Family Feud - General Discussion

[KWalkerInc]

Steve pissed me off during one question on a new episode tonight.  They asked for news that a wife would have to break gently to her husband.  One woman said, "The cat died," and Steve acted like it was the most ridiculous thing ever that anyone would find this sad.  The woman said that her husband would be devastated if something happened to the cat, but Steve remained baffled.  (I don't think he would have thought it was weird if she had said dog instead of cat.)  The answer ended up being on the board under the generic "Someone died" and I think he was still looking at her funny.  At least he ended up looking foolish later in the show.  He was stunned and openly laughing about the two people that team picked for Fast Money, but they won rather easily.  When it became clear they were going to win without even needing the last question, he went into a spiel about miracles as they waited for the number to come up.  At least that was good-natured.  Yes, Steve, there are people who care about cats! 

Our station scheduled 2.5 episodes to fill the time after football and news, but the game was a few minutes long, so it ended up with new episode, Entertainment Tonight, rerun, then just an unsuccessful Fast Money in another rerun.  I had nothing else to watch, so I saw all except the first question on the new one.  I didn't hear the question, but the answers were all vegetables of a particular shape, so I can imagine what it was.

[KWalkerInc]

I know this is odd, but the choreographed dances or other routines that each pair of contestants does when they greet each other on the way to the podium has made me think.  They're obviously not spontaneous, but do the contestants get input about what they do or is just made up by the producers?  Do they have to rehearse these before the taping?  It is completely unimportant, so I don't know why I have put any thought into it, but I sometimes think about that if I'm paying attention while watching an episode.

The second episode tonight ended with the second woman in Fast Money doing poorly when she didn't need too many points.  She did have one answer with a bunch, but then ended up losing by one point and looking like she might cry!  During the closing credits after that, Steve brought out a little girl (maybe a member of the other family?) out of the audience and had her wave to the camera.  It was a cute moment, so I wonder if Steve did this so that the audience wouldn't be too depressed at the ending.

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, KWalkerInc said:

I know this is odd, but the choreographed dances or other routines that each pair of contestants does when they greet each other on the way to the podium has made me think.  They're obviously not spontaneous, but do the contestants get input about what they do or is just made up by the producers?  Do they have to rehearse these before the taping? 

Interesting question to which I doubt there will be a definitive answer, similarly to how I cannot determine on "Funny You Should Ask" whether or not the losing contestant gets to keep any of their "money." 

The little dances began during Covid in place of the handshake. 
They are all so unique that I'm guessing the contestants have at least some input, but it would stand to reason that some paid staff person would at least sign off on it. Also, since they are all doing fairly creative moves now, I do think there is someone on set to at least make suggestions.

 

1 hour ago, KWalkerInc said:

The second episode tonight ended with the second woman in Fast Money doing poorly when she didn't need too many points.  She did have one answer with a bunch, but then ended up losing by one point and looking like she might cry!  During the closing credits after that, Steve brought out a little girl (maybe a member of the other family?) out of the audience and had her wave to the camera.  It was a cute moment, so I wonder if Steve did this so that the audience wouldn't be too depressed at the ending.

I happened to catch these episodes too.
It didn't occur to me that the little girl was brought out for that purpose, but maybe. 
Did you see her little curtsey? 

 

[KWalkerInc]

Yeah, it was probably just a coincidence that Steve happened to bring the little girl up after that had happened.  (I know it's not that unusual for people to miss by a point or two, but the contestant doesn't usually look so sad.  I probably would be though.)  I think one of the many shows Steve has done (a few years ago) was with young children.  It was Little Big Shots or something like that.

[shapeshifter]

Sudden death.
What food do people buy at a ballgame?
Young guy who buzzes in first: Sunflower seeds.
[the audience and I are all WTH???]
Other team lady: Hot Dog 
[Other family wins]

The young guy's family leaves with $40K plus.
Did the young guy or his family just want to leave? 
 

