My mom was a contestant on Jeopardy in the spring of 1967, she won $160. I was in 2nd grade at the time and we got to leave school for an hour and go home and watch her when they showed it a few weeks later. All the contestants got to keep their money back then, not just the winner. And I ended up reading the 1967 Compton's Pictured Encyclopedia set that they gave her, from cover to cover. I always wished I could buy the tape of her appearance but was told they probably reused the videotape.
I have a copy of this clip in relatively better video (it's still bright, but more sturdy than seen here). I can upload it if you want, as I can tell you are very intrigued by this.
Also, I have two shows from around the same time in which the quality looks a heck of a lot alike (the Hollywood Squares pilot, which I recently uploaded; and a 14-minute Concentration 1966 clip). Seems like this came from the same source as those two.
As poor quality as this footage may be, it's still better than nothing (which is what is left of some other game-shows of the 1960s). Thanks for uploading it here.
For a host that had NO hosting experience prior to Jeopardy, Art Fleming sure was good at what he did. It's a shame that everyone thinks that Alex Trebek is the only host of Jeopardy! If only GSN reran some Art Fleming episodes.
@AdamStabelli999 They have at least shown the finale. There's simply not enough episodes in rerunnable condition to sustain a consistent run. That, and it's not Deal or No Deal from 3 years ago.
@AdamStabelli999 Well, Art Fleming does live on as he appeared in the video (along with the voice of Don Pardo) for Weird Al Yankovic's 1983 parody of the Greg Kihn Band's hit from earlier that year ("Jeopardy") that Weird Al called "I Lost On Jeopardy!" The video can be found on YouTube.
Ironically, it came out shortly before Alex Trebek began hosting the revival of "Jeopardy!" that has now run more than twice as long as the original.
Two observataions that may be elsewhere in the comments: The original announcer for "Jeopardy!", as he is here, is Don Pardo, who went from here to announce "Saturday Night Live." Also, it's amazing to me that this show has been on the air since 1964, with one break in the late 70s and early 80s, with only two hosts: Art Fleming and Alex Trebek.
oh ok well either way amazing piece of footage. it is a shame that tv networks erased there shows back then. now they are kissing any ones ass that has these shows no matter what the show looks like. know they are kicking them selfs in the ass.
In the 1960s a number of electronics magazines had various project plans to build Videotape recorders based on using a reel-to-reel audio tape recorder modified to run at about 120 inches per second (instead of 7.5 for audio) A 10 inch reel of 3600 feet would play exactly 6 minutes, minus time to speed up. Results were usually awful, this might explain the origin of this clip.
As someone who loves little historical snippets like this, I thank you for putting it up. I probably watched it as a kid during summer break, but don't remember anything, except the categories, which were re-used often (I especially remember "The Notorious"). Thanks again for sharing it!
Yes, I've heard of that -- and you're welcome. The supplier of both the audio and footage, Steve Sherman, originally contacted me to ask who would be interested in that material. I asked on the Sony Boards, got a response from Kevin Segura, and sent Sherman the info.
I must admit that I was a bit wary at first -- I thought Sherman was not legit (I also thought this of Brian Aronson), but I was happily proven wrong on both occasions.
(NOTE: This is not to take pride in myself, of course.)
It's actually SMPTE, which is short for the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. (Pronounced SIMP-tee.) It's an organization which sets universal technical standards for film and TV production.
What secondchance77 is referring to is the SMPTE Universal Leader, which is a bit of film at the beginning of a reel to help thread it into a projector. It's one of the standards SMPTE developed in the mid 60's.
Pretty much, yeah. I've always had it listed in my collection (which I *really* need to get online...) as a kinescope.
If I knew how to stabilize this footage (fix it so it doesn't jump around, which is especially noticeable near the end) and fix some of the "warping" in the audio, I'd do it.
As for anyone who may be thinking "Well, the series was originally in color -- let's restore the color!", it's a good idea...but impractical without first stabilizing and cleaning up the footage.
Getting back to the 78-79 version for a moment, I've just discovered that the final episode has recently been uploaded to You Tube in four parts by a member named DownsA530. His channel also has a 1967 episode of "The Hollywood Squares", an episode of the original "Concentration" from Christmas of 1969 and the 1975 pilot for "Family Fued" among others.
It is too bad that no one had the foresight to invent a consumer-grade 8mm kinescope recorder (with optical soundtrack) to preserve these kind of shows back then!
Certainly, it would have been technically feasible!
It sold for $57 on the 8mm model w/sound. A 16mm model w/sound sold for $70, and to record in color cost another $10. By 1968, there were 35mm w/sound for $90, and a 70mm came with sound and color for $120.
I've watched all of the Jeopardy! Fleming clips on here the last few days, and it really takes me back. I remember as a kid watching Jeopardy! at my grandparents' house in the summer. I remember also hearing Art Fleming on KMOX on Sunday evenings. In all I've seen and heard, he seemed to be a very kind man, who always put the contestant and radio caller first. I wish there were more like him in TV and Radio today.
Since we're on the subject of rare finds, does anyone have any thoughts about that tournament episode from the 78-79 revival that's recently made its way to You Tube?
Very interesting. For a revival that only ran five months, a tournament episode is something unexpected.
According to comments within the episode, and the video title, it the 1978 finals. But why a tournament only two months in? If it was, say, February '79, I'd easily agree with it.
All in all, that one caught me by total surprise -- a very nice surprise, though! :-)
That...makes sense. The last tournament was in November 1974, so whatever champs there were from then onward...
I also think that there were few big champs by the time of the 1978 tournament. I know that on the 1979 Finale, the current champion had won over $24,000.
Some champs from the last weeks of the original NBC run showed up on the syndicated version airing at the time.
