the annoying Patrick Wayne as emcee.

[emlsox4life]

Along with the Dragon's goodbye roar,seeing him dance(shuffle) on the board was a good way to end a legendary show but they should bring it back!

[LtGiant]

1986, Was Also The of The Fall Guy, The Love Boat & Benson.

[SailorCallie]

Thom McKee. Two decades later, we would have Ken Jennings and his 74-game streak on Jeopardy.

[gamshwfan]

What a great way to end a great series. The Dragon being slayed puts him in hibernation for the next 4 years. Since they didn't know about the cancelation it's okay that they did the tribute to Thom McKee. It's always great to hear about what happens to contestants years after they leave the program. Jim needed more time before he could be a regular host; I did see potential in him. Tic Tac Dough was amazing in its run and was significant. This finale was 4.5 stars.

[Hondo20132]

What kind of tape was this recorded on?

I know this is from first broadcast, but how exactly was this recorded?

[carlestout]

The sister show too left the airwaves. The Joker's Wild

[tnawcwvictoria]

1986 was the final year for TTD & TJW and reruns of Bullseye on syndication.

and it was also the end of Diff'rent Strokes and The End of The Superfriends Era.

[Davidt33]

Not to mention Press Your Luck

[jmjfanss]

And Let's not forget Knight Rider.

[tnawcwvictoria]

and also, Airwolf and Pole Position

and BTW, Airwolf and Knight Rider are owned by NBC Universal.

[megamanj2004X]

and also the original version of Scooby Doo (which by the 1985-86 TV season was called "The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo"), too.

[cooksta4prez08]

The 1981 film that you're wondering about was called 'Private Lessons' I have that movie on videotape

[zachhoran]

B&E produced the infamous 1987 film Making Mr. Right as well. VH1 played a video for the Turtles Happy Together featuring footage of the band plus clips from the film ad nauseum at the time.

[chrisivision07]

I wasn't previously aware of this movie, but it's interesting B&E dabbled in films once in a while. Wasn't there a film circa 1981 B&E produced in which Jay Stewart VO'ed the trailer?

[dtemplar21977]

@chrisivision07 That was Private Lessons.

[JeterSwisherFan88]

@chrisivision07 I knew of the movie 'Making Mr. Right,' which I saw only maybe a couple of times as a child. I just didn't know Barry and Enright got involved in the production of it, however.

[rksncu]

A terrific end to a great game show. It, as well as Press Your Luck, the Jim Perry version of $ale of the Century, Scrabble and a host of others should have been nominated for Emmys.

[juan833cheer]

Prior to 1981, the bell used after a successful pick which was either $ or tic/tac was a singular grand game bell.

[tommy76tx]

Like the noise during the dragon round when they choose the number and when it reveals itself before the ding sound.

[mtiller2006]

Jim wasn't bad. I wonder why the stations didn't buy them.

[Hondo20132]

Guess they thought the show wasn't the same after Wink left.

[someguy23475]

The ratings went down overall, partly because Caldwell was not a good host.

[Hondo20132]

Well, Jim was not that bad, but still wasn't the same since Wink left, making the ratings plummet.

[johnissoevil]

From what I understand, Tic Tac and Joker were going downhill in ratings even before Jack Barry's death. Competition from shows like nighttime Wheel was what did them in.

[tnawcwvictoria]

and Bullseye were still on reruns on syndication as well as CBN and USA.

[pacmannick]

In 1990 they made the dragon as a rapper

[mgsnv2]

I'm surprised the show didn't change the theme music, update it, since the new host and new set. Just my thought.

[JackSpader]

The theme didn't need work, but the new set did come too late. I think fall of 1981 would have been the better time to update the set, doing it at the same time Joker did. Seemed like despite having a better format and forking out bigger winnings than Joker, TTD was always treated as second fiddle.

[Ivoryface]

Hey, chrisivision07, if you wish try the finale episode of Joker's Wild from 1986 and post it into 3 different parts, OK.

[chrisivision07]

That's an interesting idea. The funny thing though is I don't remember anything interesting about it, and I didn't even remember that I had it! I'll check it out.

[Hondo20132]

@chrisivision07 No need; I uploaded it already.

[johnissoevil]

One editor on Wikipedia claimed that Enright tried to get both Tic Tac and Joker renewed for 1986-87, but not enough stations signed on. Jim seemed to be getting comfortable at this point in the run, makes me wonder how well he would've done if given a second season.

[heine71]

Audio out of sync!

[johnissoevil]

As annoying as Jim was, had they brought him back to replace Mr. "YOU WIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!" instead of cancelling it midseason, it may have lasted an entire season. At least TTD's sister show, TJW, had the great Bill Cullen that year.

[gameshowguy2000]

That Mr. "You WIIIIIIINNNN!" is from Patrick Wayne of the 1990 version.

[bluebear1985]

Patrick Wayne was annoying in the episode I've seen from the 1990 version. Sounded like he had a little bit of his dad in him, don't you think?

[gameshowguy2000]

I never heard much of him saying "You WIIIIIIIIIN!" I heard more of "You BLOCCCCCKKKKKEEEED!"

[KidsTVFan3]

How did the last normal game played out?

[vintagetv]

After watching it again I guess it was known that this particular episode was the final of the series, am I right?

[megamanj2007]

After TTD, B-E had:

Bumper Stumpers (1987-90) - although B-E didn't create BS (Wink Martindale's company did), their company did have some involvement w/ this show.

Pictionary (Not the Alan Thicke 1990s version) but the 1989 version hosted by Brian Robbins.

Hold Everything! (Pat Bullard's (of CS 2001) very 1st GS) and All-About the Opposite Sex (David Sparks of '80s Crosswits) (Summer 1990 shows)

TTD '90 (Patrick "YOUUUU WIIIIINNNN" Wayne).

[UNCJerry77]

Nice way to end TTD.The last bonus game won and the dragon roaring for the last time.

[juan833blue]

This was the TTD that we knew and loved from 1978-86, no wonder it was Barry/Enright's best game show.

[D21howie]

Yes that was the series finale. Then in 1990, the show was revive again by one of the stupidest hosts I have ever seen, Patrick Wayne.

[vintagetv]

That was a good piece they said about Thom McKee. I was just wondering if this was the series finale did they just give the Lori her winnings of almost $6000? I guess the dragon wanted to say good-bye one last time after Charlie O'Donnell said a Jack Barry and Dan Enright Production. Cool Find!