The great thing about losing on TV game shows-unlike Vegas-is that you still had something to show for it. Not just some cheap trinkets either, back in the day were talking about $500-$1,500 for failure. In America, "A nation of B and C students" according to Chris Rock, That's awesome!All of the shows, big and small rewarded people with everything to Turtle Wax to A year's supply of Sunny D. Back then, you got almost too many gifts. The average show would give three to six prizes, depending on its budget. Of course, don't forget taking home- the home board or video game of the show. Back then, parting gifts were the biggest cliché in TV history.
Now, the great trope of TV game shows, "You leave with nothing!," as Weakest Link Anne Robinson would sadistically bellow. When modern games moved to prime time with $1 million+ grand prizes, the bottom fell out with shows beating their chests- about sending players home broke. It's like the minimum wage, was just ignored in order to create the living wage- which on a game show is ,the ability to quit with any money earned at that point or reach a guaranteed cash-in milestone level, a la Millionaire.
All facets of TV productions get paid, even the audience most times. Sometimes, they have to sit there and be enthused up to 12 hrs. at times. The players can't be given a T-shirt or a case of Pepsi. This is yet another reason- Reality shows, are the sweatshop industry of TV.
This started back in "the dark days" of cable TV, back in the nineties. When a lot of Fly-by-night games came on and went off the air, after a season. Most could barely afford their grand prize (usually a vacation), let alone gave consolation gifts.
That forced a cheapness, that affected hit shows, at the time. Wheel, Hollywood Squares and Jeopardy converted- to a still cool $1,000 parting prize. The Price Is Right cut gifts from six to three, then to two (after Drew Carey became host.) After its 40th anniversary, they were gone- though many players claimed, the show still gave away a few prize and a gift basket, from a allegedly huge prize warehouse.
Things are better now- Fortune and Jeopardy still give $1000,Millionaire used to (under the Super Mix format.) These days, its easy to get to the first cash lock-in level, unless you're a moron.
Family Feud used to give away, six to seven losing prizes- under the Richard Dawson and Ray Combs eras. Then, nothing....until the final J. Peterman season- when families got a Feud: Decades Wii home game. Recently, Family Feud started giving away a $500 prepaid credit card, after giving away oxygen for years, under the highly profitable Steve Harvey. However, nearly all GSN shows, newcomer Celebrity Name Game don't do this and Hollywood Game Night, sometimes? Even then, its a gag gift- like a $400 BMW steering wheel ONLY. Funny, but meanly cheap.
"It's time to start....RUNNING!," back to a great, liberal TV tradition. As the great social comic- George Carlin stated, "People just want a trophy or trinket" while "competing on TV" to feel they accomplished something with their lives.
