Goodson-Todman Library Expiring?

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Jun 15 2004, 10:27 AM\'][quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Jun 15 2004, 12:25 AM\'] While the ratings are presumably higher, it's not what I want to watch, so why root for them to take that path? [/quote]
Because if they outright fail, you know what someone is gonna say when the idea of an AMC2 is floated in the future?

"AMC tanked, why should we throw good money after bad?"[/quote]
In a way, WE *is* AMC2, since it was originally the spinoff channel Romance Classics.

AMC has also floated around as possible spinoff channels American Pop (built around 50s and 60s movies and TV) and an all-classics channel that was announced as under consideration when the rebranding was first announced (but has yet to take fruition).  Something tells me that at this point Rainbow's more interested in seeing what paths HD and video-on-demand are going to take before putting out any more possible channels.

[inturnaround]

Rainbow is too busy managing the money pit called VOOM- the HD-centric satellite service to do anything new for anyone but them. They launched all these proprietary HD channels they now have to support with content.

Word is that they want to spinoff VOOM as soon as possible which isn't surprising since it's been a huge money loser for them so far.

[Mike Tennant]

[quote name=\'inturnaround\' date=\'Jun 15 2004, 08:08 AM\']I think if the price is right, then GSN wants it.[/quote]
No pun intended, of course.

[AH3RD]

And there are also stacks and stacks, and stacks of episodes of several other classic game shows---oldies-but-goodies like Tic Tac Dough, The Joker's Wild, Bullseye, The $20,000 Pyramid, The New $25,000 Pyramid, The Dating Game, and The Gong Show---just sitting idle in GSNŽ's vaults gathering dust, begging to be shown again.

Given GSNŽ's current direction in programming, they may never get the chance.

[aaron sica]

[quote name=\'AH3RD\' date=\'Jun 22 2004, 05:36 PM\'] And there are also stacks and stacks, and stacks of episodes of several other classic game shows---oldies-but-goodies like Tic Tac Dough, The Joker's Wild, Bullseye, The $20,000 Pyramid, The New $25,000 Pyramid, The Dating Game, and The Gong Show---just sitting idle in GSNŽ's vaults gathering dust, begging to be shown again.
. [/quote]
 Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a hurdle with showing "Gong Show" again the music clearances?

[RMF]

[quote name=\'aaron sica\' date=\'Jun 22 2004, 04:43 PM\'] Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a hurdle with showing "Gong Show" again the music clearances? [/quote]
 Correct, and there are similar issues with the 1970's run of "Treasure Hunt".

[CaseyAbell]

see the dilemma with GSN as somewhat similar to the situation with AMC (formerly American Movie Classics). I used to really like that channel because I am a fan of movies of the '30's and '40's and they used to show them commercial free. The movies shown now are as recent as 2000 and they are interrupted by commercials. While the ratings are presumably higher, it's not what I want to watch, so why root for them to take that path?

You can take out "presumably." AMC's ratings have improved sharply since they started showing more recent movies. From Berman's Mediaweek column for June 3:

"AMC Reaches a New Zenith:
Based on ratings in May, cable network AMC posted its best primetime delivery ever in households (655,000), adults 18-49 (303,000), and adults 25-54 (365,000). Since re-branding, season-to-date household ratings in primetime for AMC are up 15 percent year-to-year."

According to Variety GSN's prime time viewers were also up 28% in May, 2004 over May, 2003.

I agree with Chris Lemon (sure sign of the apocalypse) that rooting for GSN to fail is idiotic for any game show fan. What other network anywhere in the teevee universe shows nearly as many grown-up game shows? I'm happy the network is doing much better in the ratings this year than last. For most of last year GSN really was in deep Nielsen doodoo.

By the way, I saw an interesting story on CableWorld about how hard it is to launch new cable networks:

http://www.cableworld.com/cgi/cw/show_mag....newnetworks.htm

Technology will probably break the bottleneck sooner or later. But for now GSN2 sounds like a pipe dream of mega-dreamy proportions.

