The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => Game Show Channels & Networks => Topic started by: Allstar87 on March 03, 2008, 04:40:51 AM
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The late Sunday-early Monday episode of Beat The Clock marked the debut of the All-Star format.
The PDFs on Steve Beverly's site say it was episode 34, so it had the civilian format for just seven weeks. I'm surprised to see it go all-celebs that quickly; were ratings really that bad?
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[quote name=\'Allstar87\' post=\'179684\' date=\'Mar 3 2008, 03:40 AM\']
The PDFs on Steve Beverly's site say it was episode 34, so it had the civilian format for just seven weeks. I'm surprised to see it go all-celebs that quickly; were ratings really that bad?
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I don't know if ratings were all that bad, but considering its competition was Perry CS, I'm not sure the ratings would have ever been great.
Also, the 10AM ET / 9AM everywhere else slot wasn't fabulous for clearances (especially for CT/MT/PT stations that wanted to run DONAHUE or other profitable syndie fare instead of network offerings in the 9AM hour).
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[quote name=\'SRIV94\' post=\'179697\' date=\'Mar 3 2008, 12:02 PM\']
I don't know if ratings were all that bad, but considering its competition was Perry CS, I'm not sure the ratings would have ever been great.
Also, the 10AM ET / 9AM everywhere else slot wasn't fabulous for clearances (especially for CT/MT/PT stations that wanted to run DONAHUE or other profitable syndie fare instead of network offerings in the 9AM hour).
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CBS had a series of flops, both games and sitcom reruns, in that slot both before and after Beat the Clock, regardless of the competition on NBC. I've watched a few clips on YouTube -- I don't see anything wrong with the show itself, other than 1979 probably wasn't the best time to introduce any kind of game show, much less a stunt show whose day had likely come and gone.
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[quote name=\'Allstar87\' post=\'179684\' date=\'Mar 3 2008, 04:40 AM\']
The late Sunday-early Monday episode of Beat The Clock marked the debut of the All-Star format.
The PDFs on Steve Beverly's site say it was episode 34, so it had the civilian format for just seven weeks. I'm surprised to see it go all-celebs that quickly; were ratings really that bad?
[/quote]
Can't say what the ratings were, but after Beat The Clock left, it would be a good 2 1/2 years before CBS dared to try a game show in the 10AM slot again...
/$25,000 Pyramid was that lucky show
//I feel Horanish
///Someone shoot me now
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CBS seemed to think adding celebrities were going to save that whole hour. That exact same day the show that followed "Beat The Clock" added stars as well. It became the "All-Star Beat the Clock", "Celebrity Whew" hour.
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I've watched a few clips on YouTube -- I don't see anything wrong with the show itself, other than 1979 probably wasn't the best time to introduce any kind of game show, much less a stunt show whose day had likely come and gone.
The impetus to bring back BTC came from Mike Ogiens of CBS. The sentiment around the office was that if they want BTC, we'll give them BTC.
How great was the difference in revenue for a station to pay for a syndicated show and sell it themselves vs. taking a show off the network and being compensated? This was back in the day of full network compensation and I think before the day of widespread barter syndication?
And does anyone have a handle on why Monty did the show when he was one of our business competitors?
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[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'179870\' date=\'Mar 4 2008, 09:36 AM\']
And does anyone have a handle on why Monty did the show when he was one of our business competitors?
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The same reason Ludden took any gig he could get between Passwords? He needed a job?
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I think at that point, Monty was no longer involved in the production end of game shows (Hatos-Hall was defunct and would only be resurrected for the next LMAD revival) and so it wouldn't have been unusual for him to take a hosting job for another company.
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[quote name=\'Eric Paddon\' post=\'179977\' date=\'Mar 4 2008, 08:17 PM\']
I think at that point, Monty was no longer involved in the production end of game shows (Hatos-Hall was defunct and would only be resurrected for the next LMAD revival) and so it wouldn't have been unusual for him to take a hosting job for another company.
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But that would happen within a few months' of this show's cancellation (albeit in a little-seen version).
Chris, didn't you once theorize that Monty had a project that didn't make it with CBS, and they somehow got him to do this instead as part of a payoff deal?
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[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'179880\' date=\'Mar 4 2008, 10:17 AM\']
[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'179870\' date=\'Mar 4 2008, 09:36 AM\']
And does anyone have a handle on why Monty did the show when he was one of our business competitors?
