The Most Disappointing Series Premiere...Ever!

[TimK2003]

Just as the subject says, what was WORST game show premiere you have ever seen, to the effect that you never saw the rest of the first run eps.

And to start off, we go with one vote for Card Sharks 2K.

Others?

[BrandonFG]

-The Rich List...oh wait.

Seriously, "The Chamber". Saw it while at dinner with friends and thought it was the most insipid thing I ever witnessed.

-"Free 4 All", completely uninspired USA Network show from the mid-90s
-"Show Me the Money"...someone posted a 10-minute teaser clip online, and it featured a really effeminate male contestant who carried a "murse". I think I actually tried to watch another, and the best part of the show was William Shatner trying to shuffle and keep up with the rotating camera during the closing.
-"Set for Life", now I see why ABC kept postponing this one.
-"Don't Forget the Lyrics" and "Moment of Truth". I forgot the former was even on, and turned to it to notice they pulled some sort of cliffhanger with the answer. Look, you either know the rest of "867-5309" or you don't.

I also remember being turned off by "Smarter Than a 5th Grader".

[beatlefreak84]

A definite second vote for me with Set For Life ugh...that show makes my skin crawl...

Some others:

-Amnesia (Dennis Miller aside, the game had no play-along value and went much more slowly than it needed to)
-How Much is Enough? (Very bland gameplay; execution was terrible compared to what I thought, and hoped, it would be like (I thought it would be a much more psychological game, but it really wasn't))

I can't really think of any others; except for the above ones, I gave them at least a few episodes before I decided whether to stop watching them or not (yes; even CS2K).  And, for some sick reason, I actually watched all 3 episodes of the Chamber...thought it was an interesting concept, but The Chair was definitely better...mainly because of McEnroe...

Anthony

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'beatlefreak84\' post=\'192316\' date=\'Jul 27 2008, 07:47 PM\']
...thought it was an interesting concept, but The Chair was definitely better...mainly because of McEnroe...[/quote]
You canNOT be SERIOUS!

[PYLdude]

Count me as another for The Chamber.

I also didn't like Meredith's Millionaire when it premiered (as I've said multiple times over)...yet I do watch on occassion and still want to try out. Hypocrite, perhaps?

Call me crazy but I liked CS01 when it premiered originally...took me about a month to get over that.

[SRIV94]

In spite of the lovely Betty White's presence, JUST MEN bored the carp out of me.  Saw the premiere (took a sick day from high school), then opted not to bother with the rest of the 13 weeks (got my first VCR within six weeks and opted to tape $otC and HIT MAN--sorry, never saved the tapes).

[TLEberle]

[quote name=\'PYLdude\' post=\'192327\' date=\'Jul 27 2008, 08:19 PM\']I also didn't like Meredith's Millionaire when it premiered (as I've said multiple times over)...yet I do watch on occassion and still want to try out. Hypocrite, perhaps?[/quote]Nah. We may disagree over that, but I know the feeling.

I can't stand watching Wheel of Fortune, but I'd have no problem being a contestant and taking home a farkton of money.

[Johnissoevil]

I'd have to go with Extreme Gong.  When I heard that Gong Show was coming back as a GSN original, I was excited.  And then this drek pops up on my TV, trying to pass itself off as a revival of one of the most entertaining shows I've ever watched.  Needless to say, I ended up being one of those who provoked Wadell to badmouth us on TV.

[gwarman2005]

Donnymid - I know I'm in the minority but I never cared for Pyramid overall.  I know why it was a good show but this and panel shows never did it for me.  However I could stand it when nothing else was on.  When the new version came out with Donny at the helm, I got curious.  I made it to the first half of the first round.  Just horrible.  You could tell it was going to turn into a train wreck.

[Jimmy Owen]

Shows from the past 20 years-too easy to be disappointed.  I'll go old school. "Magnificent Marble Machine"  High hopes dashed by boring front game and unrealistic looking machine.  "Hot Seat" Too flimsy and no play along.  "The Better Sex" didn't seem as fun as it should have been.

[davemackey]

"Temptation".

/not lots of love there

[tpirfan28]

[quote name=\'davemackey\' post=\'192361\' date=\'Jul 28 2008, 07:37 AM\']
"Temptation".
[/quote]I was tempted to say that, but it took me a while to get turned off.

- Set for Life
- Moment of Truth
- The Chamber

[rugrats1]

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'192314\' date=\'Jul 27 2008, 10:38 PM\']
-"Don't Forget the Lyrics" ... I forgot the former was even on, and turned to it to notice they pulled some sort of cliffhanger with the answer. Look, you either know the rest of "867-5309" or you don't. [/quote]

I recall them doing the same thing with Billy Vera's "At This Moment", which was a $5000 song when they closed the show one episode.

[whewfan]

I remember thinking WTF when seeing the first ep. of the 1990 TJW. I thought "This is NOT TJW" However, I did happen to catch an ep. with the revised format, and I liked it better.

The first time I saw TTD 90, I remember actually liking the computerized tic-tac-dough board, but beyond that, I thought "this is more bare bones TTD"

Video Power... the game show. It started of as an animated series with video game tips, then it suddenly turned into a kiddie game show. I thought the host was OVERLY touchy-feely with the kiddies and it was a turnoff for me.

Monopoly- I don't think I saw much of this show. Michael Reilly was talking so fast, I wondered if he had a bus to catch or something.

[wdm1219inpenna]

Five that spring to mind from the early to mid 90s.

1. Scrabble '93 - The set was changed, and lacked warmth and coziness that the 1984 version did.  I hated that the Bonus Sprint was a piddily $1,000 and bonus squares added to it.  As soon as Chuck read the first clue, and it was a long one, I said "This remake isn't going to last very long".  Even the set seemed to imply that to me.  Just a very disappointing show as compared to the 1984 version which was superior.

2. Family Feud '94 w/Dawson back as host.  He mumbled, the "Bankroll" game was terrible, the set was dark and also very "empty" looking, as if to suggest "We're not gonna be here very long probably".  The good flippy board was gone, only 4 members per family instead of five.  It was terrible.

3. The "New" Price is Right w/Doug Davidson.  No Contestants' Row, video walls, much too dark set, theoretically nobody could win a single thing during an episode, assuming all 3 pricing games were lost as well as the showcase.  The only semi-interesting thing they had was their own version of the Showcase Showdown "The Price WAS Right", but even those they ran out of and they had to do the "Big Wheel".  Personally I don't think they ran out of old clips for The Price WAS Right, I think rather, they wanted to try to have some element of the daytime version, but it was too little too late.

4. The Joker's Wild Pat Finn version.  THREE players?  DEFINITIONS?!?!  Only one slot with a Joker?  And those jokers were very creepy and haunting looking to me, something right from the mind of Stephen King!  And the bonus round was so/so at best.  Another show where they tried to implement some elements of the "old" school program, but it was much too little much too late.  Terrible remake.  My idea for a remake I believe in my humble estimation is pretty good.

5. Tic Tac Dough 1990.  Rapping dragons (although not from the debut), I could tell this too was going to be a flop right away, from the kiddy sounding theme song, to the annoying host, and the "modernized" gameboard which left everything to be desired.  I knew it was doomed, but I watched a few eps.  As soon as they cleared the pot after a tie game, I said "This show's headed for death".  No 5 time car champs either.  Another very disappointing remake, and I still cannot believe that THE Henry Mancini penned this garbage theme music!

Bill