Just wanted to let you know that the first 8 shows of Jim's syndicated $ale will be showing on GSN this Black Friday from 8 A.M. to noon! This ought to be a real treat for $ale fans, myself included. Hopefully they got a season's worth, and not just those 8 shows.

Thank you and its about time. I love the last season. It was one of my favorites but we need to see some of the earlier ones. In the 1990's, USA aired the final season then went to the syndicated season (1985-1986). I was wondering why GSN hadn't started airing it yet? I watched the show first run during the 80's. This is some nice news. Thanks!!!

Thank you and its about time. I love the last season. It was one of my favorites but we need to see some of the earlier ones. In the 1990's, USA aired the final season then went to the syndicated season (1985-1986). I was wondering why GSN hadn't started airing it yet? I watched the show first run during the 80's. This is some nice news. Thanks!!!

You're welcome! I agree that the last season was pretty good, but in my mind, the WBMG was getting pretty old. I'd like to see some more of the actual prize shopping myself.

ETA: it isn't just these first 8 we're getting. It's going to continue from there starting 12/2 in the slot where the 1988-89 episodes were.

You're welcome! I agree that the last season was pretty good, but in my mind, the WBMG was getting pretty old. I'd like to see some more of the actual prize shopping myself.

ETA: it isn't just these first 8 we're getting. It's going to continue from there starting 12/2 in the slot where the 1988-89 episodes were.

a.k.a NBC Daytime era...

...and speaking of that, I wonder if GSN will acquire episodes from 1983-84, 1984-85, 1985-86, 1986-87 and 1987-88 in the future?

a.k.a NBC Daytime era...

...and speaking of that, I wonder if GSN will acquire episodes from 1983-84, 1984-85, 1985-86, 1986-87 and 1987-88 in the future?


I doubt it based on the info I heard from someone on youtube that NBC had deleted those episodes. USA didn't even air them. They aired the last season along with the syndicated season.

Great news. The final few months are good, but it is starting to get a little tiring.

Great news. The final few months are good, but it is starting to get a little tiring.


It is just a matter of having more episodes to air so the current ones don't get overplayed too much. It is a great thing. When I was seven, I'd watch those syndicated eps locally as a boy in Tampa, FL. Then I saw them again on USA. I am grateful to GSN for bringing them back along with the last season. I like the last season theme the best as well.

I have been enjoying these episodes this morning. I even DVR'd one. I prefer the contestants to pick from the fame game board. However, I do miss Summer giving away the number where the money card is as she says "It's behind a number ---" and you hear the computer music playing in the background.

I have been enjoying these episodes this morning. I even DVR'd one. I prefer the contestants to pick from the fame game board. However, I do miss Summer giving away the number where the money card is as she says "It's behind a number ---" and you hear the computer music playing in the background.

I'm just now beginning to see what they looked like. I've been so used to the computer music in the background when Summer said that a money card was behind a certain number that these new syndicated ones feel like a breath of fresh air to me, with the differences in the Fame Game and all, and the shopping too.

Well, this version was also the daytime formula as well until about the fall of 1987. Have you noticed that the winners have walked away with less than the losing contestants who racked up with the instant bargains and money and prizes from the fame game board?

Well, this version was also the daytime formula as well until about the fall of 1987. Have you noticed that the winners have walked away with less than the losing contestants who racked up with the instant bargains and money and prizes from the fame game board?

That's a great point! I think I've noticed something like that before, or at least along those lines.

ETA: By the way, something else I've noticed (and liked) about this first batch of syndies-- we get to hear more of the theme song (the original one, in this case) than we ever did on the 1988-89 NBC shows (IOW, GSN, in my opinion, has very wisely refrained from its end-of-show ads until Jay delivers his spiel and signs off: "All prizes are manufacturer's suggested retail value and are correct at the time of recording. This is Jay Stewart speaking").

And on today's show I think they played the credits all the way w/o the GSN ads and GSN even let the Reg Grundy logo jingle play through too.

I saw that too. I thought that was great. I just wish they'd allow the old commercial to air when announcer Jay Stewart said "Some of our departing contestants will receive..." That's the only issue I had but am grateful the show is airing. I DVR it whenever I have to work.

I saw that too. I thought that was great. I just wish they'd allow the old commercial to air when announcer Jay Stewart said "Some of our departing contestants will receive..." That's the only issue I had but am grateful the show is airing. I DVR it whenever I have to work.


