Have you been called out yet to take the ALS ice bucket challenge? It’s the new in-thing sweeping across social media. Everyone from athletes to celebrities are recording videos of themselves dumping an ice cold bucket of water over their heads to raise funds to fight Lou Gehrig’s Disease. While the whole thing is based on good intentions, but some of these videos don’t go so well.
YouTube has been flooded with videos of people taking the challenge. Many have tried to one up another by having fire trucks or even helicopters dump the water on them. As you can imagine, not all of these stunts go as planned. Even the basic dumping of water from a bucket has had a few hilarious consequences. Let’s take a look at some of the ALS ice bucket challenge fails…
http://youtu.be/wCisNA4Wbw0
Lou Gehrig’s Disease, known as ALS or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a motor neuron disease, which caused the person affected to lose basic motor control. It causes muscle weakness, trouble speaking, trouble swallowing, and trouble breathing. Most people affected usually die from the disease in about 39 months. More than 5,600 are diagnosed in the United States every year and it affects 2 out of every 100,000 people.
The ice bucket challenge is designed to raise funds for research against the disease. The challenge has so far raised $41.8 million in donations from July 28 – August 21. They raised $10 million on August 21st alone! The fundraiser is smashing all kinds of records. (ALS earned $63 million in donations for all of 2013) and continues to grow.
THE 411
Name: ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
What: viral video campaign to raise funds for Lou Gehrig’s Disease research
Suggested cost: $10 if you dump the bucket of ice, $100 if not
Time: participants challenged are to complete their challenge within 24 hours
JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS
The ice bucket challenge is a great idea, but I just hope that it doesn’t take away from other charitable organizations that are trying to raise funds. Whether you choose to participate or not, charitable donation is up to the individual giver. It’s up to you – where you decide your money goes.
Imagine sitting in a theater, enjoying a live performance one second, and then having to run for your life from fire and smoke the next. Thankfully due to modern advances in fire technology and strict building codes, these types of experiences don’t happen that often. But, almost a century and a half ago; a thousand theater goers in Brooklyn had their lives placed in jeopardy and sadly almost 300 of them didn’t make it out.
The Brooklyn Theater opened on October 2, 1871 near Washington and Johnson streets in Brooklyn, New York. Being located close to ferries and mass transportation to Manhattan, the theater was able to bring in big name productions and actors, and featured packed houses on most nights. One of the area’s most elegant and successful theaters, the design featured seating on three levels. Each seating level was partitioned off from the others and featured their own separate entrances, so patrons could not socialize with or sneak into the lower levels with more expensive seats. The parquet and parquet circle seating was on the ground level with seating for 600. The dress circle, which also housed the second level balcony, had seating for 450. The family circle, which featured the cheapest seats, was located on the third level with seating for 450 and had its own ticket booth.
Brooklyn Theater before the fire.
On Tuesday, December 5, 1876, about a thousand theater goers were watching a live production of The Two Orphans, a French show, which was a popular show touring theaters at the time. It was around 11pm and the play had paused for an intermission between the fourth and fifth acts. The orchestra was playing and the curtain was down. The cast had taken their positions.
As the curtain rose, the stage manager noticed a small fire off to the left side of the stage. The fire was coming from a large drop curtain which contained a background image for another scene. Part of the drop had become detached and touched one of the stage’s gas lights and was ignited.
Before electricity, theaters used gas lights to illuminate the stage. Each gas light featured a screen that was designed to keep anything away from the flame. Strict rules governed who could ignite the lights and everything was controlled at a gas table, which is similar to today’s light boards. The table would feature valves that could be opened and closed to increase or lower the flames that would brighten or dim the lights. The lights would be lit there by remote by causing a small spark from a flint (just like your gas stove).
The stage manager noticed the flame and called for stagehands to put it out. While there was a fire hose and water buckets available, both were obscured by sets for Julius Caesar, that were stacked on the side of the stage waiting to be shipped out. Nobody could get to the flames quickly enough and the fire grew.
The curtain goes up and the actors begin the scene, while the crew tried to stay off stage and battle the growing fire. The actors spoke their lines and the crowd became aware of the situation as embers rained down on the stage as stagehands now began to beat the flames out with large poles. It didn’t work.
The actors then fell out of character and tried to calm the crowd. Many were already heading for the exits. As the actors and even the stage manager took the stage to try and calm the panic, a large piece of flaming wood landed in front of one of the cast and it caused people to panic even more.
Some of the cast evacuated the stage and exited the side stage doors onto Johnson Street. A few ran through a secret corridor that ran from their dressing rooms to the ticket office. While two others, returned to their dressing room to grab their coats and became trapped as the flames quickly engulfed the stage.
The head usher tried to open the fire doors at the rear of the lower auditorium, but couldn’t as the doors were locked and rarely opened, leaving the lock was corroded. Eventually, he was able to force the doors open and more people escaped. However, this new inflow of air caused the flames to spread even faster, now out to the seating area.
The second floor patrons jammed their single staircase exit to a near halt. There was a second exit on that level, but it too was locked and no one ever made it upstairs to open it. Several people tried to escape that way, but were forced to turn around and head back to the crowd.
The 400 people that were seating in the third level family circle found themselves, not having to worry so much about the flames at first, but the thick black smoke that quickly filled their level. They only had a single staircase as an exit that featured three stairways and a second floor landing. The panicked crowd immediately jammed that stairs, with the smoke and flames right behind them. Eventually, the gas lights in the hallway went out, leaving this exit a dark jammed mess. People fell and many were trampled in the confusion, while those still at the top began to asphyxiate from the smoke. More than half of the patrons sitting on this level succumbed to the smoke in a matter of minutes.
Brooklyn Theater after the fire and collapse.
The Brooklyn fire company arrived at 11:26pm, but the flames were already out of control. The chief decided to try and contain the fire and save the neighboring buildings, instead of just putting in out. The fireman entered the lobby and assisted who they could to get out. They entered the family circle stairs, but didn’t make it far as they stairs were filled with thick black smoke. The auditorium was now fully engulfed in flames. Those who were still inside never had a chance. They did a quick check of the second level, where there were no signs of life. Whoever had made it out in those few minutes were alive, the hundreds that did not … were gone.
At about 11:45, cracks began to form in the walls and the building collapsed causing the flames to grow even more. The fire company was able to bring it under control by 3am.
The official report is that 278 people perished in the fire. It is currently the third highest amount of fatalities among fire that have occurred in public buildings and theaters in the United States.
A 2013 Google Maps shot of the area, showing a very different Johnson Street and park.
Today, nothing remains of the theater site. Another performance house opened as well as a newspaper on the site, but the entire area was razed in the mid 20th century to create Cadman Plaza. A monument in the park honors those lives lost.
Buildings today are constructed to much stricter codes that require fire doors to remain unlocked, add plentiful fire hoses, hydrants, and alarms. I was once seeing a movie at The Waterfront in Pittsburgh one night and the fire alarm went off and we were forced to evacuate the theater. I remember staring at the screen, being focused deep in the film. Suddenly, the movie quickly went off and two white strobe lights kicked on directly underneath. It took a second for the house lights to come up. It was a disorienting experience and it took me a moment to understand what was going on. In fact, I really didn’t until an automated announcement over the intercom to evacuate. But, I can understand how seconds can come into play during a life or death situation, especially involving a fire.
