The Shows
(alpha sort | update sort)

ABC Carnival '74
Across the Board
Baloney
Bamboozle
Be What You Want
Beat The Genius
Beat The Odds (1962)
Beat The Odds (1975)
Bedtime Stories
The Better Sex
The Big Money
The Big Payoff
Big Spenders
Blank Check
Body Language
Body Talk
The Buck Stops Here
Bullseye
Call My Bluff
Card Sharks (1996)
Casino
Caught in the Act
Celebrity Billiards
Celebrity Doubletalk
Celebrity Secrets
Celebrity Sweepstakes
Chain Letter (1964)
The Challengers (1974)
Change Partners
Child's Play
The Choice Is Yours
Combination Lock (1996)
Comedy Club
Concentration (1985)
The Confidence Game
Cop Out
Countdown (1974)
Countdown (1990)
The Couples Race
Crossword
Decisions, Decisions
Dollar a Second
Duel in the Daytime
The Fashion Show
Fast Friends
$50,000 a Minute
Finish Line (1975)
Finish Line (1990)
Get Rich Quick
Going, Going, Gone!
Head of the Class
High Rollers
Hollywood Squares (1965)
Hollywood Squares (1985)
The Honeymoon Game
Hot Numbers
Hot Potato
House to House
How Do You Like Your Eggs?
Jackpot (1984)
Jeopardy (1977)
Jokers Wild
Jumble
Key Witness
Keynotes (1986)
King of the Hill
Let's Make a Deal (1963)
Let's Make a Deal (1990)
The Love Experts
M'ama Non M'ama
Match Game (1962)
Match Game (1973)
Match Game (1990)
Match Game (1996)
MatchGame (2008)
Mindreaders
Missing Links
Monday Night QB
Money Words
Money in the Blank
Moneymaze
Monopoly (1987)
Nothing But the Truth
Now You See It (1986)
Oddball
100%
PDQ
Party Line
People On TV
Play For Keeps
Play Your Hunch
The Plot Thickens
Pot O' Gold
Pressure Point
The Price Is Right (1972)
Pyramid (1996)
Pyramid (1997)
A Question of Scruples
Quick as a Flash
Razzle Dazzle
Riddlers
Run For The Money
Says Who?
Scrabble (1990)
Second Guessers
Second Honeymoon
Sharaize
Shoot for the Stars
Shoot the Works
Shopping Spree
Show Me
Showoffs
Simon Says
$64,000 Question (2000)
Smart Alecks
Smart Money
Spellbinders
Spin-Off
Split Decision
Star Cluster
Star Play
Strictly Confidential
TKO
Talking Pictures (1968)
Talking Pictures (1976)
Tell It to Groucho
Temptation (1981)
$10,000 Sweep
Three of a Kind
Tic Tac Dough
Tie-Up
Top Secret
Twenty One (1982)
Twenty Questions
Twisters
Up and Over
The Waiting Game
We've Got Your Number
What Do You Want?
What's On Your Mind
Wheel of Fortune
Whew!
Whodunit
Whose Baby
Wipeout
Word Grabbers
Write Your Own Ticket
You Bet Your Life (1988)
You Bet Your Life (1991)
You're Putting Me On

The Links

Show a Random Pilot
Show Unreviewed Pilots
Bob Stewart Flow Chart

Body Talk


Producer: Mark Goodson
Host: Vicki Lawrence
Announcer: Gene Wood
Celebrities: Bill Kirchenbauer, Richard Simmons, Elayne Joyce, Marcia Wallace
Taping Info: October 11, 1990 at CBS (but shot for ABC)
Made it to Air: No
Availability: Unknown

It has been said that Mark Goodson was obsessed with charades. First, there was Showoffs, which featured four celebrities, two contestants and an isolation booth. Then there was Body Language, which featured two celebrities, two contestants, puzzles and an irrelevant first round. Now, it's a new decade, so it's time for Body Talk, this time going back to four celebrities and dumping the puzzles. Vicki Lawrence, now a veteran game show host, helms this game that was probably cast during a session of Match Game '90, since three of the four celebrities and the host on this pilot were at least semi-regulars and the fourth (Elayne Joyce) was actually on the pilot of Showoffs.

The teams were gender-specific, with the two female celebrities teaming up with the female contestant and the two male celebrities teaming up with the male contestant. The first two rounds were pretty plain, with each team getting a 60 second chance per round at one longish charade for $200. The third round borrows from Name That Tune, where one celebrity from each team does a reverse auction on who can give a certain charade faster. The lowest bid goes and picks up a progressive jackpot starting at $100 if they get the charade, otherwise the other team picks up the dough. First contestant to $2,000 goes on to the bonus round.

There must have been something really freaky in Goodson's pipe this day. This bonus game was awful. Ten people were brought in from the audience and were each assigned a word. They had 60 seconds to give their words one at a time to the player. Frankly, it would have been better if all ten players were giving their words all at once. A player was allowed three passes. It was $100 per word, with the score multiplied by ten if the contestant got seven or more. This may not seem much written down, but when seen live on tape, it's positively ghastly.

This pilot was shot for ABC during the run of Match Game '90, so I don't know if it was meant to replace Match Game or become a companion and dislodge The Home Show and get Goodson out of the noon slot. It probably would have made it, if it wasn't for that awful, awful bonus round. This is the last known pilot done by Goodson before his death in 1992, it's a shame it couldn't be a better one.


This pilot has been viewed 22177 times since October 6, 2008 and was last modified on Dec 12, 2009 14:46 ET
Feedback? Contact me at usgs-pilot at the usgameshows dot net domain