Author Topic: Ballbreakers disaster? (Read 9419 times)

xibit777 · « **on:** July 27, 2005, 07:18:33 PM »

The Prof is reporting that a previously scheduled Ballbreakers marathon on Aug 28th has been officially replaced with a Lingo Marathon.

Could this mean Ballbreakers is yet another ratings disaster? The 4th season of Lingo hasn't even started running and it is replacing Ballbreakers in a marathon....

When will GSN give up on these stupid game ideas and get back to game shows? Maybe soon if what Ian Valentine said is in fact true!

clemon79 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 27, 2005, 07:23:44 PM »

[quote name=\'xibit777\' date=\'Jul 27 2005, 04:18 PM\']The Prof is reporting that a previously scheduled Ballbreakers marathon on Aug 28th has been officially replaced with a Lingo Marathon.

Could this mean Ballbreakers is yet another ratings disaster? The 4th season of Lingo hasn't even started running and it is replacing Ballbreakers in a marathon....

When will GSN give up on these stupid game ideas and get back to game shows?
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Ballbreakers is in fact the closest that GSN has gotten to a "traditional" game show in quite some time. I would hate to see it fail, because I really do enjoy it start to finish, and I REALLY like that they aren't sullying it with celebrities or pro pool players or whatever...they happen to just be Average Joes who are very good at pool.

Dbacksfan12 · « **Reply #2 on:** July 28, 2005, 02:41:41 AM »

[quote name=\'xibit777\' date=\'Jul 27 2005, 06:18 PM\']When will GSN give up on these stupid game ideas and get back to game shows?
[/quote]
Propose a better idea. Then let me know when GSN picks it up.

davemackey · « **Reply #3 on:** July 28, 2005, 07:10:13 AM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Jul 27 2005, 07:23 PM\']Ballbreakers is in fact the closest that GSN has gotten to a "traditional" game show in quite some time. I would hate to see it fail, because I really do enjoy it start to finish, and I REALLY like that they aren't sullying it with celebrities or pro pool players or whatever...they happen to just be Average Joes who are very good at pool.

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Agreed on every point except one: the sullying with celebrities has already begun, and is expected to continue (I think I saw one publicity still with Camryn Manheim). Three out of the four celebs on Monday's show were legitimate pool sharks, and one.... well, let's just say she was there for "eye candy".

The Pyramids · « **Reply #4 on:** July 28, 2005, 08:14:05 AM »

Its a well produced show, but I wondered the same thing when this marathon was pulled so quick.

mbc793 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 30, 2005, 11:12:17 PM »

I missed some of the episodes..well there's what 2 already aired? I don't like it at all..was ESPN 2 too fulled in its schedule to air this..come on.

goongas · « **Reply #6 on:** August 01, 2005, 12:49:51 PM »

[quote name=\'mbc793\' date=\'Jul 30 2005, 11:12 PM\']I missed some of the episodes..well there's what 2 already aired? I don't like it at all..was ESPN 2 too fulled in its schedule to air this..come on.

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The show only works for me if all the players are good. The first episode the players were good. The celebrity edition featured a former Playboy playmate (I forget her name) who wasn't good, which made it painful for me to watch. Playing and watching 9 ball is bad when the players are bad, as it leads to luck deciding who wins (whoever sinks the nine ball shot wins, so even if the other player sunk the first eight balls, it doesn't matter).

clemon79 · « **Reply #7 on:** August 01, 2005, 02:53:43 PM »

[quote name=\'goongas\' date=\'Aug 1 2005, 09:49 AM\']The show only works for me if all the players are good. The first episode the players were good. The celebrity edition featured a former Playboy playmate (I forget her name) who wasn't good, which made it painful for me to watch.
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You got it. I enjoyed the first show because the quality of the play was high, and the contestants genuinely wanted to win the money. As much as celebrities play for personal pride, the drive simply isn't there to win like it is for the real contestants (this applies to celebrities on pretty much any show that usually features civilians), the skill level certainly isn't there, and that last episode had a horrible case of Just Happy To Be Here-Itis. When I watch pool on TV, I'm doing it to see shots that no way in hell I could have made, not to think "man, I could kick Noah Wylie's ass".

beatlefreak84 · « **Reply #8 on:** August 01, 2005, 05:42:46 PM »

Quote

You got it. I enjoyed the first show because the quality of the play was high, and the contestants genuinely wanted to win the money. As much as celebrities play for personal pride, the drive simply isn't there to win like it is for the real contestants (this applies to celebrities on pretty much any show that usually features civilians), the skill level certainly isn't there, and that last episode had a horrible case of Just Happy To Be Here-Itis. When I watch pool on TV, I'm doing it to see shots that no way in hell I could have made, not to think "man, I could kick Noah Wylie's ass".

Hear, hear. I definitely was rather disappointed in the celebrity edition, but I didn't expect too much out of it to begin with. I was, like you, rather impressed with the first episode, not only with the level of play, but the high intensity of the players and the side game elements used. The celebrity editions, like almost every celebrity edition out there, just exists essentially to give them a chance to mess up the game as much as possible and still walk away with more money than those who actually do know how to play the game. Even if it is for charity, it can certainly get old after a while.

If they had stuck to the original format for the celebrity edition other than making the first 40 minutes of the show pointless (the eliminations didn't even happen until the final round, making almost all previous play pointless), I might see a point for watching it; that way, only the good pool players would stick around to see another round. I know they exist out there...

There will be more celebrity editions, yes. But I just hope they don't overkill it or at least get celebrities that will do more than provide eye candy or "comic relief."

Rant over...

Anthony

davemackey · « **Reply #9 on:** August 02, 2005, 09:16:17 PM »

[quote name=\'mbc793\' date=\'Jul 30 2005, 11:12 PM\']I missed some of the episodes..well there's what 2 already aired? I don't like it at all..was ESPN 2 too fulled in its schedule to air this..come on.

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If this fails on GSN, it would be a great pickup for ESPN2, as there's already an infrastructure there in place to broadcast billiards shows (and a devoted following already in place). Ewa would be a no-brainer to continue as commentator; don't know about the others.

Does anyone else find the "rack girl" a little stiff?

Episode three went back to civilians, in spite of a promo that ran during the day with (you guessed it) Camryn Manheim.

clemon79 · « **Reply #10 on:** August 02, 2005, 09:27:04 PM »

[quote name=\'davemackey\' date=\'Aug 2 2005, 06:16 PM\']Does anyone else find the "rack girl" a little stiff?
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I dunno, but I find SOMETHING "a little stiff" when I see the rack girl.

FOXSportsFan · « **Reply #11 on:** August 03, 2005, 12:03:05 AM »

You and every other straight man, Chris. Something about Adrienne's racking makes you just wanna break out your cue and...oh hello friends.