Concentration('50-'60s version) opening

[gymnastix]

I know after "Concentration" ended in 1973, literally days after, Clayton began announcing for Dick Clark on the very first "$10,000 Pyramid" on CBS (which then bounced back & forth between ABC and CBS, in its various, dollar-denominational titles). Clayton died, I think, about five years into the run of "Pyramid."

[gymnastix]

We had a board game version of that game show in our home when I was growing up. It was a lot of fun, with celebrity faces created from hundreds of colored dots, exposed when placed behind a plastc, red screen, and removal of puzzle pieces from the correct guesses of game progression..

[gymnastix]

And while we're mainly discussing "Concentration" here, does anyone recall its last host (and announcer/sub-host for Hugh Downs), Bob Clayton, hosting a game show on ABC titled "Make A Face?" It only lasted one year, and was probably Clayton's gig just previous to joining NBC and "Concentration."

[Noveltooner]

@beentheredonethatbef The nighttime board had been gathering dust in the NBC warehouse for 11 years, and it wound up with the Jack Narz version in California; its familiar "electric buzz" evident. By the 1974-75 season, it was grinding badly and so worn out that the trilons barely turned. During a break in the taping schedule that season, the entire mechanism was replaced with the new high-speed turning trilons that remained through the end of the series.The boards were both scrapped in 1980.

[Noveltooner]

@beentheredonethatbef Unfortunately, the kinneys were in black & white. The sound on the nighttime shows from the Ziegfeld had a very distinct reverb, much like the Ed Sullivan Theater. MUCH bigger prizes were on the nighttime shows, including the awarding of a Ford Galaxie for calling matching Wild Cards. (The daytime shows in 1961 awarded a $500 cash prize.) It was also a different board that had more of an "electric buzz" when the trilons turned. That board was shipped out to L.A. in 1972.

[johnalang]

Golly, I'm old...I remember this!

[AllisonTheSNLGuru]

Awesome find...thanks for sharing this! :-)

[Trackball816]

Weirdest game show logo ever.

(The show itself kicked ass in every incarnation, though.)

[wkyken]

It wasn't really greed, Kimberly. NBC recycled its videotape often, so it's rare to find an old tape of Concentration or Jeopardy or Hollywood Squares from that era. The shows were simply recorded over.

[gymnastix]

@wkyken Maybe not the case. I read a report somewhere, a few years ago, a complete or nearly complete library of the original, NBC-TV run of the daytime "Concentration" was discovered at NBC headquarters in New York ("30 Rock").

If that is the case, I don't know why NBC doesn't release some episodes on DVD and/or upload some eps. to Hulu.com, of which NBC/Universal (General Electric) are part owners, along with Comcast.

[gymnastix]

@wkyken I also recall reading, I think in that same report, NBC would not, for some reason, do the obvious, which is lease its "Concentration" library to GSN (Game Show Network, although that's a misnomer, as it's only a "channel," not a network).

GSN is the only channel, at least in The United States, which airs reruns of classic TV game shows.

[gymnastix]

@wkyken That report I read made me wonder if more episodes of other NBC game shows originating from New York (such as the original "The Match Game" and "Jeopardy!") might also still survive on kinescopes/videotapes?

Of course, I would also like to see some more episodes of the original daytime runs of "You Don't Say," and "The Hollywood Squares," both of which originated from NBC in Los Angeles.

[saml760]

that's a '67 tournament ep. which i bought at Shokus,i also have two '63 TOC eps,one i got at Shokus video and the other at ebay. all of them true collector's items and i'm so overjoyed that i have them!

[beentheredonetht]

are you saying Shokus has 2 eps of this show? I've only found one (the 67 one). Just curious

[cd637299]

I know that there is a 1958 (maybe '59) episode that exists + a 1968 Tournament of Champions one, and also the final 1973. I have fuzzy prints of the first two...................

I was raised on Concentration. I'm 50. Shame on NBC if they are stuffing these. No reason not to let any more episodes out.

cd

[jonwiley85]

I Met Hugh Downs Of Concentration & 20/20 At Local Middle School Back From 1999 That Was A 10 Years Ago, Before 20/20, There Was A Old Game Show Called Concentration Starring Hugh Downs.

