Password Returning in April...

[WarioBarker]

(Sorry this is long.)

Yes, Wheel is still mega-popular and is the same show at its core,

...which is precisely what he was hired to accomplish

Harry Friedman was hired to lead the show in a "different direction" because he was friends with a Sony CEO...oh, and Sony thought Wheel as produced by Nancy Jones was tired and dated. As I said, he's made good changes, but the bad ones are rarely fixed and good ones sometimes disappear. Further, just because a show runs for years doesn't automatically mean it's a quality program. "It's still hangman meets roulette. There's still a puzzleboard, a Wheel of money, three players, and a Bonus Round. What's the problem?"

The format of any game show can be solid, but it's the entire package that matters, and a good format can be brought down by the host, set, contestants, budget, etc. Of course, a good host can salvage an otherwise-bad overall package, so it really depends.

but the aesthetics have been altered to the point of resembling pretty much every million-dollar game show of the past decade

you couldn't be further off the mark here.

How so? $1,000,000 top prize: check. Generic music: check. Dark set with crappy neon lighting: check. "Ambient" music playing at certain times: check. Players who don't deserve to win but do so anyway: check. Plugs that feel recycled to the point where the announcer might as well not be in the studio: check.

From what I can tell, there's at least a few parallels. Minus, arguably, the top prize, the aforementioned hurts the overall package compared to, for example, 2000.

His posts ... lean more towards fanboyism, in terms of thinking that game show producers are obligated to cater to we nerds, instead of the general public (read: the ones who don't notice 1/10 of the changes the forum gripes about at times*).

For me, all I want is quality in a series. Using puzzles like CATCHING SOME OF THE GREATEST WAVES EVER or WHERE DO I PICK UP MY SKI-LIFT TICKETS?, throwing out Merv's music while retaining some form of it on Jeopardy!, audiences that barely respond to anything, and "WTF?" things like Vanna For A "Day" and the Season 28 dubfest do not contribute to or represent a quality production.

I'm not asking for the shopping format or manual puzzleboard, because I know that's a massive step backward -- I want audiences who actually want to be there, players who don't risk nearly $10,000 on the Mystery Wedge, good puzzles (no I LOVE MY PASSPORT PHOTO crap), and an actual prize/cash variety.

====

FosterGray, you're right -- game show producers aren't obligated to cater to nerds, even when they get called out on their stupidity (see: Donnymid), but that doesn't give them an excuse to sacrifice quality. If your show is quality, people will find it even if the network has no faith in it (see: Million-Dollar Mind Game) -- and even if a quality show perishes quickly, it'll become at least a cult classic and have some fans. I'm not sure when new entries pretty much gave up trying for quality and opted for artificial padding, drawn-out reveals, and pandering to certain demographics...but that kind of crap needs to stop, because if contestants point out the padding on-air {see: American Duel, You Deserve It), you're doing it wrong.

[TLEberle]

Vanna For Rounds 2-3 A Day

Your obsession with the strikethrough trope shreds whatever microns of credibility you had.

Blah blah blah, words words words.

[Dbacksfan12]

(Sorry this is long.)

So the millions of people who watch it every night are wrong, and you're right, because?

[J.R.]

Is there a Game Show Forum Hall of Fame? If there is, I'd like to induct Dan's post to it.

It's that epic.

[clemon79]

Harry Friedman was hired to lead the show in a "different direction" because he was friends with a Sony CEO...

There's a big, potentially libelious, leap in logic.

How so? $1,000,000 top prize: check. Generic music: check. Dark set with crappy neon lighting: check. "Ambient" music playing at certain times: check. Players who don't deserve to win but do so anyway: check. Plugs that feel recycled to the point where the announcer might as well not be in the studio: check.

Yeah, talk to me when they have a taping in Monroe, Maryland. (Dark set with crappy neon lighting? Really? You're really serious?)

If your show is quality, people will find it even if the network has no faith in it (see: Million-Dollar Mind Game)

If enough people actually found it...it would still be running.

-- and even if a quality show perishes quickly, it'll become at least a cult classic

Which, along with a dime, might get you a whiff of a cup of coffee.

you're doing it wrong.

And how long have you been the producer of the #1 syndicated program in the history of evar?

[TLEberle]

Let's not forget that in the silly "Let's pretend we're reviewing a pilot for Wheel of Fortune" thread a while back, Dan looked down his nose, reeled off that same list and said that he'd take a pass on The Wheel.

So there's that.

[Tim L]

And Dan88 is the only right one to decide what "quality" is..right..With WOF approaching 40 years (daytime and nighttime)..There must be enough quality there, or people wouldnt keep watching it..I love threads like this..so entertaining..

[clemon79]

Let's not forget that in the silly "Let's pretend we're reviewing a pilot for Wheel of Fortune" thread a while back, Dan looked down his nose, reeled off that same list and said that he'd take a pass on The Wheel.

So there's that.

I'd forgotten. That was awesome.

[J.R.]

Here's the aforementioned post on passing WOF

It is indeed something... uh... something.

/The "signature" is the best part.

[WarioBarker]

(Sorry this is long.)

So the millions of people who watch it every night are wrong, and you're right, because?