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'RMF\' date=\'Jun 22 2004, 10:21 PM\'] [quote name=\'aaron sica\' date=\'Jun 22 2004, 04:43 PM\'] Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a hurdle with showing "Gong Show" again the music clearances? [/quote]
Correct, and there are similar issues with the 1970's run of "Treasure Hunt". [/quote]
 I realize that for the most part GSN's ratings at the time were "less than a width of a Wheaties flake," but you could make the argument that had ratings been stronger for GONG when GSN was running the series every weekday that reupping the licenses would've been a formality.  As it was they were able to clear about half of the episodes in the NBC run for air.  It is only my opinion that GONG wasn't taken off because of the clearance issues, but because management felt that they needed to bring in something "better."  I could be way off base here, of course.

Doug

[Jimmy Owen]

I don't want the new GSN to fail, but it's a little like wanting USA and FAM to succeed just because they also used to show a lot of game shows, or embracing Spike TV because of "Fandango" and "Top Card."  High ratings on Spike is not gonna lead them to bring back "10 Seconds."

[Ian Wallis]

As it was they were able to clear about half of the episodes in the NBC run for air. It is only my opinion that GONG wasn't taken off because of the clearance issues, but because management felt that they needed to bring in something "better." I could be way off base here, of course.

If I'm not mistaken, *most* of the "Gong" episodes that were cleared, GSN ran only once.  It's possible they only got clearances for one airing.

Also, "Gong" debuted on GSN during what some people refer to as "The Dark Period".  When the G-T shows came back in April 1998, "Gong" had a much lower profile, and IIRC was totally gone a few months later.

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Jun 24 2004, 09:58 AM\'] If I'm not mistaken, *most* of the "Gong" episodes that were cleared, GSN ran only once.  It's possible they only got clearances for one airing.

Also, "Gong" debuted on GSN during what some people refer to as "The Dark Period".  When the G-T shows came back in April 1998, "Gong" had a much lower profile, and IIRC was totally gone a few months later. [/quote]
 Great point about the Dark Period regarding GONG.

When I got GSN in June 1998 (which would be two months after the Dark Period ended), the first GONG episode that I saw had aired on NBC originally in May 1977.  By April 1999, they had gotten to that episode again, and were in early April 1978 when GSN pulled the plug in October (only showing five different episodes a week--the weekend showings were reairs from earlier in the week).  So I think it's safe to say that most of the cleared episodes ran twice (and a few may have even been run three times [those airings before I got GSN], not counting episodes aired in subsequent marathons).

I also know that clips from the 1978-79 syndie season (the audience reaction effects are the giveaway between what aired on NBC daytime and what aired in syndication) wound up on AS SEEN ON, but none of those eps ever aired on GSN in their entirety.

Doug

[HairMetalLives]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Jun 23 2004, 09:19 AM\'] I don't want the new GSN to fail, but it's a little like wanting USA and FAM to succeed just because they also used to show a lot of game shows... [/quote]
 Excellent point. I, however, DO want BSN to fail.
And look at it this way, people: There's still tape trading. BSN can't cancel that on us.

[urbanpreppie05]

Excellent point. I, however, DO want BSN to fail.
And look at it this way, people: There's still tape trading. BSN can't cancel that on us.

Does that really make sense? See, Even with all the changes, GSN still carries a lot of classic Game shows- and no other network will carry them. And honestly, I still think they're going to carry many of them.  If this experiment fails miserably, what makes you think they'll instantly go back to just Game shows? That's right, they WON'T. They call it a loss, and pull the plug- and they we wouldn't not have the "hated" reality shows, we wouldn't have classic shows either.

[HairMetalLives]

[quote name=\'urbanpreppie05\' date=\'Jun 24 2004, 07:26 PM\'] what makes you think they'll instantly go back to just Game shows? That's right, they WON'T. [/quote]
 I never said that they would go back to they're good programming. All I said is that I wish ill upon them for giving us the shaft. I think we're screwed as far as their programming. And they're split screen during the credits has reached rediculous proportions. You can't even decipher the copyright date! They give you a little postage stamp for the credits and the other 4/5 of the screen is invaded for plugs for their assonine Prime Time shows! They've royally pissed me off and I seriously hope the go bankrupt! I'm DEAD SERIOUS! And as I stated before: there's always tape trading.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'HairMetalLives\' date=\'Jun 24 2004, 02:46 PM\'] Excellent point. I, however, DO want BSN to fail.
 [/quote]
You already said that once in this thread, I refuted you then, and my opinion (that you have no sense) stands.)

(EDIT: Take that back. I don't know whether you have any sense or not, so for me to say that was premature. I do think you're not thinking reasonably about this, and your opinion demonstrates a ignorance about how the industry works.)