The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: lobster on March 01, 2008, 05:59:34 PM
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Will this be up for discussion as a game show?
http://abc.go.com/primetime/oprahsbiggive/index?pn=index (http://\"http://abc.go.com/primetime/oprahsbiggive/index?pn=index\")
-- and does anyone feel this will be an interesting watch?
that clip does imply it will have a game show feel to it..
and then a question for the purists: does this allow Oprah to join Ms. White and the handful of others to be considered a game show hostess?
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The very fact that it's Oprah is certainly enough reason for me not to watch.
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[quote name=\'lobster\' post=\'179507\' date=\'Mar 1 2008, 05:59 PM\']and then a question for the purists: does this allow Oprah to join Ms. White and the handful of others to be considered a game show hostess?[/quote]
Well, the specific answer to that question is no. Oprah does not serve as host for this little exercise.
The game show/not a game show debate will never be over because no definition will ever be universally accepted. Having said that, I believe this one falls much more obviously into the "reality" class than most. If in your belief system, shows like Survivor and The Apprentice are game shows, then good for you, add one here.
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[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'179517\' date=\'Mar 1 2008, 05:57 PM\']
The game show/not a game show debate will never be over because no definition will ever be universally accepted. Having said that, I believe this one falls much more obviously into the "reality" class than most. If in your belief system, shows like Survivor and The Apprentice are game shows, then good for you, add one here.
[/quote]
Righto -- and I have noticed on the forum here that there isn't really much discussion at all about the Reali-docu-gameo-dramaties (or whatever Perfesser calls 'em), so my guess is that the general consensus here on the forum is that they are not game shows as well (that, or no one cares to discuss 'em) :D
Studio 7 is the one show I can think of from all of those multi-week "saga" productions that really was much more game show than reality, so that's the only one of those I would consider .. but that's just me =o
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It's fair fodder here. It is a competition of some kind, yet the exact criteria for winning are not clear to me. All I saw were Oprah and her guest and a bunch of attractive under-50 wannabe actor types (read: waiters). The spin-off will be what, Dr. Phil gets contestants to go out and cure a bunch of nutjobs?
The very fact that it's Oprah is certainly enough reason for me not to watch.
Amen, brother Herbert.
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To me, a game ahow needs to have at least 1 of these things:
Contestants playing against each other/the house.
Cash & prizes offered as rewards.
Rules that are easy enough to understand, but not too difficult to play.
There's also a "playalong" factor, but that's merely an option depending on the format. I would consider AG as a game show because it fits most of my criteria.(it doesn't need a playalong factor at all in order for it to suceed, wich it has),
As for the Big Give, I'm not a big Oprah fan. But since her syndicated show is on most ABC O&Os, it stands to reason it'll draw in those viewers anyway. I can remember donating a can of peas for disaster relief when I was at college back in the early '90s. I''l give a pass to the Big Give.
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Will this "Big Give" be in the same vein as her so called Pontiac giveaway a few years back?
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[quote name=\'lobster\' post=\'179507\' date=\'Mar 1 2008, 05:59 PM\']
Will this be up for discussion as a game show?
http://abc.go.com/primetime/oprahsbiggive/index?pn=index (http://\"http://abc.go.com/primetime/oprahsbiggive/index?pn=index\")
-- and does anyone feel this will be an interesting watch?
[/quote]
Somewhat peripherally to the question of OBG's game-ness, I just finished Reality: the Novel, a satire containing a bunch of fictional reality shows, one of which was almost precisely this format.
Whether this is a game or not, it's a nice bit of balance to Moment of Ugliness. And if they'd get rid of the "twist" prize at the end, it'd be even better.
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[quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' post=\'179562\' date=\'Mar 2 2008, 02:37 AM\']
To me, a game ahow needs to have at least 1 of these things:
Contestants playing against each other/the house.
Cash & prizes offered as rewards.
Rules that are easy enough to understand, but not too difficult to play.
[/quote]
Televised Wimbledon matches feature all three of those, but that's not a game show :D
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[quote name=\'lobster\' post=\'179577\' date=\'Mar 2 2008, 11:36 AM\']
[quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' post=\'179562\' date=\'Mar 2 2008, 02:37 AM\']
To me, a game ahow needs to have at least 1 of these things:
Contestants playing against each other/the house.
Cash & prizes offered as rewards.
Rules that are easy enough to understand, but not too difficult to play.
[/quote]
Televised Wimbledon matches feature all three of those, but that's not a game show :D
[/quote]
Thread winnar right there, folks!
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[quote name=\'tpirfan28\' post=\'179579\' date=\'Mar 2 2008, 11:38 AM\']
Thread winnar right there, folks![/quote]
Yep, as we've found many, many times here, the more specific your definition, the easier it becomes to find obvious and absurd problems with it. The only standard that does any good is the one that starts "if it quacks like a duck", and the problem there is that your duck may not quack the same as mine does.
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How about this? Oprah buys a small third-world country and the series follows her as she transforms the lives of its citizens. First she changes the name of the country to "Oprahland". Then she gives a makeover to the wife of the deposed-but-now-very-wealthy leader, Chief Ubuntu (who now owns a Hummer and a stretch limo and has his own driver). Then she has some designer queen come in and redesign the royal palace. Next she takes an ordinary (female) citizen with her to Chicago and helps her buy 800 pair of shoes. Finally, Oprah builds a giant auditorium/TV studio so she can tape her show there. She names it "The Grand Ol' Oprah".
