Boggle Pilot - Rare Bill Rafferty Game Show Pilot

Full Bill Rafferty pilot of Boggle, way before I got my little hands on it!
Go behind the scenes with TV and radio legend Wink Martindale!
Facebook: / winkmartindalegames
Twitter: / winkmartindale
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[@marcpower4167]

Wink ty so much for all these posts, I was recently temporarily laid off because of the COVID-19 pandemic so this really brightens my day.

[@willmack5909]

Marc I hope you find employment again very soon, if you haven't already. And yes, Wink is really awesome. I am honored to have the same initials as he does.

[@marcpower4167]

@@willmack5909 btw, got back to work after 2 1/2 months. (Just saw the reply now)

[@Jack21Spades]

They got/had the right host, the game play is nice, the pacing is on time, the set is just what was needed, and people were able to PLAY. This should work TODAY.

[@Wheeloffortunefan999]

can you explain to me what you mean by "the set was just what was needed"? Isn't that the case with the sets for MOST game shows? If not all of them? I know this was filmed in the Netherlands, but hopefully you understood what i meant.)

[@Wheeloffortunefan999]

oh, I think I know what you meant now, in other words, the set was NOT too bright or anything like that?

[@Jack21Spades]

Somebody should have picked this up! This should have been ON!

[@EdinburghAndy]

You're spoiling us with all these great shows. Thank you Wink.

[@vikramleon]

For those who don't know, this is filmed in my country (The Netherlands). They use exactly the same rules as the Dutch version has. The rights to the Dutch version are the broadcasters AVRO, KRO and NCRV.

[@JonesDylan874]

Really? Interesting.

[@teresapflaumer5717]

Great find Wink! I played along with it and enjoyed quite a bit.

[@MTCesquire]

Didn't think they could turn Minesweeper into a game show but they did.

[@TwilightBrawl59]

It’s cool to see some Bill Rafferty rare footage. Thanks !

[@Watchinwheel]

Did anyone notice that the champions could’ve won on the second and third turn at big boggle?

[@VicGChad07]

It _is_ a pilot, after all. Some opportunities to win may be deliberately missed. This is nothing new. :)

[@JonesDylan874]

May Bill Rafferty RIP. And I like this pilot of Boggle. You know, FGN had this as one of their games.

[@andyleclerc3600]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! This was well worth the wait😎

[@daronfaught6158]

I love this one even with the boring song "Lily Was Here" by Candy Dulfer as the background clue music.

[@franklincourten8281]

I thought that song sounded familiar! I always heard it on my local jazz station years back!

[@franklincourten8281]

It was like a jazzy version of “dueling banjos” with the electric guitar versus the saxophone!

[@DoctorVell]

I love the gems you put out there for us to view :)

[@Lupton2000]

I imagine this was taped in early 1988, months before Charlie began subbing on WOF.

[@Wheeloffortunefan999]

Actually, I think Wink already mentioned PREVIOUSLY when he posted only the intro and very end of this like 4 years ago, that it was taped in 1987.)

[@Eminem200183]

This version of Boggle wasn’t too bad. It wasn’t like the Interactive Game, but Bill Raffety was a good host doing this pilot.

[@Yugi40]

Whoa-ho!! They won! Nice! Great game show! Wish they could revive it. ;)

[@Wheeloffortunefan999]

there actually already was a 5-letter word VISIBLE on the "big boggle" grid BEFORE the fourth row dropped. I'm not gonna spoil what the word is though, for those of you who have NOT gotten that far into the video. BUT I do have a question. in "Big Boggle" did the five-letter word HAVE to be in a straight line, or could it be formed by NOT connecting lettters from left to right? (I'm assuming the latter, since that is how "Boggle" (obviously meaning the board game) is supposed to be played.) and I am also going to guess that the 5 letter word in question that I was talking about, meaning when the grid appeared for the 4th time, may have been the only one anywhere on the grid.)

