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.

Repeats aired on USA Network from September 16, 1991 to February 3, 1995, then from April 17 to October 13, 1995. From what I can tell, they never aired episodes from the first few or last few months of the run and skipped all of the weird Spelling-format shows from '85.

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 different graphics for the most part (the logo was yellow-on-brown tiles, the chase-light sequence was faster, the game board and especially Sprint looked vastly different), Rod Roddy announcing (but he never did the series), plus there was no logo-sign hanging over Chuck's head and no numbers on the tiles. The opening shot was recycled for the series until sometime in 1986.

The format, though, was kinda 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. The Sprint itself had the challenger pick one of several colored envelopes (the number started at five and decreased as the week went on), which contained the words s/he would play. 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 and came back as champ the following week. For this reason, the pilot was treated as a Friday show.

That said, things begin to fall apart a bit because they claim to have a returning champ who's "already won" $2,400 (Chuck's comments suggest she was on Day 2, except the money displays can only hold three digits), but they later act like she hasn't played the Sprint before. And if Larry set the "current Sprint record", did he remain champ until somebody beat him in the Crossword game? If that's the case, wouldn't he have had multiple opportunities to better his own Sprint time (much like Classic Concentration would do with its yearly Tournament of Champions)? And if that's the case, there's a hole in this format: what if the Crossword winner on Monday manages to win every Crossword game in the week? Does s/he automatically get the $25,000 bonus after the last Crossword game on Friday, since nobody beat their Sprint time because nobody else managed to win the Crossword game? What if somebody managed to run for weeks like Thom McKee did on Tic-Tac-Dough four years earlier?

While I once said here that this format made no sense, one big thing of note is that the pilot runs about 17 minutes. While this keeps things self-contained (one Crossword game, one Sprint), it's also much shorter than the ~22 minutes most half-hour shows were getting at the time...and I'm not really sure why. I suppose they could've kept this format if they simply played the Crossword game until a bell rang (at which point whoever was in the lead would play the Sprint), but the format they went with was far more solid in my opinion. :)


 * Taped 3/8/84 (Friday: LAURA CHAMBERS! {Day 2 - $2,400} vs. Bill; Current Sprint Champ: Larry {$1,350}, at 49.8 seconds; has slate!)
 * [Has four words in the Sprint, which wouldn't become the rule until 1986. Interestingly, the "$25000" graphic is white-on-blue tiles, a style the series would adopt for its cash graphics shortly into the run.]
 * June 29, 1984 (Debut promo with pilot clips and audience testimony!)

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

The first week of the series had the Crossword retain the "Pot" element from the pilot, with a few alterations: 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. The subsequent Sprint was worth triple the Crossword pot.

The standard format debuted on July 9, with the first to solve three words getting $500 and the Sprint worth $1,500. In both cases, winning five games added $20,000 to your total, as did winning ten games (in other words, a five-game winner left with no less than $28,000, while a ten-time champ would be guaranteed to leave with at least $55,500).

1984
Originally (probably only for the duration of the "Pot" format), the "$20000" graphic was opaque with yellow characters and borders. By mid-July, it changed to the standard white-on-blue design that would remain for the rest of the Straddling format, although the "$55500" graphic wouldn't debut until about mid-August.

If a champ retired, the show originally did another Sprint immediately afterward to determine a new one. Sometime between mid-July and mid-August, this was changed to doing two Crossword games in a row: one to establish a champ, the other to determine a Sprint challenger. (It should be noted that the original rule only went into effect once.)

When the show began, the "Crossword game win" cue used for most of the run was actually used if a Crossword player solved their first or second word, with a light horn-based cue played for winning the game (the latter was also used throughout the run as the "Sprint win" cue). Sometime between July 19 and 24, the former was replaced by a short cue based on the theme; sometime between mid-October and November 20, the light horn-based cue was replaced in the Crossword game by the former "correct solve" cue. (Yeah, I don't know, either.)

Also early on, the "letter placement" ding was used when the "1-2-3" display below a contestant was updated. This was also removed sometime between July 19 and 24, likely at the same time the "correct solve" cue changed.

"Pot" format (first week only)

The contestant nametags were originally pretty small and had a sort of "jagged" appearance; the standard ones debuted on July 9. Also, for this first week there were hardly any contestant interviews: at the beginning of the show, after the introductions, Chuck would immediately introduce the champion.


 * July 2, 1984 (Premiere: Begins with Vanessa vs. JACK ARCHER, with Jeff and Claude playing later {Designated Champ: Stuart}; has a Contestant Plug! {alternate copy})
 * [Stuart became the champ in a Crossword game played off-camera.]
 * July 3, 1984 (Begins with Jeff vs. Claude, continued from yesterday with Mary Jo and James playing later; has commercials and a Contestant Plug!)
 * [At one point (5:49), a contestant's choices are F and U. I'm...actually surprised that got on the air.]


 * July 4, 1984 (Begins with Mary Jo vs. Jack at Sprint, with Steve and Christine playing later; taped from WTCN with commercials, begins at opening word)
 * July 5, 1984 (Begins with Hugh vs. Kimie, with Sharon and Loris playing later {Champ: Jack, going for the first $20,000 bonus!}; has commercials and a Contestant Plug!)
 * [Notably, Kimie hits her buzzer every time she tries to solve a Crossword puzzle, which Chuck jokes about; "buzz in to solve" eventually became the rule in '85. Money graphics are still shown as red characters on a white diamond, with no commas for four-digit numbers.]

"Pot" format removed: winner of each Crossword now gets $500 and plays the Sprint for $1,500 (began 7/9/84)

The cash bonuses for the pink and blue squares ($1,000 and $500, respectively) debuted on October 15, the earliest USA ever went in its repeats of the show.

Probably at the same time, and definitely by about November 7, the Sprint round's directing is altered a bit: before the challenger begins their Sprint, the Sprint board side of the Scrabble Cube is shown before the clock, player shots, and "letter box" wipe in. Previously, these graphics were all in place at the start of the challenger's Sprint.

Sometime between August 10 and September 26, the outline around each word in the Crossword games changes from purple to red, which remains for the rest of the run. (Big thanks to Bryce Lozier for noticing this one!)

