Shaq to co-host new game show for ABC

[TimK2003]

Most Celebrity (or Celebrity + immediate family/close friends) shows that played for charity up until the last 20-some years (IIRC) were either played on shows which aired on daytime or the early prime hours on local affiliates.  Dawson Feud, I believe, was the lone exception, but it centered more around specific TV show rivalries or TV families than actual specific celebrity families.

Those celebrity-charity episodes outside of primetime were either used for special weeks which added a little glitz and change of pace to regular civilian gameplay and/or ratings sweep weeks. 

Or, in the case of Celebrity Bullseye, (etal...)  it was alast ditch effort to save what ratings they had left

If you want nothing but celebrity players on a primetime game show, either play for a random member of the studio audience, or for viewers who enter for a chance to win from home.  Or do a charity / civilian winnings split.

[MSTieScott]

If you want nothing but celebrity players on a primetime game show, either play for a random member of the studio audience, or for viewers who enter for a chance to win from home.  Or do a charity / civilian winnings split.

While I don't much care about watching celebrities play games to win money for charity, I care even less when they're playing to win money for some random person who's just sitting there. At least I understand why charities should receive thousands of dollars in free money.

Personally, I think the obligation to play for charity often takes the fun out of the game. When a celebrity plays particularly poorly, they visibly feel bad because they prevented a charity from receiving money. And how many times have we heard "I want to keep playing, but I don't want to risk losing all this money for my charity"?

It doesn't work for every format (for example, Millionaire), but if celebrities must be contestants, I think it would be much more fun if each of the charities received an identical, set amount and the celebrities just played the game for points and bragging rights. The fun comes from watching these people who are already very comfortable in front of a camera good-naturedly trash-talking each other and reacting with exaggerated embarrassment when they fail. If somebody loses, who cares? The charities get paid either way.

[steveleb]

The ratings trajectory of syndie Millionaire was consistent decline despite several
Changes in format and host.  More importantly, the station group stopped believing in it.  The data was fairly cut and dried.  The qualitative feedback was where the boredom was expressed. 

[Loogaroo]

I don't think it's fair to say that syndie Millionaire's inevitable demise means that audiences are no longer interested in average folks playing the game for the advertised prize. Consider that:

- The show had rotated out three different hosts in the past four seasons
- They had just reverted back to the old format after drastically altering the game in seasons prior, which likely turned people off of the show (I know it did for me)
- They completely ditched the graphical and musical motifs of the show in the final season, further increasing the chances of alienating fans
- Nobody had seen a million-dollar question since 2013 (Josina Reeves), nobody had actually won a million dollars since 2009 (Sam Murray, winner of the "Tournament of Ten"), and nobody had actually cleared a full stack of questions since 2003 (Nancy Christy). When nobody sniffs your top prize for five years, people get bored.

[TimK2003]

I don't think it's fair to say that syndie Millionaire's inevitable demise means that audiences are no longer interested in average folks playing the game for the advertised prize. Consider that:

- The show had rotated out three different hosts in the past four seasons

Terry Crews got on my nerves because he overhyped/screamed a lot (not needed).

Cedric was on the other end of the spectrum --  I thought he was too laid back and looked bored as host.

When Chris H.  was brought in to even up the ship, it was too late to save the show.

[Kevin Prather]

When ChrisT. [sic] was brought in to even up the ship, it was too late to save the show.

He hosted for four seasons and got two Emmy nominations.

[parliboy]

When ChrisT. [sic] was brought in to even up the ship, it was too late to save the show.

He hosted for four seasons and got two Emmy nominations.

The competition for Emmy nominations was awfully thin in that category during that time period.  They gave a nom to Billy Gardell in 2016.

[TimK2003]

I only remember him doing one season.  Likely my local market either buried it in the overnight or dropped it after Chris H's first year in the chair.  But again, by that time Terry and Cedric took Millionaire off my "Appointment TV" schedule.

[BrandonFG]

IMO what made the show work originally was its "anyone can play" aspect, thanks in part to the phone game. You didn't get so many out-of-work actors and caricatures. Maybe it was a product of its time, but IMO the overuse of the celebrity format killed the charm. The first celebrity tournament with Ray Romano, Norm MacDonald, etc. was fun, but it became a crutch.

Other than ratings, I dunno what killed the daytime show other than it got stale and turned into a generic trivia game. That and the fact that a million dollars isn't really a novelty prize for a game show anymore. It would be great to win, but so many shows have offered it as a top prize. IMO, winning seven-figures has become so routine on other shows that even if someone had won the top prize it was no longer a watercooler moment.

