GSN Revives Lingo

[RMF]

Can a revival be just the game with little or no change? Yeah, I guess, but if the show was that great shakes it would still be on the air, wouldn't it?

I don't think that this part of the claim can be justified- this seems to be too mechanical, and has an implicit premise (the program left the air, ergo something's the matter with format) that can not be generically justified.

At the same time, however, the fact that every version of Password since the start of Password All-Stars has differed significantly from the original format is telling. Goodson-Todman didn't(usually, at least)tinker with formats just to tinker.

[TLEberle]

I don't think that this part of the claim can be justified- this seems to be too mechanical, and has an implicit premise (the program left the air, ergo something's the matter with format) that can not be generically justified.

No, but you could objectively say that The Price is Right is better than a show that isn't on the air, because TPIR still has a home and Scrabble and Sale of the Century don't. Or for GSN, there's a reason that we're still getting series of The Newlywed Game and Catch 21, but Russian Roulette and Whammy petered out.

There are nuances and things like how the cable series usually does 65 episodes at a time, but the better shows will squeeze out the ones that don't. The fact that Lingo lasted for six of those series counts for something.

[BillCullen1]

According to Buzzerblog, Lingo will air at 8pm EST starting June 6th, following new eps of Baggage which also start airing on that date. This is currently when Drew Carey's Improv-a-Ganza airs. I wonder what happens to that show.

[BillCullen1]

So they had a second couple winning $100K on Lingo Tuesday night, 6/21. It's exciting, but I have to think they're giving away $100K here but the top prize on GSN's 1 vs. 100 was $50K. It should've been the other way around.

[parliboy]

This is again why you do run-throughs. I'm willing to seriously wager that this series has gone way over budget.

[MSTieScott]

I would hope that they knew what they were getting into with that top prize. They wouldn't even need run-throughs -- they've got dozens and dozens of previously-taped bonus rounds to which they could refer.

[Neumms]

I don't disagree with this - to a point. For example, and I've said this before, bring back The $25,000 Pyramid with a set that calls back to the original version (or a reasonable facsimile thereof - for example, the set for that Tim Vincent pilot when they were pining to get the LMaD timeslot would be just fine) and the same format, and I think it could work. But '60s Password doesn't. And I love the game of Password; it's one of my all-time favorites. But a half-hour behind a single unadorned desk, pretty much three static shots, a broken scoring system, and a repetitive, bone-dry format? No way.

If they could get people like the adorable and witty comedienne and writer Tina Fey and internationally respected motion-picture actor Robert deNiro to keep playing, yeah, it might work as a prime-time half-hour. If it regresses to Al Roker and some woman from Access Hollywood, heavens no.

Fallon's people hit upon an interesting point: Watching celebrities play a parlor game makes better TV than another tired, shilling late-night interview.

[Matt Ottinger]

I would hope that they knew what they were getting into with that top prize. They wouldn't even need run-throughs -- they've got dozens and dozens of previously-taped bonus rounds to which they could refer.

Yeah, aside from the lack of at-will bonus letters, the bonus round isn't any different from what they did before, and five-in-ninety seems awfully easy even for average players.  I saw a win the other day where clearly average players won the jackpot and made it look easy.

[That Don Guy]

I notice that the U-Verse listings now stop claiming that Chuck Woolery is the host of the new episodes, and even include the original airdates (makes it easy to tell which episodes are new, although I assume it's safe to say that the M-F 8 PM episodes are the new ones?).  Have any other listings (e.g. TiVo) had this problem before now?

[tvmitch]

Yeah, aside from the lack of at-will bonus letters, the bonus round isn't any different from what they did before, and five-in-ninety seems awfully easy even for average players.  I saw a win the other day where clearly average players won the jackpot and made it look easy.

All you need to do to win that bonus game is to go into the game with the most basic of strategy, and play fast. Keep spitting out words. The ones who have no hope are the contestants that take even a 2-second break in between word guesses.

[TLEberle]

Are there just the five words in the bonus game? If not, then yes, spam away and guess like you can guess no more. If there are just the five words, then maybe slowing down a pinch would be a good idea.

[That Don Guy]

All you need to do to win that bonus game is to go into the game with the most basic of strategy, and play fast. Keep spitting out words. The ones who have no hope are the contestants that take even a 2-second break in between word guesses.

It's not always easy to think up a word with the right letters, or at least one that doesn't have any letters you already know aren't in the word.  Also, remember that you only get five chances at each word.