Luck-Based Game Shows

[byrd62]

5 years ago, the success of Millionaire inspired other big-money quiz shows like Greed, Winning Lines, Weakest Link, and the remake of Twenty-One.

Then, the reality competition craze that started with Survivor inspired Amazing Race, Fear Factor, The Bachelor/Bachelorette, America's Next Top Model, and, most successfully of all, American Idol.

Now, with Deal or No Deal already enough of a hit for NBC to order up additional episodes next year, might it be too unique to inspire remaking old game shows of the past, like Card Sharks, High Rollers, and Whammy/Press Your Luck, by eliminating the question portions?  

[Historical note:  When Chuck Barris brought back Treasure Hunt in 1973, he originally wanted to do a quiz portion in the pilot, but then chose to cut it in favor of a jack-in-the-box selection round.]

Having no questions would save money on the production costs and those shows can avoid hiring writers for them, as well as all the union headaches associated with that.  But do you think old shows like these can have new lives without the questions?

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'byrd62\' date=\'Dec 29 2005, 06:56 AM\']Now, with Deal or No Deal already enough of a hit for NBC to order up additional episodes next year, might it be too unique to inspire remaking old game shows of the past, like Card Sharks, High Rollers, and Whammy/Press Your Luck, by eliminating the question portions? 

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How would you do those shows without the questions or surveys? I presume you wouldn't use clips or definitions either. But the anticipation factor would, I believe, be diluted (perhaps even eliminated) without those components. However, perhaps you have an idea I haven't thought of. Certainly you wouldn't just hand a contestant a pair of dice and tell them to have at it. Plus, a half hour or an hour of non-stop Higher! Lower! Freeze! Here's another card! Now let's talk to our surprise guest on the phone----your wife!!!!! Got any kids in the audience? would be like downing a bottle of Sominex.

[Jimmy Owen]

They could redo all those Jonathan Goodson lottery show concepts, this time with pretty people playing and the suspense cranked up to the tenth power.

[Jay Temple]

High Rollers would work with the host stopping a plunger, just as Chuck Woolery did on Greed.  The questions are just a way of deciding control.

On Card Sharks, the questions aren't essential to the game--that is, you'd still have a good game with a plunger--but they made the show more interesting.

[tvwxman]

[quote name=\'Jay Temple\' date=\'Dec 29 2005, 10:21 AM\']On Card Sharks, the questions aren't essential to the game--that is, you'd still have a good game with a plunger--but they made the show more interesting.

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Wasn't this essentially tried in 2001 with CS? 2 players calling cards...occasionally watching videos....

That was a raving success.

[tyshaun1]

Plus, they tried it with the reworking of PYL's first round on Whammy!, which didn't work either, and it was part of the reason why they added the "Big Bank" question in the 2nd season.

Tyshaun

[uncamark]

Oh, no doubt there'll be attempts to ride "DOND"'s coattails if the March run is successful.  But I'm not exactly sure what form they'll take.

I would only hope that Harry Friedman is dropping hints to his bosses at Sony about doing something with those H-Q formats they got with the MGM acquisition.  And I would feel pretty comfortable about Harry working with those formats, since he worked on them at H-Q--but I do have to remind myself about Gaby Johnston showrunning "Feud" right now, so just because someone worked on the original doesn't mean they can mount a competent remake.

[tvwxman]

[quote name=\'tyshaun1\' date=\'Dec 29 2005, 11:12 AM\']Plus, they tried it with the reworking of PYL's first round on Whammy!, which didn't work either, and it was part of the reason why they added the "Big Bank" question in the 2nd season.

Tyshaun

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Not a good example. The issue is looking for revamped shows that completely dropped intelligence in favor of luck. Whammy's game outcome partially depended (though, barely) on having some success at answering (a few) questions leading into round 2. (PYL's a trivia game? My gawd, that's a stretch)

I have a feeling that round one's questions were eliminated just to save time and get to the board.

You get partial credit , though.

[chris319]

I do have to remind myself about Gaby Johnston showrunning "Feud" right now, so just because someone worked on the original doesn't mean they can mount a competent remake.

I doubt Gaby is the problem. You forget that she works for Wyleen May.

Someone please explain to me how it came to be that Wyleen May and Syd Vinnedge are currently working in the industry and Barbara Hunter and Jay Wolpert aren't.

[chris319]

If CBS is on top of things, you'll have 60-minute Big Wheel and 60-minute Pl!nko by spring.

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Dec 29 2005, 11:49 AM\']

I do have to remind myself about Gaby Johnston showrunning "Feud" right now, so just because someone worked on the original doesn't mean they can mount a competent remake.

I doubt Gaby is the problem. You forget that she works for Wyleen May.

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Two questions:
1) What else has Wyleen FUBAR'd?

2) Feud's first couple of seasons had Michael Canter as exec. prod. I thought the show much better during those years, in spite of Louie and that flawed triple round. Would you agree?

[chris319]

What else has Wyleen FUBAR'd?

One Hundred Percent.

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Dec 30 2005, 01:43 AM\']

What else has Wyleen FUBAR'd?

One Hundred Percent.

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The late 1990s USA version of this show was never beamed to my town and I also never saw the overseas edition (though I do know the International champion for winning streaks--even beating Ken Jennings by a game--was a player on that program) so what got FUBARed on this side of the water?

[Jay Temple]

If CBS is on top of things, you'll have 60-minute Big Wheel and 60-minute Pl!nko by spring.

And on the latter count, my mother-in-law will have her first "appointment TV" in years.

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Dec 29 2005, 05:20 PM\']Two questions:
1) What else has Wyleen FUBAR'd?

2) Feud's first couple of seasons had Michael Canter as exec. prod. I thought the show much better during those years, in spite of Louie and that flawed triple round. Would you agree?

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1.  Jay Wolpert had to report to her for "MG '98."  'Nuff said.

2.  I lost track, but I thought Bob Boden showran the first season before Canter took over.  Ultimately, though, Louie dragged things down way too much for me.  Structurally, the format is where it should be now, but the fact that Karn has not grown one iota as a host (Louie's problem, too) and unnecessary production decisions (like the whole you-know-what the points bit) have kept "Feud" on a low priority for me.  And now that WCIU in Chicago has moved the daytime run to 10 a.m. against that other Fremantle show, I don't really care at all.  (The combination of me being out of the house for the WCIU prime time airing at 7:30 p.m., the fact that it's not a tapable or DVRable when I get one item for me, not to mention it following "The Insider" with You-Know-Who, means I won't watch that airing, either.)