Top Card Deluxe -- Primetime Special

[Deleted]

Me:  Leslie, he's looking for a ten or an ace.  What do you have for Michael?

Leslie:  It's close.



That puts Doug at 10 and Michael at 9.  (Picks up the next question)  This is a heavy question; get those plunger hands ready.
How many pounds make up a ton?  (BC: 14)

Doug: 20
Michael: 13  (DING!)

Me: Michael again.

Michael: 2,000  (Applause)  This question is just as weighty as we look at the next card.



Do you keep the 8 and make your hand sum 17, or do you exchange it with the top card, Michael?  (Audience is 50/50 on this...)

[Deleted]

17's an iffy score.  I'm going for the top card.

[Deleted]

(Lukewarm applause) Me:  Sounds like you have a strategy in mind, Michael.  Some of the audience agrees; however, it's you who has to deal with the cards.  Leslie, what's the top card?

Leslie:  You may want to think about your strategy with a 2 OF CLUBS!




(Audience cheers, some scream)

Me:  Either there's a mouse in the audience, or someone's ecstatic that you now have an 11.

Anyway, Doug needs an ace to win; Michael needs a 10.



Good luck to both players;  one of you could win $10,000 with the next card.  Michael, please select a category.

[Deleted]

I'll go with Food & Drink.

[Deleted]

Me: Hands on plungers: Yes or no; is a peanut an actual nut? (BC:13)

Doug: 41 (DING)
Michael: 59

Me: Doug!

Doug:  Yes.

Me: Incorrect.

(Michael rings in.)

Me: Michael

Micahel: No.

Me: Correct.  (applause)  While “nut” is in their name, peanuts are in fact legumes. Peanuts actually grow underground, as opposed to nuts like walnuts, almonds, etc. that grow on trees (and are sometimes referred to as "tree nuts").  This message brought to you by The Peanut Institute.

Michael, if this card is a 10, then you win the game, $10,000 cash, and the right to play for a luxury car.  Let's see that card.  (Audience on edge)



(Audience gasps)

Me: It's a 5, Michael.  What's your pleasure?  (Audience yells a certain suggestion.)

[Deleted]

16's just not a good score.  I'll take the top card.

[Deleted]

Me:  Leslie, he's just not happy with 16.

Leslie: I wouldn't be either if I were playing.

Me:  Whatever is the top card, he has to keep.  Michael hopes it's a 10.  (Audience gets pumped up in anticipation)  What's the top card?

Leslie:  I think you'll like this.  (Applause and cheers)



Me: Michael, it's not the 10 you were after, but you now have 20.  I think I know what you would like to do, but you have to tell me what's your decision, play on or freeze?  (Audience screams a certain suggestion)

[Deleted]

20's a much better score.  I'll freeze.

[Deleted]

(Applause)  You are now frozen at 20.  Doug, you have your work cut out for you.  It's still possible to win.  Do so, and you have $10,000.  If you fail, Michael wins $5000.




Doug, go ahead and select the next category.

[dougmorrisontheair]

Let's start at the upper left -- Fictional Characters.

[Deleted]

Me: Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse, or Donald Duck; Who was the 1st non human to win an Oscar?

Doug: Mickey Mouse. (applause)

Me:  That is correct!  You currently have a 10; an ace will win the game.  Good luck as we see the next card.



(Audience groans)

Me: Not the card you were looking for, but what would you like to do with this 5?  (Audience yells suggestions).

[dougmorrisontheair]

Top card, please.

[Deleted]

Me:  Leslie, he needs an ace to win.  What do you have?  (Audience gets excited)

(Leslie winces before showing the card slowly.)




(Audience grimaces)

Me:  That brings you to 20, but you cannot tie.  The only way to win is to find an ace.  Which category will you try next?

[dougmorrisontheair]

Let's make history with -- well -- History.

[Deleted]

Me:  Sounds like an omen there.  If the ace is there or the next top card, you will definitely make history here on Top Card!  (audience gets inspired)  Good luck to both of you players as you battle it out on this question.  This is for Doug only. (Audience starts to cheer)  Audience, I must caution you to be quiet; I'd hate for a category to be disqualified, especially now.


115; 125; or 135; How many years did the Hundred Years War last?

Doug: 115.  (applause)

Me:  Yes, it was 115.  Now, for the moment of truth, what is the card behind "history"? (Audience chants "ACE!  ACE!  ACE!")















































(Audience groans)

Me:  You are forced to take the top card, but you know Leslie.  I haven't seen an ace in your deck yet.

Leslie:  Me either; you're right.  (Audience gets excited)  Maybe we're due for one now...  (slowly reveals the card)































I'm sorry, Doug.

(Classic Concentration wrong solution horn, Doug's fans express "DOND-million-dollar-case-eliminated" level disappointment)

Me:  Off with the queen's head!  I'm sorry, that's 30 and bust.  Michael, you are tonight's champion!  (Theme music plays, applause, Leslie and I walk to the podiums.)

(Leslie gives contestants hugs)



Me:  Whew!  That was some fierce competition in the Championship round.  Doug, you are certainly not leaving tonight empty-handed.  With the one round win and the $1000 bonus earned, you're departing Top Card Deluxe with $6,000 and our thanks.  Let's give Doug Morris a round of applause.  (Cheers and applause)

Michael Clifford!  You now have a grand total of TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS in cash!  (NBC Audience sweetening of oohs and cheers)  In a moment, you'll be playing for your pick of wonderful trips, sumptuous prize packages, and one of 5 luxury automobiles including a Maserati worth over $100,000!  We will play the bonus round after these messages!  (applause)

[dougmorrisontheair]

Great game, all. Go get that 21, Michael.