Money graphics standardized (began by 7/11/84)
 * July 11, 1984 (Begins with Lori vs. Harvey, with Kathi and Chris playing later {Champ: Margie, currently on Game 2 with $2,900}; has commercials)
 * [I suspect the Pot format was removed shortly before this, given Margie's odd total (that, or there was a different payout system used right after the Pot format was removed). Oddly, neither the pre-Sprint "champ's total" nor "$1500" graphics use a comma, but the post-Sprint "champ's total" graphic does.]
 * July 12, 1984 (Begins with Kathi vs. Margie at Sprint, with Llon and Marlane playing later; has a few commercials and a Contestant Plug!)

Pre-Sprint "champ's total" graphic now has a comma (began 7/13/84)
 * July 13, 1984 (Begins with Bobbi vs. Don, with Jim and ANNIE McCORMICK playing later)
 * [Chuck uses "tomorrow" when signing off, even though this is a Friday.]

Sprint envelopes now placed into the front of each player's podium (began 7/16/84)
 * July 16, 1984 (Begins with Jim vs. Annie, continued from last Friday {1-1} with Marion and Lance playing later and Stoppers galore in Game 2!; has commercials and a Contestant Plug!)
 * [Still has the comma-less "$1500" graphic. Chuck uses "yesterday" a couple of times, even though this is a Monday.]

"$1500" graphic now has a comma (began by 7/19/84)
 * July 19, 1984 (Begins with Bill vs. Annie {going for the first $20,000 bonus!} at Sprint, with Portia and Mark playing later; has commercials and a Contestant Plug!)
 * [Crossword "correct solve" cue is still the original one, and a ding still plays when the "1-2-3" display is updated.]

Standard Crossword "correct solve" cue debuts, ding no longer used when the "1-2-3" display is updated (began by 7/24/84)
 * July 24, 1984 (Begins with Beverly vs. Chuck, with Robin and Mike playing later {Champ: Annie, going for the second $20,000 bonus!}; has commercials)


 * July 31, 1984 (College Players, Day 2: Begins with Lysa vs. Jerry {Champ: Mike, currently on Game 7 with $29,500}; has commercials and a Contestant Plug!)
 * [Wall behind Crossword players has two pennants reading "COLLEGE WEEK" (yellow-on-blue and blue-on-pink, respectively).]
 * August 1, 1984 (College Players, Day 3: Jerry vs. Lysa at Sprint, with Davida and John playing later and a pretty weird second Sprint; clips of Game 2 and subsequent Sprint only)
 * [Date per Jonathan Seward, which in turn makes this upload pretty notable since it's the only episode from the first six weeks that doesn't circulate.]
 * August 3, 1984 (College Players, Day 5: Begins with Heidi vs. Richard, continued from yesterday {2-1 in Richard's favor} with Roy, Irma, Melanie, and Bill playing later {Champ: David, currently on Game 2 with $2,000}; begins during logo animation)


 * August 6, 1984 (College Players, Day 6: Begins with Melanie vs. Bill C., continued from last Friday with Bill N. and Kirsten playing later; taped from KRON, with a Contestant Plug!)
 * August 7, 1984 (College Players, Day 7: Begins with Kirsten vs. Melanie at Sprint, with Cynthia, Marty, Bruce, and Lisa playing later; has a Contestant Plug, "reverberating" audio)
 * August 8, 1984 (College Players, Day 8: Begins with Bruce vs. Lisa, continued from yesterday with Wendelin and Danny playing later)
 * August 10, 1984 (College Players, Day 10: Begins with Rick vs. Cynthia at Sprint, with Angela, Marc, Jim, and Beth playing later; has commercials)
 * ["Letter placement" sound still plays twice each time. Crossword word outlines are still purple.]

"Letter placement" sound now only plays once each time (began by 8/22/84)
 * August 22, 1984 (Begins with Andrew vs. Genny, continued from yesterday {2-1 in Genny's favor} with Audrey and Ron playing later; Champ: MARK DAUBERMAN {Game 10 - $34,000}, going for the second $20,000 bonus!; has a Contestant Plug!)
 * ["Inactive" Crossword player's letter display still defaults to a brighter blue box; by September 26, this was altered to be about the shade of blue as it is at pretty much every other point of the show. Crossword word outlines look sort of pink, but this could be due to the video quality of the upload.]

Crossword word outlines become red (began by 9/26/84)
 * September 26, 1984 (Begins with Jerry vs. Lori, continued from yesterday {2-0 in Lori's favor} with Daphne, Peter, Bob, and Rhonda playing later {Champ: Mike, currently on Game 3 with $3,500}; has a Contestant Plug!)
 * [Lori was also on the unsold Party Line (1983)! Sprint directing is still the same as it was at the beginning of the series. Crossword still does not have any bonus squares.]

Solving on a blue or pink square awards $500 or $1,000, respectively (began 10/15/84); Sprint round now has slightly different directing (see above; began by about 11/7/84)
 * October-Early November 1984 (Begins with John {$1,500} vs. PETER CATELLA {Game 2 - $2,000} at Sprint, with Jeff, Norma Jo, Joyce, and Ron playing later; USA repeat)
 * [Chuck says this is Peter's "third day", suggesting that he was introduced near the end of a show, won his Crossword and first Sprint the next day, and said next day ended with John winning his Crossword game.]
 * [Chuck goes into detail about the blue and pink squares offering bonus cash, which suggests they were introduced pretty recently. Original (light) horn-based "Crossword game win" cue is still present.]
 * October-Early November 1984 (Begins with Joyce vs. Ron, continued from last time {Champ: Peter, currently on Game 4}; first Sprint round only)


 * October 19-November 9, 1984 (Friday: Clip of Francine {$1,000} vs. Peter {Game 7}; Sprint round only)
 * [Still has the "$1,500" graphic when Chuck notes it as the Sprint award.]
 * October 22-November 12, 1984 (Monday: Clip of Gary vs. Peter {Game 8}; Sprint round only)
 * [Gary says that "I spent the entire weekend thinking about [which Sprint envelope to pick]". Peter's wearing a different suit and tie than the clip with Francine, indicating that Gary won his Crossword game shortly before time was called for the day.]
 * October 23-November 13, 1984 (Tuesday: 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)
 * [Peter's wearing a different suit and tie than the clip with Gary, and given the show's pacing at this point I'm thinking this is the day after.]

