"Beat The I.R.S." was not meant to be a game show. If you read the credits at the and of the show, it says, "The Production of 'BEAT THE IRS' is for entertainment and educational purposes only. The prizes shown were not actually awarded."
I've seen this before elsewhere, and I honestly didn't think this was an actual Game Show pilot--I always thought it was some sort of instructional How-To video they show you when you apply for a job at the IRS
You hit the nail on the head when you said the main game had too much "red tape". This game had you answer one too many questions in order for you to make any sheltered money if you could. Here's my recommendations to make this game move faster: 1. If a player jumps in with the correct answer, they earn whatever amount they pick from the taxable income board. 2. The contestant can then either play another jump in question with their opponent to earn more income, or risk that amount by picking a percentage from the sheltered board. 3. A correct answer to tax question will place that percentage into the contestants sheltered amount while a wrong answer takes the percentage from their income. This not only cuts the amount of questions in half, it also makes the game run smoother and far less confusing.
Next month's uploads are: May - The Games of '90 - Krypton Factor June - A GSG Induction July - The Games of '90 - Wheel of Fortune (The Bob Goen Daytime Run)
I vehemently disagree with you, Cyndi. This is the best game show I've ever seen. The more elaborate and intricate the format the better. Game shows with overly simple premises are extremely boring to watch, and feel frustratingly, uncomfortably hollow, not to mention insult the viewer's intelligence. Particularly if they're not original. This has both a highly original and engaging (due to its complexity) concept, so it's a 👍👍👍 show for me.
Honestly, this doesn't have a bad concept to it, but yeah, it's way too complicated for its own good. Plus, for a pilot, the set is almost Shoppers Casino levels of barren and dismal.
mr3urious I disagree on the set: Beat the I.R.S. had a set that looked like a game show, whereas Shopper's Casino just had a bunch of stuff plopped around.
_Beat the IRS_ distributor Uncle Sam Jr. is Andrew James Ciaramitaro's company. The best-known form of his work is the _Beat the IRS (Legally)_ books, which grew out of his self-published _The Complete Guide to Tax Deductions_ and was distributed by Berkley Books in the early-to-late-1980s. Judging by his entries at the United States Copyright Office (cocatalog.loc.gov/, search for Andrew James Ciaramitaro in Other Search Options), I guess Ciaramitaro used the _Beat the IRS_ game show to expand his brand and/or get his foot in the television business. He might have died in 1988 at the age of 32.
Despite the faults, they did try to make a good effort- they had John Harlan announcing, and Ray Horl and Peggy Touchstone (from Name that Tune) were producing. My only question- at the end, Harlan announces the show was produced/distributed by "Uncle Sam Jr." What's that about?
Never heard of this show before. I hope you should do another another GSG episode about another unsold pilot called "Pandemonium" from 1979. I watched it on Wink Martindale's channel and I love it and it was show that never aired. It was a fun game, but it does included the "Superman" movie theme to go with it and I would love to do "Pandemonium" soon.
The way they handled 'Beat The IRS' was why it failed. It was an overcomplicated format that was doomed to fail as is. If they were to try again, here's how it should work: Round 1 - General knowledge questions only. Player that wins on the jump in gets to choose from the taxable income board and whatever amount is revealed is added to their score. Then, they get to choose from the shelter board. The percentage revealed is what's added to their sheltered income score. Round 2 is when the US Tax Code comes in. That's when you bring in enrolled agent John Carpenter (the first US winner of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?') and Judge Joe Brown as the tax court. Dollars are doubled in this round and there's also a REFUND square on the shelter board. Pick that and whatever amount you pick from the taxable income board is automatically added to your sheltered income score. Get a question wrong, it's a $1,000 fine, but you can appeal for $250. A successful appeal nets you the money but an unsuccessful appeal costs you a total of $1,250. Most sheltered income when time is called wins. Bonus game remains largely the same, but with a few adjustments. Time limit is now 1:30 and there are now plateaus based on how many you get right. 5 out of 10 is worth $25,000, 7/10 is $50,000 and a perfect 10 for 10 is a $100,000 pay day! Win 5 straight games and you get a brand new car!
I'm pretty sure you all are reading way too much into this. The credits say that it's for entertainment and educational purposes only. It was never meant to be a regular show. th-cam.com/video/YpFSfNiItcg/w-d-xo.html (go to about 5:48)
I do agree that Bob Goen was a good host, but he unfortunately got the worst formats. He would have done well with "Wheel of Fortune" longer if Pat Sajak wasn't already around. He's also done "The Home Shopping Game", "Blackout", "The Hollywood Game", "Born Lucky", and "That's the Question", as well as being part of "Entertainment Tonight" for over a decade. He did alright for the GSN Radio promotion that ran for a year, which I managed to win $100 from myself on a couple of occasions over its duration. Since 2012, he's been working with wife Marianne Curan as part of the morning show on Cincinnati radio station Warm 98.
