Game shows with multiple pilots (sold or unsold)--

[tyshaun1]

[quote name=\'bricon\' date=\'Jan 7 2005, 01:56 AM\']After looking through some of my records, I need more clarification - and I've emailed someone who will probably remember.  What I do know is that Suit Yourself taped May 3 & 4, 1990; Match Game October 1, 1990, Body Talk October 12, 1990; and a pilot which slipped my mind, Show Me (host Mark Goodman) taped Sept. 13, 1990.  I don't have tape dates handy for Gambit or TKO.

So I may have some of the pilot groups crossed up.  There is a common thread to Body Talk, Show Me, TKO and Gambit - none were done at ABC, as there was no studio space available at the time.  That could indicate they were done in roughly the same time quarter.

There was another ABC pilot called The Name Game in 1989/1990 or so, which did its first pilot in Scotland (much like Lingo taping overseas), and a second pilot done back at ABC Hollywood.

Sorry if this rambled

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That seems like a lot of pilots vying for just one time slot. Was ABC originally planning to add more than one show to its lineup, or was this a common occurance for network development? I always thought networks maybe shot 3 or 4 pilots before deciding on which one to add as a series.

Tyshaun

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'tyshaun1\' date=\'Jan 7 2005, 10:40 AM\']That seems like a lot of pilots vying for just one time slot. Was ABC originally planning to add more than one show to its lineup, or was this a common occurance for network development? I always thought networks maybe shot 3 or 4 pilots before deciding on which one to add as a series.

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Mark Jeffries posted on ATGS in 2002 that ABC was considering ditching the Home Show around the time of said pilots and replacing it with two game shows. Body Talk was one of the pilots considered.

[Jimmy Owen]

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Jan 7 2005, 10:52 AM\'][quote name=\'tyshaun1\' date=\'Jan 7 2005, 10:40 AM\']That seems like a lot of pilots vying for just one time slot. Was ABC originally planning to add more than one show to its lineup, or was this a common occurance for network development? I always thought networks maybe shot 3 or 4 pilots before deciding on which one to add as a series.

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Mark Jeffries posted on ATGS in 2002 that ABC was considering ditching the Home Show around the time of said pilots and replacing it with two game shows. Body Talk was one of the pilots considered.

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And even after all that piloting, ABC decided to just extend "Home" to 90 minutes.

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'bricon\' date=\'Jan 7 2005, 01:56 AM\']There was another ABC pilot called The Name Game in 1989/1990 or so, which did its first pilot in Scotland (much like Lingo taping overseas), and a second pilot done back at ABC Hollywood.

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The year's supply of haggis as a consolation prize was a giveaway.  

[bricon]

[quote name=\'Dsmith\' date=\'Jan 7 2005, 02:00 AM\'][quote name=\'bricon\' date=\'Jan 7 2005, 01:56 AM\']Match Game October 1, 1990 [/quote]
October 1?  Didn't the show go to series September 12?

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Beg pardon - Oct. 1, 1989.

[bricon]

[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Jan 6 2005, 04:54 PM\']Randy and Brian, hep me out here. Didn't the networks normally do three pilots per quarter back in the day, not counting shows which were developed into a run-thru but not piloted?

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Bob Boden was with ABC daytime when all the pilots I mentioned were produced-here's his response:

>>> There was no formula or specific number of pilots done at any given time,  as
I recall.  When we saw a project worth piloting, we would commission  it.
Although there were few slots and several competitors, it had more to  do with
what was pitched when than when shows would premiere.  

Since we  never knew how long something would last, we would always like to have back-up  pilots that had been shot and tested that were ready to go on in case of  failure.

Sometimes there was only one, sometimes more.  The typical  hold on a pilot was
a year to go to air, so as long as there were more shows in  the pipeline, we were
protected.

I honestly don't remember what pilots were done in which order, but I  think
it was really more of a steady flow of projects than batches of pilots in  a
short time frame. <<<