2021 Game Show Genre Predictions...

[TimK2003]

Despite the COVID screwing up 2020 like it did, for game show fans, it was a pretty decent year despite some big-time host losses.  And there were, of course, some things that came out of the woodwork that nobody thought would happen.

Looking ahead to 2021, what predictions do you have when it comes to game shows?  Here are a few of mine:

• Buzzr and Pluto TV partner up for another 24-hour channel devoted to a single show ala Barker TPIR.  Possibly a Match Game channel??

• I also predict that Fremantle will acquire/purchase the rights to another notable production company's library that is currently under someone else's lock and key and will start playing them on Buzzr and perhaps work on developing a modern-day reboot of one of the shows for primetime TV.

May sound far-fetched, but then who predicted a 24-hour Barker TPIR channel would be a reality --.especially with old Bob still kicking?

[Strikerz04]

At this point, I'd be remiss if the genre has a revival of the 1975 schedule - games everywhere - most of them average or worse...

[BillCullen1]

I think a 24-hour Match Game channel is possible. Perhaps a Family Feud channel? They have enough eps of each.

Where acquiring another company's library is concerned, since they're airing the MG/HS Hour, it would be logical for Buzzr to try to get the original Hollywood Squares with Peter Marshall.

They managed to make LMAD and TPIR work with Covid and I never thought they could do that.

[jcs290]

A revival of the Nick GAS channel on PlutoTV.

A new version of Tattletales for ABC's summer run.

A Celebrity Jeopardy run on ABC in late 2021 as a coming out party for the new permanent host.

And for my wild prediction: NBC revives Concentration for Winter 2021, but does it poorly. Hosted by Chrissy Metz, only one game per hour (best 2 of 3) with families-in-need and their caffeinated cheering section. Only 20 squares per board. Prizes are all $50,000 or more. No wilds, but a "Take or Mystery Prize" pair. Instead of rebuses, the puzzles are more like Catch Phrase and graphical word puzzles (i.e. Standing|'U' = Standing Next To You).

[Jimmy Owen]

Hollywood Squares done virtually with Paul Lynde in the center (via old clips) and Street Smarts-type pretaped responses for the rest.  Contestants from home and nobody in the studio except host Rebel Wilson.

[BrandonFG]

I think ABC revives either Password or another G-T panel game.

[chargeradiocom]

• Buzzr and Pluto TV partner up for another 24-hour channel devoted to a single show ala Barker TPIR.  Possibly a Match Game channel??

If I were going to put money on it, I’d say Dawson Feud (maybe with some Combs episodes thrown in) gets a dedicated channel next. Despite BUZZR inexplicably burying it on their schedule, it’s still relatively popular, and they’ve been using it as a filler on the Pluto, etc. stream during those odd pre-prime infomercial hours on weekends. It was reported a while back (on CordCuttersNews IIRC) that there was going to be a dedicated Classic Feud channel on STIRR, but that never seemed to materialize.

(There is a dedicated Feud channel on some services FWIW—Xumo, Roku Channel, Samsung Plus—but I believe it’s all Harvey-era clips.)

• I also predict that Fremantle will acquire/purchase the rights to another notable production company's library that is currently under someone else's lock and key and will start playing them on Buzzr and perhaps work on developing a modern-day reboot of one of the shows for primetime TV.

With MGM reportedly looking to sell off, it wouldn’t be too surprising for those shows to end up in Fremantle’s hands. While I’m not expecting Fremantle to purchase the entire company, MGM’s new parent company may want to sell off certain property segments to another company who will know what to do with them (for the right $$, of course), and Fremantle would seem to fit that bill.

[Hastin]

2021 Preditions:

• US Millionaire gets cancelled again - While the first celebrity specials did great, this second season doesn't have great ratings. Jimmy isn't bad at hosting, but the game feels very low stakes and just isn't exciting right now. I have a feeling the UK and other world reboots will continue to do well.
• New Jeopardy! host pick makes nobody happy - I expect the discourse around J! to be pretty strong with a new host announced, but have a feeling that ratings will continue strong throughout the next few years.
• Wheel of Fortune Shakeup - I think Mike Richards knows that Wheel is getting a little stale and isn't seeing the leaps and bounds of growth that J! has in the last few years, I assume that some sort of gameplay changes and visual refresh is coming.
• Wild Card: ABC reboots Hollywood Squares - It's basically the last show to not get some sort of network primetime reboot, besides Password.

[That Don Guy]

I think a 24-hour Match Game channel is possible. Perhaps a Family Feud channel? They have enough eps of each.