[saml760]

all the episodes of the 1958-69 NBC daytime run of CONCENTRATION exist,as well as the syndie eps. hosted by the late Jack Narz and the 87-91 abomination called CLASSIC CONCENTRATION . the only episodes that no longer exist and are lost to history are the original 1958 prime time eps hosted by Jack Barry and the 1961 pime time run hosted by Hugh Downs. by the way,the 1961 prime time eps were videotaped in color,which kind of makes you wonder why they were not preserved in some way.NBC,BASTARDS!!!

[Noveltooner]

Actually, the 1961 prime time run (at least part of it) DOES exist. Approximately six years ago, Long Island PBS station WLIW-21 in the wee hours ran "kinneys" thay were in the public domain. Five of those were "Nighttime Concentration" from the Ziegfeld Theatre with Miton DeLugg and the orchestra. Although I was only five when they originally aired, I remembered two of them very well. Aside from color, the nighttime board had a completely different trilon sound and there were BIG prizes.

[saintyetwixter]

Don't you find it funny that NBC likes to wax nostalgic about many of their daytime game shows they will never air, no matter what negative public pressure they will face?

PS-this is a damn good reason why the Peacock Network's ratings are with Davy Jones' locker!

[kimberlyKfnOphiEAGLE]

Why DOES NBC share things like the old Peacocks, yet holds back tapes of game shows and other vintage network programs? Greedy, greedy NBC!

[iLoveClassicTV]

Speaking of TV series being wiped, I've read that the 3rd biggest Australian TV Network, known as "Ten", still erases some programming it doesn't consider to be "important". I even regularly make VHS copies of Ten, BBC World and TVSN (Aussie home shopping channel) just to make sure that a decent amount of their programming exists into the future.

[kimberlyKfnOphiEAGLE]

I'd love to see a 'Concentration' opening complete with the Peacock. I know there must be a color opening out there.

[secondchance1977]

I Have A Concentration Opening, but my VCR did not show the video.

[lawrenceofarabia1962]

secondchance1977 and strautman78: Where are your resources of NBC wiping new programming coming from? I thought they stopped in the early 80s at the latest and preserved everything since then plus a whole bunch of other stuff before then.

And one more thing: NBC is NOT the same as the BBC (at least anymore).

[secondchance1977]

I Know MY Info Came From Someone who WORKS IN THE VAULTS IN NBC!

[saintyetwixter]

It doesn't surprise me to hear that, secondchance1977. And no wonder the viewing public, (plus the networks) know next to nothing about TV's past!

[Stratman78]

I'll tell you what's worse: BBC's on-going wiping policy. I saw it on their website. They said that anything that isn't worth keeping in the BBC Television archives after 5 years will be erased (unless anything recorded for historic purposes will be kept).

I can't believe that they almost destroyed all 45 episodes (47 if you want to count the German episodes) of Monty Python's Flying Circus.

[secondchance1977]

Ugh... Dont Remid Me. I Already saw their website about there preserving polocy! I Cant believe they will do that. There basicaly gonna erase everything! And guess what else? NBC's starting to Wipe some of there new shows!!!!!!!!!! Lets hope they dont get the stuido 8H!

[Stratman78]

Someone should inform the Game Show Network on what NBC is doing, especially the old game shows. They should be pulled out of there before they're lost forever.

If it's the new shows now, I hope it's not "Deal or no Deal."

[secondchance1977]

Well, they got 1 episode of Deal or no Deal. My friend litterly stole some of the heavy quad tapes the other day! She converted it to anothe tape and on one was the finale of Knockout from 1978. Another had High Rollers Finale from 1976. There was the 2 episodes of Jackpot that exist. But on the wiping, they got hold of some Merv Griffans Crosswords and wiped em. UGH

[Stratman78]

OMG!!!!! WHAT THE HELL IS NBC DOING?????

I'm feeling sick right now after hearing this.

[secondchance1977]

Thats what im felling right now! I cant believe it and neither can my friend! NBC has just won the award for least likely to preserve their shows!

[secondchance1977]

Wow... my friend just sent me a copy of an episode of concentration from soemwhere between 1969-1971. I tried posting it, but my computer is not picking up my VCR. Let me try asking her, or my VCR manual.....

TO BE CONINUED

[secondchance1977]

well, i got 2 audio clips of the tape, but my VCR hit the bed twice when i tried connecting with my pc. Guess i might as well get a new one, once i get the money,ugh, infaltion is such a b!tch nowadays

[GarfieldnPyramid]

NBC is wiping deal or no deal? I through they stopped in 1981. I better save my old deal or no deal videos.

