The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: Jeremy Nelson on May 23, 2010, 09:47:08 PM
-
I was just thinking about this earlier tonight: by the time The Cube gets underway, Minute To Win It will already have a season under its belt, and some sort of recognizability. Because if this, viewers may see The Cube as an overly serious knockoff of Minute to Win It, although MTWI is the knockoff.
Right now, Minute's got a few things going for it- the show's pacing has improved, Guy has become a better host, the contestants are likable, and (maybe most importantly) people can play the games at home themselves. NBC is trying to push the latter point by inserting an on-screen graphic before certain games, telling viewers what materials they need to play that game at home.
This sorta reminds me of the "music game show" situation a few years back. IIRC, and please correct me if I'm wrong, when The Singing Bee was announced, FOX rushed Don't Forget The Lyrics to air. Although the general consensus was that The Singing Bee was the better show, it folded way before Lyrics was cancelled (although both have been resurrected).
Since NBC has announced it will air new episodes of MTWI throughout the summer, The Cube will have to compete against the show that it partly spawned. So, I pose this question to you- is The Cube in trouble from the second it premieres? If so, what does CBS do to combat it?
-
I doubt the show will make it to air.
-
[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'241310\' date=\'May 23 2010, 07:55 PM\']I doubt the show will make it to air.[/quote]Whyfor?
(Not that I'm criticizing your opinion, because you're welcome to it, I'm just curious as to your insight.)
-
[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'241314\' date=\'May 23 2010, 11:40 PM\'][quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'241310\' date=\'May 23 2010, 07:55 PM\']I doubt the show will make it to air.[/quote]Whyfor?
(Not that I'm criticizing your opinion, because you're welcome to it, I'm just curious as to your insight.)
[/quote]
I haven't heard much about it since the initial buzz. The fall schedules are pretty much set.
-
[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'241319\' date=\'May 24 2010, 03:02 AM\'][quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'241314\' date=\'May 23 2010, 11:40 PM\'][quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'241310\' date=\'May 23 2010, 07:55 PM\']I doubt the show will make it to air.[/quote]Whyfor?
(Not that I'm criticizing your opinion, because you're welcome to it, I'm just curious as to your insight.)
[/quote]
I haven't heard much about it since the initial buzz. The fall schedules are pretty much set.
[/quote]
Maybe CBS is looking for sonething to fill a hole in the schedule come midseason. And to that, I commend them for that. You don't need to "rush" something like this. Sure NBC beat CBS to the punch in that regard, but still they're using the "play at home" vehicle to its advantage on M2WI. If CBS can iron out some issues with The Cube before it's greenlit, then we might see something interesting.
-
One question about M2WI. They're shooting episodes now that won't be aired until early 2011?
-
[quote name=\'SteveR\' post=\'241326\' date=\'May 24 2010, 08:35 AM\']One question about M2WI. They're shooting episodes now that won't be aired until early 2011?[/quote]
I didn't know that....I'm pretty sure they're airing new eps til September, and then coming back after Sunday Night Football is over.
-
[quote name=\'rollercoaster87\' post=\'241329\' date=\'May 24 2010, 07:57 AM\']and then coming back after Sunday Night Football is over.[/quote]
Which would be...in 2011.
-
[quote name=\'rollercoaster87\' post=\'241305\' date=\'May 23 2010, 08:47 PM\']NBC is trying to push the latter point by inserting an on-screen graphic before certain games, telling viewers what materials they need to play that game at home.[/quote]
As far as I can tell, this is the most asinine thing I've seen in quite some time. If the contestant(s - this was the LMS ep) are attempting to bounce a ping pong ball onto a slice of peanut-buttered bread, do I really need an on-screen graphic telling me that, in order to do this stunt at home, I need bread, peanut butter, and ping pong balls?
-
[quote name=\'Mr. Armadillo\' post=\'241334\' date=\'May 24 2010, 09:11 AM\']do I really need an on-screen graphic telling me that, in order to do this stunt at home, I need bread, peanut butter, and ping pong balls?[/quote]
Do you *need* one? Probably not. Does it drive home the play-along factor? You betcha.
-
[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'241332\' date=\'May 24 2010, 11:01 AM\'][quote name=\'rollercoaster87\' post=\'241329\' date=\'May 24 2010, 07:57 AM\']and then coming back after Sunday Night Football is over.[/quote]
Which would be...in 2011.
