Couch Potatoes


COUCH POTATOES
Broadcast history: Syndicated January 23, 1989 - September 8, 1989
Host: Marc Summers
Announcer(s): Joe Alaskey, Jim McKrell

GAME PLAY
The buzzers are cheese doodles! Two teams of three with TV shows for team names competed. A "tune-in" question was asked for 25 "ratings points." If a player buzzed in correctly, their team got the points and control of three "spin-offs" in the same category as the "tune-in." Each was worth twenty-five points and each player on the team could only answer one question in the round. A wrong answer meant control went to the other team and they could steal the points as well as any remaining questions. If they missed on the steal, the original team got it back. After three "spin-offs" the round ended and a new "tune-in" was asked. Play continued with the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds worth double.

You're cancelled!

Then the "Couch-Up" round was played. The first member of each team played first. Summers asked a question and when a player buzzed in, a randomizer stopped. The randomizer contained point values from fifty to two-hundred. Whatever they landed on was what they won if they answered correctly. Also in the jumble was the "couch-up." When hit, couch-up meant a right answer automatically tied you with the other team (if you were behind). They went down the line twice, and the team with the highest score won $1,000 and went to the bonus round.

In the bonus, the first member of the team selected a channel from 2-14. Behind was a picture from a TV show assigned a value worth up to one thousand points. If they identified the show in the picture, they won the points. They went down the line, cycling through the team. If the team earned one thousand points in 30 seconds, they won $5,000. Under one channel though was "Pay TV." If hit, they lost all their points, but they could start again. Champions could stay on for five games. If 1,000 wasn't reached when time ran out, they got $1 for every point they earned.

NOTES
Marc Summers' non game show efforts include a correspondent's job on ABC's "Home" show, his own cable talk show "Biggers and Summers" with Sissy Biggers, and most recently "Unwrapped," a show documenting fun food items and their origins on the Food Network.

Announcer Joe Alaskey inherited the duties of several Looney Tunes voices in the 80s. He's done Bugs Bunny for several cartoons and movies, recently in the film "Looney Tunes: Back in Action." Among his other innumerous voiceover jobs is as the new Grandpa on "Rugrats," replacing the late David Doyle.

One feature of the show was a daily celebrity guest to ask the spin-offs for one round. During one week, "Game Show Week," Janice Pennington and Peter Marshall were among the guests.

One time host of "Liar's Club," Eric Boardman, did audience warm up for "Couch Potatoes."

A number of categories on the show had names relating to potatoes, such as "Sweet Potatoes" for nice TV characters, or "Identical Spuds" for questions about twins. Most categories, spudly puns or not, were represented by a cartoon drawing featuring potatoes.

MY THOUGHTS
A fun show. Good trivia questions and good pacing. The couch-up round is a good idea. Marc is a fine host, who has quite a bit of TV knowledge himself to help him in his performance.

JAY SAYS...
Cast - 1.5
Game - 2.0
Bells and Whistles - 1.5
Prize - 1.5
Tilt - 1.0

[ 07.5 ]

Points off of cast for Joe Alaskey. The $5,000 isn't bad, but slim for a team of three to split. But, overall, a show that should've been around another season at least.

BACK

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1