Episode 25.3 - Five Fingers Death Punch
October 4

Chico: Hey, this is Chico Alexander... and I feel like getting rowdy. Who wants to get rowdy with me?
Gordon: (walks in with combat gear and mace) ME!
Chico: ...
Gordon: ...what? Not good enough?
Chico: Nah, that works. You forgot this, though... *hands billy club*
Gordon: Thanks. Now what is Jason Block weari...
Jason: Oh no. This is a NYC special. (pulls out Louisville Slugger) Do. not. Mess. With. Me. You want to play? Let's go.
Chico: Damn, dude.
Gordon: We'll be getting rowdy in our own special way as from somewhere in a North Carolina Mosh Pit filled with unhappy North Carolina football fans, this week's edition of WLTI...is...ON!
Chico: Weee!
Gordon: Gordon Pepper here, and joining myself and Chico Alexander is our special guest Mr. Jason Block.
Jason: Ready to rumble, here.
Chico: Always a good thing. Okay, we're starting the Opening Round with this question...Where are all the boo-birds?
Jason: BOOOOOOOOOO!! BOOOOOOOOOOO!!
Gordon: No. That's a boob bird.
Jason: Ha, ha.
Chico: This week, Kathy "Fingers" Greco, a mainstay on The Price Is Right since 1975, announced that she'll be retiring from the show at the end of this year. Now, when Bob Barker retired, we got it...And by "it", I mean, the collective shouting of our fellow fans.
Jason: There's a reason why.
Chico: When Roger Dobkowitz left, we got it. When Rich Fields left, we got a little bit of it. Fingers... not so much. Why is that?
Jason: Two reasons. One: Greco produced the 1994 debacle of the syndicated version.
Chico: Oh dear.
Jason: And Two: Greco is the least liked of the old-school Barker team (by the fanboys). From the people who knew her, she has gotten NOTHING but respect.
Chico: Right. As deduced by Randy West's Facebook posting confirming the story.
Gordon: Well, I think that Kathy Greco is very good in her own right. What makes it puzzling is the timing of the announcement. You certainly do not say you're retiring in the beginning of the season unless the show is going in a direction you are not a fan of.
Jason: Interesting view, Gordon. Ok then...why?
Gordon: Well we've been hearing of the 'different direction' that TPIR wants to go in this year. I'm guessing that with the episodes in the can around 2 months in, Kathy is not a fan of said direction.
Chico: Well, there's still two months until 2010 is over and done with. Hoping that Mike Richards kinda sees things where she's standing and maybe scale back, make it a little slower, that sort of thing.
Jason: So what's wrong NOW with the show?
Chico: I'm not saying anything's wrong with the show. It's a good product.
Jason: That's why I don't get this
Chico: But history shows when you plan on making a change, you do it gradually instead of just inducing a shock to the viewer. You risk a backlash.
Gordon: I don't think anything's wrong with the show - now. I'm wondering if there's any sort of changes that we have yet to see coming down the pike that Kathy doesn't like. Or if this is the final conversion of the change in regime.
Chico: Not necessarily.
Jason: I think this is more final conversion.
Chico: We still have Stan Blits, who knows more about TPIR than anyone...and then you have Sue MacIntyre, Adam Sandler... I want to throw Scott Robinson into the mix...
Jason: If I may be blunt...Blits is the biggest problem with the show.
Chico: I can understand what J is saying, because ultimately, Stan chooses the players, and the players so far have been...let's not talk about that.
Gordon: It is getting frustrating when the morons are getting on and the good players aren't.
Chico: Bingo.
Gordon: But I don't think that's the issue. I think it's something else.
Chico: What do you think this issue is?
Gordon: I think it's something we don't know about yet.
Chico: You sound like a politician. :-)
Gordon: You don't announce a retirement out of thin air in the middle of tapings.
Jason: No...he is being smart.
Gordon: Just speaking like someone who's seen it happen.
Chico: Right.
Jason: We cant accuse or say anything without having the facts to back it up. We can speculate till the day is long, but until the story comes out...
Chico: And until we have said facts, all we have is... Fingers is leaving at the end of this year.
Jason: We are just spinning our wheels.
Chico: Basically.
Gordon: I'm sure there's a lot we don't know about The Price is Right backstage, and I have a feeling this is one of those issues. I think that it's a matter of time until we find out.
Chico: Right.
Gordon: Or we could find out a month down the road and point and go A-HA. That's why she left. But I don't think the reason is out to the public yet.
Chico: And you know... it may never come out.
Gordon: However the first eliminated couple in The Amazing Race is out to the public.
Chico: And so is our new round of...