This story also reminds me of the Station Nightclub fire that happened in Warwick, Rhode Island back in 2003. The entire incident was caught on tape by a news crew, when pyrotechnics caught the stage on fire and burned the entire building in just over 5 minutes. 100 people sadly perished.
Monument to the victims of the Brooklyn Theater fire.
THE 411
What: Brooklyn Theater Fire
Date: December 5, 1876
Location: Brooklyn, New York
JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:
I found this story surfing the internet one night and it made me stop and think. It’s always a good idea, just to take 2 seconds, and look for the closest exit when you’re at a theater. While evacuations and incidents are rare, it’s just a good idea to know where to go if you must quickly exit. In fact, that’s just a good policy in general. We have disaster drills at work every few months that are mandated by the FDNY that teach us where to go and the several different options we have to exit. Our fire alarm malfunctions every day, but I’m confident that in an emergency, I know several different ways out.
It’s been a great summer counting down my top 100 TV themes. It was a task that was harder than it looked! I chose my top 100 based on theme, style, and if the credits properly demonstrated to viewers what the series was about. There were many more than 100 that I wanted to feature, so here’s a few honorable mentions that came close to making my list.
ENTOURAGE
The Entourage opening credits featured a great theme and cool shots of the actor’s names as neon store front signs in LA. The final overhead car shot was pretty neat, too!
WILL & GRACE
Will & Grace get bonus points for having one of the most unique opening credits sequences I’ve ever seen. Whoever designed this did a great job of interspersing a few funny clips inside layers of the show’s logo, something no one else has really done. The piano theme is pretty cool, too!
MISTER ROGERS NEIGHBORHOOD
http://youtu.be/nDjU-BTUY1Q
Everyone who was a kid in the 70s – 90s can probably sing this theme song! When I was a kid, I always wanted that traffic light in Mr. Rogers’ house!
Only people from Western Pennsylvania have probably ridden the Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood trolley at Idlewild Park in Ligonier, PA. Sadly, that ride has closed and will be re-themed as Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and will reopen in 2015.
SESAME STREET
Sesame Street is really much more hi-tech now then when we were all kids, right?
ER
Man this was a big show back in the day… and George Clooney, wonder whatever happened to him?
CAGNEY & LACEY
The saxophone solos in the second version of the Cagney & Lacey credits was the best! Much better than the jazzy theme from the forgetful first season with Meg Foster!
TJ HOOKER
I am so glad they are rerunning this on Universal HD… William Shatner jumping over the hood of cars, YES PLEASE!
THE BRADY BUNCH
Here’s another song that everybody knows. This was taken from an early second season episode. They would have to reshoot the opening each season as the kids grew older.
STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE
The second version of the opening credits to this series was the best! I love how they added all the little ships and activity going on around the space station.
THE 411
What: TV Theme Songs
Use: themes used to open a TV series or cartoon
Purpose: introduce main cast and introduce audience to the theme of the series
Numbers reviewed: Honorable mentions
JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:
So, here are a few that I wish I could have squeezed into my top 100 list. There are loads more that we could have gone over and everybody has their opinion, but these few really needed to be added to the list.
I hope through my top 100 and these bonus additions, that I was able to help you take a walk down TV memory lane. I also hope that I got a few of your favorites on my list! If there’s any you think I missed – I’d love to hear about it!
I don’t own any of the rights to these, nor did I upload them to YouTube. This blog is presented for educational and informational purposes.
We’re at the top 20 mark of my 100 favorite TV themes summer countdown. I hope you’ve enjoyed this as much as I! These top 20 opening themes are some of the best that ever appeared on television. Let’s check out 11-20 and see if you were a fan of these shows, too…
#20 THE JEFFERSONS
Airdates: 1975-1985 (CBS)
They’re movin’ on up!
What started out as a spin-off from All in the Family, The Jeffersons took on a life of its own. Anybody remember George Jefferson as on of Archie Bunker’s neighbors?
After hitting it big in dry cleaning, George and his wife Weezy purchase an apartment in New York City’s Upper East Side. The mismatch between not only the couple, but also their neighbors, and smart mouth maid kept this sit-com on the air for 11 seasons.
The first set of opening credits perfectly set the tone of the series. You see the Jeffersons leaving their Queens home, driving over the 59th St. Bridge to the Upper East Side and entering the front elevator door to their new life. Later versions of the credits kept the same song, but used hilarious b-roll shots of the series.
http://youtu.be/R8aSSqBRvZc
The Jefferson’s apartment building is a real life apartment building in the Upper East Side. I know, I work around the corner, and pass it all the time!
I also found this unusual version of their opening credits when the show was aired in Italy. I have no idea why it was edited this way, but the retro shot of Manhattan is kind of cool… the still shots of the actors are not!
You know a game show is good when it is still on the air after 35+ years! Originally developed as a spin-off to Match Game, Family Feud has kept the pulse of America since the 1970’s. You ask 100 people a question and contestants have to guess their top answers for cash. It’s a pretty simple concept.
The best part of Family Feud’s theme was the original opening where the families would pose behind the large yellow door. When the show returned in 1999, the producers got rid of the doors, but the families still had that freeze frame moment. Sadly, they have abandoned the big family intro in the past couple of seasons and they really need to bring it back.
Everybody knew Richard Dawson as the original and probably the greatest host ever for this series. He kissed every woman and even married one of the contestants!
When the series returned in 1988, it was with a new host Ray Combs, who was never as good as Dawson. After a few years of ratings decline, they brought Dawson back with a new version of the original theme and a new set. This only lasted one season, as the ratings took a major hit during the OJ Simpson trial that caused the show to routinely be preempted.
The show was brought back again in 1999, this time with Louie Anderson as host. He got the job after Dawson turned it down. Louie was hilarious during his first season, but during his second and third seasons, he seemed to lose interest. With Louie as host, the original theme song was abandoned and a cheesy new theme was created. The little riddles to introduce the family are absolutely embarrassing.
http://youtu.be/JQH99_421PQ
After three seasons with Louie, the producers hired Richard Karn (Al from Home Improvement.) He was terrible! I went to a taping once while he was hosting and he lost his place and they had to retape part of the round. He also made a ton of mistakes. For a brief time during his hosting, they brought back the original theme, but then returned to the Louie Anderson music. After three seasons of Karn, producers hired John O’Hurley (Mr. Peterman from Seinfeld) as host. I think O’Hurley was the best behind Dawson. He was funny, personable, and easy to understand. It was during his run that they finally brought back the classic music and had the families pose again!
Since 2010, Steve Harvey has been the host of the show with Joey Fatone as announcer (although he only reads one line that they use over and over again at the opening, so that kind of doesn’t count as announcing.) Production of the show moved first to Orlando and now to Atlanta, where Harvey lives and hosts his radio show. The latest version keeps scoring high ratings, but many of the questions are now quite sexual in nature. I’m not sure I would let my kids watch the latest version of the show.
But, no matter what… Family Feud is still an awesome game show and I hope to see this one on the air for many more years to come.
#18 LAW AND ORDER
Airdates: 1990-2010 (NBC)
Dun… dun…
While the awesome theme and the style of the opening credits to this show haven’t changed during the 20 seasons, the cast sure did. None of the cast from season 1 made it all the way through to the end.
