New PBS Special In January...

[dzinkin]

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'176032\' date=\'Jan 23 2008, 10:13 PM\']
For those who might have missed this last installment of the Pioneers of TV series, keep checking your local PBS website as they will probably be rerunning the Game Show week, as well as the other 3 weeks over the next few months.  Or you can get the entire 4 hours for $25+S&H at the PBS website.
[/quote]
It's also being repeated several times in the next week on PBS World, available as a digital cable channel in some areas and as a digital over-the-air subchannel in others.

[tvwxman]

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'176032\' date=\'Jan 23 2008, 10:13 PM\']
I didn't mind the omission of the original themes for generic music, but the things that really stuck out in my mind were the 're-creations' of some of the announcer introductions and the 're-creations' of some of the video clips (there was at least one for the Dating Game and one for Newlywed Game).
[/quote]
That part of it was, uh, odd.  The recreations were absoultely unnecessary.

I enjoyed the interviews, and my favorite story, believe it or not, was Bob getting top billing over the donuts. I laughed out loud about that. Made me remember what I liked so much about Bob from T o C, and how his last 10 years have been forgetful at best.

Sadly, though, of the four eps, this one was the worst. I didn't see any recreations done in the other eps, or did I miss them?  (The late night ep was the best).

[Adam Nedeff]

I winced once and I cringed once...
WINCE: "Steven Hatos"
CRINGE: Bob Stewart apparently created "What's My Line?" I didn't see that in Gil Fates' book.

Beyond those two foibles, I thought it was outstanding. It was as much coverage as a commercial free hour can accomplish. I felt that a few shows that ignored or brushed over, but if one hour is all you have to give, PBS gave all they could. It really does amaze you to think how much time needs to be devoted to a thorough, accurate portrait of the genre.

Favorite story: Jack Narz & Tom Kennedy's first-person accounts of learning that "Dotto" was rigged. I have "The American Experience" documentary about the scandals from 1992, and I always thought it was weird that they interviewed Jack for it, they talked about "Dotto" and they didn't have Jack talking about that revelation. That was finally taken care of tonight.

[joshg]

[quote name=\'Adam Nedeff\' post=\'176053\' date=\'Jan 23 2008, 09:19 PM\']
Favorite story: Jack Narz & Tom Kennedy's first-person accounts of learning that "Dotto" was rigged. I have "The American Experience" documentary about the scandals from 1992, and I always thought it was weird that they interviewed Jack for it, they talked about "Dotto" and they didn't have Jack talking about that revelation. That was finally taken care of tonight.
[/quote]

Tidge OT: Anyone know if "The American Experience" show from '92 was ever released on DVD?

Josh

[rigsby]

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'176032\' date=\'Jan 23 2008, 09:13 PM\']
many of those who appeared on the episode were holding up really good.
[/quote]Monty especially looked to me as if he could immediately host a better version of LMaD than the junk versions forced upon us in recent years.

And I had forgotten that he hosted Twenty-One.  Since the rigging revelations had not yet occurred when he became the host, why'd Jack Barry leave?

[DoorNumberFour]

[quote name=\'rigsby\' post=\'176094\' date=\'Jan 24 2008, 10:17 AM\']
[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'176032\' date=\'Jan 23 2008, 09:13 PM\']
many of those who appeared on the episode were holding up really good.
[/quote]Monty especially looked to me as if he could immediately host a better version of LMaD than the junk versions forced upon us in recent years.
[/quote]
I seem to remember he only hosted during the summer of 1958, and I had always assumed he was subbing for a vacationing Jack ala Garry Moore or Bud Collyer.

[weaklink75]

I thought it was pretty good-you could tell what was a recreation though. Didn't know Dick Van Dyke was in the running for the original TPIR actually..

...and whoever built that wheel they used must have put a private joke on there- one of the spaces for some reason was $157....

[Sodboy13]

[quote name=\'weaklink75\' post=\'176096\' date=\'Jan 24 2008, 09:33 AM\']
...and whoever built that wheel they used must have put a private joke on there- one of the spaces for some reason was $157....
[/quote]

...and don't forget that big, shiny $1,100 space on the wheel.

[mmb5]

Did you notice ... recreations were used only for the Sony shows.  There was only one actual Sony clip.  How expensive must the clips be if it was cheaper to hire actors and build a set?  Odd.

I also believe there was not a single mention of Match Game, yet we had clips of two different episodes of You Don't Say, including one which I believe is non-circulating.  I would presume that would have to be because of the availability of Tom Kennedy as opposed to the non-availability of Gene Rayburn.  If you saw the Variety episode last week, they had a similar instance where the mostly-forgotten Tony Orlando and Dawn hour got some serious screen time while the much more culturally-significant Sonny and Cher got a passing mention.  Tony Orlando was a talking head, Cher was not.  Sonny was not available.


--Mike

[Ian Wallis]

I thought this special was decent - it makes me wish I had seen the others.  I'll keep checking the listings for repeats!

[WildJoker76]

I thought it was a terrific documentary, and every one was used wonderfully and a learning piece as well (Van Dyke in the Running, Monty hosting 21) but one that I say couldn't be summed up in an hour to do it justice. With them doing a Pioneers of Television 4 hour documentary, there should be a 4 hour documentary on the evolution of the different types of game shows, with the relationship, word, trivia and games of chance as well as panel covered in many parts along with some of the ones that were part of it much like this episode was. Bill Cullen was given 2 minutes as to why he was the best, I could imagine it being longer, or maybe it went by too quickly that the best compliment to a very good documentary is that a viewer wishes it would go on longer after it is done.
I even wonder what happened to Tom Kennedy with the cast on his arm as well.  

All around, a solid program but one I'd love to see an expansion of sometime in the future!

[irwinsjournal.com]

On balance, I enjoyed it.  I did think the re-creations were a bit odd.  I also wondered what the problem was with not getting a "real" clip from Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy was, but I guess it had to do with $ony.  

I think that as with the other three installments, the emphasis seemed to be on who was available to be interviewed-- almost as if the show was built around that.  So no Gene Rayburn, for example.  But no matter, an enjoyable hour.  

Some of the Hollywood Squares clips were in an "uncensored" video that I just saw on YouTube, so that was kind of interesting.

[uncamark]

Most likely, the quiz scandals "American Experience" program may not ever make it on DVD, due to having to reclear everything.

And Shop PBS at pbs.org doesn't show the program as being available.  You may want to check out libraries, who may still have a VHS copy, if the program that exclusively placed tapes of PBS programs in libraries was still going back then.  It's not the DVD, but it's close enough at this time.

[toddyo]

The recreations were annoying.

The highlight was the Florence Henderson HS clip. I had just seen the clip on YouTube a week or so...but the George Gobel smoking shot wasn't...and was priceless!

I think if Hallmark or American Life channel wants to give GSN a run for the money (so to speak)...I'd say go get the HS, G-T and the ABC NG/DG/Hall-Hatos programs combo and air them at the times they aired...and a replay at night.

[Terry K]

If you have it, check the PBS HD channel.  They reran it this afternoon in glorius HD!