"$1,500" Sprint graphic no longer used, original Crossword "correct solve" cue returns as the "game win" cue (began by 11/20/84)
 * November 20, 1984 (Begins with Phyl vs. Rick, continued from yesterday with John and Gerre playing later {Champ: Alan, currently on Game 2 with $2,000}; taped from WNBC, with promos for Live At Five and Super Password!)
 * [Super Password promo is for a week with JoAnne Worley, pinning this to the week of November 19, and since Chuck notes "tomorrow" at one point it's not the day before Thanksgiving (since I'm pretty sure he would've mentioned it if so).]


 * December 18, 1984 (Begins with Debbie vs. Bill {Game 3 - $3,500} at Sprint, with Jim?, Leanna, Becky, and David? playing later; USA repeat, video is a bit bright, low/muffled/"fuzzy" audio)
 * December 25, 1984 (Teen Week, Day 2: Begins with Shanah vs. Jeremy, with Aaron and Theresa playing later {Champ: Jason, currently on Game 2 with $2,500} and a classic blooper in Game 2! {Part 3}; USA repeat, video is a bit bright, audio is a bit muffled {alternate copy of the Game 2 blooper, same source but much better quality})
 * [Set decorated for Christmas.]

1985
Probably the most noticeable rule change came in April, where the Crossword game was altered to use the Spelling format. It's a weird period in the show's history (apparently USA never touched those episodes), and pretty rare as well.

For most of the year, announcing duties are somewhat split between Jay Stewart and Charlie Tuna.

Standard Crossword format

In January or early February, the Sprint payouts were altered a bit: five- and ten-time champs now have their winnings augmented to $20,000 and $40,000, respectively. Sometime after that, and definitely by mid-February, the Sprint was altered so players could only call one letter if two appear at once (previously, they could call every letter that came up).

In early or mid-March, the Speedword began to be used in Crossword games if they went to a 2-2 tie (previously, they were only done if the third Stopper was found on a word and the other player had no guess). 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, with the other being played by the champion.

Probably at the same time the "same three words" rule was added, the Sprint board side of the Scrabble Cube was no longer seen during Sprint rounds. Instead, the player shots and relevant parts of the Sprint board were done over a background that was blue on the top half and pink on the bottom half, a setup that remained for the rest of the run.

Probably at the same time as those changes, the Crossword players began to already be seated as they're introduced, and the Chuck Bucks were added. The latter originally had Chuck hold several bills up if a letter was placed in a pink or blue square, and if they were won he gave that player said bills.

Five/ten-time champs now have their winnings augmented to $20,000 and $40,000, respectively (began 1/ or 2/85)
 * January 1985 (Promos for Sale of the Century and Scrabble; taped from WNBC, audio cuts off at tail end)


 * January-Early February 1985 (Friday: Begins with Irving vs. Tricia, continued from yesterday at 2-1 with Shelly, Paul, Ernest, and Dorothy playing later {Part 2, Part 3}; Champ: Sue {currently on Game 2 with $2,000}; USA repeat, video issues at start of most segments except the first, most of fifth and sixth player intros missing)
 * [Jay Stewart announces. Chuck plugs the Sweepstakes drawings as happening "next week". Last episode where letters placed into blue or pink squares don't flash, last with the original Sprint letter-picking rules, and last to not have any copyright info during the credits.]

Letters placed into blue or pink squares now flash, Sprint rules altered a bit, copyright info added to credits (began 1/ or 2/85, on Ernest vs. Dorothy)
 * January-Early February 1985 (Begins with Steve {$2,000} vs. JEFF KAPLAN {Game 6 - $20,000} at Sprint, with Michael, Susan, Frances, and Jim {who looks remarkably like George Carlin!} playing later; USA repeat from 1/15/93, begins at logo animation)
 * [Jay Stewart announces. Chuck somewhat notes the Sprint "pick one letter if two appear at once" rule, saying that it's become a bit slower, and later says "tomorrow" when signing off. Chuck Bucks are still not present.]


 * February 21, 1985 (Tournament of Champions, Finals: Begins with Annie McCormick vs. Jeff Kaplan, continued from yesterday at 1-1 {Current Sprint Champ: Stephen Mayl?, at 13.0 seconds}; afterward, it's back to normal players: Al vs. Sunny, with current champ MIKE GILOOLY {Game 4 - $5,000}; USA repeat)
 * [Charlie Tuna announces. Crossword players still walk up to their seats. Sprint rounds still have the "Sprint board" side of the Cube shown on-camera. Copyright info still does not have "All Rights Reserved".]
 * [Chuck notes that for the Tournament, Crosswords have the pink and blue bonus squares add money to the Jackpot, which begins at $35,000. The Sprint has four words (making Stephen's 13-second run pretty impressive), and the player with the best Sprint time gets the cash. Wall behind Crossword players has tiles spelling out "TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS".]

"All Rights Reserved" added to copyright info (began 2/ or 3/85); Crossword players now seated during their intros, Chuck Bucks introduced, Speedword now used for Crossword 2-2 ties, Sprint players now have the same set of words, Sprint directing changes to standard style with pink-and-blue background (began 3/85)
 * March 1985 (Begins with Gary vs. Juanita)
 * [Debut of the revised Speedword and Sprint rules.]


 * March-April 1985 (Begins with Rose {$500} vs. Bernyce {Game 2 - $2,000} at Sprint, with Sam, Jeana, Jody, and Jeff playing later; USA repeat)
 * [Jay Stewart announces. Chuck notes that Bernyce won "yesterday", and says "tomorrow" when signing off. Crossword players still do not buzz in to solve words.]