The end-of-round "gong" [as Art Fleming referred to it as] sounded a bit different in 1966 compared to, say, 1974. I'm thinking the 1966 gong was that "Bermuda carriage bell", while the 1974 gong was the "ship's bell". Also, the answers written on the cards are shorter and the lettering rather different in 1966 than in '74.
The difference in the sound *might* be due to the quality, but I somewhat doubt that.
Earlier on, the answers were much shorter (sometimes just one word, like Peru!) and Art would state that the response must fit the category.
The dollar amount/clue lettering changed by the 2,000th show in 1972. Interestingly, that second dollar-amount font bears a close resemblance to those used today.
Perhaps the font on the cards was changed to accommodate longer and more challenging answers.
Also, in the clip of the old B&W episode that was shown on the current version's 4000th show, (which one could assume is indeed the "test" episode) the category cards appeared at both the top and bottom of the columns. I've seen photos from very early on in the run where that arrangement was kept, along with the players' names on top of their desks. Any idea when that changed to what we see here?
B&W clip on #4000TS --- That was the 3/5/64 "test" episode, if I'm not mistaken. Clips of it were seen in the "21 Years of Answers & Questions" feature on the (somewhat crappy) DVD release.
And the bottom row appears to be different than the top row - perhaps it was in Spanish?
As for when the changed happened...no later than this episode, obviously. I can't say if it was earlier since I haven't seen the extant clip from #434.
And could you point me to the pictures you speak of? I think I'll try to compile a video of anything I can find...
Regarding the changes, there's also the infamous Gene Shalit clip seen on the Finale (which I'll try to post). It's obviously a celebrity charity episode, but I don't know where it lands in relation to #434 and this episode.
(On a side note, at least one celebrity charity episode was done in 1972 with Peter Marshall, Art James, and Bill Cullen - I've seen at least two pictures of that, but don't know if it exists.)
I don't think YouTube allows URL's to be included in comments, so I'll ask you to put "Jeopardy Fleming years" in your search engine. It should be the first one that comes up. When you get there, click on "gallery" and you'll find two B&W photos that'll show you what I mean. They look to be from the same episode.
Here's a thought: when the show's 50th anniversary comes up in 2014, Sony should try to get clearance to air the 1964 test episode in full to show how far things have come.
Ah. I remember that site. That group is not the same as in the test show, although Art apparently made his entrance differently (look at where the Final Jeopardy board is situated).
Incidentally, the odd picture in the bottom-right corner appears to be another weird sort - unless it's the same as what I've seen all along (95% certain it is).
Still, I see your point - but Sony can just as easily collect all extant Fleming episodes (all three versions) and release them in a box set.
Yeah, the Final Jeopardy board was really awkwardly placed. It does blend in with the rest of the set but it's terrible for the players. Notice too the absence of dividers between the desks. Having the players turn their necks almost 90 degrees to see the board with nothing to block them from seeing each others' final questions sure made the prospect of cheating pretty easy. Good thing that got fixed.
As someone who was hooked on "Jeopardy!" from its first episode (that irrelevantly coincided with the opening of the 1964-65 New York World's Fair) the bottom duplicate category cards were gone after a month. The score displays moved to the tops of the desks in early 1965 with the names/bell lights moved beneath; this stayed until the end of the series.
The original font was later duplicated in the original Milton Bradley home versions (which had only five categories; the home board was made using the same manufacturing shell as MB's "Concentration" home game puzzle board to save manufacturing costs). The font change took place around 1972 not really for longer answers, but to "modernize" the appearance of the board. It was the only really major set change in the show's eleven years, excluding the 1974-75 syndicated nighttime version.
Speaking of the set, you have to admit that by the end of the show's life it looked painfully dated. I've said this elsewhere, but maybe if the producers had renovated the set (possibly to something like the 78-79 version's) and raised the board's dollar amounts earlier on, the original "Jeopardy!" may have lasted longer. All those chase lights on the 74-75 syndie version, not to mention the ugly tuxedos Art Fleming was made to wear, were cheap and desperate and just made a mockery of the game.
Now, what about the bits of shrubbery behind Art Fleming's podium early on? Any idea when those got nixed? "Jeopardy!" was the only game show I can think of that had its set decorated with plants.
Also early on, the title came up as a superimposed graphic in the opening sequence. By the end, the camera just zoomed up to the sign above the players and then faded into the one in the hallway from where Art and the players entered. Do you know when that change was made?
TPiR also had shrubbery - one of the 1986 segments I uploaded shows why that wasn't such a good idea.
As for the directing change (zoom into sign, fade into like one nearby), I can only offer 4/24/74. #2000 used a completely different opening, including the superimposed graphic.
August of '66. I was still on summer vacation from school then. I was between the third and fourth grades back then.
The date on this says 8/00/66. Was this originally aired on August 1. If it was, that was the same day that Charles Whitman shot up all those people on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin.
In regard to the date, I put 8/00/66 because I don't actually know when it aired. I only guessed that it was August based on Art's comment about a week in September.
In addition, Libby Dyer became a TOC contestant, and I've had this footage for about two years or so.
This has got to be one of the rarest Jeopardy! clips I ever seen!! Thanks for posting this clip, Art Fleming was a good host back in 1964-1975, but then in '78-'79 he returned on The All New Jeopardy!, but sadly it lasted only 1 season I believe.
Yeah no kidding, I wish NBC or Sony can release the Art Fleming Version DVD set of Jeopardy!. Otherwise can there be a campaign that people can try to make the company release it on DVD maybe?
@WarioBarker88 Yes I heard that Merv Griffin himself saved several Fleming episodes. And Steve Beverly also told me that they were turned over to Sony after he died
@disneyfan81 So there IS hope! :) I'd be curious to know how many "several" is and if it means just the original NBC series or all three Fleming versions.
