I am here because I am reading Mr. Lemoncello's Very First Game. He mentioned that he liked watching this show back in the day, and helped inspire him to make and host his own rebus puzzles with others.
Hugh Downs died today at age 99. Mom used to tell me I called him Do Downs. My favorite game show as a youngster. NBC, 10:30 weekdays. When we played the table game, I used to use Hugh Downs' catch phrases, like "Is right!" and "The board goes back."
I saw these original Concentration games in the early 1960s with Hugh. Maybe from 1958, when I was watching "Maverick" and other great tv series of that fabulous tv era. I'm sorry to hear of Hugh's passing, but he lived a far longer and better life at 99 than almost anyone else could hope for. He had the record for most hours on television until Regis Philbin passed him for that honor. Regis is now also gone in 2020. R.I.P. to both those fine gentlemen and game show masters!
On YT I watched an early 1970s version of Whats My Line . Barbara Walters was the mystery guest dressed in a mini skirt (that was a long time ago) . Ms Arlene Francis was on the panel . Anyway at the end when Walters gushed her admiration for the most well informed woman she knew, Ms Francis . And Ms Francis with equal fervor gushed how much she admired the young news woman Ms. Walters . I thought about the two mutual admirers of different generations and i throught what did have in common . They both worked with Hugh Downs !
THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!! Best Memory Feelings EVER!!!!!!!!!! Really MISS these BLESSED WHOLESOME BRIGHT DAYS during a wonderful childhood world!
My favorite game show when I was a kid. I recently bought a 1970 version of this game on eBay, excellent condition, with all the pieces. Brought a lot of memories back. Hugh Downs will be 99 years old on Valentine's Day 2020.
I remembered this as a kid. I was angry watching classic concentration with Trebek as I knew there was an earlier version. I was watching the later episodes late 60's early 70's and did not know the host. I see the Trebek version did not last long. Hoping GSN or Buzzr can find it and run episodes.
We almost got our wish a few years back ... NBC was planning an hour-long version of Concentration to go against the revival of Let's Make A Deal. I don't know whether a pilot had actually been commissioned or not, but the idea died at the last minute because the news division wanted to do a fourth hour of "Today."
And speaking of game shows that never got revived, I got the home version of "Concentration" for free from one of the trash pick finds. The pieces are almost intact, except the play money and the numbers 3 and 22 are missing. It's a fun game, but I have not seen it before, but I remember "Classic Concentration" with Alex Trebek from "Jeopardy" and it was a great show than the original.
NBC could always try again. If reports of Megyn Kelly's hour of Today being a ratings dud are true, they could always scrap that, move Kathie Lee & Hoda up an hour & there would be room for an hour of Concentration. However, NBC has been out of the daytime game show business since 1994, so they might be a bit rusty.
@@ericandy88 Even ABC hasn't been in the daytime game show business in years neither. Who knows? Maybe one of these days game shows would make a comeback in daytime TV. After all they're much cheaper than soap operas.
@@tribblegals5365 TODAY is a cash cow for NBC and why it's four hours. Add in "Access Live" (while not an official NBC show airs almost entirely on NBC stations) and Days and NBC has six hours of daytime programming there. Most if not all NBC Owned and Operated stations also air Steve Harvey and Ellen, so that makes it difficult to do a new version unless it went to another network, as NBC affiliates often also now do an 11:00 AM or Noon newscast and start afternoon newscasts at 4:00 PM. Maybe it could come back as a two-hour prime time show on Saturday nights, but even there it would have to likely be all cash now.
I'm with you 100%. NBC needs to cut down The Today Show back to three hours so a reboot of Concentration will air for an hour. We will see a lot of interesting prizes for the new Concentration and matching two Wild Cards will reward $1000 in cash. All Roker would be a great host.
Until "The Price Is Right" set the mark for a daytime game show run (42 seasons), "Concentration" once held the mark with 15 seasons (1958-73). In addition to Hugh Downs, these people also took their turns at emcee's podium-Jack Barry,Ed McMahon and Bob Clayton. Art James and Bill Mazer (better known as a sportswriter in New York) worked as fill-in hosts. In 1967, Mazer hosted the shortlived "Reach For The Stars". Barry was fired just weeks after the premiere in the wake of the quiz show scandals. He was implicated. Some years ago, NBC was thinking of doing a revival of "Concentration" as an hour-long show, with a high-tech game board, but the idea was scrapped when the network's news department opted for a fourth hour of "Today" instead.
