User:Daniel Benfield/New Info

Seems that no matter what turns up, there's always something to top it. Occasionally, I get an email from Snowpeck about new additions to his marvelous collection, or to share something he found, or whatever.

Recently, I was contacted by someone who preferred to remain anonymous and had a video file as an attachment. Rather than being a troll file or some gag dub, it turned out to be the 1975 debut in its entirety...including the original Round 3, which was scrapped.

Yours truly watched that, followed quickly by various other episodes between then and 1991, all sent by the same person from what were clearly the master tapes (slates, bars and tones, that sort of thing). Yes, I saved copies of the video files and no, I'm prohibited from sharing any part of them...including pictures, which struck me as odd, but I'm not questioning someone's generosity because I never claimed to be a dentist.

Obviously, I can share info, because why else would this be here? (...Unless the wise guys at Sony decide nothing is better than something, but I can't honestly say I care about them.)

Gah...I'm meandering again. On to the info!


 * 1975
 * The premiere was very interesting – the very first spin was Bankrupt, hit by June, who of course bounced back to win quite a bit including a mink coat.
 * Fortunately, one episode was from the period between the doors and curtains – amusingly, it was from mid-July, close to what recollections had been saying; the Milton Bradley games were right on the format changes, too, as Chuck pointed out the changes himself during the show.
 * ...Oh, boy, the November 3 show...needless to say, it was freaking awesome to see just how the hour-long format worked, and it was exactly as the recollections said it was (and yes, it was the first day without Buy A freaking Vowel); given the whole thing about late-era Second Chance, I'm not surprised. :)
 * Other than that, the last '75 episode was December 31, where Rob Mandel blew his competition out of the water for $21,000 – freaking awesome stuff.


 * 1976
 * Let me say this about my source – s/he knows how to pick them. :) Each episode from this point onward is a pivotal event and/or something referenced in the daytime timeline, starting with the entire All-Star Dream Machine week. Descriptions, or at least better ones, will come later – this is what happens when you marathon these things and your mind explodes from the pure awesome.


 * 1977
 * These were particularly wonderful because hey, 1977 stuff exists – first episode with Bankrupt's slide whistle (also the first day of the regular curtain), the entire Brides Week, Beverly LaBerdia's episode that she lost in 1981 (my source allowed me to send her a copy, so I'm working on that), and Susan Morrison's two episodes.


 * 1978
 * Hello, debut of the Star Bonus! I...these were great to watch – my source included the first and last Star Bonus episodes, plus (because apparently s/he looked at this) Barbara's two episodes and the wonderful Christmas Day episode.


 * 1979
 * Source, I love you (as a friend, of course). :) Yes, it's the debut of the $750/$1,000/$2,000 payouts, Hilarie's two episodes, Shauna Dillavou's namesake's episodes (my source allowed me to let her know as well), and Courtenay O'Connell's two episodes.


 * 1980
 * Each year brings more goodness. :) August 1 "finale", plus the August 4 "return", Trebek's substitute week, the full Game Show Hosts Week (Tom Kennedy wasn't kidding – Bill Cullen was phenomenal), and all five episodes of Celebrity Week on the Town were all present.


 * 1981
 * Really, the hits just keep on coming – the Armed Forces show that's only around in audio form, last show with the old set, debut of the new one (Chuck's reactions are great :), Chuck's finale in full, and Pat's first week. I...don't know what to say, and I've got another decade to go!


 * 1982
 * Terrific – the Hawaii Week, the E.T. TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE episode, Susan's last week, and some samples of the subsequent tryout era.


 * 1983
 * Took a bit to get through this, but hey...the last week with Thicke's music and first week of Merv's. Other than that, the Ohio State Fair nighttime week was included because hey, why not? Okay, moving on...
 * (Kracker stew as a prize? My goodness, I have no idea what that is and I'm looking right at it...)


 * 1984
 * Every episode of the U.S. Olympic Week in August, plus the first episode with the '84 "Changing Keys", the first with the second sunbursts, and the first with the walls.


 * 1985
 * All the hits just keep on coming – first day with the graphics overhaul, every episode from the "transitional" period with the animated logo finding itself, and Trebek's one-day return. Whew...


 * 1986
 * Here we go...Susan Stafford's full return week, the day a contestant won without touching the Wheel, first day of the Wheel's color overhaul, the Jackpot debut, #3,000, the first day of the third sunbursts/post-walls backdrop, and Stanton Keeney's three shows. I'm kinda glad there's only a few more years left, but...


 * 1987
 * Lots of good ones, including the champ who played five games due to two consecutive ties, the $22,000 Jackpot win, Robert Forst's two shows... Everybody's a winner thanks to this source! (That is, if by "everybody" you mean "me and two or three others".) Oh, jeez, what's next...


 * 1988
 * Massive goodness here – Debra Stuker's episodes (hard to watch given what happened later), Jack's last show, several episodes from the interim period, M.G.'s first day, and the last Jackpot episode! Also, every single host audition ever taped!
 * (...Krispy Kreme as a prize? Even at $107 for a year's worth, nobody bought it...)


 * 1989
 * This...is a lot of stuff – Benirschke's two ties, his Final Spin blunder (poor guy), M.G.'s last day and Charlie's return, the biggest daytime winner, and some studio footage of the last NBC taping where they knew it was the end (and even pointed out the lease expiring in 1990). Halfway through watching one episode, I received all of the post-NBC host auditions, plus some episodes of Goen's run (including the last day of the old open, first day of the new one, and the departure of $50 and $75).


 * 1990
 * I'm thankful for all of these, but I'm nearly tired out; let's see...the Soap Stars Week, first episode with vowels costing $100, first day of the new score displays, and the other episodes of Armed Forces Week. Stopping soon...


 * 1991
 * Source...how can I ever repay you? The last episode with the opening spin, the first one without it, first day of the "flashing" chevron backdrops behind Goen, and the entire last three weeks.

Unfortunately, like I said before, my source was very adamant on not having anything shared beyond updating the Wiki...which I will once I recover from my "archive binge" (as TV Tropes so wonderfully calls it). Fortunately, my source did allow me to hide their name and purpose in this page.

Follow the first letter of each sentence, and you'll figure it out. :)