A few (hopefully) discussion-provoking topics...

[SamJ93]

1. Your thoughts on this statement:

"Generally speaking, the best game shows are the most popular, and have the simplest, easiest-to-understand concepts."

2. How viable would it be, in your opinion, to have a regular nighttime edition of TPiR on Saturday nights?  They wouldn't all be Million-Dollar Spectaculars, of course, but maybe the prizes could be slightly larger.

3. Unfortunately, traditional game shows seem to be on the decline yet again, with two well-known shows (Pyramid and H2) already on their way out, and even the stalwarts (TPiR, J!, WoF) are beginning to show signs of age.  What do you think is the long-term outlook for the genre...will game shows slowly fade away, with so-called "reality" shows taking their place, or are you optimistic that they will someday make a comeback?

Well, hopefully I haven't ruffled too many feathers...enjoy...

--Sam

[Brandon Brooks]

[quote name=\'SamJ93\' date=\'Jul 5 2004, 07:45 PM\'] 1. Your thoughts on this statement:
 [/quote]
 

"Generally speaking, the best game shows are the most popular, and have the simplest, easiest-to-understand concepts."

I agree.

2. How viable would it be, in your opinion, to have a regular nighttime edition of TPiR on Saturday nights?  They wouldn't all be Million-Dollar Spectaculars, of course, but maybe the prizes could be slightly larger.

Of course, it's viable.  I just don't think it's smart.  It makes the specials not as novel.

3. Unfortunately, traditional game shows seem to be on the decline yet again, with two well-known shows (Pyramid and H2) already on their way out, and even the stalwarts (TPiR, J!, WoF) are beginning to show signs of age.

 
I'm a little upset about H2, but not so much about Pyramid.  The game just wasn't the same.  I really hate when producers believe they have to jazz up a show almost to the point of unrecognition to get the 18-54 demos they crave. And why do you think that WOF and J! "are showing their age?"  What's your basis?

What do you think is the long-term outlook for the genre...will game shows slowly fade away, with so-called "reality" shows taking their place, or are you optimistic that they will someday make a comeback?

This isn't a brain buster.  Game show popularity goes in cycles, period.  

Brandon Brooks

[adamjk]

1. Agreed. I mean let's face it, the 4 game shows that have been the most popular ones really since the mid 70's have been Price, Jeopardy, Wheel, and Match Game. 3 of those 4 shows still are in production. Each of the shows have simple concepts, and you can just be channel surfing, and land on one of these shows, and immediately you can tell what is going on. Also, to add to the original statement, I think the most popular and best game shows out there, are the ones that are really fun to play along with. Granted shows like Password and Pyramid didn't really have that, and they lasted a long time in different incarnations, but not withstanding shows such as those two mentioned, the shows that have longer runs in the end are going to be shows where you can really get involved as a viewer, trying to give the correct question before the players do on Jeopardy for example, or second-guessing a bid on something in contestant's row on Price is Right, etc. That factor alone makes the show much more enjoyable in my opinion.

2. If CBS decided to do that, it would be nice at first, but after a while it would suffer a case of burn-out like the original Millionaire did a few years ago. It's better just to do them at certain points in the year, like they do now.

3. I do not think Wheel, Jeopardy, or Price, are showing their ages at all. Wheel and J, still consistently rank in the top 5 in the syndication ratings each year, most of the time ranking 1 and 2 respectively. Price meanwhile continues to draw strong daytime and nighttime ratings, so how can you say that these shows are showing their age?  If anything, they are just proving that they are that much better then a lot of the standard fare being thrown out there.

As far as game shows slowly fading away goes, I doubt it. Lately, a lot of new shows have been talked about, from Nick's new show Splat which I have not seen yet, Comedy Central's new fare, even a Friday night show on Court TV which is in it's 2nd season from what I hear.  Not to mention On the Cover, and Balderdash on PAX, Street Smarts going into season 5, and syndie Millionaire going into season 3. So no, I don't see game shows fading away at all. The genre seems to be picking up again.

[Don Howard]

1. Your thoughts on this statement:
"Generally speaking, the best game shows are the most popular, and have the simplest, easiest-to-understand concepts."

Right on the money, baby.

2. How viable would it be, in your opinion, to have a regular nighttime edition of TPiR on Saturday nights? They wouldn't all be Million-Dollar Spectaculars, of course, but maybe the prizes could be slightly larger.