...Hm. Well, I checked Wikipedia, and four of the five Virginia stations listed could have easily fit in this timeframe (WVIR, in Charlottesville, began in 1973).
And I doubt that the records would state "Filmed 5:06 of "Jeopardy!". Over." Perhaps they copied directly from the studio master?
But then why the crappy quality? And if it was like that to begin with, then why donate it to the Library of Congress?
Lots of things don't seem to add up here, but thanks again for all the info, Justin.
Hm. Why would they donate it to the LoC is a real puzzler. Id guess because theyd have no real purpose to use it, or because the LoC was close by :l
Any good studio master copy would be made where the show was tape, in this case, any studio master would have either been made in Los Angelas or New York. If the station was to make a copy, it would usually be a kinescope. My new guess of this existest is a copy of the show, but they ran out of film to tape it all.
I did some calculations, and taking in the show dosnt air on New Years, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New years, the 434 episode would be in November 1965. So while this episode isnt listed in the LoC, episode 434 is know to exist in the LoC. Any episode from August 1966 would be between episodes 614 and 637
According to the Microfilms Archive in the LoC, this is Episode 434. Supposedly, some station in Virginia was testing out there new kinescoping machine. They were only given 5 minutes of "test" film, so they insistited to donate it to the LoC for some strange reason. Instead, the LoC made a microfilm (?) of the first 5 minutes of this episode.
Wow, thanks for the info! I'll go ahead and add that to the description/name.
...Unfortunately, this doesn't give us a specific date - I could start counting from 3/30/64 and go like that, but I did that with Episode #2,000 and ended up a bit off.
You may know of the conspiracy theory among some quarters in the game show world regarding the wiping of all the studio master tapes of "Concentration" and NBC's other old game shows. Some believe they actually do exist and their erasure is a hoax propagated by the network. Just for argument's sake, could the original "Jeopardy!" really exist after all? It seems a little odd that despite all his clout and business sense, Merv Griffin couldn't save his own show from being wiped.
I wouldn't be surprised. I remember that Milton Berle once got pissed at NBC because they apparently destroyed "Texaco Star Theatre", but the network later announced that they had found the whole series - it had merely been misplaced.
So is it possible that the original "Concentration" is intact? Yes, but for me it's unlikely considering that NBC continued the wiping process through 1980. ABC quit in early 1978, and CBS stopped in late 1972 through a deal with Goodson-Todman.
I remember when his lawsuit against NBC made the news in 2000. It took only two months to find the missing kinescopes; they turned out to be in a warehouse in Burbank. It seemed a bit fishy that they were found so quickly despite the network's official junking policy. (Hint, hint.) But then, a $30 million suit and the resulting PR nightmare would prompt ANYONE to come clean, methinks.
Perhaps Sony and/or Merv Griffin's estate might want to follow Uncle Miltie's lead and see what happens.
@WarioBarker88 Actually I heard from several sources (Steve Beverly included) that most if not all of the original "Concentration" episodes do exist. It's just that NBC won't release the rights for anyone (GSN included) to air it (boo! hiss!).
My brother actually alerted me to this - my copy is not the "original copy", as the ever-present white dots shake when the picture does. If this was directly from the source (i.e. the original-original), the white dots would most likely remain stationary.
Thank you for posting this! Even if there's minimal game play, it's still a fascinating view of how the show was done in its original incarnation. Such a shame there wasn't more.
Incidentally, Art Fleming interviewed the contestants after the first break in the 4/24/74 episode (Kim, Kent & Karen) and the series finale that are both here on YouTube.
Are you able to upload the other episodes you have? I'm sure there are many fans who'd be eternally grateful if you did. :)
I'd love to see that episode. If only it could be made available online somewhere for those of us who can't get to the Paley Center for Media to see it. *sigh*
I know it exists a B&W kinescope, but was it originally videotaped in colour like the rest of the run or was it just done in B&W since it was never meant to be broadcast anyway?
Just curious - how does a "test episode" differ from a pilot?
There something I notice about the Game Show Themes Category in the J! episode aired March 17, 1998, the theme music in this video that they were using turned out to be a MIDI version of the theme music IIRC. Am I correct on that one?
I just checked an audio clip (thanks to the Jeopardy! Archive's entry on the episode), and the response was "the original Jeopardy! theme" (which nobody got, despite Alex's rather clever hint)...
So it's a MIDI version of the theme here. And just proves that, unlike "Wheel Of Fortune", "Jeopardy!" is not afraid to show its past and use the other versions to its advantage.
Does an original recording of the first "Jeopardy!" theme ("Take Ten" by Julann Griffin) exist somewhere? One wonders if Merv ever had a personal vault that kept audio and video archives of his creations.
I don't think so, actually. None of the episodes held by the UCLA Film & Television Archive aired around this point.
I believe this to be a sort of "test filming" by a home viewer, but only had enough film to record five minutes. Supporting this is the ever-present white "dots" throughout, which implies that this was recorded from a TV set showing the episode.
But regardless, we *have it* even if it was destroyed. Now to find Senator John McCain and game show fanatic Noreen Wald's episodes...
The Library holds the NBC microfilm Master Books for "Jeopardy!", which includes info on McCain's episodes.
McCain appeared on Episodes #355 (8/6/65; VTR 7/20/65) and #356 (8/9/65). He defeated 1-time champion Peggy Fisher, and was defeated by challenger Bob Bovard.
Bovard went on to become a 5-time champion, but did not play in the 1965 Tournament Of Champions. He did show up in the 1966 TOC, where he was defeated in his semifinal by Burns Cameron.
Notice that Art interviewed the contestants before the categories were revealed. I'm thinking it would be about a year or two--or three--before they changed to the format we have all become familiar with.
