Severe lack of Match Game in new schedule

[DaveAndrews]

Don't give me the "this show doesn't fit Boden's young audience vision" stuff.  Isn't Match Game one of the highest rated of the rerun shows?  Let's look at the situation.  A year ago, we had Match Game daily at:

9:00am (MG 7x early)
12:30pm (MG syndie)
1:00pm (MG90)
6:30pm (MG 7x later)
9:00pm MGPM and repeated

that's 28 episodes a week excluding MGPM.  

Now we are down to 4 episodes a week due to that (f'n) VG Block + 2 syndie episodes on the weekend morning.     That's a total of 6 episodes a week vs 28 a year earlier.  No morning Match Game, no mid afternoon Match Game.  

Please don't take this is a whining post, I just want to get into the heads of these new schedulers and why there would be so few opportunities to watch MG.

Dave

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'DaveAndrews\' date=\'Oct 13 2003, 07:22 AM\']
Now we are down to 4 episodes a week due to that (f'n) VG Block + 2 syndie episodes on the weekend morning.     That's a total of 6 episodes a week vs 28 a year earlier.  No morning Match Game, no mid afternoon Match Game.  


Dave [/quote]
 MGPM is still on weeknights however. But it does seem odd that WLOD will now have as many airings a week as MG.

[Matt Ottinger]

Don't give me the "this show doesn't fit Boden's young audience vision" stuff. Isn't Match Game one of the highest rated of the rerun shows?

Basically:  "I know what the answer is to my question, but I want to complain anyway, just so long as you don't accuse me of complaining."

The *newest* Rayburn Match Games are more than twenty years old, and they've been airing multiple times a day on GSN for as long as there's been a GSN.  It's not even a matter of catering to a "young audience".  My impression is that young audiences respond to Match Game just fine.  That's probably what's keeping the show on the channel at all.  It's more a matter of not wanting the channel to look like a burial ground for ancient shows.  

Again:  MTV is no longer the place to go to watch music videos, TV Land is no longer the place to go to watch black & white classics, FX is no longer the place to go to watch interactive live shows and GSN is no longer the place to go to watch twenty- and thirty-year-old reruns of game shows.

Thing is, there ARE places in the cable universe where you can go to watch music videos, black and white classics and interactive live shows.  Maybe someday there will be a new place for old game shows too.

[melman1]

I am always amazed at how well MG holds up, unlike shows like TJW (which is always being whined about on GSN's boards) which as I vaguely remember asked a lot of "dated" questions like "who won the Academy Award in 1971" and such.

If only someone would create a similar show in this day and age, something targeted at adults that kids could watch too.  With "adult" celebrity panelists... seems like everyone on TV now is under 30.

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'melman1\' date=\'Oct 13 2003, 08:54 AM\']I am always amazed at how well MG holds up, unlike shows like TJW (which is always being whined about on GSN's boards) which as I vaguely remember asked a lot of "dated" questions like "who won the Academy Award in 1971" and such.

If only someone would create a similar show in this day and age, something targeted at adults that kids could watch too.  With "adult" celebrity panelists... seems like everyone on TV now is under 30.[/quote]
Kevin Belinkoff and Jay Wolpert probably wonder the same thing--if they'd found the lightning-in-a-bottle that the original "MG" found, we'd be celebrating the sixth smash season of their version of the show.

And despite what they may say in public, they know better about their version--they may tell you that it was Syd Vinnedge's fault, but the blame could be equally shared by everyone involved.

[Robair]

[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Oct 13 2003, 03:36 PM\'] [quote name=\'melman1\' date=\'Oct 13 2003, 08:54 AM\']I am always amazed at how well MG holds up, unlike shows like TJW (which is always being whined about on GSN's boards) which as I vaguely remember asked a lot of "dated" questions like "who won the Academy Award in 1971" and such.

If only someone would create a similar show in this day and age, something targeted at adults that kids could watch too.  With "adult" celebrity panelists... seems like everyone on TV now is under 30.[/quote]
Kevin Belinkoff and Jay Wolpert probably wonder the same thing--if they'd found the lightning-in-a-bottle that the original "MG" found, we'd be celebrating the sixth smash season of their version of the show.

And despite what they may say in public, they know better about their version--they may tell you that it was Syd Vinnedge's fault, but the blame could be equally shared by everyone involved. [/quote]
 The thing that really bites about this schedule is that the 6:30PM Match Game (3:30PM in the West) was habit for many GSN fans, including me, and think of this...it has been in the 6:30PM slot for as long as our family has had access to GSN, which is about five and a half years now. Tonight that tradition ends, and given the trend GSN is displaying in its programming, it probably ends for good.

And so what if these shows have been run many times? These are, in truth, the most timeless half hours GSN runs. Sure there are some dated references, but the jokes and the imagery is as outrageous as ever.

It may matter more, though, to a viewer who's just recently gotten GSN and hasn't seen all the shows, but sadly the changing face.

If Sony really wanted to, they could offer a package to digital cable and DirecTV platforms which could feature a "retro" schedule of GSN (call it "Classic GSN" if you like) where "Match", "Feud", "Blockbusters", "Tic Tac", and the rest can play all day. But knowing Sony, it won't be in their best interest.

I smell a dark period coming up, folks. You ain't seen really dark from these people yet.

[PeterMarshallFan]

[quote name=\'Robair\' date=\'Oct 13 2003, 05:08 PM\']
I smell a dark period coming up, folks. You ain't seen really dark from these people yet. [/quote]
 No kidding.

[whampyl03]

QUOTE (Robair @ Oct 13 2003, 05:08 PM)

I smell a dark period coming up, folks. You ain't seen really dark from these people yet. 


No kidding.

