Status of the new Game Show Book

[Matt Ottinger]

I'm told reliably that a new game show book is in the works, but that David Schwartz will not be listed as one of the authors.  It's just Fred Wostbrock and Steve Ryan who are pursuing the project now.  No details yet on a release date, nor whether the book will take the same form as what's still being listed on Amazon right now:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=books&n=507846

Strangely, the Amazon site says the book is now available for purchase, which I find unlikely.

For those of you who don't know, Schwartz is the one of the three who did the most work to make the Encyclopedias true reference works, with voluminous, well-researched details on even the most obscure shows.  Without his involvement, it's safe to say that the new offering will be a much lighter affair, and quite possibly a much less accurate one.

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Jan 4 2004, 02:02 PM\'] I'm told reliably that a new game show book is in the works, but that David Schwartz will not be listed as one of the authors.  It's just Fred Wostbrock and Steve Ryan who are pursuing the project now.  No details yet on a release date, nor whether the book will take the same form as what's still being listed on Amazon right now:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=books&n=507846

Strangely, the Amazon site says the book is now available for purchase, which I find unlikely.

For those of you who don't know, Schwartz is the one of the three who did the most work to make the Encyclopedias true reference works, with voluminous, well-researched details on even the most obscure shows.  Without his involvement, it's safe to say that the new offering will be a much lighter affair, and quite possibly a much less accurate one. [/quote]
 Personally, I'll be interested to know whether this book will count any sort of competitive reality show ("Survivor," "House Rules") as a game show, or certain relationship games such as "Change of Heart."

[tvrandywest]

That's how I hear it, Matt. The new book is a light and breezy read as opposed to the reference work of their past efforts. The best part... a TON of heretofore unseen photos!

OK, the photos were obviously seen by the photographer among other people back in the day, but "unseen" by us until now.   ;-)

Randy
tvrandywest.com

[calliaume]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Jan 4 2004, 02:02 PM\'] I'm told reliably that a new game show book is in the works, but that David Schwartz will not be listed as one of the authors.  It's just Fred Wostbrock and Steve Ryan who are pursuing the project now.  No details yet on a release date, nor whether the book will take the same form as what's still being listed on Amazon right now:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=books&n=507846

Strangely, the Amazon site says the book is now available for purchase, which I find unlikely.

For those of you who don't know, Schwartz is the one of the three who did the most work to make the Encyclopedias true reference works, with voluminous, well-researched details on even the most obscure shows.  Without his involvement, it's safe to say that the new offering will be a much lighter affair, and quite possibly a much less accurate one. [/quote]
 It's obviously a different book altogether -- Amazon lists it as 300 pages (an unlikely page count; most books are in multiples of 16), but I doubt they would have brought a fourth edition of EOTVGS in at $19.95 anyway.

I'll be happy to proofread if they want me to...

[Pyramid80]

[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' date=\'Jan 4 2004, 05:14 PM\'] The best part... a TON of heretofore unseen photos!

OK, the photos were obviously seen by the photographer among other people back in the day, but "unseen" by us until now.   ;-)

Randy
tvrandywest.com [/quote]
 The photos are definitely the best part of the book.  I enjoy the first edition of the Game Show Encyplopedia far more than the other 2 just because of the great pictures that are on every page.

[chris319]

Amazon lists it as 300 pages (an unlikely page count; most books are in multiples of 16)

They must still be using Windows 95.

Fred's photo collection, when I saw it, was emcee-centric. This bias is somewhat apparent throughout the encyclopediae.

Perhaps this is the Perfesser's cue to write his own "gameupedia".

[calliaume]

[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Jan 5 2004, 07:09 AM\'] Fred's photo collection, when I saw it, was emcee-centric. This bias is somewhat apparent throughout the encyclopediae.

Perhaps this is the Perfesser's cue to write his own "gameupedia". [/quote]
 It's one thing to write a game show book, and quite another to get a publisher interested in issuing it.  (Trust me on this one -- I had an editor at SMP express mild interest after Millionaire became huge, but that went away in a hurry.  Of course, I went away, too.)

The ideal book would have a DVD of clips included, which would necessitate a tie-in with GSN, as well as permissions from the current shows to include clips -- which would likely rule out The Price Is Right, which would be the first thing most fans would look for, which would affect sales and reviews.  And, inevitably, there would still be carping among us purists about what's in it and what isn't.  (How many reviews have you read of the Looney Tunes Gold Collection that have mentioned the absence of "What's Opera, Doc?"  All of them?)

[GS Warehouse]

[quote name=\'calliaume\' date=\'Jan 5 2004, 09:49 AM\'] ... (How many reviews have you read of the Looney Tunes Gold Collection that have mentioned the absence of "What's Opera, Doc?"  All of them?) [/quote]
 ObGameShows: They did include "The Ducksters", the 1949 short where Daffy plays a demented radio-quiz host, so I'm happy.

