Jumble Game Show Pilot

[@doubleot]

I guess the thing to do for sets in the late 80's was make it look like someone's family room and add some trees that you'd see in the middle of a mall. I also like how Richard came out there and cut right to the chase, "Let's Play Jumble!!!!" is the first thing he said.

[@TheEggplantThatAteChicago]

Fortunately, it was only syndicated shows with really low budgets. Win, Lose, or Draw was the only one with any success.

[@mikeskumanick9538]

It looks like a recycle on the win lose or draw set

[@RobertoLopez-xb1mj]

I would've loved to have seen Jumble become a game show on tv. I can't believe it wasn't picked up as a regular game show for either daytime television or syndication. I would've enjoyed watching it religiously. I love doing the Jumble puzzle in my hometown newspaper everyday. It's a lot of fun!

[@Musicradio77Network]

Never saw this pilot before, but it used the exact same set that it was used for “Win, Lose Or Draw”. This pilot looks decent, but it didn’t took off until years later when Family Channel (now Freeform) ran “Jumble” with a different set and Wink Martindale as the host. “Jumble” had two different versions, one was the Interactive version, and second was the regular version. In addition, there was a Playbreak version when it was shown during commercial breaks where it gives you clues to unscrambled the words where it helps you to identify them.

[@andyleclerc3600]

I've been itching to see this one, too. Too bad it didn't sell here. I quite like it😎

[@andrews4425]

This is a great concept. Format needs some tweaks presentation-wise, but one of the better pilots I’ve seen on the channel. Thanks for sharing!

[@MountainHawkPYL]

Expert Scrabble players would ace this game. Remember Neil Bines on Caesar's Challenge?

[@TimBabcock64]

My Grand Parents played this game for years since it started in the newspaper. I played the puzzles in the paperback books and had the home game as well. I was always wondering why it took so longer to try to turn it into a game show.

[@franklincourten8281]

Never knew this was a pilot! I do my Jumbles daily and pretend it’s a game show! Who knew?

[@wschmrdr]

It's almost like Richard brought Win Lose or Draw with him... I can see why this didn't sell. First, the opening coin toss seemed to determine the winner since you keep control through an odd number of puzzles. Second, the up-front play seemed cumbersome until Richard did the sort of "face off" reveal of the word when they both missed it; I would have put the scrambled letters above and had the "speller" move them down. Third, the "team play" just didn't seem right, as I was expecting more of a buzz-in type. At least Caesar's Challenge ended up getting the concept down, although too little too late for the industry. :(

[@devares2006]

The Richard Kline that produces Win, Lose, or Draw is Richard S. Kline, a totally different person.

[@gameshowgospel]

This pilot had some weird edits added

[@jasoncinema]

Game Show Gospel And some rather noticeable ADR.

[@rmknicks]

Wow. Super low-tech. I also hated when game show sets started looking like a suburban den. I loved Bert Convy but I hated Win Lose or Draw.

[@SapinskiMath]

Still trying to figure it out. It's mostly OK, but there's a couple unpolished elements. Main one: The speller seems like they do more harm than good. You'd be better off if they were calling out guesses together, and a computerized version of the word shuffling the first two letters into place after 5 second intervals, and each other letter dropping in as the teams alternate for control back and forth.

[@raymondswenson5529]

The words are easier to unscramble when their hands aren't in the way

[@johncraw8572]

Awesomeness can’t wait for it

[@Freuderthreep]

But I wanted to see Meljbu...

[@whewfan]

Could it be any more obvious that the audience shots are post-production as they're laughing at Kline's "jokes" more than they should have any right to!

[@rchookie]

Good stuff, Wink!

[@Uzumakipavel]

You mean like that UK Jumble?

[@jackdelorenzo8498]

I liked this version. Btw, that first word in the bonus round: VIEWERS!

[@Kookah]

Actually it was REVIEWS.

[@jackdelorenzo8498]

@@Kookah Good eye! I didn't even see that! Do you think they would have accepted either.

[@Kookah]

I don’t think so, since the answer was already installed and they flipped it around after each correct guess.

[@TheEggplantThatAteChicago]

@@Kookah "Words" also could have been "sword." Huge flaw in the game.

[@rsb97080]

I think it had potential, but it would have needed to be tightened up a bit. You could tell that Richard Kline was out of his element in the beginning but he loosened up as the taping went on.

[@peaceandsolepodcasthost6922]

3:35 "raw a**" - whoops! 🤣

[@damienchance2622]

@:27 i thought it looks like Jim j bullock for a moment

[@TheEggplantThatAteChicago]

The good: it's exciting to see Alaina Reed and Bill Kirchenbauer as celebrity guests, as well as frequent game show contestant Antonia. The bad: the entire game is a few weak jokes, the patter is painfully unfunny, and the set is from that era when people thought it would be better to replace flashing lights with the world's ugliest simulated living room. I could only see this working as a game show for extremely young (and not too bright) children.

