Author Topic: NBC Universal (Read 7326 times)

Jay Temple · « **on:** October 09, 2003, 11:50:11 AM »

You may have read by now that GE has merged with Vivendi Universal to become NBC Universal. If you noted that information, then you probably also know that GE owns NBC. I read in an article on the merger that one of Vivendi's holdings is the USA Network. The USA Network has at various times included game shows in its line up. (The last two that I know of are \"Smush,\" which I heard was terrible, and \"Strip Poker,\" which I saw firsthand was terrible.) So, there is at least a faint hope that NBC, which has not let GSN air Scrabble, Concentration or any number of other favorites, might possibly put some of those shows on one of its new sister channels! Mind you, I have heard nothing of any plans to do so; I'm just saying there's a glimmer of hope.

Jimmy Owen · « **Reply #1 on:** October 09, 2003, 11:59:42 AM »

No chance. Universal has enough movies in its backlog to supply USA into the next millenium.

Dbacksfan12 · « **Reply #2 on:** October 09, 2003, 12:57:46 PM »

[quote name=\'Jay Temple\' date=\'Oct 9 2003, 10:50 AM\'] You may have read by now that GE has merged with Vivendi Universal to become NBC Universal. If you noted that information, then you probably also know that GE owns NBC. I read in an article on the merger that one of Vivendi's holdings is the USA Network. The USA Network has at various times included game shows in its line up. (The last two that I know of are "Smush," which I heard was terrible, and "Strip Poker," which I saw firsthand was terrible.) So, there is at least a faint hope that NBC, which has not let GSN air Scrabble, Concentration or any number of other favorites, might possibly put some of those shows on one of its new sister channels! Mind you, I have heard nothing of any plans to do so; I'm just saying there's a glimmer of hope. [/quote]
Freemantle is holding Scrabble back, not NBC.

joshg · « **Reply #3 on:** October 09, 2003, 01:29:53 PM »

NBC is probably going to treat USA like the stepchild: \"repurposing\" all of those *great* NBC hits (such as \"Coupling\" and \"Whoopi\") for us ad nauseum.

Think of it as NBC Lite...

JOSH

GS Warehouse · « **Reply #4 on:** October 09, 2003, 01:33:52 PM »

[quote name=\'matchgame\' date=\'Oct 9 2003, 12:29 PM\'] NBC is probably going to treat USA like the stepchild: "repurposing" all of those *great* NBC hits (such as "Coupling" and "Whoopi") for us ad nauseum.

Think of it as NBC Lite... [/quote]
Random thought: With NBC and USA joining forces, I shouldn't count on looking for Monk reruns on ABC anymore.

ObGameShow: From what I've heard of Dick Clark's recent creations, let's hope American Dreams stays around for a while.

uncamark · « **Reply #5 on:** October 09, 2003, 03:56:30 PM »

[quote name=\'matchgame\' date=\'Oct 9 2003, 12:29 PM\']NBC is probably going to treat USA like the stepchild: \"repurposing\" all of those *great* NBC hits (such as \"Coupling\" and \"Whoopi\") for us ad nauseum.

Think of it as NBC Lite...[/quote]
\"Coupling\"'s already being repurposed on Bravo.

And to take care of another post, \"Monk\"'s produced by Disney/Touchstone, so that one could go either way.

For my part--on to stay on topic--I predict \"Fear Factor\" repeats at 7 and 11 p.m. weeknights on USA starting September 2004. NBC owns the syndication rights and they now own the cable network to put the show on.

GS Warehouse · « **Reply #6 on:** October 09, 2003, 10:51:26 PM »

[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Oct 9 2003, 02:56 PM\'] And to take care of another post, "Monk"'s produced by Disney/Touchstone, so that one could go either way. [/quote]
Ah, that would account for why Monk turned up on ABC in the first place. Mea culpa.

Quote

For my part--on to stay on topic--I predict \"Fear Factor\" repeats at 7 and 11 p.m. weeknights on USA starting September 2004. NBC owns the syndication rights and they now own the cable network to put the show on.

It doesn't necessarily have to be USA. NBC Universal is planning new channels. Let's hope they make one exclusively for Fear Factor and another just for Coupling so I don't have to worry about ever accidently exposing myself to one of those raunchy shows.

ObGameShow: I'd rather watch MG98 than those two!