Chico: One of the unwritten rules of The Amazing Race...Don't. Get. Lost.
Gordon: And that's just what happens to best friends Ron and Tony as they go the wrong way and can't recover.
Chico: Not for lack of trying, because ANOTHER team also gets lost. Remember Nick & Vicki?
Jason: Yeah they got lucky.
Chico: Nick & Vicki were directed to find flags on battlements.... They couldn't find the flag right beside them. Then they couldn't find boats that were right behind them, and that almost cost them the Race.
Gordon: So Vicky has problems with poles, and Nick has steering issues?
Chico: Yep.
Jason: Yeah, my dad and I were cracking up at that
Chico: But wait... It gets better.
Gordon: Because apparently, Claire can't handle otherp people's melons.
Jason: Cringe worthy, but one the best moments of the race...EVER.
Chico: You want to see the video again, admit it.
Gordon: I do!
Jason: Yes.


Chico: (Thanks, CBS!) By the way, "Right in the kisser"... Wrong choice of words.
Jason: OOOOOOOOOOOOH! Damn.
Gordon: Fortunately, they survive that leg of the race.
Chico: Yep. Come in 4th. And Jill & Thomas... they're your stage leaders so far. And as such, they get "The Express Pass". What that means is that any time up to Stage 8, they can bypass ANY ONE CHALLENGE.
Gordon: That's a nice bonus to have. I'm not sure it's a 'Game Changer'...UNLESS you can give it to another team to use.
Chico: No, but it could mean the difference between winning and losing.
Gordon: Sure. If you're hainv g a bad leg and you're near the bottom, it's a good insyurance card. How do you like this season's first episode?
Jason: It's the Race. It was great.
Chico: Loved it.
Gordon: There seems to be...dare I say this now...smart teams this season?
Chico: ... Well...
Jason: Some...
Chico: Not all of them.
Gordon: Well I'd say 4 smart, 2 undecided and 4 stupid.
Chico: Left. :-)
Gordon: Right
Chico: No, "remaining."
Gordon: Yes. I would say Kara was pretty smart though.
Chico: She was just outplayed. Thursday on Jeopardy!, Kara Spak could've made $100K... She... didn't.
Jason: Yeah. She was spanked.
Chico: Not for lack of trying, but Mark McDonnell was just a stud with the buzzer.
Jason: True.
Chico: I mean, he came to play and he played. He came alive at Double Jeopardy! and it was all gravy there.
Chico: He has $28,000 to Kara's $13,800. I believe that's a lock.
Gordon: That's a lock, sir.
Chico: You want to see a clue?
Gordon: I do.
Chico: Alright, here it is. Alliterative Athletes is the category.

In 1998 these 2 baseball rivals shares top honors as Sports Illustrated's Sportsmen of the Year.

Chico: Jason?
Jason: Who are Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa?
Chico: Gordon?
Gordon: Who is Sammy the Steroid Supplier and David the Drug Deliverer and Injector.
Jason: ROFL
Gordon: Think about it. Without them, we don't have Sammy and Mark. Allegedly.
Chico: Allegedly.
Jason: Yeah, sure. :)
Gordon: Hey Chico!
Chico: Yeeees, Gordon?
Gordon: What happens to people who unseat Giants?
Chico: They themselves get unseated. Quickly.
Gordon: Did that happen again?
Chico: Yes!
Gordon: Amazing how that happens.
Chico: No one can explain it. I'm not about to try. I'll be here forever.
Jason: I can. In one sentence. Too many contestants are so amazed that they beat a giant(and they dont have time to process it.) It's literally minutes after the show is over when the next show begins.
Gordon: Always a different mentality when the hunter becomes the hunted.
Chico: Yep
Jason: And I know that. Trust me.
Gordon: I'm also guessing you may not play as intensely when you've just won a nice sum of money.
Jason: True. They relax.
Chico: So they're either really relaxed or really unnerved. Either way, it's a lot to process and not a lot of time to do so.
Jason: Remember they tape 5 shows in one day. You can see when my first show was on, I was tight. Show 2 I relaxed. I had money.
Gordon: So give me the question that does our latest giant killer in.
Chico: This is what gives Emily Jusino a date with the Monday show. The category: Word Origins. The clue...

Like the name of a minor Roman god, this word for a caretaker comes from the Latin for "door".

Jason: What is a Janitor - from Janus
Gordon: What is a Chicobo - from Chico
Chico: I am handsome... but a Latin god I ain't.
Jason: ROFL
Gordon: I figured based on your work, you feel more like a caretaker.
Chico: Got me there. But Jason, as usual, is right.
Jason: I try :)
Chico: We know. Emily knows it as well, and she takes $18,801 into Monday's show. Which is $18,801 more than what Michael Bolton's winning.



