Super Chuck Summer / Summertime 2005 Thread!

[Jasper]

Here's a thread to keep all information and posts together for the upcoming Super Chuck Summer campaign. This is also the place to talk about the Summer Show, which should be a rehash of last year's.

More information about the campaign should be available soon...meanwhile the promo in the April Show is fun teaser ;)

[dheineCECfan]

After Winter1derland, we could have Super Chuck Summer this year!

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

Super Chuck Summer will no doubt have more eye-chaching signage and custom themed items to tie in with the new promotion. I see it becoming very similar to the Winter promo with special merch items being added and everything being themed.

Maybe this year they will ship summer assescories for the Stage characters...like hats or maybe even shirts. No doubt the Summer Show will be themed..perhaps more so this time then last year. It would be cool to have a proper themed show with related songs, Super Chuck Summer logo bumpers, and even little plugs now and them ala January 2005's show.

Anyway you look at it, i'm sure SCS will be another huge succes for the Company and us alike!

[Jasper]

That would be neat to add some new spots in the Summer Show, possibly even change the intermission line-up to the new style, with a bunch of short pieces instead of the 2 - 3 long ones from last year. Maybe the countdowns could be the songs from Summertime 2000 ;)

As for Super Chuck Summer, as long as they play up the superhero aspect, they will have a big hit on their hands. I can picture all the Super Chuck merchandise - including a new L.E.

And I hope they keep up with the cast member laynard program. I think it's a really great concept, they just need to make and give out more pins. Most laynards I see on cast members are bare. Too bad they don't make the pin program a thing for guests to collect and do...man, pin trading and collecting is so hot at Disneyland it's scary. CEC could take a lesson from this and make pin trading a thing for regulars to enjoy. Imagine a prize counter with a bunch of different pins to collect....oops....sorry, getting off topic LOL!

[ChuckEZone]

Most laynards I see on cast members are bare.

Ha! You won't catch me with a bare lanyard. lol ;)

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

I think CEC "borrowed" the whole pin/lanyard thing from Disney to start with...seriously! There will no doubt be a couple of special pins issued for SCS.

Yeah, anything superhero related will be hot with the kids. I've been saying for a while now that they really should make a superhero Limted Edition Chuck. Maybe finally it is going to happen..that would rock!!

Yeah i agree that using some of the fab songs from the old Summer 2000 Showtape would kick. During the "Summer of Fun" campaign i kept thinking they should re-use the "Fun Fun Fun" song from that show...talk about the ULTIMATE theme somg for SOF...man, the lyrics are perfect! Take a listen sometime gang and you will see what i mean...

[ChuckEZone]

I think this new promo will be a blast! I haven't heard too much about it, but I know they'll come up with something special:D

[munchjr]

regarding the new promo nobody has been really told about it yet. The company hasn't said one thing to the DMs or anybody in the field.

[ChuckEFranchize454]

i say give it some time like another few weeks. remember this show jast started abot a week ago or more for other people.

[munchjr]

Hawaiian shirts are back for another year and a new flavor of cotton candy is coming as well. That is all I know about the new program...more I as know

[sungun12]

yea, it said somethin about the hawaiian shirts in the newsletter today...thank god i kept all of mine. speaking for me and my fellow managers, some people think the shirts are gay but id kill to wear a shortsleeve shirt in the summer than a button down and tie. im ecstatic

[ChuckEFranchize454]

i thought that it was kool that they even allowed us to wear them. that was cool. i hope they do another live show contest any word on that? i play chuck e so i would like to know

[sungun12]

chuckefranchize454 are you a mgr too? im guessing in store 454 and its a franchise? im a master of observation....

[CEC3066]

three digit store ID's are company owned stores. Four digit ID's designate franchised stores

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

Sungun...do you guys still have to wear ties and dress shirts? That policy changed a while back..at least in these parts....managers don't have to wear those anymore unless they choose to.

When i started in my manager position back in 99', it was mandatory that all managers ( including girls!!) HAD to wear a button down dress shirt and necktie or scarf. In 2000 the Company revised the standard and began to issue the first series of short sleeved polo shirts with the vertical stripes. In 2001, they switched us all into the solid colored polos that are still being worn today in stores.

If you don't want to wear a hot longsleeve and tie, don't! You do not have to....phone Fine Incentives ( # in the front of the Manager Log...if not, phone your Dm or Home Office) and order a couple of the new polos. They are mightly comfy!

I think it's nice they are doing the Tropical shirts again this year. Yay!!!

[dheineCECfan]

Speaking of tropical/Hawaiian style shirts: The Chuck E Cheese show robots (Munch Band and Studio C formats) could use a tropical/Hawaiian style shirt for the Super Chuck Summer promotion.

[pizzacam]

CEC # 454 is a corporate owned store...there are very few if any franchises in Texas. :rolleyes I wish there were more as these stores seem to do whatever the hell they want, thus they usualy have old stuff that disappeared from most stores in the 80's...meaning more old stuff for me! :eek ehh I guess I can't complain though..I do pretty good with corporate stores! ;)

[ChuckEFranchize454]

HE BROUGHT YOU

MORE FUN

MORE FUN2

SUMMER OF FUN

AND WINTER1DERLAND

and this summer Chuck E Cheese presents the all new

SUPER CHUCK SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sorry i couldint resist to say it. anyways it looks like a badass promotion. i cant wait, and acorrding to my boss were gonna start the Hawian Shirts again in May or June(awsomeness). i liked wearing tose shirts it gave more variety to my work clothes.


