The Cheap Show
Encyclopedia
The Cheap Show was a syndicated game show
parody
that aired from 1978-1979. It was produced by Chris Bearde
and hosted by Dick Martin
along with his side-kick Wanda (Janelle Price).http://www.film.com/tv/the-cheap-show/21328627 The show's announcer was Charlie O'Donnell
.
"torture", with the winning couple getting the chance to win real prizes at the end of the show.
Each couple was divided, with the female at the contestants' podium, and the male trapped inside "The Punishment Pit". The first answering contestant guessed which celebrity was telling the truth; if the player was correct, that couple scored one point and a cheap "prize" (such as an old bee smoker
or a burned-out hair dryer), while the other player's loved one was "punished" (either with a pie in his face
, slime
, or some other sloppy substance). If the player was incorrect, her own loved one received the punishment and the opposing couple won the point and the "prize".
In the second round, the other couple was given the guess, and the same procedure was followed.
The first two rounds were worth one point apiece, and the third round was worth 20 points (which rendered the first two useless from a competitive standpoint). Whichever contestant had the most points "at the end of three rounds" advanced to the bonus round.
was set up in the studio with twelve numbered spaces, each of which correlated to a numbered envelope
on a "prize wall". Each space also had a hole. To determine the prize the couple would win, a large white rat
, referred to on the show as "Oscar the Wonder Rodent", was placed on the wheel while it was being spun. The hole Oscar crawled into determined the prize that was won.
At this stage in the show, no cheap "booby prize
s" were awarded as they were in the main game; the winning couple won standard game show fare such as appliances or trips. In addition, the couple was asked before the wheel was spun to guess the hole they thought Oscar would crawl into; if the rat crawled into that hole, the couple won the grand prize (usually a car
) in addition to the prize associated with that space.
, thought the show was so bad he had a viewer do a review; the layout didn't include the standard formatting, just a double-spaced sheet of standard copy used at that time.
. One episode, the premiere, currently exists among private collectors. Another episode (episode 4) with Rita Moreno
and David Doyle
(plus a seat reserved for no-show Henry Ford
), is available for viewing on YouTube
.
Three others, with guests Truman Capote
and Jill St. John
(episode 2), Anthony Newley
and Bob Newhart
(episode 18), and Jim Stafford
with Charlie Callas
(episode 23), exist at the UCLA
television archives, along with the Moreno/Doyle episode.http://gameshow.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=15613&st=7
On one other memorable episode, Richard Nixon
was a no-show guest, while Gary Owens
and Barbi Benton
were the guests that showed up.
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
that aired from 1978-1979. It was produced by Chris Bearde
Chris Bearde
Chris Bearde is a comedy writer, producer and director best known for his work as a writer on the '60s zeitgeist hit Laugh In and for co-writing and producing TV specials for Elvis Presley, Bob Hope, Sonny and Cher, Bill Cosby, Steve Martin, Jim Carrey, Andy Williams, The Jackson Five, The...
and hosted by Dick Martin
Dick Martin (comedian)
Thomas Richard "Dick" Martin was an American comedian and director, best known for his role as the cohost of the sketch comedy program Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In from 1968 to 1973.-Early life and career:...
along with his side-kick Wanda (Janelle Price).http://www.film.com/tv/the-cheap-show/21328627 The show's announcer was Charlie O'Donnell
Charlie O'Donnell
Charles John "Charlie" O'Donnell was an American radio and television announcer, primarily known for his work on game shows...
.
Gameplay
Two couples competed to win cheap junk prizes and save their loved ones from slapstickSlapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
"torture", with the winning couple getting the chance to win real prizes at the end of the show.
Main game
There were three rounds, each consisting of one question. Two celebrities composed a panel (with a seat reserved for a third, who was always a "no-show" for some mysterious reason). For each round, a question was asked to the panel. One celebrity gave the correct answer, while the other gave a bluff.Each couple was divided, with the female at the contestants' podium, and the male trapped inside "The Punishment Pit". The first answering contestant guessed which celebrity was telling the truth; if the player was correct, that couple scored one point and a cheap "prize" (such as an old bee smoker
Bee smoker
A bee smoker is a device used in beekeeping to calm honey bees. It is designed to generate smoke from the smouldering of various fuels, hence the name.-Action and usage:...
or a burned-out hair dryer), while the other player's loved one was "punished" (either with a pie in his face
Pieing
Pieing is the act of throwing a pie at a person or persons. This can be a political action when the target is an authority figure, politician, or celebrity and can be used as a means of protesting against the target's political beliefs, or against perceived arrogance or vanity. Perpetrators...
, slime
Gunge
Gunge as it is known in the British Isles, or slime as it is known in America and other parts of the world is a thick, gooey, runny substance similar in consistency to paint. It has been a feature on many children's programmes for many years around the world and has made appearances in game shows...
, or some other sloppy substance). If the player was incorrect, her own loved one received the punishment and the opposing couple won the point and the "prize".
In the second round, the other couple was given the guess, and the same procedure was followed.
