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Instant Recall

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Instant Recall
A logo for the American television game show Instant Recall, featuring green and orange letterface and a dollar sign in place of the "s" in "Instant".
Created byGary Dawson
Ron Deutsch
Presented byWink Martindale
StarringAngela Daun
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
  • Adam Tyler
  • Ron Deutsch
  • Gary Dawson
  • David Franzke
Running time21–22 minutes
Original release
NetworkGame Show Network
ReleaseMarch 4 (2010-03-04) –
April 23, 2010 (2010-04-23)

Instant Recall is an American hidden camera game show hosted by Wink Martindale. It premiered on Game Show Network (GSN) on March 4, 2010, with a new episode airing each Thursday for eight weeks, concluding on April 23. The show features contestants who are placed in unusual situations and are filmed with a hidden camera. The contestants are then tested on what they just experienced to see how good their memories are. The more correct answers they provide, the more cash and prizes they win. While one writer was optimistic about the show's performance, another was skeptical, and poor television ratings led to only one season being produced. It was the last game show that Martindale hosted.

Gameplay

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Television host Wink Martindale, wearing a black suit and tie.
Wink Martindale (pictured in 2010), a co-host of the series

Hosted by Wink Martindale with Angela Daun, both of whom appear in every segment of the show, Instant Recall features several additional main cast members who serve as actors in the first segment of the game. Each episode is filmed in two segments, with the first being shot with hidden cameras. At this point, the contestant does not know he or she is being filmed or even on the show itself. The actors enter the scene to make the contestant a witness in an "outrageous situation."[1]

At the end of the scenario, one of the actors asks the contestant, "Do you like game shows?",[2] after which Martindale enters to inform the contestant that he or she is on a hidden camera game show. The second segment of the game is then played, in which the contestant must answer questions relating to what he or she just witnessed, testing his or her memory.[3] The contestant begins with $500 and can earn up to an additional $3,000 depending on how many questions are answered correctly.[4][5]

Production

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Instant Recall was first announced on February 5, 2010. Adam Tyler, Ron Deutsch, Gary Dawson, and David Franzke (who had previously been involved with the hidden camera show Punk'd) served as executive producers.[1] The series premiered on March 4, 2010, at 8:30 PM ET.[1][6][7] The series aired a new episode in that time slot every week, concluding with its eighth and final episode on April 23, 2010.[8]

Reception

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Before the series premiered, About.com game show writer Carrie Grosvenor was optimistic about the show's potential success, arguing that it would likely be an improvement over GSN's previous hidden camera show, Hidden Agenda. She also applauded GSN for hiring Martindale to host, saying, "It'll be great to see him back on television."[9] Instant Recall's ratings were below average for GSN, with CNN's James Dinan describing them as "ratings woes".[10] The series' debut episode's ratings were lower than those of its lead-in, Carnie Wilson: Unstapled,[11] though they picked up slightly in April.[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "GSN Announces Debut of Instant Recall, New Hidden Camera Game Show First Tests Your Patience, Then Tests Your Memory" (Press release). GSN Corporate. February 5, 2010. Archived from the original on April 20, 2010.
  2. ^ Shattuck, Kathryn (March 4, 2010). "What's On Today". The New York Times. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  3. ^ Sassone, Bob (February 4, 2010). "Wink Martindale to Host Instant Recall on GSN Starting March 4". TV Squad. Archived from the original on February 10, 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
  4. ^ Terrace 2010, p. 507.
  5. ^ Instant Recall. Season 1. Episode 1. March 4, 2010. Game Show Network.
  6. ^ Lycan, Gary (February 4, 2010). "Doug McIntyre's Red Eye Radio returns to KABC". Orange County Register. Retrieved October 20, 2017. Wink Martindale, ex-KMPC-AM, is off on a cruise to Australia and Bali, but will return in time for the March 4 airing of his new game show, Instant Recall, on cable's Game Show Network.
  7. ^ "Wink Martindale…The New Lady Gaga?". KRTH. March 1, 2010. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  8. ^ Instant Recall. Season 1. Episode 8. April 23, 2010. Game Show Network.
  9. ^ Grosvenor, Carrie (February 4, 2010). "Wink Martindale is Back!". About.com. About Entertainment. Archived from the original on March 17, 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
  10. ^ Dinan, James (May 5, 2010). "GSN takes risk with puppet game show". CNN. Archived from the original on October 21, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  11. ^ "GSN Analysis – March 2010". Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media. Archived from the original on October 21, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  12. ^ "GSN Analysis – April 2010". Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media. Archived from the original on October 21, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2017.

Bibliography

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