CHUCK E CHEESE PLEASE HEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sungun12]

i heard we werent allowed to wear polos anymore...i was just looking at that the other day actually, theyre still on the order guide but i thought we still had to wear button downs. everyone in our district still wears button downs. i dont wear a tie all the time, usually just on saturdays or when i want to feel super professional

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

Unless the company standard is different up there in Canada, as far as i know official CEC logo embroidered polo workshirts ARE ALLOWED to wear on duty. You are not allowed to wear just any polo shirt....only the "official" CEC manager ones availible from FI. You can ask your DM about it, but all CEC's here have that option. i rarely, if ever, see a manager in a dress shirt. All seem to favor the polos for obvious reasons!

Sorry to drift,,,,this is supposed to be about the Summer Promo coming up!

I am sure they will issue lots of cool stuff to go along with it...new Superhero themed CEC merch and other promo items would be a nice touch, and they would sell very well too. Superheros are HOT now...and kids will jump on anything related. Just think: a Super Jasper tattoo or a Wonder Helen sticker! Ooooo.....Ahhhhh!!!! ( starts to drool in anticipation)

And it's HIGH TIME we had a superhero Limited Edition CEC!! Why not? It would be easy to produce and be one of the biggest sellers of the whole Limited Plush line! And how about a new version of the regular CEC and Helen plush? The Sporty Red ones have been around a while....let's see a new pair. how about Chuck and Helen in tropical cloths? Not that hard to do...just put them in the usual shorts and have a hawaiin type shirt! These would be way cool, and YOU KNOW the collectors like us will all want to buy them....

Corporate folks in the Merchandise Department....are you READING this??

[Harmony Howlette rules]

Actually JTJ and I were discussing the possibility of a Super Jasper plush.
Alas, in the words of JTJ, "It's a different kind of Super".
Where the hell is our character merch?!

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[RodHouTx]

Is there going to be a new Live Show for Summer 2005?

[CEC3066]

If what happened last year holds true,the current one will run till the end of August

[Jasper]

Most likely there will not be a new live with this Summer Show...the only possibility I see is an extended run of "Nobody But Me" Live.

And if I remember correctly, Mix told us that Summer Shows only run for 3 years...so this *should* be the last year for this Summer Show's segments.

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

YAY!!!

Can't wait to see a ALL NEW Summer Show!!

[Harmony Howlette rules]

I hope it's HALF as good as this one...geez, a summer without 'Dog Jammin' is like a day without sunshine...:(

[dheineCECfan]

I noticed in the Super Chuck Summer CEC coupon ad a $4.99 Super Chuck Pizza deal (Kids Indiviual Cheese Pizza and 8 CEC game and ride tokens).

[ChuckEZone]

I noticed in the Super Chuck Summer CEC coupon ad a $4.99 Super Chuck Pizza deal (Kids Indiviual Cheese Pizza and 8 CEC game and ride tokens).


At first I thought this was a cool idea, but then I saw the cooking trays for these things... they are SO small.

[Jasper]

Summer '05 should be in stores very soon!!!

So far, all we know is that there will be a new show logo & new superhero VJ Spots.

[MatHat13]

Shalalalala Hold on a sec there Mr. Jowls, I never knew there was gonna be a new show logo for this new version of the Summer 03/04 show.:eek

[CEC3066]

yay! no more lawn mower

[Harmony Howlette rules]

The new logo is probably going to have some sort of tie-in with SCS...

[ChuckEFranchize454]

im really looking forward to the new show we are getting it installed 2morrow and i have the honor of helping out and installing the new show. now only being 17 and never doing this b4 you think i will mess up????? Feedback please

[ChuckEZone]

now only being 17 and never doing this b4 you think i will mess up?????

lol, nah.. you'll do just fine! :D Which stage does your store have?

[CEC Kid Check]

LOL, its really not that hard... Its kinda cool that I get to do for my store considering that my managers dont know anything and my Tech Manager is on vocation and since im the assisant tech, i get to log in the show.

[pizzacam]

Yeah, no offense man but these shows are designed so a caveman can work them, especially just loading shows. I'm sure you've noticed you're constantly surrounded by at least 1 or 2 airhead, valley-girl type showroom attendants...Those were the ones who'd screw up the SIMPLE task of puting a VIDEO in a VCR! They always had to press something on the VCR. sigh :rolleyes |I

[pizzacam]

HAHAHA, Now with Studio C and DVDs aye, aye ,aye I just picture a showroom girl just standing in front of a Studio C on fire saying "I put the new show in!" :lol

[CEC Kid Check]

LOL, i can so picture that:rollin :lol

[CEC3066]

They always had to press something on the VCR. sigh

Hey Gabe did any of the Cast members do what happened @ my store where they'd stop tapes pre-maturally for birthdays either by hiting reset or eject on the vcr (neither of wich is the right way)

[pizzacam]

dude they'd put porn in there sometimes at night when we were closed! Granted it was funny the first time it got old having to go give a lecture to thses idiotic..yet hot showroom girls. :eek

[ChuckEZone]

dude they'd put porn in there sometimes at night when we were closed!

lol wow, I've heard of attempts like that. I thought the deck didn't play just any ol' VHS though.