The first two rounds were worth one point apiece, and the third round was worth 20 points (which rendered the first two useless from a competitive standpoint). Whichever contestant had the most points "at the end of three rounds" advanced to the bonus round.
The Semi-Colossal Prize Sweepstakes Finale
A wheelWheel
A wheel is a device that allows heavy objects to be moved easily through rotating on an axle through its center, facilitating movement or transportation while supporting a load, or performing labor in machines. Common examples found in transport applications. A wheel, together with an axle,...
was set up in the studio with twelve numbered spaces, each of which correlated to a numbered envelope
Envelope
An envelope is a common packaging item, usually made of thin flat material. It is designed to contain a flat object, such as a letter or card....
on a "prize wall". Each space also had a hole. To determine the prize the couple would win, a large white rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
, referred to on the show as "Oscar the Wonder Rodent", was placed on the wheel while it was being spun. The hole Oscar crawled into determined the prize that was won.
At this stage in the show, no cheap "booby prize
Booby prize
A booby prize is a joke prize usually given in recognition of a terrible performance or last-place finish. A person who finishes last, for example, may get a booby prize such as a worthless coin. Booby prizes are sometimes humorously and jokingly coveted as an object of pride.Booby prizes, however,...
s" were awarded as they were in the main game; the winning couple won standard game show fare such as appliances or trips. In addition, the couple was asked before the wheel was spun to guess the hole they thought Oscar would crawl into; if the rat crawled into that hole, the couple won the grand prize (usually a car
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
) in addition to the prize associated with that space.
Reviews
Many of the reviews were mixed. One TV reviewer, who worked at the now defunct Philadelphia JournalPhiladelphia Journal
The Philadelphia Journal was a tabloid published from December 5, 1977 until December 15, 1981; barely a month after the Journal's demise, the Philadelphia Bulletin also ceased publication, leaving the city with only one newspaper owner and two titles—The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia...
, thought the show was so bad he had a viewer do a review; the layout didn't include the standard formatting, just a double-spaced sheet of standard copy used at that time.
Episode status
The current status of the show is unknown, and may have been destroyed due to a common practice known as wipingWiping
Wiping or junking is a colloquial term for action taken by radio and television production and broadcasting companies, in which old audiotapes, videotapes, and telerecordings , are erased, reused, or destroyed after several uses...
. One episode, the premiere, currently exists among private collectors. Another episode (episode 4) with Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno is a Puerto Rican singer, dancer and actress. She is the only Hispanic and one of the few performers who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony, and was the second Puerto Rican to win an Academy Award....
and David Doyle
David Doyle
David Fitzgerald Doyle was an American actor.-Early life:Doyle was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the son of Mary Ruth and Lewis Raymond Doyle, an attorney. His maternal grandfather, John Fitzgerald, was a prominent railroad builder and banker in Nebraska...
(plus a seat reserved for no-show Henry Ford
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
), is available for viewing on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
Three others, with guests Truman Capote
Truman Capote
Truman Streckfus Persons , known as Truman Capote , was an American author, many of whose short stories, novels, plays, and nonfiction are recognized literary classics, including the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's and the true crime novel In Cold Blood , which he labeled a "nonfiction novel." At...
and Jill St. John
Jill St. John
Jill St. John is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Tiffany Case, the lead Bond girl in Diamonds Are Forever.-Early life:...
(episode 2), Anthony Newley
Anthony Newley
Anthony George Newley was an English actor, singer and songwriter. He enjoyed success as a performer in such diverse fields as rock and roll and stage and screen acting.-Early life:...
and Bob Newhart
Bob Newhart
George Robert Newhart , known professionally as Bob Newhart, is an American stand-up comedian and actor. Noted for his deadpan and slightly stammering delivery, Newhart came to prominence in the 1960s when his album of comedic monologues The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart was a worldwide...
(episode 18), and Jim Stafford
Jim Stafford
James Wayne "Jim" Stafford is an American comedian, musician, and singer-songwriter, prominent in the 1970s. Stafford is self-taught on guitar, fiddle, piano, banjo, organ and harmonica....
with Charlie Callas
Charlie Callas
Charlie Callas was an American comedian and actor most commonly known for his work with Mel Brooks, Jerry Lewis, and Dean Martin and his many stand-up appearances on television talk shows in the 1970s...
(episode 23), exist at the UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
television archives, along with the Moreno/Doyle episode.http://gameshow.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=15613&st=7
On one other memorable episode, Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
was a no-show guest, while Gary Owens
Gary Owens
Gary Owens is an American disc jockey and voice actor. His polished baritone speaking voice generally offers deadpan recitations of total nonsense, which he frequently demonstrated as the announcer on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. Owens is equally proficient in straight or silly assignments and is...
and Barbi Benton
Barbi Benton
Barbi Benton is an American model, actress and singer.-Career:She was featured on the cover of Playboy several times and in nude photo layouts in the March 1970, December 1973, and January 1975 issues, although she was never one of the magazine's "Playmates of the Month".Benton is known for her...
were the guests that showed up.