[KWalkerInc]

It seems that the show can't afford to give away cars after the fifth day anymore.  Because I noticed last week that there was no car on the set anymore, and Steve instead said that someone might have a chance at a $30,000 bonus.  They didn't even wait until the end of the season to make this change, as while trying to find info, I found a site that thoroughly covers every episode and mentioned that they stopped having the cars when taping was resumed this year. 

It's kind of too bad that they can't continue the tradition they'd always had with the cars, but at least it's probably easier to divide the bonus money among five team members than to figure out what to do with the car.

[shapeshifter]

7 minutes ago, KWalkerInc said:

It seems that the show can't afford to give away cars after the fifth day anymore.  Because I noticed last week that there was no car on the set anymore, and Steve instead said that someone might have a chance at a $30,000 bonus.  They didn't even wait until the end of the season to make this change, as while trying to find info, I found a site that thoroughly covers every episode and mentioned that they stopped having the cars when taping was resumed this year. 

It's kind of too bad that they can't continue the tradition they'd always had with the cars, but at least it's probably easier to divide the bonus money among five team members than to figure out what to do with the car.

Oh-h-h. I wondered what was up with the $30k. 
It also might prevent legal claims about the differing values of cars? 
And then what about if a car-winning family had no money left for the insurance to drive it away or argued about paying the insurance, etc. etc. 
Maybe generous “Judge” Steve Harvey (his other show) has learned that, like you said, it’s better if the family can divide the cash instead of losing money selling the car to do that.
Etc. etc.

 

Can you share that link?

[KWalkerInc]

I can't find the page I saw before where someone was recapping everything that happened each day.  I also found a wiki that just had a small mention (after scrolling for ten pages with most of the images apparently missing) that they started doing a $30K bonus instead of a car in May 2024.

Here is a video from Family Feud YouTube that says it was the first time someone could try for the bonus.

 

[shapeshifter]

During the heat dome/heat wave I've caught a few reruns in the afternoon, including one a few days ago where Steve kind of quietly muttered to a contestant on the non-returning-champs team, "Nice to have you back." I noted 2 of the young men on that team were extra polite and seemed to be very appreciative of the opportunity to be there. But Steve seemed really awkward around them. 

Then, yesterday, I noticed a game in which the other team could have won had the judges counted "toilet paper" as something like: "napkins, paper products etc,." I think the question was things around the house that are trash. 

So.
What's the procedure for a family to "come back"? 
I wonder if it's ever been fans writing in, LOL. 
— although yesterday's show was either from 11/20/2020, 1/29/2021, 4/30/2024, or 2/17/2023  (it was a lo-o-o-ng, hot day).
I wonder if the family that would have won is given a cash option in lieu of returning, and, if so, who pays their returning travel expenses.

Based on Steve's demeanor with returning families (I've seen it quite a few times), I think he'd prefer they just get compensated. 
Admitting on air that they made a mistake big enough to bring a family back seems like it could open a huge legal can of worms, never mind social media trolls. And it's a distraction.
But the budget and legal folks probably prefer the family returns since it leaves no confusing paper trail.

[KWalkerInc]

It seems like there are a LOT of cases of families who didn't win returning in the last few years (I don't watch frequently, which is probably for the best because there are so many repeats).  Once in a while, Steve will ask the family when they were on, and it will have been a year or more earlier.  But more often, there isn't any fanfare at all, he'll just say, "Well, we know both these families because one is the returning champs and the other was just here, so let's just play."  They tape so many episodes in a day during the limited times of the year they have tapings that I wonder if, when there's a judging question, they just ask the family to stick around for another game later that same day or within the next few days.  Sometimes it might actually save the show money because the game the returning family lost counts toward their five maximum days, so they don't have to worry about them having won the $20,000 (or even the middling $5 a point) on that day.