[ChuckEFranchize454]

ye sir i installed the new show today and i sat and watched it i liked the new logo for the show it goes good with the whole "Super Chuck" theme o and to answer ChuckECheese72 we have STUDIO C beta.. it was a hell of alot easier than i thought it would be and it was kewl seeing the great work i did. at our store one of the discs have a scratch or smuge on it and during "America" the disc skipped and the robot,lights and video were all off

[Jasper]

I updated the Showtape Review with a short review of the Summer 2005 Show:

rock_afire.tripod.com/jas...ummer.html (http://rock_afire.tripod.com/jasper/cecmodern/2005_summer.html)

In all honesty, there is nothing special about this year's update. The new show logo is cool, and everything else is practically the same from last year. With all this Super Chuck Summer hoopla, I was expecting a lot more featured in this year's show. Oh well.

Hopefully this show will retire and a brand new Summer Show will be featured next year.

[pizzacam]

Wow, that's kinda cool how they placed "America" in the second to the last skit spot. It always seemed out of place at the end since it was just the one song. :hat

[Jasper]

That's for the Studio C version. The Existing Stage version is at the end of the show, just like the last two years.

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

Gotta love that ol' rehashing.....

Makes perfect sense ( economically) to rehash a show that was'nt that great to begin with.....

I've said it before....roll on September! Hopefully we will be treated to a great show...it seems to have been a LONG time since this has happened. |I

[MatHat13]

My opinion of the Summer show version 2005...no comment.|I

Even the show logo didn't impress me.:\

[pizzacam]

eh, it sucks

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

OF COURSE it does...and i'm glad FINALLY someone has gone ahead and said it! ( Yay Pizzacam!)

Recycling sucks!!! It is the "cheap way" out of making a show. It's doubly sucks when the "original" sucked to begin with!!

It really bites when the Company can't even be bothered to produce NEW material...i know it's not easy to do but come on, it's not like CEC can't afford to hire more talent to help out in that area! A 3+ year run of a show that was'nt that hot to start with is really "bad show"! >:

[ChuckEZone]

It's doubly sucks when the "original" sucked to begin with!!

:eek NO SHE DIDN'T! lol! I really enjoy this show, pretty much the only one where I can enjoy every song. However, the third run is lame. Those "super kids" from the intermissions must be beaten with their own shoes. ;)

[Jasper]

I think rehashing is good to a certain point, especially since the newly produced stuff hasn't been all that great. Take, for example, the "new" intermissions in the January 2005 Show - Football, Skateboarding, The Tube Explorer, etc...and compare that to the rehashed stuff in the September 2004 Show - Larry The Tech, Super Jasper, BWB, etc...
You can totally tell the difference between the quality, the entertainment value, and (not to mention) the budget.

Yes, this year's Summer Show isn't all that great - and I'm not looking forward to the fourth year run of the Happy Holidays Show either.

[Harmony Howlette]

*mutters*
Jasper and I were just discussing this the other day. It's really hard to get pumped about shows nowadays...it really seems like the quality has slowly been declining, and it's sad to see something you love so much basically lose it's magic.
Tragic, really, but it's something that the PTT fans have been experiencing from day one. I guess I'm just starting to get my first taste of it.
:\

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

I'm very glad to hear that i am not the only one who thinks this, and that it's finally being admitted after all this time. :D

The "new" shows have been lousy for a while now...i can't recall a show that i have REALLY been crazy about since 2002! The only exception would be January 05' due to some songs i enjoyed profusely ( All for You being one)....but other then that, it has been poor.

All the intermissions are crappy now. I have said it in other show-related posts, but it bears repeating, but the way intermission sequences are handled now has to be changed!! Those 8/10 minute "countdowns" bite. They are TOO LONG!! They are dull, boring, and seriously decrease the exciting atmosphere that the Show is supposed to create at the Stores. People leave the Showroom because they are BORED and go do something else. Maybe this is the point....get them in the Game Room to spend $$$. Either way, it's time to bring back the sytle of intermissions we used to see in the late 90's. Not Charlie Rockit...CEC and friends!! Those great intermssions had wit and warmth, were often playful and usually quite funny. Today's intermissions are nothing but advertisements or royalty-free filler footage ( ocean, mountains, space, etc) and text letters!! B-O-R-I-N-G!! I really don't care for them, and this years shows are no exception.

I stopped getting excited about "new" shows ages ago as they are no longer "new" in any sense of the word. I often wondered how anyone could get excited about what was coming when time and again it was the SAME stuff reheated and served lukewarm to us yet again. You can only take so much!

Sure, not everything is bad.....there HAVE been some good songs over the past 2 years and some excellent animation work. I don't want to give the impression that i am totally trashing the shows. The quality of most of the songs are usually good, and the robotic animation was always top-notch ( particually the Studio C Bots'..way to go Mix!) There HAVE been some good points, but sadly those are too far between the loads of pointless timefillers.

