I'm confused: a question about the rules

[bazodee]

Prior to taping in 2004, TPTB told us that if we were in the Hot Seat and ever needed clarification on a question, or didn't understand what was being asked, we should utter the phrase "I'm confused", and the taping would stop and all the lawyers would rush to the stage to resolve the issue.

With the advent of the clock, does this still apply? Has anyone stopped the clock asking for clarification; couldn't this just be a technique to buy a few more seconds of think time? What happens now, when a question is ambiguous or poorly worded? What immediate recourse does a contestant have?

Perhaps some of this season's contestants could chime in about any instructions they received prior to taping.

[MarleysGh0st]

We've had this discussion before and I believe one of this season's contestants said that the clock no longer stops in this situation, so you have make the best case for your appeal that you can before the clock runs out.

Let me see if I can find that thread.

[MarleysGh0st]

Yeah, here it is:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9884

$1K As part of its maintenance, which of these tourist attractions requires the use of embalming fluid?
A. Lenin’s Tomb
B. Mount Rushmore
C. Stonehenge
D. Hoover Dam

With seven seconds remaining, Natalie says “C, final answer.”
Natalie leaves with $0.

The clock claims its first llama!

And I'm tempted to get nit-picky with this question. It's not really Lenin's Tomb that needs the embalming fluid, it's Lenin!

Perhaps one of our BBs who've taped this season can answer this question: In past seasons, contestants have been told that they can always ask for clarification on a question that doesn't seem clear to them. Is anything said about that now? Can one stop the clock, if, as in this example, one was confused about the tomb vs. the body?

You can ask but the clock stops for no one other then in the midst of a lifeline.

---Jay

[frogman042]

How it was explained to us, the contestant cannot stop the clock, other than using a lifeline that stops the clock, regardless of the situation - including confusing/ambiguous questions. If there is an issue, you need to raise it after the question/clock is over.

During one of the tapings I saw prior to appearing in the HS (it was the 2nd day of taping under the new rules) - there was a situation along the lines of the contestant being confused/asking for a clarification (the details are lost in my memory somewhere) - I don't recall exactly what the issue/question was - but the gameplay was not affected nor was the question thrown out or redone. There was a break in the production and after some time went by it was explained to the studio audience the details - but the upshot was that nothing stops the clock when it is running except the lifelines or a final answer.

---Jay

[MarleysGh0st]

During one of the tapings I saw prior to appearing in the HS (it was the 2nd day of taping under the new rules) - there was a situation along the lines of the contestant being confused/asking for a clarification (the details are lost in my memory somewhere) - I don't recall exactly what the issue/question was - but the gameplay was not affected nor was the question thrown out or redone. There was a break in the production and after some time went by it was explained to the studio audience the details - but the upshot was that nothing stops the clock when it is running except the lifelines or a final answer.

---Jay

If gameplay was not affected, I presume the contestant guessed "correctly" on the question. If s/he had gotten it wrong, do you thin they would have stopped the tape and discussed the clarification before making the contestant walk off the set?

There have been cases before where a contestant has challenged a question, after the fact. The final decision is always in the hands of TPTB, but the general opinion was that arguments invented long after taping was over didn't have the weight of an objection raised on the set, before the question was answered. The clock leaves very little time for laying the basis for an appeal.

[KillerTomato]

I'm reminded a bit of the opening to "Trivial Pursuit - America Plays" that bugs me every day. One of the questions that was purportedly asked by someone in America (but then used in the opening, so it'll never ever ever actually be on the show) is:

What was the only James Bond film to be made more than once?

Remember, this is open answer, not multiple guess, but if that question was asked of me, the first words from me would be "Boy, that's a bad question." There are TWO possible answers to this question, depending on whether you're talking about TITLES or PLOTS. There have been two feature films called "Casino Royale," but they shared almost NO plot similarities. OTOH, "Never Say Never Again" is almost a direct remake of "Thunderball" -- different title, but same plot.

Every time I watch TP-AP, I wonder which answer they want.

[Bob Juch]

I'm reminded a bit of the opening to "Trivial Pursuit - America Plays" that bugs me every day. One of the questions that was purportedly asked by someone in America (but then used in the opening, so it'll never ever ever actually be on the show) is:

What was the only James Bond film to be made more than once?

Remember, this is open answer, not multiple guess, but if that question was asked of me, the first words from me would be "Boy, that's a bad question." There are TWO possible answers to this question, depending on whether you're talking about TITLES or PLOTS. There have been two feature films called "Casino Royale," but they shared almost NO plot similarities. OTOH, "Never Say Never Again" is almost a direct remake of "Thunderball" -- different title, but same plot.