I've been bellowing that out like a laughing hyena on the GSN boards before I left.  It's the GSN appo.....well, you know.  Lord, I hate repeating myself.

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'Robair\' date=\'Oct 13 2003, 04:08 PM\'] [quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Oct 13 2003, 03:36 PM\'] [quote name=\'melman1\' date=\'Oct 13 2003, 08:54 AM\']I am always amazed at how well MG holds up, unlike shows like TJW (which is always being whined about on GSN's boards) which as I vaguely remember asked a lot of "dated" questions like "who won the Academy Award in 1971" and such.

If only someone would create a similar show in this day and age, something targeted at adults that kids could watch too.  With "adult" celebrity panelists... seems like everyone on TV now is under 30.[/quote]
Kevin Belinkoff and Jay Wolpert probably wonder the same thing--if they'd found the lightning-in-a-bottle that the original "MG" found, we'd be celebrating the sixth smash season of their version of the show.

And despite what they may say in public, they know better about their version--they may tell you that it was Syd Vinnedge's fault, but the blame could be equally shared by everyone involved. [/quote]
The thing that really bites about this schedule is that the 6:30PM Match Game (3:30PM in the West) was habit for many GSN fans, including me, and think of this...it has been in the 6:30PM slot for as long as our family has had access to GSN, which is about five and a half years now. Tonight that tradition ends, and given the trend GSN is displaying in its programming, it probably ends for good.

And so what if these shows have been run many times? These are, in truth, the most timeless half hours GSN runs. Sure there are some dated references, but the jokes and the imagery is as outrageous as ever.

It may matter more, though, to a viewer who's just recently gotten GSN and hasn't seen all the shows, but sadly the changing face.

If Sony really wanted to, they could offer a package to digital cable and DirecTV platforms which could feature a "retro" schedule of GSN (call it "Classic GSN" if you like) where "Match", "Feud", "Blockbusters", "Tic Tac", and the rest can play all day. But knowing Sony, it won't be in their best interest.

I smell a dark period coming up, folks. You ain't seen really dark from these people yet. [/quote]
 Not that the Dark Period was all that bad.  We saw shows such as "Diamond Head", "Go", "Break the Bank", and "Pass the Buck" on that schedule; all shows that we haven't seen since.

Interestingly, people complain that there's a lack of variety on the schedule; yet they complain about the dark period.

You can't have your cake and eat it too.

[catnap1972]

[quote name=\'Dsmith\' date=\'Oct 14 2003, 02:19 AM\'] Not that the Dark Period was all that bad.  We saw shows such as "Diamond Head", "Go", "Break the Bank", and "Pass the Buck" on that schedule; all shows that we haven't seen since.

Interestingly, people complain that there's a lack of variety on the schedule; yet they complain about the dark period.

You can't have your cake and eat it too. [/quote]
 If another Dark Period comes, I can almost guarantee they're not going to dust off the moldy Sony product that they've all but admitted outright is nothing more than "dead weight".

[Ian Wallis]

Interestingly, people complain that there's a lack of variety on the schedule; yet they complain about the dark period.

I NEVER complained about the Dark Period.  I'm kind of grateful it happened, because it gave us the chance to see stuff like "Break the Bank", "Pass the Buck", "Parent Game" and "$20,000 Pyramid".

Even during that time, I figured the GT stuff would be back.  I'm just sorry that they couldn't have kept *some* of that stuff on the schedule once it came back.  Most of those shows they've rarely touched ever since then - except the occasional showing on "Game of the Week", or "As Seen On Theatre".

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Oct 14 2003, 07:59 AM\'] I NEVER complained about the Dark Period.  I'm kind of grateful it happened, because it gave us the chance to see stuff like "Break the Bank", "Pass the Buck", "Parent Game" and "$20,000 Pyramid".

Even during that time, I figured the GT stuff would be back.  I'm just sorry that they couldn't have kept *some* of that stuff on the schedule once it came back.  Most of those shows they've rarely touched ever since then - except the occasional showing on "Game of the Week", or "As Seen On Theatre". [/quote]
 Count me among who most likely would not have complained.  I continue to lament to this day that my cable provider didn't add GSN until the digital tier made itself available (3½ years after sign-on).  Satellite was never an option (prohibited by the apartment complex I live in).

Obviously I've missed so much.  On the other hand, I should be grateful for the pleasure that GSN has provided over the years.  For me, I'm not complaining about the lack of variety--I'm just not big on a good many of the shows that remain on the sked.  I guess I'm just not the masses (although I am a bit portly ).

Doug

[DaveAndrews]

[quote name=\'Robair\' date=\'Oct 13 2003, 04:08 PM\']The thing that really bites about this schedule is that the 6:30PM Match Game (3:30PM in the West) was habit for many GSN fans, including me, and think of this...it has been in the 6:30PM slot for as long as our family has had access to GSN, which is about five and a half years now. Tonight that tradition ends, and given the trend GSN is displaying in its programming, it probably ends for good.

[/quote]
The 6:30pm is not totally lost it's only preempted by the Video Game block which plays on Saturday, Sunday, and Thursday.  We still get Match Game at 6:30pm 4 times a week at least, until the VG block hopefully dies an abrupt death in a couple of months.

Dave

[Gromit]

[quote name=\'Dsmith\' date=\'Oct 13 2003, 11:19 PM\'] Not that the Dark Period was all that bad.  We saw shows such as "Diamond Head", "Go", "Break the Bank", and "Pass the Buck" on that schedule; all shows that we haven't seen since.
 [/quote]
 That's rather funny. As GSN didn't arrive here until after that time, I look at that schedule and say "cool, that'd be great to see those shows on the schedule."

I guess it's the old "be careful of what you wish for" routine.