Love the incredibly huge pinball machine, that long plunger, the flashy set, the sound effects, the catchy theme song, and polished game show hosts like Art James. Back in the glory days of network game shows ... how I miss the 1970s!
I was 5 or 6 years old and lived in Upper Minnesota, watching the show via the NBC station from Duluth. Loved it, just as much as I loved pinball in that day. Methinks it was cancelled before the 76-77 season, before my folks and I moved your way, artytoons, to South San Fran.
Thanks a lot for posting!,I enjoyed the Magnificent Marble Machine while on my Lunch break from School.I was 10 at the time it was on.Watched it on WFRV Channel 5 from Green Bay & Its Satellite Station WJMN Channel 3 from Escanaba,Michigan (Where I hail from).They were NBC Affiliates at the time before switching to ABC,then finally to CBS.Now I can see that Show here on YOU TUBE anytime when needed.This sure oughta bring back memories.
I really liked this show. The front game isn't too demanding. The only thing I would have changed was maybe a younger/teen slant on the celbs and contestants. I would have loved to have played the big pinball as a kid. Thank you for posting it!
Having seen a full episode of this, I thought in spite of its problems, The Magnificent Marble Machine was a fun show. I could see a possible 21st century revival, especially in regards to the marble machine itself with the benefits of modern, high-tech computer technology, which back in 1975 did not exist.
I enjoyed the program back in the original NBC run. The pinball bonus game sequence was fascinating...even with the 1970s-era technology then. My local NBC station in San Francisco carried the "Marble" program for most of the run and then dropped the NBC feed to carry the syndicated "Cross Wits" program.
This show was taped before labor Day with Roddy with the white slacks and shoes. I faintly remember this show . The machine reminds me of the Atari HUGE pinball Hercules. They will have it possibly at the Pacific Pinball Expo in Oct .
Thanks for posting this! I seem to recall seeing this show ONCE back in 1975, and I've been looking for it on UA-cam! After seeing it now, I remember how the host would always say "use the flipper." I read somewhere that this show died because watching a pinball game on TV just doesn't work well.
NBC and H/Q had to be aiming* for the kiddies with this one. No flipping* to Nick or Disney Channel, after the morning run of Sesame Street and maybe the Electric Company most PBS stations were in pure in-class educational TV mode. Four channels, maybe five if you were lucky. (* bad pun alert) This could be a really good concept for an alternative to Jeopardy as long as the Q and A was more cerebral. As in you would really have to use your marble*.
1975,to be exact.No Nick or Disney yet at the time.Only 4 Networks were in at the time,ABC.CBS,NBC,PBS,& of course Independent (Before FOX,UPN,& WB.Later CW & My Network TV).
I think this is why I still embrace game shows as I did back in the '70s. We had Sesame Street and Electric Company on PBS. But aside of that, the networks had game shows. That was it. We had 12 channels of cable, but were all the aforementioned networks and one independent. I was probably about 3 when this aired. Looking back I'd love to see more episodes if it existed. The music and sound effects were quirky, but catchy.
I remember this show very well. It came out after the pin ball craze of the early-1970's, and was a big deal thanks in part to the movie "Tommy". I don't think it lasted more than 6 months, not counting repeats, and NBC did run a lot of repeats of this show. Overall, I think it ended up being on the network almost a year because of the reruns. Anyway, I enjoyed it a lot. The front game wasn't bad, and since I was a teenager at the time, any pinball game interested me. I always thought Art James was under rated as a host. He did a fine job on any show I saw him host.
On the all cash game, noisemakers are 100 dollars and the bumper worth 500 dollars. Hitting all the bumpers in this game will win a grand prize (like a new car or boat). The main marble game will last 45 seconds and the bonus cash game 60 seconds. What do ya think?
I heard that even after NBC aired the last original episode of this show, they continued airing reruns for about 2-3 months due to a technicians' strike at the network.