Every time I watch TP-AP, I wonder which answer they want.

The first Casino Royale was not a feature film. It was made for TV. The only correct answer would be Thunderball.

[bazodee]

My question was purely theoretical. We all know, of course, that TPTB is infallible.

[KillerTomato]

I'm reminded a bit of the opening to "Trivial Pursuit - America Plays" that bugs me every day. One of the questions that was purportedly asked by someone in America (but then used in the opening, so it'll never ever ever actually be on the show) is:

What was the only James Bond film to be made more than once?

Remember, this is open answer, not multiple guess, but if that question was asked of me, the first words from me would be "Boy, that's a bad question." There are TWO possible answers to this question, depending on whether you're talking about TITLES or PLOTS. There have been two feature films called "Casino Royale," but they shared almost NO plot similarities. OTOH, "Never Say Never Again" is almost a direct remake of "Thunderball" -- different title, but same plot.

Every time I watch TP-AP, I wonder which answer they want.

The first Casino Royale was not a feature film. It was made for TV. The only correct answer would be Thunderball.

Nope, the ORIGINAL adaptation of Fleming's novel was on TV (as part of a series called "Climax"). But there was a non-canon feature, with David Niven and Peter Sellers. Since the producers couldn't get the rights to the book itself, they just took a few names from it, wrote a satire of Bond/spy movies, and went ahead anyway.

[Bob Juch]

I'm reminded a bit of the opening to "Trivial Pursuit - America Plays" that bugs me every day. One of the questions that was purportedly asked by someone in America (but then used in the opening, so it'll never ever ever actually be on the show) is:

What was the only James Bond film to be made more than once?

Remember, this is open answer, not multiple guess, but if that question was asked of me, the first words from me would be "Boy, that's a bad question." There are TWO possible answers to this question, depending on whether you're talking about TITLES or PLOTS. There have been two feature films called "Casino Royale," but they shared almost NO plot similarities. OTOH, "Never Say Never Again" is almost a direct remake of "Thunderball" -- different title, but same plot.

Every time I watch TP-AP, I wonder which answer they want.

The first Casino Royale was not a feature film. It was made for TV. The only correct answer would be Thunderball.

Nope, the ORIGINAL adaptation of Fleming's novel was on TV (as part of a series called "Climax"). But there was a non-canon feature, with David Niven and Peter Sellers. Since the producers couldn't get the rights to the book itself, they just took a few names from it, wrote a satire of Bond/spy movies, and went ahead anyway.

Oh yeah, how could I have forgotten about that piece of drek? Must be the two margaritas I had with lunch.

[silverscreenselect]

I'm reminded a bit of the opening to "Trivial Pursuit - America Plays" that bugs me every day. One of the questions that was purportedly asked by someone in America (but then used in the opening, so it'll never ever ever actually be on the show) is:

What was the only James Bond film to be made more than once?

Remember, this is open answer, not multiple guess, but if that question was asked of me, the first words from me would be "Boy, that's a bad question." There are TWO possible answers to this question, depending on whether you're talking about TITLES or PLOTS. There have been two feature films called "Casino Royale," but they shared almost NO plot similarities. OTOH, "Never Say Never Again" is almost a direct remake of "Thunderball" -- different title, but same plot.

Every time I watch TP-AP, I wonder which answer they want.

The first Casino Royale was not a feature film. It was made for TV. The only correct answer would be Thunderball.

Nope, the ORIGINAL adaptation of Fleming's novel was on TV (as part of a series called "Climax"). But there was a non-canon feature, with David Niven and Peter Sellers. Since the producers couldn't get the rights to the book itself, they just took a few names from it, wrote a satire of Bond/spy movies, and went ahead anyway.

The producers did own the rights to Casino Royale which is how they could make the movie. Fleming sold the movie rights to Casino Royale for a pittance before he realized how valuable the franchise was. The producers thought they could do better with a spoof than by trying to out-Connery Connery with a serious film. Since then, Broccoli's production company got the rights to Casino Royale (the book) back and the Daniel Craig version is very close to the plot of the original, including the way in which the villain is killed and the rather bizarre method used to torture Bond.

Thunderball was a different story. While he was still alive, Fleming lost a plagiarism suit to McClory and Whittingham who claimed he stole their story line. As part of the settlement, they got the rights to market the book and they sold it to Broccoli, while keeping remake rights for themselves. If you look at the credits for Thunderball, they say that the film is based on a story by McClory, Whittingham, and Fleming. They then exercised those remake rights twenty years later to make Never Say Never Again.