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The same reason Ludden took any gig he could get between Passwords? He needed a job?
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Was Allen Ludden an established game show packager? (Hint: at this stage of his life I kinda doubt Monty was struggling to pay the rent each month.)
Monty was no longer involved in the production end of game shows (Hatos-Hall was defunct and would only be resurrected for the next LMAD revival)
Wrong! Their company did a pilot for NBC and if I recall correctly it was in 1979 before Monty got BTC.
Chris, didn't you once theorize that Monty had a project that didn't make it with CBS, and they somehow got him to do this instead as part of a payoff deal?
I did theorize that, the same way Arte Johnson got Knockout. Now that I think back on that pilot H-H did for NBC, I'm less inclined to think he got BTC to complete some unfulfilled obligation to CBS. Perhaps Mike Ogiens wanted Monty to do BTC the same way Bud Grant wanted Barker to do TPIR? I think it's a safe bet that Goodson didn't seek out Monty.
I have never heard of Hatos and Hall dissolving their partnership or their company (the way Heatter and Quigley did) before the death of Stefan Hatos a few years ago.
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It does seem odd, it had to have been a network edict. Otherwise, wouldn't Jack Narz have been the guy? I know Dick Martin was busy with "Mindreaders" :)
I also thought it was a little strange when Monty filled in for Allen on ABC Password during the heyday of LMAD.
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[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'180050\' date=\'Mar 5 2008, 07:52 AM\']
It does seem odd, it had to have been a network edict. Otherwise, wouldn't Jack Narz have been the guy? I know Dick Martin was busy with "Mindreaders" :)
I also thought it was a little strange when Monty filled in for Allen on ABC Password during the heyday of LMAD.
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Not that much. They were on the same network and Monty was frequently a guest on the show.
And it seems to me that the only week Monty did was the week that Allen played the game (with Betty as the other celeb for the week). IIRC, Ludden stepped in at the end and did the "Password for Today" bit.
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In the book "Emcee Monty Hall" the story is told of Monty bringing his friend's idea of a game based on word-association to Bob Stewart and the consideration of a lawsuit against Goodson when "Password" hit the air. Since "Your First Impression" was picked up, Monty reconsidered. I guess by the '70's, it was all water under the bridge.
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[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'180050\' date=\'Mar 5 2008, 08:52 AM\']
It does seem odd, it had to have been a network edict. Otherwise, wouldn't Jack Narz have been the guy? [/quote]
Nothing against Monty, but I wish Jack Narz had been tapped to host this. Personal preference and nothing more.
However, if Jack weren't the announcer, we wouldn't have been treated to this daily laugher each weekday at 10:28am ET:
"Stay tuned for (Celebrity) Fwoo...."
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I think Jack Narz might have gotten the announcing gig because G-T's two main announcers, Johnny Olson and Gene Wood, were both very busy at the time. Johnny O was doing TPIR, MG and Mindreaders, and Gene was doing, FF, CS and PP. I can't say this is the absolute reason Narz got the job, but it's a definite possibility.
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[quote name=\'BillCullen1\' post=\'181209\' date=\'Mar 13 2008, 03:38 AM\']
I think Jack Narz might have gotten the announcing gig because G-T's two main announcers, Johnny Olson and Gene Wood, were both very busy at the time. Johnny O was doing TPIR, MG and Mindreaders, and Gene was doing, FF, CS and PP. I can't say this is the absolute reason Narz got the job, but it's a definite possibility.[/quote]
It's a big reason he got the job. I'm sure Frank would have liked to see him emcee it, but CBS had different ideas, so Jack was given the position of associate producer, possibly to enhance his announcer fee and make it closer to what he would have gotten as emcee. Even with Jack as associate producer, Mark Bowerman was brought in to oversee the inventory of physical props.
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[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'181352\' date=\'Mar 14 2008, 02:54 PM\']
[quote name=\'BillCullen1\' post=\'181209\' date=\'Mar 13 2008, 03:38 AM\']
I think Jack Narz might have gotten the announcing gig because G-T's two main announcers, Johnny Olson and Gene Wood, were both very busy at the time. Johnny O was doing TPIR, MG and Mindreaders, and Gene was doing, FF, CS and PP. I can't say this is the absolute reason Narz got the job, but it's a definite possibility.[/quote]
It's a big reason he got the job. I'm sure Frank would have liked to see him emcee it, but CBS had different ideas, so Jack was given the position of associate producer, possibly to enhance his announcer fee and make it closer to what he would have gotten as emcee. Even with Jack as associate producer, Mark Bowerman was brought in to oversee the inventory of physical props.