Chico: Let me get my cheeseburger out there. It wasn't so much the elimination that was the surprise, but the leading up to... and the fallout from.
Gordon: We had a weird week. We had booing for Jennifer Grey's scores, which people asumed was people booing at Sarah Palin.
Chico: ... and as much as Sarah Palin is rife for booing, this was not one of those times.
Jason: Bristol was good?
Chico: I didn't say all that now. They got a 22... which is pretty good. Not as good as, say, a 24 from Jennifer Grey and Derek Hough.
Gordon: It's more a political thing. And Michael got his feathers ruffled when his jive was called 'the worst Jive in DWTS history' and got a score of 12.
Chico: Well, how many years have we been watching DWTS?
Jason: A few.
Chico: And how many jives have we seen that were just absolutely jaw-droppingly awesome?
Jason: A few.
Chico: Michael Bolton's... was not one of them. It was absolutely dreadful. That was the before... Gordon, I assume you have the after.
Gordon: I do.
Chico: Because you like the drama.
Gordon: That's right. The after would be Michael being beyond outraged and DEMANDING an apology from the judges. The producers counter wth 'They are doing their job and you sucked'.
Chico: Because again, what does Michael Bolton know about dancing? I mean, it's one thing to go out with class after sucking... and another thing to say "... Nuh Uh!" or "... Your mom sucks".. or l... something like that there.
Jason: At least the Hoff was about 1M times more classy about it. The Hoff just laughed and said I had fun and goes on. It's a dancing reality show. Deal.
Gordon: I would say that Bolton's public image takes a hit here. I also think that he could have gotten the sympathy vote had he played it correctly, which he clearly didn't do.
Chico: You THINK?
Jason: Maybe. But he does he take a hit.
Chico: Good luck getting a woman to romance to your songs, mister.
Gordon: Or getting a football team to take you seriously. Jimmy Johnson's team ALSO doesn't take him seriously.



Chico: If you ask me, I think he got the hose.
Gordon: I don't think he got the hose at all. I think he talked himself right out of the game. What's the first thing you do once you get on the island?
Chico: Make fire. Or build shelter. Or grab food.
Gordon: Socially.
Chico: Interact.
Gordon: More than that. You build an alliance. ESPECIALLY if you're the 65 year old guy who knows he's going to be a weak link.
Jason: For the entire time he was out there he was saying VOTE ME out.
Chico: That's why Marty, who honestly should've been gone a long time ago and probably will be before all is said and done, is still there. He has an alliance. Even if it's just a partnership, it's more than what Jimmy had.
Gordon: Right. Jimmy was making friends - and enemies. He was NOT building a coalition of people that he could vote with and that proved to be his undoing. Floating around works on Big Brother. Sometimes. It NEVER works on Survivor. Even the people in Survivor who float under the rader are tied in with some sort of alliance.
Chico: They have something in the pocket.
Jason: See Natalie, who won in Samoa a year ago who floated in an alliance with Russell
Gordon: You must make the alliance. Jimmy didn't and got sacked.
Chico: That's what you call catastrophic failure.
Jason: He played an awful game.
Chico: And while we're on that subject... How about NaOnka? Now Jimmy may have made friends and enemies... NaOnka is making enemies... and MORE enemies!
Jason: I didnt like the way she was portraying herself.
Gordon: As an editor, you can only edit with the material given to you.
Chico: Me, I didn't think there was much of a difference before she pointed that out. Shows what i know.
Jason: Which is really sad
Chico: I think she said "hood" is what NaOnka did.
Jason: You can play the game with resorting to stuff like that.
Chico: "Ghetto" is what NaOnka did... and then talking about it. That was just a strike against common decency right there.
Jason: If she screws with Heather's artificial leg...OH boy. Could be an all time nasty play.
Chico: You don't do that to anybody, let alone someone with a prosthesis. Outside of the context of whatever challenge may call for it. I mean, you play the game the best you can however you think it suits you... but there is an honor amongst thieves, as it were. It's like "let me screw about her leg, why don't I just club her over the head while i'm at it."
Gordon: Or club her over the head with her own artifical leg.
Chico: Or CLUB HER OVER THE HEAD...WITH HER OWN ARTIFICIAL LEG.
Jason: Just wild. Insane.
Chico: Before I say something I'll regret later, I'll say this... what NaOnka is looking for, she's gonna get.
Gordon: And she may not want it once she gests it.
Chico: That just burns in my craw like no one's business.
Gordon: What about getting some fun with soeme Harlem Globetrotters?
Chico: *whistles "Sweet Georgia Brown"*... okay.