Actually, he interviewed the contestants before the game on all three 1970s episodes I have. It began, if I'm not mistaken, when the series returned on October 2, 1978.
I had just started fourth grade that week.
nanlisa 2 weeks ago
I had just started fourth grade when this episode aired.
nanlisa 9 months ago
My mom was a contestant on Jeopardy in the spring of 1967, she won $160. I was in 2nd grade at the time and we got to leave school for an hour and go home and watch her when they showed it a few weeks later. All the contestants got to keep their money back then, not just the winner. And I ended up reading the 1967 Compton's Pictured Encyclopedia set that they gave her, from cover to cover. I always wished I could buy the tape of her appearance but was told they probably reused the videotape.
ulysses1904 10 months ago
I have a copy of this clip in relatively better video (it's still bright, but more sturdy than seen here). I can upload it if you want, as I can tell you are very intrigued by this.
Also, I have two shows from around the same time in which the quality looks a heck of a lot alike (the Hollywood Squares pilot, which I recently uploaded; and a 14-minute Concentration 1966 clip). Seems like this came from the same source as those two.
Hondo20132 1 year ago
@Hondo20132 Hey, sure, why not upload it? (I wouldn't mind seeing the "Concentration" footage as well. :)
WarioBarker88 1 year ago
@WarioBarker88 As would I. ;)
40onTheBlue 1 year ago
@Hondo20132
What was it recorded on?
godofthisshit 1 year ago
@Hondo20132 By all means, please do! :)
40onTheBlue 10 months ago
I loved Art Fleming. When Jeopardy came back I was so disappointed that he wasn't hosting it. I like Trebek though.
drobin3149 1 year ago
As poor quality as this footage may be, it's still better than nothing (which is what is left of some other game-shows of the 1960s). Thanks for uploading it here.
MattTheSaiyan 1 year ago 2
Does anyone know if it's true that all Jeopardy! episodes originally aired in color, but were instead preserved on kinescope?
spxmet 1 year ago
@spxmet That is true, yes.
WarioBarker88 1 year ago
This is a great clip. I really enjoyed the footnotes and updates on the contestant. thanks for this important piece of history.
v8foad 1 year ago
For a host that had NO hosting experience prior to Jeopardy, Art Fleming sure was good at what he did. It's a shame that everyone thinks that Alex Trebek is the only host of Jeopardy! If only GSN reran some Art Fleming episodes.
AdamStabelli999 1 year ago
@AdamStabelli999 They have at least shown the finale. There's simply not enough episodes in rerunnable condition to sustain a consistent run. That, and it's not Deal or No Deal from 3 years ago.
spxmet 1 year ago
@AdamStabelli999 Well, Art Fleming does live on as he appeared in the video (along with the voice of Don Pardo) for Weird Al Yankovic's 1983 parody of the Greg Kihn Band's hit from earlier that year ("Jeopardy") that Weird Al called "I Lost On Jeopardy!" The video can be found on YouTube.
Ironically, it came out shortly before Alex Trebek began hosting the revival of "Jeopardy!" that has now run more than twice as long as the original.
WaltGekko 10 months ago
I used to watch Jeopardy with Art Fleming. All 3 contestans got to keep the amount they won.
elyseny 1 year ago
Two observataions that may be elsewhere in the comments: The original announcer for "Jeopardy!", as he is here, is Don Pardo, who went from here to announce "Saturday Night Live." Also, it's amazing to me that this show has been on the air since 1964, with one break in the late 70s and early 80s, with only two hosts: Art Fleming and Alex Trebek.
WSenator1 1 year ago
wow.....ummmmmmm, wow.
slaveyMe 1 year ago
oh ok well either way amazing piece of footage. it is a shame that tv networks erased there shows back then. now they are kissing any ones ass that has these shows no matter what the show looks like. know they are kicking them selfs in the ass.
jeffcool78 1 year ago
did you ever get in touch with game show network about this footage. maybe they can clean up the video. thank god for todays technolgy.
jeffcool78 1 year ago
@jeffcool78 -- No, but I very highly doubt that GSN would want something like this given the direction they've been wanting to go in recently.
WarioBarker88 1 year ago
(about the ending) Abrupt, indeed. But it's still good to see this footage in the first place.
CDCB2 1 year ago
In the 1960s a number of electronics magazines had various project plans to build Videotape recorders based on using a reel-to-reel audio tape recorder modified to run at about 120 inches per second (instead of 7.5 for audio) A 10 inch reel of 3600 feet would play exactly 6 minutes, minus time to speed up. Results were usually awful, this might explain the origin of this clip.
Frankcoins 1 year ago
Richard-Gebaur AFB, south of KC, was closed by the BRAC in the early 1990s after the end of the Cold War. The airfeild is currently out of use.
efrem1 2 years ago
As someone who loves little historical snippets like this, I thank you for putting it up. I probably watched it as a kid during summer break, but don't remember anything, except the categories, which were re-used often (I especially remember "The Notorious"). Thanks again for sharing it!
Watersmith53 2 years ago
Believe it or not, I remember the show from so long ago.
primogennaio 2 years ago
An audio-only copy of a 1968 episode was recently posted.
Hondo20132 2 years ago 5
Yes, I've heard of that -- and you're welcome. The supplier of both the audio and footage, Steve Sherman, originally contacted me to ask who would be interested in that material. I asked on the Sony Boards, got a response from Kevin Segura, and sent Sherman the info.
I must admit that I was a bit wary at first -- I thought Sherman was not legit (I also thought this of Brian Aronson), but I was happily proven wrong on both occasions.
(NOTE: This is not to take pride in myself, of course.)
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
Aside from the quality, this does bring back wonderful memories. I grew up with this classic version.