Law & Order detectives take on the hardest criminals in New York City’s mean streets. The series has also spawned four spin-offs including, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Trial By Jury, and Law & Order: LA. The latter was an attempt to continue the series, but it was a massive ratings flop. Each version of the show used an opening credit theme similar to the original, except for the LA version, which then changed to the classic style credits once the ratings were already in trouble.
http://youtu.be/kP85px_tZ10
Law & Order takes full advantage of the NYC streetscape and really can’t work anywhere else (see LA flop version). There’s always crime and there’s always a story on the streets of the Big Apple. You also get to see the gentrification of the city as each season passes.
I love the theme song, I love the color palette, and I love the editing style of every version of the credits. There’s still lots more stories to tell. Even though SVU is still on the air, I think they could bring back the original with a new cast.
#17 ROSEANNE
Airdates: 1988-1997 (ABC)
Roseanne was the working class family that everyone could relate to. At least they did until the weird last season where the family hit the lottery. Anyhow, this show was a ratings blockbuster that I’ll still watch if I catch it flipping through the channels.
Roseanne’s opening credits were also quite original. For the first few years, it featured the cast sitting around the kitchen table and would be reshot every season as the kids got older.
In the later years, they switched to morphing headshots in a photo frame, but kept the sax. The kitchen table shots were still the best.
For the final season, most of the cast and producers wanted to end the show, but ABC threw a boatload of money at them, so they pressed on for one more. This was where we got all the fantasy episodes… remember Roseanne as a super hero saving a train that was taken over by terrorists? The last season’s intro was pretty cool and that’s where we finally get words to the theme song! Thanks John Popper!
#16 THE BIG BANG THEORY
Airdates: 2007-present (CBS)
Four geeks trying to make their way in the world is the theme behind one of TV’s current ratings leader. The Big Bang Theory has been renewed for several more seasons and can give anyone hope that they can make it in the real world, no matter if you have common sense or not. While these guys may be geniuses, they have very little life skills… and that’s where the comedy comes from. I would love to challenge them to a round of rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock!
The original pilot for the show had a much different set of opening credits and featured the 80’s rock song “She Blinded Me with Science.” I like how the song and the look of the credits take us quickly forward from the Big Bang to the present.
#15 THE SIMPSONS
Airdates: 1989-present (FOX)
I thought for sure there would be a zillion different Simpsons opening credits uploaded to YouTube, but it turns out that’s incorrect. They too, most police for their videos.
The Simpsons has broken just about every TV milestone and can be considered America’s favorite family since they made their debut on The Tracy Ullman Show back in 1987. Remember those shorts?
I love the opening credits and they really haven’t changed much over the years. The biggest was when the show finally went to HD a few seasons ago. With the upgrade, the credits were reorganized with more sight gags added.
The best part has been Bart’s funny lines he’s writing on the chalk board and the couch gag, which are reworked for each and every episode. It’s not every show that does something unique for their credits each time!
I’m a huge Simpsons fan, but the comedy has gone down hill in the last few seasons. I’m not sure if we’ve done all that we can do with the characters, but the writing and jokes just aren’t on par with the earlier seasons of the show. It almost feels like they’re trying to be too much like The Family Guy. The show did better when they focused on one character and went for the little sight gags. I hope they can do something to boost the creativity and keep this show on the air for many more years. The movie was hilarious, but the weekly series is now lacking.
#14 MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
Airdates: 1970-2005 (ABC), 2006-present (ESPN)
http://youtu.be/4A_oBNPeHIo
So, what ABC affiliate general manager is not kicking himself in the butt for letting this big money show go to cable?
This selection in my countdown may shock a few people, but it earned its place for two reasons. It has kept the same general opening theme music for decades and also has featured the Monday Night Party intro as well, which is changed each week and reshot each season.
While I love the FOX Sports theme music, ABC’s football theme was first, and I’m glad that they still use it on the ESPN broadcasts.
When Monday Night Football was on regular broadcast television, local stations earned big bucks by selling their share of commercial ad time that was provided by the network. However, many affiliates complained that the long length of the games would delay their 11pm newscasts and cause a drop in ratings. After hearing so many complaints, ABC moved the series to ESPN, where it’s been airing ever since. Sadly, the ratings these stations got back for their 11pm news was short lived. Ratings for all 11pm newscasts are down, now that people get their info off the internet and none of ABC Monday night programs have earned the same ratings. This really was a horrible move on the part of ABC affiliates, who have no one to blame but themselves.
I’m not sure of the exact year ABC started using their now iconic football theme, but check out the game open from 1970 – that’s brought to you by CIGARETTES!
http://youtu.be/8Ldg292epdg
While football on Sunday is awesome and the occasional Monday night matchup is great, both the league and network TV are doing themselves a disservice by adding games on Thursday and Saturday nights. It’s too much football, spread out during the week. NFL games should be more of an event. I, like most people, have to get up for work on Friday… (even some Sunday night games can be painful!) Let’s keep the party where it should be… to two nights a week.
But, let’s check out on more ABC themed MNF open… this one from Halloween 1994!
#13 PARTY OF FIVE
Airdates: 1994-2000 (FOX)
I have to admit, I was not a major fan of this series – but I thought the short opening credits sequence rocked!
Party of Five was a teen drama, which focused on five siblings who had to find a way to live together after their parents are killed by a drunk driver. The show barely escaped cancellation due to low ratings after the first season, but FOX kept it on, and it eventually found an audience.
They must not have been able to secure the rights to use “Closer to Free” internationally. Check out the overdubbed opening credits as seen in Mexico!
#12 DIFF’RENT STROKES
Airdates: 1978-1985 (NBC) 1985-1986 (ABC)
http://youtu.be/iAwagCwJj-g
Does anybody have any real idea what the lyrics to these opening credits mean? I get it’s the story of two orphans from Harlem who go to live with a rich guy in a New York City penthouse… but is the word Strokes a metaphor for a painting on a canvas and that no two are alike? I guess so, because everybody’s got a special kind of story.
Does the voice behind the song sound familiar? That’s actor Alan Thicke, the eventual star of Growing Pains. Thicke actually created the theme song for a number of sit-coms and game shows.
The video shoot from the first season, is similar to The Jeffersons, as it shows their journey from poor to rich in about one verse.
As the series went on, the opening would change to feature new cast shots and b-roll. The kids grew up after each season, Mrs. Garett the original housekeeper left for The Facts of Life, and finally Mr. Drummond gets married and a new woman and her son move in.
Here’s a look at the last NBC season opening:
http://youtu.be/ct5qf3yQHWo
After NBC cancelled the show, ABC picked it up for one more season. Dixie Carter left after fighting with Gary Coleman on the set, so they brought in a lookalike. Since the show changed networks, a new remixed version of the theme was required. Since there are only a handful of episodes of this version of the music, you could say it’s a little rare. It was a cool idea to use all the picture frames, which was high tech at the time!
http://youtu.be/Ubgx8WH84jw
And I found this awesome clip of a Diff’rent Strokes / Knight Rider crossover! I don’t ever remember this… it was clearly a very special two part episode!
http://youtu.be/l3ykuBTVNWo
#11 FRIENDS
Airdates: 1994-2004 (NBC)
http://youtu.be/sLisEEwYZvw
Another show that I wasn’t a big fan of, but I clearly get they’re a group of friends, trying to figure out life in New York City.