[@Wheeloffortunefan999]

oh, never mind. the word I had already found WAS the word that the winning team ended up finding as well! LOL. (however i do not know if it was the only 5-letter word on the grid.)

[@Wheeloffortunefan999]

would the runners-up have been allowed to keep their winnings if this HAD made it to tv wink?

[@Wheeloffortunefan999]

OK now that I have watched the front game in its entirety, I know that the letters in a hidden 5-letter word (in the "Big Boggle" grid) did NOT have to be connected from left to right.) good thing too, I think it's safe to say that under THOSE RULES the show most likely would have lasted A WEEK if it had managed to sell here in the states! LOL.

[@port566]

@@Wheeloffortunefan999 SPOILER .. . . . . . There's also "Shoer", "Shore", and "Sores". Interestingly, "Plore" (An exhibit in a science museum which the visitor is encouraged to handle or otherwise explore; a hands-on exhibit) can be made in the first two rows.

[@mhmrules]

Golly, I'd love to have some of those oversized blocks in the beginning

[@ulknavcom054809]

To me, game shows are: Saturday Monring Cartoons - next to Saturday Morning Cartoons!" I've watched game shows since I was six years old, now i'm 56, and as far as game shows are concerned, "I can Name That Tune in 2 notes: TOO GOOD! I want to relive the good old days of game show, so WINKSTER, PLEEEESE take my hand and lead me back to the game show GOODNESS!!!!!!!

[@LudoRex]

It's fun to see Bill Rafferty again. This game is fun to play along but there are only so many five and ten-letter words. The producers would have start repeating material quickly or change gameplay.

[@port566]

I found a list of 2,500 such words, including such gems as "decoctions", "dehiscence", and "brachiopod".

[@MMB18abel]

Not a great game but Bill is always a joy to watch, btw in the PRESS YOUR (or PRESSURE) BOGGLE, the song in the background was LILY WAS HERE by Candy Dulfer and David A. Stewart (1/2 of the EURYTHMICS).

[@Ultimate23Dragon]

Glad I'm not the only one who thought I heard "Press Your Boggle"

[@Jack21Spades]

III could Announce! I'm Warren M. Ewell!

[@Chainsawslots]

Cmon the player shouldnt operate the rake to bring the dice back. It should be electronic or the host or a model

[@lauragriffin6512]

Everyone chooses such tiny little words. I see ones that are 7 and 8 letters long.

[@StFidjnr]

4:35 bad news plrod is not a 5 letter word but the good news is that will set the ball rolling for the All important BIG boggle

[@jesselockhart1230]

I think they cut that last scene because they boggled. They bombed twice but only rolled once.

[@Wheeloffortunefan999]

oy, you gotta be kidding. the REASON they didn't do the last roll is because they only had found 2 bombs, (which meant they ONLY needed to roll twice anyway, AND they needed 2 letters to finish spelling boggle completely, so since they repeated on the first roll, and only had 1 roll left after that there was no way they could lose since the fourth word was also the FINAL word in the bonus round.) (I apologize if I sounded upset with you Jesse, I was not upset at all. BUT I will not deny that I was a little surprised that you were NOT able to figure out immediately why they did not roll the cube the second time on the last word.)

[@steve470]

Because there were two letters remaining and only one more roll, it was impossible for them to lose. No reason to roll again.

[@BlaqC]

Bill Rafferty pointed out that the only way they could lose was to roll a B and an E. As soon as they repeated a letter on the first roll, the bonus game was over and the $25,000 was theirs.

[@Wheeloffortunefan999]

actually ''shore" was on the big boggle grid as well when the fourth row of letters dropped

[@TheQuarterGuy]

Third, actually.

[@semplenyc]

I really like this show. PROS: The concept of various mini-games within the game (the Boggle toss up, Pressure Boggle and Big Boggle) is great and I like how fast pace the game is. In fact, its the best part of the pilot. Bill Rafferty is pretty good as an emcee. CONS: The thinking music for the show is crappy and I wish the money amounts were higher in the regular game. The bonus round is pretty innovative although the ending of the end game was kinda anti-climatic as the host and the players didn't realize that they actually won. On a side note - I wish the bonus round was the regular game for both teams.