[Carey]

To be honest, I think they should just do away with returning champions.  Even better: they should emulate the daytime syndicated Match Game format.  To be more specific: Have the same two families battle twice, and then start with two new families regardless of a 2 game sweep or a split.

BTW, I think the new season starts today if it hasn't started already.  One thing to note is that there is a new show-runner.  The good news is that it is unprecedented in a positive way.  The not so good news (but not bad news) is that it's not a super big deal unless changes made are noteworthy.  It's not going to matter in the long run if it's business as usual on a typical day

[cinsays]

yikes......... so before it was 2 hours of this show and now it is 3 hours, 5-8

why???

[KWalkerInc]

We've gone from two episodes a day (7 PM and late night) to 3 episodes.  They kept the 7 PM but now have two in the afternoon.  The new episodes start September 23, and what is weird is that our station is apparently showing all the new episodes in the afternoon and then ones that are several years old at 7, which makes very little sense because that would seem to be a more important time slot.

[shapeshifter]

15 hours ago, KWalkerInc said:

We've gone from two episodes a day (7 PM and late night) to 3 episodes.  They kept the 7 PM but now have two in the afternoon.  The new episodes start September 23, and what is weird is that our station is apparently showing all the new episodes in the afternoon and then ones that are several years old at 7, which makes very little sense because that would seem to be a more important time slot.

Thanks for the update. All the online multi-channel schedule sites (Titan TV, TV Guide, etc.) are currently showing the wrong channel numbers for my area, which sorts them differently than they appear on my TV. It's like trying to translate a spy code.

Phew! Ontvtonight.com/guide/ is displaying the correct station numbers in order.

Edited September 13 by shapeshifter

[KWalkerInc]

I saw part of an episode this afternoon that was apparently from last season.  They asked for the name of a game show host that a fan would name their son after.  Most of the correct answers had been given, and someone suggested Jimmy after Jimmy Kimmel.  Steve mocked this answer and didn't seem to know that (though it wasn't up there) Jimmy has hosted Who Wants to Be a Millionaire since 2020.  Maybe he forgot because the show wasn't on for a few years until it returned this summer.  It's kind of funny that they both have shows on ABC and he didn't know, but ABC does run through a lot of game shows.

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, KWalkerInc said:

I saw part of an episode this afternoon that was apparently from last season.  They asked for the name of a game show host that a fan would name their son after.  Most of the correct answers had been given, and someone suggested Jimmy after Jimmy Kimmel.  Steve mocked this answer and didn't seem to know that (though it wasn't up there) Jimmy has hosted Who Wants to Be a Millionaire since 2020.  Maybe he forgot because the show wasn't on for a few years until it returned this summer.  It's kind of funny that they both have shows on ABC and he didn't know, but ABC does run through a lot of game shows.

And Steve is one busy dude these days. Doesn't he have 3 shows?
And how many kids and ex-wives? 
Steve is open on The Feud about his not being up on a lot of cultural stuff, both old and new.
I'm now thinking when he tells the 2nd person in Fast Money to "focus," he's sharing one of the strategies to his own success.

I didn't know Kimmel hosted a game show.

[shapeshifter]

File under “You know you’re old when”?

“Name a kind of music that makes you want to get up and dance.”

My first guess: R&B

They guessed 7 out of 8 but not R&B.

[KWalkerInc]

I couldn't believe that I didn't guess that one considering what I usually listen to!  I think I did think of it at one point, but didn't think the people surveyed would guess it.  I said disco (which was up there somewhere) and funk (which wasn't).  The sign I am old is that I disagreed with hip-hop being number one because I don't think most modern rap is very danceable.

I noticed that they have changed the five-day prize again, to a trip plus $10,000.  A trip can at least include the whole team, so it really does make more sense than the car did. 

I haven't seen many episodes yet since the season premiered, but it did turn out that my station did put one of the new episodes at 7 PM and the episodes from a few years ago in an afternoon slot.  They just don't list it that way on the schedule.