[c3section]

Are they really wiping DOND? Because if they are, that would be the first good desicion by the network in recent years!

[christusvincit]

That's an intro that I can safely say was ahead of its time.

BMP

[timbabcock]

NBC had a fire in one of thier archive buildings back in the late 70s or early 80s in Burbank and lost a great deal of old material that way as well. I remember Johnny Carson complained about it on his last Tonight Show show he did.

[AdamStabelli555]

Give us our Concentration NBC!

[brainman214]

I myself barely remember the"snake" logo as i was months old in 1959,but i do recall in the sixties the drumrolls and "Cash Wheel" dropping from the entrance doors! Funny thing,when Bob Clayton stepped into the doors,and when his back was turned,the closed the doors on him,and when he turned around shouting"Hey Let me Outta Here!" Very Funny Moment On NBC!

[yeongwol]

I watched this show as a kid in SW Virginia on channel 6 out of Bluefield WV. I didn't freak out at this opening, but I do remember a lot of Civil Defense "tests" coming on during this show with that big CD triangle, and those made me scream.

[zekepig]

Those CD interruptions were only tests that never became anything significant.

[kes1963]

when i was a kid, concentration was on at 930 am right after jack lalanne LOL

[Jnelson09Returns]

No offense, but I've seen freakier.

[fromthesidelines]

The "NBC Presents" bumper at the beginning was the "standard" opening seen on the network's black & white kinescopes during the '60s- orginally, the show opened with the famous unfolding peacock and Mel Brandt saying, "The following program is brought to you in LIVING COLOR...on NBC". The network rarely saved any of their color videotaped game shows, either....

[staytunedfor]

Daytime tv (primarily game shows and soap operas back then) were looked down upon as entertainment, but huge money-makers for networks and producers. They were thought of as disposable entertainment and that no one would want to see them again. And since it cost money to store them and videotape was expensive back then, they taped over a lot of shows. Tragic short-sightedness, but in a 3-network world nobody envisioned niche cable networks, home video, the internet or YouTube!

[prausch65]

Excellent point, this video is a fine specimen of what should have been preserved as a peice of game show history.Would love to see more of this on GSN

[GarfieldnPyramid]

In 1994 GSN tried to buy tapes of Concentration but NBC refused for unexplaned reasons.

[beentheredonetht]

that's because NBC's initials really stand for No Buying Concentration.

[GarfieldnPyramid]

lol it does.

[Julian9ehp]

Boy, that opening frightened me when I was a child.

[thegamesthatrate]

Is Wayne Howell still alive? I know Bob Clayton died in 1979. Does anyone have a clip of an episode with Clayton hosting? When he returned as host after NBC yanked him in early 1969, it taught me that the good guy can win in real life.

[GoulashFor10]

Wayne Howell passed away in 1993.

[Lvanett2]

What year was this version of the opening on? Anyone know?  The version I've seen on video does not have this opening.

[professor1966]

This opening was from sometime in the 60s.. I'm guessing the video you've seen is from the 1966 "Challenge Of Champions" final; for some reason the opening was edited out of that. (The "mystery logo" was already a part of the show as you could see in the video's background). I'm not sure when the logo was first incorporated into the show, but it stayed with it until NBC pulled the plug on the original network version in 1973.

[Lvanett2]

Thanx! Yes the version I saw (and have) is from the 1966 Challenge of Champions. Wish we could see some eps from the NBC or the Narz version here.

[professor1966]

I don't know if you're familiar with pageoclips (dot com) - it's a game show site with flash video of clips of classic shows including one of Narz' episodes.. check it out when you can!

[secondchance1977]

right now its not online!

[Stratman78]

Unfortunately, Pageoclips got taken down due to copyright infringment. Bummer.

[secondchance1977]

I have 2 audio clips of a BROADCAST episode on my page. my friend works for NBC and snooped an episode and made a copy for me. but my VCR is in the stone age of VCR technology and the video did not get through.

[retrotvluver]

This opening was first used in 1963, I believe the same day that "Missing Links" debuted on NBC. It was in use for the last ten years of the NBC version, and was first seen in color (yellow characters, blue background) early in November 1966; this had the distinction of being NBC's last BW show to go to color.

