I had enough time before I left for my viewing to check out Deal or No Deal. I was in the midst of preparing for my move to Oaklyn when this debuted, not to mention I didn't have cable. This one ditches the trivia in favor of a more luck-based mission. Contestants choose a box to start, then has to guess which remaining boxes have the lowest amounts. The lower the amount, the more likely they are to have a high amount in their box. It's a lot more exciting than it sounds. The tension really mounts in this one. In fact, in the episode we saw, not only the contestant, but her family wound up as one of the show's big winners. Howie Mandel makes a better host than you might think.
Headed out after Deal ended. This time, I had no trouble whatsoever. In fact, I arrived ten minutes early. Agent Mary Rettig showed me around, with the help of the house's owner. It's almost identical to the apartment I saw on the White Horse Pike in Audubon on November 30th, but even smaller. The kitchen is large, but has little shelf space, and the living room is tiny. It makes up for this with a huge walk-in closet and a small storage room in the back. They're not going to be available until February 1st, though. Apparently, he's also still clearing out a tenant. (In fact, the tenant looked like they hadn't even started packing yet.)
Made a quick stop at CVS on the way home. I realized on my way to Collingswood I forgot to take my gloves and headwrap out of my old coat pocket before I donated it. They didn't have a head band, but I did buy cheap gloves that matched the light brown coat better anyway. Grabbed a Vanilla Coke, too.
Went straight into working on the application when I got home. It takes me a while to figure all this stuff out. It's been so long since I lived on Montgomery Avenue in Wildwood, I couldn't remember my exact address or the landlady's name anymore. (I do remember she lived in Philadelphia. Her sons ended up doing a lot of the work on the property.)
Rose called me as I scanned the pages to send to Mary. Since I work until 3:30 on Tuesday and at 8 AM when they leave on Wednesday, I'll go over there Tuesday night, bring my things and my bike, and have dinner with them. I intend to leave the bin with the American Girl dolls there as well. For one thing, they're in Rose's bin anyway. For another, I'm really out of room at the suite for any more boxes or bins. That's one less bin here.
Spent the rest of the day back with Sam and the marathon. Came in for the tail-end of my old favorite Wheel of Fortune, here in its current Pat Sajak incarnation. I did watch Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in college, and even occasionally after it moved to syndication. This is one juggernaut that was too big for me to ignore. And this was a fun episode, too, giving us a personable contestant named Bernie who quickly made his way up the ladder with the help of two Lifelines and his brother.
I'd seen the Press Your Luck and Sale of the Century episodes several times on Buzzr. Vicki Lawrence got in on $100,000 Pyramid. Dick Cavett had less luck there. He messed up on the Winner's Circle twice. Once it was a judge's error, but the second time he blurted out an answer. He claimed he'd give the contestant the shirt off his back for messing up...then actually did! Monty Hall made big deals in ugly plaid pants to a pretty kitty who wound up with the Big Deal of the day on the early 70's Let's Make a Deal.
Richard Dawson popped up to host Family Feud...but the real star of the episode was announcer Gene Wood, who let a contestant fulfill her dream of becoming an announcer by doing the ticket plugs. Johnny Olsen played a frustrated producer who is given a "Magic Touch" by Fairy Godmother Janice in an episode of The Price Is Right from I believe 1977.
Jim Perry returned for a 1980 episode of Card Sharks, by far the funniest of that series. Despite her own claim of bad luck, Vicki Lawrence killed everyone at the cards in that year's Celebrity Tournament. Towards the end of the episode, nervous Bill Daily had his own incredible luck when he changed a queen to an 8 - the worst card in the deck - and still won the round. The look of compete disgust on his challenger Marcia Wallace's face alone after he does that is worth seeing.
Celebrities were also involved in the top two shows. Goofy pair Joyce Bulifant and Dick Gautier read the clues on Password Plus. Dick was stunned when his contestant answered a Password Puzzle right on the first guess! Joyce had less luck with the Alphabetics round and the later rounds.
Dick stuck around for Match Game '76 and Richard Dawson returned, along with Buzzr's lady of next week Betty White. Most of the panel teased Gene Rayburn about his bright coral coat in the opening, with Richard saying he looked like a Disneyland character and Charles asking him how much the fudgesicles were. Later on, Gene lay down on the job while Mary Ann Mobley rattled on and on about her answers.
Are these your top 25 shows too? Watch and compare your favorites with Sam's and ours!
Since I had leftovers for dinner during the marathon, I caught up on writing down everything that's happened with finding an apartment in my notebook after the marathon ended. Watched two Rankin Bass specials while I worked. I go further into those specials at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.
Finished the night back at YouTube with Lawrence Welk. They did Christmas or winter episodes every year. usually ending with all the orchestra members, singers, and their families introducing each other. The "Winter Wonderland" episode from 1967 began and ended with sleigh rides (to "Sleigh Ride" and "Winter Wonderland"). Jo Ann Castle really got into "Frosty the Snowman," Arthur Duncan is a dancing toy store owner who says to "Whistle While You Work," and Dick Dale and Andrea Willis flirted while wrapping gifts "Under the Mistletoe."
The later holiday episodes from 1972 and 1980 are more traditional. They begin with all the singers performing "Jingle Bells" with Lawrence at a party scene, and end with the introductions. The kids are so cute when they get to play and sing with their parents! I especially loved Bobby Burgess twirling with his precious little girl in her huge ruffly green dress in 1980. Tanya Falan Welk couldn't keep her toddler son around for most of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and elf Arthur Duncan gets to "Ring Those Christmas Bells" in 1972. Santa came out at the end of 1980 to bring presents to all the kids, while Bobby and Elaine Nivenson danced in Currier and Ives costumes to "The Skater's Waltz."
Celebrate the Christmas season with your family and Lawrence Welk's!
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