What would be unfair to you on a game show?

Hypothetically speaking, what is something that, in your opinion, would be/would have been unfair to you on a game show?

Here's an example: let's say you were on Card Sharks on NBC w/Jim Perry, in the days of "doubles lose." You have $6000, and you have an Ace moving up to the Big Bet. Jim gives you the spiel about you having to bet at least half (that was the rule on the Big Bet). You reason that since players before you have gotten burnt on doubles going all-in on Aces or deuces, you'll hold some back, so you only bet, say, $4000; that way, if it's a double, you'll have $2000. The card turns out to be the expected double ace, but unfortunately, you hear the harsh buzzer and TPIR losing horns as if you busted (lost everything), and your podium indicates same. You say, "I didn't go all-in! I knew that people were burned before by doubles, so I played conservative-- why did I lose everything?!" Jim pleads your case fervently with the producers, but they say, "It doesn't matter if he didn't bet everything-- we raised it to everything because the prevailing wisdom is that people are supposed to bet everything on aces and deuces, so there is nothing we can do." Would you have a case with NBC Standards and Practices for an unfair ruling? I think you would, because you played within the rules of the game, and the producers screwed you.

 

Have there ever been any contestants who blew up/got angry after losing?

 

I've never been on a game show, but I'm guessing they school everyone on the rules - and make you sign a contract noting that you understand them.

 

Yes, they do-- this is why the thread is about playing within the rules and still getting burned through procedural mistake or producer error, not cheating.

 

It happened a few years ago on the popular UK quiz show Pointless. In one of the final head-to-head rounds, the contestants had to name a South American capital city, with the winner being the correct answer that was the least popular amongst the 100 people surveyed. The first couple attempted to answer with Paramaribo, but mis-pronounced it. The second couple then answered with Paramaribo correctly, and won not only that question but also the round, and an attempt at the final jackpot question. The losing couple kicked up such a storm backstage afterwards that they were denied their appearance on the next episode - couples failing to make the final round are always granted a second chance. I also believe that this episode wasn't shown when the series was repeated a year or so after its original broadcast.

 

I've seen some game show episodes (Family Feud comes to mind), where they bring contestants back because of an error of the show's fault.

There was a contestant on the first season of Survivor who sued the show. She claimed that the producers colluded to get her voted out. I believe the case was settled.

 

Originally, on Scrabble, contestants picked a different set of words from Blue and Pink envelopes for the Scrabble Sprint. Starting in March 1985, contestants played the same set of words.

 

Jeopardy also does this.

 

This hypothetical seems quite unrealistic. The show is being recorded so it isn't like there isn't a clear record of what a contestant bets. I don't see how a show could think it could get away with simply changing a contestant's bet because many other people would bet differently under the circumstances.

I was watching an old episode of Let's Make a Deal recently and was surprised to see in the closing credits that a specific contestant in that episode had been determined to be ineligible to receive the prize she won during the taping.

 

Which era?

 

It was the Monty Hall era, but I don't remember whether it seemed like a late '60s/early '70s episode or one of the later ones where the music was far less interesting.

 

They don't cotton to this kind of tactic, either

 

In the UK if a contestant is boring they'll ask a question about Tutankhamun when they mean Tooting Common or ask about the 'capital' of France when they mean the Euro rather than Paris.

 

A New Zealander was on Australian Wheel of Fortune and he gave the answer Crosby, Stills and Nash but because of his accent mispronounced Stills as Steals and they wouldn't give him the prize.

 

You mean wouldn't.

 

I've seen it a few times on some shows through the years but I don't remember the shows. It was a situation where they use a timer on the contestant . The game show host would read a series of questions but sometimes they'd fumble on the reading & take a few extra seconds to re-read the questions without giving the contestant the seconds used up by the host.

 

You know, you've got a point there! I think that NBC Standards and Practices would have been right on them to make sure that such a situation never arose in the first place, and as such, I think you very well set me straight.

 

On Australian game shows you don't get any prizes until the episode is shown. One show called Million Dollar Minute was giving away so much money they stopped broadcasting it and saved thousands.