Mr. Fleming & Mr. Pardo were indeed, the epitome of the game show world!
(I was only 3 when this episode aired)
GandSAfan 2 years ago 2
It's poor quality, but amazing that such an ep is available to see from over 40 years ago!
beentheredonetht 2 years ago 9
oh dear this is poor
darkmarkrammstein 2 years ago
excuseyou77 's copy, after the slate, has the letters
"SMP FM", then followed by "STMPE UNIVERVAL FILMS"
?
secondchance1977 2 years ago
I have no clue what either means, but both are usually found before and after the film.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
It's actually SMPTE, which is short for the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. (Pronounced SIMP-tee.) It's an organization which sets universal technical standards for film and TV production.
What secondchance77 is referring to is the SMPTE Universal Leader, which is a bit of film at the beginning of a reel to help thread it into a projector. It's one of the standards SMPTE developed in the mid 60's.
I found all this info on Wikipedia, by the way.
40onTheBlue 2 years ago
Thanks for the info. ^_^
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
Brandon uploaded his copy with the slate. :)
554461 2 years ago 2
Whats his account?
secondchance1977 2 years ago
excuseyou77. He's given me permission to combine his copy and mine to create a new, improved clip.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
The quality prolbems at the end looks more like effects of Tape Trading, not the end of a film reel.
secondchance1977 2 years ago
I stand corrected -- Brandon Bolton's copy is the definitive one; I don't know how those things got on *my* copy, but they're not on his.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
The grid-looking thing, not the general quality problems -- they're even *worse* on his copy.
(Although I think the audio on his is a bit clearer than mine. I could be wrong, however.)
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
Oh, they got on from the effects of dubbing VHS to VHS to VHS to DVD and so on.
Not your fault :)
secondchance1977 2 years ago
If Brandon Bolton copy has a slate he should upload it. He has a youtube account called excuseyou77. He can confirm that this is a Studio Master.
554461 2 years ago
But Art says something about September 26 coming up so the air date is incorrect.
RCPlanes59 2 years ago
No, it isn't. I've had it confirmed from several sources, including Joy's son Doug.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
Yeah, as soon as I posted that comment I realized that it said September 7 not October 7 :/
RCPlanes59 2 years ago
That's alright, man -- we all misread things. ^^;
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
Was it possible to kinescope this episode?
Hondo20132 2 years ago
Considering it has all the qualitys of a kinescope recording, I would say it was.
ilovethewii2009 2 years ago
Pretty much, yeah. I've always had it listed in my collection (which I *really* need to get online...) as a kinescope.
If I knew how to stabilize this footage (fix it so it doesn't jump around, which is especially noticeable near the end) and fix some of the "warping" in the audio, I'd do it.
As for anyone who may be thinking "Well, the series was originally in color -- let's restore the color!", it's a good idea...but impractical without first stabilizing and cleaning up the footage.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
this is wonderful
paulluvz269xxx 2 years ago 2
If Brandon Bolton says his copy has a slate, that could give proof showing this wasnt "home recorded".
secondchance1977 2 years ago
Who's Brandon Bolton? One of the owners of this clip?
40onTheBlue 2 years ago
A trader/collector who lists this clip among his holdings. He says it includes a slate.
Despite this breakthrough, it doesn't exactly rule out the whole theory that WSLS-TV produced this footage from a filming machine.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
I see. Thank you for clarifying.
Getting back to the 78-79 version for a moment, I've just discovered that the final episode has recently been uploaded to You Tube in four parts by a member named DownsA530. His channel also has a 1967 episode of "The Hollywood Squares", an episode of the original "Concentration" from Christmas of 1969 and the 1975 pilot for "Family Fued" among others.
Definitely worth checking out.
40onTheBlue 2 years ago
Family FEUD, first of all.
Secondly, I found the guy some time back. Has an AWESOME collection, and needless to say I've been subscribed for some time.
(And before anybody asks, no I don't have any of the episodes 40onTheBlue mentioned.)
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
YIKES! My bad. All apologies for the typo.
40onTheBlue 2 years ago
It's okay, man.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
It is too bad that no one had the foresight to invent a consumer-grade 8mm kinescope recorder (with optical soundtrack) to preserve these kind of shows back then!
Certainly, it would have been technically feasible!
MiKikaIwaShizaru 2 years ago
But would it have been affordable?
40onTheBlue 2 years ago
It sold for $57 on the 8mm model w/sound. A 16mm model w/sound sold for $70, and to record in color cost another $10. By 1968, there were 35mm w/sound for $90, and a 70mm came with sound and color for $120.
secondchance1977 2 years ago
They did. Kodak made a "Home Kinescope" in 1967. Too bad it had little sales, by 1968, Sony came out with the S-2000 UMatic.
secondchance1977 2 years ago
I've watched all of the Jeopardy! Fleming clips on here the last few days, and it really takes me back. I remember as a kid watching Jeopardy! at my grandparents' house in the summer. I remember also hearing Art Fleming on KMOX on Sunday evenings. In all I've seen and heard, he seemed to be a very kind man, who always put the contestant and radio caller first. I wish there were more like him in TV and Radio today.
kengorejr 2 years ago
CLASSIC CLASSIC CLASSIC.
dcat918 2 years ago
Since we're on the subject of rare finds, does anyone have any thoughts about that tournament episode from the 78-79 revival that's recently made its way to You Tube?
40onTheBlue 2 years ago
Very interesting. For a revival that only ran five months, a tournament episode is something unexpected.
According to comments within the episode, and the video title, it the 1978 finals. But why a tournament only two months in? If it was, say, February '79, I'd easily agree with it.
