Author Topic: Panel shows... (Read 6908 times)

Dbacksfan12 · « **on:** October 11, 2005, 04:04:55 PM »

Of all the panel shows that aired...which was your least favorite?

I lean towards I've got a Secret...it seemed to be very, very, cut and dry.

Ian Wallis · « **Reply #1 on:** October 11, 2005, 05:10:18 PM »

For me, it was The Name's the Same. In watching the episodes when GSN first went on the air, I couldn't get the appeal of it - it just seemed like another What's My Line to me. However, tastes change I guess, because I just acquired three episodes of it and like it a lot better now!

The Pyramids · « **Reply #2 on:** October 11, 2005, 06:29:59 PM »

The Gong Show

Steve Gavazzi · « **Reply #3 on:** October 11, 2005, 07:52:45 PM »

[quote name=\'PaulD\' date=\'Oct 11 2005, 06:29 PM\']The Gong Show

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I know Mark said, "all the panel show"...but I really don't think that's what he meant.

MCArroyo1 · « **Reply #4 on:** October 11, 2005, 09:57:27 PM »

For me, it's Name's the Same. Wasn't a fan when I first saw it, and still not a fan. It lacked the charm of the other shows. Garry and Steve saved IGaS.

The Ol' Guy · « **Reply #5 on:** October 12, 2005, 07:59:31 AM »

Of what I've seen, I'd say Make The Connection. Probably because by then, G-T had gone to the well once too often for talent. Wolf didn't do too badly with Masquerade Party, but it's a shame other shows like Who Pays? (Who's The Boss?) aren't floating around to see how their panels compared with G-T's.

DrBear · « **Reply #6 on:** October 12, 2005, 11:04:46 AM »

After seeing "What's Going On?" I'd have to say it was not a shining example of the art.

More recently, "You Lie Like a Dog" was ... well... something left behind on the carpet.

zachhoran · « **Reply #7 on:** October 12, 2005, 11:09:46 AM »

[quote name=\'DrBear\' date=\'Oct 12 2005, 10:04 AM\']After seeing "What's Going On?" I'd have to say it was not a shining example of the art.

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Wasn't What's Going On plagued by 1950s era technology, at least in part? They couldn't do the remotes back then that can be done now, as was discussed on ATGS a couple of times.

uncamark · « **Reply #8 on:** October 12, 2005, 11:48:20 AM »

I'm glad someone mentioned "The Name's the Same"--the last show you would ever think would get revived got revived last night in the UK.

BBC4, the Beeb's non-broadcast digital "culture" channel, has been doing a bunch of the shows on the theme "The Lost Decade: 1945-55" (off of the belief that it's been forgotten between WWII's "Greatest Generation" and the birth of rock and roll after 1955). Last Tuesday night, they did a documentary on TV panel shows of the time, followed by a one-shot revival of "WML?" (the only panelist you might know here was Dave Gorman, the comedian who's currently touring the U.S. in his "Googlewhack Adventure" one-man show).

Last night, "TNTS" was revived for one night only, with Gorman co-hosting (Frank Muir and Denis Norden, best known as panelists on the radio show "My Word!", hosted the original British version together, which may've inspired G-T to put in Bob and Ray as hosts of the U.S. version), followed by a repeat of the British show "The Brains Trust" from 1958.

Next Tuesday night, it's a repeat of the original UK "WML?", hosted by Eammon Andrews, followed by a 1960 episode of the interview show "Face to Face" with ascerbic "WML?" panelist Gilbert Harding interviewed.

The home page for this series of BBC4 programs:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/lostdecade/

$100kPyramidfan · « **Reply #9 on:** October 12, 2005, 11:49:54 AM »

[quote name=\'DrBear\' date=\'Oct 12 2005, 11:04 AM\']After seeing "What's Going On?" I'd have to say it was not a shining example of the art.

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I agree. Especially since it was somewhat difficult for them experimenting with the live remote format at the time, like mentioned above. Maybe if they tried it some years later, it would have had a slightly better chance of working.

TLEberle · « **Reply #10 on:** October 12, 2005, 03:59:37 PM »

But at least "What's Going On?" had a potentially neat concept going on. "Name's The Same" was as dull to watch as you can get. Generally, I don't stop to watch the panel shows, but if the central subjects are interesting, I'll take in a "Truth" or "Line" but that's about all. "Secret" doesn't grab me, and I think that's all there are.

Neumms · « **Reply #11 on:** October 12, 2005, 04:16:04 PM »

When they added the fourth panelist and later the second host to "The Name's the Same," it was obvious they were clutching at straws. But I love Joan Alexander, and Meredith Wilson and Carl Reiner were terrific with her. Robert Q was good, too. The only trouble was the out-of-whack celebrity segment.

IGAS is my least favorite of the ones I've seen, only because there was so little game to it. The panels and Garry were great. That or "The 3rd Degree."

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #12 on:** October 12, 2005, 05:09:54 PM »

As I've said before, most of the panel shows have very little game to them. They rise and fall on the strength of their panels, not the strength of their games. I've Got A Secret was, in its day, the most popular panel show on television. WML? was merely classier, though despite the absence of Bill Cullen, it remains my personal favorite. And while it's fun today for me to see the guy who wrote The Music Man as a regular panelist on a game show, The Name's The Same had the least charismatic regular panel of all, which is why it is deservedly obscure today.

Neumms · « **Reply #13 on:** October 12, 2005, 05:39:38 PM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Oct 12 2005, 04:09 PM\']And while it's fun today for me to see the guy who wrote The Music Man as a regular panelist on a game show, The Name's The Same had the least charismatic regular panel of all, which is why it is deservedly obscure today.

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Wasn't it obscure when it first aired? It was on ABC while the others were on the Tiffany Network, so that couldn't have helped.

Besides, Joan Alexander had way more charisma than Bess Myerson.

Steve McClellan · « **Reply #14 on:** October 12, 2005, 05:42:29 PM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Oct 12 2005, 02:09 PM\']As I've said before, most of the panel shows have very little game to them. They rise and fall on the strength of their panels, not the strength of their games.[/quote]
Strange that this point hasn't really been made - I find that really the only thing that attracts me to the panel shows is humor, and while the panelists can be a big part of that, the game format can ramp that up substantially, too. Hence, my #1 panel show is WML?: Live on Stage

, followed closely by the original WML?, and, strangely enough, The Name's the Same, then IGAS. On a Sunday night, I enjoyed the lowbrow humor of TNTS. I even enjoyed It's News To Me.

ObBadPanelShow: In a distant last on my list: What's Going On? No humor, no good panel, no nuthyn'.

Author Topic: Panel shows... (Read 6908 times)

uncamark