Perhaps they will finally tire of the current show layout ( show segment, coke ad, countdown, show segment, etc) and begin to try out some new ideas. Maybe September will surprise us? It could i suppose......

But then again.......:lol

[Harmony Howlette]

There are other things going on with the future of showtapes that I don't want to discuss here, but I must say they are verrrrry dissappointing...:(

[pizzacam]

Well from a collector's point of view those non studio C DVD's suck ass the comperssion ruins the picture and it tends to skip and freeze etc..oh well. I've seen many changes in the media used and in the show dept and it alway bounces back and gets better. If you're ever paranoid *Danni* ;) about changes in the shows or the dept just remember the the fall of 1997-1998. :x

[Harmony Howlette]

Oh, I know. But it doesn't make these changes any better. I can safely say I've got a waning interest in the fandom, and instead of anticipating the future, I now reminisce about the past.

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

Harmony says: ".....instead of anticipating the future, i now reminisce about the past"

WELCOME TO MY WORLD!!!

This is my daily exsistance..has been for for a long time now. CEC is ALL ABOUT the "past"...it was never about "the future" as the Company so focuses on ( which, to be honest, they need to in there position).

People wonder why on Earth anyone in there right mind, at my age, would have any interest whatsoever in the CEC concept at all. When i see what CEC is these days, and when i see what the entertainment has shifted towards, i can understand why i get this reaction. When i rave about Disney, everyone understands. When i get all excited about PTT/CEC...everyone is like, "WTFudge?"

It all comes down to QUALITY. CEC would be NOTHING today if it were not for the forfathers ( PTT Inc.) insistance on a high quality entertainment concept. When the concept started in 77', the people running it gave a hoot. The focus then was on the SHOW and executing a awesome fully-themed experience focused on just that: ENTERTAINMENT. It really ticks me off to no end that the Company of today seems to have forgotten this!

CHuck E's is about ENTERTAINMENT...entertainment that is interactive and exciting. Something that is UNIQUE like the Show for instance is being utterly ignored it seems, or outright downsized/downplayed. Why do i care so much you may ask? I care because i know how GOOD it COULD be. I was there and lived the "past" and saw firsthand how awesome CEC was and how easily it could be again. But unfortunately, no one seems to give a hoot now.

PTT/CEC was the huge phenomenon it was when it started simply because there was NOTHING else like it anywhere...and the one thing that set it apart from anyone else in the business was THE SHOW! Yes, the Show was the exclusive attraction and it was the "gimmick" that brought Guests in by droves. No one had ever seen anything like it outside of a Disney theme park. It was different and everyone loved it.


There is'nt a young adult today that does not remember going to CEC. I strongly feel that the reason CEC is still succesful today is because today's parents were yesterdays Pizza Timers. It's the "nostalgia factor" coming into play. I know it's true, as i used to regularly chat with these people when i worked for the Company. Most came as they remember going to CEC as a kid and now wanted to share the experiece with there own children. I am convinced that most of the business is from just that: old "original" Guests now bringing there own offspring to experience the place. It's too bad they won't get to experience the way it used to be....it just seemed SO much better from a entertainment standpoint.

I've always "lived in the past" when it comes to CEC. The Past is just "better".....things were a lot cooler then. I know that eventually things will probably get better show-wise...there is always ups and downs in showbusiness, but i've been watching closely for a while now and all i see is the end. Eventually the show will be ditched outright and all we will have is a tv monitor full of boring videos.

Mark my words: it WILL happen in the future. May take a while, but i see no other alternative if the lucridive cost-cutting continues. Just my two cents.....

[ChuckEZone]

Hallelujah! :D

[Harmony Howlette]

You go, girl!

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

Some more thoughts i had today while mulling over the above comments i made yesterday......

I think the Company realizes in a way that CEC is still about that all-important "entertainment factor" but they are focusing that "entertainment" in a different medium. This is why in the past few years we have seen the introduction of the "Road Show" concept and more visability of the walkaround character in the Standards expectations listings. There IS a effort made to get that excitement back in the stores in a more personal way to the Guests...and this is why the Live Shows and lately the Road Shows have come to the fore and the Cyberamic/'Garnie" shows have faded into the background a bit. I suppose today's audiences respond better to a more personal interaction ( with a live performer in a costume) then they do to a obvious, and sometimes crude by today's technology, robotic show. I mean, think about it: most kids and young adults are stimulated most by interactive experiences ( modern video games, computers, the Internet, etc). Perhaps it's only a natural step up? I have to admit that i would be pretty thrilled to see Chuck E. do a quick "live" performance in the Game Room if i was little...but then again i never fell for the "guy in a costume" thing and the show always held my attention exclusively.

The Company is aware that the "E" for Entertainment is still all-important....i guess i'm just looking for it in the wrong place now. Today the focus is on the games of course, but also the Live Shows ( namely the boom box Roads'). In this context i can see that it is still alive and well....just on a smaller scale then before which is understandable in today's day and age. To this day the number one Standard is to be sure that EVERY Guest SEES CEC and has some sort of personal interaction with him. It's a shame that so many locations do not do this most basic of Standards. It does'nt take a lot to pull this off and the result can really make a difference in the life of a child or heck, even a adult!


But i digress......


This is still no excuse for letting the quality of the Shows go to Heck.