Yeah, to me, that game was Bob's worst show he hosted. Blackout was a better game. Apart from the allegedly misleading bonus game and the puzzle puns, it had a simpler format that many can understand and it sold out. My favourite contestant from that short-lived masterpiece was Lee Scott. On an episode of Card Sharks, he said that he liked the game himself.
You railed against its complexity, but I don't see how the show is any different from any other "earn then bank" shows - Press Your Luck was popular then. A "double-or-nothing" component where you can purchase expert appeals at the risk of losing money if wrong is an interesting twist, although I'd imagine that in most cases it'd be heavily biased against the contestants because Research wouldn't intentionally put *wrong* information about the tax code in their questions. At least the judge went on to find work in Inquizition.
Wow, well...no wonder Bob Goen hated this show pilot. It was too complicated, ultra unfair, and way too confusing. This pilot is up there with the Million Dollar Word game.
This year, because of COVID-19, tax day got pushed back to July 15. So I watched "Beat The IRS" today, and yeah, the show was not at all entertaining, even with Bob Goen's excellent hosting skills. It was complicated and so full of red tape as to be unfair to the contestant who did the best at answering questions. It's fundamentally flawed at best. To make matters worse, the set was sparse and cheap-looking, even for the mid-1980s! And if you watch the end credits, there was a disclaimer stating that the show was for educational purposes and that the cash and prizes were not actually awarded to the contestants, which is total BS. If the contestants are going to take the time to be there, at least award them something! As for the show itself, the TH-camr who uploaded this, "videoarchives1000", claimed to have taped the show off a local station and said that it was presented as an infomercial with a game show format. Also, someone said in the comments that Goen had hosted an unsold pilot called "Fast Friends" for CBS in 1984.
"Beat The I.R.S." was not meant to be a game show. If you read the credits at the and of the show, it says, "The Production of 'BEAT THE IRS' is for entertainment and educational purposes only. The prizes shown were not actually awarded."
I've seen this before elsewhere, and I honestly didn't think this was an actual Game Show pilot--I always thought it was some sort of instructional How-To video they show you when you apply for a job at the IRS
You hit the nail on the head when you said the main game had too much "red tape". This game had you answer one too many questions in order for you to make any sheltered money if you could. Here's my recommendations to make this game move faster:
1. If a player jumps in with the correct answer, they earn whatever amount they pick from the taxable income board.
2. The contestant can then either play another jump in question with their opponent to earn more income, or risk that amount by picking a percentage from the sheltered board.
3. A correct answer to tax question will place that percentage into the contestants sheltered amount while a wrong answer takes the percentage from their income.
This not only cuts the amount of questions in half, it also makes the game run smoother and far less confusing.
The mustache that Bob Goen was sporting made him look similar to a young Tony Schiavone.
Next month's uploads are:
May - The Games of '90 - Krypton Factor
June - A GSG Induction
July - The Games of '90 - Wheel of Fortune (The Bob Goen Daytime Run)
A format so involved, it'd make Jay Wolpert blush!
Hello I own the game show trade mark rights to BEAT THE IRS. This was done in the 70"s I am working on a great format!
I vehemently disagree with you, Cyndi. This is the best game show I've ever seen. The more elaborate and intricate the format the better. Game shows with overly simple premises are extremely boring to watch, and feel frustratingly, uncomfortably hollow, not to mention insult the viewer's intelligence. Particularly if they're not original. This has both a highly original and engaging (due to its complexity) concept, so it's a 👍👍👍 show for me.
Since a wrestling reference was thrown into here, I have to ask...has anyone ever seen Bob Goen and Lanny Poffo together in the same place?
Honestly, this doesn't have a bad concept to it, but yeah, it's way too complicated for its own good. Plus, for a pilot, the set is almost Shoppers Casino levels of barren and dismal.
mr3urious I disagree on the set: Beat the I.R.S. had a set that looked like a game show, whereas Shopper's Casino just had a bunch of stuff plopped around.
Which is way I said "almost". It still has that dark, dingy basement feel to it, though you are right in that the set pieces do look proper.
Hey just to let you know. The header you used on your website for Beat the IRS is the same as Philly Pheud
Actually, tax day is April 18, 2017.
Yup the 17th is Patriots Day in DC.
_Beat the IRS_ distributor Uncle Sam Jr. is Andrew James Ciaramitaro's company. The best-known form of his work is the _Beat the IRS (Legally)_ books, which grew out of his self-published _The Complete Guide to Tax Deductions_ and was distributed by Berkley Books in the early-to-late-1980s. Judging by his entries at the United States Copyright Office (cocatalog.loc.gov/, search for Andrew James Ciaramitaro in Other Search Options), I guess Ciaramitaro used the _Beat the IRS_ game show to expand his brand and/or get his foot in the television business. He might have died in 1988 at the age of 32.
