History YMMV / BreakTheBank1985

* WTHCastingAgency: If you wanted a serious host in a silly stunt-based game, then why did you hire a guy ''known'' for his spontaneity and who essentially built his career through being a goofball when he could? (According to the biography ''The Matchless Gene Rayburn'', it was because Gene had "star power" and was apparently seen by Kline as "a means to an end" - that being to get the show picked up. It seems Kline never actually considered giving Rayburn respect... or kindness.)
** Gene wasn't ''always'' a goofball, of course -- when time came for contestants to go for the big money, he toned down the joking just enough so that all present could focus on what was at stake. On this show, Gene got semi-serious once the Bank Cards were being tabulated.

** Inverted when the Prize Vault rules were slightly changed to stop the clock while Rayburn/Farago described the chosen stunt- but this could also cause issues when, like in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqyQ83MPpPc this]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zieyibteXeA episode]], where they had to severely edit the end just to fit in the fee plugs because of the extra time when the clock was stopped (it doesn't even have logos, just the show logo over a blue background).

* WTHCastingAgency: If you wanted a serious host in a silly stunt-based game, then why did you hire a guy ''known'' for his spontaneity and who essentially built his career through being a goofball when he could? (According to the biography ''The Matchless Gene Rayburn'', it was because Gene had "star power" and was apparently seen by Kline as "a means to an end" - that being to get the show picked up. It seems Kline never actually considered giving Rayburn respect...or kindness.)
** Gene wasn't ''always'' a goofball, of course - when time came for contestants to go for the big money, he toned down the joking just enough so that all present could focus on what was at stake. On this show, Gene got semi-serious once the Bank Cards were being tabulated.

** On the other hand, Kline & Friends probably didn't expect anybody to get the maximum possible Prize Vault time of 510 seconds[[note]](one couple answers all six questions correctly in the first two rounds for 255 seconds each)[[/note]], since then the Prize Vault would last ''8:30'' and the entire show would be subject to extreme editing.

* ReplacementScrappy: Joe Farago, a guest early in the run who replaced Gene Rayburn following his firing. This [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools doesn't make Farago a bad host in his own right]], as he and his tenure (including the Master Puzzle) have their fans...but he's only put here when compared to Rayburn.

* ReplacementScrappy: Joe Farago, a guest early in the run who replaced Gene Rayburn following his firing. This [[TropesAreNotBad doesn't make Farago a bad host in his own right]], as he and his tenure (including the Master Puzzle) have their fans...but he's only put here when compared to Rayburn.

** On the other hand, Kline & Friends probably didn't expect anybody to get the maximum possible Prize Vault time of 765 seconds[[note]](one couple answers all six questions correctly in all three rounds for 255 seconds each, but their opponents win one of the first two puzzles)[[/note]], since then the Prize Vault would last ''12:45'' and the entire show would be subject to extreme editing.

* WTHCastingAgency: If you wanted a serious host in a silly stunt-based game, then why did you hire a guy ''known'' for his spontaneity and who essentially built his career through being a goofball when he could?
** Gene wasn't ''always'' a goofball, of course — when time came for contestants to go for the big money, he toned down the joking just enough so that all present could concentrate on what was at stake. On this show, Gene got semi-serious once the Bank Cards were being tabulated.

** On the other hand, Kline & Friends probably didn't expect anybody to get the maximum possible Prize Vault time of 765 seconds[[note]](one couple answers all six questions correctly in all three rounds for 255 seconds each, but their opponents win one of the first two puzzles)[[/note]], since then the Prize Vault would last ''over twelve minutes'' and the entire show would be subject to extreme editing.

** Inverted when the Prize Vault rules were slightly changed to stop the clock while Rayburn/Farago described the chosen stunt.

** Inverted, when the Prize Vault rules were slightly changed to stop the clock while Rayburn/Farago described the chosen stunt.
** Subverted, when the Master Puzzle format was introduced in January 1986 (which also altered the main game to reaching a goal of $2,000). As hinted at above, Farago's first few weeks used the Stunt format.

