Lucky Numbers (ABC; Episode 5)

[dougmorrisontheair]

Our fifth episode of Lucky Numbers is about to start. Bill McDee returns with two match wins and $16,075 in cash. As we welcome Bill aboard, who wants to challenge him?

[billmcdee]

Checking in.

[grapebuy789]

I'll play Doug.

[billmcdee]

Wouldn't you rather play me?  

[grapebuy789]

Oh Bill. Always with a joke to make someone smile.

[dougmorrisontheair]

Bill versus Frank comin' up in a bit. Players, please PM me 20 buzz codes each from 1-100.

[dougmorrisontheair]

[NOTE FROM DOUG: Bill and Frank, please PM dougmorrisontheair 20 buzzcodes, each from 1-100, ASAP. Thanks.]

---

Staff announcer: Catch Friday night football -- tonight.

---

(Doug standing in an empty, darkly-light set)

Often alongside his business partner Bob Quigley, Merrill Heatter worked on game shows revolved around something larger than life. Whether it was the big game board on "Video Village"; a big pinball game on "The Magnificent Marble Machine"; a big deck of cards on "Gambit" and, much later, "Catch 21"; those big numbers on "High Rollers" -- or the biggest and funniest tic-tac-toe game ever created on "The Hollywood Squares", those shows awarded big prizes to fortunate contestants -- and provided big fun for generations of viewers.

When word came of Merrill Heatter's passing after battling cancer, the world of fun and games suffered a big loss. Thank you, Merrill. We will miss you.

---

(opening theme plays)

Bill Kennedy: It's time to play -- Lucky Numbers.

Ladies and gentlemen -- Doug Morris.

(audience cheers)

Thank you, Bill Kennedy. Hellooooo, everybody -- and welcome to Lucky Numbers. Get ready for another show filled with cash payoffs, screams of joy -- and probably some moans and groans as well.

Right now -- our contestants are about to meet me at the dice table. A warm welcome -- Bill McDee and Frank Sartori.

(audience cheers)

Bill has won two matches and $16,075 -- all in cash. (audience cheers) Bill, you haven't won any prizes yet. We still have three luxurious prizes and a cash jackpot waiting to be won. Think you can win it all today -- and make the third time the charm?

[billmcdee]

I do indeed think so, assuming I can win this next match of course.

[dougmorrisontheair]

Well winning it all today depends on whether or not you can defeat your challenger, Frank. Frank, welcome and please tell us about yourself.

[grapebuy789]

It's a pleasure to be here Doug. I am 22 years old, soon to be 23 in November. I live in the great state of Massachusetts. I am a full-time college student studying early childhood education. In my spare time, I can be found shopping for retro video games, hanging out with my friends, and hosting net game versions of some of my favorite game shows.

[dougmorrisontheair]

Sounds like you're ready to have fun with us today.

I wish you both good luck -- because you'll need it.

Take a look at the game board, please, Bill and Frank. Those are the lucky numbers in play for every game in our match -- 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10. Attached to five of those numbers are cash awards. Anytime your dice roll totals one of those lucky numbers, you seize control of that cash award.

However, the remaining number is the luckiest of them all. It's our winning point. And the winning point in the first game we're about to play is...

(drum beats; cha-ching)

...the number 6. Roll a 6 in any combination and you'll win the cash you've seized *plus* the money in the pot. At the start of every game, we seed the pot with $1500 -- just as we have right now -- and it could go up by as much as $500 on a particular roll. More on that later.

Now you'll notice 7 is not on the board. Here's why. In any game, any roll of 7 means this.

(danger zone cue; lights briefly flicker in certain parts of studio)

There's the signal we're entering the danger zone. The complexion of the game will change from there. More about *that* later.

Now -- to get control of the dice, you must correctly answer a toss-up question. If you anticipate and you're wrong, the roll automatically goes to your opponent.

