PlayMania
| PlayMania | |
|---|---|
Fun to watch, better to play! | |
| Starring | Mel Peachey and Shandi Finnessey |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 81 (as of September 29, 2006) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 2 hours |
| Original release | |
| Network | GSN |
| Release | April 6, 2006 – present |
PlayMania is an interactive game show on GSN, hosted by Mel Peachey and Shandi Finnessey. The two-hour program features interactive mini-games in which contestants may text message in and win cash prizes. The show airs from 12 AM - 2 AM Eastern every Thursday night through Sunday night (technically early Friday through Monday morning in the Eastern time zone).
Schedule
At its debut, Playmania aired three times a week (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday). As of August 27, 2006, a Sunday edition was added. Beginning October 3, 2006, Tuesday and Wednesday editions will be added. [1]
Format
PlayMania is a game show where the contestants are home viewers. American residents over eighteen may enter the contest by text messaging a request or by using the GSN.com online form. Only one entry is necessary per game (however, you may enter multiple times) and only ten requests are allowed per episode.
Within a few moments, a contestant is notified whether or not their entry is chosen (at random) to proceed to another random selection process. If an entry is selected in the second phase, they will be called on their home or mobile phone, depending on the method of entry. They will be placed into the contestant queue called "The Players Lounge" and given a chance to play if the game lasts long enough. After a game is completed, the queue is cleared and a new entry is required. A $.99 fee (plus standard text messaging rate charges) applies for each text message entry; entries on the network's Web site are free. Entries have an equal chance of selection, regardless of the means of entry.
The official rules detailing charges and entry are located at the show's website.
Games
PlayMania features various minigames which are played throughout the program. The rewards for the games are usually cash prizes ranging from $50 - $200 in cash. There are a few methods PlayMania employs to speed up a game or to move on to a new one:
- Hints may be given by the host (or Jonathan, the graphics controller) to viewers
- Multiple guesses may be allowed
- The host may also increase the prize amount as an incentive, or alternately, a clock may be set for three minutes in which all the calls taken during that time will be playing for doubled prizes. This method debuted on August 11, 2006.
- The host will sometimes utilize the play-along pad (a whiteboard) to record her personal answer to the game. The person who guesses that answer generally receives $25 in addition to any prize they have or may not have won in the main game.
Any games that are not completed before the end of a day's broadcast except for a Top 5 are normally carried over to the start of the next show.
Current Games
These games are currently featured in rotation on PlayMania.
AlphaBuck$
Similar to Wheel of Fortune or Hangman, this game gives a category (like Movie Title) and players attempt to guess a letter that is in the puzzle. If the player has letters in the puzzle, they will earn a small amount per letter. If any of their letters is in the puzzle, they have an opportunity to guess the puzzle. If the puzzle is guessed correctly, a larger bonus is given.
A word, name or phrase with the letters mixed up will be given related to a specified category. The contestant must identify what the unscrambled phrase is.
Category Game
Three items or names, all in interlocking circles (almost depicting a Venn diagram), are listed. The contestant must identify what all of the items have in common in the most specific manner. (i.e. Names: Dory, Marlin. Coral Category: Finding Nemo charters.)
Similar to a crossword puzzle, Crosswords features four horizontal words with one letter in each word replaced with a question mark. Vertically, the letters behind the question marks make an actual word. The contestant must identify (and spell) the hidden word. The portion needed to be filled in may appear to be multiple words; however, the host has an envelope containing the chosen word.
Find the Missing Letters
A five-letter word is given with two consecutive letters replaced by a question mark. The contestant must identify (and spell) the displayed word. The portion revealed may appear to be multiple words; however, the host has an envelope containing the chosen word. Sometimes, a four-letter word is used instead of a five-letter word.
Missing Link
Three words will be given which have a common word preceding (or succeeding) it to make a common word or phrase. The player must complete the phrase.
Movie/Television Quotes
Three quotes, each from a famous American film or television program are listed, each with a cash prize beside it. The contestant must guess which quote they're attempting for and what film/show they think it is from.