[@Wheeloffortunefan999]

you're kidding right? how in the heck could you POSSIBLY think that Bill did not realize that they won? they had to roll the cube twice. and they only had 2 letters, so all they had to do was repeat one of the letters that had ALREADY been rolled and the "25 grand" was their (I put 25 grand in quotes because this was a pilot, and I think you ALL know what that means.) (You wouldn't be seeing a penny of that money.)

[@Wheeloffortunefan999]

Well, this is a pleasant surprise! I thought it wasn't gonna be uploaded until later tonight. (Don't get me wrong, while i AM happy that you changed your mind and decided to upload it when you did, I am also just a LITTLE curious as to why you decided to do so Wink.) It wouldn't be because most people are stuck at home with basically nothing else to do because of this crisis would it?)

[@trentcagle6916]

Thank You

[@johncraw8572]

Awesomeness

[@Wheeloffortunefan999]

I have to wonder, why the heck didn't they decide to give the players ONLY the length of each individual word, and not give any letters FOR FREE in the first part of the main game.) (I ask because although THIS was only a pilot, I have to assume that if the show had made it to television in the states, they might NOT have been allowed to give either the first or last letter, (and I would assume DEFINITELY not both.) because that could have given (or ended up giving an unfair advantage to EITHER team.) BUT in the end, (assuming the show had made it to air here in america and they had used the exact same rules that were used in this pilot (for the front game anyway.) although the rules for "big boggle" WOULD'VE most likely confused the HECK out of many viewers at first, would've also erased pretty much ANY unfair advantage. because THAT portion of the game (thankfully,) was based almost ENTIRELY on luck, BUT no game show should determine its champions based on luck, (LET ALONE BASICALLY BY COMPUTER?) not trying to complain, but that was REALLY the wrong way to handle it.) as we saw from watching the video.) (at least I think that's what that round was called.) (I was pretty much unable to hear Bill say the name of that round the first time it was mentioned.)

[@Wheeloffortunefan999]

I apologize for the long (and maybe way too detailed) explanation

[@rodney1279TheFlip]

That was a cool Pilot.

[@Wheeloffortunefan999]

and correct me if i'm wrong, but i assume that going all the way and winning the $25,000 in the bonus round meant that you would've retired as undefeated champions? And I also am a little curious, although Bill did give Susie and Russ's "total winnings" as he was saying goodbye to them. well, the number of THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS that they had "won" anyway during their reign as "champs" why didn't he do that at the start of the show? (the only number he gave at the start was the amount they had won on the "previous show" (I know there WAS no previous show but you know what I mean. but I will also say that when Bill was saying goodbye to them after Tammy and Art won, i'm assuming that the $13,000 total that Bill mentioned came out because of the fact that he misspoke.)

[@Wheeloffortunefan999]

and if this were to make it to television now, I ALSO think it would definitely work, BUT the top prize in the bonus round would DEFINITELY have to be bigger than $25,000, even during season one, and the payoff per letter would need to be like $25 per letter, I would've said FIFTY bucks per letter (in each word in the main puzzle and per letter in each CORRECTLY spelled word found during "pressure boggle" but that would probably be TOO MUCH money per episode. (even if the $25k top prize was NOT won too often.) (and also MAYBE double the bonus round stakes for ANY team that is able to form a word with ONLY the first 5 letters on the "Big Boggle" board.) meaning start them off with $2k, then $4k, then $10k, then $24k, and finally, $50k.

[@boardgameman6298]

Didn't remember this one.

[@Jack21Spades]

21st Like! BLACKJACK!

[@4jp]

"Poler", as in one who poles a boat, could have been played in the second row of bonus letters. This idea is rather boring with a lot of repetition. The accepted words should have gone directly into the bank and bad/repeated words should have just been penalized.

