Now Appearing in the Cabaret Lounge! [Archive]

dheineCECfan

09-29-2003, 01:28 PM

No, Sally Sashay was a guest star in the main CECPTT Pizza Time Players wall portrait format show (rotating with Foxy Colleen, Madame Oink, and the first version of Helen Henny who was a Helen Reddy spoof).

Besides the cabaret shows mentioned, there was...
Artie Antlers
B.B. Bubbles
The Little Shavers (Barbershop quartet - even mostly featured probably/primarly as the main show in the attempted CECPTT spin-off/Farrell's knock-off Chuck E. Cheese's Ice Cream Emporium restaurant concept which was next door/adjanct to a few CECPTT locations.)
The Hollywood Chickens
...also, do you think the Hot Fudge Birthday Room show starring Seymour, Mona, and Mr. Kootch (Pics of it are in Brad Lowe's Pics Page in VegaNova's SPP/CEC Picture Gallery on his site) in a franchised Detroit CECPTT in the 1980's (where they also had the Family Album show besides the Pizza Time Players or side cabaret shows) counts as a side/cabaret show but for a franchised CECPTT location? Same for the Family Album show at 4 to 5 franchised CECPTT locations?

josh horns gurl

09-29-2003, 02:39 PM

mm alrighty my bad :p

A900

09-29-2003, 02:54 PM

Davy D,
Are you going to have a cabaret show in The Rock-afire Cafe?

Fatz

09-29-2003, 05:03 PM

I remember seeing The King and The Beagles at the CEC in
Charlotte,N.C. in the early 1980's.

captslappy

09-29-2003, 06:52 PM

Yes, I went to PTT as a kid and there were 2 locations I visited. One had Dolli Dimples adn the other had the King in it. I have pics on my Yahoo group of them. As for Sally Sashay I am curious about her too. That one pic on Veganova's PTT section aside (which is also on the wall of CEC HQ) I have never seen or heard any mention of her. Has anyone ever heard of any show tapes that use her? I am wondering if she was a prototype that was never actually used in a show.

dheineCECfan

09-30-2003, 09:09 AM

The long gone CECPTT in Hoffman Estates, IL had for cabaret/side shows the Beagles show (later replaced by a large screen TV) and the King show.

josh horns gurl

09-30-2003, 07:30 PM

captslappy I dunno but I did see a picture of a PTT building's outside and under their gueststars they had Sally listed...I wonder why no one remembers her :/...

Harmony Howlette rules

09-30-2003, 07:51 PM

Sally stinks. LITERALLY.

captslappy

09-30-2003, 11:55 PM

Yeah the always did a "Now Appearing" poster so you'd know who the guest star was. I have seen them for Harmony, Oink, Helen and a pic of one for Foxy Colleen which was before my time. If you saw the guest star poster that confrims that she did actually get used. I wonder if she was the second costar? I always thought it went: Foxy Colleen, Sally, Harmony, Oink, Helen but I am not sure on that. I know there was a wall portrait Helen so Helen may have been teh second guest and reappeared later. Personally I think Harmony Howlett was the best guest of all time and she seems to be favored by most people my age who had a chance to see the old PTT shows.

dheineCECfan

10-01-2003, 08:48 AM

Even CECPTT cabaret/side shows ended up in other places:
* The defunct New England Playworld in Hudson, New Hampshire (which carried a Rock-afire Explosion show licenced from Creative Engeneering, not ShowBiz Pizza Place) had a recycled CECPTT Beagles show.
* Enchanted Forest Water Safari near Syracuse, New York uses a King show as part of its recycled CECPTT robot Country Jamboree show.
* Jungle Jim's in Ohio features a recycled CECPTT King show robot (along with recycled CECPTT Warblettes and a converted into Pedro CECPTT Pasqually robot).
* At least 1 Jeepers! had a CECPTT King show.
* The now gone Mystery Fun House in Orlando, Florida (Creative Engeneering and Aaron Fechter's hometown) had a CECPTT King show while the other CECPTT robots were converted into a Mystery Fun House band.
* Did long gone Ohio theme park Americana (which had a Creative Engeneering produced Country Bear Jubillie show) use at one time a recycled CECPTT King show robot?
* Would it be great if a surviving CECPTT King show was donated to the Elvis Presley Graceland Museum Complex in Memphis, Tennessee?

