Balderdash and On The Cover Downgraded

[CaseyAbell]

The Pax web site shows Balderdash and On The Cover getting demoted to the 5:00 slot. The Prof says the shows are getting kicked around in the Nielsens - even by Pax standards? Yikes! - so I doubt that either will stick around much longer. I'll have to sample them before the light flickers out completely.

[AZAndrewG]

Actually, I think this is a good move for both shows.  In August, when I went on set to do interviews for a story I wrote about "Balderdash," I questioned one of the producers about its time slot -- namely 8:30 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.  The response he gave to me was logical, but the chances of a show like "Balderdash" (a fine quality show IMHO) competing with the big-name primne-time shows on the big networks are slim to none.  Moving those two shows to the 5:00 hour will only increase the shows ratings and solidify their futures.

Andrew M. Greenstein

[CaseyAbell]

Frankly, I think the shows are history. But maybe they could linger on for a little while. That is, if Pax itself lingers on...

[bandit_bobby]

Hold the phone guys. I received word that this is just for one week. The shows return to their regular times the following week.

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'bandit_bobby\' date=\'Oct 2 2004, 03:15 PM\']Hold the phone guys. I received word that this is just for one week. The shows return to their regular times the following week.

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Please do cite your source.

[bwood]

[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Oct 2 2004, 03:32 PM\'][quote name=\'bandit_bobby\' date=\'Oct 2 2004, 03:15 PM\']Hold the phone guys. I received word that this is just for one week. The shows return to their regular times the following week.

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Please do cite your source.

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I don't know his source, but here is the Oct. 11 PAX schedule:

http://www.paxtv.com/schedule/default.cfm?date=10/11/2004

OTC and Balderdash are back in the old slots, with the new fall shows afterwards. Maybe they just took them out of the slot for that week to get the new shows off the ground, then put the new shows in a permanent slot the next week.
I would say that they didn't update the schedule for that week yet, that's why OTC and Balderdash are still on at 8, but the new shows are in there so it looks like they'll go back to the regular time on the 11th.

Also, look at the 11:30PM weeknight slot, Beat The Clock is scheduled for that time. It wasn't the best show, but it's a nice little treat.

[CaseyAbell]

Yep, that's what the Pax site says. Seems like a crazy programming move to shuffle around the shows like that, but this is Pax. I still doubt the shows have much of a future, though. If they were doing decent numbers, even by Pax's very low standards, they wouldn't be getting shoved around the timeslots.

And Pax is debuting new shows the week of October 4 in the 8:00 slot, then moving them to the 9:00 slot the very next week? Who's running this network?

[MikeK]

[quote name=\'CaseyAbell\' date=\'Oct 2 2004, 11:54 PM\']Yep, that's what the Pax site says. Seems like a crazy programming move to shuffle around the shows like that, but this is Pax. I still doubt the shows have much of a future, though. If they were doing decent numbers, even by Pax's very low standards, they wouldn't be getting shoved around the timeslots.
[/quote]

But there's already a large number of eps. in the can for Balderdash.  (This is the part of this thread where Mr. Conn jumps in...hopefully. :-))  There are numerous eps. with the first set which haven't aired, unless John Ratzenberger, John Moschitta, and George Wendt appeared on only one show apiece.  Anyhow, weren't the original orders for OtC and B-dash 130 episodes apiece?

I have a feeling they'll be on PAX for a while.  Look at their recent history with their original shows--Supermarket Sweep reran for a year or two before the plug was pulled within the past year, and apparently Beat the Clock is getting the rerun treatment at 11:30 PM.  (Since our PAX affiliate shows infomercials and religious programming after 11:30 PM, I can't confirm this.)

[DrJWJustice]

[quote name=\'CaseyAbell\' date=\'Oct 2 2004, 01:26 PM\']The Pax web site shows Balderdash and On The Cover getting demoted to the 5:00 slot. The Prof says the shows are getting kicked around in the Nielsens - even by Pax standards? Yikes! - so I doubt that either will stick around much longer. I'll have to sample them before the light flickers out completely.

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The Prof?  You mean "The Perfessor?"  Don't dignify him too much. :-)

[CaseyAbell]

We've already discussed what to call Mr. Beverly. Whatever you call him, he's probably right about the bad numbers for Balderdash and On The Cover. Otherwise, I can't understand Pax kicking the shows around different time slots.

But I can't understand how Pax stays in business, either.

This story agrees that Balderdash got a 130-episode order. I don't know if that's "disgusting," as the web site author says, but it seems like a lot. Wonder if the show will last long enough for all the eps to air?

[Craig Karlberg]

My guess is that they have enough shows to run through at least Thanksgiving Week.  After that, who knows.

Also, Donny Osmand's Pyramid gets a 7 PM Eastern time slot starting on Monday where those markets don't show the repeat brodcast of the NBC affiliate's 6 PM local newscast as well as the 6 PM slot.  Shop Till You Drop & Family Feud remain locked in their time slots(6:30 & 7:30 PM Eastern).

[chris319]

This story agrees that Balderdash got a 130-episode order. I don't know if that's "disgusting," as the web site author says, but it seems like a lot.

In the erstwhile days of network daytime games, shows often started out with a 13-week commitment. 130 shows equal 26 weeks. In daytime, a packager with clout/leverage with a network could start with 26 weeks, so it's really no worse than a daytime show would get in days gone by.

[bricon]

[quote name=\'hmtriplecrown\' date=\'Oct 2 2004, 11:08 PM\']But there's already a large number of eps. in the can for Balderdash.  (This is the part of this thread where Mr. Conn jumps in...hopefully. :-))  There are numerous eps. with the first set which haven't aired, unless John Ratzenberger, John Moschitta, and George Wendt appeared on only one show apiece.  [/quote]

Hello, jumping in.  There are 130 episodes completed.  I was told the shows were moving to an earlier timeslot, and wasn't aware it was for only one week.  PAX does stuff like that, seemingly without rhyme or reason (insert Nipsey Russell joke here).

The first week aired, they picked random episodes from five different strips.  So everyone has done at least 5 shows.

There are still several weeks of shows with the original set look that haven't aired, I'm not sure when those are going to be on.

[Ian Wallis]

In the erstwhile days of network daytime games, shows often started out with a 13-week commitment. 130 shows equal 26 weeks. In daytime, a packager with clout/leverage with a network could start with 26 weeks, so it's really no worse than a daytime show would get in days gone by.

I've always wondered about that:  some shows were cancelled after an unusual number of weeks:  "Blankety Blanks" after 10 weeks, "Chain Reaction" after 23 weeks, "Bargain Hunters" after 9 weeks, etc.

Did the networks "buy out" the rest of the contracts, or were some shows "renewed" on a week-to-week basis?

[sshuffield70]

I dunno...but you can add "Go!" (16) and "Hot Potato" (23) to that.