PlayMania...

[Matt Ottinger]

I actually think it's an ingenious show, and a perfect thing for GSN to be running late at night.  Production costs are near nothing, sponsorships within the program probably take care of most of the costs, and then there are thousands of turnips dropping their 99 cents time and time again to solve those tricky brain-teasers.  (Unscramble the letters to spell a sport:  GLOF)

The bonus here is that they're showing a willingness, however slight, to do a bare-bones, low-budget original show.  If they could be convinced to apply that mentality to a game that's actually challenging (Countdown or Definition for example), GSN might become destination TV for some of us again.

Given that the alternative is well-worn reruns and/or informercials, why not this?

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'115712\' date=\'Apr 8 2006, 06:04 PM\']
(Unscramble the letters to spell a sport:  GLOF)
[/quote]
Ummm....Flog?

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'Modor\' post=\'115718\' date=\'Apr 8 2006, 09:11 PM\'][quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'115712\' date=\'Apr 8 2006, 06:04 PM\'](Unscramble the letters to spell a sport:  GLOF)[/quote]Ummm....Flog? [/quote]
I'm utterly embarrassed to admit that didn't even occur to me...

[CoreyArcher]

I kind of enjoyed watching Mel sweat through those uncomfortable stretches waiting for "Player required" to finally get replaced by the name of a caller. That must have been particularly unnerving on the first night. One thing with playing Lingo here: Who really wants to pay 99¢ plus to make that impossible first guess?

[Hastin]

Yea, Lingo is flawed. At lease have Mel take the first 'guess' to give us some yellow letters. I like the 'Top 5' the best. 5 chances to get some cash.

However, I will never see that cash, being stuck on the west coast feed, and only seeing the re-run of the ET show. (Why the hell rerun a LIVE show, that relies on people calling in? Put some more B&W on the West Coast feed.) Putting Playmania on both feeds doesn't seem that hard to me. It would go from 10-1 on the Pacific Feed, and 1-3 on the Eastern feed.

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'Hastin\' post=\'115737\' date=\'Apr 9 2006, 01:38 AM\']Yea, Lingo is flawed. At lease have Mel take the first 'guess' to give us some yellow letters. [/quote]
Better yet, make the impossible first guess worth more than anything else on the show (say $500) and see how many people will hurry to pay their 99 cents for a chance at it.

[Gus]

Sorry to bump the thread, but has anyone here tried to play this thing, or better yet, actually get on? I figured, what the hell, so I texted the number... They texted me back, I sent my phone number... Didn't get called. Tried one or two more times more, then tried it online. Nothing. Waited the whole evening, and even when they supposedly were waiting for players, no call. I came to the realization that they're not rushing to put new players on so that people will get the impression that nobody else is calling and that they're practically guaranteed to get on and solve the puzzle and win some quick money, when all they're really doing is throwing their dollar bills at GSN like I did. Has anyone else tried and failed, or better yet, tried and succeded?

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'Gus\' post=\'116152\' date=\'Apr 14 2006, 03:11 AM\']I came to the realization that they're not rushing to put new players on so that people will get the impression that nobody else is calling and that they're practically guaranteed to get on and solve the puzzle and win some quick money, when all they're really doing is throwing their dollar bills at GSN like I did. [/quote]
I believe that's a fairly accurate estimation of the program.

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'116158\' date=\'Apr 14 2006, 08:26 AM\']
[quote name=\'Gus\' post=\'116152\' date=\'Apr 14 2006, 03:11 AM\']I came to the realization that they're not rushing to put new players on so that people will get the impression that nobody else is calling and that they're practically guaranteed to get on and solve the puzzle and win some quick money, when all they're really doing is throwing their dollar bills at GSN like I did. [/quote]
I believe that's a fairly accurate estimation of the program.
[/quote]

Which is what those similar channels/programs do in the UK.  In real life, I don't think it would take 20 minutes to name five selected Beatles songs like it did last night.  Since I resist from having a cell phone and don't have a computer at home, the interactivity part is unavailable to me and Mel's a little too perky.  I find the production a little too audio-cluttered for my tastes, as well.  I will see how Shandi does with the format, though.

In trying to find something about "PlayMania" in the UK, I found this article from the Sunday Times of London about the whole trend of "participation television," including the fact that ITV is starting its own interactive game channel (with one of the shows a pub quiz from the set of the pub on the venerable soap "Coronation Street"):

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2095-2124801,00.html

If Big Game TV originates from the old Channel 5 News studio at ITN, does Georgina perch on the corner of a desk in a mini-skirt like Kirsty Young used to do?

[JasonA1]

In real life, I don't think it would take 20 minutes to name five selected Beatles songs like it did last night.

Well, considering how an absurd number of callers that night had no backup guess when somebody knocked out "Hey Jude"...and how this morning's airing featured the question "Top 5 Grossing Movies of All-Time; U.S." and one of the guesses was "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," something tells me the caliber of play isn't exactly high.

-Jason

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'JasonA1\' post=\'116212\' date=\'Apr 15 2006, 09:34 AM\']Well, considering how an absurd number of callers that night had no backup guess when somebody knocked out "Hey Jude"...and how this morning's airing featured the question "Top 5 Grossing Movies of All-Time; U.S." and one of the guesses was "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," something tells me the caliber of play isn't exactly high.[/quote]
I know Leno edits the pieces to only show us the comically boneheaded answers, but if Jaywalking has taught us anything, it's that there's an awful lot of stuff the "average" person doesn't know.  Since nobody's being screened for their ability, it's not surprising at all that we get responses like that.

Meanwhile, I admire the idea behind the show from a business standpoint, but they could sure do a lot to make the game more engaging to a viewer.  Spending twenty minutes or more on a single question isn't going to hold my attention, not even in the middle of the night.

[Timsterino]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'115739\' date=\'Apr 9 2006, 02:19 AM\']
[quote name=\'Hastin\' post=\'115737\' date=\'Apr 9 2006, 01:38 AM\']Yea, Lingo is flawed. At lease have Mel take the first 'guess' to give us some yellow letters. [/quote]
Better yet, make the impossible first guess worth more than anything else on the show (say $500) and see how many people will hurry to pay their 99 cents for a chance at it.
[/quote]


Matt, someone from GSN is obviously reading this board. They started doing exactly what you said on Thursday. They offered the first guess $500 and then brought it down to $200. I thought of you and the quote above when I saw that.

Good suggestion!

Tim :-)

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Timsterino\' post=\'116231\' date=\'Apr 15 2006, 12:08 PM\']
Matt, someone from GSN is obviously reading this board.
[/quote]
Unpossible! People inside of the industry hate this board!

[Timsterino]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'116233\' date=\'Apr 15 2006, 03:42 PM\']
[quote name=\'Timsterino\' post=\'116231\' date=\'Apr 15 2006, 12:08 PM\']
Matt, someone from GSN is obviously reading this board.
[/quote]
Unpossible! People inside of the industry hate this board!
[/quote]

So I heard. ;-)

[Steve McClellan]

[quote name=\'Timsterino\' post=\'116231\' date=\'Apr 15 2006, 12:08 PM\']Matt, someone from GSN is obviously reading this board. They started doing exactly what you said on Thursday.[/quote]
My, how nice it would be if those fine, fine folks at GSN would air PlayMania from 10 p.m. to midnight on the west coast feed. Then, there'd be even *more* people who could hurry to pay their 99 cents for a chance!

(This Subtle Message has been brought to you by Sledgehammer Pool Cues.)