captslappy

10-06-2003, 11:22 PM

Hey you guys, a note on Sally... I found out I have a reel of her! It was in the wrong box. I just won a reel player today so I can't wait to hear it. It's an Xmas show, I believe it is from 79. I have 7 Helen reels, 2 Harmony and 1 Sally

Crusty the Cat

10-19-2003, 04:09 AM

You have a tape with Sally on it? Please tell us when you hear it what Sally is like. We know so little of her.

dheineCECfan

10-19-2003, 07:11 AM

It could be around 2-3 weeks to find out what Sally Sashay sounds like as soon as CaptSlappy gets the reel to reel tape player he won on e-bay. So have patience...

captslappy

10-19-2003, 12:13 PM

Well I got an email from the guy I got the reel to reel player and its on its way so we should know soon. I just wish I knew what happened to the compressor I ordered from Amazon that was supposed to be here LAST Tuesday...

captslappy

10-23-2003, 12:27 AM

I have the reel to reel but it did not come with an empty take up reel so I emailed the guy and he is going to send me one. I will not be able to listen to the reels until that time. I will let you know when I finally do get to hear my Sally reel.

dheineCECfan

10-23-2003, 01:50 PM

CaptSlappy: So he forgot to send a take up reel for the reel to reel tape player (to play the CECPTT show reels including the 1979 Sally Sashay Christmas show) you won on e-bay. Hope you get it as soon as possible within the next week or two - more or less.

captslappy

10-26-2003, 08:05 PM

No, he didn't forget it was not included. The original machine didn't include one eitehr. He offered to send me one for free so we'll see if he comes thru or not.

dheineCECfan

10-27-2003, 09:23 AM

If he doesn't, try Google or Ask Jeeves to find web sites that sell reel to reel tape player take up reels.

dheineCECfan

11-21-2003, 03:24 PM

Returning to the Cabaret Lounge talk post:

Can Dolli Dimples be retrofitted to be Artie Antlers and B.B. Bubbles? I know a Canadian CECPTT (Vancouver, I think) retrofitted Dolli Dimples into a cow rather than a hippo.

captslappy

11-21-2003, 09:31 PM

Thats interesting that Dolli got changed to a cow. The answer is yes. B.B., Artie and Dolli are the exact same robot so they would be the easiest to retrofit. With the exception of the Warblettes and I think the Beach Bowzers and Beagles, the rest are all the same. Some have slightly different movements but they are more or less the same and the cosmetics can be retrofitted from one to another pretty easily.

dheineCECfan

11-22-2003, 10:32 AM

Also: Can the Beagles be retrofitted to be Beach Bowsers or the human Little Shavers?

And: Did you know a CECPTT in Florida retrofitted the clothing of the Elvis style lion the King turning him into Michael Jackson and using a customised showtape of Michael Jackson songs instead of Elvis songs?

captslappy

11-22-2003, 02:32 PM

Yes those 3 shows are identical and use the same layout for their computer signals. In my manual it always says Shavers/Beagles. The cosmetics are the only difference. The Beach Bowzers were just the Beagles with slightly different cosmetics and used Beach Boy songs instead of Beatles. I have never actually seen any of those shows in person. Snapper was the one that told me about The King being changed from an Elvis them to a Michael Jackson theme. I believe that show was at the now closed Mystery Fun House in Orlando. They also had a retrofit balcony stage show that had costume cosmetics.

dheineCECfan

11-22-2003, 04:46 PM

Also: I don't know if Helen Henny and the Hollywood Chickens was once a CECPTT cabaret/side show. I did see about it on a 1979-1980 CECPTT menu/program image (different than the one on VegaNova's site which was from 1977 and shows Crusty and a question mark instead of Mr. Munch and Foxy Colleen) on the 2002 G4 cable channel Icons episode dealing with Pong creator/Atari and CECPTT founder Nolan Bushnell.