All in all, that one caught me by total surprise -- a very nice surprise, though! :-)
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
"According to comments within the episode, and the video title, it IS the 1978 Finals." Gotta learn to double-check before posting...
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
I think that episode had some champions from the 1975 version that didn't get to their tournament because the show ended.
Hondo20132 2 years ago
That...makes sense. The last tournament was in November 1974, so whatever champs there were from then onward...
I also think that there were few big champs by the time of the 1978 tournament. I know that on the 1979 Finale, the current champion had won over $24,000.
Some champs from the last weeks of the original NBC run showed up on the syndicated version airing at the time.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
The end-of-round "gong" [as Art Fleming referred to it as] sounded a bit different in 1966 compared to, say, 1974. I'm thinking the 1966 gong was that "Bermuda carriage bell", while the 1974 gong was the "ship's bell". Also, the answers written on the cards are shorter and the lettering rather different in 1966 than in '74.
byrd56 2 years ago
The difference in the sound *might* be due to the quality, but I somewhat doubt that.
Earlier on, the answers were much shorter (sometimes just one word, like Peru!) and Art would state that the response must fit the category.
The dollar amount/clue lettering changed by the 2,000th show in 1972. Interestingly, that second dollar-amount font bears a close resemblance to those used today.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
Perhaps the font on the cards was changed to accommodate longer and more challenging answers.
Also, in the clip of the old B&W episode that was shown on the current version's 4000th show, (which one could assume is indeed the "test" episode) the category cards appeared at both the top and bottom of the columns. I've seen photos from very early on in the run where that arrangement was kept, along with the players' names on top of their desks. Any idea when that changed to what we see here?
40onTheBlue 2 years ago
Font change --- Makes perfect sense to me.
B&W clip on #4000TS --- That was the 3/5/64 "test" episode, if I'm not mistaken. Clips of it were seen in the "21 Years of Answers & Questions" feature on the (somewhat crappy) DVD release.
And the bottom row appears to be different than the top row - perhaps it was in Spanish?
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
(continued)
As for when the changed happened...no later than this episode, obviously. I can't say if it was earlier since I haven't seen the extant clip from #434.
And could you point me to the pictures you speak of? I think I'll try to compile a video of anything I can find...
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
(continued)
Regarding the changes, there's also the infamous Gene Shalit clip seen on the Finale (which I'll try to post). It's obviously a celebrity charity episode, but I don't know where it lands in relation to #434 and this episode.
(On a side note, at least one celebrity charity episode was done in 1972 with Peter Marshall, Art James, and Bill Cullen - I've seen at least two pictures of that, but don't know if it exists.)
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
I don't think YouTube allows URL's to be included in comments, so I'll ask you to put "Jeopardy Fleming years" in your search engine. It should be the first one that comes up. When you get there, click on "gallery" and you'll find two B&W photos that'll show you what I mean. They look to be from the same episode.
Here's a thought: when the show's 50th anniversary comes up in 2014, Sony should try to get clearance to air the 1964 test episode in full to show how far things have come.
40onTheBlue 2 years ago
Ah. I remember that site. That group is not the same as in the test show, although Art apparently made his entrance differently (look at where the Final Jeopardy board is situated).
Incidentally, the odd picture in the bottom-right corner appears to be another weird sort - unless it's the same as what I've seen all along (95% certain it is).
Still, I see your point - but Sony can just as easily collect all extant Fleming episodes (all three versions) and release them in a box set.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
Yeah, the Final Jeopardy board was really awkwardly placed. It does blend in with the rest of the set but it's terrible for the players. Notice too the absence of dividers between the desks. Having the players turn their necks almost 90 degrees to see the board with nothing to block them from seeing each others' final questions sure made the prospect of cheating pretty easy. Good thing that got fixed.
40onTheBlue 2 years ago
As someone who was hooked on "Jeopardy!" from its first episode (that irrelevantly coincided with the opening of the 1964-65 New York World's Fair) the bottom duplicate category cards were gone after a month. The score displays moved to the tops of the desks in early 1965 with the names/bell lights moved beneath; this stayed until the end of the series.
Noveltooner 2 years ago
The original font was later duplicated in the original Milton Bradley home versions (which had only five categories; the home board was made using the same manufacturing shell as MB's "Concentration" home game puzzle board to save manufacturing costs). The font change took place around 1972 not really for longer answers, but to "modernize" the appearance of the board. It was the only really major set change in the show's eleven years, excluding the 1974-75 syndicated nighttime version.
Noveltooner 2 years ago
Speaking of the set, you have to admit that by the end of the show's life it looked painfully dated. I've said this elsewhere, but maybe if the producers had renovated the set (possibly to something like the 78-79 version's) and raised the board's dollar amounts earlier on, the original "Jeopardy!" may have lasted longer. All those chase lights on the 74-75 syndie version, not to mention the ugly tuxedos Art Fleming was made to wear, were cheap and desperate and just made a mockery of the game.
40onTheBlue 2 years ago
Thanks for the info. :)
Now, what about the bits of shrubbery behind Art Fleming's podium early on? Any idea when those got nixed? "Jeopardy!" was the only game show I can think of that had its set decorated with plants.
Also early on, the title came up as a superimposed graphic in the opening sequence. By the end, the camera just zoomed up to the sign above the players and then faded into the one in the hallway from where Art and the players entered. Do you know when that change was made?
40onTheBlue 2 years ago
TPiR also had shrubbery - one of the 1986 segments I uploaded shows why that wasn't such a good idea.
As for the directing change (zoom into sign, fade into like one nearby), I can only offer 4/24/74. #2000 used a completely different opening, including the superimposed graphic.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
@40onTheBlue Actually, I remember "The Big Showdown" having some plants on the set, and wondering why they were threre.
disneyfan81 1 year ago
August of '66. I was still on summer vacation from school then. I was between the third and fourth grades back then.