Here CEC has this neat, totally exclusive FREE attraction ( did i mention it was FREE?) and they do absolutely NOTHING to bring this to peoples attention. Why? Why is the animated show "forgotten" in all the advertisments, print media, and such? Why is it treated like it's an embarrassment? Okay, i can understand the older-syle CyberShows....but what about the Garner Bot's? They are very impressive, even when held up to Disney's work. Why not show this off? I would think this would be a assest to promote...not hide away and pretend it does'nt exsist. It costs thousands of dollars to not only run these shows, but produce them, pay for the royalty rights for any cover songs in the program, pay Tech's to upkeep them ( if you are lucky!), pay for expensive parts and power them....why is all that money seemingly thrown away by not even telling anyone "Hey, we have a FREE animated Show here!!"

It was'nt always this way. Why the change in attitude?

The last time i saw anything even remotely mentioned about the actual Stage Show was 1994 i beleive. I remember the ad slick well....i still have it. It was a Sunday paper newspaper coupon ad that had this great graphic art image of the Munch Band stage show and a few new kiddie room items ( tubes mainly). It really grabbed your attention. The ad not only showed the Show..( a rarity outside of PTT heyday) but also mentioned the "free shows" in the scream print. It was awesome!!! I never again saw anything mentioning the show after that....

In the past, the Show was often mentioned in the first breath of any advertisments or print ads. It was cunningly used as a attraction to draw attention to and attract interest in what was otherwise yet another pizza parlor. And it WORKED. The Show was always in the tv commercials as well...they would always include prominant footage of the Balcony Show in full swing. This went on right up until 85/86'. The show was treated as a VALUABLE ASSET. Why is it not regarded as this now? Why the change in opinion?

Part of it may be that it is looked upon as too old or outdated ( particually the CyberStages) which i can understand. To today's audiences, it could come across as clunky and dull. Then change it!

Well, the Company tried to....as fans already know, this is part of the reason why Studio C was developed. Originally it was supposed to replace all exsisting stages but in the end turned out to be too expensive to do so. I have to admit though that at least current CEC made somewhat of a effort to improve the quality of the Stage Show, but that's not really the issue. The issue is not with the robots themsleves, it's the material being used and the somewhat lackluster scripts. There is no cleverness or wit anymore. You are lucky if the stage characters say anything more then "let's take a pizza break" or "wow, that was cool". The issue is not with the Bots' themselves...it's with what they are doing...or NOT doing in this case! The Cyberbots' did so much MORE....they had real personality and there was some great word play to the scripts. Now it seems terribly glossed over and pointless by most accounts. Not always mind you, but on average i would say it's pretty predictable. This is not a good thing in enterainment as anyone in the field with any experience knows. You should always keep your audience interested and anticiapating your actions. Surprise them with something they did not expect.....make em' laugh....or dare i say it: make them THINK!

A lot of it may be the result of the knowing that the Show is being ignored by 98% of the Guests to begin with...it must be INCREDIBLY difficult to motivate yourself to create something that you know nobody is going to really pay any attention to. It's a double edged sword in a way. If you don't get yourself motivated and make a heck of a effort, then the result will be a poor effort and your audience will be turned off by the Show. Get motivated under your own steam and wow em' regardless and see that eventually you will find it makes a big, positve difference. Folks will start paying attention to the Show again and may even start making it a point to watch it regularly if the material is good enough. I know it's very rough trying to get motivated to make something nobody is paying any attention to...or so it seems from behind the Corporate doors. I can understand this totally, but i have some good news......there ARE people out there that DO CARE and we DO watch the Show!! Remember the "nostalgia factor" i mentioned earlier? Well, this comes into play here. Most folks who post on this Board are fans of the Show. What fans love to see is great material put across in a entertaining way, and the occasional in-joke or past-history reference is always relished. Most agree that the quality of the song performances themselves are fine. The voice actors who play the characters are all very good at what they do...some excellent! The songs usually rock, have good production value, and are fun. The problems come when the songs are over, which i'll admit is usually the hardest part of any live show anywhere. It just seems that not much effort has been put into this area over the past 2/3 years. and the extended intermissions are encroaching on precious show-segment time ( perhaps this is the plan to begin with....a clever way to shorten the actual show segments! Less show segments= less production time= less money)

I suppose i should look at it this way...at least we still HAVE a Show.

It's well known to fans that when the "Smalltown" CEC Location concept was born there was to be NO show at all...just tv monitors. It was'nt until later that some of the first test locations experienced complaints from Guests that there was no animated show. This uproar eventually forced the Company to reconsider there decision to ax the Animatronics and in the end they installed smaller downsized shows into these locations. It was a wonderful victory for Show Fans as it literally saved the day. I think if these 'Smalltowns" became a hit without a Stage Show of some sort, we would be in serious trouble now!

It's great to know folks DO pay attention to the Show...but i bet they would do moreso if the newer productions were bumped up a few notches.


Tonight i spent some time observing Guests at the highest-volume store in our District. I watched the crowd in the Showroom and there reactions to the show playing ( current Summer Show). I was not surprised by what i saw: Not a SINGLE person was watching the show, or even turned in the direction of the Stage! It was being totally ignored. Why?

