An "unbelievably cool change" coming to TPIR this next seaso, According to Drew Carey's Twitter... Options

[CarShark]

I hope it's not the long-rumored "both showcase showdown winners alternate bids on the same showcase."

What would be wrong with that?

The fact that it's a lame kludge to fix what isn't broken leaps to my forebrain.

How is it a lame kludge? I've never heard that criticism before.

As for "fixing what isn't broken", I'm not swayed. I bet a bunch of people (like Dobkowitz) said the same thing about going hour-long. It's not a good enough reason to not do something that may work better.

[TLEberle]

How is it a lame kludge? I've never heard that criticism before.

A kludge is a workaround where you slap something together in an attempt to fix something, typically involving computer parts. My point is that the Showcase Round isn't broken in the first place. They've had two showcases, one bid each for thirty-seven years now.

It's not a good enough reason to not do something that may work better.

Going to an hour after two years when what you're doing is adding more content to what became a popular show makes sense. Changing a recognizable portion of the show after 37 when they don't need to make the change ruins all sorts of iconic-ness and momentum. Do they "need" to keep things the same? Yeah, they do. Much of the appeal is that you're going to see the same stable of games and the planned rounds in the same order every time. The Showcase to close the show would be changed from a moment of high drama to one where the bidders grope back and forth, in Double Bullseye fashion, until one person flukes into a win.

Remember, I like it when people more or less earn their haul by virtue of being good at something, or at least better than someone else at it. To that end, American Showcase accomplishes that more than Double Bullseye Showcase does.

[clemon79]

Wouldn't the "alternating bid" format make the showcase round LONGER? The bidding could conceivably go a LONG time.

On the Australian show, they would start by giving the contestants a $100 range in which to bid. "Tonight's Showcase is between $26,700 and $26,800."

My point is that the Showcase Round isn't broken in the first place.

There is one single compelling argument for changing to the Australian Showcase system: budget. If they need to reduce the prize budget, an easy way to do it is to switch to a format that doesn't give away a Showcase away every day.

But since they're jacking up payouts on the Big Wheel and such, budgetary issues don't seem to be a problem, so I agree with your overall point.

(Besides, they made this bed when they decided that the first show of the season should be all car games and that Punchboard should have a two-kajillion dollar card on it and what-not.)

[Mr. Brown]

There is one single compelling argument for changing to the Australian Showcase system: budget. If they need to reduce the prize budget, an easy way to do it is to switch to a format that doesn't give away a Showcase away every day.

And there's one compelling argument against that - an experienced producer can manipulate the games and prizes to get the budget back in the black; they don't need to change a 37-year old aspect of the show.

[Neumms]

Do you suppose the unbelievably cool change would be at the announcer's mike?

More likely, they get rid of the whole "without going over" thing in Contestants' Row, Card Game and the Showcases. After all, it only causes sadness. And nobody remembers Cullen's version anyway.

[CarShark]

Going to an hour after two years when what you're doing is adding more content to what became a popular show makes sense. Changing a recognizable portion of the show after 37 when they don't need to make the change ruins all sorts of iconic-ness and momentum.

But isn't the show's problem that they've been losing momentum ever since Barker left? I'm not saying that this will fix everything. Drew has to get better at explaining games and interacting with contestants. They need to be creative with the Showcases again. This could be part of a big resurgence, though. You can only live on past iconic-ness for so long.

Do they "need" to keep things the same? Yeah, they do. Much of the appeal is that you're going to see the same stable of games and the planned rounds in the same order every time.

I think that's some of the appeal, though I imagine a lot of the appeal has to be that 1) they get to be on TV in an era where people become instantly famous for doing anything, 2) they get to meet a host they (presumably) like and 3) they get to win stuff, a lot of which they may not have gotten otherwise. If you keep the somewhat-liked host, the being-on-TV part and the giving-away-stuff part, I think the format is more flexible than some people either realize or are willing to admit.

The Showcase to close the show would be changed from a moment of high drama to one where the bidders grope back and forth, in Double Bullseye fashion, until one person flukes into a win.

Remember, I like it when people more or less earn their haul by virtue of being good at something, or at least better than someone else at it. To that end, American Showcase accomplishes that more than Double Bullseye Showcase does.

You like that, but would the average viewer really care? The Aussie Showdown has drama, especially as they get within 10 dollars, and I think it would be more consistent. Far too often this season, one of the bidders obviously underbid or overbid on their Showcase, sucking out most of the drama.

There is one single compelling argument for changing to the Australian Showcase system: budget. If they need to reduce the prize budget, an easy way to do it is to switch to a format that doesn't give away a Showcase away every day.

But since they're jacking up payouts on the Big Wheel and such, budgetary issues don't seem to be a problem, so I agree with your overall point.

(Besides, they made this bed when they decided that the first show of the season should be all car games and that Punchboard should have a two-kajillion dollar card on it and what-not.)

But wouldn't that sort of fit the new MO more? This season, the show's offered much more expensive prizes (designer goods, Apple computers, wine fridges that cost as much as some compact cars), but they've adjusted by making it more likely that contestants will lose not just the car games, but also the quick, one-decision games. This would be the same. They would get to advertise that they're offering $50,000, $60,000, $70,000 Showcases while knowing full well that it will happen only once every...um...well...how often did a contestant win the Showcase in the Aussie version, anyways? Regardless, they get to play like they're a primetime show with a daytime budget. If Pyramid comes back as a million-dollar show in daytime, I think there will be more pressure to raise the stakes.

[Win a Pile]

My first thought: One or more "classic" models will return.