Who's your daddy? The new Fox Game show?

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'AZAndrewG\' date=\'Dec 23 2004, 08:21 PM\']Shame all over FOX for diving to the depths of taste once again for the sake of ratings and the all-mighty dollar.

[snapback]68423[/snapback]

[/quote]
I don't think anyone's disagreeing with your sentiments. I think everyone is more in the "duh" camp.

They're Fox. They've done this. There is not a single shred of evidence to suggest they will not continue to do this.

The question being asked is "how could they do such a thing" when the question REALLY is "why in the blue hell are people still surprised when Fox does this?"

[Don Howard]

There is no hope for this channel. None. It's beyond any redemption.

[Jimmy Owen]

I cannot believe the same people who run the FOX News Channel on cable also authorize this kind of sleazy garbage on free TV.  No wait, I can believe it.  They really don't have any convictions.

[chris319]

I cannot believe the same people who run the FOX News Channel on cable also authorize this kind of sleazy garbage on free TV.

FNC has almost no direct connection to the Fox Network. The former actually has very little presence in L.A. other than a bureau from which Gloria Allred, Susan Estrich, etc. make their appearances.

[Craig Karlberg]

And just when you thought reality television has already scraped the bottom of the barrel & WHAM! this comes along.  I don't think Fox will ever learn that stuff like this appears to have run its course right now.  Three or four years ago, sure it was hip to do something like that.  Now, it's just more junk thrown at us.  PLEASE!  I'd rather watch Amazing Race than this.

[Jimmy Owen]

The only connection is that Rupert Murdoch makes a lot of money playing both ends against the middle.

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Dec 23 2004, 11:04 PM\']There is no hope for this channel. None. It's beyond any redemption.

[snapback]68428[/snapback]

[/quote]

In the past, this is where I would come in and mention "The Simpsons"/"Arrested Development"/"24"/fill-in-your-fave-Fox-scripted-series-here, but I wonder--has Mike Darnell's swill kept more people from wanting to sample something like "Arrested Development" and have people vowed that except for "The Simpsons" and some sports event, they have no interest in watching Fox at all?

(Until, of course, "Idol" comes back.)

[The Ol' Guy]

I heard some of the guys in the lunchroom today discuss the show and offer their disdain for the whole thing..but it strikes me as interesting that it seems one network gets the most reaction out of people through it's programming, and it keeps that buzz going everywhere it can. If it's true that there is no such thing as bad publicity, Fox sure keeps people talking about it. I never hear people talk with any interest about the WB or UPN, especially in emotional tones. Fox really pushes buttons. People might talk about Desperate Housewives or Lost, but I rarely hear them say, "Boy, that ABC network is something, isn't it?" Only Fox seems to be the net name people think is cool or want to wash their mouth out after saying it.

[Matt Ottinger]

Couple things:

Best I can tell from the omnipresent promos, this is a one-time thing, a 90-minute special, not a full blown series.  If people watch, they'll make more.  Pretty much the way TV has always worked.

On the subject of undeveloped revolting ideas, I'm always reminded of the one Chuck Barris claimed he always wanted to do.  He was going to call it Greed (this long before Woolery's quizzer).  Three contestants are presented with an offensive task. The example, as I recall, was to kick someone's crutches out from under him.  The contestants would then bid down from some high amount to see which one would be willing to do the deed for the least amount of money.

but I wonder--has Mike Darnell's swill kept more people from wanting to sample something like "Arrested Development" and have people vowed that except for "The Simpsons" and some sports event, they have no interest in watching Fox at all?

I don't think so.  Short of an organized boycott (which for televisions shows hardly ever works anyway), you watch the shows that you want to watch, regardless of what channel they happen to be on.  I'm as repulsed by the FOX reality shows as anybody, but it doesn't keep Arrested Development off my Tivo, nor 24 or even American Idol when their time comes.

[J.R.]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Dec 27 2004, 08:10 PM\']On the subject of undeveloped revolting ideas, I'm always reminded of the one Chuck Barris claimed he always wanted to do.  He was going to call it Greed (this long before Woolery's quizzer).  Three contestants are presented with an offensive task. The example, as I recall, was to kick someone's crutches out from under him.  The contestants would then bid down from some high amount to see which one would be willing to do the deed for the least amount of money.

[snapback]68833[/snapback]

[/quote]

Of course, if you've seen Barris' movie "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind", you will know of his rather "dark" proposal for "The Old Game".

-Joe R.

[FeudDude]

This just sounds like a really twisted version of To Tell The Truth.  Fremantle didn't have anything to do with this, did they?

[chris319]

This just sounds like a really twisted version of To Tell The Truth.

More like The Dating Game. As I understand it there will be one questioner and three challengers.

[chris319]

Fox really pushes buttons.

Think of it from the producer's perspective. If you came up with the idea for this show, which network would you pitch it to first? Hint: not CBS, not WB.

[SplitSecond]

[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Dec 27 2004, 11:11 PM\']

This just sounds like a really twisted version of To Tell The Truth.

More like The Dating Game.[/quote]
I think you've happened upon the super-secret special twist for the next installment.  The adoptee goes on dates with 8 older men, then is told that one of them is her birth father.

After, of course, being told that she was adopted in the first place.

[The Ol' Guy]

Chris -
You do bring up a good point. What I wonder is - depending on just how the producers originally developed the format, perhaps other networks may have been open to the idea if they had the opportunity to do it their way. In other words, if it were pitched to CBS as a touching reunion between an adopted girl wanting to meet her birth father and she could meet a small handful of men and try to guess which is her father based on personality traits - done tastefully, it could be sold as a heartwarmer. The net, sensitive of it's image, will guide the show the way they feel the most comfortable with it. It may not be that the concept is necessarily tasteless - it's how you want to present it. So again, if you want to go for emotional agony and twisting a knife in the heart, Fox would be open for the reason stated earlier - people will talk about us, and talk equals promotion, so who cares if they hate us, as long as they talk about us? I agree the producer will pitch an idea to a net based on the net's track record and what works for them. After all, Match Game became What The Blank in Fox's hands. Does anyone know if the producers started out with that title and concept, or did Fox want an edgier name/concept?