The date on this says 8/00/66. Was this originally aired on August 1. If it was, that was the same day that Charles Whitman shot up all those people on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin.
nanlisa 2 years ago
*moment of silence*
In regard to the date, I put 8/00/66 because I don't actually know when it aired. I only guessed that it was August based on Art's comment about a week in September.
In addition, Libby Dyer became a TOC contestant, and I've had this footage for about two years or so.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
This has got to be one of the rarest Jeopardy! clips I ever seen!! Thanks for posting this clip, Art Fleming was a good host back in 1964-1975, but then in '78-'79 he returned on The All New Jeopardy!, but sadly it lasted only 1 season I believe.
cruiseshipz 2 years ago
Actually, the 1978 version lasted five months, from October 2 to March 2.
There was also a weekly syndicated version that aired in the 1974-75 season.
And there's no denying this clip is rare - as I said, I only know of two other people that possess this.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
I see, but in the 1972-1975 version, none of the adds at the beginning after the interview with the contestents are shown before the 1st round.
cruiseshipz 2 years ago
Yeah...I don't know when they stopped that, actually - but it appears to have stopped as a whole around 1970.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
Yeah no kidding, I wish NBC or Sony can release the Art Fleming Version DVD set of Jeopardy!. Otherwise can there be a campaign that people can try to make the company release it on DVD maybe?
cruiseshipz 2 years ago
It's certainly possible. I mean, if Goodson-Todman can get the DVD treatment, why not Merv Griffin's favorites?
And it's not like there's not enough episodes to release - I know of about 25 or so Fleming episodes that exist.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
@WarioBarker88 Yes I heard that Merv Griffin himself saved several Fleming episodes. And Steve Beverly also told me that they were turned over to Sony after he died
disneyfan81 1 year ago
@disneyfan81 So there IS hope! :) I'd be curious to know how many "several" is and if it means just the original NBC series or all three Fleming versions.
40onTheBlue 1 year ago
According to google, in 1966, WSLS-TV,
the NBC station in Roanoke, purchsed a new filming machine to possible record kinescopes. No mention of any filming
it did.
secondchance1977 2 years ago
...Hm. Well, I checked Wikipedia, and four of the five Virginia stations listed could have easily fit in this timeframe (WVIR, in Charlottesville, began in 1973).
And I doubt that the records would state "Filmed 5:06 of "Jeopardy!". Over." Perhaps they copied directly from the studio master?
But then why the crappy quality? And if it was like that to begin with, then why donate it to the Library of Congress?
Lots of things don't seem to add up here, but thanks again for all the info, Justin.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
Hm. Why would they donate it to the LoC is a real puzzler. Id guess because theyd have no real purpose to use it, or because the LoC was close by :l
Any good studio master copy would be made where the show was tape, in this case, any studio master would have either been made in Los Angelas or New York. If the station was to make a copy, it would usually be a kinescope. My new guess of this existest is a copy of the show, but they ran out of film to tape it all.
secondchance1977 2 years ago
I did some calculations, and taking in the show dosnt air on New Years, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New years, the 434 episode would be in November 1965. So while this episode isnt listed in the LoC, episode 434 is know to exist in the LoC. Any episode from August 1966 would be between episodes 614 and 637
secondchance1977 2 years ago
So......this isn't #434? I know this isn't November 1965, since Art mentions a week in September.
Odd. Well, I'll change the title and description again.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
Well, at least we know that episode 434 exists as a *clip*, and this exists as a *clip* :)
secondchance1977 2 years ago
Perhaps. I mean, I've seen pictures of the microfilm archives' listings, and they usually have the contestants, airdate, and tapedate.
* Mrs. Eileen Brody, a housewife from Richard Fabor(?) Airbase, Missouri.
* Mrs. Joy Johnson, a housewife from Norwalk, Connecticut
* Mrs. Libby Dire(?), a housewife from Louisville, Kentucky who has won $1,680 in two appearances.
If this episode isn't in the microfilm archives, then Libby's first two games might.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
I think I'll see if the Sony Pictures forums (which has Burns Cameron among its members) has anything on the subject - and if not, I'll make one. :)
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
The white dots could have been dust on the huge machine itself.
secondchance1977 2 years ago
The microfilm didnt give any specific station, and there is numerous NBC stations in Virginia
secondchance1977 2 years ago
Thanks for posting.
secondchance1977 2 years ago
According to the Microfilms Archive in the LoC, this is Episode 434. Supposedly, some station in Virginia was testing out there new kinescoping machine. They were only given 5 minutes of "test" film, so they insistited to donate it to the LoC for some strange reason. Instead, the LoC made a microfilm (?) of the first 5 minutes of this episode.
secondchance1977 2 years ago
Wow, thanks for the info! I'll go ahead and add that to the description/name.
...Unfortunately, this doesn't give us a specific date - I could start counting from 3/30/64 and go like that, but I did that with Episode #2,000 and ended up a bit off.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
You may know of the conspiracy theory among some quarters in the game show world regarding the wiping of all the studio master tapes of "Concentration" and NBC's other old game shows. Some believe they actually do exist and their erasure is a hoax propagated by the network. Just for argument's sake, could the original "Jeopardy!" really exist after all? It seems a little odd that despite all his clout and business sense, Merv Griffin couldn't save his own show from being wiped.
Just a thought.
40onTheBlue 2 years ago
I wouldn't be surprised. I remember that Milton Berle once got pissed at NBC because they apparently destroyed "Texaco Star Theatre", but the network later announced that they had found the whole series - it had merely been misplaced.
