GSN 50 greatest game shows special...

[Craig Karlberg]

After last week, I was hoping for some more goodies.  Instead, week 2 started off with a "klunker" in The $1.98 Beauty Show(#41).  Juat seeing the title made me change the channel untill the next show came on.

Well, I'd figured they snuck Whammy! in there at #38.  Just another typical episode here.  I always wondered why Todd Newton got pegged for this show.  He was so loud, you can hear him over the audience reactions at times, maybe drowning them out.

I wouldn't mind seeing Twenty-One(#40) if it was the 2000 version or even the original.  Somehow, Ild guess Dwyer made a passing reference to the original.

Same way with GE College Bowl(#39).  Even ir it wasn't aired, I'm sure Matt O. wouldn't mind a passing mention.  After all, it was a pioneer in team quiz shows or maybe not.

Let's hope things get better with #37.  Surely there can't be 2 consecutive "bad" nights.

[ChrisLambert!]

[quote name=\'aaron sica\' post=\'125191\' date=\'Jul 26 2006, 12:05 AM\']
My DVR didn't get all of it because of a storm tonight which threw it off.

I have no complaints.
[/quote]

Now THAT'S "a perfect storm."

ObThisListSucks: It does.

[Ian Wallis]

Wow...$1.98 Beauty Show ahead of Truth or Consequences and Tattletales.  Unbelievable!

[aaron sica]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'125210\' date=\'Jul 26 2006, 09:02 AM\']
Wow...$1.98 Beauty Show ahead of Truth or Consequences and Tattletales.  Unbelievable!
[/quote]

No, it's believable. Further proves the point that it's "The 50 Greatest Game Shows that GSN has access to, with some other ones thrown in for mention".

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'aaron sica\' post=\'125216\' date=\'Jul 26 2006, 06:53 AM\']
No, it's believable. Further proves the point that it's "The 50 Greatest Game Shows that GSN has access to, with some other ones thrown in for mention".
[/quote]
I'm still flabbergasted that any right-thinking person would have believed otherwise.

[Tim L]

My thought is..It seems that GSN could have licensed one show from each that they don't have in their vault..we could still agree or disagree with the top 50, but at least the presentation would feel more complete..BTW..No way Whammy is in the top 50 or Studs even

[aaron sica]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'125217\' date=\'Jul 26 2006, 10:16 AM\']
I'm still flabbergasted that any right-thinking person would have believed otherwise.
[/quote]

You and me both.

I have my DVR taping it to see the older, non-GSN original shows, and also ones that aren't on the regular schedule (i.e. "Tattletales"). I am also thinking my DVR did me a favor last night, not getting all of it.

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'aaron sica\' post=\'125219\' date=\'Jul 26 2006, 11:26 AM\']I have my DVR taping it to see the older, non-GSN original shows, and also ones that aren't on the regular schedule (i.e. "Tattletales"). I am also thinking my DVR did me a favor last night, not getting all of it. [/quote]
Am I really the only one who got a hoot out of seeing $1.98?  It's not in my top fifty, or even 100.  Heck, it's not even a game show.  Still, I'd prefer to revel in its badness and thank GSN for giving us something offbeat than whine about its place in GSN's imaginary rankings.

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'125220\' date=\'Jul 26 2006, 10:39 AM\']
[quote name=\'aaron sica\' post=\'125219\' date=\'Jul 26 2006, 11:26 AM\']I have my DVR taping it to see the older, non-GSN original shows, and also ones that aren't on the regular schedule (i.e. "Tattletales"). I am also thinking my DVR did me a favor last night, not getting all of it. [/quote]
Am I really the only one who got a hoot out of seeing $1.98?  It's not in my top fifty, or even 100.  Heck, it's not even a game show.  Still, I'd prefer to revel in its badness and thank GSN for giving us something offbeat than whine about its place in GSN's imaginary rankings.
[/quote]
You're not the only one.  I was about to comment on that, but you beat me to the punch.

When it originally aired in 1978 (I never got the second season--but GSN eventually showed the 1979 eps in the course of their run), I didn't appreciate it for being a spoof (much like I didn't appreciate GONG for being a spoof--even if GONG was more of a legitimate competition than $1.98).  If I knew then what I know now, and all that.  Still, I also got a kick out of it.

