National Spelling Bee goes prime-time...

[weaklink75]

I guess you could call this a game show, since there are prizes.... It's an interesting move, but it's post-sweeps, so I guess it was worth ABC's time to take a chance....

edited to fix link

[aaron sica]

[quote name=\'weaklink75\' post=\'117584\' date=\'May 3 2006, 10:41 AM\']
I think you could call this a game show to a point, since there are prizes.... It's an interesting move, but it's post-sweeps, so I guess it was worth ABC's time to take a chance....
[/quote]

Link no worky.

[DrBear]

Great. We take an event that already put pressure on kids, then put it on cable to increase the pressure exponentially, and now it's on national broadcast TV.

I predict projectile vomiting on-air by the final round.

At the very least, limit it to five-letter words and have Chuck Woolery host it, if he has time after his duties at "Wheel."

[weaklink75]

[quote name=\'DrBear\' post=\'117586\' date=\'May 3 2006, 11:04 AM\']
Great. We take an event that already put pressure on kids, then put it on cable to increase the pressure exponentially, and now it's on national broadcast TV.

I predict projectile vomiting on-air by the final round.

[/quote]

They did have someone faint onstage turing the telecast in 2004 which was shown all over the place (and the guy recovered to finish 2nd)....

[Fedya]

[quote name=\'DrBear\' post=\'117586\' date=\'May 3 2006, 11:04 AM\']
Great. We take an event that already put pressure on kids, then put it on cable to increase the pressure exponentially, and now it's on national broadcast TV.

I predict projectile vomiting on-air by the final round.
[/quote]
With all due respect, having seen the Spellbound documentary, I thought the kids were better-adjusted than the parents.

OT: That's a movie I highly recommend.

On a lighter note, TCM is airing Three on a Match tomorrow (4 May) at 1:45 PM, but I don't see any sign of Bill Cullen....  :-)

[TLEberle]

[quote name=\'weaklink75\' post=\'117584\' date=\'May 3 2006, 07:41 AM\']I guess you could call this a game show, since there are prizes....[/quote]You GOTTA be kidding me. I'll give you a shot at redemption. How is the National Spelling Bee Finals a game show?

[quote name=\'DrBear\' post=\'117586\' date=\'May 3 2006, 08:04 AM\']Great. We take an event that already put pressure on kids, [/quote] I never once felt pressure when competing in a spelling bee, but then again that's probably because it was against people my own age and from my own school. I say let 'em spell. The Little League World Series gets ABC time, and Junior Jeopardy is only a week out of the year. Give the smart kids a chance to shine. Some of them won't be able to make sports teams and this will be all they have.

[Fedya]

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'117642\' date=\'May 3 2006, 10:47 PM\']
[quote name=\'weaklink75\' post=\'117584\' date=\'May 3 2006, 07:41 AM\']I guess you could call this a game show, since there are prizes....[/quote]You GOTTA be kidding me. I'll give you a shot at redemption. How is the National Spelling Bee Finals a game show?[/quote]
Wasn't the Thousand Dollar Bee a game show (even if a very poor one)?

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'Fedya\' post=\'117659\' date=\'May 4 2006, 12:12 AM\']Wasn't the Thousand Dollar Bee a game show (even if a very poor one)?[/quote]
OH NO!!!  I've got that song stuck in my head again!  Thanks a bunch, Ted...