The Game Show Forum

The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: Kevin Prather on February 10, 2008, 04:24:51 AM

Title: Twenty One
Post by: Kevin Prather on February 10, 2008, 04:24:51 AM
Twenty One enjoyed a brief revival in 2000, but was canned after one season. Since the Ken Jennings run on Jeopardy, I've wondered. Would a long winning streak by one contestant on Twenty One have led to higher ratings for the show? I'm not even talking about a 74-game run like Ken Jennings had. Even 10-20 games.

It would certainly have grabbed the media's attention, for better or worse. I imagine there would be at least some saying "It's the 50s all over again," but doesn't the old saying go, "There's no such thing as bad publicity"?

What do you think?

/By the way, 74 wins on Twenty One amounts to $27,175,000, plus whatever money is won in the bonus round.
Title: Twenty One
Post by: Jimmy Owen on February 10, 2008, 08:13:56 AM
No.  They were already giving out money right and left and getting above-average ratings.  NBC was looking for Millionaire '99-like ratings.
Title: Twenty One
Post by: parliboy on February 10, 2008, 09:46:05 AM
Yeah, I'm with Jimmy on this one.
 
 IIRC, Twenty One was generally in the top twenty of ratings, despite being constantly shuffled around and counterprogrammed for failure.  This was just a case of TPTB being a bunch of dumbasses.
Title: Twenty One
Post by: tvrandywest on February 10, 2008, 10:57:09 AM
Correct.

We did 19 episodes for air, and with the exception of some computer issues during the 3 test shows, it was a first class production with very respectable ratings. The network had unrealistic expectations for huge numbers, and challenged the show with its scheduling.

The great irony: Fred Silverman was co-executive producer, and this time was on the receiving end of some of the unkindness to game shows that is often attributed to him.

Randy
tvrandywest.com
Title: Twenty One
Post by: BrandonFG on February 10, 2008, 11:03:06 AM
Eight years later (already?!?!), and NBC would LOVE to have the ratings Twenty-One enjoyed. It really wasn't a bad show, just needed a smaller budget and a better contestant selection process.

Didn't help that NBC spoiled all the big wins.

/Is D/ND still NBC's only Top 20 show?
Title: Twenty One
Post by: bandit_bobby on February 10, 2008, 11:45:09 AM
I don't think it would've mattered.
Title: Twenty One
Post by: Joe Mello on February 10, 2008, 12:36:29 PM
[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'177499\' date=\'Feb 10 2008, 11:03 AM\']/Is D/ND still NBC's only Top 20 show?[/quote]
If you exclude football, and only do headcount, then yes, it's the only season Top 20 (using Zap2it (http://\"http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,272|||season2,00.html\")).  L&O breaks the weekly 20, but doesn't have enough numbers to crack the seasonal.

As for the original question?  How many games did Legler win?  Sure seemed like a lot.  After all, "long" is a relative term.
Title: Twenty One
Post by: tvwxman on February 10, 2008, 12:42:05 PM
[quote name=\'Joe Mello\' post=\'177505\' date=\'Feb 10 2008, 12:36 PM\']
 "long" is a relative term.
[/quote]
Said that to the wife on our wedding night.

/Tips.
//Veal.
Title: Twenty One
Post by: Kevin Prather on February 10, 2008, 02:39:06 PM
[quote name=\'Joe Mello\' post=\'177505\' date=\'Feb 10 2008, 09:36 AM\']
As for the original question?  How many games did Legler win?  Sure seemed like a lot.  After all, "long" is a relative term.
[/quote]
Six games.
Title: Twenty One
Post by: clemon79 on February 10, 2008, 02:59:30 PM
[quote name=\'tvwxman\' post=\'177506\' date=\'Feb 10 2008, 09:42 AM\']
Said that to the wife on our wedding night.

/Tips.
//Veal.
[/quote]
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/5931/kaneklapqo6lu9.gif (http://\"http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/5931/kaneklapqo6lu9.gif\")
Title: Twenty One
Post by: Kevin Prather on February 10, 2008, 03:12:33 PM
[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'177516\' date=\'Feb 10 2008, 11:59 AM\']
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/5931/kaneklapqo6lu9.gif (http://\"http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/5931/kaneklapqo6lu9.gif\")
[/quote]
"Dance, monkey! Dance!"
Title: Twenty One
Post by: bttritle on February 11, 2008, 06:28:23 PM
[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'177499\' date=\'Feb 10 2008, 08:03 AM\']
Eight years later (already?!?!), and NBC would LOVE to have the ratings Twenty-One enjoyed. It really wasn't a bad show, just needed a smaller budget and a better contestant selection process.
[/quote]

Ya think?

;)
Title: Twenty One
Post by: chris319 on February 11, 2008, 11:16:06 PM
Quote
The great irony: Fred Silverman was co-executive producer, and this time was on the receiving end of some of the unkindness to game shows that is often attributed to him.
The grand irony was that NBC OWNED THE FORMAT! If they were paying a license fee at all it was out of one pocket and into another. There was no paying for an outside packager's custom-blended pipe tobacco, Rolls Royce tune-ups or a suite at the Beverly Hills Hotel ;-)

Quote
Didn't help that NBC spoiled all the big wins.
At least Dan Enright kept you in suspense, even though the outcome of the live telecast was known in advance.
Title: Twenty One
Post by: Offshored2007 on February 12, 2008, 09:00:13 AM
I think if they kept adding $1,000,000 briefcases, Twenty-One could have lasted longer.  

This was a decent show.  It should have lasted longer than 19 episodes.
Title: Twenty One
Post by: parliboy on February 12, 2008, 09:49:03 AM
[quote name=\'Offshored2007\' post=\'177646\' date=\'Feb 12 2008, 08:00 AM\'] I think if they kept adding $1,000,000 briefcases, Twenty-One could have lasted longer.[/quote]

Oh... you are so going to fit in around here.
Title: Twenty One
Post by: Kevin Prather on February 12, 2008, 07:36:11 PM
[quote name=\'Offshored2007\' post=\'177646\' date=\'Feb 12 2008, 06:00 AM\']
I think if they kept adding $1,000,000 briefcases, Twenty-One could have lasted longer.  
[/quote]
11 posts, and already your first gold star. Well played. :)
Title: Twenty One
Post by: alfonzos on February 13, 2008, 04:31:53 PM
Twenty One's problem was its leaden pacing. Players took forever to answer their questions. That doesn't faze WWTBAM but Maury Povich never engaged the players in conversation the way that Regis and Meredith do. Also the game could end after two rounds of play hardly building an exciting contest. Perhaps if there were only three questions (valued at one, two and three) for each category (instead of eleven) and picking up the pace would have save the show (for me, at least). The live band and meeting Randy West, was cool though.
Title: Twenty One
Post by: clemon79 on February 13, 2008, 04:36:23 PM
[quote name=\'alfonzos\' post=\'177816\' date=\'Feb 13 2008, 01:31 PM\']
Perhaps if there were only three questions (valued at one, two and three)[/quote]
I'm guessing focus groups determined that the name Nine didn't sell that well.
Title: Twenty One
Post by: TenPoundHammer on February 13, 2008, 05:32:49 PM
[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'177817\' date=\'Feb 13 2008, 04:36 PM\']
[quote name=\'alfonzos\' post=\'177816\' date=\'Feb 13 2008, 01:31 PM\']
Perhaps if there were only three questions (valued at one, two and three)[/quote]
I'm guessing focus groups determined that the name Nine didn't sell that well.
[/quote]

"Awoooo... Many moon come, a niner."