Jay Pharoah to host "The Quiz with Balls" for Fox, summer 2024

[Joe Mello]

This is a crutch a lotta modern shows - especially GSN - lean on way too much and it starts feeling cliche after a while. How many times do people need to hear that someone is gonna take a trip or buy a car with the money, and it’s the drawn out conversation I referred to that could go towards more gameplay.

There's a significantly larger than zero chance that even if they didn't ask before, they'd ask after.

[BrandonFG]

And another thing: Outside of Price, Wheel, J! and Feud, what is with the aversion to revealing contestants' last names these days?  It's an important part of one's identity.  There's just this feeling of authenticity when you let contestants be more than just a first name.  Is it supposed to be some kind of security thing against identity theft or what?  Because showing yourself on broadcast television is not doing much to hide your identity in the first place.

I’m sure it’s that and the fact that people are weirdos on the internet. Why give an extra layer to their identities?

[chrisholland03]

A friend of mine's mother was on $25000 Pyramid.  When it reaired on GSN she had all kinds of weird interactions. 
Thankfully it was only a couple of weeks in duration.

[Loogaroo]

Social media has made it so much easier to not just track people down, but seriously interfere with their lives, simply by knowing their first and last names. Of course, there are a lot of female contestants out there who appreciate the anonymity of not having their full names out there, but I can also think of a recent Jeopardy! champion who got raked over the coals simply because of his facial hair.

Reality shows like Survivor and Big Brother are running into this issue as well - Jeff Probst recently mentioned that they don't cast "villains" anymore because viewers with nothing better to do will take things too seriously and abuse someone for things that were said and done while playing a game.

[BrandonFG]

This is a crutch a lotta modern shows - especially GSN - lean on way too much and it starts feeling cliche after a while. How many times do people need to hear that someone is gonna take a trip or buy a car with the money, and it’s the drawn out conversation I referred to that could go towards more gameplay.

There's a significantly larger than zero chance that even if they didn't ask before, they'd ask after.

At least it wouldn't be every single episode, given how seldom GSN shows seem to give away the top prize. I know shows aren't spontaneous like they were 40 years ago, but it's almost like GSN is afraid to deviate from the template even once.

[steveleb]

The reason game shows did away with the use of last names was the advent of the internet which allowed people to geolocate people ‘s addresses. In some early cases fans (stalkers?) actually showed up at million dollar winners’ homes.  No sad incident occurred, but that was also before our world got nuttier. I sure as hell wouldn’t want a jealous or angry fan to know where I live. Especially if that person champions the second amendment.

And in response to those who want to blindly defend your g-d-given right to pass judgement sight unseen, you of course have the right to do that.  The more educated and ultimately informed way is to actually use the eye test, or do research.  Forgive me, I made a living from research and determining how other people besides myself feel.  From my experience, such an approach makes you smarter and ultimately allows you to make a more informed decision.  But y’all can continue to prejudge all you want….

[TLEberle]

The reason game shows did away with the use of last names was the advent of the internet which allowed people to geolocate people ‘s addresses. In some early cases fans (stalkers?) actually showed up at million dollar winners’ homes.  No sad incident occurred, but that was also before our world got nuttier. I sure as hell wouldn’t want a jealous or angry fan to know where I live. Especially if that person champions the second amendment.

not sure what 2a has to do with anything, Steve. Trespass and stalking are already illegal.

My understanding is that Ed Toutant came home one day after his resurrection game/coup and found an envelope from Federal Express wedged into his door, and in that envelope was his net proceeds of about $1.4 million. Lucky that he got home when he did.

And to go back to Nick, that says nothing of a particularly skeezy member of our circle who would seek out distaff winners on Jeopardy and congratulate them.

[Loogaroo]

And to go back to Nick, that says nothing of a particularly skeezy member of our circle who would seek out distaff winners on Jeopardy and congratulate them.

Or, as I remember, someone who tracked down a contestant from an infamous game show episode that had aired 30 years prior and gave her an unsolicited invitation to a convention where my friends and I were hosting an event.

[Nick]

I’m sure it’s that and the fact that people are weirdos on the internet. Why give an extra layer to their identities?

Humanizing.  Too many game shows produced today come across as too generic too deliberately, especially in the case of GSN originals.  A last name does a lot to make a person human.  True as that reasoning behind a first-name-only basis may be, my point still remains that other shows have been doing it, and while I suppose there have been some incidents initiated by crazy people, it's all outside the show's control and something I am sure you could never sue the producers or the network for anyway as you probably waived that right somewhere in the contestant release.  If it was really that bad, the others would have stopped it too.  Either way, my point also stands that you waive a certain amount of personal privacy when you go on television.  It's like winning the lottery.  The prizes, unfortunately, can't buy you privacy.