[Deleted]

There's 21 year old girls in the audience?  Come to Michael! 

Oh, you mean the blackjack 21.  I will, Doug.

[Deleted]

(Theme fades out)

Me: Welcome back to Top Card Deluxe, right beside me is tonight's winner--Michael Clifford.  (applause, few ladies whistle)  So far tonight, you have won $10,000.  In a moment, you could be playing for a luxury automobile.  On the bonus board, you will see nine prizes.  As always, you will have a choice between taking the card behind the prize, or exchanging it for the top card. You will have four chances to get to 21.  Get to 21, you will win the prizes chosen and the car.

Be careful!  One of the cards up there is the Joker.  Pick the joker or go over 21, the game will be over and you will lose everything won in the bonus round.  If you decide to freeze at any time or fail to reach 21 in four cards, you will keep the prizes chosen at that point.

As an added wrinkle, there is at least ONE ace and ONE ten on the board.  If you pick off both those cards directly from the board (not the Top Cards) in your first two turns, you will win EVERY prize on that board PLUS the car!  (applause)

Let's go ahead and take a look at the cars, shall we?  Dan will tell us more about them.

(Car Cue plays)

Announcer:  Tonight, Michael, you can drive home in Lexus LX SUV worth over $89,000; this Cadillac CTS-V Coupe worth over $72,000; this Lincoln MKZ Hybrid worth over $48,000; this Jaguar XJ worth over $90,000; or this Maserati Quattroporte worth over (voice echo) $118,000!  (NBC oooohs).


Me:  Leslie is holding five envelopes numbered 1-5.  At this time, Michael, choose one of the numbered envelopes.

[Deleted]

*selects envelope #1 from Leslie*

[Deleted]

(Leslie places the other envelopes on my podium)

Me:  Give that to me, please.  (Opens the envelope)  You will be playing for the JAGUAR!  (applause and cheers)  Let's hear more about it from Dan.

(Car theme, Leslie walks over to model it)

Dan:  It's the 2015 Jaguar XJ Long Wheel Base.  It is equipped with a 3.0 liter Supercharged V6; 8 speed automatic transmission; Portfolio package; heated windshield, Spike Spyder Traction, and premium rear executive package.  Furnished by Smith Company Motor Cars.  This luxury automobile is worth.....





Good luck, Michael!  (applause)

Me:  We got a $90,000 car on the line.  Here is the bonus board.  Find the ace and 10 off this board, and you win everything!  There is more than $73,000 in prizes on this board.  Tell me which prize you'd like to have first.

[Deleted]

I'll start with the trip to Cancun.

[Deleted]

Me:  This is a nice trip.  Dan, tell us about it.

Announcer:  We'll fly you round trip coach to Cancun, MX then onto Isla Mujeres for a 6 night all-inclusive stay at the Isla Mujeres Palace + $1,500 resort credit.  (Applause)  Retail value of the trip: $6040.  (Cheers)

Me:  Just be sure to send us a post card, would you Michael?  Anyhoots, let's see your card.



(Classic Concentration Fail Horns, Audience boos)


Leslie: Oh No!!

Me: This is worse than Montezuma's Revenge!  I'm so sorry.  A Joker off the bat!  Sadly, that is an automatic bust in the bonus round.  (Audience groans and expresses sharp disapproval)

Random 21 Year old girl in audience:  GIVE HIM THE CAR!!!




Me:  Give it to him, yeah I wish.  (Audience chuckles)  Okay, so you're not going to Cancun, and you aren't getting the Jag.  That's the bad news.  However, there is a contingency plan in case of horribly rotten luck in the bonus round.  We have a vault of prizes that were previously lost by other contestants to a bust on the daytime Top Card.  In that vault, we have a sauna and a ping pong table.  (Applause)  Dan will describe your prizes, will you?

Dan: Sure thing, Joe.  From Butterfly, enjoy hours of fun with a rollaway table, paddles, and balls (footage of Leslie and Dan playing ping-pong -- audience cheers as Leslie scores a point) Retail value $800.  In addition, this 3-person sauna has 2 Portable ergonomic backrests, 7 Color therapy lights, and Premium AM/FM CD player. Plays MP3, WMA and includes a remote control. Furnished by Crystal Saunas. Retail value: $3695. The total value of the Joker's Vault is $4,495.  (Applause)

(Leslie offers Michael a consolation hug.) 

Me: We'll be right back to tally up the winnings and see where the 10 and ace were right after this.  (Theme starts, applause)

[Deleted]

Oh well!  At least I got a couple of hugs from Leslie.  Maybe after the show, I can give her something other than hugs if you know what I mean. 

[Deleted]

Leslie:  Sorry, I'm happily married.

(Theme continues playing; applause dies down)

Me:  Welcome back.  I'm with Michael, and he'll be leaving us tonight with a good bit of cash, a sauna, and a ping pong table.  By the way, here were the rest of the cards:




That's the way the cookie crumbles I suppose.  However, let's look on the bright side.  You will be leaving us with $14,495 in cash and prizes and our thanks for playing Top Card Deluxe.  For Leslie and the gang, I'm Joe Emerson, goooooooooooooooood night everybody!  (applause)