[writer1961lklklklklk]

I remember this old opening. I was a regular watcher. The way that they did the word Concentration looks so Picasso-like. Who was the artist?

[professor1966]

I believe you're right, Byrd..  I think it was Wayne Howell..

[wmbrown6]

It was indeed Wayne Howell at the mic. I noticed his voice sounded a trifle similar at certain points to the "Living Color" voice, Mel Brandt. Which of the two did the main network promos/bumpers in alternation with Fred Collins, Howard Reig and Vic Roby in the late 1960's-to-mid '70's period?

[someguy23475]

Who is that announcing? It doesn't sound like Art James, and it obviously isn't Bob Clayton.

[byrd56]

It might have been Wayne Howell, who often announced when Bob Clayton filled in for Hugh Downs, as well as when Bob took over following Hugh's retirement and Ed McMahon tanking in 1969, until its original end in 1973.

[fromthesidelines]

NBC rarely saved ANY of their daytime programming on color videotape; you're quite lucky to see this black & white "kinnie" {the "Living Color" logo replaced by a generic "NBC Presents" lead-in, specifically for b/w kinescopes} which dates from around 1967, I believe. These prints were saved by the network for legal purposes and sent to a few stations for delayed broadcast that didn't have color facilities at the time.

[saintyetwixter]

I honestly believe that CBS has the many of the tapes of the Concentration shows broadcast between 1958-1973 that were deemed lost for many years.

[someguy23475]

Seriously? If so, that's great news! How would that work if there were enough episodes to rerun, since it was an NBC show? This confuses me.

[saintyetwixter]

Someguy23475, remember, this is the world of business! Where common sense and logic is often suspended in favor of other nonsense!

But I did say that I read the information online! I hope it is true too! Meanwhile we wait (but don't hold your breath) for what happens in the weeks to come!

STAY TUNED...

[secondchance1977]

All of concentration exists, but NBC keeps lying. they did not destroy them. they simply "misplaced them" and say there gone

[secondchance1977]

Well, CBS dosnt have them, because all the episodes are in NBC vaults! my friend works for NBC and after a long amount of weeks, checked and found all the 2 inch quad tapes with concentration on them. If you dont believe me, ask Stratman78.

[meowfit]

I liked this, and I also liked the way that whenever a contestant correctly guessed the rebus (puzzle), Hugh Downs would exclaim, "IS RIGHT!!!" Wild!

[professor1966]

Forget the "S From Hell"... THIS was the kind of stuff that scared ME as a kid!!!

[Ccook45]

I grew up on the original Concentration and I rather liked the opening. I'll chime in later with the original 1958 opening as well as regular game play.

[lildrchris25]

Some episodes are on the trading block, full episodes, yes, so the actual game footage is around.

[beentheredonetht]

That's odd. I always heard the only eps for trade were the 66 one, a complete Narz one and a portion of the end of a Narz one. I can only hope they'll air here, since I know I'll never obtain them. (One of the things I dislike about trading.)

[bainsey89]

The opening is interesting, but have you any footage of an actual game from way back when?

[bluebear1985]

I doubt they would be able to get some because the majority of the tapes from the original run were destroyed.

[TVLubber]

The only Concentration episodes left are the ones from Alex Trebek's run from 1987-1991. I want those episodes to air so badly!

[cwf1701]

the G-T version is around, but because the series is still owned by NBC, GSN has never aired the Narz (1974-78) or Trebek (1987-91) version of the show .

[gli7utubeo]

Didn't Jack Narz do a game show called Seven Keys in the early 60s?

[herringboy]

Yes he did

[Stratman78]

Why would NBC destroy all of those Concentration episodes from 1958 to 1973? Or were they? The Narz episodes (1973 to 1978) are uncertain where they are.

To me, that's recording over (or destroying)history.

Also, NBC also erased the 1977 game show "Knockout" with Arte Johnson. I would love to see footage of that for 1 copy does exist from that game.

[bluebear1985]

I guess back then the type of tapes they used were a little more difficult to come by, so they didn't have much choice. A good portion of the original "Jeopardy!" and "Hollywood Squares", both NBC shows, were destroyed as well.