The theme song became so popular, it was rewritten with extra verses added, so it could be played on radio. The show lasted for 11 seasons, but the credits were shortened to just the main verse in the later years. Sad, the playing in the fountain opening was kind of unique to this show.
Another big ratings show for NBC, but the time had come to say goodbye. The network was eager to keep some form on this show alive, so they spun-off Joey and sent him to LA to become an actor in his self titled series, Joey.
The show was awful, but yet somehow got renewed for a second season. It was so bad, Family Guy made fun of their character Cleveland when he was spun-off into his own show, wishing him better luck than this. I think we can all say we learned something from this blog this week. It’s not a good idea to send shows from NYC to LA. Just ask Law & Order, that’s a tough change for audiences to handle!
THE 411
What: TV Theme Songs
Use: themes used to open a TV series or cartoon
Purpose: introduce main cast and introduce audience to the theme of the series
Numbers reviewed: 11 – 20
JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:
Well, some unusual choices for my top 20, don’t you think? Next week, I finally reveal my top ten. No spoilers this time, though. See if you can guess who I picked for my number one theme!
I don’t own any of the rights to these, nor did I upload them to YouTube. This blog is presented for educational and informational purposes.
We’ve made it to the top 30 of my 100 favorite TV themes countdown. We’ve seen a lot of classic show intros that you may have forgotten about, but hopefully they’ve brought back some great memories.
Let’s get to it and see what the next set of 10 in our countdown will be…
#30 THE A-TEAM
Airdates: 1983-1987 (NBC)
This may be one of my favorite TV shows of all time!
A group of crack commandos are hunted by the US government for a war crime that they didn’t commit. They reside in the Los Angeles underground and survive as soldiers of fortune. You’ve got a problem and no one else can help… maybe you can hire The A-Team!
Once they dropped the annoying female reporter from the show (she really didn’t fit into the plot lines), this series hit its stride. The A-Team was much more than just guys shooting guns and blowing things up (although that part was AWESOME and yet somehow nobody ever really got seriously hurt!) The series also interspersed comedy and some outrageous situations while their lives are on the line and somehow they always got the job done.
I loved how Mr. T’s character of B.A. Baracus, was afraid of flying and each time they had to board a plane, the team would have to find a different way to knock him out.
I started wearing Chuck Taylor shoes as a kid thanks to Dwight Schultz’ character of Murdoch — the insane pilot who the team always busted out of a mental institution.
Another of composer Mike Post’s brilliant TV themes, these opening credits spell out the adventure you’re about to go on with perfect detail. They really put some thought into these credits. Did you ever notice the shot of the Cylon with Dirk Benedict? The Cylons were part of his previous big name series Battlestar Galactica.
After the ratings started to dip at the end of season 4, the series was unfortunately retooled for season 5. The team was captured and mock executed by the Feds. They then went to work for a millionaire (played by Robert Vaughn), who was head of a worldwide foundation. Their new mission involved helping countries in trouble around the globe. They now had to fight everything from drug cartels to out of control dictators. They also added a new member of the team, Frankie, a special effects specialist. Sadly, they also made Murdoch sane.
A new synthesized version of the theme song was also introduced, but all of these changes tainted the core of the show and it was gone by the end of the season.
A few years ago, a big blockbuster Hollywood movie hit theatres based on the series and was an absolute disaster. The plot was dumb, everything was shot on bad green screen, and the characters were simply trying too hard. That film should have NEVER been made.
It’s the TV show that takes ordinary people and places them into extraordinary situations. What would you do if you were the last person left on the planet, or saw a monster ripping apart an airplane wing at 33,000 feet, or being able to alter reality and bring back a loved one from the dead? Then perhaps, you’ve entered The Twilight Zone.
For over 50 years, The Twilight Zone has captured the imagination of audiences with several stories over 30 or 60 minutes that places you into the world of the supernatural. Some of the tales are down right scary, while others are meant to leave the viewer pondering their life decisions.
The power of this show has brought it back to TV multiple times and another new series or movie is currently in the very early stages of production.
I think the 1985 version of the opening theme is by far the coolest. As soon as that simple piano intro starts up, you know you’re about to enter the Zone. There’s also a slot machine based on this show that plays the theme over and over, that I’ve actually hit on a few times. There’s also an amusement park ride based on the show as well!
Here’s the intro from the latest revival that aired on UPN and was rerun for a summer on MyNetwork TV. This theme was composed by Korn’s Jonathan Davis.
http://youtu.be/KPBQ0yNcA3Q
#28 THE OFFICE
Airdates: 2005-2013 (NBC)
A hilarious faux-documentary about a group of people who sell paper in Scranton, Pennsylvania, it’s a simple as that. Cameras follow the staff on their everyday misadventures led by their inept boss, Michael Scott (Steve Carell). The office pranks, the absolute political incorrectness, and team building misadventures with hilarious cutaways and staff interviews made this show a hit! Would your boss take you out on a booze cruise, sign everyone up for a marathon, or pack everyone into a bus and travel around searching for pies?
This series is absolutely hilarious, but I never got into it until the reruns in syndication.
Honestly, I don’t know if I could ever buy paper from salesman as messed up as these, but I wouldn’t mind giving them a call! I love how the city of Scranton has embraced the show, even hanging up a banner downtown with the Dunder-Mifflin Paper Co. logo.
Sadly, this show lost its mojo, after Carell left at the end of season 7. NBC kept it alive for 2 more seasons, but it wasn’t until the very end that the show started to get funny again. Without Michael Scott – it wasn’t really The Office.
Here’s a look at the Carell-less opening credits:
http://youtu.be/f8DjXbosRT8
A plan to create a Dwight Schrute spin-off known as The Farm failed and that pilot episode was screened as part of the regular series.
The Office was originally created in the UK and aired for 12 episodes (and 3 Christmas specials). Here’s a look at the brief run of the UK version that aired on the BBC:
#27 SAVED BY THE BELL
Airdates: 1988-1989 (Disney, under the title Good Morning Miss Bliss), 1989-1993 (NBC), 1993-2000 (as Saved By the Bell: The New Class)
http://youtu.be/TS09FujeDRw
Sadly, it seems that most versions of these opening credits have been removed from Youtube, but this should still bring back memories.
If you grew up in the 90’s – you were watching this show! At, least I don’t know anyone who didn’t. And remember when there were actual kids’ shows on Saturday morning?
Saved By the Bell was the adventures of Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) and his friends’ daily lives of growing up and surviving the world of high school. This show scored blockbuster ratings for NBC, but was actually started off as a completely different show.
In 1987, NBC aired a pilot under the title Good Morning, Miss Bliss that starred Haley Mills as middle school teacher Miss Bliss. This series focused more on the teachers than it did on the kids.
Here’s a brief look at the original pilot:
There were some up and coming stars also made an appearance in that original pilot. Did you see Brian Austin Green, Jaleel White, or Jonathan Brandis?
NBC passed on the series, but The Disney Channel picked up the rights and reformatted the show to focus more on the students than Miss Bliss. It aired for 13 episodes. Only Miss Bliss herself made it to the new series and Dennis Haskens was cast as Principal Mr. Belding, a job he would have for over a decade.