They wouldn't be as special if they were a regularly scheduled telecast. Selfishly, as a game show buff, I'd love to see 'em do it every night just like I didn't mind when Millionaire was on three or four times a week (sans celebs) but for the average viewer, the novelty would wear off and it'd be in the yearbook.

3. Unfortunately, traditional game shows seem to be on the decline yet again

Ye olde ratings sheet disagrees with you. That wheel will still be spinning (clockwise, of course) and those responses will continue to be delivered in the form of a question through the end of this decade if not beyond. As for The Price Is Right, that quite likely hinges on Bob Barker's continued good health.

[Michael Brandenburg]

I'll put my two cents in on the No. 2 question that "SamJ93" asked to start this topic:

2. How viable would it be, in your opinion, to have a regular nighttime edition of TPiR on Saturday nights? They wouldn't all be Million-Dollar Spectaculars, of course, but maybe the prizes could be slightly larger.

I think there were some parts of the country that actually had such a TPIR show on Saturday nights in the late 1970s.  Of course, this was back when there was the five-days-a-week version on CBS in the daytime and a syndicated version that aired once-a-week, usually at night -- so when a station bought it and put it on early Saturday evenings, you had exactly that setup.

And they did have higher-valued prizes on the "nighttime version" -- $7,000+ cars, for example, while the typical car that was given away on the daytime version went for $4,000-$4,500.  And the big winner for the night might have ended up with $20,000 or more in total winnings, verses some $10,000 for such a winner on the daytime version.

Dennis James, of course, hosted that version for a long time, and I'm among those who miss him.


Michael Brandenburg
(like when he would describe to a contestant the "See these squares?" game before it was labeled as the "Bonus Game.")

[adamjk]

to add to the above, Bob Barker hosted the nighttime run for the final 2 years of it from 77-79

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'SamJ93\' date=\'Jul 5 2004, 07:45 PM\'] 1. Your thoughts on this statement:

"Generally speaking, the best game shows are the most popular, and have the simplest, easiest-to-understand concepts."

2. How viable would it be, in your opinion, to have a regular nighttime edition of TPiR on Saturday nights?  They wouldn't all be Million-Dollar Spectaculars, of course, but maybe the prizes could be slightly larger.

3. Unfortunately, traditional game shows seem to be on the decline yet again, with two well-known shows (Pyramid and H2) already on their way out, and even the stalwarts (TPiR, J!, WoF) are beginning to show signs of age.  What do you think is the long-term outlook for the genre...will game shows slowly fade away, with so-called "reality" shows taking their place, or are you optimistic that they will someday make a comeback? [/quote]
 1. Of course. Play-along ability is a major factor for a game, and when you have a simple format, it's simple to play along at home.

2. I'd love to, but the specials are fine for me. Besides, I just don't think game shows would work in primetime, at least not as a regularly scheduled program. Still holding my breath for daytime. ;-)

3. Game shows will be just fine, esp. with Feud and Millionaire picking up steam. Plus, cable is rolling out a few more as well. TV works in cycles.

[Craig Karlberg]

1.  I'll definitely "buy" that statement.  I mean, if it lasts a long time & it's simple to play, why not?  Play-along is a key conponent(minus Pyramid & Password) & if it helps, then it's good for the people working that show.

2.  I don't think it's a smart financial move here.  A regular weekly showing would do it in just like ABC's Millionaire in 2001.  Overexposure = cancelation PERIOD!

3.  If game shows are at a decline, it's only temporary right now.  As a tradditionalist, I can understand the argument that reality TV is the "hip" thing right now.  But, in a few years, I see game shows conning back to the limelight though not as saturated as 1975 was(Man that was SOME year for game shows).

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 04:08 AM\'] I don't think it's a smart financial move here.  A regular weekly showing would do it in just like ABC's Millionaire in 2001.  Overexposure = cancelation PERIOD!
 [/quote]
 It's a lot different from Millionaire; when it's in primetime once a week, as  opposed to being in primetime FOUR times a week.  
#2, the primetime audience attracts a different set of people; as those who work during the day that are Price fans would have a better chance of watching it.