captslappy

11-23-2003, 02:38 PM

The only caberet acts I have ever seen proof of existing were Dolli Dimples (the first act ever), The King, Artie Antlers, B. B. Bubbles the elephant, Beach Bowzwers, Beagles and the Little Shavers Barber Shop Quartet which may have only been used in the CEC Ice Cream Emporium stores. I have never seen any pics or found any mention of the Hollywood Chickens or Wolfman Zack and can find no reference to them in any manual or literature I have seen. Not to say they didn't exist, but I have never heard anything about these characters.

dheineCECfan

11-23-2003, 02:46 PM

Well, I noticed a photo of CECPTT's Wolfman Zack (Brian Hagen told me about it just like he told me about the small goose image of an early Helen Henny and Sally Sashay) on the walls of CEC Entertainment HQ when I toured that place back in May 2001.

captslappy

11-23-2003, 08:32 PM

Really? I missed it. Bummer. I was curious about where you heard about them.

DavyD123

11-26-2003, 03:04 AM

Hi Everyone,

If anyone wants to trade for some OLD PTT era reel to reels I'm looking for some rare PTT shows on CDs so if anyone wants to trade--e-mail me at davedproductions@msn.com

Thanks!
Davy D!:rollin

captslappy

11-26-2003, 12:39 PM

Davy, I have a whole bunch. Let me know what you got and I will give you a list of what I have. My email is mscherpenberg@yahoo.com. Thanks!

Shiney Happy Jenn

03-09-2004, 11:32 PM

Hey gang, here is some info on the "Little Shavers".
I saw them in person at the Brandon,FL Location in 1982. Yes indeed, they were in the "CEC Ice Cream Emporium" which was being tested at this particular location. I found out much later while working for CEC that the "Emporiums" were a test operation and only 5 to 10 stores existed. For those not in the know, these were part of a PTT inside in a seperate "Attached" section that also had it's own facade and door. However, you could also enter through the main PTT building. It was modeled after a old time ice cream shop and roomy, at least in Brandon it was. The "Little Shavers" were the attraction in there, exclusively so. They never appeared anywhere else that I know of so if you saw them you were VERY lucky!!! They sang barbershop quartet songs and I wasn't really into them. Also too, there movements/programming was pretty lame so it was no wonder they were only put inside these rare test locations for "CEC ice cream".

BeachBear25

03-16-2004, 10:54 PM

What were some of the songs they did?

What other sideshows have you seen?

Ever been to ShowBiz in the early 80s?

What was the Brandon store like?

Sorry...I just get a little excited when a CEC "historian" joins the board :) (not an age crack by any means ;) )

dheineCECfan

03-17-2004, 03:20 PM

The Little Shavers sang barber shop quartet style songs such as "Sweet Adeline" and "Coney Island Baby".

captslappy

03-17-2004, 07:08 PM

I am buying some caberet acts from someone and i'll have lots of reels sometime in the next couple of months. I will give a full report when I have more info.

Shiney Happy Jenn

03-17-2004, 08:41 PM

Hey Beach Bear.....i'm more than happy to answer all your questions!
The "Little Shavers" did simple barbershop quartet songs like the ones mentioned above. Very short shows....2/3 mins tops.
The quality of the robotics and the Bots' themselves were very low key....they were crude, and when they moved it was very erratic and they shook a lot when swinging around!! I was never that crazy about them, but in later years learned what a rarity they were so have a little more respect for them!

Other "Cabaret" and "Lounge" shows i have witnessed at PTT are Dolli Dimples, The King, Artie Antlers ( He ROCKS!!!), The Beagles,and B.B. Bubbles. The best were Dolli and Artie...there animation and style of show was fantastic!! I should also mention that i saw "The Family Album" when it was the brand new show at the THEN franchised Danvers location in 1985. This was a rare treat, but i personally never really took to it like i did the PTT shows. It was a great novelty at the time though.....

Yes indeed, I went to Showbiz in 1982 1983 when i lived in Florida for 3 years. Every three weekends or so i would visit Disney World ( I was a TOTAL Animatronic JUNKIE by then! ) and be sure to ask Mom if we could stop in at Showbiz. It was the Orlando local, right there on International Dr. Now it's a CEC and i have yet to have returned. My last time seeing the Rock-aFire Explosion was December of 89'. I WORSHIPPED this show...being the Animation freak i was, and STILL am!! The quality, performance, and sheer theatrics of it always BLEW ME AWAY!! To this day i am STILL amazed by it. I was more into Chuck E. though, as Showbiz was in all truth just a "copycat", and even though i loved the show, i never took to it like i did to PTT. Odd, is'nt it? However, I said then and will continue saying this....The Showbiz show was and always will be FAR superior to the Cyberamics of CEC!

and lastly......what was the Brandon PTT like?

