Oddball Pilot (February 1st 1986) For NBC

The Summer Of Game Continues with an Unknown Pilot from 1986 Called Oddball with Jamie Farr as host it was a pilot for NBC.

[@mykeogando9088]

Lydia Cornell, Vicki Lawrence, and Marla Gibbs.. Luv those 3 great actresses ❤❤❤

[@jmiller297]

Vicki Lawrence *AND* Marla Gibbs sharing the same SET?? *EPIC!!*

[@therealbrentrolland]

Thank you for posting this! I wanted to see this full pilot again. Much appreciated!

[@craigfoye6674]

I wish they could be on next year’s “Buzzr’s Lost and Found” block!! A set of rare never-before-seen game shows!!

[@pbatommy]

Looks like a revival of Goodson-Todman's short lived "Get the Message".

[@mattcrowley8993]

I hear “Final Jeopardy” during the slate, despite Alex Trebek hosting the main show at the time.

[@aaronbruceladner1983]

The FINAL JEOPARDY! Music Plays Over the Opening Slate

[@dannyboy34677]

I don’t know if a game like this could work today. Maybe it could

[@blind_t2]

if it’s anything, we got a famous price is right cue out of it.

[@DorvellTStewart]

"My name is Randy Economy, I own my own political consulting firm"… I'm quite surprised neither Jamie nor anyone else quipped, "how fitting!"

[@ir10031981]

4:30 used on The Price Is Right since fall 1988 (Check Game)

[@sabster74]

TPIR also uses it for the Cover Up pricing game.

[@jerrywright4886]

@@sabster74 And don’t forget Make Your Move.

[@justingameshowchannel7668]

@@jerrywright4886 it was also used on the match game bert coney pllots

[@timglende8869]

Combination of Match Game and Password.

[@Silenced23]

Good cast of people for a game show, but I can see why it didn't get picked up.

[@georgemaster6356]

I'm a little surprised that Anson Williams still had the Happy Days tag on.

[@laurenzmoore3013]

There's actually a board game that simulates the game play of this game show called Just One. Go check it out if you're interested.

[@MountainHawkPYL]

I've played that game. You won't believe what two of us matched clues for "Sherlock".

[@MrMarcellolsilva]

Actually just ordered it after hearing the comment.

[@tyshaunmiles1973]

Boy Goodson had a run of weird sets for his shows around this time.

[@libertubey2199]

Great upload. Thanks. However, I found it odd that Lydia Cornell was from "Too Close for Comfort" when she was no longer on that show, Vicki Lawrence was from "Mama's Family" when that show hadn't returned to television yet (it would return with all-new episodes in syndication that September), Anson Williams was from "Happy Days" when that show left the airwaves just about two years earlier. They should have went for the grand slam and stated that Dick Martin was from "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In." Only Marla Gibbs and Nedra Volz were on the shows that were then on the air ("227" had just started months earlier and "The Fall Guy" had a few months left on the airwaves).

[@SurfNetSal75]

Wasn’t Tom Poston on Newhart at the time?

[@Skeezer66]

It was a pilot, they just had to say something. If there was a show that aired, they would probably have new people and new intros.

[@georgemaster4225]

My 17th birthday!

[@drummingdanny84]

Are they using the same set pieces from the 1985 pilot for "Concentration"? Match Game meets Double Dare meets the Check Game music from the Price is Right.

[@sha11235]

That music was used on Price is Right for other pricing games too.

[@emobassist]

The think cue thats still used today on the price is right

[@dtmusclefan]

4:30 it's the Check Game/Make Your Move/Cover Up music from TPIR.

[@sha11235]

Yeah, they reused it on Price in the 90's. Sort of carnival music to me.

[@dtmusclefan]

@@sha11235 just never knew they used it for anything prior to its use on TPIR.

[@danieltaylor9275]

It was also used as Super Match think music on the 1989 Match Game pilots.

[@pannoni8449]

@@sha11235 They're still using it today on those games, but occasionally, the cue from Line 'Em Up/Push Over is played instead.

[@jadenmuniz8817]

@@pannoni8449 I would do the Oddball music for funny looking games (except those with a different cue) and the other one for sliding games. Makes more sense to me. Oddball should not have been used for Make Your Move in my opinion.

[@ronflatter1235]

Since this was a pilot, there are really no rigging rules. I bet that that soundproof room was not soundproof at all.

[@WTF-TV2415]

The most true statement ever: chief oddball Jamie Farr!

[@christophercotton9048]

Another G/T lost and found classic from Fremantle USA.

[@ir10031981]

you can't spell Lady Godiva without Lydia, p.s. Lydia Cornell is from El Paso, Texas.

[@pressureworks]

Perhaps If the entire game was always played like the third round it could've been faster & better. Jamie Far has a great personality, too bad he was stuck with this klunker.

[@nextbarker2702]

@0;09, this isn't Final Jeopardy!

[@thomasdinsmore5866]

Is it like password?

[@seanmontgomery801]

That was goofy.Buzzer got in the way,he didn't have enough time to answer in the bonus .

[@JMFabiano]

So we finally know what Nedra Volz was known for. And it's surreal to see her anywhere but on the MG/HS set.

[@libertubey2199]

She also replaced Charlotte Rae on "Diff'rent Strokes" on a semi-regular basis and guest-starred on many TV shows (mostly sitcoms) throughout the mid and late-1970's and throughout the 1980's.

[@Quartzquiz333]

I always remembered here from the very short-lived sitcom "Filthy Rich" from the early 80s.

[@stephanierushing6566]

BUZZR lost and found

[@MMB18abel]

I suspect if this pilot had passed, this would've been the show to replace SEARCH FOR TOMORROW instead of WORDPLAY. 12:30 ET/11:30 PT.

