Author Topic: The Companies Of Mark Goodson Productions (Read 4338 times)

nate80s · « **on:** August 30, 2009, 08:31:45 PM »

Why did it seem like every Goodson-Todman game show have its own company between the mid 70s to the early 90s? I'm talking about The Family Company, The New Family Company, and The Concentration Company for examples. Why was this nessecary? I thought just The Mark Goodson Productions company would be a sufficient enough name for all of the shows produced.

TLEberle · « **Reply #1 on:** August 30, 2009, 08:34:22 PM »

[quote name=\'nate80s\' post=\'224490\' date=\'Aug 30 2009, 05:31 PM\']Why did it seem like every Goodson-Todman game show have its own company between the mid 70s to the early 90s? I'm talking about The Family Company, The New Family Company, and The Concentration Company for examples. Why was this nessecary? I thought just The Mark Goodson Productions company would be a sufficient enough name for all of the shows produced.[/quote]My guess? Taxes or accounting.

BrandonFG · « **Reply #2 on:** August 30, 2009, 08:41:17 PM »

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'224492\' date=\'Aug 30 2009, 08:34 PM\'][quote name=\'nate80s\' post=\'224490\' date=\'Aug 30 2009, 05:31 PM\']Why did it seem like every Goodson-Todman game show have its own company between the mid 70s to the early 90s? I'm talking about The Family Company, The New Family Company, and The Concentration Company for examples. Why was this nessecary? I thought just The Mark Goodson Productions company would be a sufficient enough name for all of the shows produced.[/quote]My guess? Taxes or accounting.
[/quote]
Pretty much. The show fails, just fold the "dummy company".

A lot of companies have done it with their shows; M.G.'s Crosswords was LDC Productions-I'm assuming "Let's Do Crosswords", the original title of the show, and Wheel and J! are Califon and Jeopardy Productions, respectively.

I believe Feud and Price still operate under dummy names too...

There was an interesting discussion about this on ATGS about 10 years ago. Unfortunately, Google Groups's search function sucks rocks.

Chief-O · « **Reply #3 on:** August 30, 2009, 08:44:39 PM »

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'224495\' date=\'Aug 30 2009, 07:41 PM\'][quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'224492\' date=\'Aug 30 2009, 08:34 PM\'][quote name=\'nate80s\' post=\'224490\' date=\'Aug 30 2009, 05:31 PM\']Why did it seem like every Goodson-Todman game show have its own company between the mid 70s to the early 90s? I'm talking about The Family Company, The New Family Company, and The Concentration Company for examples. Why was this nessecary? I thought just The Mark Goodson Productions company would be a sufficient enough name for all of the shows produced.[/quote]My guess? Taxes or accounting.
[/quote]
Pretty much. The show fails, just fold the "dummy company".

A lot of companies have done it with their shows; M.G.'s Crosswords was LDC Productions-I'm assuming "Let's Do Crosswords", the original title of the show, and Wheel and J! are Califon and Jeopardy Productions, respectively.

I believe Feud and Price still operate under dummy names too...
[/quote]

1) I think Travis and Brandon are right on. Mostly accounting, tax, legal, etc. reasons.

2) TPIR is operating under "Price is Right Productions", at last check. Is Feud still operating as "Feudin' Productions"?

chad1m · « **Reply #4 on:** August 30, 2009, 08:50:00 PM »

[quote name=\'Chief-O\' post=\'224497\' date=\'Aug 30 2009, 08:44 PM\']Is Feud still operating as "Feudin' Productions"?[/quote]Yes indeed.

tvrandywest · « **Reply #5 on:** August 30, 2009, 11:17:15 PM »

Liability issues in addition to accounting practices. A potential lawsuit against an individual limited liability corporation is insulated from the parent entities.

Randy
tvrandywest.com

MTCesquire · « **Reply #6 on:** August 30, 2009, 11:47:41 PM »

So in other words, if a contestant gets called to come on down and they fall and break their leg, then feel the need to sue the show, they would name "Price is Right Productions" in the lawsuit as opposed to Fremantle?

/The lawsuit would be bogus to begin with, of course, but still...

chad1m · « **Reply #7 on:** August 31, 2009, 12:07:22 AM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'224512\' date=\'Aug 30 2009, 09:51 PM\']/The lawsuit would be bogus to begin with, of course, but still...[/quote]Michael Lerner disagrees.

chris319 · « **Reply #8 on:** August 31, 2009, 01:03:15 AM »

[quote name=\'MTCesquire\' post=\'224527\' date=\'Aug 30 2009, 08:47 PM\']So in other words, if a contestant gets called to come on down and they fall and break their leg, then feel the need to sue the show, they would name "Price is Right Productions" in the lawsuit as opposed to Fremantle?

/The lawsuit would be bogus to begin with, of course, but still...[/quote]

They could name anyone they want as a defendant -- TPIR Productions LLC AM & FM, Mike Richards, Drew Carey, Cecile Frosted-Cheerios, Kathy Greco, Rocco Rossi, Clifton Fadiman, Allen Ludden, Jeremy Shamos.

OK forget the last four.

If someone fell and broke their leg it's more of a CBS issue as they own the studio (see Pennington, Janice).

pentellit · « **Reply #9 on:** August 31, 2009, 03:11:54 PM »

Is Rocco Rossi Phil Wayne's real name? I knew Rossi was his real last name, but Rocco?!?!?!?

Chief-O · « **Reply #10 on:** August 31, 2009, 04:33:08 PM »

[quote name=\'pentellit\' post=\'224564\' date=\'Aug 31 2009, 02:11 PM\']Is Rocco Rossi Phil Wayne's real name? I knew Rossi was his real last name, but Rocco?!?!?!?[/quote]

Rocco is Frank Wayne's real name.

chris319 · « **Reply #11 on:** August 31, 2009, 09:45:34 PM »

[quote name=\'Chief-O\' post=\'224569\' date=\'Aug 31 2009, 01:33 PM\'][quote name=\'pentellit\' post=\'224564\' date=\'Aug 31 2009, 02:11 PM\']Is Rocco Rossi Phil Wayne's real name? I knew Rossi was his real last name, but Rocco?!?!?!?[/quote]

Rocco is Frank Wayne's real name.
[/quote]
Rocco Francis Rossi, Jr. = Frank Wayne

http://www.raymartinsr.com/tinian/tributes/f-wayne/wayne.htm

Bob Zager · « **Reply #12 on:** September 03, 2009, 05:23:00 PM »

While many of the G-T shows from the 70's-'90s used "The ___________ Company," I found on box aprons of certain G-T home games that they used a name built around "Mark Goodson/Bill Todman Productions."

Examples:

The Price is Right (original series)--MARBIL Productions
Get the Message--MARTOD Productions
Missing Links--GOTOPRO Productions
Call My Bluff--EM-BEE Productions
Snap Judgment--MANSON Productions

I think it was around 1977, when the network daytime game shows started showing the Copyright notations on the closing titles regularly. The syndicated shows had been doing that for some time before that.

chris319 · « **Reply #13 on:** September 03, 2009, 07:42:14 PM »

Quote

Missing Links--GOTOPRO Productions

Well Bob, you may have just solved a mystery.

There was a music publishing/holding/whatever company set up after the sale of MGP called "TOGO Music" which I suppose held some part of the assets formerly held by G-T Associates. TOGO could be short for TODMAN-GOODSON.

Or not.