$ALE [NBC]: Episode 51 (BIG MONEY WEEK FROM VEGAS)

[palmer7]

Well, the next five shows are going to be Big Money Week from the Tropicana in Las Vegas. Now, here's  how different things are going to be for this week:


* The CashCard starts at $50,000 and increases by $50,000 each show until won (where it starts again at $50K). 
* The prizes will be bigger.
* The Ten-in-a-Row round will be for $250,000 instead of $100,000.


So, Ian has $42,879 in cash and prizes. Who wants to challenge him? 

[Deleted]

Reporting as usual.

[Deleted]

I'll try again.

[palmer7]

We need one more.

[hodders]

I've been asked to fill the slot, so I will.

[palmer7]

---

(Outside $ale's soundstage at Sunset Bronson, there's a sign that reads: "NEW 4K SET IN CONSTRUCTION, OPENING JANUARY 2017". The camera then shifts to a a shot of the crew driving down the streets in a BMW convertible, set to an instrumental version of "24K Magic". Burton is driving while Greg is shotgun and Stacey has the backseat to herself.)


Greg: Big Money Week from Vegas.


Stacey: I know, it's so exciting. So, where are we setting up camp? The Bellagio? Bally's? Caesars?


Greg: Nah, those have been done before. I've chosen a place with real class. The Tropicana.


(Burton is shocked.) Burton: The Tropicana? Where they shot Let's Make a Deal?


Greg: Yep. Wayne tells me the theater is perfect.


Stacey: Wayne who?


Greg: Brady. Man's no Monty, but he gets the job done. Wink likes it there, too.


Burton: Oh wait, Martindale?


Greg: Is there any other Wink, Burton?


Burton: Nope. Let's go! (he steps on the gas as the BMW speeds off towards the Tropicana)

---

(drumroll)
(shot of Ian)


Burton Richardson: (VO) So far, Ian Sherman has won cash and prizes totaling..... $42,879!



[OPENING THEME]





Tonight, one of our contestants could win a Corvette billiards table, an orchestral digital grand piano, or a cruise around the world!


And continue a journey towards a fortune in cash and prizes including this 2017 Rolls-Royce Dawn......




And hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash!


As we start Big Money Week on.........




(echo)





(the screen zooms out to reveal the logo on the Tropicana video screen)





And now, from the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas, here's the star of our show! GREG PALMER!



(wild cheers and applause as I run through the audience and up on stage)



Greg: Thank you, Burton. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, this is the $ale. This is Big Money Week, and we're in Vegas! (audience cheers) We're actually on hallowed ground, ladies and gentlemen. A number of people have been here before. There's Bob Hastings. (some reaction) Don't know if you know him. Jack Clark was here, and he and Bob both hosted Dealer's Choice. Then there was Wink Martindale and Las Vegas Gambit. (more reaction, but not as much, I sigh) And then Wayne Brady was here. (the audience goes into an uproar of joy) Right, right. Cheer for Wayne Brady. Mmm hmm.... Well, this is the first time $ale has been on the road. We're having Big Money Week here, and someone could leave with a lot of money. (audience cheers) I'll make sure to tell you about the parade later, but first, let's welcome a man who already has a lot. A fine champion, Ian Sherman! (audience cheers)


Hiya, Ian. What's up? How are you liking things here?

[Deleted]

Nice to be here again, Greg. Lemme tell ya, I have been fascinated with Vegas ever since having rented Honey, I Blew Up the Kid from Blockbuster numerous times—and, thanks in part to a guided bus tour I went on four years ago with my folks through various national parks in the Southwestern U.S., I finally got my wish. And now, what do you know? I'm back here again!

Not since the thrill of seeing of little Adam toddling down Fremont Street and playing with that neon guitar sign outside the Hard Rock Cafe has there been anything for me to get all psyched up about...

[palmer7]

Ah, I remember that movie. Why'd they move to Las Vegas, anyway? 


Ah well. Ian, let's see if we can't add some excitement. This is your fifth night with us, and this week is Big Money Week, so guess what? You're playing for that Rolls-Royce Dawn! (audience cheers loudly) It's probably the most expensive car we've ever given away, and more than likely, the most expensive car ever offered on any American game show! It is worth.... over four-hundred-thirteen thousand dollars! (audience cheers)


Not only that, but if you win tonight, you'll have a chance to add not $100,000, but $250,000 to your PCJ! (audience cheers) I told you this was Big Money Week. So, are you ready to meet your opponents?

[Deleted]

You know it!

[palmer7]

All right. Here to introduce the challengers is Stacey Wren!



(And Stacey comes out looking like a showgirl, cheers and applause, she twirls for the camera)


Greg: Hiya, Stacey.


Stacey: Hiya, Greg. So this is Las Vegas.


Greg: Yep, Sin City.


Stacey: And I think I have a pretty good reason why. I was walking down Fremont Street, and I saw these women fooling around with a guy in a Spongebob costume. I think they were hookers.

