On The Cover-What's The Deal?

[gsfan85]

Hey everyone,

I'm not sure if I'm the only one wondering about this.  A while back, On The Cover was slated to premiere.  It premiered, aired 2 episodes, and mysteriously was taken off the air.

Now, after a few monthes, it's back and slated to premiere again on Monday, with no mention that it had been on the network before.  And as I saw in the commercials, the set is totally a different style, with a more nighttime look with stars and all, instead of the old set with the wood and the lighted up boxes.

Does anyone know what is going on, and what happened to all the other episodes shot with the old set?

Thanks!
Adam

[rugrats1]

Maybe things didn't work out in the original trial run, so they redid the set for the new debut (or relaunch, whatever) this Monday. There's a chance that the rules of the game may change, too.

I think those "first 2" episodes were, more or less, the "pilots".

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'rugrats1\' date=\'Aug 5 2004, 11:22 PM\'] I think those "first 2" episodes were, more or less, the "pilots". [/quote]
 It's a bit more complicated than that.  The simple version of the complicated story is that the show got to air, the ratings (during May sweeps) were God-awful, and Mr. Pax himself was none too pleased.  So they yanked the show, did a massive retooling, showed him the new version, and got this second chance.

In short, the first two aired shows weren't pilots, they were just the original version of what now could almost be considered The All-New On The Cover.

[thgames65]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Aug 5 2004, 10:34 PM\'] So they yanked the show, did a massive retooling, showed him the new version, and got this second chance.
[/quote]
According to sources, the 3rd round of the game has some minor changes.  The Bonus Round has a different structure altogether.  I guess we all shall see during the re-premiere next week.

Tim H.

[chris319]

Mr. Pax = Bud Paxson. FYI do not refer to Rupert as "Mr. Fox".

The On the Cover pilot I saw being taped on September 6, 2001 was likewise unwatchable.

[HairMetalLives]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Aug 5 2004, 08:34 PM\'] [quote name=\'rugrats1\' date=\'Aug 5 2004, 11:22 PM\'] I think those "first 2" episodes were, more or less, the "pilots". [/quote]
It's a bit more complicated than that.  The simple version of the complicated story is that the show got to air, the ratings (during May sweeps) were God-awful, and Mr. Pax himself was none too pleased.  So they yanked the show, did a massive retooling, showed him the new version, and got this second chance.

In short, the first two aired shows weren't pilots, they were just the original version of what now could almost be considered The All-New On The Cover. [/quote]
 So two episodes aired originally and then it was yanked. Were there more than two episodes shot? And if so, have they been destroyed?

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Aug 5 2004, 10:34 PM\'] In short, the first two aired shows weren't pilots, they were just the original version of what now could almost be considered The All-New On The Cover. [/quote]
 Hmm...I think we've seen the shortest amount of time it would take for a game show to be revived. ;-)

Zach, that was a joke. Do not try to analyze my post with your irrelevant comments.

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Aug 6 2004, 01:40 AM\'] [quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Aug 5 2004, 10:34 PM\'] In short, the first two aired shows weren't pilots, they were just the original version of what now could almost be considered The All-New On The Cover. [/quote]
Hmm...I think we've seen the shortest amount of time it would take for a game show to be revived. ;-)

Zach, that was a joke. Do not try to analyze my post with your irrelevant comments. [/quote]
 But Brandon!
You *must* know that it was <insert show, debut date, cancellation date, new debut date, and new cancellation date, on X network>

[inturnaround]

[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Aug 6 2004, 01:38 AM\'] Mr. Pax = Bud Paxson. FYI do not refer to Rupert as "Mr. Fox".

 [/quote]
 Cause, seriously, "Howling Mad" Murdoch will sue.

Okay, not seriously.

But I can see a sitcom called "Mr Pax". It could star Gil Gerard as Mr Pax as a mediator for the Peaceville Police Dept.

ObGameShow: Judging solely from the ads I've seen, OTC looks horrible.

[CaseyAbell]

Speaking of Mr. Pax, he just reported some serious red ink in the latest quarter:

http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southf...02/daily81.html

At least revenues were up a little thanks to endless informercials, but the network is purely hurting on the bottom line. Somehow, I don't think On The Cover is the magic solution.

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'CaseyAbell\' date=\'Aug 6 2004, 10:05 AM\']Speaking of Mr. Pax, he just reported some serious red ink in the latest quarter:

http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southf...02/daily81.html

At least revenues were up a little thanks to endless informercials, but the network is purely hurting on the bottom line. Somehow, I don't think On The Cover is the magic solution.[/quote]
And to be totally honest with you, as happy as I am that someone's doing studio game shows out there, I don't know what is.  It's time for Bud to sell out and for him to go on to the next scheme.

Or is he waiting to pull a Pat Robertson and demand that a new owner must continue to air "family-friendly" programming?  (Like Robertson forcing "The 700 Club" on Fox along with the Family Channel, and in turn forcing it on Disney when *Fox* sold the channel--they have no choice but to continue running it on ABCFAM, as much as they'd probably love to get rid of it.)

And I have the feeling that the unaired "On the Cover" shows haven't been wiped--they'll just never air.  Hope at least that the people who won the Newport Beach Film Festival prize still got to go.

[CaseyAbell]

My guess is all that talk of Bear Stearns and Citigroup and "unlocking value" is about...selling out.

Really, you gotta wonder if the age of the dinosaurs is finally drawing to a close. Will anybody ever try to start another broadcast network? Why bother with all the infrastructure hassles of over-the-air when cable/satellite has so many fewer barriers to entry?

Over the past several decades the number of commercial broadcast networks has grown from three to seven (we'll be generous and count PAX). The number of cable networks has gone from somewhere near zilch to hundreds.

Sure, broadcast lets you get just about everybody, but cable/satellite comes pretty close to everybody nowadays. Not to get political, but Kerry was complaining the other day that broadcasters don't cover party conventions much any more. I smiled and thought...no, dinosaurs don't care that much about another dying beast, the political convention.

[Jimmy Owen]

I would prefer to have a bunch of broadcast outlets as there is a must carry provision that will get you cleared on all cable systems, whereas cable networks have to prove their worth before the systems will give clearance.  There are some systems that still don't carry GSN, for example, but do carry PAX.

[J.R.]

I've always believed that the more a network hypes a show, the worse it's going to be. So, my guess is "On The Cover" will be a horrible show.

Besides showing your mug on TV. I don't understand why anyone would want to spend $1500 flying out to L.A. to try out for these shows, wait 10 weeks so you can have a shot to win just either a gift certificate or a trip to a place I could drive to in about 2 hours. (I have a feeling "OTC" won't be any more generious than "Balderdash")

I'm sorry, but if I'm going to go though the riggors of contestant interviewing, I want to walk away from a game show with a ton of loot (or at least try to). I also prefer cash over prizes. To a 19 year-old, WOF's $500 in cash is a lot of money for me. Hell, even just $100 in cashroo can go very far in my life.

If I want to play for little to nothing. I'll just pull out a board game and invite some friends over.
-Joe R.

[tvwxman]

[quote name=\'JRaygor\' date=\'Aug 6 2004, 01:16 PM\']

Besides showing your mug on TV. I don't understand why anyone would want to spend $1500 flying out to L.A. to try out for these shows, wait 10 weeks so you can have a shot to win just either a gift certificate or a trip to a place I could drive to in about 2 hours
 [/quote]
 I would bet hard earned money that all of the contestants on OTC live in the LA area....when they introduce "Patti Ann Malarkey" from Des Moines, IA as a contestant, usually Patti Ann USED to live there...but doesn't now.

It's happened on bigger shows....