The early version of Concentration in which the board has "booby traps" like Forfeit 1 Gift & "zonk" prizes. Fortunately, they were removed in the later version, Classic Concentration.
I was in grade school when this show went on the air; I never heard the host's name clearly. My sister and I called him DO DO!" in sync with the announcer giving his name.
November 1966. Norm Blumenthal, who designed the rebuses, was adament about making sure that the rebus images would NOT be in color; he wanted them to continue to be difficult to solve.
Loved this show when I was a kid. If they brought it back, it would have to be close to the same... no silliness or glitz. Something like how Jeopardy is produced. Not sure today's audience would be entertained.
I still like this version better than "Classic Concentration." Sometimes" teching" things up, actually makes them worse. Sounds foolish, i know. The new game seems overproduced.
I know, right?! I turn 39 this year and have fond memories of watching “Classic Concentration” with my mom in the mornings when it was in reruns on NBC summer mornings in the late’80s/early ‘90s while eating breakfast. *But* I have to agree - I think the physical blocks and the sound effects of the Narz “Concentration” make for a superior presentation. I’ve been watching the Narz version on the digital network Buzzr, I guess it’s the first time it’s been on television in a long while, and the first time I watched it I was like, “This is so much better!”
SPOILERS Never heard of Walter Slezak before this watching. And I had the 2nd puzzle long before time was up--that wagon-like vehicle on the top row, I realize, is a surrey.
I wonder if the guy was gay. Hugh questioned him about it and he said “no plans”. Or maybe he had the good sense to know that marriage ruins your life.
@Tomkat 56 It's up to NBC whether or not to bring back Concentration since the network owns the rights to the format, for what I've read. NBC also brought back Will & Grace, which they also own the rights to that show as well.
This program reminds one that the network took at 15 min station ID break . for a half hour show . This segmented different sponsors . On Concentration ended the first 15 min station witha pan of the audience with that weird music playing while at the end of the show they would pan the audience again and weird music with the credits including the various of the various companies who contributed participates game prizes . Thaes credits were so fast one would have to be a speed reader to read .
it was daytime in the 50s even the top shows of the day were mellow and low key seeming. just the tone of the times, funny thing is that the show rarely changed by the time the last show ended in 73, by then game shows were getting bigger and bolder with big sets and bold music themes
It may have been live. Many daytime shows only had a Hammond organ and the organist would improvise. I only hear timpani and an organ and Celeste. This would mean only 2 musicians to pay.
Do you have any records of past contestants, and when they appeared on Concentration? I wish I could make contact with a contestant from September 4th, 1959. Any suggestions? Thank you!
Wow, good luck on that. Only about 12 of these original 1958-73 shows have survived. NBC owns the Concentration franchise. Best bet would be to write them and ask for the archives department. Unless the contestant appeared in the 1959 show that Art James hosted (here on UA-cam), it doesn't look good to find any video of it; however the archives dept. might have info about who appeared, and when.
I had the home game- it could not have cost more than $10 in its day. Now it could even be an app. Could you show have this in black-and-white because it is known that huge Downs is colorblind? I only watch the first 10 minutes of this episode, we just had maybe six or eight ports of the puzzle revealed, I couldn't watch it any longer because I have to concentrate, get it, concentrate? On other priorities. But my guess is, and I did not cheat, the answer would be Walter Mitty. Hugh? IS RIGHT!!!
I was born in 1959, and used to get almost each and every home game. I think they ran about $3-4 in toy stores, not expensive by today's standards, but I sure was happy when my folks would get one. Also....NBC had color at the time, but Concentration was not in color until 1966 (outside of a brief primetime run in 1961). Color-blindness had nothing to do with it. It was Norm Blumenthal (who designed each and every rebus puzzle) who did not want color, because he felt the puzzles would be too easy. Even after color, the pictures in the puzzle were still of one color.
I am here because I am reading Mr. Lemoncello's Very First Game. He mentioned that he liked watching this show back in the day, and helped inspire him to make and host his own rebus puzzles with others.
Pat O’Hanlon is my aunt and is still with us 60 years later.
Wow! She was cute! So did she win the next game? Doesn't look like the next episode is around here.
Wow!
I hope she married Bob. He was going to be a Lawyer.
Andy Pearce He was a firefighter.
She looks like Jackie Onassis!
I remember watching Concentration as a kid.
i was there , 11 yo, with my aunt and mom.
I remember watching this in the late 50's. Fascinated how the mechanical board worked.
Hugh Downs died today at age 99. Mom used to tell me I called him Do Downs. My favorite game show as a youngster. NBC, 10:30 weekdays. When we played the table game, I used to use Hugh Downs' catch phrases, like "Is right!" and "The board goes back."
I saw these original Concentration games in the early 1960s with Hugh. Maybe from 1958, when I was watching "Maverick" and other great tv series of that fabulous tv era. I'm sorry to hear of Hugh's passing, but he lived a far longer and better life at 99 than almost anyone else could hope for. He had the record for most hours on television until Regis Philbin passed him for that honor. Regis is now also gone in 2020. R.I.P. to both those fine gentlemen and game show masters!
When I was a Kid, Hugh Downs was the Host of the ABC Show, 20/20
I always loved watching this show when I was a kid.
I did too! I was a little girl. Born in 54.
On YT I watched an early 1970s version of Whats My Line . Barbara Walters was the mystery guest dressed in a mini skirt (that was a long time ago) . Ms Arlene Francis was on the panel . Anyway at the end when Walters gushed her admiration for the most well informed woman she knew, Ms Francis . And Ms Francis with equal fervor gushed how much she admired the young news woman Ms. Walters . I thought about the two mutual admirers of different generations and i throught what did have in common . They both worked with Hugh Downs !
THANK YOU SOOOOOOO
MUCH!!!!!!!!
Best Memory Feelings EVER!!!!!!!!!!
Really MISS these BLESSED WHOLESOME BRIGHT DAYS during a wonderful childhood world!
My favorite game show when I was a kid. I recently bought a 1970 version of this game on eBay, excellent condition, with all the pieces. Brought a lot of memories back. Hugh Downs will be 99 years old on Valentine's Day 2020.
Cool, live; organ, celeste, and percussion background music!
Thank you , Hugh Downs.
I grew up with the last shows with Bob Clayton and the entire series with Jack Narz. Always loved this game show
I Grew Up with CLASSIC CONCENTRATION, Hosted by Alex Trebek
Great game show to help keep your mind strong. Loved this when I was younger.
I remembered this as a kid. I was angry watching classic concentration with Trebek as I knew there was an earlier version. I was watching the later episodes late 60's early 70's and did not know the host. I see the Trebek version did not last long. Hoping GSN or Buzzr can find it and run episodes.
I love how products were part of a game shows identity
Good show used to watch this all the time
With real live music, no less.
RIP Hugh Downs 1921-2020
RIP Hugh Downs, he passed away at age 99 in 2020.
He was from Lima, Ohio. He always went to his Lima Shawnee High School class reunions. He was down-to-earth and never put on airs.
Before "Jeopardy" (also an NBC show originally) came on the air, "Concentration" was my favorite game show.
Definitely time for a new version of this show. Game shows are big again!
We almost got our wish a few years back ... NBC was planning an hour-long version of Concentration to go against the revival of Let's Make A Deal. I don't know whether a pilot had actually been commissioned or not, but the idea died at the last minute because the news division wanted to do a fourth hour of "Today."
And speaking of game shows that never got revived, I got the home version of "Concentration" for free from one of the trash pick finds. The pieces are almost intact, except the play money and the numbers 3 and 22 are missing. It's a fun game, but I have not seen it before, but I remember "Classic Concentration" with Alex Trebek from "Jeopardy" and it was a great show than the original.
NBC could always try again. If reports of Megyn Kelly's hour of Today being a ratings dud are true, they could always scrap that, move Kathie Lee & Hoda up an hour & there would be room for an hour of Concentration.
However, NBC has been out of the daytime game show business since 1994, so they might be a bit rusty.
@@ericandy88 Even ABC hasn't been in the daytime game show business in years neither. Who knows? Maybe one of these days game shows would make a comeback in daytime TV. After all they're much cheaper than soap operas.
@@tribblegals5365 TODAY is a cash cow for NBC and why it's four hours. Add in "Access Live" (while not an official NBC show airs almost entirely on NBC stations) and Days and NBC has six hours of daytime programming there. Most if not all NBC Owned and Operated stations also air Steve Harvey and Ellen, so that makes it difficult to do a new version unless it went to another network, as NBC affiliates often also now do an 11:00 AM or Noon newscast and start afternoon newscasts at 4:00 PM.
Maybe it could come back as a two-hour prime time show on Saturday nights, but even there it would have to likely be all cash now.
Letterman used to occasionally use the phrase "not a match - the board goes back".
Really nice,alot of fun
I had a concentration game in the early 60s. Loved it!
Bring this SHow Back!
