Shows Which Changed Production Companies In Mid-Stream

[TimK2003]

In talking with others about the upcoming Hollywood Squares reboot and the Bergeron version on Pluto, this subject came up:

What game shows changed Executive Producers &/or Production Companies in the middle of the SAME series -- not between incarnations?

For Example:

● Hollywood Squares/Bergeron Version -- Started off with Moffitt/Lee Productions, along with Whoopi's One-Ho Productions....Ended with Henry Winkler/Michael Levitt Productions running the show.

● Whew! -- Started off with The Bud Austin Company...Ended with Jay Wolpert and Burt Sugarman Productions  running the show.

● And, of course, the perennial The Price Is Right/Barker-Carey Version -- Started off with Goodson-Todman, then Mark Goodson Productions, then in rapid succession:  All American Television/Pearson/Fremantle Media/Fremantle, where it currently stands today.

Your turn...

[Ian Wallis]

Celebrity Sweepstakes is one that comes to mind.  It switched between Ralph Andrews and Burt Sugarman, IIRC.

[BrandonFG]

Wheel and J! were a Merv Griffin Production, distributed by King World. Columbia-Tristar entered the picture in the mid-90s with Sony Pictures replacing them in 2002. CBS Paramount entered the chat a few years later, and now it's CBS Media Ventures or something, in association with Sony.

[steveleb]

You’ve got a couple of different scenarios here—shoes that changed production companies due to buyouts and deals (eg Merv and Columbia) and shoes where were contested, such as Sweepstakes and Whew!.  Do note Burt Sugarman was in the middle of both of the latter examples. Not a coincidence

[chris319]

When a show (or shows) change production companies, it usually means ownership of the show itself has changed hands. That is a big deal.

All of the former Goodson shows have changed hands and are now owned by Fremantle. This includes all of the former Goodson shows going back to The Name's the Same and before. This includes FF which is currently on the air.

I've Got a Secret changed hands from G-T to Garry Moore's Telecast Enterprises during its CBS run.

WML? was acquired by CBS from G-T which continued to produce it, also during its CBS run.

NBC bought four B&E shows in the wake of the quiz scandal: Twenty One, Tic Tac Dough, Concentration and Dough Re Mi.

Shows that changed hands while not on the air:

When Concentration left NBC, syndicator Jim Victory acquired the show and hired G-T to produce it. Not sure if NBC still had a stake in it.

Some kind of deal was made with the owners of HS for MGHS Hour.

Not sure if the ownership of Whew! actually changed. I'm thinking Bud Austin and Burt Sugarman were in some kind of partnership to back Jay Wolpert.

Sharon Hall (Monty's daughter) sold LMAD to Fremantle. Not sure what the deal was with Monty's two other children or with Stefan Hatos's interest in the partnership.

[Chief-O]

Not sure if the ownership of Whew! actually changed. I'm thinking Bud Austin and Burt Sugarman were in some kind of partnership to back Jay Wolpert.

From what I could pull up on the YouTubes, both Bud and Burt were always credited as the EPs, even after things transitioned from Bud's company to Burt's.

[chris319]

If you're looking at credits, the best clue to ownership will be the copyright notice.

[ivoryman1986]

What Would You Do did so as well, in fact, the entire crew of WWYD changed when it was renewed for a 2nd season.

[RobertSearcy]

If I recall...the early 80s Dream House....wasn't it first produced or co-produced by Group W then changed later to Lorimar (or vice-versa)?

[BrandonFG]

If I recall...the early 80s Dream House....wasn't it first produced or co-produced by Group W then changed later to Lorimar (or vice-versa)?

The former.

[Dbacksfan12]

Sharon Hall (Monty's daughter) sold LMAD to Fremantle. Not sure what the deal was with Monty's two other children or with Stefan Hatos's interest in the partnership.

Perhaps I'm reading this article incorrectly, but I read the below articles as Fremantle was licensing the format from Hatos-Hall.  In 2021, a couple business execs bought Hatos-Hall and the IP rights that went with it.
https://deadline.com/2021/08/lets-make-a-deal-marcus-lemonis-nancy-glass-acquire-ip-rights-classic-gameshow-sharon-hall-1234812019/

[chris319]

LMAD has become such a freak show under Fremantle, it's unwatchable IMO.

[BrandonFG]

What are your gripes. I watched it at the gym a few weeks ago, and it's clunky in some areas but mostly inoffensive IMO. Wasn't Monty a consultant up until his death?

[chris319]

What are your gripes. I watched it at the gym a few weeks ago, and it's clunky in some areas but mostly inoffensive IMO. Wasn't Monty a consultant up until his death?

Watch a show hosted by Monty and one hosted by Wayne. If you can't tell the differences, I don't think it'll do much good to try to explain them to you.

[BrandonFG]

I mean...I've openly acknowledged that Monty was brilliant because he was a used car salesman who could charm you into buying that lemon. Wayne doesn't play that up nearly as much, and I think it's similar to Drew in that neither want to be a carbon copy of the host whose shoes they want to fill.

There's things I'd do differently with the show but the essence is still there.