Crosswords Close to Sinking? Colbert Speaks.

[TimK2003]

As seen on Broadcasting & Cable, Ritch Colbert of Program Partners looks like he's really trying to save his show "Crosswords" from cancellation.

Reminds me of the Animal House parade scene when Kevin Bacon is trying to calm down the parade goers.

At least I give him credit for trying to do someting about keeping the show going, unlike others coughcoughFremantleTemptationcoughwheeze that pretty much threw in the towel from day one!

[clemon79]

"ALL IS WELL!"

/see if you can guess what I am now
//germans?
///forget it, he's rolling

[dzinkin]

New Eligibility Requirement:

"You can't do that to our newbies.  Only WE can do that to our newbies."

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'dzinkin\' post=\'168850\' date=\'Nov 5 2007, 06:46 PM\']
"You can't do that to our newbies.  Only WE can do that to our newbies."
[/quote]
Thank you, sir! May I have another?

[tvwxman]

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'168847\' date=\'Nov 5 2007, 05:45 PM\']
As seen on Broadcasting & Cable, Ritch Colbert of Program Partners looks like he's really trying to save his show "Crosswords" from cancellation.
[/quote]
I give him the credit that at least he's attempting to understand the business, and how it works for a new product these days.

Where's Ginger spinning Temptation? Or is her head so far in the sand that she thinks that what's on the air, works?

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'tvwxman\' post=\'168859\' date=\'Nov 5 2007, 08:59 PM\']
[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'168847\' date=\'Nov 5 2007, 05:45 PM\']
As seen on Broadcasting & Cable, Ritch Colbert of Program Partners looks like he's really trying to save his show "Crosswords" from cancellation.
[/quote]
I give him the credit that at least he's attempting to understand the business, and how it works for a new product these days.[/quote]

Well, considering that in Chicago WGN is dumping his other big product for this year, the "DeGrassi" reruns, in a block on Sunday mornings (and I assume treating it as their E/I programming) instead of stripping it--and that I assume there are other stations doing the same thing--I don't blame him for trying to figure out what he can do to keep "Crosswords" going.

It's not easy to be an indie syndicator these days and even if I wish the show was better, I admire the fact that he's in there punching away against the big guys.

[Jimmy Owen]

I think stations will utilize more local news-service type programming in the daytime in the near future and keep the inventory rather than giving new syndicated shows good time slots.  If you don't have the top-tier shows (Oprah, Regis) you'll go with an endlessly repeating local news block.

[davemackey]

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'168847\' date=\'Nov 5 2007, 05:45 PM\']
As seen on Broadcasting & Cable, Ritch Colbert of Program Partners looks like he's really trying to save his show "Crosswords" from cancellation.

Reminds me of the Animal House parade scene when Kevin Bacon is trying to calm down the parade goers.
[/quote]
More like....

"Did we give up when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"

[Joe Mello]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'168923\' date=\'Nov 6 2007, 03:07 PM\']
I think stations will utilize more local news-service type programming in the daytime in the near future and keep the inventory rather than giving new syndicated shows good time slots.[/quote]
Does anyone know how WCAU's All That & More is doing?  That seems to be a textbook example of what Owen is talking about.

From the B&C article posted a while ago, it seemed like making a syndicated program was almost a Catch-22.  If you don't put time and money into your new product, you'll fail, but new products often fail, so companies won't put in the time and money.

[Jimmy Owen]

Here's how it's happening in my market, after years of going up against Oprah with various one-season talk shows (Jane Pauley was the last one as I recall), the station does a 4 o'clock news, which is essentially a promo for what's coming up on the 5 o'clock news.

Also we have a station owned by Meredith (publishers of Better Homes and Gardens) which does an hour long household hints show called "Better" at 9am with wraparounds done in New York and local segments in-between. This was after Larry Elder, Keith Ablow, etc failed to catch on. Anybody else have this in their market?

[ClockGameJohn]

Am I the only one who actually likes Crosswords and wonders why Cash Cab's Ben Bailey can get an Emmy nomination and yet MGC is circling the drain?

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'ClockGameJohn\' post=\'169031\' date=\'Nov 7 2007, 04:32 PM\']
Am I the only one who actually likes Crosswords and wonders why Cash Cab's Ben Bailey can get an Emmy nomination and yet MGC is circling the drain?
[/quote]
Cash Cab isn't really really broken?

[mmb5]

[quote name=\'ClockGameJohn\' post=\'169031\' date=\'Nov 7 2007, 07:32 PM\']
Am I the only one who actually likes Crosswords and wonders why Cash Cab's Ben Bailey can get an Emmy nomination and yet MGC is circling the drain?
[/quote]
If Ty was driving in NYC traffic while hosting, then yes, he can get an Emmy nod.


--Mike

[ClockGameJohn]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'169033\' date=\'Nov 7 2007, 07:53 PM\']
Cash Cab isn't really really broken?
[/quote]

I don't disagree there - but I don't see enough flaws to consider Crosswords to be broken.  At least it moves fast, something lacking from many of today's shows.

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'ClockGameJohn\' post=\'169040\' date=\'Nov 7 2007, 09:01 PM\']
I don't disagree there - but I don't see enough flaws to consider Crosswords to be broken.
[/quote]
A spoiler can stand at their podium/lectern/upright-desk-with-an-attached-monitor for 19 of the 22 minutes, do absolutely nothing, then answer the very last question to inherit a $4,000-or-so bank, then go to the bonus game. That's so broken, it should be put in a plaster cast.

It suffers from CS01 disease for that very reason. The only difference is that the show is still pretty enjoyable, it's just the rule sticks out like a sore thumb.

I must admit, though, I feel a bit of schadenfreude when a spoiler who does just that, then crashes and burns in the bonus round.