That probably didn't start until after the 1st several weeks of shows maybe. And John Goss's run will be coming up somewhere along the lines so we'll see.

And on today's show I think they played the credits all the way w/o the GSN ads and GSN even let the Reg Grundy logo jingle play through too.

On the last couple, however, that has not happened. I don't know why GSN is so inconsistent with that.

I have seen the 1985-1986 Syndicated edition of $ale of the Century before, but one thing I never really noticed until now was the type of questions asked.

Normally on the daytime edition, there were quite a bit of current even-based questions. But on this Syndicated edition, a lot of the questions were general knowledge-based.

I will have to pay closer attention to that. I love to play along. I have been in love with this show since 1984/85 when I was seven years old.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIJ6BoMh9qM

Here's a full Thanksgiving night close from Jim's syndicated $ale; it has what has in recent times become one of my favorite game show themes (Mercedes, by Ray and Marc Ellis).

You are a winner! Thanks so much for posting this! I thought it was cool and think that I actually remember that commercial too.

Didn't this clip sans (vlassic ad) air on GSN thanksgiving? I thought I recognized that champion who won most of the day during the marathon? I'm asking because if that is the case, that means we will closer to the revamp that includes the winner's board. I remember the previous daytime season 84/85(I think) was already on the winner's board and I was anticipating as a kid when the nighttime version was going to do it as well. I was happy when the night time version switched to the board.

The biggest problem with the Winner's Board and Winner's Big Money Game was they had 100% nothing to do with the basic concept of the show.

The levels are important, especially building the account for "bigger and better" things, the more you win, the better your prize was. It's like going to the amusement park and building your tickets total for a better gift. THAT was "Sale of the Century".

The only reasons they changed the endgame was because they were under pressure from NBC to have a "traditional" endgame, and to conserve money.

For me, it was sad that the losers/first time opponents were walking away with more than the contestants who'd return in hopes of winning more money to get those other prizes. They'd walk away with very little if they lost. I do see what you are saying, though.

BTW, on the TPIR board, I saw you posts and agree with you on some of those facts.

And it was Mitt Dawson, former Reg Grundy staffer from 1987 to 1997, who made the statement about NBC wanting a "traditional" endgame.

He was also the one who made the claim that the pre-late 1988 daytime episodes no longer existed. Then again, he also made the claim that the music reel no longer exists.

Honestly, I don't know what could have happened to pre-late 1988 daytime episodes of "Sale of the Century". Anything could have happened to them. As of this writing, it has still not been confirmed. It is still just a rumor. Maybe they have not been converted from analog to digital.

Unfortunately, Mitt Dawson died in 2012 from some illness, and if what he said was true all along, we'll never be able to know why, in contrast, every episode of Scrabble with Chuck Woolery (which aired on the same network) exists.

The levels are important, especially building the account for "bigger and better" things, the more you win, the better your prize was. It's like going to the amusement park and building your tickets total for a better gift. THAT was "Sale of the Century".

And that is why I'm enjoying what GSN is doing now with syndicated $ale; don't know what total John Goss is up to now, but I do know that he's been building it up.

The reason the theme song was called "Mercedes" was because many of the cars given away on the show were, in fact, a Mercedes-Benz. And a Mercedes-Benz was even the very first car offered on the show. Both Australian and American Reg Grundy versions (1980 and 1983 respectively).

Jack Grismely composed the original version of "Mercedes" in 1980 (updated in 1986, 1989, and 2000), and Ray & Marc Ellis did their take on the song in 1983 (updated in 1987).

The reason the theme song was called "Mercedes" was because many of the cars given away on the show were, in fact, a Mercedes-Benz. And a Mercedes-Benz was even the first car offered on the show. Both Australian and American Reg Grundy versions (1980 and 1983 respectively).

Jack Grismely composed the original version of "Mercedes" in 1980 (updated in 1986, 1989, and 2000), and Ray & Marc Ellis did their take on the song in 1982 (updated in 1987).

I recall hearing many a time what Jay said at the top of that first broadcast of Jim's $ale 1/3/83, and that is exactly what it was. What I'd like to know is, was it won?

The first time someone won "the lot" (ALL the prizes) during the Jim Perry era was when Mort Camens was on. There was no cash jackpot originally, and I believe his winning episode aired somewhere between 1/3/83 and 5/30/83. I also believe that the cash jackpot debuted on 5/30/83.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH6U621J8k0&t=1m6s