Funny / Concentration

Concentration may have been simple, but it was by no means without humor.

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Original Series (1958-73)

• During one episode, Hugh Downs noticed that there were more "Forfeit One Gift" squares than usual and that they turned around to show a blank space with no clues whatsoever. At his insistence, all the trilons turned to show their "prize sides" — all "Forfeit One Gift" — followed by their "puzzle sides". The "puzzle side" of the board was completely blank.
• 1971: After the first match of a game in Squares 17 and 19, those two trilons turned to show...two eyes, giving the impression that the board was staring at everyone! Here's a re-creation of what it looked like.◊

Syndicated (1973-78)

• (Nothing as of yet, but here just in case.)

The 1985 Pilots

• The point of matching related words appears to have been like Eye Guess (1966-69), in that humor was supposed to come from mismatching...but unlike Eye Guess, which used a straight Q&A and got humor from obviously wrong answers, these attempts at reviving Concentration used a potential Standards & Practices nightmare of predetermined word connections, trying to glean humor from mismatches that a knowledgeable contestant could reasonably link.
  • Using words backfired immensely during one taping — according to a YouTube comment from a contestant on one of the pilots, two predetermined connections were "mother-father" and "kiss-pucker". Sounds simple, until you realize the words this player blindly picked off. As for what happened next...
    Contestant: The live audience roared in laughter. Bean and I looked at each other in stunned awkward silence, and moved on.
    (separate comment) The highlight of this experience for me was meeting Mark Goodson, he was very gracious and personally thanked me for doing a good job - I was thrilled. Orson Bean, on the other hand, was obviously stressed out, didn't seem to enjoy the gig, and by the time we taped my episode, he was not very friendly off camera.

Classic Concentration (1987-91)

• Marjorie Goodson-Cutt once appeared on camera with a fake mustache. Alex Trebek commented that she now had her own soup strainer.
• August 10, 1987: Andy has this showing in a Round 2 puzzle, and he gives a guess of "Believe me, I've been vacuumed before." The judge gives him a three-second buzzer for it.
• May 12, 1988: Alex Trebek's reaction to a contestant who tries to use a Wild card to claim Marjorie as a prize. It's especially Hilarious in Hindsight as its a moment of the real Alex Trebek acting almost exactly like Will Ferrell's exasperated caricature of him on Saturday Night Live's "Celebrity Jeopardy".
• June 1, 1988: After a contestant reveals a dishwasher on the board, Alex lets slip some personal information that's a bit too revealing.
  Contestant Barbara: My [dishwasher] goes "er-er", it's really bad.
  Alex: But does it wash the dishes?
  Barbara: Yeah, but it makes a lot of noise while it's doing it, you know.
  Alex: So did my ex-wife.
  [audience laughs and applauds as Alex grimaces]
  Gene: Whoa! Go, Alex! Yeah!
  Alex: Shut. Up. I get myself into enough trouble without you jumping on me, too.
• September 12, 1988: Contestant Mark uses a green Take! card to steal a Florida spa vacation from opponent Lynn's prize cache. The other prizes on her side of the board are an electronic typewriter and a grandfather clock, the latter of which Alex tries to boost in importance:
  Alex: Grandfather clock's a good prize, expensive one.
  Mark: I can buy one—I have a watch that's...
  (Alex points to the cheap digital watch on Mark's wrist)
  Alex: Now, be honest, ladies and gentlemen: Is this [wristwatch] gonna look good in his front hallway? I mean, hanging there from a string? Give me a break.
  • Mark solves the puzzle immediately afterwards (a slogan for an antacid brand that Alex begins plugging), and, as Alex summarizes the puzzle, he brings up an important aspect to solving puzzles that involve sheep:
    Alex: You can always the ewe [from a ram] because of the lipstick.
• October 26, 1988: From a 1988 Halloween week episode:
  • Before the first game of the day, Alex points one of the prizes featured.
    Alex: Oh, Grandma! Grandma has a prize for me!
    (Marjorie laughs uncontrollably as Gene describes a boat)
    Alex: I'm sorry, Marjorie, but you do look like my Russian grandmother. (Marjorie gums her teeth and starts pointing in a "tsk, tsk" manner to Alex.) Now, you look like my Russian grandfather.
  • Marjorie acts as if she really IS Alex's grandmother during the contestant plug.
    Marjorie (using an elderly voice): If you would like to be a contestant, call this number. (she then falls over)
    Alex: Marjorie is such a good sport. She is such a good sport. She is also certifiable; you all know that, of course.
  • As the show transitions into its second game, Marjorie starts prancing around, briefly going into That Russian Squat Dance. Gene starts breaking up as he describes an exercise table.
    Gene: That woman's berserk!
• April 25, 1989:
  • Alex and Marjorie demonstrate a pair of recliners. Alex asks about the prize, during which Marjorie acts like a child beside him. This triggers an off-the-cuff remark from Gene:
    Alex: I'm having a little trouble figuring out what the prize [for this game] is. I know it's not this 1957 television set in front of us; I know it's not the lollipop in [Marjorie's] mouth, nor the baseball cap; I know it's not the old box of popcorn; and it's certainly not [Marjorie's blue] dress. What is the prize we have for out contestants in this second game, Gene?
    Gene: Do you get the feeling we're watching Lolita?
  • Later, this exchange regarding a bowling prize:
    Alex: What're you laughing at the bowling package for, Diane? You got something against bowling?
    Contestant Diane: [dismissively] No, not at all.
    Alex: Robert?
    Contestant Robert: Might be right my alley. [Alex proceeds to choke Robert.]
• November 14, 1990: This really bad guess gets not one, but two buzzers. Even funnier, this is from a "Tournament of Champions" episode.
  Contestant Dan: Break wind? [double buzzer]
  [Dan immediately double facepalms while contestant Stan and the audience laugh]
  Alex: [Beat] I don't think that's correct. [long buzzer] Select again.
• June 25, 1991: Alex talks about his mustache with a contestant, seen here.
  Contestant Brad: I like your mustache. It's slipping though.
  (audience laughs)
  Alex: No, it is not slipping. It's an optical illusion.

Other Versions

• (Nothing as of yet, but here just in case.)

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