Who/what would have gotten better if given more time?

[JMFabiano]

Just what it says on the subject...

[SuperMatch93]

There's probably an alternate universe where TTD '90 is still on the air and Patrick Wayne got REALLY good at hosting.

[whewfan]

Rolf Benirscke... He was shaky at the start, but I think he did get better. Tv Guide actually PRAISED his hosting in one issue. If they hadn't moved the show to CBS, I think he would've lasted longer.

[trainman]

There's probably an alternate universe where TTD '90 is still on the air and Patrick Wayne got REALLY good at hosting.

I believe we'd call that The Darkest Timeline.

[40onTheBlue]

I often wonder if the 1978-79 revival of Jeopardy! might have gotten better had it lived longer. Yes, the dreaded format change fouled the dynamics and spirit of the game, and the dumbing down of the answers and questions was disheartening. However, the difference between the début episode and the finale is quite striking, at least to my eyes. The[font="Arial"] première[/font] seemed rushed and included some embarrassing mistakes and omissions which could've easily been avoided with more care. But all of these problems seemed to have been ironed out by the time of the last show, which IMHO has a much noticeably higher degree of polish than the first. Alas, we'll never know.

[Twentington]

Agree with Rolf. So many of the inexperienced hosts seemed totally lost and uncomfortable as they fumbled about. They never seemed to show personality or charm, and seemed to be there only for the paycheck. (Good example: David Sparks on The New Cross-Wits.) Rolf did fumble a lot (there's one anecdote of him looking at the wrong arrow on a Final Spin and being corrected by a contestant — on Teen Week, no less!), but he was one of the few "green" hosts who actually seemed to be trying. I mean, he was friendly with the contestants, he seemed to interact well with Vanna, and later episodes do show him developing a few mannerisms of his own.

Also, I think Roger Rose could've grown some as a TPIR announcer.

[ChrisLambert!]

There's probably an alternate universe where TTD '90 is still on the air and Patrick Wayne got REALLY good at hosting.

I believe we'd call that The Darkest Timeline.

I'm imagining the "Dubstep Dragon"...

[J.R.]

The Challengers. I think if it didn't debut when game shows were in decline (Late 80s-Early 90s), it could've had a nice, long run.

The current events aspect made it so unique.

[BrandonFG]

The Challengers. I think if it didn't debut when game shows were in decline (Late 80s-Early 90s), it could've had a nice, long run.

The current events aspect made it so unique.

Ditto for Caesar's Challenge. Underrated show IMO, but I think it premiered either 5 years too late, or 5 too early.

[JMFabiano]

These weren't bad shows, but I'll add Tom Kennedy's TPIR and Bill Rafferty's CS should have lasted longer.

[40onTheBlue]

The Challengers. I think if it didn't debut when game shows were in decline (Late 80s-Early 90s), it could've had a nice, long run.

The current events aspect made it so unique.

Yes, The Challengers really was one that got away. While it was indeed a victim of bad timing, perhaps what also did it in were the numerous (and unnecessary) tweaks to the format, and the fact that the questions didn't seem all that, um, challenging. The basic core game was very solid, though. I've said it on another thread but I think it bears repeating here: given GSN's recent hint that other revivals may be on the way in light of The Pyramid's success, I'm sure The Challengers (or even The Who, What or Where Game, the show it was modeled on) would be a worthy candidate.

[SamJ93]

There's probably an alternate universe where TTD '90 is still on the air and Patrick Wayne got REALLY good at hosting.

I believe we'd call that The Darkest Timeline.

I'm imagining the "Dubstep Dragon"...

Is that also the timeline where Rosie O'Donnell got the TPiR gig?

/Or, perhaps even more dark for some, Bob continues to host for another 20 years until he finally retires at the age of 104
//He caused a second scandal when he had another affair with a model at 100...
///...and was subsequently hailed as a national hero

[Jay Temple]

//He caused a second scandal when he had another affair with a model at 100...
///...and was subsequently hailed as a national hero

and nicknamed Old Man Periwinkle.

[Jeremy Nelson]

I think Bill Rafferty and Blockbusters '87 could have a had a nice little run had it not been cleared to simply be a placeholder for Classic Concentration.

Jeff MacGregor on The All New Dating Game- he, like Rolf, seemed to be turning a corner when his show got cancelled, and had game shows continued their popularity well into the 90s, I think Jeff might have become one of the main players amongst the new school crop.

[Ian Wallis]

I think Bill Rafferty and Blockbusters '87 could have a had a nice little run had it not been cleared to simply be a placeholder for Classic Concentration.

I know this has been widely stated but I still don't believe it.  I doubt that Goodson-Todman and NBC would spend the money to mount a show that they knew was only going to be on a few months until another was ready.  What if the show in question was a runaway hit?  Blockbusters had been successful before.

It was only cancelled and replaced because the ratings weren't strong enough.