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Author Topic: GSN 50 greatest game shows special...  (Read 192906 times)

Matt Ottinger

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GSN 50 greatest game shows special...
« Reply #735 on: August 18, 2006, 01:56:21 PM »
[quote name=\'Joe Mello\' post=\'127932\' date=\'Aug 18 2006, 11:44 AM\']
I have a stronger feeling that there was some order fudging now that I see that the Top 10 has its own two weeks.  I always had a feeling that show X may not always be 1 or 2 steps better than show Y, even if the order said so.[/quote]
One of the interesting things about tallying our fan votes is that I don't think any single one of us is going to have our top ten (or even our top five) in the exact same order as the consensus vote.  And, in fact, some of the shows in the top ten (and even top five) are very, very close to each other in the current voting.

So Joe sorta has a point, though I'm not sure I'd call it "fudging".  The truth is that once you get to the Jeopardy-Wheel-Price-Pyramid-Match level, the shows are different enough that it comes down to personal (or corporate) preference, and one could make a decent case for -- or against -- any one of them being above or below any other of them.
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Joe Mello

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GSN 50 greatest game shows special...
« Reply #736 on: August 18, 2006, 02:08:10 PM »
[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'127946\' date=\'Aug 18 2006, 01:56 PM\']Joe sorta has a point, though I'm not sure I'd call it "fudging".[/quote]

I guess manipulation is a better term, now that I think about it.

My original theory was not to take the list as the individual ranks, but as tiered groups.  I wasn't sure if these groupings would be by episode or by week (especially now), but you get the idea.  Considering some of the shows on and off the list, it makes a little more sense.
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Matt Ottinger

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GSN 50 greatest game shows special...
« Reply #737 on: August 18, 2006, 02:22:57 PM »
[quote name=\'Joe Mello\' post=\'127948\' date=\'Aug 18 2006, 02:08 PM\']My original theory was not to take the list as the individual ranks, but as tiered groups.  I wasn't sure if these groupings would be by episode or by week (especially now), but you get the idea.  Considering some of the shows on and off the list, it makes a little more sense.[/quote]
Sure.  And on that subject, now that we've gotten more or less to the end (though still assuming what the last ten shows are), I can say that if GSN was an individual fan submitting a top-50 list the way sixty or so of you have already done, its list wouldn't seem all that bizarre.  Many individuals have made individual choices, usually near the bottom of their lists, which are every bit as "out there" as Three's a Crowd, Dog Eat Dog and Freakin' Studs. (That IS what we're calling it now, right?)  Still, most everybody included everything in our top twenty somewhere on their individual lists, and so will GSN.  Our top shows and their top shows are going to be awfully similar.  And scattered throughout both lists are several nice little moments of synchronicity where our choices and theirs line up almost exactly.

We just expected more from an outfit that calls itself "the network for games" than convenient choices, even at the bottom of their list, that let them squeeze in an episode of a show they happen to have, regardless of its quality.
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cweaver

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GSN 50 greatest game shows special...
« Reply #738 on: August 18, 2006, 02:54:21 PM »
[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'127950\' date=\'Aug 18 2006, 01:22 PM\']
We just expected more from an outfit that calls itself "the network for games" than convenient choices, even at the bottom of their list, that let them squeeze in an episode of a show they happen to have, regardless of its quality.
[/quote]

Interestingly enough, convenience over what's in the vault and what's easy to get, still wasn't a workable excuse for mentioning freakin' Studs.  I have a feeling the only reason it was included was because of that titillating "fun fact" about the "hookups."
« Last Edit: August 18, 2006, 03:41:17 PM by cweaver »

Joe Mello

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GSN 50 greatest game shows special...
« Reply #739 on: August 18, 2006, 02:59:51 PM »
[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'127950\' date=\'Aug 18 2006, 02:22 PM\']We just expected more from an outfit that calls itself "the network for games" than convenient choices, even at the bottom of their list, that let them squeeze in an episode of a show they happen to have, regardless of its quality.[/quote]
Like an actual list show and not this?  While it's a nice way to kill a few weeks.  I'd rather they have done a little more collaborative-looking.

I keep thinking DeCarlo is the only reason Studs is on the list.
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Chuck Sutton

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GSN 50 greatest game shows special...
« Reply #740 on: August 18, 2006, 03:00:12 PM »
If Price is Right is not number 1 for whatever reason, it would seem the next logical choice would be Wheel of Fortune, which has also been on televsion for more than 30 straight years.
« Last Edit: August 18, 2006, 03:24:21 PM by Chuck Sutton »

chad1m

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GSN 50 greatest game shows special...
« Reply #741 on: August 18, 2006, 03:06:27 PM »
I'm just thinking it will be rather ridiculous for any show in their top 10 to not have an episode attached to it. Like, giving a brief mention to Freakin' Studs wasn't damaging because it was #49. But, if you decide to show photos of Price is Right, that's almost like saying that one of your top shows isn't important enough to feature an episode of. Some people don't know about/grasp the concept of libraries and access, etc, so that's how it could come off to them.

PYLdude

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GSN 50 greatest game shows special...
« Reply #742 on: August 18, 2006, 03:11:54 PM »
[quote name=\'Chuck Sutton\' post=\'127954\' date=\'Aug 18 2006, 03:00 PM\']
If Price is Right is not number for whatever reason, it would seem the next logical choice would be Wheel of Fortune, which has also been on televsion for more than 30 straight years.
[/quote]

I'm gonna guess you meant number one, and I don't think the next logical choice is Wheel by any means.

I'd go to Jeopardy! instead.
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Sonic Whammy

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GSN 50 greatest game shows special...
« Reply #743 on: August 18, 2006, 05:35:37 PM »
At this point, I don't know what the heck's gonna be number one. I've already busted on 3 of my 9 supposed Top 10 picks.