 * April 5, 1985 (Begins with Dale vs. Jaynie, with Chuck's birthday celebrated {taped 3/16/85}; Champ: AMY ALBANI-SCHULTZ; USA repeat from 4/2/93)
 * [Amy previously played on Double Dare (1976 Pilot) and The Joker's Wild (1977 Tournament of Champions, which consisted primarily of big winners from the CBS run), and later appeared on Double Talk (1986).]

"Spelling" Crossword format (began 4/85)

Players now had to buzz in to attempt to solve, then had to verbally add any remaining letters. The pot returned, now adding $50 for a white square, $100 for a blue square, and $200 for a pink square; the money was held in the pot until somebody solved three words, at which point s/he got the cash and played the Sprint for $1,500 as before.

Early in this period, there was no "building" money display when players attempted to "spell in" any remaining letters, and the front-game money graphics that were used had large round numbers with no dollar sign. At some point, probably early on, the money graphic was added to the "calling out letters" portion and got a more "square" font with a dollar sign.

Sometime after the above change, the pink squares began to add $500 to the pot. Probably at the same time, the "champ's total" graphic changed from a flashing white graphic at the bottom-center of the screen to a blue banner with white borders ("# wins", followed by a blinking cash total). Sometime after those changes, the show's logo was added to the "champ's total", "$20000", and "$40000" graphics.

I've seen some praise for this format, mainly that it felt more like the board game (you had to add any remaining letters to the board yourself, and if you misspelled they were taken back off and you were penalized) and rewarded those who knew the answer early, neither of which I can disagree with. Said people have also said that if the MOSQUITOS incident (I'll get to that later) didn't happen, the show may have stuck with this format for the rest of the run.

Originally, while "spelling in" a word, making a mistake left any correctly-placed letters up, but if your opponent made a spelling error afterward the word got thrown out. Sometime after the pink squares began adding $500, this was changed so that giving a wrong letter removed any letters you "spelled in" and the word was no longer thrown out if your opponent messed up as well...which led to what probably caused this format to be dropped altogether.


 * April 24, 1985 (Begins with Robert {$900} vs. Neil {Game 2 - $2,450} at Sprint, with Cindy, Steve, Pete, and Frances playing later; has commercials and a Contestant Plug, audio is a bit low)
 * [Jay Stewart announces. Still has the original penalty for spelling mistakes. Interestingly, the Contestant Plug uses the pilot logo!]

"Building" money graphic added while players try to spell in the spaces; dollar sign added to pot graphic
 * Spring-Summer 1985 (Begins with Marsha vs. Paul, with returning champ Toni {Game 2 - $2,750}; taped from WDIV, almost all of Toni's portion of first Sprint missing, ends after first Sprint round)
 * [Charlie Tuna announces. Still has pink squares adding $200. Champs still have their total displayed with a flashing white graphic at the bottom-center of the screen.]

Pink squares now add $500; "champ's total" graphic now displayed in a blue banner with white borders ("# wins", followed by a blinking cash total)
 * Spring-Summer 1985 (Begins with Cindi vs. Rick, with Skip and Geny playing later {Part 2}; Champ: Tony {Game 4 - $5,300}; begins during opening word {alternate copy})
 * [Charlie Tuna announces.]

Logo (white-on-pink) added on top of "champ's total", "$20000", and "$40000" graphics
 * Spring-Summer 1985 (Begins with Damita Jo {$2,100} vs. Mitchell {Game 2 - $2,300} at Sprint, with Dru, Don, Dan, and Marcy playing later; first two Crossword player intros missing, audio is somewhat low and a bit muffled)
 * [Charlie Tuna announces.]

Spelling mistake penalty altered (any "spelled in" letters removed, words are no longer thrown out)
 * August? 1985 (Chris vs. Von; clip of the infamous MOSQUITOS round, from a Bloopers & Practical Jokes collection of odd Scrabble moments {alternate copy, some bits missing, "(MOSQUITOS)" graphic covers bottom portion of screen})
 * [Two things: one, this was probably the catalyst for the end of the Spelling format. Two, why not draw more tiles? (Only two letters are placed in the available footage.)]

Standard Crossword format returns (began 9/2/85)

The "buzz in to solve" rule carried over, but that was pretty much it. By about the end of September, the "Chuck Bucks" began to be handed to the players one bill at a time, although they initially had no sound effect as Chuck laid down each bill.

From what I can tell, it was shortly after the Spelling format was removed that original announcer Jay Stewart left (presumably to concentrate on doing Sale of the Century), with Charlie Tuna replacing him, though they had been alternating off and on since the start of the year.


 * September? 1985 (Begins with Ken vs. Randee {Champ: Don, currently on Game 4}; begins during second word of Game 1, ends after said game)
 * [Jay Stewart announces.]

"Champ's total" graphic now displayed when Chuck introduces them at the top of the show; sound effect added for Chuck Bucks "payments"
 * Late 1985 (Begins with Craig vs. Denese, continued from yesterday {2-1 in Denese's favor} with Arlette, a different Craig, Steve, and Susan playing later; Champ: JOHN HEANER {Game 10 - $26,000}, going for the $40,000 maximum!; has a Sweepstakes segment)
 * [Charlie Tuna announces. "Champ's total" graphic still has "win"/"wins" in lower-case.]


 * 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)

"Champ's total" graphic turns "win"/"wins" into "WIN"/"WINS"
 * Late 1985-Early 1986 (? {female} vs. Sang, with returning champ Steven {Game 2 - $2,500}; montage including a Speedword, Sang's infamous Sprint, and Steven's subsequent Sprint, average quality)
 * [There's a sign on the wall behind the Crossword players (part of it can be briefly seen at 1:08), but it's definitely not the logo; it seems to be for Teen Week, using the 1984 look and layout. Based on Chuck's comments and the way things play out, 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, although it was definitely present afterward.)

Sometime between Spring and mid-September, several changes are made to the set: the backwall is "inverted" from pink with blue spots to blue with pink spots, an audience area is added to the front of the set (i.e., audience members are now visible on-camera), and the show's logo is added to the wall behind the Crossword contestant area.


