Gordon: Now usually, we'd be going right to Push or Flush to end the show....BUT
Chico: That's coming LATER.
Jason: Why is that?
Chico: Because apparently this was a busy week and we have to squeeze in an Opening Round.
Gordon: There's just too much going on to not have a show. And with that, we have Joe Mello joining us as well.
Jason: Yo Joe!
Joe: Hi-ho everyone
Chico: What it is, man?
Joe: Ain't nuthin but a thang
Chico: Christmas good to you?
Joe: $100 and a laptop bag is good, I guess
Jason: Not bad
Chico: Nice.
Joe: The DJ'ing comes later
Don: Cool.
Chico: Nice.
Joe: I'll pimp that soon enough
Chico: k. Let's get this last week of 07 started with the results of Duel... and a little controversy.
Jason: What controversy?
Joe: How little was it?
Chico: Well, let's just say that it was the first question asked in the finals - and the match was over. Just like that.
Jason: Uh oh.
Don: Oh, boy...
Chico: Here's the question...

Which of these weighs more?
a) A gallon of water
b) A gallon of crude oil
c) A gallon of vegetable oil
d) They all weigh the same.

Don: I'd have guessed B.
Joe: I watched. I would've covered all but D
Don: Though if I had a second chip, I'd have also covered C.
Jason: I watched...and I would have covered everything...it was the first question.
Chico: Gordon?
Gordon: I thought that was an easy question, since all oils float on water. The game is over, however, because Robert Elswick III covered all of the answers - EXCEPT the correct one. A. is right, the game is over, he loses and Ashlee Register, for doing absolutely nothing of strategic value, walks off with over 1.8 million dollars.
Chico: Yeah, I guess there's that. But if there were a question on how many hairs are on Leonard Nimoy's butt up there, I wouldn't be surprised.
Jason: Thats right
Chico: And Weird Al would still be off by three. In any case, congratulations are in order to Ashlee Register, who registered herself for a payment of $1.8 million.
Joe: While she was worthy, the used car salesman handed it to her, for the most part
Chico: It was the first question. You can afford to use all the chips.
Gordon: If youre competing for 1.8 million, and it's the first question of a match, if you leave a choice open, you better make DAMN SURE that's not the right answer.
Joe: IIRC, both of his two losses came on question 1
Gordon: Quite honestly, as I said last week, they picked 24 people due to charisma and not smarts. None of these people seemed worthy to me to have a check for 1.8 million handed to them. Any of these people would be dusted in the first round of next year's Grand Slam.
Jason: Bingo.
Chico: And if anyone from GSN is reading, PLEASE get on that.
Don: Indeed.
Jason: Yes...I am free.
Chico: Amy Kelly seat.
Joe: I don't know that for sure.
Gordon: I do - and the audience agreed, which is why the finale was the LOWEST watched of any of the episodes. I think any of us could have beaten any of them.
Jason: In a New York Minute.
Joe: The problem isn't with the contestants as it was the game concept. It wasn't about getting right answers, it was about NOT getting right answers (if that makes sense)
Chico: Please explain.
Joe: Because you could use multiple chips, you didn't have to guess if you could afford it. Which is why you saw a lot of 4-chip plays early game. Why risk missing the right answer?
Chico: Of course, you do that, you do it at your perils, because when you're down to one chip, you have to get it right. So it's like "Do I save myself now or save myself later?" See, my thing of trivia is... if you know it, you know it.
Jason: right
Joe: If I were playing (as The College Student), I would try to restrict myself to 2-3 chips per question if I could deduce.
Chico: Simple test-taking strategies seem to work.
Joe: And use my Presses to make sure my opponent would waste 4 on a question
Gordon: Well, its like the SAT's in that respect. you knock out the ones yuou dont know. The problkem was that the writing was so vague and the material so obscure that you couldn't logically knock out an answer in most cases or the contestants weren't smart enough to do so.
Joe: To be honest, only one person seemed to have a bona fide strategy (the gator wrestler) but I'm not that surprised. There's an acquired skill to this game which I think would show itself if there were future iterations
Jason: I agree...but the show had too many flaws to be on the air
Gordon: I agree with Jason, and the strategy of press twice quickly is not exactly sound Strategy
Joe: But it was a plan. I personally would be more inclined to try to make my opponents waste Presses. I still think it was one of the more enjoyable shows to air this year, which may or may not be saying something. People didn't play with their chips nearly as much as I thought they would. (Maybe it's all the poker I've seen)
Gordon: This isn't poker at all. Chess? Yes. Poker? No. Big Board Please.

Gordon: The subject: Strategy (?) in Duel, which is probably silly for a show that will probably not see a season 2. I would consider this more chess than poker. And really bad watered down lsd-induced chess, at that. Anyhoo... #1. If you know the question, don't answer immediately. take your time to see if you can delay enough to have someone waste a Press on you.
Jason: right.
Gordon: #2. When to press - any question that you think you know that would require someone to think about the answer - for example, the Duel Math. If you can figure it out quickly, then use the press immediately so the opponent will get flustered and use all 4 chips.
Joe: Provided they aren't planning on doing the same.
Chico: Greenie has a spiel about that. "You press when you know it or when you don't."
Jason: Correct again
Gordon: Do NOT use the Press on something you will use all 4 chips on. On the contrary, just answer quickly and don't use it at all. Because it will make the opponent think a little and maybe get too cutesy, perhaps opening up his own demise. If you just press him, he'll just put all 4 chips down and it will be a waste of an opportunity. When you REALLY want to use it is when the opponent can't cover all of the spots on the board. 3 2 or 1 is the best time to nail him with one, because then he won't have time to think it out.
Jason: Correct
Joe: Wholeheartedly agree
Don: Sounds good.
Gordon: NO ONE in the game was smart enough to hold on to the press and use it when the opponent was vulnerable. Huge error on the players part. No one used the optimal strategies. If there is a season 2, and if you guys are lucky enough to get on it, follow the guide that we have showed you.
Joe: I think I may have two things to add that could be attributed to potential poker aspects to this game (yes, I'm a sucker for lost causes)
Gordon: Any additions? Go for it, Joe
Joe: 1: Have two speeds--slow AND fast. If you start fast, not only do you hang the threat of a press over the opponent, the moment you start to act slow, your opponent may be suckered into wasting a press on you. Likewise, by acting slow, you could force the opponent to use his Presses early and allow you to control the tempo for the rest of the game.
Gordon: Agreed. Next point?
Joe: 2: Posture. These aren't isolation booths. Any stance, words, or noises, can be heard by your opponent. If you are able to control what you send to the opponent, you might be able to mix your signals and force your opponent to make sub-optimal moves
Gordon: That would include trash talking or talking out the wrong answer.
Joe: Or playing with chips or pacing or anything
Gordon: Sort of like some strategy that has worked in the past on 1. Vs. 100.
Joe: I think another one would be manage your resources, but that's a no-brainer
Gordon: And again. something that no one did
Jason: Exactly.
Joe: I won't deny that the 24 had intelligence--I'm sure they did--they just weren't all that wise.
Don: I think it certainly would've made for better TV if they used such strategies.
Joe: Alas, like Pyramid and Password, those would have come out with time, time this show probably won't get.
Gordon: Game playing is not all about smarts. It's about savvy and strategy, and most (if not all) of them were sorely lacking in that. It also hurts ABC that they used a 6 day format instead of a 24 day tournament or weekly series.
Joe: To be honest, I don't think this would work in an extended format. At least not in primetime. I think a killer was having to UN-edit the first two shows to 90 minutes.
Don: That could explain why those eps felt slow...
Jason: yes
Joe: Also, I don't put as much credence in the Sunday Ratings as everyone else, considering you had to deal with Football AND The Amazing Race.
Gordon: The fact that the ratings went down means that people did not see Duel as must-see TV. I would at least expect them to be level, especially with 1.8 million on the line. Nope.
Jason: Not at all
Gordon: But lets talk next about the show it lost to in the ratings. We see that this is the first non-elimination leg in the Amazing Race - which is very good news for Kynt and Vyxsin, because they would have been gone.
Jason: They had bad luck from the beginning of that leg. But they have a new twist to deal with The Speed Bump. In the Speed Bump, they have to do an extra task, but they won't know when they have to do it or what it is until they get to it. And they and only they have to do it.
Don: Seems like an interesting idea to me. I can't wait to see how it plays out.
Gordon: I hope they execute it well
Jason: me too
Chico: Now I heard about this Speed Bump. Thoughts are... players in the back need to get into the front... "why not make it harder"?
Gordon: Well, Im hoping its fair so that they have a chance to catch up
Chico: Guess we'll see on the next leg, won't we?
Don: Yep.
Joe: Well there has to be a penalty for being last, isn't there?
Chico: Yeah, but something that impedes progress further? Doesn't seem that darn fair to me.
Joe: Stealing your money was?
Gordon: I dont have a problem with it as long as there is an Equializer to they have a fighting chance
Jason: I didnt like the begging thing because that was an unfair disadvantage. This might be fair.
Chico: You think so?
Jason: Yes i do
Don: I find it interesting how they've gone from "no penalty" to "take away the money" to "take away the money and most possessions" to "Marked for Elimination" to "Speed Bump".
Gordon: At least they are trying new things to make it work. We'll see what happens. We'll also be seeing how Cora will be doing on the next Tournament of Champions.
Jason: She was good, albeit lucky.
Chico: Unfortunately for Cora Peck, her run stops at five. And the final Jeopardy that did it...

STRUCTURES: When completed, it stretched for 73 1/2 miles from Bowness to Wallsend.

Jason: This one was TOO easy.
Chico: Yeah.
Joe: If you say so. >_>;
Gordon: It wasn't 'What is the length or beer bottles end to end consumed by Lindsay, Britney and Paris in 2007?'
Jason: lol
Don: LOL
Chico: No. That is a lot longer than 73.5 miles.
Jason: The answer is Hadrian's Wall.
Chico: Well, the other "obvious" answer was the Chunnel, but the other end would have to be French.
Gordon: Ah.
Chico: Cora's luck finally ran out, and Patricia Crane became champ. But it's hard for me to feel sorry for Cora, as she leaves with over $100,000.
Gordon: And what happend to people who unseat long reigning champions?
Chico: They only last a day.
Joe: One and done?
Gordon: Bingo. But we end the week...on a tie. Both Dan Pawson and Heather Doyle will return to the show after each of them wins $26,000+ on Friday's episode
Joe: Pretty high for a tie score, ain't it?
Chico: It's pretty high, yeah, but there really was no way else you can play a tie going into the final. This is just one of those quirks that makes for a great moment. And it happened with two people who knew their stuff.
Joe: Make it three. Theo was only 1K back heading into Final
Chico: Yeah, and he played the Final the only way you could...
Gordon: They both wound up tied at the end of Double Jeopardy. They both bet it all.
Chico: Just missed it wrong
Jason: yup
Chico: "Missed it wrong." Yeah, that's good verbiage.
Gordon: So giving out $52,000+ is a nice way to end the year in Jeopardy. What about ending the Year on The Price is Right by setting a financial record on Plinko?
Chico: Most money given away at the Plinko... I'd say that's a merry Pricemas.
Joe: I'm sad that I slept through it. Thank god for Innertube
Chico: I've been saying that since October 15.
Jason: That was great
Gordon: That's great. However, it is not a new record in terms of how well the game is played.
Chico: He got his data from the Dob. So by extension, you're saying the Dob is wrong...
Gordon: The DOB...is wrong.
Joe: Did someone hit the bigun 4 times previously?
Jason: Someone did. 4 times for $21,000...right Gordon?
Gordon: Yes they did. Hit 4 in the $5,000 and one in the $1,000 for a totasl of $21,000.
Chico: It was back when the center was worth $5000.
Joe: I figured
Gordon: So if you add inflation to it, the record is...$41,000.
Joe: But $30,100 is still pretty damn good. Add in a grand from that absurd Wheel, Kristy recieved $32,735 in cash and prizes
Gordon: but still a great win. Unfortunately, we also had a bad sighting on Monday's show with a double overbid.
Joe: By a narrow margin, too
Chico: VERY narrow.
Don: Oh yeah, that was painful.
Joe: Less that $100 narrow
Chico: $77... If only the player was a little less...exact.
Don: Yeah, the bid was $27,981. The price... $27,904.
Chico: Ew. If they only stopped at 27,900, he would've had BOTH Showcases.
Joe: So no 32" HDTV, Off-road bike, or Dodge Caravan for that guy (named Daryl)
Gordon: Waa waaaaaa
Jason: (losing horns)
Gordon: But for those of you who like $100,000+ wins on Deal or No Deal, we have that for you
Joe: It's unfortunate that it took two hours to play two games, though
Jason: And the audience got a bunch of loot.
Chico: Actually, when you put NBC-mandated padding into the mix, it's just about right.
Jason: Do you want me to list it off?
Chico: Let's list it off. What did the audience end up getting?
Jason: A Howie Bobble Head doll, Two Tickets the Premiere of the Spiderwick Chronicles and $200 in cash, A Robot Vacuum, A Digital Picture Frame, An Archos Media Player, A Nintendo DS with the DoND Game
Joe: (and Flash Focus?)
Don: (Looked like Brain Age 2 to me, Joe.)
Joe: (I know it's one of them)
Gordon: (Why are we whispering?)
Joe: (Sorry)
Jason: A Treo750W with 30 days of Service, A Bluetooth Headset, A Sonic Toothbrush, A Season Pass to Universal, A JetBlue Ticket and a $100 Gas card.
Chico: Seemed like the game show equivalent of Oprah's Greatest Things episode.
Gordon: It's probably a thank you for making them sit through an 18 hour taping day
Joe: But yeah, that's a grand worth of goodies easily, quite possibly two.
Chico: In short, everything on my wish list. Damn you, NBC.
Gordon: As for the games itself, Harriet Cohen takes $129,000. In her case - $25,000. Harriet's son was psychically picking out the boes at the end, and he was pretty good.
Joe: He needs to play the sportsbooks
Gordon: Jennifer Masche wins $121,000. In her case - $300,000
Jason: But....
Chico: But...
Jason: Since Jennifer Masche is a new mom of sextuplets... that's right sextuplets
Gordon: Johnson and Johnson also adds $100,000 in the form of a college scholarship for her sextuplets, as we play Queen for a Day. Again. AwwwwBARF
Chico: So in total, $221,000... of which she only won half about.
Gordon: Still Queen for a Day
Joe: In addition to a sleigh full of J&J goodies.
Chico: Of course.
Joe: That wasn't unexpected, though. Companies always do that for baby-boomed families
Chico: Seems like the best way to get on a game show nowadays...
Joe: Or a talk show. There was a Simpsons episode about this kind of marketing
Chico: I think I remember seeing that episode.
Gordon: Then make a TV special out of it. I don't need companies and special bonuses polluting my game show.
Jason: Agreed.
Gordon: So Chico, that's how you can get on a game show. Go impregnate someone and pray that you have 6 or more kids at the same time.
Chico: You know a girl?
Joe: I know a few. Doesn't mean they'll get in bed.
Chico: On that note, I think we need to take a break. Hey, Gordon, remember when you said that usually, we'd get to Push or Flush before?
Gordon: Yes, but we have the 12 hamsters of Christmas, and they want to sing.
Chico: Fine. Make news go now.
Gordon: On the 12th day of Christmas, the hamsters leave for WLTI...12 bottles waterring, 11 newspapers lining, 10 wheels a'spinning, 9 rocks a heating, 8 pell...
Chico: MAKE NEWS GO NOW!
Gordon: ...and a Choppler in a Pear Tree. Roll That Beautiful Brain Footage.
Chico: Had to do that, because I was afraid of... leavings.
Don: lol

(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)

Gordon: We start with the obvious...dates. Lots and lots of dates....

Jan. 2 - Power of 10, Jan. 3 - Celebrity Apprentice, Jan. 4 - 1 vs. 100, Jan. 6 - American Gladiators, Jan. 7 - Dance War, Jan. 8 - How Much is Enough?

Gordon: There will be MUCH more to come on this as the month progresses. By the way, Chico - this is the first time in a long time that January is this busy with new game shows.
Chico: Not really. Only three years. I blame the strike. I also blame the Deal effect. Speaking of... how did Deal or No Deal do on Christmas, you ask? Ahem.... how did Deal or No Deal do on Christmas, you ask?
Gordon: Hey Chico - how did Deal or No Deal do during Christmas?
Chico: Glad you asked that. The answer... in the Business End.

What happens when you have holiday reruns and a new episode of a hit game show? Hit game show usually wins, and usually wins big.

Don: Would this be no exception?
Chico: No exception indeed.

The show averaged 9.8 million viewers and a 2.6 rating/8 share in adults 18-49, according to preliminary estimates released Wednesday by Nielsen Media Research.

Jason: Nothing was on
Chico: Putting things into perspective, second was Fox with 5.7 million. So yes, it was a good night to be a game show fan, especially one of Deal or No Deal.
Joe: Don't think it's going anywhere soon, except to syndication
Chico: Not anywhere soon except to syndication indeed, Joe.
Jason: Howie is going to need a nap.
Chico: I do hope he can handle it. Meanwhile, we handle some Haterade.
Gordon: We've got some post-hangover Haterade for you. But first, Are You Smarter than...

Robert Elswick II. Sorry, but blowing 1.8 million dollars on the first question of the finals, which is the most anti-climactic finale ever, gets you here.

Jason: Pretty much
Joe: Both losses again were on the first question
Chico: Sorry, but you gotta stop doing that. Heh.
Gordon: Technically, 1,795,000 million, give or take $5,000. And the Haterade.... Can things get any worse for Jessica Sierra? Yes they can.
Jason: How so?

She's jailed...and pregnant.

Jason: You have to be kidding?
Don: Wow.

Sierra, who's baby's daddy is a rap artist, is on the 'pregnancy diet'. Sierra claims to be happy about the pregnancy. We'll see about that.

Joe: And wasn't she just on The Kennedy Center Honors?
Chico: I.... I have no idea!
Don: Wha?
Joe: I think she was.....performing Diana Ross tunes
Gordon: 'I'm coming out'...of jail?
Chico: No comment.
Joe: (Ain't no Prison Wide Enough?)
Gordon: Now that she's pregnant, she may get fully loaded...again.
Chico: Then she'll have time to play Banko.
Jason: Yup

NetWinner has released an all-new free-to-play casual game called Banko, which the company says, "brings the risk-reward drama, similar to hit game shows like NBC's Deal or No Deal or FOX's Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?"

Chico: Yeah, call me when you see it, because I sure as heck don't.
Joe: Could you explain this game to the uninitiated (like me)?
Chico: This from the release...

"Inspired by the grassroots popularity of Bingo, one of the world's most played games, NetWinner has created a single-user casual game that brings all the angles and excitement of a Bingo-style game to the computer screen, and then some."

Chico: And then it goes on to stress aspects like taking what you won or going further. Again, this is about as high stress as Duel was about poker.
Jason: Ok...then.
Chico: My thoughts exactly.
Joe: I'm sorry I asked?
Chico: I'm sorry I told =p But it's news, and it has to be out there. Even if it is... out there. Speaking of out there... I've got another couch to rest on...
Gordon: And it s a big fluffy red one
Chico: First of all... Power of 10...

Want to meet Drew Carey and play for $10 million? Go to CBS.com/powerof10 to qualify online.

Chico: You got any more?
Gordon: I do - want to be strapped to a lie detector?

Finally, a new game show where the TRUTH comes out and honesty pays. The Moment Of Truth is the working title of a new game show where contestants can win up to $500,000 simply by being honest. Contestants who are up for the challenge are hooked up to a lie detector and asked 21 increasingly personal and delicate questions. If a player answers all 21 honestly, as determined by the polygraph, he or she could walk off with $500,000. http://www.realitywanted.com/index.php/latest/1850?PHPSESSID=7ac58365bc3d4c5b8d175097c69be6fb

Chico: That, by the way, premieres January 23.
Gordon: Last one...and yes, you can make your own comment here...

Are you mean? Are you a bastard? Are you a bitch? Do you treat people like dirt? Are you an angry boss? Do you cheat? Do people hate you? Are you a screamer? Do you get in a lot of fights?

PLEASE NOTHING CRIMINAL OR DANGEROUS - You are a modern day villain and love it!

http://www.realitywanted.com/index.php/latest/1883?PHPSESSID=7ac58365bc3d4c5b8d175097c69be6fb

Jason: I like it.
Joe: ................Who wants to be a supervillian?
Gordon: Pretty much. And no, I am not applying :)
Jason: Oh come on....you got this one in the bag!
Gordon: Sorry. Can't do it.
Chico: Come on! You got this!
Joe: Do it
Gordon: I don't live in the Southern California area. Sorry.
Chico: You can move. Heh.
Joe: Plan to visit
Gordon: BUT....I have some media hoes here...
Chico: Okay, to the hoes. *plays "Pimpin' All Over the World"*
Gordon: In this week's Hodometer...

'New York' and 'Tailor Made' are now engaged, Clay Aiken teams with UNICEF, Victoria Beckham may appear on Project Runway as a judge in the finale, DOND Model Stacey Gardner is engaged to tennis player Mardy Fish, and we got to see a bunch of celebrities on The Singing Bee...

Gordon: but none of them are your ho of the week.
Jason: Who pray tell is the last ho of 2007?
Joe: Is it Carrie and Kelly who attended a hockey game recently?
Gordon: Umm...no.
Joe: Idols and hockey do mix, I swear
Chico: Anything and hockey mixes.
Gordon: The ho of the week is American Gladiator Star 'Militia' - Alex Castro.
Chico: Do I WANT to know about this one?
Gordon: Proably not. According to The New York Post, he goes by another name - Elian Cortez
Jason: Why does he go by another name?
Gordon: This is the name he uses when he's modeling Colt Gay Porn paraphernalia.
Jason: Whoops.
Joe: I thought we didn't want to know
Chico: Yeah. We all know how trustworthy the Post is.
Gordon: I would think that too, except...#1. Perez Hilton Confirms it and #2. Pictures and videos of him in action REALLY confirm it.
Chico: T. M. I.
Don: Yipes...
Gordon: And apparently, he's got a militia in his pants.
Jason: So Running the Gauntlet has a new meaning then?
Joe: Powerball(s)
Chico: Assault.
Joe: Banging Atlaspheres
Gordon: Earthquake. Hit and Run. Joust. And, of course...The Eliminator. And if you want more, go to Perez Hilton's site for all of the links, pics, etc. And the crash you heard was our PG rating slamming into the Christmas Tree that we still had up here in the offices.
Don: lol
Gordon: And those...are your Ho Ho Hoes.
Chico: Going Global now... Must... get... to.. UK..

Congrats are in order for the future SIR Bruce Forsyth.

Jason: All right!
Don: Nice!
Chico: Nice to be knighted... to be knighted...
Don: Nice!
Jason: Very funny, Chico.
Chico: Aim to please, I do
Gordon: Nicely done
Chico: Okay, shut it down. We're done.
Jason: (shutting down)
Gordon: All done. When we come back, we Push and Flush. You're watching WLTI, the best damned internet game show review, period.
Chico: But first, a tribute to those we lost this year....

(Brought to you by.....the Mike Greenberg school of...the pause.....we try...to stretch...out everything....making 20 minute shows....last an hour....and we'll give you the into...on how to do that.....right after this.....)

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