[@newstarcadefan]

Yup and interestingy enough, Jamie Farr substituted for Tom Kennedy when he was ill on Word Play.

[@artkurtz9238]

Exactly what I am thinking. Search for Tomorrow lost half of Password's audience. NBC was looking for a word game at 12:30 to funnel some of Super Password's viewers to. Before Wordplay, I switched away from NBC after Password as I despise soaps.

[@MrMarcellolsilva]

My other proposed idea for bonus round....... If there were 10 celebrities instead of 8.... I’d start the jackpot at $20,000 and deduct $2,000 for every clues used, wouldn’t that have worked???

[@samclark379]

Or put a time limit (60 sec) and eliminate the auto-loss on duplication.

[@zacheryalderton6466]

what are the rules

[@zacheryalderton5737]

What are the rules

[@mcfehn25]

As with match game, this show was not about the actual gameplay.

[@zacheryalderton5328]

NEED THE RULES

[@JimmySand9]

The third round rendered the first two completely moot. A "golden snitch", or whatever the equivalent of that was in the 80s, is something you want to avoid in a game mechanic. You'd think Mark Goodson of all people would know that.

[@someguy23475]

The only good thing of the first two rounds is making a couple of bucks, since the loser keeps their cash. Otherwise, a complete waste of time.

[@americasevilgenius]

Could have easily been avoided by making the goal $500, having the third round be worth $300, and then quickly playing a 4th round (for $300) if nobody had reached $500 by that point.

[@WTF-TV2415]

By this time Mark Goodson was getting on in years, so it would be understandable to have a few duds.

[@pressureworks]

What is a Golden Snitch ?

[@jadenmuniz8817]

Too bad it didn't make it in to a season, for I love this game that I thought is interesting

[@DorvellTStewart]

I can't believe none of them wrote "basketball"; seems like he was almost set up to lose there.

[@17tubemaster]

Part of the point of a pilot is to make your game look fun and winnable - this show did not come across as winnable. Also, lots of common sound effects with Super Password, including a common announcer, so it was probably shot using their resources.

[@artkurtz9238]

In 1986, NBC was looking for a word game to follow Super Password and replace Search for Tomorrow with a compatible game show as Password's lead out. They ultimately went with Wordplay.

[@DorvellTStewart]

A lot of game shows, particularly those in the Goodson/Toddman catalog in the 70s and 80s had a lot of the same sound effects, though.

[@ronflatter1235]

9:52 No, belly button is not one word.

[@pbatommy]

Looks like an attempt to rework GET THE MESSAGE.

[@someguy23475]

That’s exactly what it is. It’s actually more slow paced. The original was not good, but this is worse.

[@markasflood8196]

Was this A Mid Season Replacement For Wheel For Fortune?

[@Adamdavidk1]

No

[@01chippe]

It wasn’t fair that the 2nd player gets the benefit of all clues.

[@sha11235]

Guess not all of Mark Goodson's pilots sold. But he made a damn fortune.

[@bluebear1985]

Another unsold one he did that was interesting was "TKO" with Peter Tomarken. It was okay, but it probably wouldn't have lasted long. There was also "Body Talk" with Vicki Lawrence, which was another charades-like game. It featured four celebrities, those being Bill Kirchenbauer, Richard Simmons, Marcia Wallace, and Elaine Joyce.

[@sha11235]

@@bluebear1985 They are on here. And I am FB friends with Bill. And RIP to Richard.

[@zacheryalderton1626]

Need the rules

[@brianburgart]

not sure why it wasnt picked up, maybe a different host

[@carl44acq]

How the hell is "belly button" one word?

[@Rlotpir1972]

[@user-sg9rp4wz3w]

I need the rules

[@emobassist]

So its just reverse match game

[@newtimetravelhyman88]

That's The Check Game Cue Also Heard Of On The Price Is Right From 1988

[@sha11235]

He should've hosted in a dress.

[@mikeskumanick9538]

Id changed the front game to four subjects 100 to 400 with 500 needed to win the game and the contestant gets 500 for each clue revealed if they dont win the jackpot

[@JoeyLamontagne]

Mike Skumanick like Super Password’s scoring

[@mikeskumanick9538]

@@JoeyLamontagne yea or another scoring format is each subject is 250 and first to 500

[@Rlotpir1972]

Jackpot should start at $5000 and add $5000 each time it's not won and $100 for every clue if failed to guess.

[@Quartzquiz333]

The pilot probably didn't sell because it was too close to Super Password, which was still running at the time.

[@someguy23475]

Get the Message (which this is a revival of) sold while Password was on the air. This didn’t sell because it’s not a good game.

[@bmhedgehog2]

Shame that basket ball is 2 words or they use it.

[@Quartzquiz333]

Basketball is definitely a one word clue, but I'm sure that the celebrities thought it would be too easy to duplicate.

[@port566]

@@Quartzquiz333 I'm a little surprised Dick didn't say "Jordan" instead of "Magic". Magic is too vague. Those clues make me wonder if there's some weird fairy tale out that that I don't know about.

[@BlaqC]

My clue was "Meadowlark", an unambiguous hint for basketball.

[@calliopivogiatzis2235]

Randy economy had a political consultant firm? I guess it meant he taught Donald Trump how to get laughs at his rallies!

[@georgemaster6356]

I'm a little surprised that Anson Williams still had the Happy Days tag on.

[@bluebear1985]

Considering how long the show lasted, there were likely several episodes being syndicated to many stations across the country at the time.

[@zacheryalderton4600]

what are the rules

[@zacheryalderton6466]

NEED THE RULES