Yeah, we're getting GSN back :)

[Shredder]

Too bad I'm not at the shore house to actually watch it after the cable guy rehooks up our familly cable service for the summer.  

But after dreading all these reality shows heading to GSN, what is actually worth checking out?  I saw MAtch Game last year on a recommendation and it's one of my new favorites...

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'Shredder\' date=\'May 4 2004, 08:22 AM\'] Too bad I'm not at the shore house to actually watch it after the cable guy rehooks up our familly cable service for the summer. 

But after dreading all these reality shows heading to GSN, what is actually worth checking out?  I saw MAtch Game last year on a recommendation and it's one of my new favorites... [/quote]
MG and Feud will stay on GSN for the foreseeable future most likely(at least as long as the Goodson-Todman show license is renewed for). Pyramid and Hollywood Squares(2001-02 season) seem to be leaving the weekday schedule come mid-June. GSN is acquiring Street Smarts and the 2003 revival of Star Search, as well as Average Joe and Dog Eat Dog, for airing this SUmmer as well. As for the current crop of originals, Lingo(though in reruns, and not guaranteed a new series of shows at this point) and World Series of Blackjack are the best of the bunch. Reruns of the Mole and the original show Fake a Date are on the network now, but will leave this Summer. Another new original, Extreme Dodgeball, bows this Summer as well. No word on how long Press Your LUck, Let's Make a Deal, Card Sharks, Blockbusters, the Black and WHite overnight hour, or Wheel and Jeopardy! will stay on the schedule.

[tvwxman]

What's new worth checking out?

Your local library.

[aaron sica]

[quote name=\'tvwxman\' date=\'May 4 2004, 09:39 AM\'] What's new worth checking out?

Your local library. [/quote]
 I feel as if I'm watching CBS Storybreak....

[sshuffield70]

What a pile of garbage this has turned into.

[JerrysFeudinAgain]

When MG and FF leave GSN for good,then there's no point of keeping this channel. TPIR won't come back EVER. Thanks Crorin!   *rolleyes*

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'JerrysFeudinAgain\' date=\'May 4 2004, 12:11 PM\']When MG and FF leave GSN for good,then there's no point of keeping this channel. TPIR won't come back EVER. Thanks Crorin!   *rolleyes*[/quote]
Need I remind you that Rich Cronin had nothing to do with the "TPIR" package leaving GSN--that was his predecessor's doing.  Also, it seems that he would still love to have "TPIR" back--it's Fremantle and CBS who are the ones in the way.

And Rich did fight back the wolves at the door for 2 1/2 years and did his damnest to get people to come to his channel, despite all odds.  It inevitably didn't work in ratings and revenues, but all in all he gave it a bloody go.  In the end, though, in the immortal words of Donald Trump, "It's nothing personal--it's just business."

[Chelsea Thrasher]

Ratings were at an all time high in Early 2003, due Largely to 4 of the 5 originals on the schedule, and an entire slew of classics/classics-related programs.   Rich ordered a slate of original programming & reruns.   Ratings nosedived.

Ratings started an upswing from Oct 2003 to Feb 2003, due largely to Lingo, MG, WWTBAM, and a decently scheduled rest of the lineup.  What happens?   "Game-Related" programming.

I *seriously* don't think the man gets it this time.  I really don't.  When ratings go up, you stay with what WORKS, and expand on THAT.  You don't go and try to change half the network.

[CaseyAbell]

When ratings go up, you stay with what WORKS, and expand on THAT. You don't go and try to change half the network.

True enough, and that's why nowhere near half the network is getting changed. You'll notice that the Three Musketeers which brought the network nice household numbers earlier this year will still get heavy exposure: Millionaire, Lingo and MG.

Sure, GSN is trying some other shows to get younger demos. But they're hardly abandoning the programming that you're praising. Best as I can figure from the Prof's comments, GSN will still show the Boden originals that you liked in early 2003 and the other game shows that you liked in late 2003.

[tyshaun1]

[quote name=\'CaseyAbell\' date=\'May 4 2004, 03:10 PM\']

When ratings go up, you stay with what WORKS, and expand on THAT. You don't go and try to change half the network.

True enough, and that's why nowhere near half the network is getting changed. You'll notice that the Three Musketeers which brought the network nice household numbers earlier this year will still get heavy exposure: Millionaire, Lingo and MG.

Sure, GSN is trying some other shows to get younger demos. But they're hardly abandoning the programming that you're praising. Best as I can figure from the Prof's comments, GSN will still show the Boden originals that you liked in early 2003 and the other game shows that you liked in late 2003. [/quote]
I'm beginning to think Casey is Rich's PR manager. Seriously, with Lingo and MG cut down to 2 eps. a day (and out of prime-time), Pyramid and HSQ leaving (at least) weekdays, and Star Search (twice daily) and Dog Eat Dog gaining weekday berths, how can you say the same programming dominates the sked? And we haven't mentioned that they are eliminating 80's NG and LC. In effect, only 1 show in primetime will remain from March 12th (Millionaire).