Name the Catch Phrase
A rebus based on a popular, everyday phrase is given. (e.g., VA DERS would be Space Invaders, because there is a space in the word "Vaders".) The caller must identify what the "decoded" phrase is. This game debuted on the August 18 episode.
Name the Celebrity
A blurred or pixelated photograph of a celebrity is shown. The contestant must identify who the celebrity is. It debuted on the September 29 episode and took over 30 minutes to complete
Top 5
Similar to Family Feud, a category is given (e.g., "Top 5 Elton John Hits") The top five answers to the survey or fact-proven data are hidden, and it is the contestant's job to reveal one of them. Once all of the answers have been revealed, the game ends. The default values of a correct answer usually, ranging from #1-#5, are $200, $150, $100, $75 and $50, respectively.
Twisted Title
A title of a movie is described using synonyms for the words in the title (e.g., Deceased Verse Writers Club would be Dead Poets Society and Males Wearing Ebony would be Men In Black). The contestant must idenitfy the original title.
Word $lam
Nine letters are listed in random order. Three three-letter words have been pre-chosen, each with a cash prize attached to it. The object is to take the nine letters and make a smaller word based on the length requirement given. Each word may appear to have multiple answers; however, the host has an envelope containing the chosen words. The game is also played with three different-sized word requirements, at three, five, and seven letters. This game has roots in the inactive game Shrink 'N Scramble.
Inactive Games
These games have not been recently featured in rotation on PlayMania.
Conundrums
There are three variations on this game.
Rebus
The first variation is rebus-style. A sequence of letters and numbers will be side-by-side. Correctly saying the sounds in order will make it sound like a common phrase. (e.g., G R 8 S C AH T would be Great Scot.) The contestant must guess the common phrase.
Abbreviated Phrase
The second variation is an abbreviated phrase. A common phrase containing numbers and letters will be abbreviated to simply the numbers and first letters of important words. (e.g., 12 D of C would be Twelve Days of Christmas) The contestant must identify the phrase.
Movie Conundrums
This third version was only played once. Listed beside a cash prize are three titles of famous American films containing numbers and letters. The titles are abbreviated to simply the numbers and first letters of important words. (e.g., 50 F D would be 50 First Dates.) The player picks one of the titles to attempt and then must give the full title.
Identical to the show of the same name, the object is to identify a five-letter word. The first letter is given, and as contestants continue to play, hints such as other letters in the word are given. The contestant must identify (and spell) the word.
Shrink 'N Scramble
Three different-sized words are listed, each with a cash prize attached to it. The object is to take one of the words and make a smaller word based on the length requirement given and the letters contained in that word. Each word may appear to have multiple answers; however, the host has an envelope containing the chosen word for each larger word.
What's Missing?
A common symbol is shown, with an obvious part replaced with a question mark. The contestant must identify what would commonly replace the question mark.
Word Cuts
A word that has been cut in half is displayed. The contestant must identify (and spell) the displayed word. The portion revealed may appear to be multiple words; however, the host has an envelope containing the chosen word.
Special Games
For a special occasion or promotional opportunity, PlayMania will often engage in special, personalized game. Some of these included the celebration of Mother's Day and the promotion of the DVD release of RV.
Winner's Weekend
The PlayMania week of August 24 not only debuted its new time and extra Sunday broadcast, but was also a "Winner's Weekend." This week has puzzles about television to honor the 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. The show debuted studio set changes and alterations along with changes to e-mail graphics. To go with the theme, PlayMania held their own awards, the PlayMes. They were a parody of the Emmy awards. The award categories were designed to showcase attributes and features of PlayMania, even though PlayMania only won in one of four categories. The nominees were announced on August 24 - August 26, 2006, and the winners were announced on August 27, 2006 by Starface host Danny Bonaduce. Also on the Sunday broadcast, $2,000 was given away to a caller named Julie making her the biggest PlayMania winner ever.
Other Features
The show also involves other interactive features.
E-Mails
Finnessey, Peachey, or Peckham will often read an e-mail on air from a PlayManiac.
