ChipHeartsMovies

Okay, filmlover, I will maintain the status quo on that one, albeit reluctantly. Hopefully each and every player now feels the Challenge to make his/her schedule so spectacular that a tie is UNTHINKABLE. Considering the caliber of the folks who have tossed (or semi-tossed) their hats in the ring, this is going to be a GREAT game. Veteran players better not rest on their laurels this time around. Some of the first-time players know their stuff pretty darn well!

So that means your passport reads "pat Vacillating ful?" I thought sure seeing that glimpse of Margaret O'Brien in *Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case* on TCM this afternoon was an omen that you'd jump back in. No worries, dear friend, as you know all so well -- this is a fun game. Join in if you can (and hopefully you can, cuz you are a formidable foe for all), and if you have to take a pass there's always next time. Personally, folks I wouldn't count the wily patful out until the second the Challenge closes, so everyone should be at the top of his/her game! And p, if you end up having to wait, be inspired by ILoveRayMilland, who feverishly worked last time and had to stop at the last minute due to school commitments --- ILRM has already stockpiled ideas from before and is locked and loaded, and guaranteed to be trouble for the other players. Just over two days away from the start...and Fredmill is jumping in! Yay! There's room for one and all. Still time to join in!

I just received a question via PM from a potential new player that I'd like to answer publicly. Although lots of folks are declaring that they are playing, you needn't declare yourself as a player. Once the game is announced Friday, new players can give it a try --- as long as you get your schedule in by the deadline, you're in! The more the merrier, and I hope lots of first-time players join in!

Just a few more days to May 1, when everything kicks off!

Don't mean to be cryptic, I work with Joan Rivers and she's on *Celebrity Apprentice* . Enough about that, back to ... The Challenge!

I'd personally prefer not to make the call in the case of a tie --- I'd rather have everyone who voted before choose between the two. Does this put an unreasonable burden on voters? If so, I'm okay with doing it. I appreciate all of the help from you guys who have moderated before!

And there you have it...thanks Lynn! Anyone who registers as a TCMer before May 1 will be eligible to vote, with or without making a schedule.

Hooray! The lovely HollywoodGolightly ... Holly to her pals ... is on board! One other person has let me know via PM they're playing while recusing herself from the voting. The real fun is in making the schedule, as you'll see! I'm very happy you're joining the game. Birdie: "I'll tell you how: like... like she's studying you, like you was a play or a book or a set of blueprints - how you walk, talk, eat, think, sleep..." Margo Channing: "I'm sure that's very flattering, Birdie. I'm sure there's nothing wrong with it." Message was edited by: ChipHeartsMovies, the Enemy of Plain Text

HollywoodG, I have been thinking about that. I'm going back through all of the previous Challenge rules to see if there is a precedent. If not, my plan in the event of a tie is to ask each participant to Private Message me their choice between the two who tie. Some people feel uneasy about selecting "favorites" among their friends. It's not such a big deal when ten or so people compete as Challengers, but I think some people would not publicly want to choose between TWO. Thus, the PM vote. And....HollywoodG.....can we count you among the players this go-round? Hope so! Anyone who can come up with a clever screen name like yours must have a lot to offer! "Cut! Print it! What happens in the next reel? Do I get dragged off screaming to the snake pits?" -Margo Channing Message was edited by: ChipHeartsMovies, who is watching a friend on TV while he does this. He should really pay attention to one thing at a time.

Everyone who participates in the game and submits a week's schedule votes for his/her favorite. The players are the judges. This is done either publicly in a special voting thread set up each time or by Private Message to the moderator. People are very creative in these parts, and it's often tough to pick one. "The only thing I ordered by mistake is the guests. They're domestic, too, and they don't care what they drink as long as it burns!" -Margo Channing Message was edited by: ChipHeartsMovies, cuz he forgot to include that Margo Channing quote!

