Author Topic: "Throwback" game shows (Read 6125 times)

LA the DJ · « **on:** January 29, 2011, 09:45:43 PM »

Style-wise GSM (sort-of) tried it with mixed results, but I'm curious what the consensus is around here:

What if a tried-and-true game show format was resurrected exactly as it was? I'm talking sets, monetarily, rules, identical to the original (or most popular version). I know most of us here prefer the originals, but I think with the amount of nostalgia out there something like this could work, possibly well.

We all know that the powers-that-be who own the rights to these formats just love to tinker with everything, but realistically, (and we know most of the GSF crowd would watch) do you think a show like this could be viable?

clemon79 · « **Reply #1 on:** January 29, 2011, 09:52:19 PM »

[quote name=\'LA the DJ\' post=\'255904\' date=\'Jan 29 2011, 06:45 PM\']but I think with the amount of nostalgia out there something like this could work, possibly well.[/quote]
I think you are grossly overestimating the amount of "nostalgia out there."

Quote

but realistically, (and we know most of the GSF crowd would watch)

...which means approximately jack over shiat in terms of overall ratings...

Quote

do you think a show like this could be viable?

Depends on the show, but by and large, no.

chris319 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 29, 2011, 09:55:33 PM »

Well, they sort of did that with the live version of What's My Line? here in L.A. It drew audiences and they enjoyed it. I don't think there is a TV outlet that would dare touch such a thing, though.

There was also the recent Password segment on Jimmy Fallon's show.

J.R. · « **Reply #3 on:** January 29, 2011, 10:21:41 PM »

Didn't the failure of the recent "IGAS" revival kinda proved that the "throwback" show doesn't really work anymore?

Shame really, I thought it was pretty good myself.

BrandonFG · « **Reply #4 on:** January 29, 2011, 10:29:47 PM »

There was also Gameshow Marathon, which had all the novelty of the past decades, but still never really caught on. Then again, Ricki Lake was miscast as a host (yet Todd Newton does prize delivery...huh?) and a lot of things were overlooked.

The retro stuff is irrelevant to me. Give me a solid game, with minor tweaks that enhance gameplay, not create a gaping hole in the format.

TLEberle · « **Reply #5 on:** January 29, 2011, 10:40:52 PM »

[quote name=\'J.R.\' post=\'255912\' date=\'Jan 29 2011, 07:21 PM\']Didn't the failure of the recent "IGAS" revival kinda proved that the "throwback" show doesn't really work anymore?[/quote]I think it proved more that the panel game as format ran out of gas.

Producers should worry less about cramming their sets full of vibrant shag carpeting, ping-pong ball light bulbs and Z-Brick overlay, and having a good game that is fun to watch.

chris319 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 29, 2011, 10:51:24 PM »

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'255914\' date=\'Jan 29 2011, 07:40 PM\'][quote name=\'J.R.\' post=\'255912\' date=\'Jan 29 2011, 07:21 PM\']Didn't the failure of the recent "IGAS" revival kinda proved that the "throwback" show doesn't really work anymore?[/quote]I think it proved more that the panel game as format ran out of gas.

Producers should worry less about cramming their sets full of vibrant shag carpeting, ping-pong ball light bulbs and Z-Brick overlay, and having a good game that is fun to watch.
[/quote]
Isn't that what IGAS is?

LA the DJ · « **Reply #7 on:** January 29, 2011, 11:05:58 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'255906\' date=\'Jan 29 2011, 09:52 PM\'][quote name=\'LA the DJ\' post=\'255904\' date=\'Jan 29 2011, 06:45 PM\']but I think with the amount of nostalgia out there something like this could work, possibly well.[/quote]
I think you are grossly overestimating the amount of "nostalgia out there."

Quote

but realistically, (and we know most of the GSF crowd would watch)

...which means approximately jack over shiat in terms of overall ratings...[/quote]

As a DJ, I've seen a lot of 80's nostalgia lately. I know music nostalgia doesn't necessarily convert to television nostalgia, but one of the most popular shows on TV right now, Family Guy throws 80's references around all the time.

I never said that the GSF crowd was a driving force in anything, that comment was there more to exclude us. I wasn't asking if we'd watch it individually, rather if mass audiences would.

This was just a thought I had while getting nostalgic over some TTD clips on YouTube, and thinking about producers fiddling with everything resulted in the cluterfuzz what was TTD90.

I think IGAS maybe threw back a little too far, to a show many don't remember. I also think panel shows are a different animal, and haven't really had much of any success in quite some time.

TLEberle · « **Reply #8 on:** January 29, 2011, 11:16:10 PM »

[quote name=\'LA the DJ\' post=\'255919\' date=\'Jan 29 2011, 08:05 PM\']As a DJ, I've seen a lot of 80's nostalgia lately. I know music nostalgia doesn't necessarily convert to television nostalgia, but one of the most popular shows on TV right now, Family Guy throws 80's references around all the time.[/quote]Whoever that gal is that's sampling Video Killed the Radio Star in her song? Someone should tell her that just because you sample a great song doesn't mean your new song is gonna be any good.