[@BlaqC]

Similarly, I had spotted LOPER from the first two rows.

[@Jack21Spades]

Todd Newton... Chuck Woolery... Maury Povich... Wink Martindale... Queen Latifah..! C'mon, Y'all, who could Host this today?

[@Ultimate23Dragon]

I can totally see Todd Newton hosting this...

[@port566]

If Maury hosted, I'd expect him to say that one player is really the opponant's father. Or the answer to every 10-letter puzzle is "fatherhood".

[@OGNoNameNobody]

You need someone smart OR has the illusion of being smart. I pick *Jim Parsons* !

[@jessyleppert2]

Was this supposed to air on CBS, NBC or ABC?

[@Wheeloffortunefan999]

q---k 15:13 a "v" appears behind square #13 "good start" ROFLMAO! I apologize for finding that even REMOTELY funny. (or even trying to sound like an expert on the english language/words IN GENERAL, i'm nowhere near an expert in EITHER area.) but I know for a fact, that no 5 letter word has a q, v, and k.so, needless to say finding a v when the first 2 letters of the required word were q and k is NOT really a good start (even though it was NOT a bomb square) (because it can't POSSIBLY BE IN THE WORD)

[@GeminiDoesEverything]

I think the implication was more "Good, you didn't find a bomb", since yes, the V wouldn't be in the word, but it also wouldn't harm the team either.

[@jokerswildfan1972]

When was this taped? I only remember the interactive game in 1994.

[@devares2006]

My guess is late '80s or early '90s.

[@LittleRockElevators]

It look like late 80s

[@jessyleppert2]

1987

[@SupermarketSweep777]

9:06 Would Asher have counted?

[@marcpower4167]

It seems to be a proper name so probably not.

[@lukeheaton5336]

Am I not understanding the game? I see the word “proof”. No one called that.

[@brothergaryii]

This was the 1st time Bill Rafferty worked with Charlie O'Donnell on a game show. They never worked together, however, it was for the pilot of the show that failed to make it to TV.

[@cevancarr]

Didn't Charlie O' announce Rafferty's Card Sharks as a fill-in (along with Johnny Gilbert)? I know Gene Wood was the main announcer and Bob Hilton the primary fill-in.

[@brothergaryii]

@@cevancarr No.

[@someguy23475]

Rafferty didn’t fish for jokes like he did on his other shows, which is a good thing. Bonus round needs to go. Too much like Lingo, only not done nearly as well.

[@OGNoNameNobody]

DISAGREE The Bonus/Big Money round was great, with the only complaint being 5-letter words are too strict. Fixable if you switch to 6-letter words OR just state that the hidden word is 5 letters MINIMUM.

[@keith.wilson1981]

Ummm neat set but that game concept was all based off spelling and luck. Kinda pointless. Easy money though.

[@whewfan]

It was okay... the format doesn't allow Bill to inject anything funny though, and that's unfortunate.

[@Wheeloffortunefan999]

he actually did (in a way) although I am certain that it was unintentional on his part, he said "good start" when they called for #13 at the start of word #2 in the bonus and a "v" was revealed, (I normally would NOT find that amusing, BUT given that the first letter was a "q" and the last letter a "k" I immediately figured out that the "V" was not in the hidden word, I know, better an actual letter than a bomb, but still it is kind of amusing that he said that when it seemed OBVIOUS to BOTH PLAYERS that the V was one of the 5 letters that was put in the grid in an attempt to confuse them, (Luckily, it did NOT work at all.) (it's also possible that he may have even been trying to confuse them/make them think the v was in the word. which we all know would have been completely inappropriate on his part) NO decent host should ever even THINK of wanting contestants to end up getting nervous, choking and therefore missing out on a big payday because of nerves, we all know that Bob Barker would have never made a player who won their way up onstage on "The Price Is Right" nervous on purpose.) and if they had been nervous before they started playing their pricing game, he would've tried to do his best to calm them down. as I am sure ANY other host would have.