The New Press Your Luck (Pilot)

[drgullen2]

Hello, I'm Glen!  I used to host here years ago and then I left for a while.  I missed this though, so I'm back and I thought I would start off with a slightly new twist on this classic game show.  This plays out basically the same as the 1980s version. Contestants are trying to avoid the Whammies and stop the board on cash prizes. The differences are as follows:

• This will be a 2-player match instead of 3 players
  
• We will use a crossword puzzle mini-game instead of questions to earn spins
• The winner becomes the defending champion and plays the Bonus Board for a big bonus prize

I will be using BigJon's game for this, along with an AutoHotKey script which we will use to stop the board. Contestants will give me a number between 3 and 15 inclusive, simulating how long in seconds the board spins until it stops. I will not be producing videos for every spin, but here's a behind-the-scenes look at how each spin would play out (this one is 15 seconds):

I need two players please. The first to sign up will be the one who "won the coin toss backstage" and plays first.

[nelson21]

Me

[drgullen2]

Good to see you Nels.  As soon as we find you an opponent, we'll begin.

[koopakid17]

I'll play!

[drgullen2]

Terrific, thanks Kevin!  We'll begin shortly.

[drgullen2]

(we open with a split screen of our two contestants with the opening pulsating cue)

Neil Ross: "These two contestants are about to play the most exciting game of their lives! Player number one is Nels Snesrud, a cashier from Golden Valley, Minnesota who likes to bowl in his spare time. Player number two is Kevin Kolsen, an accountant from Long Island, New York who enjoys working out at the gym and traveling. Both of them will have spins on our board where they might win big bucks, but they'll have to avoid the Whammies! One of them will become our champion and take on our Bonus Board for a big prize!

From the Haven Studios in Glendale, California, it's time to Press Your Luck!"
(audience begins continuous applause as the main theme plays and the player set rotates clockwise)



Neil Ross: "And now, here's the host of the New Press Your Luck, Glen Brown!"
(I enter stage left and take my place on my podium on the end of the set)

Thank you Neil Ross and welcome ladies and gentlemen to the New Press Your Luck. Don't worry, this is still your favorite game of big bucks and whammies, but we've tweaked things a bit here and there and we hope you'll enjoy the changes. I know one of these two players will certainly enjoy one of the changes. Our champion today plays a special Bonus Board round and if they win that round, they end up with a prize worth more than seventy-seven thousand dollars!
(audience cheers and applauds)

Before we start the board a-spinnin', let's meet our players beginning with Nels from Minnesota!
(audience applauds)

Nels, welcome to the New Press Your Luck! It says here you're a bowler, so this immediately springs two questions to my mind. One, do you play just casually or in a league? And two, have you ever bowled a perfect game and if not, how close have you come to it?

[nelson21]

I’m in a league and I’m a cashier at target

[drgullen2]

I've bowled in leagues myself in the past, they are a great way to socialize with friends!  I wish you the best of luck on our show today Nels.  You will start us off in our first crossword mini-game here in a moment, but first let's meet your opponent, Kevin from New York!

(audience applauds)

Kevin, I welcome you as well to the New Press Your Luck.  It says here you enjoy traveling.  If there's someone out there watching who is thinking of taking a vacation in the near future, based on your past travels, is there someplace you've been to that you would recommend they go?

[koopakid17]

Oh boy. I've been to a lot of places. It's so hard to recommend a specific place. But over the summer, I've been to St. Louis. It's a beautiful city. It's got Busch Stadium, the Arch and the Budweiser brewery. What more can you ask for?

[drgullen2]

Beer and baseball sounds pretty good to me.  I guess the only other thing I could ask for would be a great tasting foot long hot dog at the ballpark!  Well there you go folks, if you're looking for a vacation spot next summer, check out the Show Me State of Missouri!  Kevin, thank you for being with us today and best of luck to you as well.

Gentlemen, the first thing we're going to do is spot you a free spin each!

(ding...ding)

We're now going to give each of you a chance to earn as many as 6 more spins to use in our first round.  We do that with our crossword mini-game.

(ding)

Here is the crossword puzzle that we'll be using on the show today.  For the first round, we are focusing on only the 4-letter words with the idea being to solve the word as quickly as possible to earn as many spins as possible.  We will give each of you two opportunities to do this.

