Instant Recall
{{Short description|American television series}}
{{good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image = Instant Recall (logo).jpg
| image_size = 250
| image_alt = 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".
| caption =
| editor = Jeff Fisher
Maui Tauotaha
Jason Fisher
| runtime = 21–22 minutes
| company = Title Card Productions
| creator = Adam Tyler
Gary Dawson
Ron Deutsch
| developer =
| writer = Gabe Abelson
Morgan Beck
Nicholas Diaz
David Franzke
Tommy James
| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|
- Adam Tyler
- Ron Deutsch
- Gary Dawson
- David Franzke
}}
| producer = Kelly Lecastre
Brion Inman
| presenter = Wink Martindale
| starring = Angela Daun
| narrated =
| theme_music_composer = Alan Ett
| opentheme =
| endtheme =
| country = United States
| network = Game Show Network
| first_aired = {{start date|2010|3|4}}
| last_aired = {{end date|2010|4|23}}
| num_seasons = 1
| num_episodes = 8
}}
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
File:Wink_Martindale_2010.jpg (pictured in 2010), a co-host of the series|alt=Television host Wink Martindale, wearing a black suit and tie.]]
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."{{cite press release|url=http://corp.gsn.com/press/releases/gsn-announces-debut-instant-recall-new-hidden-camera-game-show-first-tests-your-patie|title=GSN Announces Debut of Instant Recall, New Hidden Camera Game Show First Tests Your Patience, Then Tests Your Memory|publisher=GSN Corporate|date=February 5, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100420005758/http://corp.gsn.com/press/releases/gsn-announces-debut-instant-recall-new-hidden-camera-game-show-first-tests-your-patie|archive-date=April 20, 2010}}
At the end of the scenario, one of the actors asks the contestant, "Do you like game shows?",{{cite web|url=https://archive.nytimes.com/query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage-9403EEDE113DF937A35750C0A9669D8B63.html|title=What's On Today|work=The New York Times|last=Shattuck|first=Kathryn|date=March 4, 2010|access-date=January 30, 2018}} 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.{{cite web | last = Sassone | first = Bob | url = http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/02/04/wink-martindale-to-host-instant-recall-on-gsn-starting-march-4/ | title = Wink Martindale to Host Instant Recall on GSN Starting March 4 | publisher = TV Squad | date = February 4, 2010 | access-date = February 5, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100210033032/http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/02/04/wink-martindale-to-host-instant-recall-on-gsn-starting-march-4/|archive-date=February 10, 2010}} The contestant begins with $500 and can earn up to an additional $3,000 depending on how many questions are answered correctly.{{sfn|Terrace|2010|p=507}}{{cite episode|series=Instant Recall|network=Game Show Network|season=1|number=1|date=March 4, 2010}}
Production
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. The series premiered on March 4, 2010, at 8:30 PM ET.{{cite web| last = Lycan | first = Gary | url = http://www.ocregister.com/entertainment/radio-232650-feb-new.html | title = Doug McIntyre's Red Eye Radio returns to KABC | work = Orange County Register
|date=February 4, 2010| access-date = October 20, 2017 |quote=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. }}{{cite web|url=http://kearth101.radio.com/2010/03/01/wink-martindale-the-new-lady-gaga/|title=Wink Martindale…The New Lady Gaga?|publisher=KRTH|date=March 1, 2010|access-date=January 30, 2018}} The series aired a new episode in that time slot every week, concluding with its eighth and final episode on April 23, 2010.{{cite episode|series=Instant Recall|network=Game Show Network|date=April 23, 2010|season=1|number=8}}
Reception
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."{{cite web | last = Grosvenor | first = Carrie | url = http://gameshows.about.com/b/2010/02/04/wink-martindale-is-back.htm | title = Wink Martindale is Back! | work = About.com | publisher = About Entertainment | date= February 4, 2010 | access-date = February 5, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100317182822/http://gameshows.about.com/b/2010/02/04/wink-martindale-is-back.htm|archive-date=March 17, 2010}} Instant Recall{{'}}s ratings were below average for GSN, with CNN's James Dinan describing them as "ratings woes".{{cite web|url=http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/05/gsn-takes-risk-with-puppet-game-show/|title=GSN takes risk with puppet game show|publisher=CNN|last=Dinan|first=James|date=May 5, 2010|access-date=October 20, 2017|archive-date=October 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171021061154/http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/05/gsn-takes-risk-with-puppet-game-show/|url-status=dead}} The series' debut episode's ratings were lower than those of its lead-in, Carnie Wilson: Unstapled,{{cite web|url=https://stg.broadcastingcable.com/content/gsn-analysis-march-2010/149977|title=GSN Analysis – March 2010|work=Broadcasting & Cable|publisher=NewBay Media|access-date=October 20, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171021061040/https://stg.broadcastingcable.com/content/gsn-analysis-march-2010/149977|archive-date=October 21, 2017|url-status=dead}} though they picked up slightly in April.{{cite web|url=http://www.multichannel.com/content/gsn-analysis-april-2010/399387|title=GSN Analysis – April 2010|work=Broadcasting & Cable|publisher=NewBay Media|access-date=October 20, 2017|archive-date=October 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171021060933/http://www.multichannel.com/content/gsn-analysis-april-2010/399387|url-status=dead}}
References
{{reflist}}
=Bibliography=
- {{cite book|last=Terrace|first=Vincent|title=Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010: Second Edition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YX_daEhlnbsC&q=Instant+Recall+GSN&pg=PA507|year=2010|publisher=McFarland & Company|isbn=978-0-7864-8641-0}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20100310191749/http://tv.gsn.com/shows/instantrecall/}} at the Wayback Machine
- {{IMDb title|1610783}}
{{Game Show Network}}
Category:2010 American television series debuts
Category:2010 American television series endings
Category:2010s American reality television series
Category:2010s American comedy game shows