Studio C 2000 Prototype

The Studio C Prototype (also known as the Studio C Alpha / Beta Mix) was a test stage found at Chuck E. Cheese's locations that opened from 2000 - 2001. It was the second Studio C stage to be created. Five were installed. The last one was removed on October 18, 2022.

History
In 1999 CEC Entertainment created a new stage to fix the issues that originated with the Studio C Alpha. This stage changed a lot over its development process, originally just being a modified Alpha to remove the desk and to remove the console. Eventually, the Studio C Prototype was created from those efforts. The main changes were removing the desk to help reduce wear on the bot and removing the Talk Show set and instead having a jukebox-type light fixture behind the animatronic. The Pizza Clock would be seen at the top of the Jukebox, and Bird would return this time on a stick identical to the one seen in the 1998 General Managers Convention.

This stage was installed at six locations with different designs at three of those. In 2000 four stores would open with the stage. Those would be Athens, GA (3654-I Atlanta Hwy), opening on April 10, 2000, Brownsville, TX (2800 N Expressway), opening on July 17, 2000, Tyler, TX (736 West SW Loop 323), opening on July 24, 2000, and Midland, TX (4703 W Loop 250), opening on October 2, 2000. In 2001 the last two Studio C Prototypes were installed, those being Clarksville, TN (2821 B Wilma Rudolph Blvd), opening on February 22, 2001, and Jeddah (Corniche Road), Saudi Arabia which had the Jeddah Studio C Prototype.

The Studio C Prototype also went by another name, The "Studio C Alpha / Beta Mix", which was most likely because Bird was used, as well as the Pizza Time Clock, even though they were the only things carried over from the Alpha, and the design being somewhat similar to the Beta, even though the Prototype was older by several months (The Studio C Prototype debuted in April 2000, while the Studio C Beta debuted in Fall 2000.)

Starting in 2019, the Studio C Prototype would begin to be removed from Chuck E. Cheese's locations due to 2.0 remodels. The first one to be removed was Clarksville, TN (2821 B Wilma Rudolph Blvd) in August/September 2019, followed by Brownsville, TX (2800 N Expressway) being removed in September / October 2019. It wasn't till late 2021 when the next one would be removed, that being Tyler, TX (736 West SW Loop 323). Athens, GA (3654-I Atlanta Hwy) would be removed February 2022, and the final Studio C Prototype being Midland, TX (4703 W Loop 250) was removed on October 18, 2022.

Studio C Prototype v1
The stage portion of the Studio C Prototype features a 32m Studio C bot. Behind him is a jukebox lighting fixture, at the top of which is the Pizza Time clock. The lighting at the top of the jukebox has three neon strips which correlate to the three signals the Studio C Alpha desk has. To the right of Chuck would be Bird on a stick, identical to the one seen in the 1998 General Managers Convention. Above the animatronic were two sets of four Amber, Red, Green, and Blue flood lights. To the left of the stage would be the Blue Screen, and to the right of the stage was a TV screen that looked very similar to the one seen on the Studio C Alpha but instead much smaller and hanging from the ceiling. This was only installed at Athens, GA (3654-I Atlanta Hwy).

Studio C Prototype v2
The stage is identical to the one seen in v1, minus the Pizza Time clock not being installed. The most notable change is there being no large TV on the right of the stage. This was installed at Brownsville, TX (2800 N Expressway) and Midland, TX (4703 W Loop 250).

Studio C Prototype v3
The stage is identical to the one seen in v1 with the only main change being the space to the right of the stage being replaced with a new TV fixture showcasing a CRT on top of a grey rectangle. On top of the CRT would be three lights made of three rectangles going from biggest to smallest. This was installed at Tyler, TX (736 West SW Loop 323) and Clarksville, TN (2821 B Wilma Rudolph Blvd).

Inconsistences of the Studio C Prototype
Despite being only installed at five locations, this stage would have many inconsistencies in the installs. Athens was complete featuring Bird and the Pizza Clock. Brownsville, Tyler, and Midland never got the Pizza Clock. But despite that Clarksville did even though it was the last one installed in 2001. Another inconsistency of the stage is that v1 was only ever installed in Athens which was the first location. But v2 was installed at Brownsville (2nd location) and Midland (4th location) and v3 was installed at Tyler (3rd location) and Clarksville (5th location).