LA the DJ · « **Reply #9 on:** January 29, 2011, 11:40:53 PM »

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'255922\' date=\'Jan 29 2011, 11:16 PM\']Whoever that gal is that's sampling Video Killed the Radio Star in her song? Someone should tell her that just because you sample a great song doesn't mean your new song is gonna be any good.[/quote]

That would be "Check it Out" by Nicki Minaj (feat. will.i.am), and I concur.

irwinsjournal.com · « **Reply #10 on:** January 31, 2011, 12:49:55 PM »

I would watch, as I thoroughly enjoyed "Sunday Nights in Black and White," but that makes one of me.

I suspect that we have come so far away from what TV specifically, and pop culture in general, was during that time that it just wouldn't work now.

Imagine, for example, how "blank" some Match Game questions could be now...

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #11 on:** January 31, 2011, 01:51:11 PM »

[quote name=\'LA the DJ\' post=\'255904\' date=\'Jan 29 2011, 09:45 PM\']Style-wise GSM (sort-of) tried it with mixed results, but I'm curious what the consensus is around here:

What if a tried-and-true game show format was resurrected exactly as it was? I'm talking sets, monetarily, rules, identical to the original (or most popular version). I know most of us here prefer the originals, but I think with the amount of nostalgia out there something like this could work, possibly well.

We all know that the powers-that-be who own the rights to these formats just love to tinker with everything, but realistically, (and we know most of the GSF crowd would watch) do you think a show like this could be viable?[/quote]
I think it's pretty simple, and something we've said many times. A good format is a good format. They are still playing Jeopardy, Wheel, Price and Feud more or less the same way that they did in the seventies. And for Jeopardy, since the sixties. It's not a matter of slavishly hewing to the original in order to attract a "nostalgia" audience. There aren't enough of us for that to work. The issue is when people who don't understand these games (i.e. a significant number of people working in the industry today) make changes to something so that it's "new" without realizing how badly they're screwing up what made it work in the first place.

Thing is, you're always going to have "mixed results", and the powers that be are always going to have their arguments and we're going to have ours. People say that GSN's IGAS was a stab at a straight panel show <joke here> that failed. I would point to half a dozen things they didn't do right, but even if they'd done it my way, it still might have failed. Was Whammy a significant departure or a still pretty faithful remake? Would it be considered successful? What about Lingo? It's their most successful, but purists like me still wish they hadn't changed some things. And frankly, I find Catch 21 all but unwatchable (unless Adam's on it), but others find it to be a decent modernized remake of Gambit.

Everybody's going to have a different view, but if your question is no more complicated than whether or not we should recreate an exact replica of an original show to draw a nostalgia audience, then the answer is no.

Neumms · « **Reply #12 on:** January 31, 2011, 04:54:59 PM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'256070\' date=\'Jan 31 2011, 01:51 PM\']think it's pretty simple, and something we've said many times. A good format is a good format. They are still playing Jeopardy, Wheel, Price and Feud more or less the same way that they did in the seventies. And for Jeopardy, since the sixties...The issue is when people who don't understand these games (i.e. a significant number of people working in the industry today) make changes to something so that it's "new" without realizing how badly they're screwing up what made it work in the first place.[/quote]

True, all that. I'd still love to see Match Game come back. Game Show Marathon showed how and how not to make it work. Same-ish "retro" set and music. Pretty good panel. Avoid the questions that involve the male anatomical parts. All they needed were better contestants and a good host.
The retro goofiness might help attract an audience (and prevents some bad choices), but it takes capable producing to keep them.

CarpetCrawler · « **Reply #13 on:** January 31, 2011, 05:37:18 PM »

[quote name=\'J.R.\' post=\'255912\' date=\'Jan 29 2011, 10:21 PM\']Didn't the failure of the recent "IGAS" revival kinda proved that the "throwback" show doesn't really work anymore?

Shame really, I thought it was pretty good myself.[/quote]

Did it really fail due to low ratings? I thought I remember hearing it was actually doing pretty well on GSN, and there was another reason why it was cancelled. Correct me if I'm wrong, though. Agreed, it's a shame that it's gone. That was one of GSN's best revivals.

[quote name=\'LA the DJ\' post=\'255919\' date=\'Jan 29 2011, 11:05 PM\']As a DJ, I've seen a lot of 80's nostalgia lately. I know music nostalgia doesn't necessarily convert to television nostalgia, but one of the most popular shows on TV right now, Family Guy throws 80's references around all the time.[/quote]

I do see your point, but to me, the reason why it works so well on "Family Guy" is because people watch it, and go, "oh, COOL!! G.I. Joe!! I remember G.I. Joe!! That show was AWESOME!!" I don't think it means they suddenly get the urge to want to watch it on their TV right then and there, it just makes them remember a time when they were younger. Granted, sometimes we've seen certain things that would be considered "retro" gain a spike in popularity, but not if it meant a full revival. The only show that comes to mind that could do well as a full straight revival in my eyes is "Press Your Luck".

Jeremy Nelson · « **Reply #14 on:** January 31, 2011, 06:34:12 PM »

I believe that in this day and age, for a panel show to work, you'd need people who people care for to be on the panel, a late night network spot, and interesting contestants. You don't need all three for a GOOD show, but for a ratings success? Absolutely.