[shapeshifter]

22 hours ago, KWalkerInc said:

noticed that they have changed the five-day prize again, to a trip plus $10,000.  A trip can at least include the whole team, so it really does make more sense than the car did. 

Yes. I always imagined there were a lot of squabbles about the cars after the thrill of the win wore off. Most of the “families” are extended family members like cousins, or adult siblings with their own households — not like in the old Richard Dawson reruns.

I think they’re announcing it as valued at “at least $30k,” which seems to imply they’re at least paying for everyone who’s on the show — but then there’s still probably issues with whose spouse or kids can afford to go, etc. 

But probably a lot of them traded in the car for cash? I knew a Wheel of Fortune winner who did that to get down payment money for his first house.

Maybe trips are easier to trade in for cash, and that’s what the “at least $30k” refers to?

[KWalkerInc]

On a new episode tonight, they asked a question which was weird even by the standards of this show:  what could a woman find sexy about the Pillsbury Doughboy!  (Although I think I do remember them asking a similar question about Mr. Peanut in recent years.)  For the Doughboy, I said that he was rich, which was on the board but barely.  Steve thought some of the answers the contestants gave were off the wall, but with this question, I don't think anything could be too strange!  It made me laugh though because a friend and I were upset when Pillsbury discontinued a product we liked, and we have a running joke of sorts where we blame the Doughboy for this (as if he's real), acting upset when he appears in commercials or on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade as a balloon.

I haven't seen a lot of the new episodes this season, but one that was rerun on Saturday night featured a family winning the trip and cash.  They had apparently won the Fast Money three times and had a good shot at a fourth, but the second contestant couldn't come through.  Usually the five-time families are lucky to win twice at Fast Money.

[shapeshifter]

7 hours ago, KWalkerInc said:

On a new episode tonight, they asked a question which was weird even by the standards of this show:  what could a woman find sexy about the Pillsbury Doughboy! 

There have been some weird questions and survey answers lately.
I think it was yesterday that Steve apologized several times to the camera for one.

[KWalkerInc]

I noticed that this season they are having Steve talk to both captains at the beginning and have them introduce the whole team, even for a champion who has just been on the previous day.  I don't recall them doing this in the past, at least not recently.

If that page still exists that I found once with "recaps" of entire episodes, I think they should also make note of what color(s) Steve's suit is/are.  There are some pretty interesting ones, like the other day when he had a yellow jacket and pants with a lime green shirt and tie!

My friend insists that my favorite go-to answer for this show is "prostitute," so I'll have to tell her that the other day there was a question where that was the last answer on the board (for what Las Vegas is known for), but I didn't say it.  I said "showgirls."  I think it did pop into my head though.

[shapeshifter]

Yes. The suit colors! The red one almost looked like he’d drunk the Kool Aid, but it had a slight pink sheen, and then it was followed by Day-Glo yellow and green.

Did you catch the conversation with the team on the right about why they were asked to return? It seemed rehearsed. Steve stated that they would only have been invited back if they were good players. There sure have been a lot of returns lately. I wonder if it's an attempt to have fewer duds? (in Steve's opinion?)

[KWalkerInc]

When he first started talking to the family about returning, I thought they were going to say they were on a long time ago (as I remember that happening once sometime this year and being surprised because the returnees are usually recent).  But I guess they thought they had to address it as long as he was over there having them introduce themselves.  And then after I mentioned they were always introducing the people every day, they didn't do it on one of the new episodes today.  I was happy when someone won the trip, etc. because then they played the Caribbean version of the theme song.  Steve was rather bewildered by their wild celebration, especially when two guys started doing the worm!

[shapeshifter]

6 hours ago, KWalkerInc said:

I was happy when someone won the trip, etc. because then they played the Caribbean version of the theme song.  Steve was rather bewildered by their wild celebration, especially when two guys started doing the worm!

I missed that one. Likely it will be on YouTube.😉