So is it possible that the original "Concentration" is intact? Yes, but for me it's unlikely considering that NBC continued the wiping process through 1980. ABC quit in early 1978, and CBS stopped in late 1972 through a deal with Goodson-Todman.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
I remember when his lawsuit against NBC made the news in 2000. It took only two months to find the missing kinescopes; they turned out to be in a warehouse in Burbank. It seemed a bit fishy that they were found so quickly despite the network's official junking policy. (Hint, hint.) But then, a $30 million suit and the resulting PR nightmare would prompt ANYONE to come clean, methinks.
Perhaps Sony and/or Merv Griffin's estate might want to follow Uncle Miltie's lead and see what happens.
40onTheBlue 2 years ago
@WarioBarker88 Actually I heard from several sources (Steve Beverly included) that most if not all of the original "Concentration" episodes do exist. It's just that NBC won't release the rights for anyone (GSN included) to air it (boo! hiss!).
disneyfan81 1 year ago
Some of the bad quality could be from the trading circuit.
Hondo20132 2 years ago
It's possible, but Adam Nedeff claims it to also be not-so-good quality. I'm guessing that this is the best-quality copy there is.
But I will be more than happy to let somebody prove me wrong.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
My brother actually alerted me to this - my copy is not the "original copy", as the ever-present white dots shake when the picture does. If this was directly from the source (i.e. the original-original), the white dots would most likely remain stationary.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
Thank you for posting this! Even if there's minimal game play, it's still a fascinating view of how the show was done in its original incarnation. Such a shame there wasn't more.
Incidentally, Art Fleming interviewed the contestants after the first break in the 4/24/74 episode (Kim, Kent & Karen) and the series finale that are both here on YouTube.
Are you able to upload the other episodes you have? I'm sure there are many fans who'd be eternally grateful if you did. :)
40onTheBlue 2 years ago
I only have Episode #2000, #2574, and #2753. The 4/24/74 episode you mentioned was actually Ann/Larry/Norma - the episode you cited is from 6/27/74.
#2753 is the Finale, while #2574 is the 4/24/74 episode (and not-so-good quality).
But request duly noted. I'll get started on those as soon as I can. :-)
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
Thank you so much. Since the Finale and the 2000th episode have already been posted by others on the site, #2574 will be sufficient, thanks.
And sincerest apologies for my gaffe. Thank you for correcting me. :)
40onTheBlue 2 years ago
It's a pity they couldn't get more foootage as early as this.
Hondo20132 2 years ago
Actually, the 3/5/64 "test" episode still exists. Clips were shown on a retrospective special of the Trebek version.
The contestant area was slightly different, mainly in that the nameplates were on top of the podiums.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
I knew that. But I'm talking about regular episodes.
Hondo20132 2 years ago
Ah. Sorry about that. Didn't know what you meant, there.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
I'd love to see that episode. If only it could be made available online somewhere for those of us who can't get to the Paley Center for Media to see it. *sigh*
I know it exists a B&W kinescope, but was it originally videotaped in colour like the rest of the run or was it just done in B&W since it was never meant to be broadcast anyway?
Just curious - how does a "test episode" differ from a pilot?
40onTheBlue 2 years ago
There something I notice about the Game Show Themes Category in the J! episode aired March 17, 1998, the theme music in this video that they were using turned out to be a MIDI version of the theme music IIRC. Am I correct on that one?
Ivoryman1986 2 years ago
I just checked an audio clip (thanks to the Jeopardy! Archive's entry on the episode), and the response was "the original Jeopardy! theme" (which nobody got, despite Alex's rather clever hint)...
So it's a MIDI version of the theme here. And just proves that, unlike "Wheel Of Fortune", "Jeopardy!" is not afraid to show its past and use the other versions to its advantage.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
Does an original recording of the first "Jeopardy!" theme ("Take Ten" by Julann Griffin) exist somewhere? One wonders if Merv ever had a personal vault that kept audio and video archives of his creations.
40onTheBlue 2 years ago
YEs
secondchance1977 2 years ago
This must have been 1 of the episodes saved in B&W rather than on color tape.
bearhatesox 2 years ago
I don't think so, actually. None of the episodes held by the UCLA Film & Television Archive aired around this point.
I believe this to be a sort of "test filming" by a home viewer, but only had enough film to record five minutes. Supporting this is the ever-present white "dots" throughout, which implies that this was recorded from a TV set showing the episode.
But regardless, we *have it* even if it was destroyed. Now to find Senator John McCain and game show fanatic Noreen Wald's episodes...
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
The Library of Congress hold 2 episodes featuring future Senator John McCain as a contestant. They exist but Are they in color or B&W?
bearhatesox 2 years ago
The Library holds the NBC microfilm Master Books for "Jeopardy!", which includes info on McCain's episodes.
McCain appeared on Episodes #355 (8/6/65; VTR 7/20/65) and #356 (8/9/65). He defeated 1-time champion Peggy Fisher, and was defeated by challenger Bob Bovard.
Bovard went on to become a 5-time champion, but did not play in the 1965 Tournament Of Champions. He did show up in the 1966 TOC, where he was defeated in his semifinal by Burns Cameron.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
oh I through the library had the episodes. But they have books of the episodes.
bearhatesox 2 years ago 2
Well, they might. I'm not saying they do or don't, because I can't check for myself.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
SO COOL!
bearhatesox 2 years ago 3
Notice that Art interviewed the contestants before the categories were revealed. I'm thinking it would be about a year or two--or three--before they changed to the format we have all become familiar with.
byrd56 2 years ago
Actually, he interviewed the contestants before the game on all three 1970s episodes I have. It began, if I'm not mistaken, when the series returned on October 2, 1978.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago
It's very nice to see this.
gsn93 2 years ago 4
Yeah...I just wish it was better quality. But at least we *have* it.
WarioBarker88 2 years ago