Gosh, that is hard to answer in just a few sentences!!
Brandon was HUGE and i mean HUGE!!! They had it all...Two Cabaret shows/rooms....The Ice Cream Emporium....a gigantic game room ( for that time ) A understage Cheese Maze...The infamous Mr Munch Fun House ( all lit with black lights and strobes! Pretty trippy in 1981! ) Huge Kitchen...game tables in separate raised seating areas....a awesome showroom with Classic "Balcony" in full swing complete with ClapperBoard, BandStand unit,and of course the famous waving flags surrounding the entire room!! They even had a "Secret" room near the back of the store to hold private parties in or company meetings that showcased a gigantic projection TV ( A big deal in 1981 ). Whew! I could talk forever about this store...one of my longtime dreams is to someday return and see how it is now....It must be very impressive with the new store layouts. When working for CEC, I met a guy at a corporate sponsored manager meeting that noted when we talked about it that it is one of CEC's most impressive locations. They have the largest Skytubes...period!! I believe it!!! This place was a barn!!!! But a deeply loved ol' barn!!!

captslappy

03-17-2004, 10:51 PM

I agree with you on the PTT vs. RAE stuff. I didn't like the RAE for years. It grew on me when i got older. It is clearly a better show but I still have loyalty to the cheesy cyberamics stuff I started on. I like them both equally now and for different reasons. No one really seems to care much about Dolli but I think she's awesome. I wish i could have gotten to see Artie. I did not know of his existance until a few years ago.

joshferrell

03-17-2004, 11:47 PM

yes i remember those caberet show when I was a yungum (cough,cough) those were the good old days when you would walk into the building (after walking 30 miles in the snow) and you would see the king on the left and the jazz moose dude on the right and you would see miles upon miles of video games and robots everywhere....you wippersnappers haven't seen anything yet till you've seen those old ptt.... wish they bring them back,don't know why they took em away it must be the way this world is headin' I guess ,it's the dumming down of cec...(fart) excuse me...(cough,cough,burp)8o

Shiney Happy Jenn

03-18-2004, 03:01 PM

Well from what i saw first hand....back when CEC merged with Showbiz they were having issues with Teens coming in and hanging around. This was a common thing in a Arcade, but i guess things got ugly at a few locations and parents refused to take their families to CEC because of what to them was a bunch of hoodlems hanging around. Most Teens that hung out there did'nt buy anything but Tokens, and even that may have been questionable! The Management had problems with this....so gradually the company encouraged the ol "No food purchase, no entry" policy. In 1984 my local store started this policy to drive out the teens. They wanted the families to return, for they spent far more money than the teens would. Also, shortly after in early 1985 they started introducing "kiddie" attractions such as Ball Pits and play areas to encourage them to visit. CEC after the takeover was whitewashed into a kiddieland from that point on. Teens ran terrified from the place, as now they would'nt be caught dead there!! Also too, in 1985 the previous years "Arcade Craze" had died so teens were'nt hanging out in Arcades anymore anyway! From mid 1986 thru to the present, the Company made even more changes furthering the appeal to small children...desecrating the once "Something for everyone" philosophy professed by Pizza Tim Theatre in it's "Golden Era"! Today, CEC has become a Toddler-Haven...as they are now the target audience. To agree with Josh's comment, it IS indeed the "Dumbing Down" of CEC!!
So to answer the above question by Josh, CEC changed primarily for these reasons....to weed out the "undesirables" regardless of how many coins they put in the games!!

Dang sad if you ask me....what a pity....( sigh )

captslappy

03-19-2004, 02:10 PM

Yes, I remember those problems at both my local showbiz and the PTT locations I visited. It's also one of many reasons why everything is open too. Back in the day the caberet lounge was its own enclosed space and the game room was enclosed. The openess allows easier monitoring of the place and also reduces lost children and the possibility of child abductions. We live in a sick world now unfortunately...

MMBBfan327

10-08-2005, 04:34 PM

Hmm...I'm not sure if all PTT'S had closed-up rooms. The Elmbrook Plaza PTT I know for a fact had an all open space, and opened in '82 or so. I think it was a franchise, though.

Shiney Happy Jenn

10-08-2005, 09:41 PM

Franchises were glorious as they could do whatever they wanted as far as layout goes, among other things.

I'm sure there were locations that were put into building spaces not normally reserved or considered "PTT material".

Most PTT's however all looked very similar but most had a few unique features that set them apart from local nearby locations.....not like today!!

MMBBfan327

10-09-2005, 11:20 AM

Ok, that must be it.

I liked how back then PTT's all looked different. Most were actually the same, though: King was on the right of the entrance, cabaret on the left, well WI PTTs were NOT like that. The cabarets were ALL together in the back. I know becasue they still had KING in '95 or so.

captslappy

10-10-2005, 09:40 AM

All of the stores around here had just one side show. The Dallas location near the now closed Prestonwood mall had King, The store off of 635 and Harry Hines near Farmer's Branch had Dolli, The original Irving store (never went) had Beagles and the Arlington store also had King. These are the only 4 PTTs I know of in the area. There are quite a few CEC locations now in the Dallas area but the only one I know of that was originally a PTT was the Arlington/Feilder store. The current Irving store down the road from Headquarters is not in the same location as it was originally. The other 2 PTTs have been a variety of other businesses since they closed in the 80s.

pizzacam

10-10-2005, 09:48 AM

I was gonna ask you about that too...where was the original Irving store? Was it still close to Showbiz's home office?

rayray1980

10-10-2005, 02:45 PM

The Lake Worth store had two cabarets. When you walked in, the King was on the right, and Dolli was on the left. And when you kept going straight, there was the Main Showroom, with the characters to the right of the entrance.

Shiney Happy Jenn

10-10-2005, 03:41 PM

I think one of the reasons why PTT was rather scarce in TX was because...well, that was prime Showbiz territory, at least in the early years. By 1983 things were getting crazy: PTT and Showbiz were literally opening up right across the street from each other in some cases!

The South was not a huge market for PTT Inc. because they tended to focus more on the North East and West Coast. It was Bob Brock and the Showbiz crew that focused more on the Midwest and Southern states. This is why we see many CEC's opening in these areas after the takeover.

PTT Inc. was so freaking awesome the way they ran things.......God bless Nolan Bushnell!!

captslappy

10-11-2005, 08:47 AM

I am not sure aobut the original Irving store. I never went. I know some guys that lived in Irving and told me about it. That's how I know they had the Beagles. From what I understand it is not far from the current location. On that note I do not know of any stores in the Dallas area that had Artie, BB or the Bowzers. I don't think either store in the area ever changed their King to King Kat either. I know the one I went to with the King probably died before that retrofit came out.

MMBBfan327

10-12-2005, 07:05 PM

WI I know ahd KING and Beagles and Beach Bowzers. My uncle said West Allis had Artie, and CHase had them all excpet BB.

Shiney Happy Jenn

10-12-2005, 10:09 PM

BB was very rare...

Not many locations recieved her. She was in a class all her own!

Artie is also somewhat scarce...i rarely hear of locations that used to have him besides the one i used to frequent in Fl near Spring Hill.

Nice to hear Artie made it to Texas after all!

captslappy

10-13-2005, 09:33 AM

Back in the day, many PTTs were franchizes so I imagine the owner got to pick his or her lounges and caberets. I'm sure there was a catalog or something. It seems King and Dolli were chose most often and I can see why. You wouldn't want 2 piano players in the same store. I have a feeling Artie was most often assigned to a store where there were multiple PTTs in an area and they already had Dolli, King and the Beagles. I'm sure someone saw and liked him and chose them for his store on their own. I also remember someone saying one time that 2 franchizes eventually traded lounge shows. One store swapped the Beagles for the King with another location after both had been in the original locations for a few years.

pizzacam

10-13-2005, 12:02 PM

Nice to hear Artie made it to Texas after all!