I'll tell you why.....it's because there was nothing to hold there interest and the intermmissions killed any shred of momentum that was going on show-wise.

Every good entertainer at some point needs to sit back and view there performance from the audiences perspective. It really clues you in and helps you make adjustments to your act to better hone your efforts to acheive the desired result. If CEC spent did this much time focusing with the Shows as they do with there Business ventures, i don't think we would be in this situation. I think we would see better results if those that create the current shows actually visited a CEC location and observed the audiences reaction to what was being shown or performed onstage. I am not saying this to be hard on the guys in Dept. 18 or the like...not at all. I know there hands are tied and they can only do what they can with what they have both on hand and budget wise. These comments are not aimed directly at them to make them feel bad. My issue has always been with the Company's focus in that field. I think they have lost the focus. That's my bottom line.

More focus should be placed on the show and bringing the entertainmnet aspect to the fore in the advertising/promotions. Everyone has video games now...every knock-off resturant and the like....but NOBODY has a Show!! I think the guys who just write the checks out should go to a actual CEC location and witness firsthand what the Guests REALLY experience. I know it would be a real eye-opener for them, and may help them to relalize that from a entertainment standpoint there is so much more that could be done, so much more of it could be done BETTER then it currenly is. I know it's not easy...the hardest thing in the world is coming up with new ideas. It's tough! It's a challange, no doubt about it...but i think if they got out in the field and actually went to a store it would be a good thing. Know your audience, and know them firsthand! Here are some tips based on what i have observed:

Tip 1:CEC is NOT just for kids....

This is a hard one to beleive for most people as today's CEC is so unlike the CEC most grew up with. The Company could make so much MORE money if it went back to appealing to ALL AGES instead of just toddlers and new moms. Bring some real fun back into the shows and make some programming these adults would enjoy. Remember: Most of today's moms with kids were Chuck E.s "1st generation" of Guests in the early days and 80's. Using this to the shows advantage is a opportunity often overlooked.
It would be nice to see more things in the shows for the "1st generation' of CEC patrons. The recent cover versions of popular 80's songs have all been highlights of the shows they were part of. Guest reactions i have seen were always responsive and excellent. Bring on more! 80's nostalgia is so HOT right now...just look around you!


Tip 2: Let's hear more from the characters themsleves.

It would be nice to learn a little more about the Stage characters. Kids love hearing about what Chuck E. likes and think it's cool when it turns out they share simialr interests with there "idol". Why not exploit this in a positive way? There have been efforts...but it's mostly generic and not that indepth. I'm not saying Helen has to go into some sort of monologe or anything, but having Munch say something besides:" Gee i'm hungry...let's take a pizza break!" would be awesome. How about some actual dialog that has some cleverness to it? Jasper often has the best lines in the whole show....why can't this be extended to the others? How about more of a interaction with the audience? There used to be a LOT of this in the past...and it worked very well. Why not try it again? There's a whole new generation that has never seen it before! Having the robots seem to "talk" to you is always neat from the audience perspective. Make the show more "personal" for both the characters and the auidence. This is why the Rock-aFire Explosion was such a sensation and why it has gained such a huge fan following in the years following it's demise. Those characters had REAL personality and they showed it onstage at every showing. There's no reason the CEC shows can't do this.

Tip 3: Downplay the Intermissions...please!

I have touched on this before, so won't rehash it here. Imtermissions are too long and need to be cut. If there is to be any video intermsission, they should be better then just ads or other fodder you can watch on regular televison at home for free. All intermissions should be related somewhat to CEC characters. All the best intermissions were. It's okay to throw in some other gems like good cartoons and the like...but no oversaturation ( like Veggie Tales, etc). Have your 10 mintute break for the robotics to rest but don't make it feel like the longest 10 minutes in the Guests life. Fill up those slots with entertaining things instead of "filler".


Okay...so there are my suggestions for improving the current show formulas. Notice i said nothing about improving the song selections as in most cases those are done very well!

[Mr Munch88]

Yes! What Jenn said!!!
also would love to hear Munch say something else besides Im hungry!

[PuroMax]

This gigantic tirade inspired me on my way to work today, I began improvising scenarios for a showtape where the "Real" Chuck E. Cheese (Jersey Rat) comes back and does a hostile takeover of the Show. I doubt I'll ever have the free time to write it or think of it ever again, but some of the stuff was profanity laced and hilarious. If I only had the motivation that Jenn speaks of...

[VegaNova]

Wow... I don't check this thread in awhile and all of a sudden it becomes a ranting house! :rollin

All I can say is that I think Jenn said quite a mouthful and to Dani - welcome to our world. It's not so bad though... us old folks get to relax and they bring you an apple juice box after lunch. I'm only 25 but that's what it feels like.

Most people in my life (outside this website) don't even know I even have a website. I tell people I'm a fan of CEC and I usually get strange looks. Many people I've run into have forgotten about the SPP/PTT era and only know CEC as the screaming toddler zone that it's become. So needless to say this little obsession is only brought up to other people if it happens to naturally come up. Trying to explain to people why the new CEC is different and less entertaining than in days past (in one breath) isn't that easy to do so I've stopped trying to do it.

But yeah, I agree with the Showtape quality also. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the most qualified person to speak on the newer shows, but the ones I've sat through and watched have been fairly unimpressive. The songs aren't bad and are produced well... but I agree with everyone here about the mindless banter between the characters and intermissions.

