Tuesday, September 15, 2020 Game Recap and Discussion (SPOILERS)

This is where all of the games are discussed.

Moderators: alietr, trainman, econgator, dhkendall

Post Reply
User avatar
Mathew5000
Watches Jeopardy! Way Too Much
Posts: 625
Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2013 4:46 am

Re: Tuesday, September 15, 2020 Game Recap and Discussion (SPOILERS)

Post by Mathew5000 »

alietr wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2020 11:57 am Courtesy of Rex Kramer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVXiKgF ... tu.be&t=54
Just out of curiosity, how did this show work? Were the contestants told a week or two before taping that they'd be impersonating Berry Gordy, so they could do research? Or were they only told on the day of the taping, and if so how would they find out all that information (for example, that the Supremes met in high school). Or did they hold auditions where prospective contestants would discuss topics they were knowledgeable about, so that the producers could choose two guys who already knew something about Motown, to impersonate Gordy. And then, what was in those envelopes that the celebrity panelists opened at the start? Did they list the specific questions to ask, or only general information about Berry Gordy?
jeffwolfe
Loyal Jeopardista
Posts: 200
Joined: Thu Jul 12, 2012 11:44 pm

Re: Tuesday, September 15, 2020 Game Recap and Discussion (SPOILERS)

Post by jeffwolfe »

Mathew5000 wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 4:18 am
alietr wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2020 11:57 am Courtesy of Rex Kramer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVXiKgF ... tu.be&t=54
Just out of curiosity, how did this show work? Were the contestants told a week or two before taping that they'd be impersonating Berry Gordy, so they could do research? Or were they only told on the day of the taping, and if so how would they find out all that information (for example, that the Supremes met in high school). Or did they hold auditions where prospective contestants would discuss topics they were knowledgeable about, so that the producers could choose two guys who already knew something about Motown, to impersonate Gordy. And then, what was in those envelopes that the celebrity panelists opened at the start? Did they list the specific questions to ask, or only general information about Berry Gordy?
The panel shows of the 50s and 60s were more about the celebrity panelists than they were about the so-called contestants. I've never seen anything that detailed how the process worked, but the imposters were clearly briefed. The three of them shared any prize money that was won.

The conceit of To Tell the Truth was that the "real" person was sworn to tell the truth while the imposters could and would lie. Each celebrity would be given a copy of an affidavit signed by the real person, which the host would read to the audience before questioning would begin. That's what those envelopes contained.
Stanislaus Jacob
Watches Jeopardy! Way Too Much
Posts: 371
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2014 10:52 pm

Re: Tuesday, September 15, 2020 Game Recap and Discussion (SPOILERS)

Post by Stanislaus Jacob »

jeffwolfe wrote: Fri Sep 18, 2020 7:10 am The conceit of To Tell the Truth was that the "real" person was sworn to tell the truth while the imposters could and would lie.
Yes, the basic idea was (and is - there is a current version) that the questions are supposed to probe who really knows the truth. If the imposter gives an awkward or implausible answer to a question, then that is a good sign he is an imposter. But due to basic knowledge, some degree of briefing, and lucky guesses, the imposters often give true answers as well, and that makes it harder. And of course another complication is that sometimes a false answer might seem more believable than a true one.
User avatar
astrohip
Loyal Jeopardista
Posts: 115
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2013 10:48 am

Re: Tuesday, September 15, 2020 Game Recap and Discussion (SPOILERS)

Post by astrohip »

Post Reply