 * February 14, 1986 (Begins with Joan vs. Curtis, with Chris and Victoria playing later {Champ: Scott, beginning at Game 2 with $3,500}; taped from WESH {alternate copies of intro and credits, with commercials})
 * [Chuck notes that the first Crossword game is all about skiing.]


 * 1986 (Teen Week, Day ?: Marla vs. Rick; said game only)
 * [Has "TEEN WEEK" tiles on the wall behind the Crossword players, still using the 1984 look and layout.]


 * Spring 1986 (Begins with Susie vs. Jake, continued from last time {2-0 in Jake's favor} with Karen and Glen playing later; Champ: Scott {Game 5 - $6,500}, going for a $20,000 payday; USA repeat)
 * [Susie says that she will be graduating "this June". Catalog plug after Game 1 is for the JT's General Store "Spring '86 in-home shopping catalog", and another during the fee plugs is for Sears' Spring/Summer 1986 catalog. Chuck says "tomorrow" when signing off.]
 * [Still has no home viewer words read on-air. Still has the pink backwall with blue dots and no logo-sign on the wall behind the contestant area.]

Backwall colors "inverted", audience area added to set, logo-sign added to wall behind Crossword contestant area (began around Summer 1986)
 * 1986 (Tournament of Teen Champions, Day 1: Begins with Bernadette vs. Debi; USA repeat, ends during logo animation)
 * [Charlie notes that the TOTC is "starting today, and continuing for the next two weeks".]
 * 1986-87? (Teen Week promo {after NBC logo change in May 1986, with a different type of Teen Week signage})


 * September 19, 1986 (Begins with Nancy vs. Dixie, continued from yesterday at 1-1 with Kristin and Norm playing later {Champ: Ted, currently on Game 3 with $6,000}; USA repeat)
 * [Sprint players still do only three words.]

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

The standard front-game format debuted at the start of a $100,000 All-American Tournament, which lasted 13 weeks: four players competed each day from Monday-Thursday, with the winners of each day playing on Friday. The winner of each Friday show, along with four "wild card" players, competed during the final week (played like the others) for the $100,000.

The Bonus Sprint debuted on December 29, 1986, the day after said Tournament: the day's winner had to solve two words in 10 seconds for a jackpot which started at $5,000 and increased by $1,000 per day until won. While there was now no winnings limit, champs now had a five-day limit, and given the structure of the new format (champs always played the first Crossword game, although the challenger always began the first word), retired champs don't seem to have happened that often.

By this point, the show begins reading clues and words sent in by viewers, who get a Scrabble T-shirt, although the execution was originally different: the clue was read before Game 2, with the traditional Crossword graphic appearing at the bottom of the screen; the Speedword/Sprint timer cue played for a bit, after which the answer was revealed.

Also by this point, Sprints now require players to clear four words.

1986, Continued
The intro for the Tournament began with a shot of the day's four players in a four-way split-screen with white borders as Charlie says "One of these four people could end up winning over $100,000 in the All-American Scrabble Tournament!" The "$100,000" graphic, the standard white, zooms out into the center of the screen, after which the four corners spread out offscreen and the money graphic shrinks down into the wall at center stage.

By November 24, the home viewer words began to be used during the intro, with Chuck naming the viewer who sent it in after he walks out. Barring some special weeks, this remains for the rest of the run.

After the Tournament, the intro was altered a bit: it started with a zoom in on a shot of the returning champ, which then zoomed out to the top-left corner of the screen to show the three challengers in a four-window shot, followed by the corners moving offscreen as before. I don't know Charlie's full spiel; all I know is that it ends with "these three players will try to stop him/her, today on Scrabble!"


 * September 29, 1986 (All-American Tournament, Week 1 Day 1: Cayce vs. Eric, then Alyse vs. Ted; USA repeat, relatively low "whine" sound pretty much throughout, couple of video issues during second Crossword game)
 * [Has "$100,000" added to the logo-sign on the wall behind the Crossword player area. Chuck's comments regarding the home viewer words suggests that this is the first time they've done it, having been plugged during the previous week.]

Home viewer words now done during intro (began by 11/24/86)
 * November 24, 1986 (All-American Tournament, Week 9 Day 1: Audrey vs. Mike, then Joyce vs. Peter; original broadcast, "ghosts" in picture but decent otherwise {alternate copy})
 * [Per YouTube comments in the alt copy, no shows aired on Thursday or Friday (November 27-28).]

Bonus Sprint added (began 12/29/86)

1987
Sometime in January, the first part of the intro was altered a bit: directing-wise, it starts the same as before, but now has the current Bonus Sprint amount "strobing" in large characters in the center, which fades out before the corners wipe away. Charlie's spiel was altered to "[Champ's name] is back to defend his/her crown against these three players. One of them will get to try for [Bonus Sprint amount], today on Scrabble!"

By April 6, the first part of the intro was simplified: the champ's picture zoomed in, after which either the current Bonus Sprint total or the champ's current total appeared onscreen in much smaller strobing characters. The picture then zoomed out. Barring special weeks (which typically used a different style of intro) and times when they didn't have a returning champ (in which case they simply omitted this portion), this intro style remained for the rest of the run.

A brief clip of a challenger's Sprint round appears in the movie Innerspace (released 7/1/87): grocery store clerk Jack Putter thinks he's going nuts and tries to calm himself by putting on Scrabble...until the pilot of the shrunken ship inside him (long story) sends a pulse out that blows up the TV.


 * January 1987 (Dawn {Day 2 - $1,500} vs. Larry, then ? vs. ? {Bonus Sprint is at $9,000}; first two seconds or so missing, ends after Game 1)
 * [Still has the original Bonus Sprint-era intro.]

Intro altered to mention Bonus Sprint amount (began 1/87)
 * Late January 1987 (Julie {Day 2 - $2,000} vs. Dave and Celeste vs. Michael, with a "Car-Azy February" Plug! {Bonus Sprint is at $12,000!}; WNBC repeat from 4/9?/90 with some commercials, first Sprint round missing, ends just after fourth player interview)
 * [Chuck notes that Car-Azy February will be for "three days next month".]