I was wondering when Mike Rotundo was gonna be mentioned
Despite the faults, they did try to make a good effort- they had John Harlan announcing, and Ray Horl and Peggy Touchstone (from Name that Tune) were producing. My only question- at the end, Harlan announces the show was produced/distributed by "Uncle Sam Jr." What's that about?
Never heard of this show before. I hope you should do another another GSG episode about another unsold pilot called "Pandemonium" from 1979. I watched it on Wink Martindale's channel and I love it and it was show that never aired. It was a fun game, but it does included the "Superman" movie theme to go with it and I would love to do "Pandemonium" soon.
Somehow, somewhere, the IRS may not take a liking to this game show....
The way they handled 'Beat The IRS' was why it failed. It was an overcomplicated format that was doomed to fail as is. If they were to try again, here's how it should work:
Round 1 - General knowledge questions only. Player that wins on the jump in gets to choose from the taxable income board and whatever amount is revealed is added to their score. Then, they get to choose from the shelter board. The percentage revealed is what's added to their sheltered income score.
Round 2 is when the US Tax Code comes in. That's when you bring in enrolled agent John Carpenter (the first US winner of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?') and Judge Joe Brown as the tax court. Dollars are doubled in this round and there's also a REFUND square on the shelter board. Pick that and whatever amount you pick from the taxable income board is automatically added to your sheltered income score. Get a question wrong, it's a $1,000 fine, but you can appeal for $250. A successful appeal nets you the money but an unsuccessful appeal costs you a total of $1,250. Most sheltered income when time is called wins.
Bonus game remains largely the same, but with a few adjustments. Time limit is now 1:30 and there are now plateaus based on how many you get right. 5 out of 10 is worth $25,000, 7/10 is $50,000 and a perfect 10 for 10 is a $100,000 pay day! Win 5 straight games and you get a brand new car!
Why the hell would anybody want to watch an entire game show based around taxes and the IRS? Not only does this look confusing but boring as hell.
I'm pretty sure you all are reading way too much into this. The credits say that it's for entertainment and educational purposes only. It was never meant to be a regular show.
th-cam.com/video/YpFSfNiItcg/w-d-xo.html (go to about 5:48)
I've been meaning to ask: Where did you find this?
Check the Million Colors of Light youtube channel. It should still be there.
This is why Debt did it so much better, and so much more fun!
I do agree that Bob Goen was a good host, but he unfortunately got the worst formats. He would have done well with "Wheel of Fortune" longer if Pat Sajak wasn't already around. He's also done "The Home Shopping Game", "Blackout", "The Hollywood Game", "Born Lucky", and "That's the Question", as well as being part of "Entertainment Tonight" for over a decade. He did alright for the GSN Radio promotion that ran for a year, which I managed to win $100 from myself on a couple of occasions over its duration. Since 2012, he's been working with wife Marianne Curan as part of the morning show on Cincinnati radio station Warm 98.
Yeah, to me, that game was Bob's worst show he hosted. Blackout was a better game. Apart from the allegedly misleading bonus game and the puzzle puns, it had a simpler format that many can understand and it sold out. My favourite contestant from that short-lived masterpiece was Lee Scott. On an episode of Card Sharks, he said that he liked the game himself.
You railed against its complexity, but I don't see how the show is any different from any other "earn then bank" shows - Press Your Luck was popular then.
A "double-or-nothing" component where you can purchase expert appeals at the risk of losing money if wrong is an interesting twist, although I'd imagine that in most cases it'd be heavily biased against the contestants because Research wouldn't intentionally put *wrong* information about the tax code in their questions.
At least the judge went on to find work in Inquizition.
Thank you for blaming "The archduke of talentbury" whenever things get a bit too convoluted and clusterfucky!
For such a lousy show, I have to admit the opening theme was catchy and fun to listen to.
Wow, well...no wonder Bob Goen hated this show pilot. It was too complicated, ultra unfair, and way too confusing. This pilot is up there with the Million Dollar Word game.
After watching this episode, I'm glad I never watched Beat the IRS!
This year, because of COVID-19, tax day got pushed back to July 15. So I watched "Beat The IRS" today, and yeah, the show was not at all entertaining, even with Bob Goen's excellent hosting skills. It was complicated and so full of red tape as to be unfair to the contestant who did the best at answering questions. It's fundamentally flawed at best.
To make matters worse, the set was sparse and cheap-looking, even for the mid-1980s! And if you watch the end credits, there was a disclaimer stating that the show was for educational purposes and that the cash and prizes were not actually awarded to the contestants, which is total BS. If the contestants are going to take the time to be there, at least award them something!
As for the show itself, the TH-camr who uploaded this, "videoarchives1000", claimed to have taped the show off a local station and said that it was presented as an infomercial with a game show format. Also, someone said in the comments that Goen had hosted an unsold pilot called "Fast Friends" for CBS in 1984.