GuitarSlayer1307 Zw
Classic Concentration would be a better choice.
I'm with you 100%. NBC needs to cut down The Today Show back to three hours so a reboot of Concentration will air for an hour. We will see a lot of interesting prizes for the new Concentration and matching two Wild Cards will reward $1000 in cash. All Roker would be a great host.
If they did bring it back it wouldn't be as good. They'd make it dirty with sexual innuendo, like they do everything now.
@@tubeblack35 why?
I couldn'tve guessed at the puzzle anyway. That stupid timer was down there blocking everything!!
I'm terrible at the puzzles. My mind isn't abstract enough. I have half a chance at the memory part.
I Remember Hugh Downs from his Work on 20/20.
And today he's gone at 99, mate! Passed away this morning in Scottsdale, AZ.
It’s neat how they kill time with conversation while you hear them change the puzzle board in the background. So low tech but I’m ok with it.
When the show switched over to 5-shows on tape, the puzzle remained as it was for the contestants to play the "next day".
Hugh is still doing fine and well at 96 years young!
I know a guy that worked with him on CONCENTRATION Hugh bought him a silver cup when his son was born
@@spacepatrolman how neat
I wish this show would reboot because I want to be on it.....I'm good at it.
Used to watch it in the 80's.
Announcer was Art James.
Bob Clayton came later, first as announcer, then as host.
Until "The Price Is Right" set the mark for a daytime game show run
(42 seasons), "Concentration" once held the mark with 15 seasons
(1958-73). In addition to Hugh Downs, these people also took their
turns at emcee's podium-Jack Barry,Ed McMahon and Bob Clayton.
Art James and Bill Mazer (better known as a sportswriter in New York) worked as fill-in hosts. In 1967, Mazer hosted the shortlived
"Reach For The Stars". Barry was fired just weeks after the premiere
in the wake of the quiz show scandals. He was implicated.
Some years ago, NBC was thinking of doing a revival of "Concentration" as an hour-long show, with a high-tech game board,
but the idea was scrapped when the network's news department
opted for a fourth hour of "Today" instead.
Armory Brunot,Jr. Wow. "The More You Know".
Don’t forget Jack Narz. He hosted this show in the 70s.
Check me if I'm wrong, but I believe "Truth Or Consequences" passed it up first.
I also Bob Barker hosted both shows simultaneously for about 5 years.
The early version of Concentration in which the board has "booby traps" like Forfeit 1 Gift & "zonk" prizes.
Fortunately, they were removed in the later version, Classic Concentration.
Hugh Downs is still around at 99 years young as of February 2020 👍
Well he's gone today! May he RIP, mate.
Paul Nguyen I saw that. He was 99 years old. That’s a good long life. Rest In Peace Hugh.
Very good show, good ending!
I was in grade school when this show went on the air; I never heard the host's name clearly. My sister and I called him DO DO!" in sync with the announcer giving his name.
"Congratulations! You've won a HAT!"
"You're a good looking guy" Funny.
This was probably the last show in Black and White on NBC, it finally went color in 1967.
November 1966. Norm Blumenthal, who designed the rebuses, was adament about making sure that the rebus images would NOT be in color; he wanted them to continue to be difficult to solve.
The answer to the second puzzle is: Misery Loves Company. Mi+Surrey (Carriage) Loves Com+Penny
Loved this show when I was a kid. If they brought it back, it would have to be close to the same...
no silliness or glitz. Something like how Jeopardy is produced. Not sure today's audience would be entertained.
RIP Hugh Downs
RIP Hugh Downs.
Art James was the announcer.
NBC wanted Gene Rayburn to host this show but he wasn't committed to hosting it. That's when they chose Hugh Downs to host it.
I didn’t read about that, but yeah, Rayburn would be good at this.
Hugh Downs used the phrase "pin down" a lot.
tirmyta I used to watch it with my Mom. She loved it and almost always solved it. Ahhh, if we could only go back.....🙄
I still like this version better than "Classic Concentration."
Sometimes" teching" things up, actually makes them worse.
Sounds foolish, i know. The new game seems overproduced.
I know, right?! I turn 39 this year and have fond memories of watching “Classic Concentration” with my mom in the mornings when it was in reruns on NBC summer mornings in the late’80s/early ‘90s while eating breakfast.