(audience whoas and laughs)


Greg: Whoa there, Stace. It'll be a real sin if you go on. Who are our challengers tonight?


(As Stacey introduces the contestants, models of the opposite gender escort them to their seats)


Stacey: Well, it's the attack of the Pommies tonight. First, he's a fan of game shows, video games, and board games. From Wales, here's Sam Ryan. And he's a business support officer originally from Manchester, England. Say hello to Sam Hodkin.


(cheers and applause)


Greg: All right. We'll start off with Sam Hodkin. Hiya, Sam H. Tell us a bit more about yourself.

[hodders]

Evening Greg, well my job description was put pretty easily, consider it admin, reception, PA and secretarial duties combined. Interests include community radio, genealogy and pétanque.

[palmer7]

Pétanque, ah! The sport that Bill Cosby made famous. (some people in the audience boo) The audience will not boo the master of ceremonies, please. Now, which side of your family are you working on, and how far have you gotten?

[hodders]

Anywhere and everywhere on both sides, 1534 is the year to beat so far.

[palmer7]

Nice. Well done. Maybe we can help finance a research trip. Good luck to you tonight.


Next, we have Sam Ryan from a nearby island, Wales. Tell us more about yourself, sir.

[Deleted]

I am unempolyed and loves playing board games and video games as a hobby.

[palmer7]

Ah, an unemployed person. Have you studied anything in school?

[Deleted]

Science, Drama and um...English of course.

[palmer7]

Right. Because you can't get a decent education in Wales without learning English, even if you live in a Welsh-speaking community.


Stacey: .....Right, $20 to start. Good luck.


(the board initializes)



Sam H.: $20
Sam R.: $20
Ian: $20



(Stacey leaves, to cheers and applause) I thought she'd never leave. All right, it's Monday, it's round 1. Ian's risking some property in North Carolina plus a lot of other things..... good luck to all of you.


1. What is another name for a "numismatist"?
2. What is the official language of Egypt?
3. What two cartoon characters are the pride of Frostbite Falls, Minnesota?
4. What is the English title of the French novel Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours?
5. Visual question: Name this primo uomo of The Today Show.





(buzzcodes and answers in a PM, please)

[palmer7]

1. What is another name for a "numismatist"?
(buzzcode: 11)
*Sam H. buzzes in (45)*
Sam H.?
Sam H.: A coin collector
That's correct, you draw first blood.
(ding)



Sam H.: $25
Sam R.: $20
Ian: $20


2. What is the official language of Egypt?
(buzzcode: 56)
*Sam R. buzzes in (50)*
Sam R.?
Sam R.: Arabic
We've got a tie.
(ding)



Sam H.: $25
Sam R.: $25
Ian: $20


3. What two cartoon characters are the pride of Frostbite Falls, Minnesota?
(buzzcode: 32)
*Sam R. buzzes in (45)*
Sam R.?
Sam R.: Rocky and Bullwinkle
That's right again, as the Welshman takes the lead.
(ding)



Sam H.: $25
Sam R.: $30
Ian: $20


4. What is the English title of the French novel Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours?
(buzzcode: 65)
*Sam R. buzzes in (60)*
Sam R.?
Sam R.: Around the World
(my lectern lights up yellow) More information, please.

[Deleted]

Around the World in Eighty Days?

[palmer7]

Yeah, we needed that "in Eighty Days" bit. You're right again.
(ding)


Sam H.: $25
Sam R.: $35
Ian: $20



5. Visual question: Name this primo uomo of The Today Show.





(buzzcode: 55)
*Sam H. buzzes in (73)*
Sam H.?
Sam H.: Matt Lauer
Correct!
(ding)


Sam H.: $30
Sam R.: $35
Ian: $20



For those of you who don't speak Italian, like me, a primo uomo is a male prima donna, and that certainly describes Matt Lauer.

[INSTANT BARGAIN]


Instant Bargain time, and Sam Ryan, you have a $5 lead over Sam Hodkin. And.... (pause) oh no! It's the $ale of the Century Look of the Week!


[PRIZE CUE]
(Savannah Guthrie comes out wearing the "Look of the Week")




Stacey: And first, m'lady is wearing this black, wool-blend military-style cape by Saint Laurent. It comes with a stand collar, double-breasted front, and an A-line silhouette. It's made in Italy out of wool and silk, from Saint Laurent.




Around her neck, she's wearing a 40" Ippolita necklace from the Rock Candy® Collection, made out of 18-karat yellow gold with hand-hammered finish and pear-shaped mother-of-pearl stations. Both are furnished by Bergdorf Goodman.



Finally, in her pocket, she carries a gold iPhone 7. The latest eagerly anticipated Goldgenie iPhone 7 Swarovski Style Brilliance plus Elite Range comes in 24-carat gold. From Goldgenie.


With all the components bought separately, this look would cost you....



