Card Sharks/Episode Guide/CBS/July to December 1987

July
NOTE: Card Sharks likely didn't air for seven days from July 7-15, 1987 due to the Oliver North testimony

Also,.Bob Hilton fills in for Gene Wood for the next five shows also.

Gene Wood returns this week. ''NOTE: Contrary to Bob's plugging of Young People's Week in the last week of episodes, it actually ended up being adult contestants during July 29-31, 1987. It could be possible that taping of Young People's Week was delayed due to the Oliver North testimony, creating uncertainty as to when the coverage would end. ''

August
''NOTE: Due to the Oliver North testimony coverage which resulted in seven days of pre-emptions and screwed up the CBS airdate schedule, in order to start Young People's Week on a Monday, Eps. 397 to 399 with adults playing aired on July 30 and 31, 1987, and Eps. 400 and 401 aired on August 10 and 11, 1987 respectively. Young People's Week aired on August 3 to 7, 1987 as a result. It can be inferred that Young People's Week was actually the second week of episodes taped after Ep. 396, and was originally slated to start airing on a Monday in July 1987.''

Now, Young People's Week VII starts here...

NOTE: As of this Young People's Week, the words "YOUNG PEOPLE'S WEEK" appear in red chyron text for the first time during the opening. This could be an early sign that,with regards to the opening, a change may soon be coming. ''NOTE: The remaining episodes from the taping day prior to Young People's Week taping day continue from July 31, and shows from the taping day after Young People's Week start to air on Wednesday. CBS airs Card Sharks in order by scheduled airdate, while GSN does air the show in production order.''

It can be inferred that, soon down the road, some weeks may have more or less episodes taped in order to get back on track with starting a different audience polling group and change the car being offered on a Monday again.

Now, it's back to regular play with the adults... ''As of this week, the flashing light border is now seen behind the week's featured car. The spotlights behind the car are eliminated, but return later in 1988. We're so close to the opening spiel being modified.''

''Also, the following week of episodes only has four episodes taped. This means another four-episode taping day occurred afterwards. This could be the first step towards getting the schedule back,on track in order to start a fresh week with a new audience polling group on a Monday.''

September
Young People's Week VIII begins, and with a revised opening spiel!

NOTE: When the Hawaii trip display is shown, the diagonal Hawaii banner normally seen in the top right corner is gone, and a horizontal banner with "Young People's Week" is attached to the front of the trip display. Also, the trip display's outside frame is changed from green to blue. The color scheme would be changed one more time on July 11, 1988. NOTE: Only four shows were taped for this week of tapings, possibly because Card Sharks may have been scheduled to be pre-empted due to coverage of Pope John Paul II's arrival to the U.S. ''NOTE: As of September 22, 1987, the green background is finally made transparent to show the feature car during the intro. To accompany this change, Gene's opening spiel is modified, mentioning the car first, before the $32,000 top payout. This opening spiel would remain until July 4, 1988 when Version 2.0 of the car game (with the Range Board) was launched.''

Also, once again, only four shows were taped for this coming week of tapings. CBS's schedule for Card Sharks is back on track the following Monday.

October
''NOTE: As of this week, the flashing chyron $32,000 graphic during the intro appears. Also, as of Thursday, a teaser with Bob plugging the following week's audience polling group starts appearing. These would only be shown on Thursdays and Fridays until summer or fall 1988.''

November
''NOTE: November 23 to 25, 1987 was Young People's Week IX. Card Sharks was pre-empted on November 26 and 27, 1987 for Thanksgiving weekend.''

Also, the introduction of Lacey and Suzanna before the contestants are introduced is restored as of Monday of this week.

December
Charlie O'Donnell fills in for Gene Wood for the next ten shows. ''NOTE: It is believed that episodes #512 to #520, which were, of course, Young Peoples' Week X and XI, were taped after the first three weeks of shows from January 1988. When the first show of 1988 aired, the educated guess reveal did not have the pastel-green border and were still in Helvetica font. It is very likely that these episodes were likely taped after the first three weeks of episodes of 1988 were taped.''

''Also, during the next nine episodes, the educated guess reveals now have a pastel green border and the answer is shown in a Clarendon-style font if a larger number of characters or actual words or abbreviations were used. Although, when referring to production order, such border and font were first used in the taping of Ep. 502, first aired on January 11, 1988, which was taped before these next nine episodes shown below.''

''However, it is believed that there may have been a pre-emption on December 25, 1987, possibly in favor of holiday programming. We'll know for sure about a pre-emption if the latter GSN broadcast on December 20, 2017 mentions or provides hinting of a Christmas Day pre-emption, or the audience poll group was different on the earlier GSN broadcast scheduled for December 21, 1987. Until GSN airs these episodes, the data below will remain as is.''

Gene Wood returns to the mic after Charlie O'Donnell filled in for several weeks.

As Young Peoples' Week continues, Bob Goen does a series of cameos for the week of December 28 to 31, 1987 to plug his game show disaster Blackout which would premiere the following Monday, January 4, 1988.

Go Back to: January to June 1987

Advance to: January to June 1988