The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: dzinkin on December 08, 2003, 01:37:16 PM
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By some accounts, the only decent programming on G4 is Starcade... therefore, this seems apropos.
http://www.tvweek.com/topstorys/120803comcast.html (http://\"http://www.tvweek.com/topstorys/120803comcast.html\")
Thoughts?
- David
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Well, as long as they keep Game Sauce....
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[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Dec 8 2003, 01:38 PM\']Well, as long as they keep Game Sauce....[/quote]
"Game Sauce" is now on GSN. It's the first acquired half of the video game block that everyone loves. :)
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[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Dec 8 2003, 01:48 PM\'] [quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Dec 8 2003, 01:38 PM\']Well, as long as they keep Game Sauce....[/quote]
"Game Sauce" is now on GSN. It's the first acquired half of the video game block that everyone loves. :) [/quote]
I know, I wuz jes kiddin'
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[quote name=\'dzinkin\' date=\'Dec 8 2003, 11:37 AM\'] By some accounts, the only decent programming on G4 is Starcade... therefore, this seems apropos.
http://www.tvweek.com/topstorys/120803comcast.html (http://\"http://www.tvweek.com/topstorys/120803comcast.html\")
Thoughts?
[/quote]
If that meant TechTV was moved into the Digital Basic tier of my cable (say, where G4 lives now...even Analog would fine, but I'm not holding my breath) instead of the Digital Extra package they wanna charge me an extra seven bucks a month for, then I am 100% in favor of this acquisition.
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When did Allen buy Tech TV from Ziff-Davis, around early 2000? It'd be interesting to Google around and find his purchase price at the time.
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Yes, it was around January 2000 that Paul Allen bought ZDTV from Ziff-Davis. (It was rechristened TechTV in the summer of that year)
The going price at that time was $320 million dollars, so it's $20 million off the price Comcast is allegedly paying for it now.
I would suspect that this would indeed lead to wider carriage for TechTV/G4, but I don't know what the new channel would look like. I would suspect that a hybrid game/internet/gadget channel would see more eyeballs than just a video game channel and, as such, might even get moved to analog in some areas.
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I would suspect that a hybrid game/internet/gadget channel would see more eyeballs than just a video game channel and, as such, might even get moved to analog in some areas.
Anybody else get TechTV on analog? I have since 2000, at least.
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I do here at Comcast Analog at Cherry Hill. Since I'm also a TechTV fanatic in the their bulletin boards, let me briefly describe the network.
When the network started back in 97 or 98, it orginally was ZDTV. The programming content was all news based on solely computers, techbusinesses, products and Internet, and live interactive "how-to" shows that teach a viewer how to fix a computer or work some gizmo.
After Paul Allen bought the company in 2000, couple of months later in November or December, beyond the name changing to TechTV, they dumped all news programming, kept the live "how-to" shows since they were popular, and started expanding their coverage of technology to other interests, not just computers and internet. In addition, they started showing entertainment shows to fill the gap, like Max Headroom, Japanese anime, and Thunderbirds. (Which in my opinion, I'm not a big fan of.)
Recently as you know, the network hasn't been profitable in making money and demo ratings. (Yes, I read in their company profile at the site that they're hungry for a male 18-36 demo.) And so, here we are.
I was a huge fan of the ZDTV in it's early days. Tasteful information about computers and the Internet. That's very similar to the programming we enjoyed with Game Show Network in it's early days, before president David Fleming and programmer Jake Tauber took away the Goodson-Todman product (except TPIR and FF'94) and began that "Dark Period".
I don't know what the future holds for TechTV as they're in their quasi-"Dark Period" with the recent programming moves, but I hope the merger, if it is official, will satisfy both the ZDTV hardcorers (if that's a word) and today's TechTV audience.
~sanford
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My question to the Tech TV people is this: Do they think all 18 - 34 males are hard of hearing? The reason I ask is because so many of their on-air talent like to SHOUT. They SHOUT worse than first-year drama students. Leo Laporte SHOUTS. Martin Sargent's talk show is unwatchable because he SHOUTS his way through it. When people come into my living room I don't want them SHOUTING at me. I mean geez, it's not like there's a live rock band in the studio that they have to SHOUT over.
Note to Martin Sargent: switch to decaf.
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[quote name=\'ilb4ever2000\' date=\'Dec 8 2003, 03:32 PM\'] Anybody else get TechTV on analog? I have since 2000, at least. [/quote]
Channel 54, been there since I moved into town in 2000.
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[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Dec 8 2003, 02:28 PM\'] Leo Laporte SHOUTS. [/quote]
Hmm. I'd like to see him on TechTV and see if Chris's interpretation of his delivery is anything like what it used to be when he did radio. Leo started out in radio in San Francisco...my first experience with Leo was when he was co-host on "In The Kitchen" with Harvey Steiman, and it was clear he was co-hosting because he was "the radio guy" and Harvey was the expert. Then he moved on to be The Radio Guy on John C. Dvorak's Sunday morning computer show on the same station, and he's stuck with computers ever since.