*RESEARCH TIP FOR NEW PLAYERS* When playing the Challenge, you will have access to several specific film libraries to use. You'll be given a link to the IMDB list of all the films in each library. I'd suggest choosing one of the libraries that you're least familiar with and checking it out as soon as they are announced Friday. Just scan the list and click on titles that sound interesting. You'll find lots of movies that you didn't know about, and this may give you ideas for themes. In the last Challenge, one of the libraries we used was United Artists films made after 1950. If you want to sample a few of the films, check it out now: http://www.imdb.com/company/co0026841/ I found a very interesting Ray Milland movie that I didn't know about (hint, hint, ILRM). "You're not much of a bargain, you know. You're conceited and thoughtless and messy." -Margo Channing

I started banging the drum on this Challenge a little early to encourage first-time players to join in, so they could ask questions before the game starts and feel comfortable with playing as soon as the game starts --- and happily it's working, as several people who haven't joined in before have expressed interest! As lzcutter noted, CineMaven, in this game you're basically "programming" a week for TCM. In just five days (!) you'll get the exact rules for this Challenge, but I'm not making any big changes from earlier games. You'll need Silent Sundays, an Essential, TCM Underground, etc. And as in the past, there will be a couple of specific programming Challenges ... I'll ask everyone to program something around a stated theme on one or two nights ... and everyone gets details on that on Friday! But most of your Challenge schedule is open to your interpretation. You aren't just spinning your wheels, Maven ... we all know that you'd already be studying up on Gloria G today anyway. myidolspencer, earlier in this thread I did a "Frequently Asked Questions/FAQ" to help explain what the TCM Programming Challenge is. Check that out and see if it answers your questions. If not, now's the time to ask questions, so you're ready to play next week! As lzcutter notes, this game can be time-consuming, but for a classic movie buff it's loads of fun. I structured this Challenge to give everyone five full weekends to work their magic, and my aim is to make this game especially New Player Friendly. Spence (and everyone), I hope you'll sign on for the new Challenge next weekend and give it a try! "If nothing else, there's applause... like waves of love pouring over the footlights." -Eve Harrington

*Escort Girl* ... even the TITLE is good & trashy.

Let's not forget her terrific turn as Vera Charles in the Lucy version of *Mame* ---

We're just six days away from the start of the game... "The mark of a true killer: Sleep tight, rest easy, and come out fighting." -Addison DeWitt

I'm confident the firm handling of Thorndyke and Diesel will straighten you out before the deadline, hehe.

*HOW TO TELL IF A MOVIE HAS PREVIOUSLY PLAYED ON TCM* More tips for first-time players! In the Challenge, there are restrictions about which studios' films you can use. (You won't find out exactly what they are until May 1, when the new game starts). BUT, you can always use any film that has ever played on TCM in the past. Here's how to find out if a movie has been previously shown on TCM: 1. Go to TCM.com 2. At the top, in the area called "Search Database," click the button next to "Site." 3. Type in the name of your movie and click "Go." If your movie has ever appeared on TCM, you will find Programming Articles and other evidence. For instance, I tried the Mae West film *I'm No Angel* and found from a Programming Article that it aired in 2003. Then I tried the Maria Montez gem *Cobra Woman* --- it was mentioned a couple of times in other articles, but never aired on TCM. (And more's the pity!) Just be sure that you click the button next to "Site" and not "Movie Database" for this purpose. "Movie Database" is where you go for running times, film information, etc. --- it has info on ALL movies, not just the ones that have aired on TCM. Easy, huh? "Miss Caswell is an actress, a graduate of the Copacabana School of Dramatic Art." -Addison DeWitt Message was edited by: ChipHeartsMovies for typos

filmlover, Lonesome Polecat, patful, CineMaven, Fedya, lzcutter, ILoveRayMilland, Norma_Desmond, Kate1Fan, helenbaby, countessdelave are all on board ... this is shaping up to be a very fun game! Still room for more players, for any of you who are still thinking it over! "Funny, the things you remember and the things you don't." -Karen Richards Message was edited by: ChipHeartsMovies, because Karen Richards had something to say.