Doug -- and the countdown to 2100 continues

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'125220\' date=\'Jul 26 2006, 10:39 AM\']
[quote name=\'aaron sica\' post=\'125219\' date=\'Jul 26 2006, 11:26 AM\']I have my DVR taping it to see the older, non-GSN original shows, and also ones that aren't on the regular schedule (i.e. "Tattletales"). I am also thinking my DVR did me a favor last night, not getting all of it. [/quote]
Am I really the only one who got a hoot out of seeing $1.98?  It's not in my top fifty, or even 100.  Heck, it's not even a game show.  Still, I'd prefer to revel in its badness and thank GSN for giving us something offbeat than whine about its place in GSN's imaginary rankings.
[/quote]

And it was good to have a first season show, if only to hear Johnny Jacobs' S&P-required opening about it being a parody of "those so-called beauty pageants."

In fact, the highlight of the whole series consistently was Jacobs' voice-overs on the swimsuit competition.  Yes, I know Rick Kellard and Larry Spencer wrote them, but Jacobs delivered them perfectly.

And I appreciate that GSN waited for Rip to finish his rendition of the "You win the prize..." song before going into squeezeback mode.

"$1.98" may've been stupid, but you have to admire Barris & Co. for not trying to palm it off for anything other than what it was.

[cmjb13]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'125220\' date=\'Jul 26 2006, 11:39 AM\']
[quote name=\'aaron sica\' post=\'125219\' date=\'Jul 26 2006, 11:26 AM\']I have my DVR taping it to see the older, non-GSN original shows, and also ones that aren't on the regular schedule (i.e. "Tattletales"). I am also thinking my DVR did me a favor last night, not getting all of it. [/quote]
Am I really the only one who got a hoot out of seeing $1.98?  It's not in my top fifty, or even 100.  Heck, it's not even a game show.  Still, I'd prefer to revel in its badness and thank GSN for giving us something offbeat than whine about its place in GSN's imaginary rankings.
[/quote]
It's a wash for me either way. Most of us have already seen it (on the schedule, what 4 years ago?), but I'm sure there are a few who have not.

GSN could have put something else in that slot that is just as obscure that hasn't aired in a while.

But you can't please everybody...

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'cmjb13\' post=\'125235\' date=\'Jul 26 2006, 10:08 AM\']
I think the criticism comes from that GSN could have put something else in that slot that is just as obscure that hasn't aired in a while.
[/quote]
My criticism comes from the fact that it's NOT EVEN A FRIGGIN' GAME SHOW.

The whole thing was scripted. Every last ounce of it. I mean, you can't even make the idiotic American Idol or World Series Of Go Fish arguments. Even Casey Abell would agree that this isn't a friggin' game show.

I'm frankly impressed that, between this and Studs, GSN managed to render their list completely and utterly irrelevant inside of the bottom ten entries.

[SteveRep]

So, does this mean they're likely to consider Password, Password Plus and Super Password as seperate entities each with their own spot in the lineup?

They have the rights to all three, so probably so. I was holding out hope that all sequels, reincarnations, enhancements, etc., of an original premise would be lumped in together and ranked as one entity.

[PYLW]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'125220\' date=\'Jul 26 2006, 11:39 AM\']
Am I really the only one who got a hoot out of seeing $1.98?  It's not in my top fifty, or even 100.  Heck, it's not even a game show.  Still, I'd prefer to revel in its badness and thank GSN for giving us something offbeat than whine about its place in GSN's imaginary rankings.
[/quote]

Beat 'ya to it, Matt. I never saw the show before, but I can see why it appeals to some and not to others. I really LIKED the show in a "oh jeez, what a mess" way. It was good for a lot of laughs and everyone looked like they were having the time of their lives. It was all done in a "We, including the contestants KNOW this is all a joke, so why not have some fun doing it all?", sort of way. I'd certainly like to see it again, if it were to come up...

[Ian Wallis]

To be honest, I frequently watched the show when it was originally on.  Being in my early-mid teens then, usually there were a few good reasons each show to tune in...