Chico: I feel... slightly better now.
Jason: lol
Gordon: So we have our first celebrity week of the season with the Harlem Globetrotters on Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader. Here, dropping the knowledge, our resident academic advisor, Mr. Chico Alexander...and a big Bored.
Chico: It's the first in the syndie run of 5th Grader, but here goes...

Chico: Here's "Things I've Learned from the Harlem Globetrotters."
Jason: Oh no LOL
Chico: First up... Big Easy. I learned from him that the US will celebrate one millennium of independence in the future year of ... 1874.
Jason: You mean 2776? ROFL
Chico: Yep. We'll be dead by them.
Gordon: I don't know about you, but I have a cryogenic chamber, so I'll be around.
Chico: I learned from Ant that the planet in our solar system containing a massive storm nicknamed the "Great Red Spot" is. ..Mars.
Jason: That's Jupiter, I think
Chico: That is Jupiter. I have a house in Jupiter. The only thing it's missing is booze. Sorry, J.
Jason: Damn.
Chico: I learned from Special K that Hong Kong was leased by China to Thailand. 95 years, baby!
Jason: The British maybe?
Chico: Maybe. Could be. It's a strong possibility.
Gordon: It is!
Chico: We learn that Bangladesh shares a land border with India and ... Mongolia, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
Gordon: Um...that would be a little difficult.
Chico: And finally... we learn that Flight Time is the smartest of the team, running the board and pulling out.
Jason: Good move.
Chico: In total, $45,250 is raised for the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
Jason: Good stuff
Gordon: That is good stuff. The hamsters have set up their own basketball court outside. Someone neglected to tell them that Hamsters don't have great jumping ability.
Chico: No, but have you seen the way they run the floor? They are some STAMINA, baby.
Gordon: Yeah but it doesn't matter if you can't get the ball in the hoop. it's 0-0 in triple overtime.
Jason: Not compelling stuff to watch
Gordon: I called it off so they can run BrainVision. Roll That Beautiful Brain Footage.

(Doug: Live, local, and latebreaking... From the four corners of the globe to your frontal lobe, this is WLTI Brainvision News, and now here's Gordon Pepper, Chico Alexander, and the award-winning Brainvision News Team)

Chico: Thanks, Doug. First up, let's go into the Datebook, Gordon. Now Monday's the season finale of Money Hungry... but you have us hungry for something infinitely better than that.
Gordon: I have game food soup for the soul...

We start with the Next Iron Chef on October 3rd, followed by The Arrangement on October 4th, and then The Challenge: Cut Throat, along with the Destroy, Build, Destroy / Hole in the Wall Combo on October 6.

Chico: Sounds good. Well, all except the Hole in the Wall part.
Gordon: And who gets to cover it? Me :P
Chico: Because I only have two tuners.
Jason: Right.... :)
Gordon: Mmmhmmm....
Chico: What, I do! I got Don't Forget the Lyrics! on one, and Wheel on the other...or is it Baggage on one and 5th Grader on the other. I forget which. Anyway, both of my tuners are going to be busy. Same with DBD, which is a shame, because that's an awesome show. Season 1 was great. I know season 2's gonna be great, too.
Jason: DBD was just what CN needs.
Chico: And there are purists wondering why it's on CN... To them I say... "Who gives a rat's?"
Gordon: Or you can just bash them over the head with this (Gives Chico a bat shaped like an artificial leg)
Jason: Oh man that's wrong.
Chico: ... Too soon? Not soon enough?
Gordon: Just right.
Chico: Okay, you know the Hub starts on October 10, right?

Well, that day you'll get a sneak preview of what's to come on the network, including the premiere show of "Family Game Night". They have pretty pretty pictures on their website at hubworld.com

Gordon: Very pretty
Chico: They have something called "Connect 4 Basketball". Which isn't at all related to the popular vertical checkers game of the same name.
Jason: But the stuff LOOKS good.
Chico: It does. It looks like the folks are taking this show very seriously. As they should. And if in the odd change our pal Todd Newton is reading... We can't wait.
Gordon: Can't wait for Todd. Can you wait for stupid people?
Chico: I can never wait long enough for dumb stupid people.

Are YOU Smarter than...certain Australian reality show producers, who supplies host Sarah Murdoch with the WRONG winner's name on Australia's Next Top Model?

Chico: Can I say it?
Jason: DOH!
Chico: I wanna say it.
Gordon: Ouch.
Chico: Can I say it?
Gordon: Say it.
Chico: Let's PLAY THE TAPE!