If I was the exec. prod., I wool fine tune it. First, have two buddy-buddy teams. Then play one round of ticker cluses similar to this, and the team with the most points get the first turn at the machine. I'll make the noisemakers worth 250 pts. and the bumpers worth 500 pts. and a prize (I'll use small prizes for the main game). This will guarantee each team winning a prize. The team with the most points plays the all cash game where the points are converted to dollars.
The show originally aired its final, original episode, March 12, 1976. Due to a technicians strike, the series was halted as they were going to a celebrity format after the strike ended and the show went into repeats until June 11, 1976.
This show should have been revived in the 1980's to compete with 'Press Your Luck'. As far as the format is concerned, have contestants and their partners instead of celebrities.
Terrible. Absolutely terrible. I think people are so into irony now that this is cute and funny and etc. It's garish, ugly and there is nothing good about it
Reminds me of the Circus.
I'm sure there were pinball wizards on this NBC game show in 1975 until March 1976. RIP Art James.
Love the incredibly huge pinball machine, that long plunger, the flashy set, the sound effects, the catchy theme song, and polished game show hosts like Art James. Back in the glory days of network game shows ... how I miss the 1970s!
I do too!
Gray and Roddy McDowell both did good and I wish that all the master tapes of this game show are found. 😀👍
What a crazy game show.
Look at Florence 2:13 She was SUFFERIN'! Absolutely HURTIN'! This is funny as ****!!!
This was one of the very best game shows in television history prior to Hollywood Squares, thanks to heatter-quigley productions.
Hollywood Squares had already been on the air for about 9 years.
I remember this show when I was 4 years old. It's how I became interested in pinball machines being they were a big thing in the 1970's.
Good show all in all but I have to be honest, reminds me of one of those Sid & Marty Krofft shows!! LOL LOL But still I like it!!!
Maybe it would've had a new life as a Saturday morning program with kids playing. It appealed to them more than adults.
I was 5 or 6 years old and lived in Upper Minnesota, watching the show via the NBC station from Duluth. Loved it, just as much as I loved pinball in that day.
Methinks it was cancelled before the 76-77 season, before my folks and I moved your way, artytoons, to South San Fran.
I'd love to see more eraser-escaping episodes of this gem. That said, one is better than none.
Almost like "Wheel of Fortune".
I absolutely loved this game show, I wish it lasted a whole lot longer.
Thanks a lot for posting!,I enjoyed the Magnificent Marble Machine while on my Lunch break from School.I was 10 at the time it was on.Watched it on WFRV Channel 5 from Green Bay & Its Satellite Station WJMN Channel 3 from Escanaba,Michigan (Where I hail from).They were NBC Affiliates at the time before switching to ABC,then finally to CBS.Now I can see that Show here on YOU TUBE anytime when needed.This sure oughta bring back memories.
I really liked this show. The front game isn't too demanding. The only thing I would have changed was maybe a younger/teen slant on the celbs and contestants. I would have loved to have played the big pinball as a kid. Thank you for posting it!
Having seen a full episode of this, I thought in spite of its problems, The Magnificent Marble Machine was a fun show. I could see a possible 21st century revival, especially in regards to the marble machine itself with the benefits of modern, high-tech computer technology, which back in 1975 did not exist.
Florence Henderson was too hyper.
She didn’t like to lose
I enjoyed the program back in the original NBC run. The pinball bonus game sequence was fascinating...even with the 1970s-era technology then. My local NBC station in San Francisco carried the "Marble" program for most of the run and then dropped the NBC feed to carry the syndicated "Cross Wits" program.
Sombrero is a Mexican Hat. That hat is used in California.
This show was taped before labor Day with Roddy with the white slacks and shoes. I faintly remember this show . The machine reminds me of the Atari HUGE pinball Hercules. They will have it possibly at the Pacific Pinball Expo in Oct .
Bob Phillips lives in Huntington Beach.
