NBC renews Tonight Show....

[TLEberle]

Jeopardy is too far for you? Maybe the shows you’re watching aren’t the problem.

[urbanpreppie05]

The media hypes up the return of classic shows, then when they actually get on the air they're unwatchable. Family Feud is probably the only show I don't turn off if I'm flipping through channels. TPIR, J!, WoF, just gone too far for me.

So here's my question- and its not just you...what are they supposed to do then? These shows have been in the public eye for decades...audiences have changed, and even the longest running shows made changes every few years in set, music, themes and other areas- back in the 70s and 80s. Why is it that now some game show fans are so anti- ANY changes whatsoever? We are in a literal renaissance of game shows that are evolutions of old formats.

[nowhammies10]

We are in a literal renaissance of game shows that are evolutions of old formats.

Couldn't agree more. And what's more, most of the showrunners on these fresh revivals are longtime fans of the genre. There's a delicate balance that they have to find between "fresh and exciting" and "nostalgia fangorn".  Personally, the standout of the current crop that hits the mark the best is Pyramid. Yes, there are some of the trappings of the modern "Who Wants To Be Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" trends, but that's mostly extended to the lighting design which doesn't take anything away from the overall gameplay.  There's still the "plonk, plonk, plonk" timer cue and they're still spinning trilons by hand from behind the pyramids.  It feels like a perfect evolution of the classic show.

/the less said about Donnymid the better
//damn you forum software, I wanted to link the video of Alex Trebek saying "genre"

[JasonA1]

Why is it that now some game show fans are so anti- ANY changes whatsoever?

It's not new. This wasn't the straw that broke the camel's back, but people on ATGS used to complain that Match Game '98 had no on-stage score displays. Hardly affected the quality of the show, but there it was.

IMO, I think a great number of fans have since developed a more educated palate, if you will, as to what makes or breaks a game show.

-Jason

[Argo]

Fair do's.

It just seemed for a long time that every "new" game show looked the same. Every show tried to be another WWTBAM. The sets were all dark, space-aged and overdramatized with sounds and special effects. It does make sense that it was the style for everything at the time I guess. It just seemed that the fun aspect of games was taken away and everything became too serious because of the amount of money at stake.

I guess I'm still not over the shock of Drew's TPIR. Going from an on air style that (other than colour schemes) didn't change for 35 years, making such a drastic change in production really pushed me away. The over the top contestants don't help either, but the last few years of Barker's was hard to watch too. It feels like yesterday, but Drew took over 14 years ago. Seeing the older game shows on GSN, BUZZR, YouTube, they're fresh in a lot of people's minds, so new editions of the "classics" are unfairly scrutinized. For those who like the classics done the classic way it's a bit of a struggle. When Fallon does Password in the same style as Ludden Password, even with a similar set and people can see the original on another channel, there is obviously going to be an unfair comparison. If Barker TPIR was airing alongside Carey TPIR, the same thing.

Sometimes it's good to see the originals. Other times it's hard to move forward when the originals were so good and are still on the air.

Of course as always, just my opinion. We all have one and we know how good that is....

[NickintheATL]

IMO, I think that you can have basic gameplay with a new-ish look.

Should the show be just like it was in the 1960's?
Nope. That isn't sustainable.

Should the show have a relaxed feel reminiscent of those times but catered to more modern sensibilities?
Maybe that will work.

My fear is that it'll end up like every other NBC game show in that it'll be overhyped and overdramatized to death.

[Sodboy13]

Hear me out...a late-night, lowish stakes version to replace Lilly Singh's show or for Peacock. By "lowish", I mean under $10K.

The more I think about this, the more I like it. Password is a parlor game; lean into that vibe. Call it "Password at (Host name)'s." Make it part talk show, part game show. Book your celebs for the week and make it a hangout, integrating a couple of games a night at a casual pace. You don't need to get in big names, you just need to book people who get the concept and can make it interesting, and a host who can wrangle it. It's a throwback to a game show from the '60s, but it's also a throwback to the era of late-night talk where not every guest had a new project to push.

This is, I think, a good time to give something like that a go; celebrity and pop culture are becoming so fractured and micro-targeted that you don't need that mass-market big star to attract what counts as a sustainable audience in 2021, especially at 1:35am Eastern. Andy Cohen's showing proof of concept nightly with a bunch of "Bravo-lebrities" and a rotation of C/D-listers willing to go along for the ride.

