Program Note: "My Kind of Town"

[uncamark]

A reminder that "My Kind of Town," the stuntish game show from Michael Davies, premieres Sunday night at 9 p.m. ET, right after "Extreme Makeover:  Home Edition" and before a repeat of "Desperate Housewives."  Brit Johnny Vaughn makes his U.S. debut as host, and I hope he's better than Vernon Kay.

ABC's page on the show--including the notice that Enhanced TV will be available for viewer playalong.

Video for the show plays on ABC's home page--there's going to be something with two trailers that looks interesting (I have no speakers on my computer, so I couldn't hear the video).  The graphics in the promo say "COMEDY"--"REALITY"--"VARIETY"--"GAME SHOW"--"ANYTHING GOES!"  We'll see Sunday night.

[tvwxman]

[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Aug 12 2005, 12:10 PM\']
Video for the show plays on ABC's home page--there's going to be something with two trailers that looks interesting (I have no speakers on my computer, so I couldn't hear the video).  The graphics in the promo say "COMEDY"--"REALITY"--"VARIETY"--"GAME SHOW"--"ANYTHING GOES!"  We'll see Sunday night.

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[/quote]

Just got home from work, and had the first ep on my monitor at my desk....

Early Review : It's not bad. I kept likening it to "Truth or Consequences"....that kind of mild stunt action with decent (but off-kilter) prizes....

The fact that the audience is the town works and doesn't work.... Greenville, Alabama may find this interesting to watch...but will New York City?  Something there gets lost in translation...

Johnny Vaughn.... I like him....He's not mean-spirited like Jimmy Carr...yet quick on his feet....

It's a very 'british' show.... If you like "Don't Forget Your Toothbrush" (NOT the US version), you'll like this...

Full behind the scenes report to come....I may be going to a taping with a town from CT in two weeks....ms

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Aug 12 2005, 10:10 AM\']and I hope he's better than Vernon Kay.
[/quote]
I've had pimples on my ass that would be better TV hosts than Vernon Kay. He was just freakin' awful.

But damned, he was sure good looking and twentysomething, wasn't he?

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'tvwxman\' date=\'Aug 12 2005, 01:48 PM\']It's a very 'british' show.... If you like "Don't Forget Your Toothbrush" (NOT the US version), you'll like this...[/quote]
Well, you've sold me on that one line.

[remlap]

I feel sorry for him to have such a hard schedule thats for sure, ive read he isnt allowed in the US full time since he applied for a full time work visa and wasnt granted one due to his dodgey past.

Someone at ABC ive heard saw Johnny doing an interview with the Friends cast, and some how got  offered a job from it.

Can anyone describe how bad Vernon Kay was on his show out there, was it fright?

I liked him hosting Headjam but thats the only show I took notice of, what show did he host there?

Thanks

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'remlap\' date=\'Aug 13 2005, 06:17 AM\']I feel sorry for him to have such a hard schedule thats for sure, ive read he isnt allowed in the US full time since he applied for a full time work visa and wasnt granted one due to his dodgey past.
[/quote]
Since we know nothing about the guy, do tell. What's "dodgey" about his past?

Can anyone describe how bad Vernon Kay was on his show out there, was it fright?

He was your typical pretty-boy DJ who read all of his lines with the same poor attempt at fake personality. You pretty much could have replaced him with a piece of aluminum lawn furniture and the show would have suffered no loss in soul.

[remlap]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Aug 13 2005, 07:54 PM\']Since we know nothing about the guy, do tell. What's "dodgey" about his past?
[/quote]

He is a former drug dealer and was caught trying to sell cocaine to detectives in a hotel, he spent 2 years and a month in prison.

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Aug 13 2005, 07:54 PM\']He was your typical pretty-boy DJ who read all of his lines with the same poor attempt at fake personality. You pretty much could have replaced him with a piece of aluminum lawn furniture and the show would have suffered no loss in soul.

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He seemed decent on Headjam but he is probably better suited to being a DJ and hosting teen programs.

