New 10/11 Schedule

[CaseyAbell]

Commented somewhere that the 9/27 prime time schedule looked temporary. Only I didn't realize how temporary it apparently will be. Adlink has posted the 10/11 schedule, with new series of Blackjack and Dodgeball all over the place.

As I said on the GSN board, the network isn't snoozing. They're cranking out the new shows right quick.

A few other comments: Dog Eat Dog keeps getting trimmed back to avoid ridiculous rerun abuse, which is a smart move. Still think GSN should get some U.K. eps (or, less likely, do some original shows) to freshen the franchise. Spy TV somehow hangs around in a sleepy-time slot. Kinda funny to see it still on the sched. Name's the Same looks set for a considerable run on B&WO. Star Search is still there, which also mildly surprises me. The Monday Weakest Links are probably place holders until the pool and horseracing shows are ready. War horses MG, Feud and Love Connection get solid hour strips across the entire week. Counting all the variants, MG continues to get the 32 showings a week from the 9/27 schedule. Is this a record?

Closer to home, Adlink now shows the Lingo Labor Day marathon.

EDIT: Just saw Variety's monthly roundup of big gainers and losers among cable networks. I can understand why GSN is rushing out new series of Dodgeball and Blackjack. Both shows staged entertaining finales earlier this month, and they really popped GSN's numbers. Total prime time viewers were up 47% in August vs. the same month last year.

Admittedly, the third quarter last year was the Nielsen Pit of Hell for GSN. But the recovery this year is still impressive.

[michaellinn]

Wow, lots of Weakest Link on that schedule and many shows scheduled for back-to-back episodes. I would prefer to see more different shows on the schedule, especially since GSN has so many shows available, as I found out last year when voting for the Feast of Favorites. I doubt the upcoming pool and horse racing shows will be of interest to me.

I sometimes tune in to Blackjack, but it's not something that I always plan to watch. It gets high ratings, though, so I'm not surprised that new eps will be made. Reruns of it don't do anything for me, though. One viewing of each episode is enough for me. However, Dog Eat Dog and Extreme Dodgeball could leave the schedule permanently, and I would not care in the very least. I'm also not interested in Spy TV, Star Search, or any of those dating reality shows.

I'll look forward to seeing The Name's the Same. I gave Black & White Overnight a try last night by using the VCR, and it was pretty cool. This B&W version of Password was a little boring for me, compared to the newer versions, but I really enjoyed What's My Line? I remember seeing the '70s version at my brother's house a while back before I had GSN.

I'm glad good ol' Match Game is still on the schedule, although, as Casey noted, it might be a record with 32 airings a week, although there were many years of the show, plus I guess this counts the newer '90s version as well. I also like Family Feud and just about every game show from the '70s and '80s, as I've always been a huge game show fan since my childhood.

[CaseyAbell]

Most of my (quality?) time with GSN lately has been spent on the new stuff: Blackjack, Dodgeball, Dog Eat Dog, and Street Smarts. So I'm happy to see them all get lots of play on the new schedule, though I worry about rerun abuse of the Dog's very few episodes.

Still, I've found that reruns of the Dog are very watchable. Last night I caught a repeat and enjoyed the silliness and dramatics of the gameplay, which included everything from a legitimately athletic climbing challenge to a goofy contest in opening beer bottles.

Weakest Link was never a fave of mine because Anne's wicked witch act gets old. But it must still do at least decent numbers to get as much exposure as it does. All in all, the new schedule is fine with me. I'm particularly looking forward to the new series of Dodgeball and Blackjack.

[michaellinn]

Now Street Smarts I like. I'm glad GSN picked that show up. I assume the Blackjack show was created as a result of the popularity with the poker shows, which are aired on no fewer than three channels. I guess card games are the "in" thing now on TV, so I can understand GSN getting involved with their own card game show. I don't mind watching every now and then, but it's not "must-see TV" for me. But it does have its audience, and the ratings are good for now, so I guess it works out for GSN.

I remember that Dog Eat Dog ep with the guy opening the beer bottles. He did it with his teeth. That was one of the episodes that I did see. If I recall, the poor guy lost, but gave a good try. I watched the first week of the show, but I soon got tired of it. I think there are many good shows available that can be shown instead of the few episodes and constant reruns of Dog Eat Dog.

