One of the
most entertaining, and certainly one of the most annoying dating
shows ever
BZZZ! debuted 9/95 on KTLA in test market,
and rolled out 9/96 in national syndication (including KTLA) However, BZZZ!
reached its end, as the flagship station KTLA bumped it from 7:00 pm to
5:00 pm, and finally to 12:30 PM, immediately following "The Brady Bunch".
Now, BZZZ! got bzzzed itself, as it has been axed.
Why the
vowel-less title BZZZ? Who knows? Maybe it's an infringement
on Buzz magazine, which came out first. Annie refers to the show as both
"buzz" and the sound effect "bzzz", but the show is offically known as
"BZZZ!"
Host/Announcer: "It is I, Annie WOOOOOOD" Seen here on "Politically Incorrect" June 9th Annie Wood was originally hired as a contestant coordinator. If you are or know who she replaced, let me know.
The Premise:
Round One
A contestant, called the "buzzer", screens
four possible dates, as the four dates introduce themselves behind a silhouette.
They usually pose in the silhouette and make motions in their spheil. One
episode, a musician brought his guitar and was playing back there!
After, all four are introduced, the "buzzer" eliminates one of the four possibilities. Let's call this unlucky duck "the last resort", since the show never had an official name for them...
Round Two
The "buzzer" has two minutes to screen
the remaining three dates. They choose one, and the possible date comes
out and answers questions from the "buzzer". If the "buzzer" is not pleased,
they sound the horn "BZZZ!", the set goes dark, and Annie sends 'em away.
If the "buzzer" is pleased, he/she rings a handbell and the two go on a
date. If no decision is made within two minutes, the "buzzer" ends up with
"the last resort".
Simpatico! Round
The "buzzer" and his/her date play a compatibility
game. Annie hands them paddles with a choice on either side, like "Will
Call/Won't Call" or "Like it/Don't Like it". The two are put on either
side of a wall to keep things fair. Annie reads a statement and they hold
up their answer. Matching answer wins $100. Matching all of them (originally
7, with the new commercial structure reduced to 5) wins $1000. A quote from the original BZZZ! website: "Cheating in the Simpatico round is a federal offense
punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment".
At first, they went to a commercial after the Simpatico! round, but later they went to commercial before it, with another commercial before the second "buzzer"s questioning session.
The process is repeated for the second
"buzzer". The buzzer with the higher Simpatico! score wins.
The category was: Feel Guilty / Don't Feel Guilty
Frank / Diane
1. Plant dies because you forgot to water it - DFG / FG - 0for1
$0!
After the fifth non-match the audience started to laugh and groan
while Annie yelled you "You got 'em all Wrong!"
If that is not embarassing I don't know what is. If there is a tie, both teams are asked
a "what percentage of" question relating to love/dating (well, sometimes
it related). The team that's closer to the right answer wins. One time,
there were so many ties, Annie called a "thumb war" to decide the winner
(see pic).
Originally during test market shows, the rules had one team give a number, and the other say "higher/lower",
but this is a rip from "Card Sharks". (read lawsuit). So the tiebreaker changed to above which every other show besides Card Sharks uses.
Final BZZZ
Thanks to Rodrigo for this...
I have on tape the most embarassing moment on Bzzz! The only time
this happenened, during one of the Simpatico rounds, the couple Frank
and Diane got NO MATCHES AT ALL!
0 for 5!
2. Breaking up w/ someone who really likes you - DFG / FG - 0for2
3. Swearing in front of your mother - FG / DFG - 0for3
4. Hanging up on a charity phone solicitor - DFG / FG - 0for4
5. Wearing a fur coat - DFG / FG - 0for5!
The winning date asks their "buzzer" one
final question. They can now ring the bell and keep this person who chose
them, or "BZZZ" them and stand that motha up!
Turning 'em down:
I loved the fact that you can turn somebody
down right there on national television! The audience really seems to get
into it sometimes. Whenever someone is "buzzed", the character generator
posted a quick wit such as
Did I miss any? Let me know
Hyperactive!
Annie Wood and the contestants must follow the same diet plan of Beavis
when he becomes The Great Cornholio because everyone overacts/is hyper.
A note to the caterers at the BZZZ! studios: No soda pop or donuts! Maybe,
Annie Wood went to the Jim Perry school of Game Show hosting. BZZZ!
was certainly the most frantic game of love to hit the air ever.
Didja ever notice?
BZZZ!-isms:
Take me back
to the main page.
In addition to the quick wits posted on
the character generator, BZZZ! will always be remembered for adding the
following to the nation's vocabulary (or at least borrowing from it).
BZZZ! is (C)1995-1997 Tribune
Entertainment Company. No challenge to their ownership or the rights of
Ralph Edwards/Stu Billett productions is made. I just like this show.
And of course...