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


 * 1987 (Thursday: Monica {Champ} vs. TERRY RAY {GREAT contestant!}, then ? vs. ? {Bonus Sprint is at $5,000}; begins just before Terry's interview, most of Game 1 missing, ends after first Sprint)
 * [This and the below are consecutive.]
 * 1987 (Friday: Marla vs. Terry, then Chris vs. ? {Part 3}; begins just before Terry's interview, second word of Game 1 and third word of first Sprint missing, Game 2 and first part of second Sprint missing, ends shortly after Bonus Sprint)
 * 1987 (Monday: Deedra vs. Terry, then ? vs. ?; begins just before Terry's interview, parts of Game 1 and first Sprint missing {including a small portion of the first word}, entirety of Game 2 missing, ends shortly before first word of Bonus Sprint)
 * 1987 (Tuesday: Sharon vs. Terry and David vs. ?, with a hilarious T-Shirt Plug!; begins at Game 1 player intros, part of Game 1 and first Sprint missing, Game 2 {minus the aforementioned plug} and part of second Sprint missing, ends shortly before first word of Bonus Sprint)

Standard Bonus Sprint-era intro (debuted by 4/6/87)
 * April 6, 1987 (Cindy vs. Phil {Day 2 - $10,000!}, then La Trice vs. Mike {Bonus Sprint is at $5,000}; taped from WNBC with commercials, audio is a bit muffled, audio/video is a bit off)


 * 1987 (Monday: Denise vs. Scott and Joy vs. RICK MANDL {GREAT interview!}, with the Bonus Sprint at $10,000; Game 2 montage, full second Sprint, and full Bonus Sprint only)
 * [This and the below show are consecutive. Rick was also on Wheel of Fortune (1975-76!) and Lingo (Woolery).]
 * 1987 (Tuesday: Dianne vs. Rick and Ruth vs. Ramon, with Charlie Tuna appearing on-camera!; first minute and Rick's interview only)


 * June 12, 1987 (Dorothy vs. TONY RITANO {Day 2 - $7,000}, then Patty vs. Alejandro {Bonus Sprint is at $5,000}; begins as opening word forms, bright video, audio is somewhat muffled)
 * [Tony was also on Now You See It (1989) and Gambit (1990 unsold pilot), among other shows.]
 * June 15, 1987 (Patty vs. Harvey, then Kristy vs. George; has a Classic Concentration promo!)


 * November 10, 1987 (Game Show Hosts Week I, Day 2: Bill Rafferty vs. Tom Kennedy and Chuck Woolery vs. John Davidson, with Marc Summers hosting part of the show! {alternate copies: #1, #2})
 * [For this week, viewers send in cards and the hosts play for them; whatever they win is what their respective viewer wins (if a host wins no cash, their viewer receives a camera). Bonus Sprint is worth $10,000 all week.]
 * November 12, 1987 (Game Show Hosts Week I, Day 4: John Davidson vs. Jamie Farr and Peter Tomarken vs. Chuck Woolery, with Marc Summers hosting part of the show!; audio/video is a bit off)
 * [Mislabeled as Day 3.]


 * December 8, 1987 (Jennifer {Day 2 - $1,500} vs. Larry and Marcia vs. PAUL ROUFFA {Bonus Sprint is at $18,000!}, with a fun blooper in Game 1! {alternate copy})
 * [Paul was also on Jeopardy! (1986) and Now You See It (1989). Both copies begin with a clip of a local newscast that spoils how a player does; YouTube copy is timecoded to skip it (I can't do anything about the Vimeo one, sorry).]
 * December 9, 1987 (Alexis vs. Paul and Chris vs. ?, with a home game plug!; Game 2 missing)
 * December 10, 1987 (Arlene vs. Paul R. and Meta vs. Paul H., with a T-Shirt Plug; audio/video is a bit off)
 * December 11, 1987 (Pat vs. Paul, then Catharine vs. Bob; has a Contestant Plug! {alternate copy})

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

1988
Sometime this year, possibly around August (and definitely by September 9), Chuck stops having winning Crossword players come to his podium (and get bonus money, if applicable) before walking over to the Sprint area. Instead, he walks over to the contestant desk like he typically does for money handouts and throws to commercial from there.

Probably at the same time, and also definitely by September 9, the Crossword player area is altered slightly: the microphones, which were originally silver and bendable (Sony ECM-53 mics, to be exact), are replaced by black ones with mounts (a huge thanks to Bryce for noticing this change!).


 * Early 1988 (Jeanne vs. Jack {Day 2 - $9,000!} and Lisa vs. Richard {Bonus Sprint is at $5,000}, with a home game plug and a Game 2 word that leaves Chuck and a contestant perplexed {Parts 2, 3, and 4}; USA repeat with a Contestant Plug, audio out of sync with video {and goes really off from 2:49 of Part 4 onward})
 * [Chuck notes that the Bonus Sprint was won for $7,000 "yesterday". He also says that Game Show Hosts Week was "a few weeks ago...er, maybe even a little longer", and reads a letter from a lady he played for during said week.]


 * 1988 (Promo for Game Show Hosts Week II, with clips from both weeks)
 * 1988 (Game Show Hosts Week II, Day 3: Jamie Farr vs. Jim Lange, then Wink Martindale vs. Vicki Lawrence; first part of Game 2 segment missing {begins as Charlie introduces Vicki})
 * [Played the same as the '87 week. Jamie is still plugged as being from Double Up.]


 * March 16, 1988 (Charlene {Day 2 - $1,500} vs. Ron and Jeanette vs. Don {Bonus Sprint is at $10,000}, with a home game plug!; USA repeat, begins during intro, low audio {alternate copy... thing})
 * [Both uploaders list this as May '88, but the Game 2 segment opens with what I'm guessing was a birthday surprise for Chuck.]


 * 1988 (Fred vs. ? and Liz vs. Steve, with the Bonus Sprint at $5,000; begins at Game 2 player intros)
 * [This and the below episode are consecutive. Steve notes that he hopes to graduate "in June". Chuck mentions "tomorrow" when signing off.]
 * 1988 (Carole vs. Steve, then ? vs. ?; ends after Game 1)
 * [Chuck mentions "yesterday" at one point.]