[GS Warehouse]

[Around the Horn disembodied voice]Buy...or Sell?[/AtHdv]

1. Simplest is best:  Buy.  Wasn't it the birthday boy himself, Merv Griffin, who once said if a game show's concept can't be explained in one sentence, it won't work?  Simplicity is key, especially in the age of the six-second attention span.

2. Regular Saturday TPiR:  I'm leaning toward selling.  Let's face it, TPiR performs respectably well on Saturday nights in the ratings, but the rotating repeats of CSI, Cold Case, et al, they're planning for fall can probably get the same size audience for little, if any, cost.  Besides, unlike ABC, CBS knows how much of a good thing is too much.  Six per season is adequate.

3. Long-term outlook?  Most of the above say buy, and I agree.  TV is a cyclical business.  While WoF, J!, Millionaire, and Feud (and to a lesser extent, Street Smarts) continue to flourish, the reasons for Pyramid and H2's downfalls are more accurately tied to overfixing and corporate economics, respectively.  And even when the next traditional game show comeback begins, people still won't be tired of WoF and J!.

[ChuckNet]

to add to the above, Bob Barker hosted the nighttime run for the final 2 years of it from 77-79

Final 3, actually...it ran until 1980.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'GS Warehouse\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 12:06 PM\']
Wasn't it the birthday boy himself, Merv Griffin, who once said if a game show's concept can't be explained in one sentence, it won't work?  Simplicity is key, especially in the age of the six-second attention span.

 [/quote]
 I thought that was a Mark Goodsonism.

[GS Warehouse]

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 07:14 PM\'] [quote name=\'GS Warehouse\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 12:06 PM\']Wasn't it the birthday boy himself, Merv Griffin, who once said if a game show's concept can't be explained in one sentence, it won't work?[/quote]
I thought that was a Mark Goodsonism. [/quote]
 I did a Groupsgle search on [Tom Bergeron]our old stomping grounds[/TB] and found that quote was referenced three times.  The first two were posted by Jekalb329 (whoever he was), who attributed it to Merv.  The third, the only one who attributed it to Mark, was yours.  I rest my case.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'GS Warehouse\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 07:56 PM\'] [quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 07:14 PM\'] [quote name=\'GS Warehouse\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 12:06 PM\']Wasn't it the birthday boy himself, Merv Griffin, who once said if a game show's concept can't be explained in one sentence, it won't work?[/quote]
I thought that was a Mark Goodsonism. [/quote]
I did a Groupsgle search on [Tom Bergeron]our old stomping grounds[/TB] and found that quote was referenced three times.  The first two were posted by Jekalb329 (whoever he was), who attributed it to Merv.  The third, the only one who attributed it to Mark, was yours.  I rest my case. [/quote]
 If you'll look at the archives of Jekalb's posts more closely, you'll know that his uncle was supposedly on a little-known early 80s game show called Casino hosted by Jim Perry, that no one has any real proof of having aired.

[dzinkin]

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 08:59 PM\'] [quote name=\'GS Warehouse\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 07:56 PM\'] [quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 07:14 PM\'] [quote name=\'GS Warehouse\' date=\'Jul 6 2004, 12:06 PM\']Wasn't it the birthday boy himself, Merv Griffin, who once said if a game show's concept can't be explained in one sentence, it won't work?[/quote]
I thought that was a Mark Goodsonism. [/quote]
I did a Groupsgle search on [Tom Bergeron]our old stomping grounds[/TB] and found that quote was referenced three times.  The first two were posted by Jekalb329 (whoever he was), who attributed it to Merv.  The third, the only one who attributed it to Mark, was yours.  I rest my case. [/quote]
If you'll look at the archives of Jekalb's posts more closely, you'll know that his uncle was supposedly on a little-known early 80s game show called Casino hosted by Jim Perry, that no one has any real proof of having aired. [/quote]
As long as we're going to talk about bizarre folks, let's make sure we quote said bizarre folks accurately.  Jekalb329 declared that it was his girlfriend's uncle, not his uncle, who was on Casino.  He also claimed to have kept a copy of Casino on tape -- allegedly showing Jim looking "uncomfortable" -- until he supposedly recorded over it with "a Hulk Hogan movie and WWF Wrestling."  Jekalb329 also took a speculation by Wink Martindale and called it proof that "all Gambit episodes still exist inside a vault."  Finally, he declared with absolute certainty that "wrestling is real."

And now you know why we have rules against equating rumors with fact here. :-)