I remember seeing this clip on the Movie The China Syndrome when they broke into the news bullitin about a crises at the Power Plant
And IMHO, the maingame should've been pinball-related.
Gary was about to win another game, who knows how much more he won
However, from what I heard, the machine aged (which would not have happened with today's technology).
Thanks for posting this! I seem to recall seeing this show ONCE back in 1975, and I've been looking for it on UA-cam! After seeing it now, I remember how the host would always say "use the flipper."
I read somewhere that this show died because watching a pinball game on TV just doesn't work well.
NBC and H/Q had to be aiming* for the kiddies with this one. No flipping* to Nick or Disney Channel, after the morning run of Sesame Street and maybe the Electric Company most PBS stations were in pure in-class educational TV mode. Four channels, maybe five if you were lucky. (* bad pun alert)
This could be a really good concept for an alternative to Jeopardy as long as the Q and A was more cerebral. As in you would really have to use your marble*.
1975,to be exact.No Nick or Disney yet at the time.Only 4 Networks were in at the time,ABC.CBS,NBC,PBS,& of course Independent (Before FOX,UPN,& WB.Later CW & My Network TV).
+Kurt Kauffman Yeah.
+Kurt Kauffman Let's not forget Metromedia.
I think this is why I still embrace game shows as I did back in the '70s. We had Sesame Street and Electric Company on PBS. But aside of that, the networks had game shows. That was it. We had 12 channels of cable, but were all the aforementioned networks and one independent. I was probably about 3 when this aired. Looking back I'd love to see more episodes if it existed. The music and sound effects were quirky, but catchy.
Did we even have HBO? Canadian channels were available on some systems.
Did the circus come to town?
I remember this show very well. It came out after the pin ball craze of the early-1970's, and was a big deal thanks in part to the movie "Tommy". I don't think it lasted more than 6 months, not counting repeats, and NBC did run a lot of repeats of this show. Overall, I think it ended up being on the network almost a year because of the reruns. Anyway, I enjoyed it a lot. The front game wasn't bad, and since I was a teenager at the time, any pinball game interested me. I always thought Art James was under rated as a host. He did a fine job on any show I saw him host.
post more game shows yayayaya
I....AM.....KISZARY!
On the all cash game, noisemakers are 100 dollars and the bumper worth 500 dollars. Hitting all the bumpers in this game will win a grand prize (like a new car or boat). The main marble game will last 45 seconds and the bonus cash game 60 seconds. What do ya think?
perhaps a backgammon-style game show would've been more fun to watch than this
I heard that even after NBC aired the last original episode of this show, they continued airing reruns for about 2-3 months due to a technicians' strike at the network.
Florence Henderson was too hyper, because of that smelly clue.
Was there a home game? :-)
If I was the exec. prod., I wool fine tune it. First, have two buddy-buddy teams. Then play one round of ticker cluses similar to this, and the team with the most points get the first turn at the machine. I'll make the noisemakers worth 250 pts. and the bumpers worth 500 pts. and a prize (I'll use small prizes for the main game). This will guarantee each team winning a prize. The team with the most points plays the all cash game where the points are converted to dollars.
It also failed, more than likely, because it was on opposite "The Young and The Restless".
Where's Bozo the Clown?
Whatever happened to this show?
First Air Date: 7/7/1975.Last Air Date:6/11/1976.
The show originally aired its final, original episode, March 12, 1976. Due to a technicians strike, the series was halted as they were going to a celebrity format after the strike ended and the show went into repeats until June 11, 1976.
No game shows had more whistling in their canned audience noise than Heatter - Quigley.
This show should have been revived in the 1980's to compete with 'Press Your Luck'. As far as the format is concerned, have contestants and their partners instead of celebrities.
Let GSN know about it. They did it with Gambit and turned it into Catch 21.
If GSN tweaked the format, it'd probably look more like Plinko.
Terrible. Absolutely terrible. I think people are so into irony now that this is cute and funny and etc. It's garish, ugly and there is nothing good about it