Would it have been better...

[JMFabiano]

And NO, I don't mean business wise, I mean in terms of quality.  Would the direction GSN would have gone with Michael Fleming still around be better or worse than the new-look GSN?  In other words, would All New 3's a Crowd, Aliens Ate My Game Show, but B&E, Password, etc. still in place be an improvement over Fake A Date, Kenny vs. Spenny, and Mole and Dog Eat Dog reruns?

[Chelsea Thrasher]

Let's compare how things turned out, then we'll get to how things might've been:

Best of Fleming Tenure:
Hollywood Showdown
Lots of "vault" classics exposure

Best of Cronin Tenure:
Lingo, Russian Roulette
Lots of Acquisitions in Late 2001/Early 2002

Worst of Fleming Tenure:
Newlywed Game/Family Feud/Match Game overplayed
They *let* TPiR expire (At a renewal price far cheaper than Fremantle wants now)
Aliens Ate My Game show and Hell Yes I'm a Redneck were on the Development slate
DJ Games.

Worst of Cronin Tenure:
Love Connection/Family Feud/Match Game overplayed
They let Marshall HS expire (WLOD too, but it's less important)
Extreme Dodgeball on the Development Slate
The Change-over to a more reality-based format (Remember, the originals once started out in the 10 PM neighboorhood TOO, and wound up for one brief time to compromise 47% of the schedule around the time ratings tanked).
Kenny vs. Spenny, SpyTV, Average Joe....(I think that Mole and Blackjack are good...but not GREAT, so they didn't get listed with the best)

Until this whole "Network for Games" business started, I would've said Cronin.  Now, I say we would've been screwed eventually one way or another.   Actually, with Fleming, I believe we would have just been stuck in an endless cycle of "4 Crappy Shows and 1 Good one debut, the 4 get cancelled in 6 months the one stays around for years" cycle, with the entire vault being cycled at points.       I'm going to say Fleming, by an absolutely infinitessimal margin

[Ian Wallis]

Until this whole "Network for Games" business started, I would've said Cronin. Now, I say we would've been screwed eventually one way or another. Actually, with Fleming, I believe we would have just been stuck in an endless cycle of "4 Crappy Shows and 1 Good one debut, the 4 get cancelled in 6 months the one stays around for years" cycle, with the entire vault being cycled at points. I'm going to say Fleming, by an absolutely infinitessimal margin

While I agree with the assessment, you'd have to wonder if things would have gone the way they are now eventually anyway.  If it really was the big bosses at Sony that wanted to find another direction to go in to try to increase the audience, would it have mattered if someone else was in charge?

Having said that, there's a lot more Cronin *could* do when it comes to cycling the entire vault.  When he first started he came on with a bang - acquiring "Press Your Luck" and "Let's Make a Deal" (even with the limited episodes), and putting on a couple of decent originals - but it seems it's been all downhill since.  He sticks with the *same* vault shows over and over.  I doubt that much else from the vault will ever be shown again - apart from what's on the schedule now.

I think I agree that it might have been better with Fleming.

[beatlefreak84]

Obviously, this is a weighted question.  If you look at it from a completely business standpoint, the winner is Cronin by a longshot.  His originals and direction in which he moved the network, while we won't know the full repercussions of this shift in programming for a while, have taken the network and moved it, according to ratings posted in another post, almost consistently in the top-40.

I like the side-by-side comparison that Seth made; I think he covered most everything, both good and bad, that both did.  If I let the classic game show nut speak, then I'd probably say the Fleming era was better because I don't think we'll ever see shows like "Bumper Stumpers," "Go!," "Chain Reaction," etc. on the regular schedule again.  However, look at what Cronin gave us:  Marshall HS, LMAD, and, of course, PYL, the most sought-after package of reruns by most casual game show watchers.  While I can take or leave LC, it's no worse than Burt Luddin or AN3AC.

This has to be one of the toughest questions posed because Cronin is certainly the winner via business, but Fleming wins if we consider who devoted more of the schedule to the classic game show nut like us (!).

Nevertheless, I would find it almost unbelievable if GSN were still in existence today if Fleming were still at the helm; now, most everybody knows what GSN is as opposed to the response, "There's a network like that?  Who knew?"

In summary, I pick Cronin.  Despite the fact that I got to see way more classics in the Fleming era, Cronin's direction will keep GSN going for quite a while, and who's to say what the future will hold?  Hopefully, we can stuff the ballot box and make them dust some stuff off for the FOF, if they do it again this year!  

Anthony

[ilb4ever2000]

While I agree with the assessment, you'd have to wonder if things would have gone the way they are now eventually anyway. If it really was the big bosses at Sony that wanted to find another direction to go in to try to increase the audience, would it have mattered if someone else was in charge?

IIRC, Fleming considered calling GSN "The Games Network".

[uncamark]

I really think that it's six of one, half-a-dozen of the other.  Sooner or later, Sony was going to demand a change of direction and Rich Cronin only delayed the inevitable for two-and-a-half years.  If Liberty hadn't come aboard, the change in direction would've happened a lot sooner.

And, as some of us have pointed out again and again, except for the new logo, the new graphics package and the new reality block at 10 p.m., the new GSN is pretty much the same as the old Game Show Network.  If there was any indications other than online unscientific polls that B&E shows could draw the desired audiences, they would've left them on.  Just a reminder:  Michael Fleming, with Sony's presumed approval, was not going to spend money for acquisitions.  Rich Cronin, with the approval of both Sony and Liberty, spent money for acquisitions *and* original programming.

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'beatlefreak84\' date=\'Mar 17 2004, 12:51 PM\'] However, look at what Cronin gave us:  Marshall HS, LMAD, and, of course, PYL, the most sought-after package of reruns by most casual game show watchers. [/quote]
 No, it was the most-sought out package of reruns by the "Tomarkanites".  Many others would rather see the original Jeopardy!, etc.....

It's cold--but I could care less about seeing PYL on the network.

[Steve Gavazzi]

[quote name=\'Dsmith\' date=\'Mar 18 2004, 02:25 AM\'] No, [PYL] was the most-sought out package of reruns by the "Tomarkanites".  Many others would rather see the original Jeopardy!, etc..... [/quote]
 I'm sorry, but that's just a ridiculous notion.  Most casual game show watchers think the current run of Jeopardy! is the original.

[Tony]

[quote name=\'Steve Gavazzi\' date=\'Mar 18 2004, 02:36 AM\'][quote name=\'Dsmith\' date=\'Mar 18 2004, 02:25 AM\'] No, [PYL] was the most-sought out package of reruns by the "Tomarkanites".  Many others would rather see the original Jeopardy!, etc..... [/quote]
I'm sorry, but that's just a ridiculous notion.  Most casual game show watchers think the current run of Jeopardy! is the original.[/quote]
Not to mention the fact that the original Jeopardy! is presumed lost.
Also, I don't know where Don Smith gets this "many others" business, which wouldn't hold water outside of our small group.  The expense of searching the vaults for the original Jeopardy! (assuming it even exists) would not be worth the small returns in audience.  They already tried this with the original Hollywood Squares, and look where that is now.
Which is not to say that I would not enjoy seeing the original Jeopardy!, since I also enjoyed seeing the original Squares during the one year I had access to GSN.