I also liked "Rabbit Seasoning" and this exchange:
Bugs [to Elmer]: Would you like to shoot me now or wait until you get home?
Daffy: Shoot him now!  Shoot him now!
Bugs [to Daffy]: You keep out of this!  He doesn't have to shoot you now!

My guess is: they've got to save something for a potential second volume.  WB released a lot of shorts, you know.  CS educated guess question: Between 1930 and 1969, just how many did they make?

[calliaume]

[quote name=\'GS Warehouse\' date=\'Jan 5 2004, 03:02 PM\'] ObGameShows: They did include "The Ducksters", the 1949 short where Daffy plays a demented radio-quiz host, so I'm happy.

My guess is: they've got to save something for a potential second volume.  WB released a lot of shorts, you know.  CS educated guess question: Between 1930 and 1969, just how many did they make? [/quote]
 I forgot to mention "The Ducksters," which is a vicious takeoff on Truth or Consequences (retitled Truth or AAAUGH! here).

Educated guess?  About 700 shorts.  And by my rough estimate (WB has offered similar numbers), 15 percent are classics, 15 percent really really good, 15 percent good (I would put the Bugs & Daffy race for the Million Box cartoon -- something of a takeoff on People Are Funny -- here), 15 percent okay, and 40 percent mediocre to lousy.  The latter basically encompasses nearly all the pre-Bugs Bunny output, occasional bad series (Snuffles), and almost everything after 1960 (and there was a lot).  Those of us old enough to have actually caught an occasional fairly new short in their local movie theater remember a new intro, an ugly Warner Brothers logo, and some staggeringly unfunny cartoons.

[GSWitch]

[quote name=\'GS Warehouse\' date=\'Jan 5 2004, 02:02 PM\'] ObGameShows: They did include "The Ducksters", the 1949 short where Daffy plays a demented radio-quiz host, so I'm happy. [/quote]
 It was a Truth or Consequences parody (Truth or AAAHHHHH!!!) where Porky Pig went through so much torture to win $26,000,000.03!  Buys the radio station (Ajax Broadcasting Company) & tortures Daffy Duck!

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'calliaume\' date=\'Jan 5 2004, 03:51 PM\'][quote name=\'GS Warehouse\' date=\'Jan 5 2004, 03:02 PM\'] ObGameShows: They did include "The Ducksters", the 1949 short where Daffy plays a demented radio-quiz host, so I'm happy.

My guess is: they've got to save something for a potential second volume.  WB released a lot of shorts, you know.  CS educated guess question: Between 1930 and 1969, just how many did they make? [/quote]
I forgot to mention "The Ducksters," which is a vicious takeoff on Truth or Consequences (retitled Truth or AAAUGH! here).

Educated guess?  About 700 shorts.  And by my rough estimate (WB has offered similar numbers), 15 percent are classics, 15 percent really really good, 15 percent good (I would put the Bugs & Daffy race for the Million Box cartoon -- something of a takeoff on People Are Funny -- here), 15 percent okay, and 40 percent mediocre to lousy.  The latter basically encompasses nearly all the pre-Bugs Bunny output, occasional bad series (Snuffles), and almost everything after 1960 (and there was a lot).  Those of us old enough to have actually caught an occasional fairly new short in their local movie theater remember a new intro, an ugly Warner Brothers logo, and some staggeringly unfunny cartoons.[/quote]
And they even pop up on Cartoon Network every so often, but you know they're coming when you hear the 60s version of "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" so you change channels immediately.

[Bob Eubanks] 700 [ding]--higher or lower?  Hurry, please. [BE]

[Don Howard]

Welcome to The Cartoon Forum. Will the photo of Bill Cullen be replaced by Mel Blanc?

[SplitSecond]

I forgot to mention "The Ducksters," which is a vicious takeoff on Truth or Consequences (retitled Truth or AAAUGH! here).

Audience?

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'SplitSecond\' date=\'Jan 5 2004, 04:38 PM\']

I forgot to mention "The Ducksters," which is a vicious takeoff on Truth or Consequences (retitled Truth or AAAUGH! here).

Audience?[/quote]
RIGOLETTO!

[calliaume]

[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Jan 5 2004, 04:25 PM\'] Welcome to The Cartoon Forum. Will the photo of Bill Cullen be replaced by Mel Blanc? [/quote]
Hey, Mel Blanc must have done a game show here and there.

I was happy to discover Bea Benaderet, one of the world's worst Password players, did many of the female voices on Warner Brothers cartoons ("Baseball Bugs," "The Scarlet Pumpernickel," etc.) through a Petticoat Junction web site -- same place I found a picture of Geoff Edwards and Meredith MacRae 17 years before $50,000 a Minute.

Back on subject:  if Ryan and/or Wostbrock are lurking, here's a clue for your publisher:  coated text stock.  If there are as many photos as promised, it will make them look so much better.  (It'll cost a lot more, however.)