Summer Game Shows officially axed

[Strikerz04]

Victims include Match Game, Card Sharks, and The Hustler: https://tvline.com/2022/04/01/match-game-cancelled-abc-alec-baldwin-card-sharks-the-hustler/

[JMFabiano]

And all are on my Meh list.  Not terribly interested in MG, as it seemed to have Harvey-itis, and well, anything post Rayburn and CBS never really clicks. 

CS, again, "slow when it should be fast, fast when it should be slow."  Not as botched as 2001, but they wasted the survey questions usually and tried to DOND all the card reveals. 

[BrandonFG]

What James said. MG started off great IMO (I miss summer 2016), but after the first couple seasons it started feeling a little forced at times. It was almost a little too self-aware, and stopped feeling natural.

The Endemauling of CS never sat right with me either, all the way down to the slow reveals and peanut gallery during the Money Cards.

[TimK2003]

Points for the MG reboot in re-creating the 70's motif.
Baldwin and his slew of 30 Rock/SNL panelists really made it feel like an elongated Saturday Night Live skit.

MG'7x set + MG'98 behavior = Baldwin MG.

CS, again, "slow when it should be fast, fast when it should be slow."  Not as botched as 2001, but they wasted the survey questions usually and tried to DOND all the card reveals. 

This. 
McHale never "fit" as the host, plus too much glitz on the set.

Didn't watch enough of The Hustler

[BillCullen1]

MG had a nice run. They probably would have needed to get a new host given Alec's current situation. McHale was way too much of a wise aleck on CS. He made Eubanks look tame. I will not miss the Dating Game at all.

[Otm Shank]

Not a surprise on Match Game. While they said that covid kept them from taping episodes, it was already on the brink, and there is no way they were going back into production with the elephant in the room. I thought it was okay, it really scratched a nostalgic itch, and maybe it has a chance with a different host in 5 years or so.

Disappointed with Card Sharks. There was potential, but the writing was on the wall here. I like Joel McHale, but this seemed more like an improv role to him rather than hosting a game show. Not sure what was up with those frames they used to flip the cards, just give me the Goodson-trademarked wrist snap reveal. I settled in on some of the other changes though, but it just never clicked. Points for the best classic theme reboot since 1982 Pyramid.

Wasn't lured in to watch Dating Game, and it lost any chance with the "you're going to enjoy our all-new celebrity format." Wasn't that a category on the old Jump the Shark site?

[Jeremy Nelson]

MG had a nice run. They probably would have needed to get a new host given Alec's current situation. McHale was way too much of a wise aleck on CS. He made Eubanks look tame. I will not miss the Dating Game at all.

If, by any stretch they were open to keeping MG (which they weren't), they could have easily moved McHale over to MG where he would have been better utilized.

[Stackertosh]

Card Sharks dragged and Joel Mchale looked like he didn't want to be there. They took the fun and excitement from the Perry/Eubanks version and came up with this bore. I always thought Alfonso Ribeiro would've make a good host for this show.


Match Game was ok they had some good celebrities. They tried way too hard to push the button and it looked too forced. Alec wasn't a good host nor funny.

[Jimmy Owen]

Victims include Match Game, Card Sharks, and The Hustler: https://tvline.com/2022/04/01/match-game-cancelled-abc-alec-baldwin-card-sharks-the-hustler/

Victims? Whatever.

[chris319]

The civilians on MG had "wannabe actor working as a waiter" written all over them. Once on they were playing, "look at me ma, I'm on TV", vying for attention in direct competition with the panelists. Too many Froot Loops for breakfast.

On CBS, with a few exceptions the contestants were pretty sedate until they won money and ran to hug Dick Dawson. They left the hijinks to Brett and Charles.

Did they ever cast a contestant over, say, age 40 on this iteration of MG?

[Unrealtor]

Did they ever cast a contestant over, say, age 40 on this iteration of MG?

Yes. My elementary school PE teacher was a contestant on the first season, and given that she was an adult with a college degree roughly 30 years before then, that puts her solidly over the 40 mark.

[Neumms]

The civilians on MG had "wannabe actor working as a waiter" written all over them.

Yup, each with a resume that allows scripted bon mots from Alec upon introduction and spinning off. I generally liked Alec, but having him read jokes off cue cards detracted from a show legendary for spontaneity.

[BrandonFG]

Yup, each with a resume that allows scripted bon mots from Alec upon introduction and spinning off. I generally liked Alec, but having him read jokes off cue cards

I like Alec as an actor, but this - along with him feeling the need to yell "..........TWENTYFIVETHOUSANDDOLLARS!!!" every five minutes - got old very quick. It reminded me of how Louie Anderson and Richard Karn would toss to break on Family Feud with a lame one-liner about the survey question.

I also could never figure out if Alec was playing a character who thought hosting a game show was beneath him, or if he really felt that way.

[chris319]

I also could never figure out if Alec was playing a character who thought hosting a game show was beneath him, or if he really felt that way.

Neither. He was playing himself without a character to hang his hat on.

[Neumms]

I like Alec as an actor, but this - along with him feeling the need to yell "..........TWENTYFIVETHOUSANDDOLLARS!!!" every five minutes - got old very quick. It reminded me of how Louie Anderson and Richard Karn would toss to break on Family Feud with a lame one-liner about the survey question.

I thought his way of saying it was stilted for effect. Producers wanted him to make it a big deal but exclaiming things isn't his style. He's not a zany demonstrative guy. Even the scripted jokes made fun of doing a game show, but as I recall he donated his fee, so he wasn't there against his will.

Richard Karn doubling the points was him trying to be zany because he was nothing else.