So -- Bill, Frank hands on the buzzers, please -- because here comes your first question.

The Kentucky Derby, the Indianapolis 500 or the Daytona 500. Which race is traditionally *not* held during the month of May.
62 billmcdee
23 grapebuy789
72 random.org

(Bill buzzes in)

Bill?

[billmcdee]

I believe that's the Daytona 500 that is not in May...


All,



Due to some home repairs, a very busy weekend schedule as well as having computer issues, I won't be available as a contestant/panelist throughout this weekend starting today around noon eastern time, through Sunday the 15th.



Thank you,

Bill

[dougmorrisontheair]

The Daytona 500 is usually around mid-February to start the NASCAR season. Bill, you're right.

(audience applause)

Bill, this game is just now start -- but it could end in just one roll of the dice. Let's see if you can roll a 6 and bank $1500.

(Bill rolls)

It's a 4 instead. Bill has control of...

(ding)

...$500. Bill this means if you win the game and can hang on to that money, you'll win no less than $2000.

Each time the champion seizes control of a cash award, it appears red. But if Frank gets control of a lucky number, the cash appears blue. On to our next question.

True or false: Canada was the first country to require motorists and passengers in cars to use seatbelts.
19 billmcdee (1st)
19 grapebuy789 (2nd)
13 random.org
(Obvious tie for distance. Bill's buzz codes came sooner -- so...)

(Bill buzzes in)

Bill?

[billmcdee]

No idea, but I'll say true.

[dougmorrisontheair]

Nope, it's false. Czechoslovakia -- that was the first nation to require seat belts.

Frank, your first roll in the match.

(Frank rolls)

Woah! And that's the game already.

(ASB win cue plays; audience applause)

Frank, all you get from this game is the money in the pot. So that means...

...you lead in the match $1500 to nothing. Bill, as you know, plenty of time for a comeback.

We play as many games as time will allow. Player leading at the end of the show goes to our main event -- where more than $170,000 in cash and merchandise are waiting to be won.

(more cheers and woos)

So, let's start a new game with a new winning point.

(drum beats; cha-ching)

And we're at the high end of the spectrum -- 10. Roll double fives or a six and a four and you'll bank at least 15 Benjamins.

Vancouver, Victoria or Vienna. Which of these cities will you *not* find in Canada's British Columbia?
81 billmcdee
56 grapebuy789
27 random.org

(Frank buzzes in)

Frank?

[grapebuy789]

I am pretty sure it's Vienna.

[dougmorrisontheair]

There's a Canadian village named Vienna -- but you'll find it in Ontario, not B.C. You're right.

(audience applause)

There's also a Vienna in Austria. Odds are good you've heard of that one.

Frank, odds are not necessarily in your favor of rolling a 10. But you've got the dice. Let's see what happens.

(Frank rolls)

(audience groans)
(danger zone cue; lights flicker in studio)

(insert Doug's impression of Homer's annoyed grunt here)

We're in the danger zone, players. Next roll of 7 automatically means victory for your opponent. This also means the winner of the next question has the option to roll or pass the dice.

Here comes the question.

Barry Enright, Nicholson Muir or Goodson Todman. Which of these is the actual name of a pro athlete -- who played for four seasons in Major League Baseball?
55 billmcdee
07 grapebuy789
48 random.org

(Bill buzzes in)

Bill?

[NOTE FROM DOUG: This is an untimed down.]

[billmcdee]

Educated guess here, Barry Enright

[dougmorrisontheair]

Barry Enright is right.

(audience applause)

He was a Diamondback for a couple of seasons and an L.A. Angel for a couple of more seasons before going to the Mexican Baseball League. Wouldn't it be ironic if he were on the staff of the next version of "The Joker's Wild"?

(scattered laughter from the crowd)

With that bit of comedy relief out of the way, Bill, decision time.

We're in the danger zone. Any roll of 10 still wins this second game of the match -- but any roll of 7 loses.