If you can solve the word immediately without any letters revealed, that earns you 3 spins.  If not, you can ask for a letter and we'll reveal the first letter of the word.  If you can solve it then, you earn 2 spins.  If not, you can ask for the second letter to also be revealed and if you can solve it then, you get 1 spin.  If you can't solve it with two letters revealed, you get no spins for that turn.  Also, an incorrect guess counts as equivalent to asking for a letter, so for example, if you guessed at the word right away and were wrong, all that means is you don't get 3 spins and we'd then reveal the first letter and you can try again for 2 spins.

You also get one pass on each turn, meaning that when we give you the clue, if you have absolutely no idea or don't like that clue for whatever reason, you can pass once and select a different 4-letter word from the puzzle.  Keep in mind though that your opponent might then get an advantage from that pass because he will have some extra time to think about the original clue and might select it himself on his turn, so keep that in mind.  I hope that explains it, but feel free to ask a question before you play if you don't understand something.

Nels, we start with you.  We have 8 four-letter words up there to choose from at the moment.  Going across, they are numbers 21 and 41.  Going down, they are numbers 4, 19, 25, 28, 31 and 44.  Please choose one of those eight Nels and we'll reveal the clue associated with it.

[nelson21]

4 please

[drgullen2]

4 Down it is, your clue is: Staff member.

Once again, you can take a guess at it, ask for the first letter to play for 2 spins instead of 3 or pass and pick a different 4-letter word.

[nelson21]

Letter

[drgullen2]

(ding)

The word begins with an A.  The clue is Staff member.

You cannot pass now, so your options are solve it if you can for 2 spins or we'll reveal the second letter for a shot at 1 spin.

What do you say Nels?

[nelson21]

Second letter

[drgullen2]

(ding)

The second letter is an I.  So it's A - I - something - something.  The clue is Staff member.  I'm going to give you an additional hint here, more of just pointing something out actually -- take note that the clue is singular (member) not plural (members).  For one spin Nels, do you know it?

[nelson21]

Aide

[drgullen2]

Aide is correct!

(ding ding ding ding)

(audience applauds)

I was worried you might say aids by mistake, which is why I pointed out member versus members.  So, that's a spin for you Nels and you're up to two!

(ding)

Kevin, let's try to increase your spin total now!

4 Down is gone obviously, but we still have 19, 25, 28, 31 and 44 Down as well as 21 and 41 Across.  Which of those would you like sir?

[koopakid17]

Let's do 21 across.

[drgullen2]

Very well, the clue for 21 Across is: Religious subgroup.

Same rules apply for you Kevin, you can pass on that one and choose another if you like, you can try to solve it now for 3 spins or you can ask for a letter, in which case we'll reveal the first letter and then it'll be worth 2 spins.  What's your pleasure sir?

[koopakid17]

I'd like another letter.

[drgullen2]

(ding)

The word begins with an S.  The clue is Religious subgroup.  Can you solve it for 2 spins Kevin?

[koopakid17]

SECT?

[drgullen2]

Sect is correct!

(ding ding ding ding)

(audience applauds)

That's two more spins for you Kevin.

(ding)

Nels, back to you for your final chance to earn more spins here for our first round.  Which four-letter word would you like to try this time?

[nelson21]

44 across

[drgullen2]

I think you meant 44 Down there, but that's okay.  Your clue is: Singer ____ Campbell.

[nelson21]

Glen

[drgullen2]

Yes and what a great singer he was!  Also, doesn't he do that first name proud!

(audience chuckles)

Ahem, anyway, yes Glen Campbell is right for 3 spins!

(ding ding ding ding)

(audience applauds)

So Nels, you'll start our first round with a total of 5 spins.

(ding)

Kevin, one last crack at some more spins for you as well.  We still have 41 Across or 19, 25, 28 and 31 Down.  Which of those would you like?

[koopakid17]

31 down.

[drgullen2]

Alright, for 31 Down, the clue is: Duration.

Since Nels is done with the crossword puzzle for this round, you are safe to pass on that one if you like, otherwise do you know it for 3 more spins?