Author Topic: Million Dollar Mind Game 2nd season? (Read 3483 times)

MikeK · « **on:** October 31, 2011, 12:02:32 PM »

I was tweeting about MDMG as it aired on the east coast. In response to one of my tweets about knowing the $120K or $210K question immediately, the official MDMG Twitter account responds that I should form a team and try out for next season. Next season? For a show that is being burned off on Sunday afternoons, over a year after they were recorded? Something doesn't quite add up here... Do they know something we don't, or is it a very high level of optimism on part of the producers? Surely it's the latter, but just saying there is a possibility of a second season piqued my interest.

clemon79 · « **Reply #1 on:** October 31, 2011, 12:24:34 PM »

Quote from: MikeK on October 31, 2011, 12:02:32 PM

Something doesn't quite add up here... Do they know something we don't, or is it a very high level of optimism on part of the producers? Surely it's the latter, but just saying there is a possibility of a second season piqued my interest.

Mmkay.

A) They have a Twitter feed, which is active during the shows. Someone is on the other end of that feed who believes in this program.

B) They have a few more of these to get through, and would like the people trying out the show to continue watching.

So you're interacting with someone with an emotional investment in the program, who knows you are at least interested enough to add their Twitter feed, and knows that their only prayer at a second series is if they absolutely maximize their audience. What's he supposed to say? "Wow, you're really good at this! Too bad we're up against the NFL games and the Creature Feature."

MikeK · « **Reply #2 on:** October 31, 2011, 12:46:10 PM »

For the record, I am not following them, nor are they following me, not that it matters.

I'm posing the question because I thought the response was unusual. I don't think they should say word number 1 about another season until they have a definite pick-up, or at least something after the middle of their second show.

clemon79 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 31, 2011, 12:56:50 PM »

Quote from: MikeK on October 31, 2011, 12:46:10 PM

For the record, I am not following them, nor are they following me, not that it matters.

No, it doesn't, that's true. (I'm still new to the being-active-on-Twitter thing and am still wrapping my brain around the methods in which content is distributed and consumed.) Then they were looking out for the hashtag. Point is, they know anyone who is going to bother with the hashtag is someone they want to reach out to because they're a potential advocate.

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I don't think they should say word number 1 about another season until they have a definite pick-up, or at least something after the middle of their second show.

I utterly fail to see why someone who is in the PR business should be doing anything but trying to create buzz about the product they are promoting. That's what they do. In the case of TV, that means ABSOLUTELY implying that with enough buzz, there will be a second series.

Jeremy Nelson · « **Reply #4 on:** October 31, 2011, 03:39:04 PM »

Quote from: clemon79 on October 31, 2011, 12:56:50 PM

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I don't think they should say word number 1 about another season until they have a definite pick-up, or at least something after the middle of their second show.
I utterly fail to see why someone who is in the PR business should be doing anything but trying to create buzz about the product they are promoting. That's what they do. In the case of TV, that means ABSOLUTELY implying that with enough buzz, there will be a second series.

Here's where I'm confused- they're up against the NFL. What kind of numbers are they looking for to warrant "success"? Even still, whenever would ABC figure "Hey, we got killed in the ratings! But we beat Creature Feature and Ron Popeil, so we're ordering a second season!"

It seems like regardless of what happens, the measuring stick is still off, and thus a second season would require a miracle and a half.

Jimmy Owen · « **Reply #5 on:** October 31, 2011, 03:39:49 PM »

Maybe it's getting some women demos. Has anyone seen any ratings?

MikeK · « **Reply #6 on:** October 31, 2011, 03:52:35 PM »

Quote from: Jimmy Owen on October 31, 2011, 03:39:49 PM

Maybe it's getting some women demos. Has anyone seen any ratings?

Hell, it got a man to watch it in this household. What would you rather watch--MDMG or the flippin' Browns? I'm a diehard, life-long Browns fan and I didn't spend more than 5 minutes the entire afternoon watching the game because they're too predictable and boring.

Earlier today, BuzzerBlog put up some ratings from last Sunday. Oakland and Dallas had afternoon NFL games last Sunday, which shows in their ratings.

clemon79 · « **Reply #7 on:** October 31, 2011, 03:59:28 PM »

Quote from: Jeremy Nelson on October 31, 2011, 03:39:04 PM

Even still, whenever would ABC figure "Hey, we got killed in the ratings! But we beat Creature Feature and Ron Popeil, so we're ordering a second season!"

They wouldn't. These guys are doomed. But when you're dealing with the public (most of which neither know nor care how the machinations of the TV business work), you don't let on that that's the case. The message you are being paid to convey, in fact, is the exact inverse of that.

mmb5 · « **Reply #8 on:** October 31, 2011, 04:02:28 PM »

Sad part is this game could be played on NPR and instead of a $1,000,000 you get Will Shortz' to record your greeting on your voicemail. It get the same ratings, and be a massive hit. Great show, terrible distribution channel.

rialtus · « **Reply #9 on:** November 02, 2011, 11:30:48 PM »

Purely hypothetical guess - the production company is trolling for candidates for their next show. It never hurts to build a database of potential contestants.

Clay Zambo · « **Reply #10 on:** November 03, 2011, 12:43:31 AM »

Quote from: mmb5 on October 31, 2011, 04:02:28 PM

Sad part is this game could be played on NPR and instead of a $1,000,000 you get Will Shortz' to record your greeting on your voicemail. It get the same ratings, and be a massive hit. Great show, terrible distribution channel.

Well, the set wouldn't be as classy. Of course, if it were NPR, there'd be no set to speak of. But. Oh. My. This would be great fun to play for T-shirts, or whatnot. Somebody call NPR.

Aaron, you out there?

TLEberle · « **Reply #11 on:** November 03, 2011, 12:52:35 AM »

I was thinking about this, and remembering way back several pages ago, and I said that this would fall flat, and Thunder said "That's it, scrap the project!" and this is the result. I'm rather sad to be proven correct by the outcome.

If I was booking it, I'd have two groups of three playing alternate questions. Instead of a per-question time limit, you'd have however many minutes to get through as many as you could, and you could get more information by reducing the point value of the question. Whoever scores more would win a nominal cash prize and play one more devious question for a larger jackpot.

You have an element of competition that is sorely lacking from new game shows these days. You don't have to rush to come to a conclusion, because you have a bunch of time on your game clock. If you don't know right away you can buy help or have a punt for more points. You jettison the paleolithic model of a money climb and bits of assistance. It would put the game back in game show.

Thunder · « **Reply #12 on:** November 06, 2011, 04:33:13 PM »

Three minutes after sending out a tweet about the show, TweetDeck gave me this...

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@MDMGABC just favorited your tweet: Yelling at the TV didn't make the Million Dollar Mind Game (@MDMGABC ) players change their answer to my correct one.

Somebody's paying attention there...