Author Topic: "Throwback" game shows (Read 6345 times)

ITSBRY · « **Reply #15 on:** January 31, 2011, 06:51:55 PM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'256070\' date=\'Jan 31 2011, 01:51 PM\']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.[/quote]

I had this same thought while trying to watch C21 yesterday. I cannot stomach this show. It's so unnecessarily loud and obnoxious. The constant repetition of "Twenty--five--THOUSAND DOLLARS!" and "Mickey....DEAL THE CARD!" are so grating to me. It has potential, but the execution is just all wrong.

tyshaun1 · « **Reply #16 on:** January 31, 2011, 08:18:52 PM »

[quote name=\'ITSBRY\' post=\'256094\' date=\'Jan 31 2011, 06:51 PM\'][quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'256070\' date=\'Jan 31 2011, 01:51 PM\']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.[/quote]

I had this same thought while trying to watch C21 yesterday. I cannot stomach this show. It's so unnecessarily loud and obnoxious. The constant repetition of "Twenty--five--THOUSAND DOLLARS!" and "Mickey....DEAL THE CARD!" are so grating to me. It has potential, but the execution is just all wrong.
[/quote]

For me, Catch 21 has become a guilty pleasure. There's a lot of it that I don't like (unanswered/incorrect answered questions get edited out, the occasional idiotic contestant, the aforementioned twenty.....five.....THOUSAND.....DOLLARS!!1!, which they seem to think is a catch phrase since the audience says it along with Alfonso). But there are several things I do enjoy; it's pretty much streamlined Gambit with a solid bonus round, Alfonso is decent when he's not reading cue cards, and, of course, Mikki Padilla......

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #17 on:** January 31, 2011, 11:20:15 PM »

[quote name=\'tyshaun1\' post=\'256097\' date=\'Jan 31 2011, 08:18 PM\']it's pretty much streamlined Gambit[/quote]
This is 180 degrees away from my view. I find it to be a sluggish, bloated version of Gambit. One of the big reasons is what somebody else said: Alonzo screaming DEAL THE CARD!!!! as if Mikki didn't know that was her job. Then there's that forced delay, and her coy little peek, all of which just slows everything down. Imagine how much more game could be played if some nitwit didn't think that every turn of the card had to be drawn out for maximum suspense, when it really just sucks the momentum out of the game.

tyshaun1 · « **Reply #18 on:** January 31, 2011, 11:27:53 PM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'256110\' date=\'Jan 31 2011, 11:20 PM\'][quote name=\'tyshaun1\' post=\'256097\' date=\'Jan 31 2011, 08:18 PM\']it's pretty much streamlined Gambit[/quote]
This is 180 degrees away from my view. I find it to be a sluggish, bloated version of Gambit. One of the big reasons is what somebody else said: Alonzo screaming DEAL THE CARD!!!! as if Mikki didn't know that was her job. Then there's that forced delay, and her coy little peek, all of which just slows everything down. Imagine how much more game could be played if some nitwit didn't think that every turn of the card had to be drawn out for maximum suspense, when it really just sucks the momentum out of the game.
[/quote]
I figure that they seem to believe that it's supposed to be some sort of catch phrase for him, as Mikki waits for him to say it every. single. time. But yeah, I see that streamlined is a bad choice of word, as they could easily get more than one match in per show if they cut out a lot of the dramatics...... but that's the current post-Millionaire/DOND game show world we're in.

Tyshaun

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #19 on:** January 31, 2011, 11:49:56 PM »

[quote name=\'tyshaun1\' post=\'256112\' date=\'Jan 31 2011, 11:27 PM\']but that's the current post-Millionaire/DOND game show world we're in.[/quote]
Which gets back to what I was saying earlier about people who don't really understand games just copying what they saw work on other games. The delay was part of the fun of Millionaire, which even became a parody of itself after a while. Still, now we have it to blame for all these ridiculous shows (looking at you, Money Drop) made by people who think that teasing a reveal is the same thing as building suspense. And unfortunately, that mindset has trickled down to lower-stakes shows like Catch 21 that would really, really benefit from a faster pace.

Neumms · « **Reply #20 on:** February 01, 2011, 11:26:37 AM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'256110\' date=\'Feb 1 2011, 12:20 AM\']Then there's that forced delay, and her coy little peek, all of which just slows everything down. Imagine how much more game could be played if some nitwit didn't think that every turn of the card had to be drawn out for maximum suspense, when it really just sucks the momentum out of the game.[/quote]

Absolutely. It amazes me how slow modern game shows are, and slow in the wrong places. On Millionaire, you actually met the contestants, you had time for entertaining banter with Regis and the pauses didn't feel so forced. Now that's been thrown out the window, even on Millionaire.

Catch 21 observation--it seems to me the main game works better than Gambit, especially when all three players are playing. It makes more sense when you see each card. Fewer freezes on hands like 13. And I like that they scrap the questions after someone freezes. The bonus round is pretty good, too, especially if hosted better. I'm not crazy about how they score the matches, and they could lose the Rumpshaker after every game play, but the game seems improved. I'd be interested to hear Matt's view and others.

ITSBRY · « **Reply #21 on:** February 01, 2011, 11:57:36 AM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'256110\' date=\'Jan 31 2011, 11:20 PM\']Then there's that forced delay, and her coy little peek, all of which just slows everything down. Imagine how much more game could be played if some nitwit didn't think that every turn of the card had to be drawn out for maximum suspense, when it really just sucks the momentum out of the game.[/quote]

Yes...what Matt said. While the loudness is what annoys me most, this forced delay for what I can only assume is an attempt to try and create tension, is very irritating to me also. I found myself saying "just deal the f'ing card" to the TV. The bonus game takes up half the dang show because of this.

J.R. · « **Reply #22 on:** February 01, 2011, 03:22:15 PM »

[quote name=\'Neumms\' post=\'256136\' date=\'Feb 1 2011, 10:26 AM\']Absolutely. It amazes me how slow modern game shows are, and slow in the wrong places. On Millionaire, you actually met the contestants, you had time for entertaining banter with Regis and the pauses didn't feel so forced. Now that's been thrown out the window, even on Millionaire.[/quote]
Even Regis Millionaire eventually stopped the "dramatic pause" thing for more game play and contestant time. (With Regis doing things like announcing the outcome immediately after the contestant locked it in the final answer, even if it was on the $500,000 question)

Neumms · « **Reply #23 on:** February 02, 2011, 05:12:48 PM »

[quote name=\'J.R.\' post=\'256147\' date=\'Feb 1 2011, 04:22 PM\']Even Regis Millionaire eventually stopped the "dramatic pause" thing for more game play and contestant time. (With Regis doing things like announcing the outcome immediately after the contestant locked it in the final answer, even if it was on the $500,000 question)[/quote]

Good point. They realized that the decision-making is the dramatic tension, not the wait for the reveal.