Strikerz04 · « **Reply #7 on:** October 10, 2003, 12:10:24 AM »

[quote name=\'Jay Temple\' date=\'Oct 9 2003, 10:50 AM\'] You may have read by now that GE has merged with Vivendi Universal to become NBC Universal. If you noted that information, then you probably also know that GE owns NBC. I read in an article on the merger that one of Vivendi's holdings is the USA Network. The USA Network has at various times included game shows in its line up. (The last two that I know of are \"Smush,\" which I heard was terrible, and \"Strip Poker,\" which I saw firsthand was terrible.) So, there is at least a faint hope that NBC, which has not let GSN air Scrabble, Concentration or any number of other favorites, might possibly put some of those shows on one of its new sister channels! Mind you, I have heard nothing of any plans to do so; I'm just saying there's a glimmer of hope. [/quote]
Smush was actually decent. Ober knew what he was doing, and the concept itself was very imaginative, and I'm sorry to say it didn't work. But I rather see that, or the crappy 90's USA shows than Fear Factor or Coupling.

O/T: The South Bend Affiliate WNDU has stopped showing Coupling on thursdays and replaced it with Spin City.

-Dave

Jay Temple · « **Reply #8 on:** October 10, 2003, 11:18:33 AM »

[quote name=\'GS Warehouse\' date=\'Oct 9 2003, 09:51 PM\'] It doesn't necessarily have to be USA. NBC Universal is planning new channels. [/quote]
This is potentially even better news. Can you say GSNBC?

Edit: Oh, and I'm fully aware that they couldn't really call it that without running into a huge lawsuit from GSN. That was just a quick way of describing the concept.

Dbacksfan12 · « **Reply #9 on:** October 10, 2003, 02:06:17 PM »

[quote name=\'Strikerz04\' date=\'Oct 9 2003, 11:10 PM\'] [quote name=\'Jay Temple\' date=\'Oct 9 2003, 10:50 AM\'] You may have read by now that GE has merged with Vivendi Universal to become NBC Universal. If you noted that information, then you probably also know that GE owns NBC. I read in an article on the merger that one of Vivendi's holdings is the USA Network. The USA Network has at various times included game shows in its line up. (The last two that I know of are "Smush," which I heard was terrible, and "Strip Poker," which I saw firsthand was terrible.) So, there is at least a faint hope that NBC, which has not let GSN air Scrabble, Concentration or any number of other favorites, might possibly put some of those shows on one of its new sister channels! Mind you, I have heard nothing of any plans to do so; I'm just saying there's a glimmer of hope. [/quote]
Smush was actually decent. Ober knew what he was doing, and the concept itself was very imaginative, and I'm sorry to say it didn't work. But I rather see that, or the crappy 90's USA shows than Fear Factor or Coupling.

O/T: The South Bend Affiliate WNDU has stopped showing Coupling on thursdays and replaced it with Spin City.

-Dave [/quote]
:O *shocked* What! You mean you didn't like Quicksilver!?

GS Warehouse · « **Reply #10 on:** October 10, 2003, 03:39:53 PM »

[quote name=\'Strikerz04\' date=\'Oct 9 2003, 11:10 PM\'] O/T: The South Bend Affiliate WNDU has stopped showing Coupling on thursdays and replaced it with Spin City. [/quote]
\"Stopped\" showing it? They never have shown it at all. ND is a Catholic universaity with strict moral values, and Coupling goes too far.

And don't bet on a GSNBC. GSN is treading water as it is, and NBC doesn't give a [BLANK] about viewers 50 and over. Concentration won't work in this day and age.

ObGameShows: WOOD TV-8 (then WOTV) never showed Card Sharks. I had to watch it on WILX-10.

inturnaround · « **Reply #11 on:** October 10, 2003, 04:55:50 PM »

Corporate synergy is a myth. The companies become too large and stretched too far that they can't even focus as well on the things they did separately.

Besides, most of the business units in a corporation are usually run separately. So if for example Law and Order got a better offer from CBS, it would go there. (I know L&O just reupped with a longterm deal. It's just an example)

Things are much easier to lose in a one big corporation than several smaller ones and things are much more likely to get buried and lost. Including game show formats and libraries.

trainman · « **Reply #12 on:** October 10, 2003, 07:36:42 PM »

Also in the NBC/Universal stable of cable networks is Trio...if they were going to rerun any game shows, I have to think they'd go there.

Unfortunately, Trio is nowhere near as widely distributed as GSN is.

ChuckNet · « **Reply #13 on:** October 10, 2003, 07:57:21 PM »

Quote

ObGameShows: WOOD TV-8 (then WOTV) never showed Card Sharks.

How ironic, considering who announced it. :-)

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious \"Chuckie Baby\")

Jimmy Owen · « **Reply #14 on:** October 10, 2003, 09:52:05 PM »

Channel 8 may not have carried CS, but CBS affil Channel 3 showed the reruns at 4:30 in 83-84, right after \"Tattletales.\" In essence, the shows were first run.