Yes, Anne's act does get old on Weakest Link, and the game play doesn't seem right to me. I think the rule should be that the players can vote off anyone except the player who was the strongest link for that round. Anne tells the players to vote off the player whom they think is the weakest link, but by eliminating the smartest player, that makes the other contestants' chances of winning the big bucks even better. So I think the strongest link for each round should be able to stick around.

I gave Extreme Dodgeball a chance, but it just didn't appeal to me. I played enough of Dodgeball in elementary and junior high school way back then (I'm 30-something now), and watching others play the game on TV just doesn't do anything for me.

What I really like--and have always liked--are the game shows from my childhood. I mean, I was crazy about game shows back then--and still am. I looked forward to being home from school in the summer or because of a snow day or holiday so that I could watch all those daytime game shows on the networks. Oh, I still watched the cartoons and kids' shows, of course, but game shows would be on my TV viewing schedule as well. I watched them during the day, and then there would be more in the evening. Some, such as Dealer's Choice and Cross-Wits, would come on late at night in my area. I didn't have GSN back in 1994, but I've seen a schedule of the shows that they had aired back then. (Sigh)--those were the days.

[roadgeek]

[quote name=\'michaellinn\' date=\'Sep 2 2004, 03:03 PM\'] Yes, Anne's act does get old on Weakest Link, and the game play doesn't seem right to me. I think the rule should be that the players can vote off anyone except the player who was the strongest link for that round. [/quote]
 I dunno -- whether it's intentional or not, getting to vote off the strongest player gives the game a psychological edge to it.  You don't want to get voted off for doing too badly, or doing too well -- it's best to just blend in. I guess I like the rule as it is.

[Unrealtor]

[quote name=\'CaseyAbell\' date=\'Sep 2 2004, 06:59 AM\'] Weakest Link was never a fave of mine because Anne's wicked witch act gets old. [/quote]
 Anne's schtick works a lot better on the BBC Daytime shows, when the stakes are lower and you can have such statements as "You've won a horrible, miserable £50!" Also, the angry schoolmarm act doesn't really translate as a cultural reference in the US like it does in the UK. We relate more to the kid in the back of the room mouthing off, as George Gray's relative success showed us.

[Triplez47888]

I don't know if I really like this schedule any better since they moved the hour of family feud back to 1 when I usually watched it everyday at 5. Now I can't cause of school. But than again it'll be on everyday now...

[adamjk]

That is pacific time. It's actually going to 4.

[Triplez47888]

oops.... if that's the case than the new schedule is all right. I'm still puzzled about love connection are they getting that good of ratings off of it to keep it on the air this long?

[aaron sica]

[quote name=\'Triplez47888\' date=\'Sep 2 2004, 11:08 PM\'] oops.... if that's the case than the new schedule is all right. I'm still puzzled about love connection are they getting that good of ratings off of it to keep it on the air this long? [/quote]
 I think they keep leaving LC on because it's got Chuck "2 and 2" Woolery as the host..

[MyCapableAssistant]

[quote name=\'Triplez47888\' date=\'Sep 2 2004, 09:08 PM\'] I'm still puzzled about love connection are they getting that good of ratings off of it to keep it on the air this long? [/quote]
 I asked a about the show last year and I'm STILL confused
as to how it's considered a "game" show. Given that the show
has these "main" ingredients, I imagine that's why it's thought
of as such:

• It's on GSN

• The show has a host

• The show has an announcer

• The show has fee plugs

• The show has a studio audience (although it doesn't have a *HOME* audience)

In my opinion, it seems that LC is only a "game show" in the broadest
and strictest sense. Then too, it could be that it draws huge ratings, although
I find that difficult to believe. Who's to say WHY it's considered a "game"
show. I feel it lacks ANY element of home viewer "play along."

I hope this is what you were asking LOL

[Jimmy Owen]

LC could be thought of as a game show with the ultimate prize---true love.

[MyCapableAssistant]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Sep 3 2004, 12:10 AM\'] LC could be thought of as a game show with the ultimate prize---true love. [/quote]
 Right... but couldn't the same argument be made for "The Dating
Game?" Doesn't that also have the potential to find "true love?"
I think of "The Dating Game," as a reality show, not a GAME show.

[MyCapableAssistant]

Besides, I've also read that the reason Chuck holds onto
Stacy at the end of Lingo is to conceal the "battery pack" that
she's wearing onstage. Yet, why does he not appear to hang
onto her as they walk ONTO the stage?

[MyCapableAssistant]

Of course, that's not to say I dislike Chuck Woolery - I
don't. I just question the format of LC... as well as believe
the LINGO "story."