NBC took a second look at the show and ordered a full season for Saturday morning kids TV where it became an instant hit. After the first season aired, NBC executives wanted to keep the ratings high during the summer, so they took the Good Morning, Miss Bliss episodes and quickly shot an intro with Zack, explaining these were their adventures in junior high. They modified the new Saved By the Bell intro to add on the additional cast that didn’t make it through to the NBC version, including Miss Bliss.
Here’s a look at the original Disney Channel credits, then stay tuned for the modified Saved By the Bell intro and credits.
The following summer, NBC executives ordered more new episodes by having the gang take summer jobs at the Malibu Sands resort. Their boss is future King of Queens star Leah Remini.
Saved By the Bell continued on for 5 seasons and for the final year, NBC doubled their order of episodes, but Tiffani Thiessen as Kelly and Elizabeth Berkley as Jesse did not want to sign on for the additional episodes, so Tori (Leanna Creel) is introduced for a block of episodes near the end of the series run.
After the cast graduated high school, NBC kept most of the gang together and spun them off onto Saved By the Bell: The College Years. It aired for one season and downright stunk.
Here’s an actual episode of the series. Fast forward to 1:16 for the credits and new opening theme song.
NBC still kept the original series alive, by casting a whole new set of kids and retitling the show Saved By the Bell: The New Class. Although it was never as popular as the original show, the series added and subtracted main cast members each season. Dustin Diamond, who played Screech during the original series (and was free after The College Years was cancelled), was brought on as a school assistant starting with season 2.
By the time the show left the air, the kids were a completely different cast. Here’s an entire episode of The New Class from season 7. Even through all the changes, I’m glad they still kept the theme song and look of the intro.
http://youtu.be/gNQ8btlH3RM
#26 PERFECT STRANGERS
Airdates: 1986-1993 (ABC)
http://youtu.be/eIUIoy2ydRk
It’s the misadventures of Balki from Mepos, who moves to Chicago to live with this American cousin Larry. Their clash of cultures was the setting for this great sit-com!
Their opening credits theme is one of the better from the 80s and 90s and you knew exactly what to expect of the show. But, their more famous intro was not the original one. Check out the opening credits from the first season:
While the first season does give us more of the theme and some cool b-roll shots of both Larry and Balki moving, those shots over the pink background make them look like a gay couple. The later version of the credits was much better.
I also read that Louie Anderson was originally cast in the role of Larry in the original pilot. I would love to see that, but I don’t think that’s ever seen the light of day.
#25 CHARLES IN CHARGE
Airdates: 1984-1985 (CBS), 1987-1990 (Syndicated)
http://youtu.be/km22zWPz4uY
I flat out hated this show when it was on the air, but I did think the theme song was kind of cool. It set the tone and clearly explained that Charles (Scott Baio) lived in the basement and was the family’s housekeeper.
It debuted on CBS in 1984, but only lasted a season due to low ratings. When it entered syndication for local stations to air, the show did much better and went on three more years.
I want to know, who was the sloppy editor for those first season CBS’ credits? Did you catch how the names are slapped on the screen almost a second before the shot of many of the actors?
When the show came back in syndication, it underwent some major changes. First, the original family the Pembrokes, moved to Seattle and a new family the Powells moved in, allowing Charles to stay in the same role. The theme song was jazzed up and the new cast members were introduced. Here’s a look at the revamped and much better credits:
http://youtu.be/PTY1BvQo8Es
#24 FAMILY GUY
Airdates: 1999-2003 (FOX), 2005-present (FOX)
What was originally ordered as a set of comedy sketches for MadTV, turned out to be a Sunday night animation staple! FOX has had ratings success with the adventures of The Griffins with their TV parodies and political incorrectness.
The best part of this show is all the cutaway gags in which no one is safe. Whether they’re making fun of Jews or the President, everybody takes an equal ribbing in this hilarious show.
This is one of the rare television series to come back from the dead to even bigger ratings. After airing the show on Wednesday nights, FOX cancelled it in 2003. The producers kept the franchise alive with a direct to DVD movie that did blockbuster sales. FOX decided to put the show back on the air and broadcast it with the rest of their Sunday night adult cartoons and the ratings have never looked back.
The show has been so successful; it’s spawned two spin-offs The Cleveland Show and American Dad. Executive producer Seth Macfarlane has gone on to write a few blockbuster movies and is even said to be working on a new version of The Flintstones. If that ever happens, I’m sure it will be comedy gold.
Where the writers of The Simpsons have seemed to run out of ideas for the past decade, Family Guy shows no sign of slowing down creatively.
#23 NIGHT COURT
Airdates: 1984-1992 (NBC)
No TV theme countdown is complete without Night Court! If I ever had to end up in a New York City courtroom, I would hope that it’s Judge Harold T. Stone’s (Harry Anderson.)
The premise of the show was simple. You get arrested or sued for a petty crime; you end up in Judge Stone’s late night court. The series dealt with the crazy people that would end up in front of his bench as well as the lives of the judge, his defendants, and bailiffs.
There were a few major cast changes over the years. First, it took three seasons to cast Markie Post as attorney Christine Sullivan. For the first two seasons, we had three different attorneys in the role.
Secondly, there were three female bailiffs. The first was chain smoking Selma Diamond as Selma, died from lung cancer after the second season. She was replaced by Florence Halop as Florence, but she died after season three. Finally, Marsha Warfield took on the role as Roz from season four onward.
There were also two court clerks during the run. Karen Austin as Lana during season one and Charles Robinson as Mac from season two onwards.
Here’s a look at the pilot’s credits. Check out the different cast and Richard Moll with hair! I also love how you get to see some awesome shots of the gritty 80’s New York City streets.
http://youtu.be/3iYZ6X4Skf4
…and here’s the season 3 intro with Florence Halop.
#22 THE COSBY SHOW
Airdates: 1984-1992 (NBC)
It’s one of the most popular sit-coms in TV history and may have saved NBC from bankruptcy in the 1980s. The Huxtables were the family that everybody wanted to be a part of. No matter what the problem, Cliff (Bill Cosby) and Claire (Phylicia Rashad) would make sure to turn it into a teaching moment for their kids. Sometimes they would break into song, sometimes they would turn the house into a giant apartment building to teach their son a lesson, or they would welcome yet another long lost relative that’s a great jazz musician!
The series concept was almost perfect, two professional working parents, and five kids. Except that when the kids started to grow up, the show lost something. The first five seasons were hilarious, well written, and well produced. Once they brought in Olivia (Raven-Symone) this show down right sucked. At this point, both Rudy (Keisha Knight Pulliam) and Vanessa’s (Tempestt Bledsoe) characters were useless. The writers also tried to go for the “look at the little cute kid” tactics and would really derail the plot. The last three seasons each saw major ratings slides.
What I did love is how each season; they would shoot a new set of opening credits, and rework the theme song.
Somebody on Youtube edited every single version of the theme into one big movie. Take a look! The theme used for the last season, was actually supposed to be for the season before, but producers could not get the rights to the mural in the background, which is why seasons 6 & 7 intros are the same.
http://youtu.be/-LeYcyYUg-w
#21 READING RAINBOW
Airdates: 1983-2006 (PBS)
http://youtu.be/vwrybM6tL-8
I had no idea this show was still on the air in 2006, but who is the knucklehead that pulled the plug? It’s an educational TV show that’s teaching kids to read! Fortunately, host LeVar Burton is working to bring this series back, and I predict it will be on the air within two years. It’s already back as an IPAD app and a Kickstarter campaign rose over 5 million in days!