[@ulknavcom054809]

Oh, I almost forgot these others I would life to see full episodes of: BANKO, Big Spenders, Double Cross, Double-Up, Fortune Hunters, Reel Game, Simon Says, and Wizard Of Odds.

[@andrewschroy6368]

You can find a full Banko pilot on Vimeo and a full episode of The Reel Game on Game Show Vault (via the Wayback Machine).

[@andrewschroy6368]

By the way, I still can't help but think its theme song sounds like a remix of the Strike it Lucky theme.

[@milesmorris9333]

It is great to see that they tried to develop the game for TV. I remember playing Jumble on Merriam-Webster's website when I worked at a radio station to pass the time between songs and announcements. But I think the execution was kinda shoddy. As someone else said, this would've worked better with a computerized format instead of having a speller. The speller kinda seems to slow down the game and cause trouble for their teammate. Plus the mechanics with the manual boards would've thrown things off and cause headaches from a production standpoint. Richard Kline seemed to be a decent host but his jokes were kinda hit-or-miss. I do like that he kept the game moving though. All in all, not the worst pilot (though the edits were kinda sloppy). Good concept. The execution just wasn't much to write home about.

[@geoffreygillott805]

How does a pilot have a returning champion?

[@TheEggplantThatAteChicago]

Pretty often, since they're making up that part.

[@xSmootx]

0:09 - I can't imagine why MEL JBU didn't take off

[@xSmootx]

16:30 - Also "Charlie O" sounds a heck of a lot like Dean Goss from Wink's High Rollers

[@donaldpaluga]

TDWSYI

[@maryexstroughtonaire4244]

Antonia Lau was on Super Password!

[@TheEggplantThatAteChicago]

And Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour!

[@viddykiddy18]

She was also on Couch Potatoes

[@sha11235]

So Larry meets Coach Lubbock and Mary.

[@damienchance2622]

Imagine if Vicki Lawrence hosted this show

[@richardhyden6527]

Words also could be Sword

[@Soxruleyanksdrool]

Surprised this wasn't a hit. I love the Jumble. Problem is they only have a cheap Jumble knock-off in my local paper. But it's not as good because nothing else is Jumble. It's that scrambled word game.

[@ulknavcom054809]

If you take requests, here are some I'd like to see full episodes of: Pot O Gold, Winfall, Moneywords, Duel in the Daytime, 2 heads are better than 1, I predict, Eye Q, Hollywood Teasers, Cash Tornado, Spin-Off, Sale Of The Century (Joe Garagiola), All-Star BAFFLE.

[@geoffreygillott805]

I can see why this never took off, it’s pretty painful to watch. Some of these words are so basic that you can’t help but feel they’re intentionally throwing their turn. They couldn’t get Gown? Seriously?

[@ajk]

RIP Richard Kline, just died today.

[@jasonwuthrich4101]

That would be the *other* Richard Kline, producer of "Win, Lose or Draw," et al.

[@ajk]

@@jasonwuthrich4101 I think he was the same guy? I could be wrong...but I think he was.

[@jasonwuthrich4101]

ajk They are two different Richard Klines, and according to IMDB, the actor Richard Kline is still with us.

[@ajk]

@@jasonwuthrich4101 Oh you're right. Mea Culpa.

[@Jack21Spades]

I see shades of CAESAR'S CHALLENGE

[@gilwood7530]

He looks like Will Sasso

[@RobertoLopez-xb1mj]

I also thought that Bill Kirchenbauer could easily pass off as older brother to the Commish (Michael Chiklis).

[@gilwood7530]

@@RobertoLopez-xb1mj To funny ...I've been called THE COMMISH for years ... I even have to admit , clean shaven ...I LOOK LIKE THE COMMISH

[@JohnWatsonPuppetChannel]

Superb game

[@andrewschroy6368]

Why does the "board reveal" jingle sound familiar? I swear, I've heard it somewhere before...

[@DBradshaw25]

Ron Greenberg is the same guy who did the Challengers with Dick Clark

[@keith.wilson1981]

Yikes 😬 this stressed me out lol 😂

[@williambone5678]

Richard Kline, funny on 3's Company, but he can't host a game show host save his life.

[@millenniumman75]

That was Dean Goss announcing!

[@GeekGameCulture]

Was trying to recognize who the voice was and where I heard it before. He was the guy that did the Wink version of High Rollers.

[@andrewschroy6368]

@@GeekGameCulture As well as announcer on Let's Make a Deal in 1985. Along with Bargain Hunters, I'm Telling!, and Slime Time.

[@henrymurphy3365]

It sounded like Dean Goss to me too. But at 16:42 Richard Kline says "Thank you Charlie O". Maybe Richard had a premonition about the 1990 TTTT pilot...🤔

[@andrewschroy6368]

@@henrymurphy3365 Or really shitty post-production editing.

[@someguy23475]

Richard Kline shouldn’t be anywhere near a hosting position! He’s so robotic and unfunny.

[@TheEggplantThatAteChicago]

I've seen him be funny, just very much not here. I'm sort of embarrassed for everyone here.

[@williambone5678]

This pilot sucks. Wink, you did this show better on the Family Channel!