Never said, implied, or suggested that any viewers were wrong (if I did in fact say that, I apologize for doing so as it was never my intention). I am only pointing out what detracts from the show for me, which I admittedly should've made clearer, and clarified my standing on quality programming. I, like many on this forum (and as FosterGray pointed out), tend to notice things that general viewers don't.

If your show is quality, people will find it even if the network has no faith in it (see: Million-Dollar Mind Game)

If enough people actually found it...it would still be running.

Given where it was slotted (Sunday afternoons against football) and how long it took to begin airing after ABC first announced it was taping episodes (about a year), I'm pretty sure ABC was just trying to burn it off and opted to screw the surprisingly-high-given-the-circumstances ratings by not renewing the show they clearly weren't going to renew anyway. (They tried putting You Deserve It reruns in that slot, and those did nowhere near as well as MDMG.)

Harry Friedman was hired to lead the show in a "different direction" because he was friends with a Sony CEO...

There's a big, potentially libelious, leap in logic.

Harry said in the 2007 interview I linked to that he was told about the job by Alan Levine, an "old friend" of his who also happened to be CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, the company that was looking for someone to produce Wheel. As such, I used logic...but you are of course right, I took it too far. (No sarcasm here.)

Let's not forget that in the silly "Let's pretend we're reviewing a pilot for Wheel of Fortune" thread a while back, Dan looked down his nose, reeled off that same list and said that he'd take a pass on The Wheel.

...I did?

*looks at said post*

Wow, that was an...enlightening...experience from two years ago; clearly, definitely, undeniably......something. I actually shook my head while reading that...thing...for many reasons, chiefly being that I actually said no. And that's all I'll say on that.

[clemon79]

Wow, that was an...enlightening...experience from two years ago;

Jesus, you've been around for two years now?

[PYLdude]

Harry Friedman was hired to lead the show in a "different direction" because he was friends with a Sony CEO...

There's a big, potentially libelious, leap in logic.

Harry said in the 2007 interview I linked to that he was told about the job by Alan Levine, an "old friend" of his who also happened to be CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, the company that was looking for someone to produce Wheel. As such, I used logic...but you are of course right, I took it too far. (No sarcasm here.)

That sure as hell wasn't what you were implying, though. Logic would dictate that perhaps there was coincidence involved, which it sure seems like to me.

[clemon79]

Oh, I don't think it's coincidental in the least that Harry got a phone call because he was friends with Levine. But I sure as hell think that his qualifications might have had something to do with his being hired for the position.

[BrandonFG]

How so? $1,000,000 top prize: check. Generic music: check. Dark set with crappy neon lighting: check. "Ambient" music playing at certain times: check. Players who don't deserve to win but do so anyway: check. Plugs that feel recycled to the point where the announcer might as well not be in the studio: check.

This could take a while, but allow me to relax your fears. The million dollars is still pretty tough to win, and given that it's been 3-1/2 years since someone won, I'd say the gimmick isn't anywhere close to being as bad as say, the Million Dollar Mission on D/ND.

The dark set is only when they're in California, and even then it's still about as bright as the Vegas strip at night. That's a handful of weeks out of however many are in a season.

The ambient music is nothing more than thinking music during Toss-Ups, the speed round, and the bonus round. A total of what, 2 minutes out of 21-22? I consider the music no different than the metronome used during Alphabetics, or the "doot-doot-doot" during the Winners Circle. It still adds tension to the round.

Define "players who don't deserve to win". If you mean too much money is given away, then perhaps. But I actually enjoy seeing a show where contestants can still win something just for showing up. And I'll take $1,000 over Rice-A-Roni and Turtle Wax any day of the week.

The days of an announcer reading live copy are more or less gone, with the exception of TPiR. Like with consolation prizes, I'm glad to see there's still a game show that still gives some semblance of a damn about having an announcer. And I guarantee you, the average fan at home doesn't even care about that, let alone whether Jim Thornton is there live or prerecorded.

I'm not asking for the shopping format or manual puzzleboard, because I know that's a massive step backward -- I want audiences who actually want to be there

Huh? Aren't a lot of Wheel's audience members tourists? I'm sure they want to be there, and have no problem waving for the camera.

players who don't risk nearly $10,000 on the Mystery Wedge, good puzzles (no I LOVE MY PASSPORT PHOTO crap), and an actual prize/cash variety.

Indifferent on the players taking risks, although that's the fun of a game show; agree on the puzzle-writing; indifferent on the prize/cash variety. Contestants want cash, cars, and trips, probably in that order, although 2 and 3 can be switched. I think the producers even said that's the prizes contestants like the most. Why not cater to them, especially when the reaction to winning a car looks a lot better than the annuities, gold bars, or jewelry they were giving away 20 years ago.

For all the issues I have with Wheel (very few; the puzzles and the goofy theme weeks, and that's about it), I give it credit for keeping traditional production values. None of this crap the primetime shows have tried since Deal or No Deal premiered. It hasn't become a comedy show like TPiR. It even made a million dollar gimmick look good. That's competence.

As for the theme song, it's a bit repetitive, but at least I can hum something out of it.

[PYLdude]

3 and a half years, and ONE TIME. Hardly worth whining about.

And I may be in the minority on this but when Wheel was giving away those ridiculous prizes in the bonus game I REALLY found it unwatchable.