I grew up watching this show. I don’t like to read, but this show sure made me want to. Plus, I learned all kinds of life lessons from the vignettes and on locations shoots that Burton would present. My favorite was the behind the scenes tour of Star Trek: The Next Generation, where he played Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge.
Here’s a remastered version of the theme that was used from 1999 on…
http://youtu.be/_C0weGdvwr8
THE 411
What: TV Theme Songs
Use: themes used to open a TV series or cartoon
Purpose: introduce main cast and introduce audience to the theme of the series
Numbers reviewed: 21 – 30
JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:
We’re in the top 30 and some really big name shows are now making the list. I wanted to add Saturday Night Live to number 29, but they are so tight with their clips, that none of their opening credits have been uploaded online. I at least wanted to give them an honorable mention! They are another series that have kept the general theme of their credits, but have changed along with the times.
Next week, we hit the top 20! We’ve got a number of crazy families on the list! Plus, we’re only two weeks away from the big countdown finale!
I don’t own any of the rights to these, nor did I upload them to YouTube. This blog is presented for educational and informational purposes.
Here it is – my fourth official season finale! True, I’ve only been writing on Been and Going since it launched about a year ago, but this blog has now been online for four complete years. It all started 182 editions ago on fierceandnerdy.com. As my season wraps, I always go back and update what I’ve written about. So, get ready as we take a quick look back…
You can click on the title of each blog to check out the original post.
This blogumn looked at the new Judge Judy slot machines that had just hit casino floors. At the time, the machines were highly popular and can still be found in most major casinos.
The popularity of this slot machine continues today. During a recent visit to Atlantic City, there was always somebody playing them and still had a line of spectators watching at both banks of machines I found at Bally’s and the Golden Nugget.
This blogumn took a look at one of my favorite video games of all time, Burger Time. The game is simple, you are the chef and your job is to assemble hamburgers in a crazy kitchen where the ingredients have come to life and are after you!
I love to play this game at Barcade, in Jersey City, New Jersey. Barcade is a cross between a bar and arcade that thankfully, is for adults only.
Sadly, the machine has gone missing from this location. Barcade is in the process of opening a new location in Manhattan and I can only hope that it will end up there. Both locations will only be a PATH train ride away.
In this special edition, I discussed the new Burger King Rib Sandwich that the fast food chain had added to their menu. It was their first big jab at McDonald’s by creating their own version of McDonald’s legendary McRib.
The Burger King Rib Sandwich was added to last summer’s menu and I judged it to be far superior to the McRib. While it did sell well, the sandwich finished its summer run and was removed from BK’s menu early last fall. Sadly, it has not returned and there have been no plans announced to bring it back. I hope that Burger King reconsiders and makes this a permanent addition to their menu.
In a little over a week after online gambling was legalized and officially launched in New Jersey, I tested out a few sites to see what all the hype was about.
Like it or hate it, online gambling has generated extra revenue for both the state and the Atlantic City casinos who took part in it. Sadly, the state overestimated how much revenue would be brought in.
The state was estimating that $10.6 million would be earned in just six weeks. The total earned was $7.3 million, which is still a success. The revenue earned from legal online gambling has saw steady growth from January – March, with April being the first to see a slight decline in the amount wagered. The state still expects continued growth moving forward.
This blog took a look back at the night I was there for the final moments of the Sands casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. With my old camera phone, I captured the final blackjack hand and security ushering everyone out, while the slots were being turned off. The casino was closed for a project, that was to build a mega casino and hotel in it’s place. Sadly, the economy went bust and the project never happened.
The Madison House, a hotel that is located across the street from the site, was once used as an additional hotel tower for the Sands. It closed when the casino did, but finally reopened this past January. Sadly, Tripadvisor reviews of the initial opening were terrible. Guests complained of slow elevators, filthy and outdated rooms, and a strong cigarette smoke smell. Many guests have commented that a renovation has begun and hopefully this will be a step in the right direction for the historic property. I plan to check it out as some point in the future.
The Sands site still sits unused, outside of a light up artist installation.
In this hilarious video I found online, we get to see TV’s Judge Joe Brown all liquored up and hitting on a group of women at some kind of resort. Joe even makes fun of his old TV show.
Since then, Judge Joe has gone back to being a lawyer in Memphis, Tennessee. Back in March, during a court child support preceding, he went on a tirade against the judge and it got him thrown in jail. (You can hear TMZ’s copy of the court room audio here.) He was sentenced to five days, but was released in a couple of hours. He is also running for District Attorney in Shelby County. Could it have all been a publicity stunt?
Time: new editions post Thursday at Noon Eastern / 9am Pacific
JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:
Thanks again for all your support and for checking out my blog. I love how we get to chat like this each week. As always, feel free to comment below each post or reach out to me on twitter @jerseyjoe50.
This summer, I have a quite a treat for all of you TV fans. Starting with next week’s blog, I am going to post 10 at a time, my 100 favorite TV show theme songs. You’ll get to see show opens from some of your favorite series and a few that I’m sure you’ve forgotten. Don’t miss it – starting next week!
Just about all of us have had a meal at McDonald’s at one point in our lives. Everyone is equally familiar with their signature Big Mac sandwich. Those two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onion, on a sesame seed bun. The sandwich has gone unchanged for half a century, but now thanks to competition – another restaurant is trying to “one up” the Golden Arches, by replacing those beef patties – with chicken!
The McDonald’s Big Mac
The Big Mac was developed by a Pennsylvania McDonald’s franchisee in the 1950’s. The special or secret sauce that makes up the sandwich is rarely used by McDonald’s on any other products.
In fact, it has happened only twice.
McDonald’s once sold a Mac Jr., which was a single cheeseburger, topped with the Mac sauce, lettuce, and pickles. For a brief time in 2011, a Mac Snack wrap was also sold which featured half of a hamburger patty, the secret sauce, cheese, lettuce, pickles, and onion wrapped up in a flour tortilla.
This year, McDonald’s has expanded their Quarter Pounder sandwich line by offering a new Bacon Clubhouse burger which features a quarter pound beef patty, cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and the Big Mac secret sauce on a special Kaiser roll. This is the first time the sauce has ever been used on different burger. McDonalds also has a chicken option, where you can get chicken instead of beef, but with the secret sauce the taste, just isn’t very good.
The Big Mac is sold at most worldwide McDonald’s locations, but there are several variations, including versions that replace the beef with a chicken patty and more. (read more about the international versions here). But, none of these have ever been sold in the United States.
McDonald’s has been facing some stiff competition lately in a fast food burger war, by their greatest opponent – Burger King.
The Burger King Whopper sandwich.
Burger King has its own signature sandwich, The Whopper. But, they’ve fired a torpedo at the Golden Arches by creating their Big Mac knockoff – the Big King.
The Big King was first introduced back in the 1990’s, but was reformulated and only sold for a limited time. However, it made a big return last year worldwide and is now once again assembled identically to a Big Mac.
For my money, the Big King just tastes better. I like the flavor or BK’s flame broiled patties and I think their sauce is just a hint more subtle. I think you can swap Big Mac sauce for regular tartar sauce and not know the difference. BK’s sauce is more similar to Thousand Island salad dressing. (which, maybe it is?)
The Chicken Big King.
