ABC adds "Battle of the Network Stars"

[JasonA1]

ABC teaming up the company behind "The Wall", per Variety.

http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/battle-of-the-network-stars-abc-1202000808/

-Jason

[BrandonFG]

I've seen a few clips on Youtube. If it finds the balance between competitive spirit but still realizes it's all in fun, it might be interesting.

With it being celebrities, at least we can be spared the obligatory sob stories.

[TLEberle]

NBC more or less duplicated Matt's fears in 2003 or so when they did a two-hour special where NBC actors, actresses and personalities competed over the course of seven events. They failed to walk the tightrope of taking it seriously but also realizing that it's a silly endeavor and it landed with a mailsack thud.

[calliaume]

Part of the amusement of Battle of the Network Stars was Howard Cosell, who wanted to be a serious journalist but also was willing to do almost anything to be on prime time television, giving it his all.  He was on all but one of the shows (even in 1988, by which time he had been let go by ABC), and I'm sure he was a draw.  I don't know who you'd get today with that kind of a name who would be both enthusiastic and somewhat dismissive at the same time.  (Bob Costas, even though he's with NBC?)

Also, do you open it up to other "networks"?  ("Tonight - Nat Geo Wild, Discovery en Espanol, and BBC America in an all-star showdown!")  At the very least, Fox and The CW probably have to be there.

[Otm Shank]

If the host wasn't network-constrained, I would say that Joe Buck would be the type who would tow that serious/not serious line pretty well. And, he's as well liked as Cosell. But, networks don't play nicely with each other, so that's incredibly unlikely.

Being on ABC, it opens the host position to the entire universe of ESPN personalities, with a Kenny Mayne or a Scott Van Pelt likely the top-of-the-wish-list talent.

[TLEberle]

Kenny Mayne would be marvelous at that. Who else has thanked his viewers for having electricity so that they could watch?

[tvwxman]

Let me try an out there name who I think would be PERFECT.

Craig Kilborn.

[BrandonFG]

Being on ABC, it opens the host position to the entire universe of ESPN personalities, with a Kenny Mayne or a Scott Van Pelt likely the top-of-the-wish-list talent.

Wonder if they'd be willing to bring back John Anderson and John Henson? A few ESPN personalities would be perfect.

[clemon79]

Let me try an out there name who I think would be PERFECT.

Craig Kilborn.

Don't order pizza.

[gromit82]

Also, do you open it up to other "networks"?  ("Tonight - Nat Geo Wild, Discovery en Espanol, and BBC America in an all-star showdown!")  At the very least, Fox and The CW probably have to be there.

For all we know, ABC could decide to limit the competition to networks that are wholly or partly in their corporate family, like Disney Channel, Lifetime, and A&E.

[Matt Ottinger]

(Bob Costas, even though he's with NBC?)

For me, this had been my revival dream for years.  He'd "get it".

[PYLdude]

Being on ABC, it opens the host position to the entire universe of ESPN personalities, with a Kenny Mayne or a Scott Van Pelt likely the top-of-the-wish-list talent.

Wonder if they'd be willing to bring back John Anderson and John Henson? A few ESPN personalities would be perfect.

I thought this too.

[TLEberle]

I watched an episode last night and was hooked. It was magnificent because the stars there were stars who were playing for pride and also a significant cash prize (this was something I didn't know--the winners got $20,000 each, down to $10k for third place.) It managed to walk the tightrope of campy seriousness that few other shows can do.

The thing about it for me is that no show is going to get stars to play for their own prize money when they're pulling down $100k and up per episode. I recall that the winners of Celebrity Mole got to keep their prize money--hopefully Dennis Rodman hired a translator with his windfall. I'm guessing that twenty grand in the late seventies went a long way for actors who didn't have monster contracts.

I would watch The Superstars religiously as a youth, and will watch all of the Battle episodes that are on Youtube now, but I can't shake the feeling that the new effort will feel more like Superstar American Gladiators from 1994 than what I would enjoy more.

[johnnya2k3]

(Bob Costas, even though he's with NBC?)

For me, this had been my revival dream for years.  He'd "get it".

Um...Chris Berman, anyone?

[TLEberle]

Um...Chris Berman, anyone?

This idea needs to go backbackbackbackback to the 1980s.