What if...?

[BMaurice06]

Mind you, this is not a criticism, but rather a quandry that concerns Temptation:

What do you think would have happened if Fremantle used the Australian format?

I'm not slamming the current one anymore; I just want to find out everyone's own opinions on this question (especially fostergray's).

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'BMaurice06\' post=\'164012\' date=\'Sep 16 2007, 05:14 PM\']
What do you think would have happened if Fremantle used the Australian format?
[/quote]
It would have been good. Rossi still would have been annoying as hell, but he would have been easier to ignore with a decent format in front of him.

[tvwxman]

[quote name=\'BMaurice06\' post=\'164012\' date=\'Sep 16 2007, 08:14 PM\']
Mind you, this is not a criticism, but rather a quandry that concerns Temptation:

What do you think would have happened if Fremantle used the Australian format?

I'm not slamming the current one anymore; I just want to find out everyone's own opinions on this question (especially fostergray's).
[/quote]
Only if Todd Newton was hosting, and Todd Newton was modeling the prizes. Oh, and the announcer was Todd Newton

It would likely have been better than the dreck that currently airs. I also believe that some fault lies in the casting. The Contestant Coordinators shouldn't work in California. Evar. Again.

[TLEberle]

[quote name=\'BMaurice06\' post=\'164012\' date=\'Sep 16 2007, 05:14 PM\']Mind you, this is not a criticism, but rather a quandry that concerns Temptation:

What do you think would have happened if Fremantle used the Australian format?[/quote]You'd have Great Television that would be over the head of 999 out of 1,000 viewers. When Sale of the Century is done right, it fires on all cylinders.

What impressed me most about the Australian production team was how they recognized that some things just weren't working out, and rather than dragging their heels, they fixed them. The Vault was moved from the first Gift Shop to the third, where it actually makes for an interesting decision. The Ten-in-a-Row, along with the $500,000 of gold bullion was chucked, and the Ten in Sixty, with the Night Seven Jackpot was introduced, which works much better, and has only had to be paid a handful of times. The Australian team made Great Television.

Could Temptation: US Edition be Great Television? Yes. With a lot of work. It could be tolerable television with a modicum of work.

I'm not slamming the current one anymore;

I, for one, am relieved. I just couldn't handle anymore sleepless nights.

[BrandonFG]

How did I get roped into this? lol

Okay, with the Aussie format, it would've been closer to the 80s version, with slight modifications, and the pacing would've looked smoother. One gripe I do have is that they try to do too much with the format...trying to cram too many shows into 22 minutes. Add the shopping round prize descriptions, and it's even worse. Had they at least tried to mix the two countries' formats, it might've gelled better.

However, I don't think Rossi would work. The show is supposed to give a slight air of elegance, and a pretty-boy with an open collar and blue jeans doesn't give me that impression. Yes, I know they want to go for the Lifetime crowd, but at least dress up the host appropriately.

I really need to send off my resume and get to Hollywood, while I'm still relatively young.

/Or New York
//I'll need about 4 roommates
///We could make a sitcom!
////Seth MacFarlane was 25 when "Family Guy" premiered
/////No pressure

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'164024\' date=\'Sep 16 2007, 11:36 PM\']
I really need to send off my resume and get to Hollywood, while I'm still relatively young.[/quote]
I had a similar observation with friends at dinner tonight, but from a different angle.  All my small-market life I've had people telling me I should go out to California because I'm every bit as good as "those guys".  Thing is, I'm used to "those guys" being Trebek and Barker and Sajak and Woolery and Martindale, and I knew my limitations despite what well-meaning friends would say.

Nowadays, "those guys" are Rossi and Ty and that kid on Chain Reaction whose name I never can remember, and I'm comfortable saying that I AM every bit as good as them, if not better.  But nowadays, I'm bald, middle-aged, fat and happy, and in no position to ditch a comfortable life in search of young-person fantasies.

Meanwhile, at that very dinner tonight, two ten-year-old girls came up and shyly asked me for my autograph.  So it's not such a bad life.

[MisterBlue]

It'd be a heluva lot better, to say the least.  You'd have a bigger audience, and less pissed-off old school fans.  It'd feel less like a corny soap opera, and have some real drama.  They probably woudn't have the big budget the Aussie version had, but an eight night run for even $100,000 and The Lot is always great television.

[tpirfan28]

It would be much better.  Our version is executed weirdly...the "shop" clock, the "rounds of questions", no 5-day rule, no Lot...

I've thought that the game should go like this:

- three questions
- Fame Game
- Instant Bargain
(((break)))
- Knock-Off
- Instant Bargain
- :30 Speed Round
(((break)))
- three questions
- Instant Cash
- :60 Speed Round
(((break)))
- Super Knock-Off (I like it)
- Shopping

EDIT:

I also believe that some fault lies in the casting. The Contestant Coordinators shouldn't work in California. Evar. Again.

After watching exactly four minutes of today's first-run show, I could not agree more.  Makes Stan look normal. (not a joke).

[BrandonFG]

I honestly thought this out this morning...somewhat.

-Open the show, have Rossi greet the contestants. (1:00)
-Keep the :30 speed round to warm the contestants up. (:30)
-Go ahead with the first Instant Bargain. (1:00)
-Formally meet the contestants. (:45)
-I then throw in six to eight questions, not timed, (1:30)
-Then the Fame Game, in its current format, except the contestant picks from the board from one of six faces. Behind three are dollar amounts ($5/10/15), two decent prizes, and a cash amount between $200-750. (1:30)
-COMMERCIAL...by that point, you have burned six minutes, and I drop the home shopping, however tell viewers they can buy nice stuff on the website
-Another six to eight questions (1:30)
-Instant Bargain (1:00)
-Either Dis or Dat or Knock Off...it's one or the other, but can be played on alternate days (1:15)
-Four to six questions (1:00)
-Instant Cash (1:00)
-COMMERCIAL (11:45 used)
-Four to six questions (1:00)
-Fame Game II...add three more spaces, one of which is $20, another prize, and one BURGLAR, to take $5 from an opponent (1:30)
-:60 speed round (1:00)
-Post Mortem (:45)

Problem is, it's still only 16 minutes, and that's just a rough estimate. If you give Rossi a chance to banter with the contestants a little, you should be able to fill in another two minutes.

Bonus game: I guess Super Knock Off could work, and have Rolonda introduce the prizes that can be bought that day, thus saving a little more game time.

Just a rough sketch, and it looks like it contains too much, but most of it is just standard Q&A. And not to look too cheap, allow the departing contestants to keep their paltry money and perhaps a very small prize. For some reason, those American Express or Visa gift cards seem appropriate for this show.

[Fedya]

Matt Ottinger wrote:

But nowadays, I'm bald, middle-aged, fat and happy

You could be the next Joe Garagiola!  ;-)

[clemon79]

I question your timing (for example, the Speed Round segment is gonna be at least twenty seconds longer with Rossi saying "hey, time for the Speed Round" and recapping the scores), but I think the format itself is solid.

[Neumms]

Aren't there hip people who dress in a suit? Why can't Rossi be dressed at least as well as a salesperson in a department store? If you go to Barneys New York, they're not dressed like Rossi, they have a tie on.

Why can't the put the speed round clock on the big-screen behind the players?

Why do they need the dumb shot clock, rather than "going-going-gone?"

If they're calling it "Temptation," shouldn't the Instant Bargains be somewhat tempting? He's trying to sway them with 100 lousy bucks!

Why can't they edit Rossi's recitations of rules for each little segment? Don't they realize they slow down the whole show? That's another thing I can't stand--they talk about how the young people want faster pacing, then they slow down the pacing! Let me fix the copy and there'd be time for the 60-second speed round at the end plus another Fame Game.

Why are some Knock-Off answers worth more than others? Is it random? Is it somehow based on how obscure they are? Why aren't they all $5 until the last three or something?

Why do they have to recap the scores when they're right there on the flippin' screen?

Other than all that, it's a terrific show. Oh, and the host sucks.

[MSTieScott]

I too question some of the timings -- Knock Off takes a lot longer than DisOrDat, so I don't think alternating between them will keep things consistent.

The more I think about it, the more that I think that the first Knock Off is the problem. My solution would be to replace it with something that's paced slower than a speed round, but doesn't take as long as Knock Out. There are many other game show formats that can be "borrowed," several of which are even owned by Fremantle. Just something that doesn't eat up quite so much time. Then you don't have to edit the living daylights out of the rest of the show. Save enough time and maybe you can make that much-needed change to a 60-second final round.

Super Knock Off is all right, if they'd only explain the risk on air fully. And the home shopping segments definitely aren't going anywhere.

--
Scott Robinson

[Sodboy13]

[quote name=\'MSTieScott\' post=\'164068\' date=\'Sep 17 2007, 01:52 PM\']
My solution would be to replace it with something that's paced slower than a speed round, but doesn't take as long as Knock Out. There are many other game show formats that can be "borrowed," several of which are even owned by Fremantle.[/quote]

Okay, so, hear me out on this: we set up a row of 7 playing cards...

/ducks

[Jackpotman800]

In a word... 100%.