 * 1988 (Friday: Patty vs. ? and Karen vs. Marcus, with the Bonus Sprint at $5,000; begins at Game 2 player intros, said players' interviews missing, ends right after Chuck signs off)
 * [Chuck notes that the show's been on for "four-and-a-half years".]


 * 1988 (Nancy vs. Bob {Day 5 - $16,000} and Christine vs. Jeff, with the Bonus Sprint at $7,000 {Parts 2, 3, 4, and 5}; USA repeat, with a T-Shirt Plug)
 * [Chuck notes this is Bob's last day, and "yesterday" is mentioned at one point.]


 * 1988 (Friday: Gold vs. John {Day 2 - $13,500!} and Debbie vs. Ivan, with the Bonus Sprint at $5,000; USA repeat, first second or so missing, first part of Game 2 segment missing {begins during Debbie's interview})
 * [Uploader lists this as September, but I doubt it, mainly since the silver Crossword microphones are present. Chuck still has Crossword winners come to his podium before he throws to commercial.]

Crossword microphones become black, Chuck walks over to Crossword contestant desk before throwing to commercial (began around 7/ or 8/88)
 * July-August 1988 (Celebrity Teen Week, Day 1: Shannen Doherty vs. Scott Nemes, then Nicole Eggert vs. GARY COLEMAN; USA repeat, begins during intro, video is kinda blurry, tracking issues during most of second half {alternate copy of last two segments, in much better quality})
 * [Bonus Sprint is played for $10,000 all week.]
 * July-August 1988 (Celebrity Teen Week, Day 3-4: Nicole Eggert vs. Danny Ponce, then Soleil Moon Frye vs. Scott Nemes; USA repeat, audio is a bit muffled/low, ends during credits {alternate copy of Game 2, low audio but much better quality overall})
 * [Danny notes that "I've only played twice." Chuck notes that it's Summer during Soleil's interview, and Scott notes that he's 14 and will turn 15 "next year" (he was born in 1974, but I can't find anything more specific than that).]


 * September 9, 1988 (Teen Week, Day 5?: Brooke vs. Brett {Day 2 - $2,000} and Christina vs. Gabe, with the Bonus Sprint at $8,000; taped from KNBC with commercials, a Contestant Plug, and a Clue Plug!)
 * [Chuck says "tomorrow" when signing off, but the closing voiceover definitely matches the airdate. Hm.]


 * Late 1988 (Sheela vs. Bob {Day 5 - $24,500!} and Lori vs. Harold, with the Bonus Sprint at $5,000; USA repeat, jittery video, high-pitched noise in first minute)
 * [Chuck notes that the Bonus Sprint "hasn't gotten over six [thousand] all week. All last week, as well."]


 * Late 1988 (Monday: Lisa {Day 2 - $3,000} vs. Tony and Cynthia vs. John, with a word thrown out in Game 1 {Bonus Sprint is at $9,000}; 9/16/94 USA repeat with commercials and a Contestant Plug, audio is a bit low)
 * [Has a full credit roll. Chuck plugs next week's Celebrity Teen Week, with Shalane McCall, Brice Beckham, Chad Allen, Staci Keanan, Danny Pintasuro, and Jeremy Miller. Cynthia notes that she starts school full-time "in the Fall".]
 * Late 1988 (Friday: Barb {Day 2 - $1,500} vs. Steve and Melissa vs. Nolan, with a really fun start to Game 1!; 9/20/94 USA repeat, with commercials)
 * [Chuck plugs next week's Celebrity Teen Week (same as above show), noting that today's winner will be back the Monday after that.]


 * October 26, 1988 ("Trick or Treat" Week, Day 3: Sony vs. Jeff {Day 2 - $16,000!} and Kathie vs. Mike, with the Bonus Sprint at $5,000; has commercials {alternate copy})
 * [For this week, Crossword winners pick one of two bags (blue or pink) and get whatever's inside, which could be a trick (such as a cheap toy) or a treat (such as a VCR, which Chuck notes Jeff won yesterday).]


 * November 21-23, 1988 (Days of Our Lives Week, Day ?: Judi Evans vs. John Aniston, then Peggy McCay vs. Matthew Ashford; USA repeat, first second or so missing, pretty low audio, ends during credits)
 * [Bonus Sprint is played for $10,000.]


 * December 1988 (Lisa vs. Daniel {Day 2 - $2,500} and Laurie vs. Ian {Bonus Sprint is at $7,000}, with Chuck announcing that the contestant coordinator is going to have a baby! {Parts 2, 3, 4, and 5}; USA repeat, tracking lines at top and bottom)
 * [The contestant coordinator notes that her baby is due on "January 3rd, I have seven weeks to go.", to which Chuck says "No you don't have that long, you just have a couple weeks to go.", after which the two pretty much expose the fact they tape well in advance. Copyright byline still credits Reg Grundy Productions, Inc.]

1989
By about January 13, the copyright byline changes from crediting Reg Grundy Productions, Inc. to crediting Grundy International Operations, Ltd. This change also applied to fellow Grundy series Sale of the Century.

Starting on January 19, the Chuck Bucks changed from a single set of identical bills to two distinct sets: a blue set for $500 bonus wins, and a pink set for $1,000 bonus handouts.

(A huge thanks to Bryce Lozier for the airdates between January 17-30 and Chelsea Thrasher for pretty much all the ones between March 13 and September 14. I'll get through said six-month timespan eventually. :)

Copyright byline changes to credit Grundy International Operations, Ltd. (began by about 1/13/89)
 * January 1989 (Bobbi {$13,500} vs. Ed and Susie vs. Dan {Bonus Sprint is at $7,000}, with Chuck announcing that he's going to have another baby!; original broadcast)


 * January 17, 1989 (Annie {Day 2 - $2,500} vs. Bryan and Ella vs. Richard {Bonus Sprint is at $6,000}, with Chuck making the aforementioned baby announcement; USA repeat)
 * January 18, 1989 (Annie vs. Brian, then Virginia vs. Super Newk {yes, really!}; USA repeat, begins at first player interview)

Chuck Bucks become blue and pink for said colored squares (began 1/19/89)

On March 27, the show moves to 10:00 AM Eastern (9:00 Central), replacing the canned Sale.