Want to roll or pass?

(audience shouts suggestions)

[billmcdee]

I'll gamble and roll this time.

[dougmorrisontheair]

Champ's gonna roll. A 10 ties up the match; a 7 doubles Franks score.

(Frank rolls)

(scattered applause)

But this roll of 5 means you pick up...

(ding)

...$375. That and the money in the pot will be yours if you win the game, Bill. Now on to a question about travel.

True or false: Helsinki, Finland's airport code is HEL.
37 billmcdee
85 grapebuy789
15 random.org

(Bill buzzes in)

Bill?

[billmcdee]

Oh Hel....er....I'll say it's false.

[dougmorrisontheair]

Might as well say HEL again -- because it's true.

(scattered woahs and groans)

Get a load of this, friends.  It's also true on Friday the 13th in January of 2017, Flight 666 -- (scattered laughter and woahs) -- landed in -- HEL -- or Helsinki.

Frank, this means the dice are yours to roll -- or pass.

(audience shouts suggestions)

[grapebuy789]

Hmmm. I'll take a chance and roll.

[dougmorrisontheair]

Frank's gonna roll. A 7 gives Bill the lead -- but a 10 doubles your score, Frank.

(Frank rolls)

(chimes; audience cheers)

Oh, the yo-leven. That's one of our wild rolls. Anytime any player rolls a 2, 3, 11 or 12 gets an extra roll of the dice as we add...

(drum beats; cha-ching)

...$500 in cash to the pot. So an obviously bigger lead for someone if the game is won on this next roll of the dice. Frank, you still get to roll.

(Frank rolls)

(buzz) (audience groans)

And that's a 7. Game goes to Bill.

(ASB win cue plays; audience applause)

Bill, this game is worth a total of $2375 -- and -- they -- tell me the tote board's on the fritz.

No worries. I can clarify that Bill leads this match $2375 to $1500 over Frank.

Tell ya what. This is a good time to take a break, call the mechanic, get the scoreboard fixed -- and start a new game of Lucky Numbers after this.

(commercial cue plays; audience applauds)

[dougmorrisontheair]

(HR87 theme plays)

As our technicians near completion of the fixes on the scoreboard, let's talk about our scribes.

A source for many of the questions our writers use on Lucky Numbers is the 22-volume World Book Encyclopedia -- which comes with the research guide and index volume. Today's players are receiving some fine gifts. Bill Kennedy, please tell us about one of 'em.

Bill: A collection of Eastpak bags. From Eastpak, the leader of the pack. Bags for school, play, or travel. Eastpak bags are stylish, tough, and built to last.

Bill: We'll be back with more of Lucky Numbers -- after this message.

[dougmorrisontheair]

(ASB cue plays; audience applauds)

We're back -- and so is our scoreboard!

(audience cheers)

Yes, nice to see the toteboard back in working order. We can now resume play with Bill leading over Frank $2375 to $1500.

Time for a new game, a new pot and a new winning point *of*...

(drum beats; cha-ching)

...8. First player to roll an 8 in any combination pockets $1500. You just saw how it could go higher with a wild roll.

New game means we're out of danger -- so this next question's for an automatic roll of the dice.


"Boss", "Huge" or "Mogul". Which of these is President Trump's Secret Service codename?
14 billmcdee
10 grapebuy789
05 random.org

(Frank buzzes in)

Frank?

[grapebuy789]

I'm going to say Mogul.

[dougmorrisontheair]

Mogul is right. (audience applause) First roll in the third game's yours.

(Frank rolls)

There's a 10. Looked for it earlier. The 10 is worth...

(ding)

...$500. That and the pot's contents go in Frank's bank if he wins the game.

Nine, ten or eleven. How many players are on a lacrosse team?
80 billmcdee
45 grapebuy789
83 random.org

(Bill buzzes in)

Bill?

[billmcdee]

Total guess, I'll say 9.