Bob Boden Left!

[tyshaun1]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Dec 9 2003, 08:55 AM\'] How much was Boden responsible for the current schedule?  Did he just oversee the originals, or did he have a hand in programming the "classics" as well?

Maybe now they might add a few more to the schedule (specifically those voted on the Feast of Favorites)? [/quote]
 Well, we do know that the day after Boden was announced as the new programming head that GSN announced the acquiring of PYL (as well as Who Dares Wins and the $1.98 Beauty Show), and a couple of months later, Greed. He was also instrumental in reviving PYL as Whammy!, and helped bring us classic Hollywood Squares and Win, Lose or Draw!.
I believe Belinkoff and Cronin had more to do with the later originals, such as Cram and Funny Money, as well as the video game block, WWTBGOC, Greek Games, and Fake-a-Date. Interesting that these outside of the box shows are announced just before Boden announces his resignation, no?

Tyshaun

[AH3RD]

[quote name=\'PeterMarshallFan\' date=\'Dec 8 2003, 04:54 PM\']
The big announcement was that GSN aquired Louie's Feud, Card Sharks 01, and Match Game 98. ;-) [/quote]

Oh, dear gosh...the 2001 Card Sharks and Match Game 98?! Those 2 all-breast meat turkeys are being brought back from the dead?!

Goodson and Todman are sure to dervishly whirl in their mauoleum now. Or, in this case, dervishly hurl.

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'cac8383\' date=\'Dec 9 2003, 12:22 AM\'] [quote name=\'PeterMarshallFan\' date=\'Dec 8 2003, 04:54 PM\'] [quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Dec 8 2003, 05:47 PM\'] This ought to be good [/quote]
The big announcement was that GSN aquired Louie's Feud, Card Sharks 01, and Match Game 98. ;-) [/quote]
I hope you're joking about CS01, and MG98. Louie's FF I can live with. [/quote]
 He was joking, hence his emoticon.

[Jimmy Owen]

PMF was kidding when he posted that, but since I've never seen CS01, it would be new to me.  My hope is Bob can come up with some great concepts that Kevin can buy (who else is buying game shows these days?)

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Dec 9 2003, 10:14 AM\'] but since I've never seen CS01, it would be new to me. [/quote]
 No big loss there. THe only thing that looks anything close to the Perry/Eubanks runs is the MOney Cards.

[bricon]

My hope is Bob can come up with some great concepts that Kevin can buy (who else is buying game shows these days?)

Who else is buying game shows? Certainly not GSN.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Dec 9 2003, 08:23 AM\'] No big loss there. THe only thing that looks anything close to the Perry/Eubanks runs is the MOney Cards. [/quote]
 And even that was a pale imitation of the originals.

I watched CS2K1 once. One time. That was enough for me.

[uncamark]

Here's my take on the whole thing--I've been holding back on this for some time, and Bob's departure is the perfect time to point this out.

I've been reading in the trades that Sony is having some success overseas with a channel called AXN, which is built around the action films and TV series in their library.  Something tells me that as soon as some of the series that would fit the channel end their current U.S. programming contracts, Sony would like to kill GSN and relaunch the channel as AXN.  Of course, Liberty would have to go along with them (and Liberty owns a premium channel called Action as part of the Encore/STARZ! multiplex), but Sony would probably have a compelling argument that an all-action channel would pull bigger ratings numbers (and even more importantly, bigger young male demos) and have more advertiser acceptance than a mostly-game show channel.  And they'd come out of the gate with 53 million subscribers.

It's also been obvious that the last several months at GSN have not been too happy, as Sony seems to have resumed the meddling that plagued the channel during the Fleming/Tauber regime (and yes, I blame most of what went on that time to Sony suit micromanaging, not Fleming and Tauber directly).  If it is true what a Variety article I saw said in that Rich Cronin's bosses are simply not interested in any new studio game shows, there isn't much of a reason for a studio game show specialist like Bob Boden to hang around.

So enjoy GSN while you can--something tells me that by around this time next year, Belinkoff and Cronin will be shown the door and instead of "Lingo" and "Match Game" on GSN, we'll be seeing "Charlie's Angels," "Starsky and Hutch" and "V.I.P." on AXN.  I hope I'm wrong, but I'm afraid that's the probable future for GSN.

[Jimmy Owen]

GSN="Guy Show Network" in future?

[PeterMarshallFan]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Dec 9 2003, 05:36 PM\'] GSN="Guy Show Network" in future? [/quote]
 I'm sure many of us remember that old DiGiorno promo with Wink playing host of "The Guy Game." Maybe GSN will pick it up as a series? ;-)

[Jamey Greek]

I think that GSN will be no more soon.  Man! First my youth minister, now Bob Boden!  GSN will be no more!  James Vipond has an idea for another GSN.  Yours truly has one too, plus I have seen an old post off of ATGS, for a second GSN called The Games Network.  But, It would be nice if Bob Boden could launch his own Production Company.  I hope to get into TV Production soon.

[Ian Wallis]

I've been reading in the trades that Sony is having some success overseas with a channel called AXN, which is built around the action films and TV series in their library. Something tells me that as soon as some of the series that would fit the channel end their current U.S. programming contracts, Sony would like to kill GSN and relaunch the channel as AXN.

That's a very interesting theory.  I just wonder about the logistics of it all - for example, GSN probably has certain contracts with certain shows.  They likely don't all end at the same time.

For example, they've just spent a lot of money acquiring rights to "Who Wants to be a Millionaire".  I just can't imagine the company spending all that money for a certain-year contract, and then all of a sudden changing formats before the contract is up.  Or, would the company just eat the remaining contracts to do the switch?

If this sort of thing does happen, I guess we can all stop wondering what GSN is going to do for their 10th anniversary, and wonder how they're going to sign off.

I've got a great idea:  one episode from every series they've ever ran, ending with a "Thank you for watching" graphic!!

[daveromanjr]

I think if they do change formats, it'll be almost half non-gameshow and half gameshow at the least.  They're goal, as stated before, is 25% "traditional" gameshows in prime time.  They didn't say anything about the rest of the day.  I imagine if stuff changes, it'll be prime time only.

Or if they do abandon the game show network idea completely, do you think somebody else would pick it up?

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'daveromanjr\' date=\'Dec 10 2003, 09:09 AM\'] I think if they do change formats, it'll be almost half non-gameshow and half gameshow at the least.  They're goal, as stated before, is 25% "traditional" gameshows in prime time.  They didn't say anything about the rest of the day.  I imagine if stuff changes, it'll be prime time only.

Or if they do abandon the game show network idea completely, do you think somebody else would pick it up? [/quote]
 In the eventual 1000 channel universe, there may in a few years be an all-classic game show channel, just as VH1 Classic is all classic music videos.

[beatlefreak84]

That brings up a question for me:

I know there are many specialty channels out there like VH-1 Classic and Nick GAS that don't show any commercials yet still remain on the air.

If the TV business is all about advertising, then how are these channels still in existence?  I've noticed a lot of channels that have used this format and I still struggle to see how they can make anyone any money.

If they can, then I will definitely keep my eyes open for another GSN; I really don't think they should go the direction that many people here have hypothesized, but I'm not apocalyptic in my beliefs; people love game shows (I notice this because, whenever I'm eating in my school's cafeteria, I'll usually put on WOF or FF if nobody's watching, and then, all of a sudden, eyes begin to look up from homework to the TV!), and, as long as this is true, a channel like GSN should be in existence (there's that logical deducing math major in me!).

Anthony