Heck, I'll even set everything to my standby, and I'm being truthful:

Password - WAY better than PYL. Early rank for my submission to Ottinger's poll: #5
What's My Line? - Better than PYL... I think. I'll know for sure over the weekend. But it still deserved Top 10.
Gong Show - NO WAY better. I don't care that it was only by one. At least usually, contestants on PYL... ah, never mind, I'm not saying it.
Hollywood Squares - Also Top 10 worthy, but definitely better than PYL. It'll be up there on my list.
Dating Game - NO WAY better. Just doesn't work.
Amazing Race - With the expected lineup, Race may very well be 8 or 7. But it is not Top 10, and no way better than PYL.

And a curious thought about Millionaire. They could actually throw a sneak on us and just show John Carpenter's win. It was only a 1/2 hour that night, so it wouldn't bump another show to a simple acknowledgement. Only trick then would be to find where it goes. For my list to Ottinger, it's #2. (You already know what I think is #1. And no, no that.)
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uncamark

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GSN 50 greatest game shows special...
« Reply #744 on: August 18, 2006, 05:56:12 PM »
[quote name=\'Sonic Whammy\' post=\'127974\' date=\'Aug 18 2006, 04:35 PM\']
And a curious thought about Millionaire. They could actually throw a sneak on us and just show John Carpenter's win. It was only a 1/2 hour that night, so it wouldn't bump another show to a simple acknowledgement. Only trick then would be to find where it goes. For my list to Ottinger, it's #2. (You already know what I think is #1. And no, no that.)
[/quote]

Seems to me it was an hour show that night.  (I don't think any of the November 1999 shows were a half-hour.)

Ian Wallis

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GSN 50 greatest game shows special...
« Reply #745 on: August 18, 2006, 08:20:39 PM »
Quote
Oh, I definitely agree with you about it giving game shows a shot in the arm. Look at what it spawned for awhile - lots of imitations and more prime time game shows for us to enjoy. It's only been around for 8 years - I'm thinking something more dated is going to join TPiR in the top 2. I don't know what, but I don't think it will be as new as WWTBAM.

While it's not No. 1 on my list, it is one of my all-time favorites, so if GSN aired WWBTAM as No. 1 I'd have no problem with it.  However, I think it will likely it will go to a show like Price.  My feeling is that they'll air an episode of it on a special one-off basis, just like they seemingly did with Marshall "HS", whose contract they reportedly didn't renew.

Quote
Some people don't know about/grasp the concept of libraries and access, etc, so that's how it could come off to them.

That's something they've never really dealved into - even when they had shows like "Club AM" years ago.  For example, sometimes people would call in and mention certain old shows, and they never once offered (at least from what I saw) that some of these shows no longer existed.  You'd figure it should have had at least a passing mention.  I'm sure there are people out there who assume all this stuff is available.
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BrandonFG

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GSN 50 greatest game shows special...
« Reply #746 on: August 18, 2006, 10:05:34 PM »
[quote name=\'uncamark\' post=\'127979\' date=\'Aug 18 2006, 05:56 PM\']
Seems to me it was an hour show that night.  (I don't think any of the November 1999 shows were a half-hour.)
[/quote]
It was...the hour-long eps didn't come about until January 2000.
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GSN 50 greatest game shows special...
« Reply #747 on: August 19, 2006, 01:51:09 AM »
Well we have 2 episodes of next week dedicated to 1 show...

so I'm guessing...

#8 could be dedicated to Pyramid or NG/DG

and #7 may be WWTBAM.

I am pretty sure The Amazing(-ly Re-Run Abused) Race will miss out now. There is NO way GSN
thinks it is a top 10 show better than Blockbusters, Tattletales, Beat the Clock, Twenty-One, Press Your Luck, and so on.

tvwxman

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GSN 50 greatest game shows special...
« Reply #748 on: August 19, 2006, 05:45:31 AM »
[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'127991\' date=\'Aug 18 2006, 10:05 PM\']
[quote name=\'uncamark\' post=\'127979\' date=\'Aug 18 2006, 05:56 PM\']
Seems to me it was an hour show that night.  (I don't think any of the November 1999 shows were a half-hour.)
[/quote]
It was...the hour-long eps didn't come about until January 2000.
[/quote]
Not completely true...the Sunday night editions of Millionaire during it's first run were 1 hour long. By January, the 2nd run had a few more hour long editions....
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davemackey

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GSN 50 greatest game shows special...
« Reply #749 on: August 19, 2006, 10:10:05 AM »
[quote name=\'tvwxman\' post=\'128011\' date=\'Aug 19 2006, 05:45 AM\']
[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'127991\' date=\'Aug 18 2006, 10:05 PM\']
[quote name=\'uncamark\' post=\'127979\' date=\'Aug 18 2006, 05:56 PM\']
Seems to me it was an hour show that night.  (I don't think any of the November 1999 shows were a half-hour.)
[/quote]
It was...the hour-long eps didn't come about until January 2000.
[/quote]
Not completely true...the Sunday night editions of Millionaire during it's first run were 1 hour long. By January, the 2nd run had a few more hour long editions....
[/quote]
The first test run was comprised of half hours with a few hours thrown in for fun, which is why you don't see  those shows on GSN (but I'd love to see them again; that was the series that gave us Doug Van Gundy and Trip Payne). The November test run was mostly hours, which is why you see that one on GSN. By the time the show went to series in January, it was an hour every night, with that one odd half hour thrown in later in the run to bring back a disadvantaged contestant and finish his game.
« Last Edit: August 19, 2006, 10:11:41 AM by davemackey »