The characters need to develop some demension. All of the conversation seems to be overly scripted and canned. Some of the older PTT stuff had that same feel to it but at least it was witty and caught you off guard occasionally to keep you listening. In the newer shows I wonder why Chuck E or Munch or Pasqually especially even bother opening their mouths to talk... you pretty much know what they're going to say.

Even the Rock-afire stuff was scripted, but they drifted from that script quite a bit.... and I think the improvisations is what made the characters seem real. All of the recording is done in a studio (obviously) so you have the chance to fix any errors and bad takes, but to leave in stuttering and characters fumbling over words or messed up jokes - it makes it seem like real candid conversation. Like people witness in their daily lives and are used to paying attention to.

But anyway the shows really deserve to become stronger. The animatronics aren't enough to hold up the entertainment by themselves. Even more sophisticated bots like the RAE and Studio C have limited movements... and after awhile you've seen every possible pose and movement. The animatronics will become boring after awhile seeing the same thing over and over again - and the last hope of salvation is to use the showtapes as a vehicle to save a viewers interest. It's all about having actual characters with personalities, and finding a way to keep people caring about them. That is CEC's product. Even with all the games, and family fun... take the Chuck E. character out of the mix and they have nothing.

And just so everyone knows I'm not trying to trash CEC or anything. I've watched the RAE perform the original artists recordings and believe me, the animatronics aren't enough to carry that crap. Even though Billy Bob has the same exact movements when he sings 'The Dance' in Garth Brooks' voice - it makes you want to puke. You need good animatronics and a GOOD SHOW playing to make it work.

One comment about what Jenn said about the Dept 18 maybe being discouraged becuase most people don't care about the product... I agree and disagree. I mean I get why they might feel this way but it 'should' go deeper than that. If they're treating it as a 9-5 hourly job then yeah, I'd cut some corners too to make life easier. But a true artist cares about what they're making regardless of if everyone or nobody at all sees it. It's just the basic professionalism of an artist. A someone with a little passion can make magic without needing a huge budget too. ;)

-VegaNova

Oh - and this was a post about SCS. One thing I can say is that the new merchandise is awesome relating to this promo. The winter wonderland stuff was great too... they need to keep up this trend. It does wonders to transform the cheap carnival crap in the prize counters into something that's far more limited, collectable, and fun. THAT's the kind of magic I'm talking about! The same plastic junk but with some spice = something that's collectable and interesting.

Anyway I'm going to try to snab every SCS item I can get ahold of. In the fall I want to get this stuff catalogued and posted in the collectables section. Outside of the Limited dolls which are great, these promo-related collectables are the coolest things to come out over the past decade or so.

[ChuckEZone]

In the newer shows I wonder why Chuck E or Munch or Pasqually especially even bother opening their mouths to talk... you pretty much know what they're going to say.


AMEN!

[Jasper]

Anyway I'm going to try to snab every SCS item I can get ahold of. In the fall I want to get this stuff catalogued and posted in the collectables section. Outside of the Limited dolls which are great, these promo-related collectables are the coolest things to come out over the past decade or so.
Agreed!

FYI - For you Limited Edition Plush collectors out there, there are TWO variations for the Super Chuck plush. One has a black mask, the other has a purple mask.

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

Yeah....clever buggers they are too...

Now if we could only just get some 'variations" in the Show Scripts........:smokin

[Harmony Howlette]

It's entirely possible that this was an error. I remember whenI used to collect Beanie Babies (SHUT UP THEY'RE CUTE >: ), there were often multiple variations. Waddles the duck without wings, Spot without a spot, Peanut the royal blue elephant...factory errors, all.
However, it did make the uncommon variations more valuable. So get over there and hoard those Chuck E plushes!

[CEC Kid Check]

OFF TOPIC,(BEANIE BABIES) but TOBASCO and SNORT! This helps too on the variations thingy.........and Dani if u still have a collection........lol.......ill be willing to sell and/or give some of mine.........they were cool at times.......but.........

O AND I NEVER SAID THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!(Jeff gets out of his chair and runs away)

[Harmony Howlette]

Thanks, but I have MORE than enough over here!
Yeah, some kid traded me Tobasco for a pack of gum.
I was a pretty good business person at the tender age of 10.

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

Getting back to the Show aspect now...

I'm surprised that with all the Super Chuck promotional materials and new merch coming out, that they did'nt produce a superhero costume for the Chuck E. figures like they did for the mascot costumes.

I mean, they did the scarfs for Winter1derland which was a nice nod in the direction of the Show.....why did'nt they do a follow up with a superhero cape and mask for the Stage Chuck?

Perhaps the mask would have not worked well on the robotic figures since they all have moving eye systems. I don't know, but i could see that working ok if the mask was designed correctly and his eyes were plainly visable.

I suppose if they did, they would have had to make two seperate masks for the two different figures: one for the Cyber-CHuck and another slightly modified version of the Garner Bot'.

It would have been neat though.....

[Harmony Howlette]

I thought the same thing and actually waited for them to do it. The mask could have worked though, providing the eye holes were big enough not to get caught in the gears...