Themes
Since July 13, 2006, each episode has had an assigned theme corresponding to the e-mails. The moods of the e-mails can be any sort: Serious, light-hearted and even downright ridiculous.
Pictures
One of the girls will showcase pictures that the PlayManiacs have sent in, sometimes accompanied with e-mails.
Video Clips
Beginning on September 29, viewers have been encouraged to send in video clips of less than ten seconds in length, filmed by cell phones.
Other Featured Crew Members
- "Magic" Mike Dooley, the sound engineer.
- Mike (camera one), Scott (camera two) and Johnny (substitute), the cameramen
- Jonathan, the graphics operator who delivers the messages in the lower blue box.
- Shelly, the person who calls the contestants. She occasionally fills in for Jonathan.
Trivia
General
- The show is based on QuizNation, a British television channel in which both Peachey and Peckham are hosts.
- In the show's first month of existence, gift cards and sporting goods from Dick's Sporting Goods, the show's main sponsor, were common along with normal cash prizes.
- Viewers of GSN's West Coast feed only see a tape-delayed episode of PlayMania. West Coast viewers wishing to participate would be required to watch the live presentation on the East Coast feed, if available (mainly on satellite).
- The timeslot of the show changed from 1 - 3 AM to 12 - 2 AM starting with the August 24 show.
- A Sunday broadcast was added on August 27.
- Hannah Peckham, who debuted on the June 15, 2006 episode, serves as a substitute host. She has previously worked with Peachey in England.
- To the left of the monitor attached to the wall commonly used to show e-mails are pictures of hosts Mel Peachey and Shandi Finnessey on the shelf below it, along with a bobblehead of Finnessey's Lingo co-host, Chuck Woolery. That angle of the studio is rarely shown, but it is visible during e-mail segments.
- Finnessey finishes off every episode by saying, "God bless."
- The highest amount won by a single person was $2,000 on August 27, 2006, the final day of the Winner's Weekend. Julie took the prize in a special bonus round by identifying that Steve Carell stars in The Office.
- As of late August 2006, PlayMania has given away over $100,000.
Specific Episodes
- During the April 8, 2006 episode, an e-mail was read that was supposedly written by a person named Drew. Although the last name wasn't revealed, it was evident that the e-mail was supposed to be written by Drew Pickles from the program Rugrats, mainly because it had referenced his "daughter Angelica and nephew Tommy." Although the e-mail was a prank, it wasn't acknowledged by Peachey that it was any joke.
- An e-mail read on April 16, 2006 contained a proposal for marriage and a best man. Both of them accepted.
- Before Peachey left on May 11, 2006, she and Finnessey had a "Top 5 Play-Off". A timer was set at three minutes and callers were alternated between Finnessey and Peachey. If a contestants got an answer right, the amount he/she won were added to the hosts' scores. They alternated back and forth until the timer ran out. Finnessey finished with the most points.
- The May 12, 2006 episode was cancelled and two episodes of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire aired instead. There was a problem with the text messaging system, and a decision was made minutes before the show was to air to go "dark" for the night until the problem was fixed.
- On two occasions, regulars from I've Got a Secret served as guest co-hosts in charge of viewer e-mail. The e-mail theme was biggest secrets. Jermaine Taylor appeared on June 17, 2006 and Bil Dwyer appeared on June 22, 2006. Bil was there as a "leftover" from the live segments during the I've Got a Secret marathon, taped in the PlayMania studio.
- On the June 23, 2006 episode, Finnessey began the episode as host. Peachey called in during a game of AlphaBuck$, apparently from LAX. She told Finnessey she would be at the studio via the "PlayMania helicopter", ready to host in twenty minutes. Peachey took over hosting duties approximately fifty minutes into the episode.
- On the July 29, 2006 episode, Finnessey's parents were featured on the show. Finnessey's mom appeared during a Finnessey's favorite bonus round, while Finnessey's father appeared a handful of times for the theme of the e-mails. This episode was the 50th PlayMania episode.
- The August 31, 2006 episode debuted a new font for most of the on-screen graphics. However, it was changed to the original font the next week.