MMBBfan's from WI though :( so ..But ehh I'm sure they DID have an Artie here. We MAY have had one here in San Antonio cause there were 2 other PTTs here in the early 80s that only lasted a few years. :(

captslappy

10-13-2005, 02:14 PM

I can only speak about the Dallas area. I don't know about Ft. Worth. It is also possible there was another PTT or two in the Dallas area I was unaware of. Now since CEC HQ is in Irving we have CEC's on every street corner but that was not the case in the 80s. Given the size of the state I can guarantee you that Artie was in some store somewhere. I'm sure there was at least one BB Bubbles out there too. I know the Dolli at the store I visited never got changed over to BB because there was an article in the paper about someone buying the Dolli robot from the store. I have tried to find it in my scrap books and been unable. There was no mention of what happened to the balcony stage.

Shiney Happy Jenn

04-14-2007, 10:43 PM

I am fairly certain these days that Artie was only in early PTT locations. Artie and Dolli were the shows the older PTT's received when they opened, and later locations recieved others such as B.B. Bubbles and King Kat.

Dolli as mentioned already was the most common, along with The King. Both of them survived the longest as well....

The scarcity of Artie makes me beleive he was only at PTT's that had opened in 80' or around that time. This would explain why not many stores seemed to get him, and why after all these years no one has been able to find used parts from one.

captslappy

04-15-2007, 12:29 AM

Actually Dolli was one of the first things to get the axe under new management which we've confirmed. The only 2 surving caberets I have concerned are King and the Beach Bowzers. The Bowzers being much rarer than King. I so far can find no evidence the Beagles made it to the 90s. I believe all of teh dog bands were change to Beach Bowzers and used the 90s Bowzer tape where they barked and talked like surfers capatalizing on the TMNT craze of the time.

Shiney Happy Jenn

04-15-2007, 01:17 PM

Agree Captain....

Dolli was one of the first to go, probably because she has been around the longest and what models were left were pretty worn ( cosmetic wise). She also was probably phased out due to there being no new material for her ( same 2/3 reels since 1980). Another reason could very well be that she was considered "too adult orientated" when CEC was changing over in the mid 80's to a different target audience. I think the main reason was probably just her age. Artie too, what few were left, were all junked.

The Bowzers i could never get into......i don't know why, but they always looked so cheesy and lame. Maybe it's because i was brought up on The Beagles. I loved them....also too they sang better songs! Hee hee....

dheineCECfan

04-16-2007, 09:52 AM

And I thought Artie and B.B. were the first to go before Dolli!

Shiney Happy Jenn

04-16-2007, 06:34 PM

Dolli was probably still in some stores for some years after the Cab Shows were phased out...more then likely franchises. Artie though was definately gone by that point, and B.B. Bubbles was released at the tail end of PTT's era which made her rare to begin with. She lasted only a few years before the new company calling the shots ( now SPT) decided to phase out the seperate rooms and the accompanying shows.

captslappy

04-17-2007, 12:35 PM

I have talked to 2 different techs around then and there was definately a termination notice for Dolli around 85 or 86. I suspect this notice covered BB and Artie as well. I did find out the original Richardson store (The PTT one, not showbiz we went to at CV3) did have Artie. That's the first time I have heard of a store in this area having him. I think the piano players in general were just removed. Besides being worn out I think the biggest issue was her material. Corporate could have issued new cosmetics and show tapes had they wanted to. I think that like the guest concept, the decision was made to get a more uniform and smaller cast of characters. Besides offering uniformity it was also cost cutting as well.

Shiney Happy Jenn

04-17-2007, 07:57 PM

Very true....streamlining helps cut costs as well as unify the concept. When Showbiz took over PTT, i think this was high on there list as back then it was a nessesity to survive. The great Arcade Game Crash of 83' hurt both companies tremendously, so much so to PTT that it folded and Showbiz had to buy them out to pay off the owned court case money. When Showbiz gained control of the concept, their #1 priority was streamlining. They were losing millions at that time due to the arcade craze crash and had to find ways to cut costs and minimize extra "non-essentail" expenses. What better way then to discontiue side shows, and open those rooms up to spaces better filled with money making games?