[familyfeudfan]

[quote name=\'tyshaun1\' date=\'May 4 2004, 05:36 PM\'] [quote name=\'CaseyAbell\' date=\'May 4 2004, 03:10 PM\']

When ratings go up, you stay with what WORKS, and expand on THAT. You don't go and try to change half the network.

True enough, and that's why nowhere near half the network is getting changed. You'll notice that the Three Musketeers which brought the network nice household numbers earlier this year will still get heavy exposure: Millionaire, Lingo and MG.

Sure, GSN is trying some other shows to get younger demos. But they're hardly abandoning the programming that you're praising. Best as I can figure from the Prof's comments, GSN will still show the Boden originals that you liked in early 2003 and the other game shows that you liked in late 2003. [/quote]
I'm beginning to think Casey is Rich's PR manager. ;) Seriously, with Lingo and MG cut down to 2 eps. a day (and out of prime-time), Pyramid and HSQ leaving (at least) weekdays, and Star Search (twice daily) and Dog Eat Dog gaining weekday berths, how can you say "classic" programming dominates the sked? (And no, Lingo, RR, W!, FOF, Cram, Weakest Link and Millionaire don't count). [/quote]
if only i had game show network before 2002

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'tyshaun1\' date=\'May 4 2004, 05:36 PM\'][quote name=\'CaseyAbell\' date=\'May 4 2004, 03:10 PM\']

When ratings go up, you stay with what WORKS, and expand on THAT. You don't go and try to change half the network.

True enough, and that's why nowhere near half the network is getting changed. You'll notice that the Three Musketeers which brought the network nice household numbers earlier this year will still get heavy exposure: Millionaire, Lingo and MG.

Sure, GSN is trying some other shows to get younger demos. But they're hardly abandoning the programming that you're praising. Best as I can figure from the Prof's comments, GSN will still show the Boden originals that you liked in early 2003 and the other game shows that you liked in late 2003. [/quote]
I'm beginning to think Casey is Rich's PR manager. Seriously, with Lingo and MG cut down to 2 eps. a day (and out of prime-time), Pyramid and HSQ leaving (at least) weekdays, and Star Search (twice daily) and Dog Eat Dog gaining weekday berths, how can you say the same programming dominates the sked? And we haven't mentioned that they are eliminating 80's NG and LC. In effect, only 1 show in primetime will remain from March 12th (Millionaire).[/quote]
*But* that's not going to be permanent--I think that with all of the intentionally short-run originals, there's going to be a lot more frequent programming changes on GSN now.  I don't see them running either "Star Search" (if it's the most recent version, and I'll wait until I see a press release before I believe the Perfesser) or "DED" for a real long time in marquee time slots with such short inventories.

And as pointed out elsewhere, the household numbers are pure "beauty contests"--even at those peaks the median viewer age and the percentages from the older demos were probably still higher than Sony and Liberty wanted (and I still believe that Rich Cronin is simply following the dictates of his corporate masters, which you have to do in the industry).

[JacksonBrowne1980]

GSN is becoming trash every day.  they should get classics and other game shows.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'JacksonBrowne1980\' date=\'May 5 2004, 09:28 AM\'] GSN is becoming trash every day.  they should get classics and other game shows. [/quote]
 But they're not going to, so you should deal with it or find something else to watch.

[CaseyAbell]

I'm beginning to think Casey is Rich's PR manager.

I've already confessed on the GSN board that Cronin pays me seven million dollars to watch the network. If I'm gonna have to do p.r. work, too, I want MORE MORE MORE.

I'll own up to a sneaking interest in some of the new shows - Street Smarts, Dog Eat Dog, Dodgeball, Celeb Blackjack. If that amounts to Cronin p.r., I enter a guilty plea.

Sorry, but Pyramid is the only show I watch that's apparently on the hit list. So no, I'm not pulling my hair out, as one GSN poster announced he would do. But I can understand why the changes aren't going over like gangbusters with GSN's core audience.

As I also related on the GSN board, I took a stroll through TV Land's message boards. This cabler is moving to more recent shows and there are, gasp, rumors of (EEK!) originals. The reaction from some posters is almost word-for-word the same as from some posters on the game show boards. A sample:

"Well, they may as well have left the schedule alone..I don't like this one any better. I wish they would put the 80's shows on nick at nite and give us the classics!"

Which again is completely understandable. You're going to alienate the niche fans when you start moving away from the niche. TV Land sometimes cracks the top 25 ad-supported cablers in household count, something GSN has never achieved. But the network clearly wants younger demos and wouldn't mind a bigger overall audience. So they're risking unhappiness from the core fans for (maybe) bigger rewards down the road.

Sounds familiar.