[Noveltooner]

Also, the tape reels were HUGE and heavy, not to mention, expensive. Storage space was a problem. Still, I find it interesting that when the programming division moved to L.A. why it was mostly the New York shows they destroyed, since New York City was the real national television center prior to the 70's. Mary martin's "Peter Pan" was rescued only because a WNBC-TV feed reel was discovered in an unmarked tape cannister lying around in the old Fort Lee, NJ warehouse.

[Tazzman]

How true! I would really like to see some early b/w game shows! I heard the b/w Match Game shows were taped over!

[secondchance1977]

if your wondering, all the Narz episodes exist according to NBC. So do the 1958 to 1973 episodes, but NBC keeps lying! btw, Knockout does exist on tape in entirety. Hollywood squares ddaytim after 1970 exist in entierty

[secondchance1977]

no, they exist in entirity, NBC simply misplaced them

[bluebear1985]

How would you know this? They have destroyed episodes of other good shows they have broadcasted, such as the original "Match Game".

[secondchance1977]

is you ask stratman78, he'll tell you what ill tell you. one of my friends works for nbc and sometimes will "snoop" around vaults and sees whats in there, and in vault a while ago were all 3,796 telecasts of Concentration, and the telecasts of Jack Narz Concentration

[bluebear1985]

Really? What does he do for the network, and what city would these tapes be stored in?

[secondchance1977]

she, as you could say, is a janitor, but not exactly one. for reruns, she looks for tapes of the shows to air and has acess to all the vaults. The Tapes were in New York City, but then transfered with the Jack Narz concentration to hollywood and now there in hollywood.

[Stratman78]

It is true. Secondchance1977 is right on the money.

Also to confirm about Concentration, Steve Beverly's article 'ALL IN THE GAME - The Lost Episodes' from 'The Game Show Convention Center' website said the following:

"Reportedly, NBC still has in its possession the original Hugh Downs Concentration on kinescope and the Jack Narz edition on tape but will not release them."

[bluebear1985]

Wow! So they do still exist! Makes me wonder what other shows they have hidden away. Of course, if they had the original "Twenty-One", they would never admit to that. Only that infamous episode with Van Doren And Stemple has been seen by a good amount of people. Actually, it is posted on this site.

[ieeeeeeeeeeeee]

based on this info, surely they have some Hollywood Squares episodes gathering dust in some vault somewhere!

[bluebear1985]

Well, a good portion of the syndicated run aired on GSN, plus a couple of primetime episodes. What I'm actually hoping still exists is most of the original "Jeopardy!" run with Art Fleming and "Wheel of Fortune" with Chuck Woolery. Still, not too many know for sure.

[secondchance1977]

Jeopardy 1978-1979 exists amd so does -after 1976 wheel of fortune exists

[bluebear1985]

I knew about the 1978-1979, but the one I'm curious about is the run from 1964-1975. I've heard about a handful of episodes exist from that era, including the 2000th episode where Mel Brooks makes an appearance.

[secondchance1977]

the premire epsiodes, the 1000th, and after 1973 exist. before that is only kinescopes

[kimberlyKfnOphiEAGLE]

I would love to know if ABC and CBS are like NBC, whether they have stuff in their vaults they won't let go of.

[Hondo20132]

ABC is. CBS isn't.

[secondchance1977]

Well, CBS for a small percent. I bet they have Give-N-Take in their vaults somewhere and GAmbit.

[Hondo20132]

You said before that it's unlikely that CBS would be stingy enough to not give away Gambit. You also said that they don't have a history of that.

[secondchance1977]

That was before i though up of Give N Take and Gambit.

[secondchance1977]

Daytime hollywood squares after 1970 exists

[ieeeeeeeeeeeee]

any eps. before 1970 exist (beside the 1967 episode)?

[secondchance1977]

no tapes before 1970. there are a few kinescopes here and there.

[secondchance1977]

Well, NBC DOES have the orignial 21 on kinescope! Though they put them in the MG-BT vaults.

[GoulashFor10]

There are a 1966 Tournament of Champions episode from NBC at 30 Rock, and a really upscale live 1961 nighttime show (which aired before the original "Dragnet") broadcast from the original Ziegfeld Theatre (also home to "The Price is Right")

with super prizes and Skitch Henderson's orchestra. They are available from Shokus Video.

[beentheredonetht]

Are these both of Concentration? Last time I checked Shokus' site, I only saw the 66 Tournament ep.

[Zachattack2]

Cool. Would love to see some from the 70's version if you got 'em.