The Cabs/Lounges lasted a few more years but were finally dumped in the mid 80's as The Captain noted. Some locations still managed to keep their King and Bowzers ....which was cool......but by the mid 90's everything was pretty much gone.

captslappy

04-20-2007, 11:48 AM

In many ways I am very surprised they did not close and liquidate PTT thus ending the competition forever. I was always under the impression that is what had happened until I found the board. Believe it or not, acquired companies are often dismantled and liquidated. The physical assests are often more valuable than the business itself. Case in point: When Cinemark sold off the 8 Fun Time Pizza Franchizes, the new owner did just that about a month after the acquisition of the restaurants. They were all doing well too.

Shiney Happy Jenn

04-21-2007, 11:06 PM

Regardless of Showbiz having the superior quality show, i think even they knew at the time of the buy out that the CEC characters had more of a hold on the public conceinces then the RAE characters did.

PTT was more focused in the areas where most people seemed to be concentrated ( CA, Northeast, etc) while SBPP tended to go more for the Midewest and Southern areas. By the time PTT went under, CEC was a household name. I can't say i ever heard Showbiz mentioned or referred to in the mainstream relm that much, even back in the day. It was always.."let's go to CEC.." I never once heard anyone ever talk about Showbiz back then. Weird i know....but i think it shows how strongly CEC held the market share.

Even though Showbiz is regarded as the "surviving" company....in reality it was the original concept idea (PTT) and those characters ( CEC and pals) that survived. Showbiz was just better at handling the business side of matters then PTT was apparently, but then again that is because it was being run by businessmen and not entertainers. You can see where that mentality has taken things.....

captslappy

04-22-2007, 01:58 PM

To make an analogy, CEC was McDonald's and Showbiz was Burger King.

Shiney Happy Jenn

04-22-2007, 07:14 PM

LOL.....!

:laugh:

dheineCECfan

04-22-2007, 09:30 PM

To make an analogy, CEC was McDonald's and Showbiz was Burger King.

CEC(PTT)/Chuck E. Cheese was McDonald's and ShowBiz/Billy Bob was Burger King, nice analogy even when McDonald's and Burger King had rival mascots (Ronald McDonald and his McDonaldland friends for McDonald's and The Magic Burger King and his friends for Burger King)

CEC3066

04-23-2007, 02:19 AM

I think Irving also had the King too

VegaNova

04-23-2007, 10:06 AM

Yeah that's true... I remember talking with Aaron Fechter about how frustrating it is when telling everyone I collect ShowBiz Pizza stuff... and inevitably I get the whole "Oh... you mean Chuck E. Cheese?". My first instinct is to say "NO", but anymore I just give in and it's "yeah, just like CEC".

But anyway he told me that they faced this even back in ShowBiz's heyday. I don't know if it's Chuck E. Cheese's catchy name or what, but it does seem to be the first thought of people when it comes to remembering any of that stuff. Ah well.

I would have to disagree on Chuck's pals though... I've been to enough CEC's where the cast members don't have a clue as to who Helen Henny is. Enough times to where I've taken note of it anyway, as it seems impossible to me that someone who works there is that out of touch with things.

captslappy

04-24-2007, 11:08 AM

I was told the original PTT just had the Beagles but having not been there in person I can't confirm that. The current Irving store we went to was actually a Showbiz and originally had the Rock-afire Explosion, not a cyberamics stage.

CEC3066

04-24-2007, 01:50 PM

so wait a sec in that same bulding where Munch is saying "I'm Hungry" Fatz once told guests to Shut Up?

Shiney Happy Jenn

02-12-2008, 10:03 PM

Ha ha...Fatz used to say that a lot ...it was hilarious!

Classic Rat Chuck E. did it too...to Munch on several occassions during the early 80's shows ( Harmony's Hoe Down comes to mind...).

There is this GREAT moment when Munch says:

" Hey boss, ya know what i want?"

Chuck says: "No, what.."

Munch: " I want pizza-pizza!"

Chuck: " Well ya know what i want, i want PEACE and QUIET so why don't you SHUDDAP!"

It was PRICELESS and FUNNY AS all heck!

Nowadays, you don't have a prayer of hearing Chuck E. say this onstage to Munch. ...that is, until we figure out how to program Cybermamics....( heh heh...rubs hands together.....)

:devil: