History Series / CouchPotatoes

Somewhere between hosting Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}'s ''[[Series/DoubleDare1986 Double Dare]]'' and Creator/FoodNetwork's ''[=Unwrapped=]'', Marc Summers found time to host this 1989 syndicated GameShow from Creator/SabanEntertainment celebrating all things television.

!!GameShowTropes in use:

* ConsolationPrize: Called the "Cancellation Prize".

* Personnel:
** TheAnnouncer: Joe Alaskey, later Jim [=McKrell=] (a genre veteran, having hosted ''Series/CelebritySweepstakes'' in the 70s as well as a bevy of unsold pilots).
** GameShowHost: Marc Summers.
** StudioAudience: Marc would often have the audience try to answer a question both teams missed.

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!!This show provides examples of:
* {{Cap}}: The scoring system on this show present a theoretical perfect score of 1,800. However, with the final question of the Couch Up round relying on a RandomNumberGenerator, the highest possible FlawlessVictory for a team in the front game is 1,600-0.
* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: The teams use blue and pink couches.
* DownToTheLastPlay: The sixth question during Couch Up is always going to be a factor in determining who goes on to the Channel Roulette.
* FlawlessVictory: Done once in the Channel Roulette. Axel from Series/TheBradyBunch team selects a $1,000 photo first, then correctly identifies the photo--a still from the relatively obscure ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple%27s_Way Apple's Way]]''[[note]]created by Earl Hamner, Jr., responsible for the far more successful ''Series/TheWaltons''[[/note]]--within the first second of the round! [[https://youtu.be/L0O4wbhxkgU?t=17m20s See it here.]]
* LuckBasedMission: The Couch Up round--especially for the trailing team on the last question. Hit a 200 when you're down by 225? It's game over, man.
* OnceAnEpisode: A former (or then-current) TV celebrity shows up to ask questions, then shares what they're currently doing.
* RandomNumberGenerator: Determines the question values in the Couch Up round.

* FlawlessVictory: Done once in the Channel Roulette. Axel from Series/TheBradyBunch team selects a $1,000 photo first, then correctly identifies the photo--a still from OneSeasonWonder ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple%27s_Way Apple's Way]]''[[note]]created by Earl Hamner, Jr., responsible for the far more successful ''Series/TheWaltons''[[/note]]--within the first second of the round! [[https://youtu.be/L0O4wbhxkgU?t=17m20s See it here.]]

Acting as a GreekChorus to all this was show announcer Creator/JoeAlaskey[[note]]better known as ''Series/OutOfThisWorld''[='=]s Uncle Beano and eventual voice behind WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck[[/note]], who played the "[[WackyGuy Wacky Neighbor]]" in his own little abstract living room set. Some promotional material actually identified him as if his character was actually named Wacky Neighbor, although in-show his on-screen credit was just "Joe Alaskey as the Neighbor".

* LosingHorns: At some point after Jim [=McKrell=] took over as announcer, the time buzzer in the Channel Roulette round was a two-note horn similar to if you hit a Whammy on ''Series/PressYourLuck''. (Before that, the sound was a menacing electronic version of the ''Franchise/{{Dragnet}}'' "dun-da-dun-dun" theme.)

After four rounds of three questions apiece, the teams played the Couch-Up Round: two opponents had a face-to-face question as [[RandomNumberGenerator a graphic flashed 50, 100, 150, 200, and Couch Up]]. The team correctly answering the question would win the amount showing...but if the team behind got Couch Up and answered correctly, their score was immediately brought up to the level of their opponents. After six questions ("Twice down the couch" as Marc would say) the team in the lead won. The losing team got a "Canceled" graphic superimposed on them.

* {{Cap}}: The highest possible score a team can achieve is 1,800. However, the highest possible FlawlessVictory for a team in the front game is 1,600-0.
* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: The teams use blue and red couches.
* DownToTheLastPlay: The sixth question during Couch Up is always going to be a factor in determining a winner.
* FlawlessVictory: Done once in the Channel Roulette. Axel from Series/TheBradyBunch team selects a $1,000 photo first, then correctly identifies the photo--a still from OneSeasonWonder ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple%27s_Way Apple's Way]]''[[note]]created by Earl Hamner, Jr., responsible for the far more successful ''Series/TheWaltons''[[/note]]--within the first second of the round! [[https://youtu.be/L0O4wbhxkgU See it here.]]

* FlawlessVictory: Done once in the Channel Roulette. Axel from the Series/BradyBunch team selects a $1,000 photo first correctly identifies the photo--a still from OneSeasonWonder ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple%27s_Way Apple's Way]]''[[note]]created by Earl Hamner, Jr., responsible for the more successful ''Series/TheWaltons''[[/note]]--within the first second of the round! [[https://youtu.be/L0O4wbhxkgU See it here.]]

* {{Cap}}[=/=]FlawlessVictory: The highest possible score a team can achieve is 1,800.

* GameShowWinningsCap: Champions could stay on for five days or until defeated.

* LosingHorns: At some point after Jim [=McKrell=] took over as announcer, the time buzzer in the Channel Roulette round was a two-note horn similar to if you hit a Whammy on ''Series/PressYourLuck''. (Before that, it was the time-up buzzer from the main game.)

* OnceAnEpisode: A former TV celebrity shows up to ask questions, then shares what they're currently doing.

Two teams of three people played, each named after an actual show ("''Get Smart''", "''The A-Team''") or a variation of one ("Bosom Buds", "The M*A*S*Hed 'Taters"). Marc asked a toss-up question worth 50 "Ratings Points", the team whose member correctly answered it then getting a chance to answer a series of three questions ether based on a specific series or on a genre of TV show. Each contestant on the team could only answer one of the three questions, if one incorrectly guessed or nobody buzzed-in, the other team got a chance to steal that question and any others left in the group. OnceAnEpisode, a television celeb rang the doorbell (the set was designed as an abstract living room) and enter to personally ask questions based on his/her show. Sometimes they walked right in, but other times they would enter in character (such as when Isabel Sanford came in delivering some dry cleaning or Norman Fell came in to complain about all the noise).

After four rounds of three questions apiece, the teams played the Couch-Up Round: two opponents had a face-to-face question as a graphic flashed 50, 100, 150, 200, and Couch Up. The team correctly answering the question would win the amount showing...but if the team behind got Couch Up and answered correctly, their score was immediately brought up to the level of their opponents. After six questions ("Twice down the couch" as Marc would say) the team in the lead won. The losing team got a "Canceled" graphic superimposed on them.

* BonusRound: "Channel Roulette". A graphic with 12 spaces numbered 2–13 was shown. The team picked a "channel" and tried to identify a cast picture worth anywhere from $100 (easy pictures like ''Series/TheBeverlyHillbillies'') to $1,000 (more obscure shows like ''Chopper One'' and ''Turn On''). The team had 30 seconds to get $1,000 total in order to win $5,000... however, one channel was "Pay TV", which took away all of the team's money if they picked that channel and forced them to begin rebuilding toward the $1,000 goal.

* {{Whammy}}: "Pay TV".

* OnceAnEpisode: A celebrity shows up to ask questions.

Acting as a GreekChorus to all this was show announcer Joe Alaskey, who played the "[[WackyGuy Wacky Neighbor]]" in his own little abstract living room set. Some promotional material actually identified him as if his character was actually named Wacky Neighbor, although in-show his on-screen credit was just "Joe Alaskey as the Neighbor".

Somewhere between hosting Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}'s ''[[Series/DoubleDare1986 Double Dare]]'' and Creator/FoodNetwork's ''[=Unwrapped=]'', Marc Summers found time to host this 1989 syndicated GameShow celebrating all things television.

** TheAnnouncer: Joe Alaskey, later Jim [=McKrell=].

* CelebrityEdition: Among others, {{Game Show Host}}s Week and Famous Moms Week. The former is notable for [[Series/TheHollywoodSquares Peter Marshall]] appearing to plug ''3rd Degree!'', a series which was coming that Fall...except he was abruptly dismissed before it began taping and was replaced by Bert Convy.

* FollowTheLeader: Aired while another TV trivia game show, ''Series/RemoteControl'', was in its heyday and venturing into syndication itself.
** Could also count as DuelingShows, especially given that ''Remote Control'' host Ken Ober gave ''Couch Potatoes'' a nice TakeThat during a "best of" marathon and accused the show of ripping them off.

!!GameShow Tropes in use:

[[quoteright:200:[[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/edited_CP_8348.JPG]]]]

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/edited_CP_8348.JPG
[[caption-width:329:The "Couch Potato" Spud]]

* BonusRound: "Channel Roulette". A graphic with 12 spaces numbered 2–13 was shown. The team picked a "channel" and tried to identify a cast picture worth anywhere from $100 (easy pictures like ''TheBeverlyHillbillies'') to $1,000 (more obscure shows like ''Chopper One'' and ''Turn On''). The team had 30 seconds to get $1,000 total in order to win $5,000... however, one channel was "Pay TV", which took away all of the team's money if they picked that channel and forced them to begin rebuilding toward the $1,000 goal.

* LosingHorns: At some point after Jim [=McKrell=] took over as announcer, the time buzzer in the Channel Roulette round was a two-note horn similar to if you hit a Whammy on ''PressYourLuck''. (Before that, it was the time-up buzzer from the main game.)