[chargeradiocom]

It's not new. This wasn't the straw that broke the camel's back, but people on ATGS used to complain that Match Game '98 had no on-stage score displays. Hardly affected the quality of the show, but there it was.

Of all the things about MG ‘98 to complain about, they choose that?

I know; some folks aren’t happy unless they have something to nitpick. Especially fandom of any kind.

IMO, I think that you can have basic gameplay with a new-ish look.

Should the show be just like it was in the 1960's?
Nope. That isn't sustainable.

Should the show have a relaxed feel reminiscent of those times but catered to more modern sensibilities?
Maybe that will work.

My fear is that it'll end up like every other NBC game show in that it'll be overhyped and overdramatized to death.

This is pretty much where I’m at. I do think Jimmy understands & respects the classic version, and if they leave him alone to do his thing, it will be fine. But if NBC starts fiddling around with it, I dread the results a bit.

One thing, though... Do we know for certain that this is for NBC network TV, and not for syndication under the NBCU distribution umbrella? If it’s for syndication, we’re probably more likely to get a lower-stakes game that’s closer to the classic, with a modern sensibility.

[chris319]

If Fremantle is involved it'll be a train wreck.

They do a really good job with it on his show.

I can't say I agree. It's what I would expect from first-year TV production students.

As of the last time I saw it, they needed to have a stage carp come in with a saw and cut some slots in the desk for the players to dispose of their passwords.

After the announcer annunciates the password a chime is sounded. This is the cue for play to commence.

When handing the password to the outside contestants, you don't stick your coat sleeve in the face of the inside contestants. I've seen this happen. You reach behind the inside contestants. Even Allen Ludden knew this.

Do they even have a sound effect for an illegal clue, or any sound effects at all?

After Allen had surgery for his stomach cancer, the way his podium was constructed there were corners which poked him in the abdomen every time he leaned forward. Between shows we had a stage carp come in with a saw ant cut off the offending corners. It made things much easier for Allen (but it didn't cure his stomach cancer). I still have one of the pieces that was cut off ... somewhere.

On the real set, there was a little drawer beneath each of the slots in the desktop to act as a receptacle for discarded wallets rather than letting them land on the floor. The wallets were reused with new passwords inserted.

[chris319]

Unless you're going to play it with a puzzle, Password is such a basic game format, what's to "modernize"? Four players seated at a desk and an emcee. Maybe an off-camera announcer. Pick a word, give it to the players and off you go. Play to 25 points. A million-dollar grand prize? Motorized Spotlights? Overwrought suspense music? Yawn.

Don't book Kitty Carlisle or Bennett Cerf as celebrities.

Seriously, as with any game show, test the contestants beforehand to make sure they can play the game competently

If it's Fremantle, give the players some Fremantle Contestant Elixir, recipe below:

1 quart Red Bull

1 cup sugar

1 bottle NoDoz pills, finely ground (for the caffeine)

Mix well

Have contestants drink the entire quart before their appearance.

[Clay Zambo]

This wasn't the straw that broke the camel's back, but people on ATGS used to complain that Match Game '98 had no on-stage score displays.

-Jason

Aw, man, why'd you have to go and bring up those missing score displays?!?!? Now I'm gonna be mad all day about how their absence ruined that show!

[BillCullen1]

When handing the password to the outside contestants, you don't stick your coat sleeve in the face of the inside contestants. I've seen this happen. You reach behind the inside contestants. Even Allen Ludden knew this. 

I read in Adam's book that they had production meetings at G-T's offices just to discuss this aspect of the game. Password was play tested with everyone they could find, including Kitty and Bennett.

[chris319]

I read in Adam's book that they had production meetings at G-T's offices just to discuss this aspect of the game. Password was play tested with everyone they could find, including Kitty and Bennett.

In those meetings they also discussed Allen's gesture of extending his hand toward the camera. Goodson, Bob Stewart and Frank Wayne all agreed that it was OK as long as Allen didn't print the password on the palm of his hand.

They also agreed never to show Dr. Reason A. Goodwin on camera because he didn't have an AFTRA card. For that same reason they decided to have Dr. Goodwin use the buzzer from I've Got A Secret rather than saying "mrrrp" into a microphone which would have required an AFTRA card.

Does Adam cover any of that in his book?

https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/dr-reason-a-goodwin-linguist-and-word-authority-for-the-news-photo/536918000