I liked his delivery on radio, it was energetic while inoffensive...I hope TV hasn't ruined him.
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[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Dec 8 2003, 04:59 PM\']I liked his delivery on radio, it was energetic while inoffensive...I hope TV hasn't ruined him.[/quote]
Never got to hear Leo in his radio days, but that is a perfect description of his style on TechTV.
BTW, Leo is doing some radio and non-TechTV appearances this month. Here's the schedule (http://\"http://leo.typepad.com/tsn/2003/12/plugging_away.html#0000587150\") from his weblog (http://\"http://leo.typepad.com/\").
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For what it's worth, Tech TV is on ch. 44 on Time Warner Green Bay. Lower, anybody? (G4 is on channel 143 or something like that).
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[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Dec 8 2003, 04:59 PM\'] [quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Dec 8 2003, 02:28 PM\'] Leo Laporte SHOUTS. [/quote]
Hmm. I'd like to see him on TechTV and see if Chris's interpretation of his delivery is anything like what it used to be when he did radio. Leo started out in radio in San Francisco...my first experience with Leo was when he was co-host on "In The Kitchen" with Harvey Steiman, and it was clear he was co-hosting because he was "the radio guy" and Harvey was the expert. Then he moved on to be The Radio Guy on John C. Dvorak's Sunday morning computer show on the same station, and he's stuck with computers ever since.
I liked his delivery on radio, it was energetic while inoffensive...I hope TV hasn't ruined him. [/quote]
I always found Leo's delivery to be good - I haven't watched his show since it became TechTV, but he seemed like an intelligent guy, and if he was prompter-dependant, it didn't show.
Obgameshow: I was always waiting for techTV to create some kind of game show where folks had to hack into something (1st to do it wins), or that kind of thing.
T
www.46664.com (I'll put that in my signature one of these days so I can quit typing it everytime)
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Obgameshow: I was always waiting for techTV to create some kind of game show where folks had to hack into something (1st to do it wins), or that kind of thing.
ObObGameShow (does that even make sense?): The closest thing to a game show on the network is the "Search Sperts" segment on Unscrewed. Basically, Martin Sargent picks a number of Google hits, and the two "contestants" have to quickly come up with a word or phrase that they think will come up with that many hits in Google. Closest person wins. Besides the network's semi-regular contests, I'm not aware of anything else that's been even remotely close to a game show on the network in the last couple of years (no, I don't think Robot Wars counts. =P ).
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[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Dec 8 2003, 01:48 PM\'] [quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Dec 8 2003, 01:38 PM\']Well, as long as they keep Game Sauce....[/quote]
"Game Sauce" is now on GSN. It's the first acquired half of the video game block that everyone loves. :) [/quote]
If this merging does mean Starcade reruns are bye-bye on G4, maybe GSN could pump some life back into its fledgling Video Game block by picking up Starcade.
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[quote name=\'Speedy G\' date=\'Dec 9 2003, 11:04 AM\']
Obgameshow: I was always waiting for techTV to create some kind of game show where folks had to hack into something (1st to do it wins), or that kind of thing.
ObObGameShow (does that even make sense?): The closest thing to a game show on the network is the "Search Sperts" segment on Unscrewed. Basically, Martin Sargent picks a number of Google hits, and the two "contestants" have to quickly come up with a word or phrase that they think will come up with that many hits in Google. Closest person wins. Besides the network's semi-regular contests, I'm not aware of anything else that's been even remotely close to a game show on the network in the last couple of years (no, I don't think Robot Wars counts. =P ). [/quote]
On Call for Help (every day at 3 PM EST), they air a segment near the end of the show called the "Wired World Challenge." A contestant is asked a question over the phone (after they select one of four categories). If he/she is right, they get a choose one of 25 prizes on the prize board. Prizes can range from total "duds" like Leo Laporte's book to actual computer software like Photoshop.
Sometimes though they'll go as far as offer a Tivo or an entirely new custom-built PC as grand prizes.
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Official word from Jim Caruso of JM Productions, the producers of "Starcade":
We are afraid that you are out of luck for seeing Starcade on G4. They have elected not to pick up the 3rd year of their license agreement. They felt that everyone had seen it and their audience was tired of Starcade. We don't think the merge was a factor. We are sure that G4/TechTV will create a show just as well produced and as exciting as Starcade. Yes, we can comment and say that Starcade will be broadcast on another channel. After all it has lasted 20 plus years. In the meantime we are releasing it on DVD. See the store on www.starcade.tv.
Jim and Mavis
JM Production Company
Producers of Starcade, TV's First Video Arcade Game Show
So it appears that it'll be popping up somewhere else in the near future. My two thoughts would be either GSN or Trio with my gut leaning towards Trio since they air this kind of niche programming. I'll look forward to the announcement since I will be getting G4 when I move next month just in time for them to take the show off the air!
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i personally found Starcade boring. They have a quazi-revival of it on G4, anyway. Its called Arena and it specializes in first person shooting games. This season I think they give away a trip somewhere for the winners even. Its not an arcade based game like Starcade. Its more confrontational taking players into games like Unreal Tournament 2004.
If TechTV wanted to get into the game show world, if I were them I would think about maybe seeing if they could get something like Tech Jeopardy. It was on station.sony.com when they use to carry game shows to play. I use to play it a lot to; it was very entertaining. I would see this as the best way for them to dive into the game show world, if they got everything sorted out.
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We are afraid that you are out of luck for seeing Starcade on G4. They have elected not to pick up the 3rd year of their license agreement. They felt that everyone had seen it and their audience was tired of Starcade. We don't think the merge was a factor. We are sure that G4/TechTV will create a show just as well produced and as exciting as Starcade. Yes, we can comment and say that Starcade will be broadcast on another channel. After all it has lasted 20 plus years. In the meantime we are releasing it on DVD. See the store on www.starcade.tv.
Jim and Mavis
JM Production Company
Producers of Starcade, TV's First Video Arcade Game Show
That's too bad. Hopefully Jim saw my suggestion of talking to GSN which I posted at the G4 Starcade board.
I really hope Starcade shows up on GSN.....
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Leo has left Tech TV.
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[quote name=\'TraderRob\' date=\'Apr 6 2004, 12:10 PM\'] Official word from Jim Caruso of JM Productions, the producers of "Starcade":
We are afraid that you are out of luck for seeing Starcade on G4. They have elected not to pick up the 3rd year of their license agreement. They felt that everyone had seen it and their audience was tired of Starcade. We don't think the merge was a factor. We are sure that G4/TechTV will create a show just as well produced and as exciting as Starcade. Yes, we can comment and say that Starcade will be broadcast on another channel. After all it has lasted 20 plus years. In the meantime we are releasing it on DVD. See the store on www.starcade.tv.
Jim and Mavis
JM Production Company
Producers of Starcade, TV's First Video Arcade Game Show
So it appears that it'll be popping up somewhere else in the near future. My two thoughts would be either GSN or Trio with my gut leaning towards Trio since they air this kind of niche programming. I'll look forward to the announcement since I will be getting G4 when I move next month just in time for them to take the show off the air! [/quote]
I must say, I'm a little surprised at this development. G4 had recently moved the show to a more prominent timeslot (4:30 PM, right where it used to air on WTBS) right after repeats of one of their more popular shows, G4TV.com, a weekly call-in show (a little like The Screen Savers, but no audience and strictly video games). I guess the show DOES stick out like a sore thumb, though, considering its the only non-in house and classic show on the network. C'est la vie.........
Tyshaun
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[quote name=\'opimus\' date=\'Apr 6 2004, 07:44 PM\'] Leo has left Tech TV. [/quote]
To clarify, Leo Laporte's contract was not picked up after a dispute over stock options he owned. This doesn't preclude him from working with the new G4/TechTV channel and he has let G4's management know that he is available.
Hopefully G4 is smart enough to grab him.
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[quote name=\'inturnaround\' date=\'Apr 6 2004, 06:08 PM\'] [quote name=\'opimus\' date=\'Apr 6 2004, 07:44 PM\'] Leo has left Tech TV. [/quote]
To clarify, Leo Laporte's contract was not picked up after a dispute over stock options he owned. This doesn't preclude him from working with the new G4/TechTV channel and he has let G4's management know that he is available.
Hopefully G4 is smart enough to grab him. [/quote]
This reminds me of the situation two years ago where hockey season was about to start and Ron MacLean was NOT under contract to CBC yet to host Hockey Night In Canada. ESPN would have snapped his ass up in a New York minute.
If Comcast is smart, they sit Leo down, stick a check in front of him, and start drawing in zeros until he smiles. Having Leo involved in the new hybrid channel would be THE BEST way to make it legit from the get-go....
...if it's still a computer channel. If they make it more G4 and less Tech, they're wasting Leo.
This just popped into my head: When I was little, afternoon cartoons were on TV from 3-5, and then on Saturdays. So if I'm a kid, I probably care more about the video games and less about the high-tech hardcore PC stuff. Comcast would be wise to program the hybrid channel accordingly...run videogame stuff in the afternoons when the kids are home from school to watch (and maybe in the early mornings, too, say 7a-9a?), give 'em all morning Saturday, maybe into the afternoon, and run TechTV-oriented programming the other hours.
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For anyone who has G4 (or who cares), they will air their last repeat of Starcade tomorrow night at 4 AM EST. So get those VCR's or TiVo's rolling..........
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For anyone who has G4 (or who cares), they will air their last repeat of Starcade tomorrow night at 4 AM EST. So get those VCR's or TiVo's rolling..........
Starcade was the only reason I had G4 on my 'favorite channels' list that my cable box enables my to use when I feel like 'channel surfing.' But when I heard that G4 was dropping the repeats, I had that channel removed from my list.
Another thing, if GSN does get Starcade, then that show, too, will fall victim to GSN's new policy of running credit-crunches to the very end. Anybody ever stopped to think about that?
Sayonara, Starcade. It was quite a ride while it lasted.....again.
Cordially,
Tammy Warner--the 'Elaine Stewart of the Big Board!'