Also, just to be clear --- The TCM Programming Challenge is just a fun game created by TCM fans. It is not sponsored by or connected in any way to TCM itself. Don't think that if you "win" this Challenge you're guaranteed to replace Alec Baldwin as the co-host for The Essentials next year. That said, if you really bring it on...who knows what glittering prizes await you! "Everybody has a heart - except some people." -Margo Channing

Thanks, patful, for giving CineMaven (and everyone) the links to the past Challenges. I hope all of you veteran gamesters will also chime in with tips for our first-time players! Everyone --- you're not just welcome to look at the past Challenges, you're encouraged to do so. You may find a theme there that you want to explore, but what you do will be creative and unique. "The bed looks like a dead animal act." -Birdie Message was edited by: ChipHeartsMovies, cuz he forgot to credit Birdie.

Ack, you're right, patful. Duh, that would be SEVENTY years ago. Seventy five is obviously my I.Q. at the moment. "I will regard this great honor not so much as an award for what I have achieved, but a standard to hold against what I have yet to accomplish." -Eve Harrington

*TIPS ON HOW TO SELECT YOUR WEEK* More help for first time players! Here are some ideas that might help you select the week you want to program: *Is there a star whose birthday you'd like to celebrate with a tribute?* Birthday information is easily found on IMDB. *Perhaps you'd like to commemorate an anniversary?* Seventy five years ago would encompass September 1939-1940, for example. Many classic films premiered during that time. *Ninotchka* (November 10, 1939), *Gone with the Wind* (December 15, 1939), *Rebecca* (March 28, 1940) among them. You can get the premiere dates for movies from IMDB.com, TCM's database, or often Wikipedia. *Maybe you want to commemorate something historical.* Seventy five years ago this period also saw many important political and social events, especially as the world ramped up for WWII. Wikipedia is a big help there. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1939 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1940 Whatever year you choose to research, you can use those URLs and replace the year at the end. *And sometimes* ... it's fun to just pick a week at random and see what it holds in the past! Let's say your week includes March 16. If you Google "What happened on March 16" you are led to a page with lots of things that occurred on that date. Works with any date! http://www.electricscotland.com/history/today/0316.htm You don't HAVE to include these sorts of anniversaries, but for me --- I have fun doing this this research and then matching movies with it. On March 16, 37, Nero died, for instance...perhaps that's a good day to schedule *Quo Vadis* ! *CORRECTION* --- Uh, that would be seventy years ago for those back dates --- as you'll see in the following post, patful caught the error. I was just in Atlanta and there is a big hoopla for the 70th anniversary of *GWTW* , and for some reason I just took in 75. Thanks patful, and will you please balance my checkbook? "You're maudlin and full of self-pity. You're magnificent!" -Addison DeWitt Message was edited by: ChipHeartsMovies, because some people are not the mathematical types.

CineMaven is faking you out, folks...I bet her brilliant mind is deviously at work already!

LonesomePolecat, you can select any week within a given year. I'll give you a head start and tell you that for this Challenge, you can choose any week from September 2009 through September 2010. Because TCM releases its schedules about 3 months ahead, when the Challenge closes August 2009 will already have been announced, so we're starting in September. In the Challenge, just like on TCM, your week's programming should start on a Sunday at 6:00 AM ET and end close to 5:59 AM the following Sunday. In the next day or two I'll post some tips on how you might select your week! "Well, I can't yell "Oh butler!" can I? Maybe somebody's name is Butler." -Miss Claudia Caswell

helenbaby, The TCM Imports can come from any studio without restrictions and without counting as one of your TCM premieres. TCM Imports can be more than one film, as long as they're programmed in the same time block (after Silent Sundays, which can also be one or more films). Since the winner is chosen by popular vote, I don't think repeating a theme used in an earlier Challenge can be "counted" against you. I'm sure your own take on the theme would be unique anyway, so go for it! "I _detest_ cheap sentiment." -Margo Channing Message was edited by: ChipHeartsMovies, thanks again Plain Text!