User:Daniel Benfield/Scrabble 1984 Video Archive

NBC Daytime: July 2, 1984 - March 23, 1990 (taped at NBC Studios in Burbank)

Scrabble was a very fun show that, while based on the long-running crossword game, really had nothing in common aside from the game board and logo.

For the short-lived revival, see User:Daniel Benfield/Scrabble 1993 Video Archive.

LEGAL STUFF SO I DON'T GET SUED: I'm only linking to these videos, none of which were uploaded by me, for the purposes of research and as a public record. Footage ©1984-90 Reg Grundy Productions and associated entities.

Pilot (1984)
Taped March 8, 1984

The pilot had, as pilots tend to do, different graphics for the most part (the logo was yellow-on-brown tiles, the game board and Sprint looked vastly different), plus there was no logo-sign hanging over Chuck's head and no numbers on the tiles.

The format, though, was very odd: the Crossword game was played for money rather than points, with four words played and the payouts doubled for the final word. The player with more money after the fourth word played the Sprint. All throughout the week, players competed to get the fastest Sprint time, and whoever had the record at the end of the week got a $25,000 bonus.

For this reason, the pilot was treated as a Friday show, but things begin to fall apart a bit because they claim to have a returning champ (Laura Chambers) who's "already won" $2,400, but they later act like she hasn't played the Sprint before.

Oh, and the pilot runs just over 17 minutes.


 * June 29, 1984 (Debut promo with pilot clips and audience testimony!)

Straddling Format (1984-86)
July 2, 1984 - September 26, 1986

The first two weeks of the series kept the "cumulative pot" element from the pilot: each letter placed was worth $25, with blue squares adding $50 and pink squares adding $100. The total amount went to whichever contestant guessed three words first. Winning the subsequent Sprint tripled the pot.

The standard format debuted on July 16, with first to solve three words getting $500 and the Sprint worth $1,500.

Originally, winning five games added $20,000 to your total, as did winning ten games. By mid-1986, these were changed so five wins augmented your score to $20,000 and ten wins augmented it to $40,000.

1984

The cash bonuses for the pink and blue squares ($1,000 and $500, respectively) debuted in October.


 * July 2, 1984 (Premiere: Vanessa vs. Jack, with Jeff and Claude playing later {Designated Champ: Stuart}; has a Contestant Plug! {alternate copy})
 * [Stuart became the champ in a game played off-camera.]
 * July 4, 1984 (#3: Mary Jo vs. Jack {Game 3 - $4,100} at Sprint, with Steve and Christine playing later; taped from WTCN with commercials, begins at opening word)
 * [Still has the tiny nametags and transparent numbered tiles.]

Numbered tiles become blue (began 7/9/84); "Pot" format removed: winner of each Crossword now receives $500 and plays the Sprint for $1,500 (began 7/16/84)
 * August 3, 1984 (College Week, Day 5: Heidi vs. Richard, continued from yesterday {2-1 in Richard's favor} with Roy, Irma, Melanie, and Bill playing later; Returning Champ: David {Game 2 - $2,000}; begins during logo animation)
 * [Nametags now have their standard size and appearance. "Letter placement" sound still plays twice each time.]


 * 1984 (Joyce vs. Ron, with returning champ Peter {$5,000?}; montage including both Sprints)
 * [Has the standard nametags. Not sure if the bonus squares were present at any point during Peter's run.]
 * 1984 (Clip of Francine vs. Peter {Game 7}; Sprints only)
 * 1984 (Clip of Gary vs. Peter {Game 8}; Sprints only)
 * 1984 (Clip of Dee-Dee vs. Peter {Game 10, going for the second $20,000 bonus!}; begins at second word of challenger's Sprint, ends after said segment)

Bonus squares added (began 10/84)

1985

The Speedword debuts in March, probably so games didn't go overly long. Also at the same time, the Sprint rules were altered so each player does the same set of three words; prior to this, the challenger picked from a pink or blue envelope.

For whatever reason, beginning in April the very odd Spelling format debuted in the Crossword game: players now had to verbally add any remaining letters after buzzing in. The pot returned, now adding $50 for a white square, $100 for a blue square, and $200 for a pink square; the money was awarded immediately to whoever solved said word.

It was during this period that original announcer Jay Stewart left, presumably to concentrate on doing Sale of the Century, with Charlie Tuna replacing him. Later in this era, the pink squares began to add $500 to the pot.

Eventually, on September 2, the Spelling format was ousted. The catalyst was probably the MOSQUITOS incident, where neither player managed to spell the word correctly (and, from what I've heard, it was just thrown out).

Speedword and redone Sprint rules debut (began 3/85)

Spelling format debuts (began 4/85)

Pink squares now award $500
 * August? 1985 (Chris vs. Von; clip of the infamous MOSQUITOS round!)
 * [For whatever reason, the actual spelling of the word takes up the bottom portion of the screen, blocking out everything below the word area itself. While this wouldn't normally be a problem, this includes the money graphics, and given there's a pink square involved it kinda doesn't help with placement (which, in this case, is just a guess).]

Spelling format removed (began 9/2/85)
 * November 1985 (TV Players vs. Board Game Players Tournament, Day ?: Clip of the end of Jim vs. Denise, a very odd moment which likely would've been edited and retaped if it happened these days)


 * 1985-86 (? {female} vs. Sang, with returning champ Steven; montage including first game's Speedword, Sang's infamous Sprint, and Steven's subsequent Sprint, average quality)
 * [Has a logo-sign briefly visible at 1:08, although it doesn't look like the standard one. Based on Chuck's comments, Sprint players still do only three words.]

1986

At some point this year, the $500 and $1,000 bonuses were added to Speedword as well. (Not sure whether this came before or after the major format change.)


 * February 14, 1986 (Begins with ? vs. ?, with returning champ Scott; taped from WESH with commercials, intro and credits only)
 * 1986 (Teen Week, Day ?: Marla vs. Rick; said game only)
 * [Has "TEEN WEEK" tiles on the wall behind the contestant area.]

Self-Contained Format (1986-90)
September 29, 1986 - March 23, 1990

The standard front-game format debuted at the start of an All-American Tournament, which lasted 13 weeks. The Bonus Sprint debuted on the episode immediately after said Tournament.

By this point, the backwall has changed from pink with blue spots to blue with pink spots, and an audience area has been added to the front of the set (i.e., audience members are now visible on-camera).

Also seemingly at the same time, the wall behind the contestant area added a logo-sign. Also by this point, the Sprints now require players to clear four words.

1986

Bonus Sprint added (began 12/29/86)

1987
 * 1987? (? vs. ?, then Amy vs. James; Game 2 only)
 * January 1987 (Greg vs. ?, then Jennifer vs. Andre Francois Juan; Game 2 only)

End-of-show fee plugs removed (began 12/28/87)

1988

1989
 * 1989-90 (Claudia vs. ?, then Tish vs Digger; begins just before Game 2 player intros, ends shortly after said game's outcome is decided)

1990