Betty White in WSJ

[dzinkin]

Today's (5/4/07) Wall Street Journal carries an interview with Betty White.  The on-topic excerpt:

WSJ: You helped popularize game shows by regularly appearing on classics such as "Password," "The $10,000 Pyramid" and "Match Game." Recently, networks have reintroduced game shows to prime time with mixed success. What's the trick to making a successful one?

Ms. White: Today's game shows are too scripted. The great game shows were true games and the celebrity guests were responsible for making up their answers on the fly. That created a sense of excitement and unpredictability. [Now] on the commercial breaks they tell you what's coming up. They hold up cue cards with things you're supposed to say. That's not a game.

If you're interested in how sitcoms can be improved, what makes something funny and why gay men love The Golden Girls, the full article, "Betty White's Sitcom Solution" -- which is behind a subscription wall (as well as, obviously, in the print edition) -- is worth a read.

[GSFan]

The full article, I believe, is available for free.  Click on the "Media & Marketing" link on the front page at wsj.com, the "Entertainment" link under "View News By Topic" and you'll find the article.  It certainly looked complete to me and not behind a subscription wall.

[Matt Ottinger]

WSJ: Ms. White: Today's game shows are too scripted. The great game shows were true games and the celebrity guests were responsible for making up their answers on the fly. That created a sense of excitement and unpredictability. [Now] on the commercial breaks they tell you what's coming up. They hold up cue cards with things you're supposed to say. That's not a game.

I know she's our hero and everybody loves her and everything, but isn't it nice to know after all these years that Betty White also "gets it" when it comes to game shows?  I'll be anxious to read the article because I have no doubt that she'll have equally frank, honest and direct insight to what's wrong with sitcoms these days as well.

[dzinkin]

[quote name=\'GSFan\' post=\'151475\' date=\'May 4 2007, 08:17 AM\']
The full article, I believe, is available for free.  Click on the "Media & Marketing" link on the front page at wsj.com, the "Entertainment" link under "View News By Topic" and you'll find the article.  It certainly looked complete to me and not behind a subscription wall.
[/quote]
Hmm... didn't work when I first looked, but the WSJ sometimes opens up articles after initially locking them.  Thanks for the update; here is the full article.  (As for not posting the whole thing here, that still holds.)

[xavier45]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'151476\' date=\'May 4 2007, 08:19 AM\']

WSJ: Ms. White: Today's game shows are too scripted. The great game shows were true games and the celebrity guests were responsible for making up their answers on the fly. That created a sense of excitement and unpredictability. [Now] on the commercial breaks they tell you what's coming up. They hold up cue cards with things you're supposed to say. That's not a game.

I know she's our hero and everybody loves her and everything, but isn't it nice to know after all these years that Betty White also "gets it" when it comes to game shows?  I'll be anxious to read the article because I have no doubt that she'll have equally frank, honest and direct insight to what's wrong with sitcoms these days as well.
[/quote]

And that is why I love her. She says what is on her mind. If she doesn't like it, she will speak up. I love her in those Pet Commercials. She still looks great for 85.

[BrandonFG]

Amazing that Betty White gets it, and the networks still don't.

Okay, they do, but at the same time they don't. Of course, if they're getting ratings, so why should they listen to the fans or an industry professional? (end sarcasm)

[Patrick S]

One of my favorite Betty White quotes was on some TV special (I think it was an A&E Biography - Game Shows or something like that), she said, "I wouldn't call reality shows game shows as much as I would a complete abomination."  She's too amazing; I think she deserves as much (or more) respect as Lucille Ball.