** Gene wasn't ''always'' a goofball, of course — when time came for contestants to go for the big money, he toned down the joking just enough so that all present could concentrate on what was at stake. On this show, Gene got semi-serious once the Bank Cards were tabulated.

* ComplacentGamingSyndrome: During the Stunt era, the number of seconds earned per correct answer was 5-10-20-40-80-100, which basically encouraged couples to not solve the puzzle they knew it early on and rewarded those who ''couldn't'' figure out the solution early.

* ComplacentGamingSyndrome: During the Stunt era, the number of seconds earned per correct answer was 5-10-20-40-80-100. Couples who knew the solution from clue 1 would only have 10 seconds after winning the best-two-out-of-three match, while those who couldn't figure it out were ''rewarded'' with more time.
* ReplacementScrappy: Joe Farago, a guest early in the run who replaced Rayburn following his firing. This [[TropesAreNotBad doesn't make Farago a bad host in his own right]], as he and his tenure (including the Master Puzzle) have their fans...but he's only put here when compared to Rayburn.

** Gene, of course, wasn't ''always'' a goofball — when time came for contestants to go for the big money, he toned down the joking just enough so that all present could concentrate on what was at stake. On this show, Gene got semi-serious once the Bank Cards were tabulated.

** Subverted, when the Master Puzzle format was introduced in January 1986 (which also altered the main game to reaching a goal of $2,000). As hinted at above, Farago's first few weeks actually used the Stunt format.

** It should be noted that Rayburn wasn't ''always'' a goofball — when time came for contestants to go for the big jackpots, he toned-down the joking just enough so that all present could concentrate on what was at stake; on ''Bank'', Gene got semi-serious once the Bank Cards were tabulated.

** Subverted, when the Master Puzzle format was introduced in January 1986 (which also altered the main game to reaching a goal of $2,000). The format change was not immediate, so Farago's first few weeks as host continued to use the Stunt Format.

* ComplacentGamingSyndrome: During the Stunt Format era, the number of seconds earned per correct answer was 5-10-20-40-80-100. Couples who knew the solution from clue 1 would only have 10 seconds after winning the best-two-out-of-three match, while those who could not figure it out were ''rewarded'' with more time.
* ReplacementScrappy: Joe Farago, a guest early in the run who replaced Rayburn following his firing. This [[TropesAreNotBad does not make Farago a bad host in his own right]], as he and his tenure (including the Master Puzzle) have their fans...but he's only put here when compared to Rayburn.
* TheyChangedItNowItSucks:
** Inverted, when the Prize Vault rules were slightly changed to stop the clock while Rayburn/Farago described the chosen stunt.
** Subverted, when the Master Puzzle format was introduced in January 1986 (which also altered the main game to reaching a goal of $2,000). The format change was not immediate, so Farago's first few weeks as host continued to use the Stunt Format.
* WTHCastingAgency: If you wanted a serious host in a stunt-based game, then why did you hire a guy ''known'' for his spontaneity and who essentially built his career through being a goofball when he could?
** It should be noted that Rayburn was not ''always'' a goofball — when time came for contestants to go for the big jackpots, he toned-down the joking just enough so that all present could concentrate on what was at stake; on ''Bank'', Gene got semi-serious once the Bank Cards were tabulated.

* ReplacementScrappy: Joe Farago, a guest early in the run who replaced Rayburn following his firing. This [[TropesAreNotBad does not make Farago a bad host in his own right]], however. Farago and his tenure have their fans, but he is only put here when compared to Rayburn.
* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: Inverted, when the Prize Vault rules were slightly changed to stop the clock while Rayburn/Farago described the chosen stunt (see above).
** Subverted through the introduction of the Master Puzzle format in January 1986 (which also altered the main game to reaching a goal of $2,000). The format change was not immediate, so Farago's first few weeks as host continued to use the Stunt Format.

** Somewhat subverted through the introduction of the Master Puzzle format in January 1986 (which also altered the main game to reaching a goal of $2,000). The format change was not immediate, so Farago's first few weeks as host continued to use the Stunt Format.