$9,015


But it's yours tonight on $ale of the Century for only.....


$6


(audience cheers)


Greg: Savannah Guthrie! Ha ha ha.... we were just talking about Matt.


Savannah: So I heard. I've got a question for you from him. Were you trying to make him look like a fool?


Greg: Of course not. He certainly doesn't need me to make him look like a fool. (to Sam) Sam, do you know anyone who may be interested in this look?

[Deleted]

Well, I don't think that will fit me....

[palmer7]

Of course it won't fit you. That's why I asked if you knew anyone.

[Deleted]

Well I don't actually...

[palmer7]

See, Jennifer? This man can't find any use for a military-style cape! I don't know how you get away with this on Drew's show, but it doesn't work here! (I sigh) OK, Sam..... what about your mother? Could she wear this? You got any sisters? Aunts? Female relations of any kind that could use a necklace, cape, and gold iPhone?

[palmer7]

OK, I'll let it go for $3. Going, going......

[Deleted]

Nope, not buying it....

[palmer7]

All right. No Sale. Savannah, thank you very much. If you like her, watch The Today Show. If you're like me, you watch CBS This Morning. Savannah Guthrie! (audience cheers as she walks off)


Well, back to the questions.


1. What is traditionally the main fruit ingredient in Black Forest Cake?
2. For what 2005 film did George Clooney win a Best Supporting Actor Oscar?
3. What method of food preservation was invented for the British Navy in 1813?


(buzzcodes and answers, please)

[palmer7]

1. What is traditionally the main fruit ingredient in Black Forest Cake?
(buzzcode: 61)
*Ian buzzes in (79)*
Ian?
Ian: cherries
And what a delicious cake it is, too. They serve some fine ones at the Tropicana! (audience cheers) Obligatory plug.
(ding)


Sam H.: $30
Sam R.: $35
Ian: $25


2. For what 2005 film did George Clooney win a Best Supporting Actor Oscar?
(buzzcode: 33)
*Sam R. buzzes in (47)*
Sam R.?
Sam R.: Syriana
Correct, and you extend your lead.
(ding)


Sam H.: $30
Sam R.: $40
Ian: $25


3. What method of food preservation was invented for the British Navy in 1813?
(buzzcode: 55)
*Sam R. buzzes in (60)*
Sam R. again?
Sam R.: Canning?
Yes, sir.
(ding)


Sam H.: $30
Sam R.: $45
Ian: $25




[FAME GAME]



Well, it's time for the Fame Game, and I am excited. We're adding a $10 Money Card, but that's not what I'm excited about. I have two big surprises for everyone! (audience cheers, I put my hands up) Now, now. Be patient. I'll reveal them after we determine who gets control. Looking for a famous person. Again, I ask for the audience's complete cooperation and silence. Famous person.


I was born out of wedlock at my father's farm on August 13, 1926. My father was a migrant to Cuba from Galicia, Northwest Spain. He had become financially successful by growing sugar cane at Las Manacas farm in Birán, Oriente Province, and after the collapse of his first marriage, he took his household servant, Lina Ruz González - also of Spanish origin, as his mistress and later on second wife; together they had seven children, among them me. Aged six, I was sent to live with my teacher in Santiago de Cuba, before being baptized into the Roman Catholic Church at the age of eight. Being baptized enabled me to attend the La Salle boarding school in Santiago, where I regularly misbehaved, so I was sent to the privately funded, Jesuit-run Dolores School in Santiago. Although I took an interest in history, geography and debating at Belén, I did not excel academically, instead devoting much of my time to playing sport. In 1945, I began studying law at the University of Havana. I became much more interested in the violent gangsterismo culture within the university. I became critical of the corruption and violence of President Ramón Grau's government, delivering a public speech on the subject in November 1946 that received coverage on the front page of several newspapers. I later joined the Party of the Cuban People. I learned of a planned expedition to overthrow the right-wing military junta of Rafael Trujillo, a U.S. ally, in the Dominican Republic. So, I joined. To quote myself, "I joined the people; I grabbed a rifle in a police station that collapsed when it was rushed by a crowd. I witnessed the spectacle of a totally spontaneous revolution..."


(buzzcode and answer, please)

[palmer7]

(buzzcode: 86)
*Sam H. buzzes in (71)*
Sam H.?
Sam H.: Fidel Castro
That is correct! (audience cheers)


Sam, take a look at the Fame Game board. We're going to reveal the $10 Money Card in a moment, but there are two other things you'll want to look out for. Behind the other spaces we might have the $5, we might have Turbo, we might have other things. However, I can guarantee that one of those spaces is hiding $25,000 in cash! (audience cheers) And another space is hiding a 2017 Chevrolet Camero! (audience screams in excitement) The cash and the car will be up on the Fame Game board all this week, so we could conceivably give away five cars and $125,000 in cash just off the Fame Game board! (audience cheers) So, Stacey, where's the $10?