I sure as hell wouldn’t want a jealous or angry fan to know where I live.

I don't think you have either of those about which to worry.  Ten villains however...

Or, as I remember, someone who tracked down a contestant from an infamous game show episode that had aired 30 years prior and gave her an unsolicited invitation to a convention where my friends and I were hosting an event.

I've no idea who said contestant was, who extended said invitation or what said event was.  I could see there potentially being such a scenario where such an invitation would be warmly received, but I gather that was not the case in this instance, and that perhaps should have been obvious, but I don't know the context.

[BrandonFG]

Humanizing.  Too many game shows produced today come across as too generic too deliberately, especially in the case of GSN originals.  A last name does a lot to make a person human.  True as that reasoning behind a first-name-only basis may be, my point still remains that other shows have been doing it, and while I suppose there have been some incidents initiated by crazy people, it's all outside the show's control and something I am sure you could never sue the producers or the network for anyway as you probably waived that right somewhere in the contestant release.  If it was really that bad, the others would have stopped it too.

Did you read any of what anyone said, specifically the part about people being harassed? It's not 1975 anymore; the ways to track someone down are much more advanced if not more dangerous. Just because you feel it's your God-given right to know a contestant's full government name doesn't mean it should happen. People are crazy. It's one thing to look up a contestant to maybe alert them to their appearance. It's another thing to pester them.

Either way, my point also stands that you waive a certain amount of personal privacy when you go on television.  It's like winning the lottery.  The prizes, unfortunately, can't buy you privacy.

You're trolling right? No? Fine. Amy Schneider got robbed at gunpoint not long after her J! appearance. By your logic, she must've had it coming. Maybe I need sleep but your comment comes across as saying contestants deserve what potential fate may come their way. A game show contestant still deserves some level of privacy just like any movie or TV star.

And I don't know how they do in Canada, but many states grant you anonymity when you hit the lottery, at least after you win a certain amount. Mainly because, well y'know...people are crazy.

[tyshaun1]

A lot of "back in my day rhetoric".

Nick, a lot of the opinions you offer seem to go a long way to say "Why don't they produce game shows exactly the way they did them in the 70's and 80's?" While I'm a product of that era too, I also understand that times have changed and the people who watch games today did not grow up in that era. The one aspect you keep harping on is last names... who the heck really cares? A personality is not defined by one either way, and if they're memorable enough, they often get noticed by the media (local or national) anyway.

[Dbacksfan12]

A lot of "back in my day rhetoric".

The one aspect you keep harping on is last names.

The irony(?) is that his user name is “Nick” and not Nick <last name>.

So with that, I propose that all users on this board be forced to share their last names, starting with Nick.

[Nick]

Amy Schneider got robbed at gunpoint not long after her J! appearance. By your logic, she must've had it coming. Maybe I need sleep but your comment comes across as saying contestants deserve what potential fate may come their way. A game show contestant still deserves some level of privacy just like any movie or TV star.

I admit I was unaware of that incident, but allow me to be clear that is not what I was saying.  Yes, personal privacy is not waived by a television appearance.  I would say anonymity is, to a certain degree.  If the concern is people are crazy (and indeed they are), perhaps we should be looking at why that is so much more in society now.  Perhaps publishing all of your life for the world to see on social media is not such a good thing after all.

And I don't know how they do in Canada, but many states grant you anonymity when you hit the lottery, at least after you win a certain amount. Mainly because, well y'know...people are crazy.

They do not do that in Canada, though it would certainly have merit.

The one aspect you keep harping on is last names... who the heck really cares?

I do, but that's an opinion I am allowed to have, and I wouldn't say I've been harping on it when I've only ever discussed it in this thread.

I propose that all users on this board be forced to share their last names, starting with Nick.

I like how it's a testament to the age of this board that usernames are used here, as there was a time and place where it was understood that publishing your personal information, such as your full name, for all to see on the Web was unadvisable.  I wonder why people gave up on that one...

[Kevin Prather]

Perhaps publishing all of your life for the world to see on social media is not such a good thing after all.

Jesus Christ, more victim blaming.

[BrandonFG]

Nick, let’s say you’re on a game show. They identify you as Nick Johnson from Toronto. Your question is “Who is the villain in ‘Moby Dick’?” and instead of Captain Ahab you say Cap’n Crunch. And now you - as well as other guys named Nick Johnson - start getting messages from random people calling you a dumbass. That would be pretty annoying, right? It’s not just something you brought on yourself. It’s legit obnoxious.

Now put yourself in the shoes of anyone who just wanted to win a little money to buy a car or pay off their student loans or finance their wedding. Never mind the attractive women getting unsolicited DMs from creepy neckbeards.