Burger King is going for round 2 in the burger war, by adding a chicken version to their menu. Introduced a couple weeks ago, America can now feast on the Chicken Big King.
I decided to finally give one a try and Burger King is making it easy by offering two for $5 as a special, which really is a deal. The sandwich uses two of the basic lightly spiced chicken patty BK uses on their value chicken sandwiches.
Once again though, I don’t think the special sauce works with chicken. It tastes like a fish sandwich with tarter sauce.
That was the same issue I had with the chicken version of McDonald’s Chicken Clubhouse sandwich (which they gave me by mistake the time I ordered, but I tried it anyway.) The special sauce just doesn’t work for chicken. The taste reminds me of the Filet-O-Fish.
But, for a limited time BK is selling these on their 2 for $5 promotional menu. These items rotate on a regular basis, so if you are interested in trying one, I wouldn’t wait around that long. The sandwich is sold for a limited time only.
But, thanks to the fast food war, Americans can now experience what diners in other countries have for years and that’s the chicken version of the Big Mac or Big King.
The Chicken Big King contains 660 calories and 37g fat.
THE 411
Name: Chicken Big King
What: chicken version of McDonald’s Big Mac or Burger Kings Big King sandwiches
Where served: Burger King restaurants worldwide
Introduced: 2014
Availability: Limited Time Only
JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:
While I again applaud Burger King for trying and testing a new sandwich, I say skip this one. You’re better off just going for the regular Big King.
Growing up, my grandmother would cook me her own spin on pancakes called a palacinki. Instead of a traditional pancake, it was rolled up on a plate, served in groups of three, and filled with jelly, then topped with syrup, and sometimes chocolate. She told me that she learned to make that from her mother, who from Slovakia. (Yes, I know they’re basically a crepe.) When I was home a few months ago, she again whipped up her mouthwatering treat and it had me wondering: what are pancakes like in other countries around the world?
A palacinke, or palacinki (there are numerous spellings) for this succulent treat!
Pancakes, the delicious fluffy treats we all scarf down by the millions at breakfast. They are a cheap breakfast to cook in the home and a big money maker for restaurants. Made with just a few ingredients, they can start your day off right and their history dates back to before Christ.
American Pancakes are flat and thin round cakes prepared in a pan or on a griddle. We generally eat them for breakfast with fruit, syrup, or butter. Here pancakes usually use a baking agent to make them rise, but many other countries eat them flat as a crepe. The basic shape and serving of pancakes varies around the world.
Classic buttermilk pancakes.
The history of pancakes dates back to a previous millennium. The Ancient Greeks first served pancakes as early as 5 BC and were made the same basic way as they are prepared today with wheat flour, olive oil, honey, and curdled milk.
But, some places really have a unique spin on the recipe.
Injera
In Africa, most countries eat the pancake as more of a flatbread with a meal. Here, they do not use yeast, which keeps the pastry as flat as possible. It is also served with most meals as side bread. In Ethiopia, pancakes serve as both a plate and a side dish. Known as injera, the pancake holds a stew (or salad where they don’t eat meat) and soaks up the juices. The meal does not end until the entire injera is consumed.
In China, pancakes are made with dough, instead of a batter. In Japan, they are made from egg, flour, and cabbage.
In India, pancakes are made without any rising agents and are prepared either sweet or salty. The salty version is served with cottage cheese.
In Indonesia, they are made with rice flour and coconut milk.
In Malaysia and Singapore, you can find pancakes that include sweet corn!
In Denmark, pancakes are served in the shape of a sphere. In parts of Germany, they are also served with soup.
Icelandic pancakes
Iceland has an unusual way of preparing pancakes. There, they try to get the cake as thin as possible and will use the same pan over and over to prepare them. It is strongly encouraged not to wash the pan. They will also use pancakes as bread for a sandwich.
In Spain, the ingredients for a pancake can include flour, milk, eggs, or blood! Yes, blood! The blood style is served during a pig slaughter feast.
Pancake restaurants in the Netherlands are extremely popular. They will serve giant pancakes with bacon, sausage, ham, cheese, or apples baked inside.
In many countries, pancakes even have their own day! Shrove Tuesday, is the day before Lent where the faithful can gorge themselves all they want and to use up the fatty ingredients. The celebration is similar to Mardi Gras and is celebrated in Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. It is also known as Pancake Tuesday or Fat Tuesday… doesn’t the last one sound familiar?
An International House of Pancakes restaurant, in S. Portland, Maine as pictured in the 1970’s.
Pancake runs are also part of the Shove Tuesday celebrations. Usually held for charity, most of these runs feature women who must toss their pancake in the air and catch it in a frying pan as they run. This all started back in 1444, when an English housewife heard the bells of her local church and she ran out of the house with her apron on and a frying pan still cooking the pancake to get to the service.
Cooking up pancakes on a stove top griddle.
THE 411
Name: pancakes
What: soft, cake style pastries served for breakfast in the US, but served as part of meal worldwide
JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:
I absolutely love pancakes. Besides, my grandmother’s awesome home cooking, Café Metro, a restaurant on New York’s Upper East Side, has some of the best. Their recipe uses a hint of lemon flavoring in the batter.
Pancakes with a hint of lemon, served with bacon at Cafe Metro, New York City.
Another favorite is Hash House a Go Go, with three locations in Las Vegas. Their pancakes are massive and have a great flavor to cure your Vegas hangover. It’s almost impossible to finish a serving in one sitting. If I were local, I would probably take mine in a To Go box, but being a tourist, I don’t think they would sit well in a hotel room. Hash House a Go Go has a location in The Quad hotel and casino on the Strip and another in The Plaza hotel and casino downtown on Fremont Street. They also have restaurants in San Diego, Chicago, Orlando, suburban Las Vegas, Reno, and at the Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut.
Last year, I put the New York Lottery and the New Jersey Lottery to the test. I wanted to find out which state’s instant scratch off tickets paid off the most – The Empire State or The Garden State. Using the same amount of cash and a random selection of tickets, I joined the ranks of millions who are scratching off to win big bucks on these instant games.
Instant lottery scratch off tickets: they’re meant to play a fast game and to make a quick buck. It’s portable form of gambling that states have relied on for extra revenue since the 1980’s. (You can read about my original discussion of instant lottery games here). The instant games are more popular than ever, to the point where states are now installing vending machines to attract commuters to play on the go.
Lottery player uses the vending machine to purchase scratch off tickets at the 33rd Street subway station in New York City.
Last year, I invested $55 and stopped first at the New York Lottery vending machine at the 33rd Street Herald Square station in New York City. I put $30 into the machine and randomly selected a number of tickets. Once I got off the PATH in Jersey City, I stopped at a local newsstand and had them randomly select tickets with the remaining $25.
After over 40 minutes of scratching, the New Jersey Lottery $25 investment earned me $42, while my $30 New York Lottery investment earned me only $4. I declared New Jersey the winner and the whole experiment left me with a net loss of $9.
Now, these are supposed to be random games of chance, so to be completely fair, I decided that another challenge would be needed and I did just that last week.
Once again, I stopped at the New York Lottery vending machine at the 33rd Street station and deposited $25. I again picked one large $5 ticket and then randomly chose a selection of lower denomination games. Once back off the PATH in Jersey City, I again stopped by the same newsstand and had the clerk select $25 in random games, with the only rule being that I needed one $5 ticket to match what I had purchased in New York City.