[CEC3066]

Hey Jasper, I rember reading in one of the threads that got dumped you said one one of the b-day LE dolls had 2 different variations (1 said CEC while the other w/ the EXACT same desisign said Chuck E. Cheese. Any truth to this?

[Jasper]

I looked into this and no...there's only one Birthday variation. Only the Survivor and Super Chucks have two variations.

[CEC3066]

YAY!!!!! as soon as I get my Purple masked SCS doll i'll have EVERY single one (Fairfield only had the black masked doll)

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

Wait Danny..

Do you have the LAs Vegas Chuck that was given out to all the GM's who attended this years' GM Convention?

Don't forget about that one! It was a official release, just a very exclusive one.

There are so many Limited Dolls now that i can't even keep track of them these days....

Speaking of Merch: The Super Chuck themed items are great!!

Here's some of the great stuff:

SC t-shirts ( kid sizes only)
SC soft footballs (1.99)
SC tool sets
SC springs ( like a Slinky)
SC foam flyers ( airplane)
SC stickers ( nice!)
SC Tatoos ( VERY cool glitter effects on them)
SC mini puzzles
SC Memory Match card game
SC Myler balloons
SC Limited Edition Kooshling ( really neat mini Koosh ball Chuck!)
Cast Lanyard tags and pins
SC Cotton Candy ( the bags are cool)
Sharp looking in-store signage
MORE!!!

And of course, let's not forget the new menu item...the SC Pizza ( mini pizza with 8 tokens)

This is awesome to see.....what a terrific promotion. Iit's just too bad that the other characters have been totally neglected and forgotten. The exception is that the Super Chuck stickers in 15 tickets does include a Super Munch sticker!

There IS hope!!

[Jasper]

Hey Jenn,

That's really interesting, I had no idea about the Vegas Chuck. Damn, collecting these L.E.'s is turning into a Disney Pin Trading nightmare. That's it, I'm done...look for my collection on eBay ;) LOL!

Anyway, what is everyone's opinions on the "Super Chuck E" Road Show? I have not heard it yet, so I'm curious what others thought about this parody song.

Also, does anybody know how long this Road Show is valid for? Is it only through August, or is it a new generic?

(I need info for my review!)

[Shiney Happy Jenn]

The Super Chuck Road will more then likely expire in September or whenever the new Road disc comes out.

[CEC Kid Check]

You pretty much nailed the list on the spot, (at least thats everything my store has.)
We just got a new SC thing today though, its a little light up toy kind of. It looks EXACTLY like the cast member's SC PIN but it lights up and strobes in blue,red, and white. Its like they took the cast members pins and added three little lights in them, there really cool but they will never sell!

[MatHat13]

I heard Super Chuck E. tonight, it wasn't bad.:)

[CEC Kid Check]

Yeah, well this thread is slowing dieing down >D , I just had a couple more quick updates....
1. We sold out of our SC LE plushes in like the first week of August. Its pretty cool, considering LE plushes never sell...|I
2. I don't know why, but we got a shipment in yesterday of all sorts of SC merch...(Its the last week of August?!:| )
Anywho...The shipment contained of... SC stamps(You can like stamp a letter with SC on it) SC mask (OMFG, it will not sell, a purple mask that has SC on it, (it will make a good Halloween mask though..)) And some more. So here is the updated list...to the best of my knowledge!

SC t-shirts ( kid sizes only)
SC soft footballs (1.99)
SC tool sets
SC springs ( like a Slinky)
SC foam flyers ( airplane)
SC stickers ( nice!)
SC Tatoos ( VERY cool glitter effects on them)
SC mini puzzles
SC Memory Match card game
SC Myler balloons
SC Limited Edition Kooshling ( really neat mini Koosh ball Chuck!)
Cast Lanyard tags and pins
SC Cotton Candy ( the bags are cool)
Sharp looking in-store signage
SC GIANT KICKBALL
SC Mask (Like the walk-around, but smaller)
SC Stamps
SC Light Magnet (Like the CM SC pin, but its a magnet that lights up)
SC LE PLUSH!
?SC Flying Discs (I thought I saw these?)
And more, just can't think right now, Ill keep you updated..

[pizzacam]

It's funny to look at how the prizes have changed. In the PTT days it would've been more like:

SC Matchbook
SC Cigarettes(regular or menthol)
SC Shot Glass(with mini bottle of Jack)
SC Crack Pipe

LOL, well maybe that last one is pushing it but you get the point. :lol

[ChuckEZone]

:lol

[CEC3066]

And of course, let's not forget the new menu item...the SC Pizza ( mini pizza with 8 tokens)

HA! try MINI MINI. those things are SO puny now I upgrade to a small.

[CEC Kid Check]

HA! try MINI MINI. those things are SO puny now:rollin

I KNOW! I can eat that thing in three bites! :lol

Anywho, even though the last week has came,:\ , of our beloved SCS, I would like to point out the final two items we recieved at my store:
1. SCS Promo Cups (SIMILAR to the Astronaut Chuck promo cup, but has a flying SC instead of a Chuck Astronaut)
2. A full out SCS costume.:x :x :x (It comes with the SC mask and SC cape, and its only 5.99!):| :| :| And that set is not completed w/o the SC t-shirt! (8.99!!)