Beginning on July 3, the first part of the intro was altered: the champ's picture now flipped horizontally as it zoomed in, with their background now pretty much the Sprint graphic backdrop. Rather than hold on a shot of the champ during the first portion, as Charlie said "Today on Scrabble!" it "four-corner cut" from the champ to the logo graphic zooming in. The box then flipped horizontally as it zoomed out.


 * January 19, 1989 (Annie {who sings a Scrabble song!} vs. Ed and Macaire vs. Eddie, with what seems to be an edit around 15:42; original broadcast {alternate copy, from a USA repeat})
 * [Chuck namedrops and explains the Chuck Bucks at 4:45, showing off the blue ones there and the pink ones at 6:30. Closing voiceover of OB copy is for that night's Cheers (big thanks to Bryce for finding this one!).]


 * January 23, 1989 (Stormy vs. Eddie, then Isabel vs. Michael; USA repeat, with a Contestant Plug!)
 * [No episode aired on January 20 due to coverage of George H.W. Bush's inauguration.]
 * January 24, 1989 (Patty vs. Michael and Stephanie vs. Parnell, with Michael showing off two of Chuck's records; USA repeat)
 * [Has a full credit roll. Chuck plugs the upcoming timeslot change (he says "all week I've been talking about this", but this is the first reference to it), and namedrops Wheel of Fortune; he then notes that Wheel started out at 10/9 but was later moved elsewhere "and the show did better, I don't know why." This is probably just me with the benefit of hindsight, but Chuck's laugh afterwards may suggest that he knew the upcoming move probably wasn't a good idea; given that it was replacing Sale in that slot and ended a year later, it probably wasn't.]
 * January 25, 1989 (Natasha vs. Parnell and Meredith vs. Billy, with the timeslot change plugged; USA repeat, with a Contestant Plug!)
 * January 26, 1989 (Linda vs. Billy and Fran vs. Jan, with Chuck announcing that the prize coordinator is going to have a baby!; USA repeat)
 * [Timeslot change is plugged.]
 * January 27, 1989 (Fran vs. Pooh{?!}, then Liz vs. Larry; USA repeat from 2/2/95, first part of Game 2 segment missing)


 * January 30, 1989 (Liz vs. Jeff and Roxanne vs. John, with the timeslot change plugged; USA repeat from 2/3/95)


 * February 13, 1989 (Love Connection Week, Day 1: Debbie E. vs. Adam, then Debbie N. vs. George; first few seconds or so missing, video is a bit blurry, video issues at a couple points in Game 1)
 * [Bonus Sprint is played for $5,000 all week. The winners on Monday-Thursday come back on Friday to play for a trip to Hawaii.]


 * March 13, 1989 (Elizabeth {Day 2? - $3,000} vs. Mark, then Cindy vs. Jim {Bonus Sprint is at $6,000}; USA repeat, first part of Game 2 segment missing)
 * March 14, 1989 (Lori vs. Jim and Shauna vs. Rob, with a weird T-Shirt Plug; USA repeat, begins shortly before logo animation)
 * March 15, 1989 (Shauna vs. Basel and Tina vs. Brian, with a word in Game 1 that goes over the players' heads!; USA repeat)
 * March 16, 1989 (Shauna vs. Rick and Susan vs. George, with Chuck's birthday celebrated!; USA repeat)
 * [Timeslot change is plugged, with Chuck noting that some affiliates might not air the show at that time.]
 * March 17, 1989 (Shirley vs. Rick, then Wendy vs. Colin; USA repeat)
 * [Chuck notes it's sound man Jeff Cooper's last day, and later specifically notes it's Friday and St. Patrick's Day. (He also uses "Monday" when signing off.)]


 * March 20, 1989 (Wendy vs. Hymie, then Eileen vs. Jim; USA repeat)
 * [Timeslot change is plugged.]
 * March 21, 1989 (Lisa vs. Jim, then Tina vs. Joe; USA repeat with a few commercials and a Contestant Plug, begins during first word of Game 1)
 * [Timeslot change is plugged.]
 * March 23, 1989 (Nyla {Day 2} vs. Mark, then Christine vs. Mookie{?!}; USA repeat)
 * [Timeslot change is plugged.]

Show moves to 10:00 AM (began 3/27/89); directing in first part of intro altered (began 7/3/89)
 * 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
By the end of January, the aforementioned "flipping zoom-in" during the first part of the intro had the "flipping" part removed.

Shades of Things To Come (1990)
Taped August 1, 1990

Scrabble attempted to pitch its way into syndication via Group W, hosted by Steve Edwards (presumably since Chuck was already doing the syndicated Love Connection). Nearly everything was redone, with several changes that were kept for the eventual revival in 1993 (including the logo, music, and some of the set)...and several that weren't.

Apparently, somebody thought the "It's a [number]-letter word..." intro the original series used throughout its run just wasn't gonna cut it anymore, so they changed it to some computer graphics with a voiceover by a bickering couple. The gameplay appears to have been the same as it had been since '86 (including the Bonus Sprint starting at $5,000), except now each Crossword game had a category and the numbered tiles were replaced by numbered tile graphics that appeared over the current word.

Scrabble was originally planned as a midseason replacement in the 1990-91 season, but this later changed to a planned debut in Fall 1991. Unfortunately, the 1990-91 syndication season was crowded with game shows, and as a result (combined with the continued success of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!) very few of them could gain a foothold and several ended up being duds, resulting in stations being wary of going back to the genre; as a result, there wasn't much interest for Scrabble at NATPE '91. As such, it's pretty much bad timing that kept this version from getting off the ground (although USA getting the repeat rights for the 1984-90 series probably didn't help matters), and it wouldn't be until about November 1992 that news would crop up again about the show coming back.

...But that's for another Video Archive. :)


 * Taped 8/1/90 (Davis {Champ} vs. Craig, then ? vs. ? {Bonus Sprint: $8,000}; montage including slate, intro, first word of Game 1, and Bonus Sprint)