Concentration: Difference between revisions

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[[NBC]]'s longest-running daytime [[Game Show]] was created in the late 1950s by [[Jack Barry]], Dan Enright, Robert Noah and Buddy Piper, just before the quiz scandals broke. The ''Concentration'' format was simple: Two contestants took turns matching prizes on a board of 30 numbered panels, hoping to solve the underlying rebus puzzle. It ran almost 15 years, from August 25, 1958, to March 23, 1973.

Jack Barry was the original producer of ''Concentration'', as well as ''[[~~Twenty~~ ~~One~~]]'' and ''[[Tic-Tac-Dough]]''. Shortly into the run, NBC took over production of ''Concentration'' and canned ''Twenty-One''. Hugh Downs, most notable to news fans as a ''Today Show'' anchor, hosted from 1958-69. Barry himself helmed a four-episode nighttime version, which replaced the aforementioned ''Twenty-One''. A second nighttime edition, this time in color, aired for six months in 1961.

Jack Barry was the original producer of ''Concentration'', as well as ''[[21 (game show)|21]]'' and ''[[Tic-Tac-Dough]]''. Shortly into the run, NBC took over production of ''Concentration'' and canned ''Twenty-One''. Hugh Downs, most notable to news fans as a ''Today Show'' anchor, hosted from 1958-69. Barry himself helmed a four-episode nighttime version, which replaced the aforementioned ''Twenty-One''. A second nighttime edition, this time in color, aired for six months in 1961.

''Concentration'' was the last NBC show to go from monochrome to color (November 1966). Producer Norm Blumenthal agreed to the transition only on the condition that his puzzles remain in two-tone white against a gray background, feeling that color puzzles would give away clues too readily.

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** 1968: For [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOKelYk7dD8 Downs' last Christmas show], the Santas were {{spoiler|Bob Clayton}} and {{spoiler|Victor Borge}}. Downs then made an announcement that {{spoiler|Clayton would be the show's new host}}.

** 1969: For [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0AEWlUCa_c Clayton's first Christmas show], the Santas were {{spoiler|Hugh Downs}} and {{spoiler|Joe Garagiola}}.

* [[~~Colour~~-Coded for Your Convenience]]: The Red and Green Takes. Yes, they both had to be the same color, or it was not a valid match.

* [[Color-Coded for Your Convenience]]: The Red and Green Takes. Yes, they both had to be the same color, or it was not a valid match.

* [[~~Cowboy~~ ~~Bebop~~ ~~at His Computer~~]]: Some published sources claim that in order to select the numbers on the board, contestants had to answer a question first.

* [[Media Research Failure]]: Some published sources claim that in order to select the numbers on the board, contestants had to answer a question first.

* [[Epic Fail]]: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYNCAcAmEbY This contestant] on ''Classic'' (August 25, 1987) failed to win the car despite having '''70 seconds''' to do so. {{spoiler|She didn't even make her first match until about 50 seconds in.}}

{{quote|'''Alex''': Next time out, ''seventy-five seconds''. [[Self-Deprecation|That's longer than my first marriage lasted.]]}}

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** ''The Rebus Game'' (ABC, 1965) had contestants drawing out clues to a phrase or person's name.

** ''Fractured Phrases'' (NBC, 1965) had phrases and names broken down phonetically into separate words much like ''Mad Gab''; for example, "Eat Spinner Lotto Phone" would translate into "It's Been a Lot of Fun").

** ''[[Catchphrase]]'' (syndicated in the United States, 1985; many years in the United Kingdom) revealed a short phrase in the form of a two- or three-clue rebus, similar to the recurring Wacky Wordies in ''Games'' magazine.

** ''[[Catchphrase (game show)|Catchphrase]]'' (syndicated in the United States, 1985; many years in the United Kingdom) revealed a short phrase in the form of a two- or three-clue rebus, similar to the recurring Wacky Wordies in ''Games'' magazine.

* [[Girls with Moustaches]]: Marjorie Goodson-Cutt once wore a fake mustache.

* [[Grand Finale]]: The original series ended, after 3,770 episodes, with a puzzle reading "YUV; {Bowling Pin}; M + {Oar}; TH + {Hen}; K + {Eye} + ND" (the solution being "You've Been More Than Kind"). [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDkeZCzdvok Clayton thanked the viewers for their loyalty, after which the credits rolled over a rendition of "Auld Lang Syne".]

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* [[Shout-Out]]: One ''Classic'' puzzle. First line: an awl + a dozen eggs; second line: a tree + a caricature of [[Gregory Peck]].

* [[Took a Level in Jerkass]]: A number of ''Classic'' contestants, after having had taken a prize using the "Take!" matches or had a prize taken, would snipe at each other. What hath [[Jerry Springer]] wrought?

* [[Trans Atlantic Equivalent]]: Several.

* [[Trans-Atlantic Equivalent]]: Several.

** The original Australian version helmed by Philip Brady ran from 1959-67 on the Nine Network, with a concurrent primetime run airing until 1961. Lionel Williams helmed a version in the 1970s on the Seven Network, followed by a brief 1997 run with Mike Hammond.

** A UK version produced by Granada aired on [[ITV]] from 16 June 1959 to 7 June 1960. Originally hosted by Barry McQueen, he was replaced by Chris Howland in 1960 and David Gell toward the end of the run. Blumenthal [http://gameshow.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=21303&view=findpost&p=258967 saw it], along with his staff:

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[[Category:American Series]]

[[Category:Game Show]]

[[Category:~~Concentration~~]]

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]