[/quote]
I know they're coming back in 2011, but I wasn't sure if they were actually taping episodes that far ahead already.
-
Well they either must be taping, or will be taping soon- Buzzerblog tweeted that they've added 2 milestones to the game- one at $1,000 (Game 1) and $250,000 (Game 8)- I guess to try and get more people to go for the six-figure games...
-
[quote name=\'weaklink75\' post=\'241356\' date=\'May 24 2010, 04:26 PM\']Well they either must be taping, or will be taping soon- Buzzerblog tweeted that they've added 2 milestones to the game- one at $1,000 (Game 1) and $250,000 (Game 8)- I guess to try and get more people to go for the six-figure games...[/quote]
Good. It sucked to see players beat the first four games, have some trouble with the $50K game, and leave with nothing. At least they get $1K.
The Level 8 milestone is a good place- it secures you a nice chunk of change, while still making you risk money to play the Million Dollar Game.
-
[quote name=\'rollercoaster87\' post=\'241365\' date=\'May 24 2010, 03:36 PM\']The Level 8 milestone is a good place- it secures you a nice chunk of change, while still making you risk money to play the Million Dollar Game.[/quote]
Yeah, I think this is pretty brilliant, too. The $50K level is a free shot. Risking $25K to win $50K at the level after that, I could even see. But risking $75K to win $125K was a pretty blatant "are you farking insane?" point, and nobody in their right MIND was going to risk $200K to win $250K. Making Level 8 a safe zone is a sweet spot that really fixes two problems.
-
[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'241366\' date=\'May 24 2010, 04:09 PM\']Making Level 8 a safe zone is a sweet spot that really fixes two problems.[/quote]
Funny how Messrs. Goodman and Todman usually (but, granted, not always) were able to identify and resolve such matters in testing, not production.
-
[quote name=\'Kniwt\' post=\'241390\' date=\'May 24 2010, 07:56 PM\']Funny how Messrs. Goodman and Todman usually (but, granted, not always) were able to identify and resolve such matters in testing, not production.[/quote]
Don't disagree, sir. Not one little bit.
-
[quote name=\'Kniwt\' post=\'241390\' date=\'May 24 2010, 10:56 PM\']Funny how Messrs. Goodman and Todman usually (but, granted, not always) were able to identify and resolve such matters in testing, not production.[/quote]
And when they're not around, we get junk like Card Guppies.
-
I disagree. I think Goodson and Todman would have caught "nobody in their right mind is going to risk $X for a chance at $Y" long before it got to testing.
-
[quote name=\'Unrealtor\' post=\'241480\' date=\'May 26 2010, 06:14 PM\']I disagree. I think Goodson and Todman would have caught "nobody in their right mind is going to risk $X for a chance at $Y" long before it got to testing.[/quote]The difference with the risk is the level of knowledge. If you have $14,400 and the Big Bet card is a Queen, you can make an informed decision by looking at the exposed cards/remembering what cards you replaced and assessing your risk tolerance. On Millionaire, you don't have to do anything except for answer after saying "Double Dip, please."
Perhaps one thing we're forgetting about Minute is that the player/collective gets to practice the ten games that will be on the menu for their game. So when the question is stick on $125k or play for $250k, you know that there are three games to pick from. That still means you have to succeed at it or lose $75,000, but the player isn't going in completely blind.
-
[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'241482\' date=\'May 26 2010, 06:53 PM\']Perhaps one thing we're forgetting about Minute is that the player/collective gets to practice the ten games that will be on the menu for their game.[/quote]
Wait, whoa, where did we learn this was the case? The entire roster of games is available on the website, but I was not aware a given contestant was told what their actual game list would be well in advance of their appearance.
-
[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'241504\' date=\'May 26 2010, 11:10 PM\'][quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'241482\' date=\'May 26 2010, 06:53 PM\']Perhaps one thing we're forgetting about Minute is that the player/collective gets to practice the ten games that will be on the menu for their game.[/quote]Wait, whoa, where did we learn this was the case? The entire roster of games is available on the website, but I was not aware a given contestant was told what their actual game list would be well in advance of their appearance.[/quote]I thought I saw something to that effect in the fine print on one of the episodes. It could very well be that I read way too much into the "practice at home" element, and the contestants really had to play all sixty-ish games before coming.