[StevensM]

It's taped in the same studio as the first series of Millionaire (Sony Studios), I read.

I'm looking forward to checking out the show, since variety & game shows aren't big in primetime at the moment.  I hope it's good.

[goongas]

I did not enjoy the show.  The ratings for the show were not good either.

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'goongas\' date=\'Aug 15 2005, 10:49 AM\']I did not enjoy the show.  The ratings for the show were not good either.

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[/quote]

According to Berman, people seemed to lunging for their remotes at 9 p.m.--and it went down as the hour progressed.  Not a good sign.

Personally, it was good light summer brainless entertainment.  Nothing edifying, but nothing mean, either.

And those of you who are Sirius subscribers can now avoid listening to Vernon Kay in his role as a BBC Radio 1 DJ on Saturday and Sunday mornings.  Sirius is now bringing over R1 on a five-hour delay from the UK.

As far as I can tell, unless morning man Chris Moyles has done a game show, no other hosts on the R1 lineup presently.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Aug 15 2005, 09:52 AM\']Personally, it was good light summer brainless entertainment.  Nothing edifying, but nothing mean, either.
[/quote]
Exactly how I felt. It didn't offend me, and I smiled when the guy nailed Name Your Neighbors to win everyone a scooter. Johnny Vaughn was your typical British presenter working in the US.

Using the word "game" in the show's promotion is rather disingenuous, though, since aside from Name Your Neighbors, I didn't see a single actual game be played. I saw a guy tell someone to torch his Birkenstocks, and I saw a pretaped segment where some football players did a Musical Chairs thing, but I didn't see a whole lot of game.

I'm surprised to hear that the ratings bombed, tho. There really isn't much on in that time slot, and I figured something simple and unoffensive would have gone over well, since I figured that's what got Dancing With The Stars going.

[remlap]

Ive just finished watching it here in the UK after requesting a copy and got it no more than an hour later.

Great show I think will work here maybe better than it might in America in the long term its format is really 1990s Saturday night ITV here.

[inturnaround]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Aug 15 2005, 02:27 PM\']
Using the word "game" in the show's promotion is rather disingenuous, though, since aside from Name Your Neighbors, I didn't see a single actual game be played.
[/quote]

Exactly. I didn't really enjoy the show, but I did smile at the runaway house gag. It seems the show is just about teasing the residents of a town mildly and then giving them prizes for putting up with it. It's like the Rosie O'Donnell show without the Koosh balls and the fawning over Tom Cruise. There was no tension whatsoever in the Truckasaurus bit because the audience (and I suspect the "contestant") knew that if his truck was destroyed they'd replace it with something equal or better.

And scooters? Man, who in town really wanted a scooter? It's just a prize that says "Hey, I'm not cheap, so I must be nice."

[Craig Karlberg]

I thought the show was OK.  The set looked like something that was ripped off of Millionaire(at least the steps anyway).  The theme music was kinda bouncy.  John Vaughn was pretty good though he seemed a bit out of place in some areas.  The only "real" gane was at the end(Name Your Neighbors).  I was happy that guy gave the entire audience motor scooters.  The other parts were intresting except the naked calendar bit(didn't like that at all).  The best bit was that runaway house.

Overall, My Kind of Small Town gets a 6.5.  Hopefully, they'll get to Bordentown City NJ before it gets "deported" to ABC Family like NBC's "The Law Firm" was relegated to Bravo.  SHEESH!

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' date=\'Aug 16 2005, 03:59 AM\']I was happy that guy gave the entire audience motor scooters.[/quote]
So, if he hadn't given the audience anything, would that have been TV #12 out the window? You must love "Oprah", especially on car day!

Overall, My Kind of Small Town gets a 6.5.  Hopefully, they'll get to Bordentown City NJ before it gets "deported" to ABC Family like NBC's "The Law Firm" was relegated to Bravo.  SHEESH!

And if they don't, then we know the folks at ABC are freakin' idiots! Gosh!