Hour-long game shows?

[TLEberle]

Despite its troubles, I loved Mike Reilly's Monopoly. Maybe it could have worked as an hour. It needed more time for the dice rolling part, and maybe there'd be openings for deals between the players.

To what end though? And what would they be trading? All they have are developed monopolies and cash on hand.

If there was a way to expand the original daily rules pilot into forty-five minutes (perhaps have a movie of the week at 8:45) then I think it would get very close to awesome.

The reason TPIR works as an hour is there's lots of things going on in digestible chunks, and it all builds to a purpose. Gladiators has five or six events and then the finale. Millionaire has two or three contestants. Weakest Link did the same thing over and over but built toward a climax. You can't just transplant a half hour game show into an hour slot and presto! it's a winner because in lots of cases it will become tedious. I can't imagine "Let's fire up the board for Quadruple Jeopardy!" being a thing.

[SuperMatch93]

I don't think the Wheel of Fortune expansion was bad - two three-round games; one head-to-head game for the two winners; day's champion plays a bonus round similar to the one we all know and love.

Did the two winners' game have more dough on the Wheel?

Yes, and it was played for cash.

[TLEberle]

If those colors are correct: whoof, that is bowling shoe ugly and slapdash in design. Also interesting that there's an extra prize on the wheel.

[trainman]

Family Feud Challenge.  IIRC, Family Challenge was an excruciating hour.

Since you brought it up, I don't know that Family Challenge would have been better as a half-hour, just shorter.

It actually was only a half-hour in some cities, including Chicago. I'd say your supposition is correct.

[calliaume]

Family Feud Challenge.  IIRC, Family Challenge was an excruciating hour.

Since you brought it up, I don't know that Family Challenge would have been better as a half-hour, just shorter.

It actually was only a half-hour in some cities, including Chicago. I'd say your supposition is correct.

Just to be clear, Family Feud Challenge ≠ Family Challenge.

[whewfan]

When Family Feud Challenge became "The New Family Feud", was it also in an hourlong bracket? I didn't watch the show as much when Bullseye was added. Also, WHY was it changed to "The New Family Feud?" As far as I can tell, the show was really no different, unless the "challenge" title wasn't bringing in more viewers, so they decided to call it "new" to attract those that didn't see the Bullseye format.

[Mr. Armadillo]

If those colors are correct: whoof, that is bowling shoe ugly and slapdash in design.

Welcome to the 1970's.  That was the Wheel's color scheme for the first 11 years, until they added the brighter colors in 1986.

[snowpeck]

When Family Feud Challenge became "The New Family Feud", was it also in an hourlong bracket? I didn't watch the show as much when Bullseye was added. Also, WHY was it changed to "The New Family Feud?" As far as I can tell, the show was really no different, unless the "challenge" title wasn't bringing in more viewers, so they decided to call it "new" to attract those that didn't see the Bullseye format.

Family Feud Challenge was what they renamed the daytime show. The New Family Feud was what they renamed the nighttime show. Both happened close to the same time and coincided with the addition of the bullseye round (daytime in summer 1992, nighttime in fall 1992.) The nighttime show was only a half hour the entire time Ray Combs hosted it.

[PYLdude]

When Family Feud Challenge became "The New Family Feud", was it also in an hourlong bracket? I didn't watch the show as much when Bullseye was added. Also, WHY was it changed to "The New Family Feud?" As far as I can tell, the show was really no different, unless the "challenge" title wasn't bringing in more viewers, so they decided to call it "new" to attract those that didn't see the Bullseye format.

....except for the game play mechanic in the daytime series where two families were challenging each other to face the defending champions in the second half hour. Hence why the syndie series didn't go with that name.

[Unrealtor]

The reason TPIR works as an hour is there's lots of things going on in digestible chunks, and it all builds to a purpose. Gladiators has five or six events and then the finale. Millionaire has two or three contestants. Weakest Link did the same thing over and over but built toward a climax. You can't just transplant a half hour game show into an hour slot and presto! it's a winner because in lots of cases it will become tedious. I can't imagine "Let's fire up the board for Quadruple Jeopardy!" being a thing.

I feel like the key is variety and pacing. TPIR, the current run of LMAD, and Gladiators have a ton of variety. Match Game '16 and the new TTTT give enough time to the comedy that it doesn't start to feel repetitive. An hour of Wheel of Fortune gets a little bit tedious. An hour of Jeopardy would be exhausting.

Of the current crop of of shows, I find The $100,000 Pyramid to be the strongest overall, but also the one where I notice the extra length the most. By the time the 24th front game category of the day comes up, I'm ready for them to just get to the final Winners Circle already.

[trainman]

Just to be clear, Family Feud Challenge ≠ Family Challenge.

Someone should come up with another completely unrelated hour-long game show called "Feud Challenge" to completely mess with my brain.

[jage]

There's a difference though with the current Sunday block which really is just two half hour games in a row that happen to be packaged as an hour. It's basically like watching a double run of Feud or CNG. Compared with Weakest Link or TPIR where the entire hour is a self-contained format that couldn't be split into two parts.

[Jimmy Owen]

TPIR is just two half hours. That is how Nielsen rates them. Just drop the wheel and play two showcases in an hour and it would be just like 1972. (One showcase every half-hour with the top two winners)

[PYLdude]

There's a difference though with the current Sunday block which really is just two half hour games in a row that happen to be packaged as an hour. It's basically like watching a double run of Feud or CNG. Compared with Weakest Link or TPIR where the entire hour is a self-contained format that couldn't be split into two parts.

Who's to say you couldn't have a separated Link? Two matches and if you wanted, you could have the winners square off for the combined total of their winnings in one final showdown at the end of the hour.

[Clay Zambo]

Of the current crop of of shows, I find The $100,000 Pyramid to be the strongest overall, but also the one where I notice the extra length the most. By the time the 24th front game category of the day comes up, I'm ready for them to just get to the final Winners Circle already.

I have a solution for that: watch it a half-hour at a time. 

I'm not bored with the game by any stretch, I just don't have the whole hour to spend. Unanticipated side benefit: Two halves of Pyramid, two halves of Match, and maybe a Food Network Star and I'm good until the new episodes come out the following Sunday/Monday.