Sunday, December 18, 2022

Yuletide Games

Began the morning with breakfast and writing. Debralee confronts one of the mice attacking the Nutcracker...who reveals he's the Mouse King. He's angry the Nutcracker's king trapped many of his siblings and refused to marry his daughter to him. Debralee insists that's no reason to attack anyone. He threatens to call his mother, but she's not cowed. The Nutcracker is more worried, though...

Hurried off with barely enough time to change into work clothes before dodging chilly winds and heading to work. Work was...surprisingly quiet for a football Sunday in mid-December. It did pick up around 1-1:30, just as the Eagles-Bears game began, and around 4:30 right as it ended. I didn't get to see the game, but I did hear they started slow in the first half. They must have picked things up in a hurry. Customers who came in later added that the Eagles finally managed to push past the Bears 25-20. Grabbed powdered sugar for my peanut butter fudge next week after work ended. 

Went right home after that and into dinner. Watched Match Game PM as I ate. This one was from the week with William "Captain Kirk" Shatner and Broadway legend Julie Harris. Gene's thrilled when the first contestant claims the baby of a lady who watches too much TV looks like him, but he's not as happy when the others weren't thinking on the same lines. Fannie's happier to show off her glittery jean jacket trimmed with sequins to look like the American flag. 

Finished the night online after dinner with Christmas game shows. While I'm not sure the original 70's Tattletales did holiday episodes, they did have at least one Christmas show during the early 80's revival. Bill Daily and his new wife Vivian and Dynasty cast member Grant Goodeve and his sweet wife Debbie were outclassed by Brits Lynn Redgrave and John Clark, who got almost every answer right.

Kids had a ball at Christmas during the 1980's. At least two game shows had kids appearing during their Christmas weeks. One boy, Mitch, became one of the biggest winners ever on Card Sharks in 1980 with his gutsy Money Board bets. Two kids on the John Davidson Hollywood Squares in 1988 got to make car-auction jokes with Janice Pennington of The Price Is Right, hear Debbie Reynolds sing "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," and hear wisecracks from Jm J. Bullock and center square Joan Rivers.

Mitch wasn't the only person in the early 80's betting on holiday game shows. Las Vegas Gambit celebrated the holidays in Sin City with one of its earliest episodes. This one includes the original Gambit Board with the blackjack-based bonus game, rather than the dice one cribbed from High Rollers

Panel games brought the whole family in. An episode of I've Got a Secret from 1961 showcased talented relatives of famous people. Loved the jazz band at the end made up entirely of famous relatives - they weren't half-bad! What's My Line from 1972 showcased a female daredevil who did awesome stunts at car shows. Patty Duke was the very funny Mystery Guest. It ended with a man who sold Santa Claus suits...and with Larry and the panel getting to try them on. 

Press Your Luck went in for a more frantic Christmas, as Whammies stole money and knocked down trees in an attempt to take contestants' cash. They weren't bad in the first half, but by the second, they'd slammed everyone but the champ. He ultimately went home with three trips and over $61,000 dollars in cash and prizes. 

Richard Dawson shepherded two families through his first Christmas on Family Feud. They answered holiday-related survey questions as the challengers made a big comeback to win. They did better on the Fast Money round, getting it on the last question. 

Run these in the background of your holiday party and see who ends up playing along! 

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