Chico: That's a moment.
Jason: She literally wanted to just run and hide.
Gordon: Maybe they wanted to run and get some Haterade.
Jason: Give me a cup
Chico: I'll take two

Remember that 269 million lawsuit win for Celador against Disney? Make it 319 million, as Disney adds another 50 million in interest.

Chico: Well, .... I don't know what to say. I mean, Celador wasn't asking for it, but there it is.
Jason: That is some CASH.
Chico: Tell me about it
Gordon: And...oh, look who I have.



Jason: Ah Augustus.
Chico: Hi.
Gordon: I took him out to see Resident Evil 4.
Chico: Man, I wanted to see that.
Gordon: He liked it. Wanted to see more zombie face huggers and a spin-off starring the dude with the giant axe.

Not exactly a game show moment, but if you had Lone Star as the first show to bite the dust this season, you win! My Generation comes in second.

Gordon: Could we see game shows sneak into those new slots?
Chico: Could be if Fox and ABC wanted to speed up Money Drop and Million Dollar Mind Game respectively. JUST SAYIN'.
Chico: See above comment.
Jason: Hmmmmm
Chico: But you get what I'm saying, right?
Gordon: I get it. I also get that a bunch of producers and actors need to get fully loaded.
Chico: Nice.
Jason: (HIC)
Chico: This week, in lieu of anything tech related... boo... I have a week-one syndie report.

Wheel and Jeopardy! were up thanks to two killer opening weeks. We had a 5.9 and a 5.1 there. Viewers sampled the new look of Millionaire to a 2.1 to start season 9... Family Feud grew from year to year, but fell from week to week with a modest 1.4. 5th Grader, still in reruns, hits a 1.0. And Don't Forget the Lyrics! completely springs a leak at a 0.5.

Gordon: It will be interesting to see what the new episodes and format do for 5th grader.
Jason: Yes. We need to see what happens in weeks 2 and 3.
Gordon: The 2.1 is a really bad number for Millionare
Chico: Well, it's not bad enough for alarms yet, but yeah, it's a low number for Millionaire.
Gordon: It is bad enough to set off alarms. You can pull off a 2.1 for syndies, not for networks.
Chico: Right.
Gordon: Millionaire better hope that number goes up and that the viewers like the new format.
Chico: We'll be following this closely
Gordon: We also follow Media Hoes closely
Chico: Some more than others. *plays Pimpin All Over the World"

In this week's Hodometer, Paul Romer steps down from Endemol, Howie Mandel hosts Canada's Walk of Fame, Brendon and Rachel (Big Brother) go on Bold and the Beautiful...The Back Street Boys play on Don't Forget the Lyrics, Joan Rivers and Bethany Frankel play on 5th Grader, Drew Carey gets sued...and Stephen J Cannell, Art Gillmore, and Greg Giraldo all pass.

(Silence)

Gordon: Thank you. But none of them are the hoes of the week.
Chico: Can't wait to hear this one.
Gordon: What's better than the announcement of the new judges on American Idol (which everyone knew about?) - Pictures!



Chico: That would be, from left to right, Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, the Dawgfather, Seacrest, and the creepiest man on television Mr. Nigel Lythgoe.
Gordon: And those...are your hoes. Now let's go travelling.
Chico: We're going to the Philippines, where we're embroiled in a bit of a scandal.
Jason: Oh?

Kris Aquino is leaving "PWNW"... though she didn't say that she resigned or quit, but rather, was "asked to leave". This from her Twitter.

Gordon: Ouch.
Jason: Double Ouch.
Chico: It gets worse.
Gordon: The ratings for the show, by the way - lower than the balut population
Chico: Lower than our sense of humor on a GOOD day. And it even gets worse than that, if you can believe it. Friday was her last day on the show... She didn't show.
Gordon: I wouldn't either, if I was in her position and was treated like dog poop.
Chico: I don't blame her one bit.
Gordon: And that's Brainvision. Shut it down.
Jason: (shutting down)
Gordon: When we come back, we crack open the vault and play a few games we haven't played in a while.
Chico: You're riding shotgun with We Love To Interrupt. You give us 22 minutes, we'll give you a few cheap shots and a joke we may regret later.
Gordon: (Hands Chico his artificial leg bat)
Chico: Two in one, everybody.

(BrainVision has been brought to you by Kentucky Fried Tar Heels Ofer-Holes! Still available as Carolina once again blows a chance to get into the win column. This week's special flavor - Cincinnati Cinnamon. Kentucky Fried Tarheels - Rameses Done Right!)

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