Terry was an awful fit for the show because he yelled too much. I don't remember much about Cedric, but it felt like the producers only wanted him because Steve Harvey was doing so well on Feud, which is apples and oranges given the two formats.

As for Shaq, he's great on Inside the NBA, but whether he would make for a good question reader remains to be seen. Obviously, time will tell but it's not like this is the first or the last time someone felt uneasy about a hosting decision.

[Joe Mello]

As for Shaq, he's great on Inside the NBA, but whether he would make for a good question reader remains to be seen. Obviously, time will tell but it's not like this is the first or the last time someone felt uneasy about a hosting decision.

I think him being a co-host should be fine. Shaq seems to be at his best when he has someone or something to play off of.

/Story of his career, amirite?

[Kevin Prather]

I'm guessing Gina Rodriguez will be filling the Jeannie Mai role of doing the actual heavy lifting.

[Nick]

It doesn't work for every format (for example, Millionaire), but if celebrities must be contestants, I think it would be much more fun if each of the charities received an identical, set amount and the celebrities just played the game for points and bragging rights. The fun comes from watching these people who are already very comfortable in front of a camera good-naturedly trash-talking each other and reacting with exaggerated embarrassment when they fail. If somebody loses, who cares? The charities get paid either way.

From my perspective, this was the problem with celebrity Millionaire back in the day, with two-thirds of the game being a joke since they were very open about the fact that everybody who made it into the Hot Seat was guaranteed $32,000 for their charity of choice, and only the last five questions on the ladder really counted for anything.  I get that "all celebrity specials" for game shows are not meant to be taken too seriously as far as the gameplay is concerned, but I think you need to keep some element of true competition in the game.  This is why Celebrity Jeopardy! (much as I don't like it, or celebrities playing in place of civilian contestants on any game show for that matter), at least, works since it's still played mostly straight.

/Still can't believe how badly Wolf Blitzer played.
//Still can't believe they gave him a thousand bucks to play Final Jeopardy!.  Shoulda' been forced to take the walk of shame off the stage to that tune of "Weird Al" Yankovic if ya ask me.

[Neumms]

I know several people who won money in the latter half of the run of engagement, and you have lots of people who were earning a salary from the show.

That’s terrific, really it is, but I’m looking at this from a viewer’s perspective. Loogaroo laid out reasons it got tired. Millionaire was so big, it was probably likely to fade. Not to sound callous, but cancelling The $1,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime put people out of work, too.

I don’t see Shaq as a possible Strahan. Strahan is the Joe Garagiola of the modern age. He handles the Pyramid really well.

Shaq mumbles to the point closed captioning doesn’t work. (I’ve tried it.) He’s funny as Barkley’s foil, but he doesn’t generate the comedy, and Ernie’s the one responsible for running the show.

I realize I’m pre-judging, but heck, every night on the pregame show, Shaq pre-judges. If I’m wrong—I hope I am because Lucky 13 sounds cool—I’ll admit it, same as Sir Charles confessed he was wrong about my Timberwolves. Naz Reid.

[vexer6]

I know several people who won money in the latter half of the run of engagement, and you have lots of people who were earning a salary from the show.

That’s terrific, really it is, but I’m looking at this from a viewer’s perspective. Loogaroo laid out reasons it got tired. Millionaire was so big, it was probably likely to fade. Not to sound callous, but cancelling The $1,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime put people out of work, too.

I don’t see Shaq as a possible Strahan. Strahan is the Joe Garagiola of the modern age. He handles the Pyramid really well.

Shaq mumbles to the point closed captioning doesn’t work. (I’ve tried it.) He’s funny as Barkley’s foil, but he doesn’t generate the comedy, and Ernie’s the one responsible for running the show.

I realize I’m pre-judging, but heck, every night on the pregame show, Shaq pre-judges. If I’m wrong—I hope I am because Lucky 13 sounds cool—I’ll admit it, same as Sir Charles confessed he was wrong about my Timberwolves. Naz Reid.

Yeah i'm still sore about Chance of a Lifetime getting canned before it became a full series.

[JasonA1]

Yeah i'm still sore about Chance of a Lifetime getting canned before it became a full series.

I'm pretty sure that post was referencing the Jim Lange word game, though getting to remember the Credit Card Question for a second wasn't bad either.

-Jason