10 Years Ago, a Dark Day for Game Show Fans

[GSWitch]

After 52 years, NBC Daytime shuts the door on game show fans as Caesar's Challenge aired it's final episode.

Only 30% of the NBC affiliates witnessed the passing (KPRC had it).  From this day forward, The Price Is Right would be the sole survivor of daytime network game shows!  Bob Barker's more like the "Maytag repairman".

Since 1988, every two years, NBC has either lost something to another network or dropped certain programming.  Case in point...

1988:  Rose Bowl (to ABC)

1990:  All Skins Games (regular, Seniors, the late LPGA) (to ABC)

1992:  Saturday Morning Cartoons

1994:  Daytime Game Shows

1996:  Miss America (ABC)

1998:  NFL Football (CBS)

2000:  Major League Baseball (Fox)

2002:  NBA/WNBA Basketball (ABC)

What will be next for 2004?

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'GSWitch\' date=\'Jan 14 2004, 07:28 AM\'] Since 1988, every two years, NBC has either lost something to another network or dropped certain programming.
What will be next for 2004? [/quote]
While they're not losing him to another network (as far as I know) and he himself is not a show, there are losing the services of Tom Brokaw on NBC Nightly News by year's end.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Jan 14 2004, 07:49 AM\'] [quote name=\'GSWitch\' date=\'Jan 14 2004, 07:28 AM\'] Since 1988, every two years, NBC has either lost something to another network or dropped certain programming.
What will be next for 2004? [/quote]
While they're not losing him to another network (as far as I know) and he himself is not a show, there are losing the services of Tom Brokaw on NBC Nightly News by year's end. [/quote]
 Going off topic, Friends and Frasier are finito after this season. Jan 14 is another historical anniversary day at NBC, as the Today SHow bowed on this day in 1952.

Obgameshow: will there ever be another network daytime game show?

[GSWitch]

[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Jan 14 2004, 06:49 AM\'] While they're not losing him to another network (as far as I know) and he himself is not a show, there are losing the services of Tom Brokaw on NBC Nightly News by year's end. [/quote]
 Tom's last NBC News assignment will be on Decision 2004, Election Day.

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'GSWitch\' date=\'Jan 14 2004, 09:41 AM\'] Tom's last NBC News assignment will be on Decision 2004, Election Day. [/quote]
 That's not exactly true, on a couple of levels.  Officially, they're not giving a specific final day for him as anchor, they're simply saying that Brokaw will work through the elections and step down some time after.  Also, it won't be his last NBC News assignment.  He's expected to hang around and do special projects for the network from time to time.

[chris319]

To your list I would add:

1992: The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson

I would consider it a different show from Leno's as, for one thing, it was owned by Carson Productions, not NBC. 1992 was also the year Mark Goodson passed away, so at least symbolically 1992 was a pivotal year in terms of TV entering its "edgy" era.

But hey, what other network had WWE's Xtreme Football?

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Jan 14 2004, 07:21 AM\'] But hey, what other network had WWE's Xtreme Football? [/quote]
 And this year will be their second of Arena Football coverage, and I am simply thrilled to see a game that I have been following for more than a solid decade now finally get a network contract.

(As soon as the CBA gets hashed out, I see ESPN/ABC letting go of the NHL...it's just not drawing the numbers they want, and now that they have basketball they don't need it. I could see NBC getting that for a song...)

[gameshowguy2000]

Slightly OT-NBC also dropped the XFL in 2001, very early.

Anyway, back on topic, I liked Caesar's Challenge. The bonus game with the balls was pretty easy, but the second one was harder.

And, using the audience to play, What a TOUCH!

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Jan 14 2004, 09:53 AM\'] And, using the audience to play, What a TOUCH! [/quote]
YES. Absolutely MASTERFUL. We'd NEVER seen ANYTHING like THAT before.

*mutter*

[chris319]

NBC also dropped the XFL in 2001

Well yeah, they dropped it like a haut putato because it was a dud, unlike the other shows/franchises listed.

Truth be told, SNL should have been dropped years ago.

[HSquares2003]

Don't forget, NBC has burned many archives(duh, game shows especially) of what they did have. LMAD '03 was the latest example of how much NBC loves game shows(not)

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Jan 14 2004, 10:21 AM\'] But hey, what other network had WWE's Xtreme Football? [/quote]
 Hate to get all Zachish on my esteemed colleague, but the literal answer to your rhetorical question is that UPN and TNN also offered XFL games each week.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Jan 14 2004, 11:53 AM\']
Anyway, back on topic, I liked Caesar's Challenge. The bonus game with the balls was pretty easy, but the second one was harder.

And, using the audience to play, What a TOUCH! [/quote]
 The first bonus game was pretty difficult if one didn't have the skill of unscrambling words. Those that won it usually won it after the third or more attempt(more letters placed the more times a player got to the bonus). Tom Gauer took four attempts, for example.

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'GSWitch\' date=\'Jan 14 2004, 06:28 AM\'] After 52 years, NBC Daytime shuts the door on game show fans as Caesar's Challenge aired it's final episode.

Only 30% of the NBC affiliates witnessed the passing (KPRC had it).  From this day forward, The Price Is Right would be the sole survivor of daytime network game shows!  Bob Barker's more like the "Maytag repairman".

Since 1988, every two years, NBC has either lost something to another network or dropped certain programming.  Case in point...

1988:  Rose Bowl (to ABC)

1990:  All Skins Games (regular, Seniors, the late LPGA) (to ABC)

1992:  Saturday Morning Cartoons

1994:  Daytime Game Shows

1996:  Miss America (ABC)

1998:  NFL Football (CBS)

2000:  Major League Baseball (Fox)

2002:  NBA/WNBA Basketball (ABC)

What will be next for 2004? [/quote]
 Your point is well-taken but most things are cyclical.  Yes, NBC lost Major League Baseball to Fox following the 2000 season.  But what they lost was a pastiche of post-season games (splitting the slate with Fox and ESPN), a couple of All-Star Games and an occasional special in April.  What they lost doesn't even remotely compare with their loss of baseball to CBS following the 1989 season (which goes against the "every two years" grain)--when the combo of NBC and MLB for the most part had a weekly presence from start to finish.

Sports as a business continues to be viable enough that properties will change hands on numerous occasions (NBC gives up the Skins Games in 1990 but emerges with the USGA properties, including the U.S. Open, in 1996).  NASCAR spurns ESPN (and to a lesser extent, CBS and the former TNN) to go with Fox/FX and NBC/TNT in 2002.  The days of events staying with one network are for the most part gone (CBS' Masters coverage one huge notable exception--but even that contract is on a year-to-year basis).  Heck, TBS doesn't do nearly as many Braves games anymore (ditto WGN for the Cubs).

Just my two cents.  Your mileage may vary.  

Doug -- soon to celebrate 300 posts

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Jan 14 2004, 08:01 AM\'] [quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Jan 14 2004, 07:49 AM\'] [quote name=\'GSWitch\' date=\'Jan 14 2004, 07:28 AM\'] Since 1988, every two years, NBC has either lost something to another network or dropped certain programming.
What will be next for 2004? [/quote]
While they're not losing him to another network (as far as I know) and he himself is not a show, there are losing the services of Tom Brokaw on NBC Nightly News by year's end. [/quote]
Going off topic, Friends and Frasier are finito after this season. Jan 14 is another historical anniversary day at NBC, as the Today SHow bowed on this day in 1952.

 [/quote]
 A program hosted by Tom for five and a half years.