Upon arriving home, I examined the stack of tickets and here’s what I got:
From the New York Lottery – 12 tickets
$5 Million Dollar Money Clip
$3 Spin 3
$2 Lucky 8’s
$2 Lucky 8’s
$2 Lucky 8’s
$2 Happy Birthday
$2 Win $1,000 a Week for Life
$2 Win $1,000 a Week for Life
$2 Win $1,000 a Week for Life
$1 Loose Change
$1 Amazing 8’s
$1 5x Cash
From the New Jersey Lottery – 10 tickets
$5 Money Match
$3 Power Play Crossword
$3 Zuma
$2 Love to Win
$2 Classic Bingo
$2 Big Money Spectacular
$2 Win $1,000 a Week for Life
$2 10x Money
$2 Fire & Ice
$2 Hit $50’s
Since there were more tickets in the New York Lottery stack; I went with those, first.
I started with the lower denomination tickets and first up was the $1 5x Cash. To win, all I had to do was match 3 symbols. And…. a loser.
Then went with the $1 Amazing 8’s. Same deal, match three 8’s and win. Too bad, I lost again.
Next up was the $1 Loose Change. This game was a little different. The player is presented with six boxes containing coins. After scratching off the six boxes, the total of what’s inside must go over $1 to win a prize. Mine did! My total was $1.05. I scratched the prize box to reveal I had won my $1 back!
Finally, a winner!
Next up, was the three $2 Win $1,000 A Week for Life games. I was really hoping for a big win on this one. I could use a grand handed to me every week! Who couldn’t?
These tickets contain two games each. The first game is a classic beat the house game. The player is given a number, if the player number is higher than the house number – you win the prize shown on the line. On my first ticket – a hit! I bet the house 12 – 7 and won $2!
The second game on the ticket is the classic New York Lottery standard of matching three like dollar amounts. On the next two tickets, I did just that winning $2 and another $5!
Four winners in a row! Things were starting to look up for the Empire State!
I then went for the $2 Happy Birthday… another dud.
I then had 3 of the $2 Lucky 8’s games. In this game, you scratch off the player area which features a number and a prize amount. If your number matches one of two house numbers, you win the prize. If an 8x symbol appears, you win 8x the prize! A coin picture also denotes an instant prize win.
I scratched the first two tickets – and nothing. Finally, I went for the third ticket. Right away, I matched the house number of 16 and won $10! Further down the line, I uncovered an 8x symbol with a $5 prize that paid off $40! That’s a total of $50! I’ve never won that much on a scratch off lottery ticket in my life!
I still had two of the biggest tickets to go.
Next was a $3 Spin 3. This game was kind of lame, there’s no spinning involved. You are presented 10 different games. All you have to do is match three like symbols in each game to win the prize. Think of it as a slot machine on a scratch off card. It didn’t matter, I got squat.
Finally the big $5 Million Dollar Money Clip game. Match your number to one of the house numbers and win that prize. A 10x awards 10 times the prize and a coin icon wins that prize. Sadly, I got nothing here.
So, for my $25 New York Lottery investment, I walked away with $60!
Then it was time to do battle with the New Jersey Lottery. I started in the same order with the lowest tickets first and that was a $2 Hit $50s. (New Jersey doesn’t seem to offer $1 scratch off games.) Again, you have to match your number to one of the house numbers and win the prize shown. I matched with a 12 and won $2! Things were already looking up once again for the Garden State.
Next was a $2 Fire and Ice game that was definitely icy cold. Nothing. Same deal for $2 10x Money, $2 Win $1,000 a Week for Life, and the $2 Big Money Spectacular. The win $1,000 a Week for Life is a popular game that is available in many different states. I’ve played that in Pennsylvania in the past.
A New Jersey Lottery Bingo scratch off instant game ticket.
Now it was on to the $2 Classic Bingo. This game took a long time to play. You are presented with 25 Bingo Ball numbers on the left. You scratch them off one by one and play the numbers on one of your four Bingo cards. Payouts are different for each card and each way you get a bingo. There are 12 different payouts that are printed next to each game. After scratching off all the ball numbers, I had to transfer them to the game board. After 10 minutes or so, I had a diagonal bingo on card 2 and that scored me $2. Had that been on card four, that payout would have been $5.
I then went for the $2 Love to Win, which was a classic match the house number scratcher. No love here, I got nothing.
Next up was a $3 Zuma ticket. Have you ever played this game online? In the online game, you have to shoot at multicolored balls rolling along a track to make them disappear before reaching the end. I was surprised to see how well this turned this into a scratch off game.
It was one of the more unusual layouts. You are presented a circular game board with six games of balls presented in groups of three. If your three balls match the color, you win. Sadly, mine did not. It was a great nod to the online game, though.
Next was the $3 Power Play Crossword and this thing took a long time to complete. You uncover 10 house letters. The player is then presented with a completed crossword puzzle. You task is to take the 10 house letters and scratch them off anywhere they appear in the puzzle. If you complete three words, you win a prize. The prizes go up with the more words you completely uncover. A pay table is posted on the back. It was useless to me; I only rubbed off two words.
Lastly, was the $5 Money Match game. Same deal as many other tickets. You get 5 house prize amounts. If you match one, you win. If you match an amount, but yours is in green color, you win double the amount. Find a money bag and win $50. Find a green money bag and win $100! I matched and won $5.
So, the total won in New Jersey from my initial $25 investment was only $9. I lost $16 to the Garden State.
Many of the New Jersey games that I played were quite involved. Instead of just finding three like symbols as in most games, here you are required to use some thought. Matching the letters in the Crosswords game took some time as did the Bingo game. So, if you’re looking for instant gratification with matching three symbols, then look for the simpler games as some of the choices can get quite complex. The bonus with selecting one of these tickets from a vending machine is that you can take a closer look at what’s required before making your selection. It’s a little hard to do when there’s a ton of people in line at the bodega waiting to play their Powerball numbers and pay for a jug of milk.
The total time I spent scratching 22 tickets: 41 minutes 31 seconds. It was thanks to some of those complex games I got from New Jersey that added took extra time.
All the mess left behind after 40+ minutes of scratching off instant lottery tickets.
And here’s a look at the pile of shards left behind from all the scratching. Wonder if this stuff is toxic?
THE 411
What: Instant Lottery scratch off games
States played: New York, New Jersey
Denominations: $1 – $5
JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:
This was a completely different outcome from the last experiment. I won $60 in New York and only $9 in New Jersey. It was that one large hit on the NY ticket that changed everything. For my $50 investment, I walked away with $69. Not a life changing amount, but still a winner none the less.
The New York Lottery games also offer a second chance drawing. By going online and entering the code on the ticket, players have a chance to win more random prizes. That’s a great feature more state lotteries need to adopt.
The New Jersey Lottery has also gotten into the ticket vending machine business. They recently signed a contract with Wawa convenience stores to have machines installed in all of their Jersey locations. I hope this program extends to other stores throughout the state. Judging by the popularity of the New York machine at 33rd Street, New Jersey could make some big bucks putting these in train stations targeting commuters who are just standing there waiting.
With the second match now complete, the lottery challenge series is tied 1 – 1. It looks like I will have to do a tiebreaker in the future to find out which state has the loosest scratch off lottery tickets.
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