*But* I have to agree - I think the physical blocks and the sound effects of the Narz “Concentration” make for a superior presentation. I’ve been watching the Narz version on the digital network Buzzr, I guess it’s the first time it’s been on television in a long while, and the first time I watched it I was like, “This is so much better!”
sure beats studio fires i’ll tell you that much
SPOILERS
Never heard of Walter Slezak before this watching. And I had the 2nd puzzle long before time was up--that wagon-like vehicle on the top row, I realize, is a surrey.
I wonder if the guy was gay. Hugh questioned him about it and he said “no plans”. Or maybe he had the good sense to know that marriage ruins your life.
From October 14, 1958.
This must have been only two or three months after the series premiered.
A mrs moxley from my town won a ford skyliner on this show 1957 or 1958 can anyone find that episode?
#rip Hugh Downs
They brought back ''Lets Make A Deal''. They brought back '' The Gong Show''. Hell they even brought back ROSANNE. Why NOT Concentration?
@Tomkat 56 It's up to NBC whether or not to bring back Concentration since the network owns the rights to the format, for what I've read. NBC also brought back Will & Grace, which they also own the rights to that show as well.
The return of the Gong Show was sickening. The return of Let's Make a Deal with Wayne Brady was remarkable. They've also brought back the Pyramid.
This program reminds one that the network took at 15 min station ID break . for a half hour show . This segmented different sponsors . On Concentration ended the first 15 min station witha pan of the audience with that weird music playing while at the end of the show they would pan the audience again and weird music with the credits including the various of the various companies who contributed participates game prizes . Thaes credits were so fast one would have to be a speed reader to read .
RIP Hugh Downs 2/14/21-7/2/2020
He died yesterday! His death was mentioned on the news
LOL mercy this theme music, if I didn't know better, I'd think this was Mister Rogers' Neighborhood!
it was daytime in the 50s even the top shows of the day were mellow and low key seeming. just the tone of the times, funny thing is that the show rarely changed by the time the last show ended in 73, by then game shows were getting bigger and bolder with big sets and bold music themes
It may have been live. Many daytime shows only had a Hammond organ and the organist would improvise.
I only hear timpani and an organ and Celeste. This would mean only 2 musicians to pay.
That was an unsatisfying ending. At least later versions let the contestants guess when time ran out.
I recall in the Bob Clayton era, they "finished the game in the studio" (as he put it) and taped it to air the next day.
Rest in peace, Hugh Downs.
Today is Mr.Hugh Downs' 99th birthday.
Do you have any records of past contestants, and when they appeared on Concentration? I wish I could make contact with a contestant from September 4th, 1959. Any suggestions? Thank you!
Wow, good luck on that. Only about 12 of these original 1958-73 shows have survived. NBC owns the Concentration franchise. Best bet would be to write them and ask for the archives department. Unless the contestant appeared in the 1959 show that Art James hosted (here on UA-cam), it doesn't look good to find any video of it; however the archives dept. might have info about who appeared, and when.
What IS that timer at the bottom!!
The timer is certainly an unfortunate addition to the screen !
You should change the title to episode #38, as BJMTV Canada pointed out.
This was about six weeks into the show's run.
Wasn't Gene Rayburn already hosting Dough-Re-Mi?
I had the home game- it could not have cost more than $10 in its day. Now it could even be an app.
Could you show have this in black-and-white because it is known that huge Downs is colorblind?
I only watch the first 10 minutes of this episode, we just had maybe six or eight ports of the puzzle revealed, I couldn't watch it any longer because I have to concentrate, get it, concentrate? On other priorities. But my guess is, and I did not cheat, the answer would be Walter Mitty.
Hugh? IS RIGHT!!!
I was born in 1959, and used to get almost each and every home game. I think they ran about $3-4 in toy stores, not expensive by today's standards, but I sure was happy when my folks would get one.
Also....NBC had color at the time, but Concentration was not in color until 1966 (outside of a brief primetime run in 1961). Color-blindness had nothing to do with it. It was Norm Blumenthal (who designed each and every rebus puzzle) who did not want color, because he felt the puzzles would be too easy. Even after color, the pictures in the puzzle were still of one color.
@@christopherdunne7848 there is a card game version on google now you match pictures. it is a mind test
Walter was sooooo slooooow
I hate to bring this up, but this can't be the first episode; introducing the contestants, Art James announces "our winner from yesterday"..
Sadly, I don’t know who Walter Slate was.
According to IMDB, Walter Slezak was a character actor in 1940s drama movies and in Broadway musicals for many years before and after.
Nervine....40% alcohol, I'll bet
Mono. No right audio
21st Like! Blackjack!
Odd to see 2 men play. (1st game).
21st Like! Blackjack!