Where acquiring another company's library is concerned, since they're airing the MG/HS Hour, it would be logical for Buzzr to try to get the original Hollywood Squares with Peter Marshall.

I think Feud is more likely than MG - mainly Dawson-era, but they can throw in a mix of the others. Was Karn-era Feud that bad?

As for HS, how much of it exists? Wouldn't most of it have been destroyed in that NBC tape library fire in, when was it, 1977? And what is the status of the post-NBC daily syndicated version?

And since this seems to be turning into a general 2021 prediction thread, here's one from me:

NBC's College Bowl revival with Peyton Manning does reasonably well, but it will open up old wounds between the College Bowl organization and a number of schools that left the program over rules squabbles (one of the big ones seemed to be CB's insistance on "no more than two graduate students per team"), as well as between the producers and smaller schools that appear to be left out because the show may want to concentrate on rivalries more than getting the best teams involved; the fact that this is the first time since 1987 where money is involved won't help matters. Something tells me a repeat of the 1980 national championship game between Fresno State and Washington-St. Louis isn't going to happen.

[Bryce L.]

2021 Preditions:

• Wheel of Fortune Shakeup - I think Mike Richards knows that Wheel is getting a little stale and isn't seeing the leaps and bounds of growth that J! has in the last few years, I assume that some sort of gameplay changes and visual refresh is coming.

I don't know why, but I get one of two feelings in this area...

1. Nothing huge will happen until Pat and Vanna leave, or...

2. There is a major refresh, and enough things change that it triggers a walkout from Pat.

[MSTieScott]

US Millionaire gets cancelled again - While the first celebrity specials did great, this second season doesn't have great ratings. Jimmy isn't bad at hosting, but the game feels very low stakes and just isn't exciting right now.

I think that problem does fall on Jimmy's shoulders. It's his inclination to create a relaxed, fun atmosphere, so he doesn't know when he needs to ratchet up the tension. A few weeks ago, when the civilian psychiatrist contestant made sure we knew he understood what kind of money was on the line, I thought it was genuinely compelling television that proved the format still works. But Jimmy has to be willing to put the players through the wringer a little more.

[Loogaroo]

At this point, I'd be remiss if the genre has a revival of the 1975 schedule - games everywhere

We'd need to see the networks start putting shows back on daytime for that to have any chance of happening. And I don't see them ever doing that.

[BillCullen1]

I think a 24-hour Match Game channel is possible. Perhaps a Family Feud channel? They have enough eps of each.

Where acquiring another company's library is concerned, since they're airing the MG/HS Hour, it would be logical for Buzzr to try to get the original Hollywood Squares with Peter Marshall.

As for HS, how much of it exists? Wouldn't most of it have been destroyed in that NBC tape library fire in, when was it, 1977? And what is the status of the post-NBC daily syndicated version?

I believe GSN had about 130 nighttime episodes. Supposedly more exist. I've seen both daytime and nighttime versions of HS on YouTube.

[TimK2003]

I think a 24-hour Match Game channel is possible. Perhaps a Family Feud channel? They have enough eps of each.

Where acquiring another company's library is concerned, since they're airing the MG/HS Hour, it would be logical for Buzzr to try to get the original Hollywood Squares with Peter Marshall.

I think Feud is more likely than MG - mainly Dawson-era, but they can throw in a mix of the others.

As another poster said, Fremantle has a 24/7 Harvey Feud Channel already on some of the Pluto-esque channels -- adding a 2nd channel of classic Feud IMHO would really be stretching that franchise thin.

Perhaps with a 24/7 MG Channel (with that show being Buzzr's meat and potatoes), Buzzr can clear some of the current MG (Marathon) timeslots and add more Dawson/Combs Feud and/or some other G-T offerings.  And with all the MG '7x shows already converted to digital, they already have several days, if not weeks worth of episodes to fill a 24/7 Channel from the get go.  Then put the newly-converted MG's on Buzzr.

And since MGM is looking to sell off their TV properties, which would include most of the Heatter-Quigley shows, Fremantle could potentially add those shows to their camp and create new versions of High Rollers, Gambit, To Say The Least, etc.  Not sure of HSq as IIRC, King World owns those rights, but then again, as we have seen, ANYTHING can happen nowadays.

And as far as Mike Richards shaking up the Wheel franchise, I think once these primetime Celebrity episodes show up and viewers see that the show can be a more festive atmosphere with personality and not "robotic" letter calling I think there will be a push to freshen up the syndicated version.

[Denials]

Was Karn-era Feud that bad?

I would say...yes.