Does anyone miss the old Lottery Live?

[ssetta]

You know, I actually remember one of Lottery Live's most bizarre moments ever. It took place on Christmas 1993. Jill Stark was subbing for Dawn, and this was the Daily Numbers Game. On this drawing, the wheels were spinning MUCH faster than usual. Fast enough so they would take a LOT LONGER to slow down. And I remember the music kept looping and repeating, and the funniest part was that Jill had to keep ad-libing while the wheels were spinning. But she basically acted just as if there was nothing wrong. But IMO, I think someone should put it on YouTube, or better yet, they gotta get a copy of it for Most Outrageous TV Moments! Does anyone remember this?

 

[Skynet74]

I think it would be nothing short of a miracle if someone had this exact clip recorded. I don't think there are a lot of people who tape Lottery drawings. It's pretty amazing that I had that Tom Bergeron clip from WBZ! However I always liked the theme music which is why I taped that segment in the first place. That would be great if someone has that clip though. It sounds funny!

 

[ssetta]

You know, this MAY seem a BIT off topic, but I actually also remember the Rhode Island lottery drawings as well. Years ago, we used to get WPRI-12 on our cable system, and believe it or not, I think they have carried the Rhode Island lottery for approximately 20 years, along with Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! And believe it or not, I think those 2 syndicated shows hold the record for the syndicated shows in Providence that have been on the same time and channel for the longest time. But anyway, I remember compared to Boston, this lottery drawing was always very low-key. I remember the daily Numb3rs consisted of 4 boxes, each with balls from 0-9 in them that blew around, and the host would actually turn them with his fingers. And the Lottobucks drawing had a single machine that looked like a pouch, and had 5 balls. But I remember there were 2 different hosts: One of them had this hair that went up, up, and away, and the other was like really fat. But neither of them were anywhere near as pleasing or as professional as Dawn Hayes. Nowadays, they have people from colleges around Rhode Island do the drawings.

 

[KML0224]

Connecticut's in-state drawings are done at WTIC-TV/DT (FOX) channel 61/D 31 of Hartford. Anybody who draws on the air is already a Connecticut Lottery Corporation employee. They've been on channel 61 for a good 9 years already. Drawings were on NBC here before 1997.

 

[Skynet74]

Yeah WPRI has an interesting situation where they have Broadcasting Students from local colleges announce the numbers. The station no longer has those four Box type machines like they used to either. Now they've got one Machine which Vacume sucks four Balls to the Top. The various hosts no longer touch the balls and turn them like used to. The hosts now just watch the balls reach the top and then announce what they are. The set consists of a green chroma key wall where they display a photo that makes the set look like it's in a large Studio. They just stick the lottery machine and the host in front of that. Decent effect. I don't think many people notice it's just a wall. I'm not even sure how I know. I think I saw the chroma key effect mess up one night.

The only fun part about watching The Lottery Drawings on WPRI are to see the various hosts that change from night to night. Since they are all College students you will occasionally get a real good looking babe as host. Other nights it will just be some dorky guy. They must have a lot of students to cycle through. I don't ever recall seeing the same person twice.

On a side note WPRI has been the host station for The Rhode Island Lottery for as long as I can remember. I believe that WJAR may have hosted the drawings briefly around 1980 before the drawings returned to WPRI again. I'm going strictly by memory.

 

[WMC2006]

There is an old story from years and years ago about when WCVB/Channel 5 either picked up the lottery drawings from another station or were changing hosts or something. Channel 5 had asked one of their on-air personalities, Janet Langhart, to host the live drawings and Janet infamously replied that she didn't want to become the "next Vanna Black". Janet was fired shortly thereafter. I dont recall what her duties at the station may have been at the time.

Addressing some of the other comments throughout this thread:

Wasn't Brian Tracey the son of game show legend Mark Goodson?? I vaguely recall Channel 5's Lottery game show host (Sat nights from 7pm to 8pm, I think) was Goodson's son although not sure if it was Brian Tracey. And he had either come from or went to (after Channel 5 cancelled the show) hosting the same show in another city and state. Or maybe both.

And, correct me if I'm wrong, but I always thought that The Price is Right's "new car music" became the theme music for Family Feud.

Former lottery hostess Nancy O'Neill (is that her name?) is married to ex-Red Sox pitcher (and Hall of Famer) and NESN studio analyst Dennis Eckersley. I believe Nancy was the weekend number caller and primary fill-in for Dawn Hayes.

The post about Andi Waugh is correct. I dont recall her lasting very long.

I guess Tom Bergeron might be the most successful local lottery host. He's hosted the lottery drawing, he hosted People Are Talking (Channel 4), he's done radio (Magic morning show, wasnt it, or was it?), subbed on the national morning shows, hosted Hollywood Squares, Funniest Home Videos (which will go on forever), Dancing With the Stars......

 

[Skynet74]

Brian Tracey wasn't Mark Goodson's son. However Jonathon Goodson is. He produced Bonus Bonanza for Channel 5. Mark also has a daugher named Marjorie. She was the hostess on Classic Concentration.

You are correct regarding one of the new car cues used on The Price Is Right. It did become the theme of the original Family Feud. However neither The Price Is Right nor Family Feud uses that music any longer.

 

[ssetta]

There is an old story from years and years ago about when WCVB/Channel 5 either picked up the lottery drawings from another station or were changing hosts or something. Channel 5 had asked one of their on-air personalities, Janet Langhart, to host the live drawings and Janet infamously replied that she didn't want to become the "next Vanna Black". Janet was fired shortly thereafter. I dont recall what her duties at the station may have been at the time.

Do you mean when they picked it up from WHDH in 1994? Dawn Hayes moved with The Lottery. She kept moving with The Lottery until WCVB took it again in 2004, when she finally stopped.

 

[bostonmediaguy]

Hayes didn't leave of her own choosing. From what I understand, stations paid for each hostess. 'BZ let their contract lapse, not wanting to pay hosts. 'CVB picked it up from the Lottery under a deal to have automated computer voices conduct the live drawings.

 

[ssetta]

The current voiceovers on WCVB are not automated. They are live people. But I do remember speaking to someone at WCVB, and they said that it was better to have different voices, instead of just one lottery host(ess). But if that's the case, I'm surprised that Hayes moved with it when it went to WCVB in 1994, and WBZ in 1998 (and then it moved to UPN38 in 2001, but that's their sister station). I mean, it is more up to date I guess, but I still miss the old way. It was so much more fun to see the balls come out of the machine.

 

[Skynet74]

A few times those Ping Pong Balls would get stuck. Other times they wouldn't get sucked to the top of the machine. That was always fun. lol

 

[Fenway1912]

I believe her name was Andi Waugh. Channel 7 made such a big deal about getting the lottery deal, that they held open auditions all over the state to find the next host(ess). Poor 7 was the bottom feeder station back then, and instead of hiring a professional to host the lottery drawings, they milked the publicity by having auditions and hiring someone with obviously no on-air experience whatsoever. Andi was the "winner". Nice lady, a pretty redhead, but very painful to watch. I don't think she even lasted a year, and then they went with the very polished and professional Dawn Hayes. I think Channel 7's announcer Chris Clausen filled in on some of the drawings.

I did like opening sequence with the 7 balls in the logo flying out of position.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLvlZIYuAwo