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ESPN has begun looking for contestants for a new season of Stump the Schwab. They're looking for someone who have the sports knowledge to defeat the big guy. You can get an application on ESPN.com.
Thirty episodes will be produced, instead of the first season's five. Probably, the format (particularly the endgame) will be revamped.
Speaking of ESPN and game shows, Roger Lodge of ESPN Trivial Pursuit was a player at the McDonald's NBA Celebrity Game in Denver tonight. (...and in the words of Dave Barry, I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP...the next one introduced was a subject of a llama question on WWTBAM, Lisa Leslie.)
Brian
The Jehovah's Witnesses distribute Mad magazine?
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Am I the only person who thinks of Q-Tips every time he sees the name of this show?
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The first word that comes to mind when I hear this game is actually "suck". I don't know how well this did in ratings, but this was honestly the worst game show I've ever seen ESPN put on, and the worst I've seen of the decade so far. I hope to god they god a new host, made some common theme in the set and music, and made the game exciting. I nearly fall asleep watching it. Honestly, if they want a game show type program for ESPN since the NHL is cancelled, I don't see why they won't revive 2 Minute Drill for one more tournament. That show, from my understanding, did fairly well until they put it at the horrible time slots. Maybe someone else knows.
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[quote name=\'Steve Gavazzi\' date=\'Feb 19 2005, 12:54 AM\']Am I the only person who thinks of Q-Tips every time he sees the name of this show?
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I thought the object was to create the best money market fund.
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I always think of Mike Stokey, Deanna Lund and Roger C. Carmel myself.
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Wow.
Did they really run out of potential replacements for NHL games, or what? They didn't think the 850th rerun of World Series of Poker would fill the time? They don't have enough episodes of Tilt to play?
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I really would like to get inside the heads of the programming people at ESPN. I just can't understand what they're thinking.
They have an almost infinite library of great stuff to show on ESPN Classic... but instead they take old events and mock them MST3K-style in that awful "Cheap Seats" show. They're even showing live college basketball on Classic... under the premise that digging up old announcers like Jim Simpson makes them suitable for Classic.
I've seen nothing from the "ESPN Original Entertainment" group (movies, dramas, poker, etc.) that even sticks to the tape. "Stump the Schwab" was just awful. It's embarrassing (but of course not surprising)that it would even be brought up here.
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I really would like to get inside the heads of the programming people at ESPN. I just can't stand what they're thinking.
Somebody decided to put a Bottom Line on ESPN Classic which lists the same things on ESPN2. I don't want to see who's winning between Wagner and Rider when I can see old sports shows.
On the game show front, ESPN Classic aired Sports Challenge and Boardwalk and Baseball's Super Bowl of Sports Trivia, but no more.
"Stump the Schwab" was just awful. It's embarrassing...
Like I said, I expect a new format for season 2.
Brian
The Jehovah's Witnesses distribute Mad magazine?
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[quote name=\'melman1\' date=\'Feb 19 2005, 01:26 PM\']I really would like to get inside the heads of the programming people at ESPN. I just can't understand what they're thinking.
They have an almost infinite library of great stuff to show on ESPN Classic... but instead they take old events and mock them MST3K-style in that awful "Cheap Seats" show. They're even showing live college basketball on Classic... under the premise that digging up old announcers like Jim Simpson makes them suitable for Classic.
I've seen nothing from the "ESPN Original Entertainment" group (movies, dramas, poker, etc.) that even sticks to the tape. "Stump the Schwab" was just awful. It's embarrassing (but of course not surprising)that it would even be brought up here.
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Actually, one broadcast originated at TCU and it was "Throwback Jersey Night". That's one way to do a "live classic broadcast".
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[quote name=\'melman1\' date=\'Feb 19 2005, 02:26 PM\']I really would like to get inside the heads of the programming people at ESPN. I just can't understand what they're thinking.
They have an almost infinite library of great stuff to show on ESPN Classic... but instead they take old events and mock them MST3K-style in that awful "Cheap Seats" show. They're even showing live college basketball on Classic... under the premise that digging up old announcers like Jim Simpson makes them suitable for Classic.
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Great old material like "Superdogs, Superjocks." Besides, it was just last year when the only thing on the deuce was those World Strongest Man competitions.
C'mon, there's nothing wrong with Cheap Seats. The Sklar Brothers do a pretty good job with what they're given (and judging by the budget, that's not a lot).
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[quote name=\'CarbonCpy\' date=\'Feb 20 2005, 08:40 PM\']C'mon, there's nothing wrong with Cheap Seats.[/quote]
Oh, there's plenty wrong with it.
Classic Sports Network was always digging up new material - old baseball, old football, you name it. It was their passion. When ESPN bought them, that came to an end. Even with the immense libraries of ESPN at their disposal now, they insist on airing crap like Cheap Seats instead.
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I enjoy Cheap Seats, but they do play it too much. Fortunately, the new schedule in March appears to be cutting it back a bit.
The thing with the classic games, although I'd love to see more of 'em, is that every league seems to be developing its own network (NFL Net, NBA TV, Speed Channel, the proposed MLB channel ?coming? in July) and will be airing tons of those archival games out of necessity. From a business perspective, I can understand ESPN's thinking in turning away from what brought them to the party, even though I personally am disappointed by it.
BTW, Espn Original Entertainment is OK in my book for PTI and (ObGS) 2-Minute Drill.
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Somebody decided to put a Bottom Line on ESPN Classic which lists the same things on ESPN2. I don't want to see who's winning between Wagner and Rider when I can see old sports shows.
Isn't that annoying! Ever since ESPN2 went on the air that constant Bottom Line has always bugged me, but I guess I've gotten used to it over the years.
I think in the fall they might have to order more shows like "Stump the Schwab". If one of the reasons for this is because of the cancelled NHL season, reports suggest the next one will be delayed as well, leaving even more programming time to fill.
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[quote name=\'ChrisLambert!\' date=\'Feb 21 2005, 10:16 AM\']Speed Channel[/quote]
Right, but Speed Channel no longer trots out vintage NASCAR races....and AFAIK, ESPN lets theirs sit in the vault. When they do air, they get the two hour treatment. Another network, gone down the tubes if you ask me...for exactly the "Fast Forward" reason you mentioned.
The other day, they showed the 1985 Iowa/Michigan football game. Who wants to watch a one-hour recap?
Obsports: Steve Alford should be fired.
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[quote name=\'Modor\' date=\'Feb 21 2005, 12:15 PM\'][quote name=\'ChrisLambert!\' date=\'Feb 21 2005, 10:16 AM\']Speed Channel[/quote]
Right, but Speed Channel no longer trots out vintage NASCAR races....and AFAIK, ESPN lets theirs sit in the vault. When they do air, they get the two hour treatment. Another network, gone down the tubes if you ask me...for exactly the "Fast Forward" reason you mentioned.
The other day, they showed the 1985 Iowa/Michigan football game. Who wants to watch a one-hour recap?
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I assume the one-hour game you refer to is their "Drive Thru." If so, it's a crappy idea. However, I know that before ESPN got their grubby paws on the network, the original Classic Sports Network would also fast forward to the more "exciting" portions of the game.
I could also do without the ticker during vintage games, and I could do without all the ESPN movies (this is supposed to be classic material, remember?), though the Reel Classics is cool. And don't get me started on their overplayed "Turn Back The Clock" gimmick.
ObGameShow: CSN used to show "Sports Challenge," in all its poor edits.
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CSN also used to show MLB's "Baseball's Greatest Games" series. And a few "This Week in Baseball" 's, IIRC most of 1978 and a few scattered across the 80's. And the old "This Week in Pro Football" - NFL Films' weekly 1-hour highlight show back in the pre-cable days, when NFL Films actually covered the game itself instead of making art-films and navel-gazing as they do now. CSN only showed a handful of those shows as well, from 1970-71 I think.
ESPN has made no effort to expand their library in these areas. CSN proved that a market existed, but ESPN has slowly been morphing it into ESPN3 anyway.
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[quote name=\'melman1\' date=\'Feb 21 2005, 01:45 PM\']CSN also used to show MLB's "Baseball's Greatest Games" series. And a few "This Week in Baseball" 's, IIRC most of 1978 and a few scattered across the 80's. And the old "This Week in Pro Football" - NFL Films' weekly 1-hour highlight show back in the pre-cable days, when NFL Films actually covered the game itself instead of making art-films and navel-gazing as they do now. CSN only showed a handful of those shows as well, from 1970-71 I think.
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NFL Films' highlight emphasis has been put on "Inside the NFL" for HBO--justified, since between "Primetime," NFL Network and "MNF" halftime--among other places--highlights of pro games are nowhere near as scarce as they used to be and the stations would now rather do their own local pre-games beore the network pre-games in NFL cities than run a syndicated show that's so last week. Besides, the clips run on Thursdays on "Inside the NFL" with a little more production pizazz--and Costas' roundtables and the features are the main drawing cards for "the show the pros watch" nowadays, as it is.
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ObGameShow: CSN used to show "Sports Challenge," in all its poor edits.
They also showed Home Run Derby, as well.
Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")
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[quote name=\'brianhenke\' date=\'Feb 19 2005, 12:15 AM\']ESPN has begun looking for contestants for a new season of Stump the Schwab. They're looking for someone who have the sports knowledge to defeat the big guy. You can get an application on ESPN.com.
Thirty episodes will be produced, instead of the first season's five. Probably, the format (particularly the endgame) will be revamped.
Speaking of ESPN and game shows, Roger Lodge of ESPN Trivial Pursuit was a player at the McDonald's NBA Celebrity Game in Denver tonight. (...and in the words of Dave Barry, I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP...the next one introduced was a subject of a llama question on WWTBAM, Lisa Leslie.)
Brian
The Jehovah's Witnesses distribute Mad magazine?
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Great to hear. The Schwab had the perfect persona for that show, and it really played well.