-
[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'241571\' date=\'May 27 2010, 08:02 PM\']I thought I saw something to that effect in the fine print on one of the episodes. It could very well be that I read way too much into the "practice at home" element, and the contestants really had to play all sixty-ish games before coming.[/quote]
I saw nothing of the sort. They made no bones about people practicing the games, but never did I hear about a contestant knowing their stack (even shuffled) in advance. Not saying it's not true, but I'd sure like to see something concrete.
-
[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'241571\' date=\'May 27 2010, 10:02 PM\']I thought I saw something to that effect in the fine print on one of the episodes. It could very well be that I read way too much into the "practice at home" element, and the contestants really had to play all sixty-ish games before coming.[/quote]
I did remember seeing this in the credits on the Wedding episode. I'll go back and watch it.
EDIT- It says: "Contestants practiced all potential games prior to taping." So yeah, it's all the games, and not just the ten in their stack. I'm thinking, though, that the statement in the credits is basically simplified from something they signed in the contestant agreement before the show. That's not to say, though, that they didn't practice 20-30 games in front of producers before they got on the show, though.
-
[quote name=\'rollercoaster87\' post=\'241580\' date=\'May 27 2010, 08:56 PM\']Contestants practiced all potential games prior to taping.[/quote]
Hmm. Two schools of thought there: one is "but that doesn't tell you anything, since anyone could do that on the web site." But the rebuttal to that is "then it's farking obvious and why would that merit a disclaimer?"
Honestly, I don't have a huge problem with someone knowing their stack in advance, if for no other reason than it *does* make that "Play on!" decision at the are-you-farking-insane levels a little more interesting if they know it will be one of two or three options. But I wouldn't mind a little more openness about that.
-
[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'241581\' date=\'May 28 2010, 12:01 AM\']Honestly, I don't have a huge problem with someone knowing their stack in advance, if for no other reason than it *does* make that "Play on!" decision at the are-you-farking-insane levels a little more interesting if they know it will be one of two or three options. But I wouldn't mind a little more openness about that.[/quote]
I don't suppose anyone has a copy of the official rules, do they?
-
[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'241602\' date=\'May 28 2010, 01:59 PM\'][quote name=\'Joe Mello\' post=\'241600\' date=\'May 28 2010, 01:21 PM\'][quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'241581\' date=\'May 28 2010, 12:01 AM\']Honestly, I don't have a huge problem with someone knowing their stack in advance, if for no other reason than it *does* make that "Play on!" decision at the are-you-farking-insane levels a little more interesting if they know it will be one of two or three options. But I wouldn't mind a little more openness about that.[/quote]
I don't suppose anyone has a copy of the official rules, do they?
[/quote]
Marie Winn practiced for "Dotto" and it was a big deal.
[/quote]
Marie had the exact questions that were to be used. Can't really compare being fed trivia to practicing the events you might be playing on a stunt-based game show. To me, it kinda ruins the spontaneity, but given the difficulty of some events and the money involved, I kinda understand.
It's not nearly as offensive as Donnymid feeding Winner's Circle categories to the celebrities.
-
I had deleted the original follow-up because maybe it's not comparable. There was a similar show about 10 years ago or so with Brad Sherwood where practicing was part of the show. For today's TV audience, it's probably better to "cut to the chase."
-
[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'241606\' date=\'May 28 2010, 03:23 PM\']I had deleted the original follow-up because maybe it's not comparable. There was a similar show about 10 years ago or so with Brad Sherwood where practicing was part of the show. For today's TV audience, it's probably better to "cut to the chase."[/quote]
"The Big Moment" - and part of the fun was the family knowing what they had to do to win the prize, watching them practice, and then getting one shot on a stage to do it. All for a measly 25K.
-
[quote name=\'tvwxman\' post=\'241608\' date=\'May 28 2010, 03:31 PM\'][quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'241606\' date=\'May 28 2010, 03:23 PM\']I had deleted the original follow-up because maybe it's not comparable. There was a similar show about 10 years ago or so with Brad Sherwood where practicing was part of the show. For today's TV audience, it's probably better to "cut to the chase."[/quote]
"The Big Moment" - and part of the fun was the family knowing what they had to do to win the prize, watching them practice, and then getting one shot on a stage to do it. All for a measly 25K.
[/quote]
Early-1999 to be exact. Hard to believe that about six months later, another primetime game show would change the genre in just about every way imaginable, thus making that 25K seem like chicken feed...
