The *worst* Game Show Ever

[gamed121683]

My vote for worst game show would go to "The Chamber"...until I saw that clip for the "Thousand Dollar Spelling Bee". WOW! Than again, it could be worse. It could be the Russian favorite "Uposcrabblenyk." ;-)

[dmota104]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Jun 5 2005, 01:37 PM\']A show aimed at a black audience is never going to sue another show aimed at a black audience. Bottom line.

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Let's not forget when the Bob Goen-hosted Perfect Match was sued by The Newlywed Game folks.   Same when Goodson/Todman, producers of Password, sued Ralph Andrews' team over You Don't Say.

I'll grant you the chances of ST vs. TDB being entered into a courtroom's docket may be slim -- but not impossible.  Heck, don't even rule out a cease-and-desist letter from the ST team to Robert Townsend and BFC.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'dmota104\' date=\'Jun 5 2005, 01:23 PM\']Let's not forget when the Bob Goen-hosted Perfect Match was sued by The Newlywed Game folks.   Same when Goodson/Todman, producers of Password, sued Ralph Andrews' team over You Don't Say.
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And none of these are shows aimed specifically at a black audience.

It sounds racist, I know. However, the whole thing behind BET and Black Family Channel and what not is the notion that programming aimed towards their primary audience is underrepresented on "traditional" television, and I would think the PR backlash one "historically black" television show trying to knock another one off the air would have to endure wouldn't be worth the trouble, and they would be better served just letting sleeping dogs lie.

[rugrats1]

[quote name=\'dmota104\' date=\'Jun 5 2005, 03:23 PM\']I'll grant you the chances of ST vs. TDB being entered into a courtroom's docket may be slim -- but not impossible.  Heck, don't even rule out a cease-and-desist letter from the ST team to Robert Townsend and BFC.
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On the Bee's scramble board, do they actually determine if the player was right or wrong? Also, was there a time limit? On Soul Train, the contestants / dancers, more or less, unscramble the word and dance their way back to the dance floor, with the game all but forgotten.

Also, the prizes -- the Bee probably gives out points (we already know about the "no prizes" bit), but Soul Train offered gifts to their participants (at least, a subscription to Essence magazine).

In my opinion, I don't think there's a jury in the world that would convict the Bee.

[dmota104]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Jun 5 2005, 04:40 PM\']It sounds racist, I know. However, the whole thing behind BET and Black Family Channel and what not is the notion that programming aimed towards their primary audience is underrepresented on "traditional" television, and I would think the PR backlash one "historically black" television show trying to knock another one off the air would have to endure wouldn't be worth the trouble, and they would be better served just letting sleeping dogs lie.

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To be perfectly honest, I had never heard of BFC in its current form (had heard of MBC, its predecessor) -- until TDB was brought into this discussion of worst game shows ever.  

If BFC is indeed in financial trouble (tell-tale sign worth repeating: the $1000 grand prize only going to one winner and everyone else goes home with not even a package of bubble gum), then you're right.  There's virtually no sense in suing a financially-strapped network.

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'dmota104\' date=\'Jun 5 2005, 01:45 PM\']With that said, I have to ask, do they even pre-test the contestants?  The poor girl who misspelled "invest", "money" and "credit" was awful.   Hate to say it, but I shook my head along with the bee that faded in and out of the lower right corner of the graphic during her speed round.  [/quote]
A press release tells us that the contestants are chosen at random from their studio audience, which explains (a little) the helplessness of that one poor girl.  Still, that's just one more thing wrong with the show.  It's one thing to get stupid ADULT players on TPIR.  Heck, it can be funny.  But when you're trying to call yourself an educational program, grabbing a kid and throwing her on camera without regard to her ability to play your little game is just wrong.

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Jun 5 2005, 04:40 PM\'][quote name=\'dmota104\' date=\'Jun 5 2005, 01:23 PM\']Let's not forget when the Bob Goen-hosted Perfect Match was sued by The Newlywed Game folks.   Same when Goodson/Todman, producers of Password, sued Ralph Andrews' team over You Don't Say.
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And none of these are shows aimed specifically at a black audience.

It sounds racist, I know. However, the whole thing behind BET and Black Family Channel and what not is the notion that programming aimed towards their primary audience is underrepresented on "traditional" television, and I would think the PR backlash one "historically black" television show trying to knock another one off the air would have to endure wouldn't be worth the trouble, and they would be better served just letting sleeping dogs lie.

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Depends of the source.  Since BFC and TV One were supposedly created to partially right the wrongs of BET (basically, hip-hop videos with lots of hootchie and bling-bling and shows with raunchy standups--well, raunchy for basic cable), if they could do something that could show up BET, they would--especially since it's now owned by Viacom, a.k.a. The Man.  (Of course, Comcast owns part of TV One, but...)

On the other hand, yeah, I don't see Don Cornelius' people filing a lawsuit against Robert Townsend and BFC any time soon.  Race aside, it just wouldn't be worth it, since Goodson could've very well sued Cornelius on the Scramble game in the first place.

[dmota104]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Jun 6 2005, 10:43 AM\']A press release tells us that the contestants are chosen at random from their studio audience, which explains (a little) the helplessness of that one poor girl.  Still, that's just one more thing wrong with the show.  It's one thing to get stupid ADULT players on TPIR.  Heck, it can be funny.  But when you're trying to call yourself an educational program, grabbing a kid and throwing her on camera without regard to her ability to play your little game is just wrong.

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Thank you, Matt, for confirming what I had originally feared when watching that clip.  

Sounds like the so-called "contestant coordinator" probably just goes into the crowd and asks, "Who wants a chance to win a thousand dollars in savings bonds?"  With every kid raising his/her hand for an affirmative response, the "coordinator" randomly picks three people and the process is all over.

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'dmota104\' date=\'Jun 5 2005, 12:45 PM\']Still, unless Robert, BFC, et al, received Don Cornelius' blessing on this one, don't be suprised if we see Soul Train v. Thousand Dollar Bee in court.

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If Don had a gripe about this, he'd have hauled Floyd Brown before Judge Wapner twenty years ago for the scramble round on Know Your Heritage.
And now, my impersonation of Floyd Brown: "Well, what are you waiting for? Take off your blindfolds and begin!!". It works better in person. If you're in Glendale this summer, I'll try it again. Count the days.

[GSWitch]

[quote name=\'AH3RD\' date=\'May 21 2005, 04:44 PM\']The New Treasure Hunt. Annoying!

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Thank you Aaron!  

Treasure Hunt would be Park Place & Just Men! would be Boardwalk!

I better go directly to jail, do not pass Go! & do not collect $200!

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'GSWitch\' date=\'Jun 6 2005, 06:45 PM\']Treasure Hunt would be Park Place & Just Men! would be Boardwalk!
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....but you'll always be an idiot.

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'GSWitch\' date=\'Jun 6 2005, 08:45 PM\']I better go directly to jail

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Want a ride?