I think it could work.
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Not a game, but I'll bet a nickel that she's already done it.
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If the producer/network is ashamed to call it a game show, it's not a game show.
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Any definition of "game show" would have to exclude established sports. Something like Bowling for Dollars would not be considered an established sport.
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[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'179512\' date=\'Mar 1 2008, 06:11 PM\']
The very fact that it's Oprah is certainly enough reason for me not to watch.
[/quote]
QFT. My TV will be off that night.
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tried watching it w/ an open mind.
pure slop.
/not that i ever doubted y'all
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In my view, "Oprah's Big Give" (and its lead-out "Here Come the Newlyweds" with your host Pat Bullard) is a "reality competition" series, which are shows where the competition lasts over a period of weeks, with someone eliminated frequently and a big winner at the end of the series. They're usually pre-taped competitions with contestant confessionals and other "Real World"-inspired reality conventions (including some staged material or "frankenbiting" of confessionals) or live or live-on-tape talent contests with pre-taped rehearsal/preparation packages (often staged) with contestant confessionals.
Other examples:
Survivor
Amazing Race
Apprentice
Project Runway
America's Next Top Model
American Idol
Dancing With the Stars
Bachelor (and other similar dating competitions)
etc.
And I'm sure someone will say I'm wrong. Oh well.
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[quote name=\'uncamark\' post=\'179875\' date=\'Mar 4 2008, 01:02 PM\']
(and its lead-out "Here Come the Newlyweds" with your host Pat Bullard)
[/quote]
Flipping through channels, I saw this show...and thought the host sounded familiar. Kinda figured it was him...painful to listen to.
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[quote name=\'tpirfan28\' post=\'179877\' date=\'Mar 4 2008, 12:06 PM\']
[quote name=\'uncamark\' post=\'179875\' date=\'Mar 4 2008, 01:02 PM\']
(and its lead-out "Here Come the Newlyweds" with your host Pat Bullard)
[/quote]
Flipping through channels, I saw this show...and thought the host sounded familiar. Kinda figured it was him...painful to listen to.
[/quote]
And they had *him* doing confessionals, which is unusual for that kind of show--you don't see Probst looking straight into the camera with a lower third reading "JEFF PROBST--HOST" saying "The Immunity Challenge we prepared for the castaways will test their knowledge of their fellow castaways..."
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[quote name=\'uncamark\' post=\'179875\' date=\'Mar 4 2008, 12:02 PM\']
In my view, "Oprah's Big Give" (and its lead-out "Here Come the Newlyweds" with your host Pat Bullard) is a "reality competition" series, which are shows where the competition lasts over a period of weeks, with someone eliminated frequently and a big winner at the end of the series.
[/quote]
That does accurately describe reality shows as we know them, but then we have shows like Duel (even though it was over a course of days instead of weeks, still, people were eliminated and there was a sole big winner at the end) .. and Studio 7, which WAS over the course of multiple weeks, even had confessionals and the whole reality element, but in the end it appeared more game show than anything.. I guess that one is a special case.
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[quote name=\'lobster\' post=\'179882\' date=\'Mar 4 2008, 12:19 PM\']
[quote name=\'uncamark\' post=\'179875\' date=\'Mar 4 2008, 12:02 PM\']
In my view, "Oprah's Big Give" (and its lead-out "Here Come the Newlyweds" with your host Pat Bullard) is a "reality competition" series, which are shows where the competition lasts over a period of weeks, with someone eliminated frequently and a big winner at the end of the series.
[/quote]
That does accurately describe reality shows as we know them, but then we have shows like Duel (even though it was over a course of days instead of weeks, still, people were eliminated and there was a sole big winner at the end) .. and Studio 7, which WAS over the course of multiple weeks, even had confessionals and the whole reality element, but in the end it appeared more game show than anything.. I guess that one is a special case.
[/quote]
"Duel" was studio-based and not a talent contest (I forgot to mention that reality comps are generally location shows, except for the talent contests). And the elimination was not done in the now-time-honored ceremonial style (even "TAR"'s eliminations are sort of ceremony).
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[quote name=\'uncamark\' post=\'179886\' date=\'Mar 4 2008, 10:35 AM\']
"Duel" was studio-based and not a talent contest (I forgot to mention that reality comps are generally location shows, except for the talent contests). And the elimination was not done in the now-time-honored ceremonial style (even "TAR"'s eliminations are sort of ceremony).
[/quote]
Ultra Quiz! Try again. :)
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[/quote]Will this "Big Give" be in the same vein as her so called Pontiac giveaway a few years back?[/quote]
Are you talking about a so-called Givaway, or did she give away so-called Pontiacs?
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In my view, "Oprah's Big Give" (and its lead-out "Here Come the Newlyweds" with your host Pat Bullard) is a "reality competition"
Any competition where the outcome is determined solely by adjudication does not qualify as a game show in my book. That would exclude American Idol and the Miss America Pageant and many of the shows on your list, as well as The Gong Show and Queen For a Day. The Weakest Link had an adjudication component as well as that nasty part involving answering questions, so it could still be considered a game.