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Would you have known if Gene Wood was considered for hosting it as well? And I know it's been said before, but it's odd that G-T would hire the head of a rival production company to host a show.
Having Jack Narz around was a nice touch for the '79 BTC. Gave it a bit of heritage, and Jack was starting to gain a little prominence as an announcer again after a lot of hosting gigs, sort of like Jack Clark.
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[quote name=\'davemackey\' post=\'182175\' date=\'Mar 22 2008, 05:49 AM\']
Having Jack Narz around was a nice touch for the '79 BTC. Gave it a bit of heritage, and Jack was starting to gain a little prominence as an announcer again after a lot of hosting gigs, sort of like Jack Clark.
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Purely speculative, but from the stories I've read in the many years on line, I've always gotten the impression that G/T was a very good company when it came to loyalty to it's staff in terms of job security. All the more reason why they found a gig for Jack on the show, and all the more reason why it was indeed odd to see Monty host BtC.
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This may not exactly be a rival company but, another instance of G-T employing a company head was "Missing Links" with Dick Clark, who was selling daytime music show strips to ABC (AB, Where the Action Is, It's Happening) and NBC (Swingin' Country) in the '60's as well as later getting into game show production. Of course, Monty Hall later hosted the Dick Clark-Ron Greenberg Prods. version of LMAD.
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Would you have known if Gene Wood was considered for hosting it as well?
I doubt he was. His plate was plenty full with other shows.
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In the book Television Game Show Hosts by David Baber, both Monty Hall and Jack Narz say they hated the version of BTC they both worked on. Both were glad when the show was cancelled. Monty thought some of the stunts were stupid (I thought so too, but I didn't hate the show for it) and Narz didn't like the way the TV business was going at that time. Guess it goes to show that everyone gets a job that they don't like at some point in their lives.
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[quote name=\'BillCullen1\' post=\'182607\' date=\'Mar 26 2008, 09:07 PM\']
In the book Television Game Show Hosts by David Baber, both Monty Hall and Jack Narz say they hated the version of BTC they both worked on. Both were glad when the show was cancelled. Monty thought some of the stunts were stupid (I thought so too, but I didn't hate the show for it) and Narz didn't like the way the TV business was going at that time. Guess it goes to show that everyone gets a job that they don't like at some point in their lives.
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That's interesting. I like the 1979 version of BTC, but I've always had the opinion that Monty Hall was too stiff, merely going through the motions.
Aside from the stupid stunts, does the book give any other reasons why he hated it?
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I think calling the stunts on BTC stupid is amusing. Um, that's the WHOLE IDEA. And this from a man who owed his career to giving refrigerators to people dressed like radishes?
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[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'182917\' date=\'Mar 31 2008, 12:16 PM\']
I think calling the stunts on BTC stupid is amusing. Um, that's the WHOLE IDEA. And this from a man who owed his career to giving refrigerators to people dressed like radishes?
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It always seemed to me that Hall had mixed emotions about his success on "LMAD." As much as it made him wealthy and able to conduct the charitable activities that he seemed to value more than anything else, there always seemed to be a hunger for breaking the box and becoming known for something other than giving out refrigerators to people dressed like vegetables. All of his attempts never seemed to work--I seem to recall his attempt at a nightclub act in Las Vegas, which started out as a song-and-dance act with "LMAD" as a five-minute turn in the act to being swallowed up by "LMAD."
At least he could live vicariously through his daughter Joanna Gleason, who may not be a superstar but has been able to have a continuous and respected acting and directing career over the course of four decades and still works consistently despite being middle-aged. And I bet Monty still comes to see her shows and acts like the proud father he should be.
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It always seemed to me that Hall had mixed emotions about his success on "LMAD." As much as it made him wealthy and able to conduct the charitable activities that he seemed to value more than anything else, there always seemed to be a hunger for breaking the box and becoming known for something other than giving out refrigerators to people dressed like vegetables.
It seems maybe he wanted to be the next Johnny Carson.
After ANBTC was cancelled I asked Frank Wayne what he thought of Monty as emcee. The reply: "Monty Hall wouldn't say "s***" if he had a mouthful of it."