-
[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'241606\' date=\'May 28 2010, 12:23 PM\']I had deleted the original follow-up because maybe it's not comparable. There was a similar show about 10 years ago or so with Brad Sherwood where practicing was part of the show. For today's TV audience, it's probably better to "cut to the chase."[/quote]
I don't think today's audience has changed all that much from The Big Moment, though; they simply chose to focus on the practicing aspect. (That, and it was unrealistic to expect someone to be able to fart the theme to I Dream Of Jeannie on command. Hell, it took *me* at least a couple years just to get the bridge dow- erm, nevermind.)
(Please consider the rest of this post operating under the conceit that the wholly-untested hypothesis of the contestant being told of their game stack (or even a subset of the full game set) in advance is true.)
But the way MtWI is presenting the show, and burying this in disclaimer text, it feels like it has nothing to do with "today's TV audience," and everything to do with them wanting us to THINK that any game can come up at any time and that "the contestant has no idea what task could be next but hopefully they practiced everything we have up at NBC.com and you should too!", when in fact having a contestant be able to focus their practice to a smaller subset of games (if not their exact stack) makes for better television.
It's not that they don't think today's TV audience cares, it's that they don't want us to know because they are encouraging an illusion. Nothing against S&P (or whatever equates these days) regs, just wholly disingenuous to the viewer. I don't think it's necessary, but I can see a production that is depending on a carefully-homogenized image thinking that it is.
-
[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'241604\' date=\'May 28 2010, 11:52 AM\']Marie had the exact questions that were to be used. Can't really compare being fed trivia to practicing the events you might be playing on a stunt-based game show. To me, it kinda ruins the spontaneity, but given the difficulty of some events and the money involved, I kinda understand.[/quote]Of course you can't, and Jimmy knows it, so I'm not sure why he chose to equate choreographing a quiz show with allowing people to practice at home.
I can practice for Jeopardy, or Wheel of Fortune, or any other game show on the air. I can decide to what degree I want to practice, as well. And if my devotion to the exercise is more than that of my opposition, then I'm in a better position to do well. Big Brother will routinely reveal the next competition a day before the actual event, allowing everyone a chance to have a couple of tries before the real deal. Minute to Win it is really no different. If I want to practice Supercoin to the detriment of my health and hygiene, I can. I don't, but I can.
[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'241606\' date=\'May 28 2010, 12:23 PM\']For today's TV audience, it's probably better to "cut to the chase."[/quote]That's certainly an interesting point to make with absolutely nothing to back it up. The way you have it, you bring out the family, say, "Well Dad, you have one chance to accomplish the task we showed you seven days ago. Let's get to it," and that's all. You really have zero respect for "today's TV audience," don't you?
With what Big Moment did, you got to see the task, you got to get to know the family, decide whether I want to root for or against them, and then the whole thing builds to a natural climax. Or in the case of the Dad who had to complete a unicycle slalom course and return to the finish line, a total anticlimax as he got about six inches out of the gate and fell off his mount.
-
Checking an episode from Hulu, all the disclaimer says is "contestants practiced all potential games prior to taping."
-
If anything, I think they should find a way to integrate this reality into the game better, unfortunately this may seem odd, but maybe doing something like what Don't Forget The Lyrics/Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader did, list out all the games on their board along with the money ladder (with Super Coin maybe labeled separately ... "$1,000,000 GAME", "FINAL CHALLENGE"?) or excluded, let the contestant pick what goes up next, and work in a statement about the chosen games becoming more difficult on higher prize levels.
Who knows, it might help...
-
[quote name=\'Lirodon\' post=\'241696\' date=\'May 30 2010, 06:45 PM\']If anything, I think they should find a way to integrate this reality into the game better, unfortunately this may seem odd, but maybe doing something like what Don't Forget The Lyrics/Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader did, list out all the games on their board along with the money ladder (with Super Coin maybe labeled separately ... "$1,000,000 GAME", "FINAL CHALLENGE"?) or excluded, let the contestant pick what goes up next, and work in a statement about the chosen games becoming more difficult on higher prize levels.
Who knows, it might help...[/quote]
Actually, I like the idea of taking 5th Grader's syndicated formula (attach each game to a money amount based on difficulty), and let the contestant pick their order....and at the end, let them play a bonus stunt to multiply their winnings.