The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: cmjb13 on June 06, 2004, 08:58:06 AM
-
???
-
I'm not so sure that they're more successful overseas, it's just that they're cheap to make and therefore they pepper the schedule of any budget-challenged foreign TV conglomerate.
They have talk shows, soaps and lifestyle/DIY shows like us, too. Every country that does TV does. Then, of course, they have reruns of our crappy shows. When I was in Scotland, BBC2 was playing "Quincy" at 1PM. (At least, I think it was BBC2...might have been ITV)
-
I think game shows are a viable "second choice" for a majority of people. However, the US has so many niche channels available that most folks are going to be able to find something that appeals more to them than a game show at any given time.
-
[quote name=\'inturnaround\' date=\'Jun 6 2004, 12:26 PM\'] When I was in Scotland, BBC2 was playing "Quincy" at 1PM. [/quote]
Does Quincy have a first name in Scotland?
-
[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Jun 6 2004, 04:36 PM\'][quote name=\'inturnaround\' date=\'Jun 6 2004, 12:26 PM\'] When I was in Scotland, BBC2 was playing "Quincy" at 1PM. [/quote]
Does Quincy have a first name in Scotland?[/quote]
He shouldn't. It's the same darn show we got over here in the 70s. :)
-
[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Jun 6 2004, 03:36 PM\'] [quote name=\'inturnaround\' date=\'Jun 6 2004, 12:26 PM\'] When I was in Scotland, BBC2 was playing "Quincy" at 1PM. [/quote]
Does Quincy have a first name in Scotland? [/quote]
Angus?
-
[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Jun 6 2004, 05:12 PM\'] [quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Jun 6 2004, 03:36 PM\'] [quote name=\'inturnaround\' date=\'Jun 6 2004, 12:26 PM\'] When I was in Scotland, BBC2 was playing "Quincy" at 1PM. [/quote]
Does Quincy have a first name in Scotland? [/quote]
Angus? [/quote]
Wrong...it's Cosmo.
-
[quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Jun 6 2004, 05:17 PM\'] [quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Jun 6 2004, 05:12 PM\'] [quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Jun 6 2004, 03:36 PM\'] [quote name=\'inturnaround\' date=\'Jun 6 2004, 12:26 PM\'] When I was in Scotland, BBC2 was playing "Quincy" at 1PM. [/quote]
Does Quincy have a first name in Scotland? [/quote]
Angus? [/quote]
Wrong...it's Cosmo. [/quote]
Basil. And, he's not a coroner in this version, but instead runs a hotel.
-
I find it baffling at times myself. You could have a show in Brtain called "Chap, Do You Want to Buzz In" where 27 players try to ring-in on 50 questions in a half hour, each worth a pound, with the winner getting a coffee mug with their face on it. And it'd be on for 5 years and have seven different hosts! :)
All kidding aside, I only wish we had the same thing here in America. But I believe it's because reality shows now fit the description of "cheap to produce with great revenue" that game shows used to. The thing about reality shows is, every one (save for a handful maybe) has a dedicated audience who'll remember the cast by name and personality.
I think the answer is just they have different tastes. Notice that on the UK GS Page or Aussie GS page, that entries for stuff like "Jeopardy" go something like "show imported from U.S....had some rounds with questions...it was just bad." Can any of our friends from across the pond weigh in?
-Jason
-
[quote name=\'inturnaround\' date=\'Jun 6 2004, 05:10 PM\'][quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Jun 6 2004, 04:36 PM\'][quote name=\'inturnaround\' date=\'Jun 6 2004, 12:26 PM\'] When I was in Scotland, BBC2 was playing "Quincy" at 1PM. [/quote]
Does Quincy have a first name in Scotland?[/quote]
He shouldn't. It's the same darn show we got over here in the 70s. :)[/quote]
Apparently there was an episode that showed a close-up of Quincy's business card, with the initial R for his first name, and that was the only hint that was ever given
-
[quote name=\'inturnaround\' date=\'Jun 6 2004, 12:26 PM\'] Then, of course, they have reruns of our crappy shows. When I was in Scotland, BBC2 was playing "Quincy" at 1PM. (At least, I think it was BBC2...might have been ITV) [/quote]
Be nice to frequent MG panellist, and one-time spouse of Brett Somers, Jack Klugman. Don't call Quincy, M.E. crappy. (I always like the opening with the police officers fainting when they saw the corpse!)
And besides Quincy, M.E. was the original CSI. :-)
-
[quote name=\'Fedya\' date=\'Jun 6 2004, 11:43 PM\'] Be nice to frequent MG panellist, and one-time spouse of Brett Somers, Jack Klugman. Don't call Quincy, M.E. crappy. (I always like the opening with the police officers fainting when they saw the corpse!)
And besides Quincy, M.E. was the original CSI. :-) [/quote]
Indeed... Quincy is one of my all-time favorite shows. When I was still in medical school, it was also one of the factors in my choice to pursue pathology as a specialty. :-)
-
[quote name=\'JasonA1\' date=\'Jun 7 2004, 02:12 AM\'] I find it baffling at times myself. You could have a show in Brtain called "Chap, Do You Want to Buzz In" where 27 players try to ring-in on 50 questions in a half hour, each worth a pound, with the winner getting a coffee mug with their face on it. And it'd be on for 5 years and have seven different hosts! :)
[/quote]
I'm baffled, frankly.
-
I'm no expert on TV outside the U.S. so I'm not sure which countries have TV supported by advertising and which have government-funded TV (which includes a license fee on receivers). Perhaps broadcasters outside the U.S. don't have to pander quite so much to the 18 to 25 demographic and are thus in a better position to run game shows with their traditionally older demographics?
P.S. My neighbor, Joe Roman, played Sergeant Brill on Quincy, M.E.
-
I'm of the impression that most indigenous programming in Europe is short-run, so there may be more timeslots to try different shows, and if something works, it would be brought back for another "series" of shows.
-
[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Jun 7 2004, 10:36 AM\'] P.S. My neighbor, Joe Roman, played Sergeant Brill on Quincy, M.E. [/quote]
I'll wager that you and I are the only two in this room who could pick him out of a line-up. Joseph had how many lines in total during the 7 years of the show--maybe thirty? Peter Lupus did better on Mission: Impossible.
-
[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Jun 7 2004, 10:42 AM\'] [quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Jun 7 2004, 10:36 AM\'] P.S. My neighbor, Joe Roman, played Sergeant Brill on Quincy, M.E. [/quote]
I'll wager that you and I are the only two in this room who could pick him out of a line-up. Joseph had how many lines in total during the 7 years of the show--maybe thirty? Peter Lupus did better on Mission: Impossible. [/quote]
I frankly don't know how this guy keeps his rent paid or his Jaguar serviced, as he never appears to be working. He can't make that much in residuals. Trust fund? Pension? Social Security?
-
[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Jun 7 2004, 10:36 AM\']I'm no expert on TV outside the U.S. so I'm not sure which countries have TV supported by advertising and which have government-funded TV (which includes a license fee on receivers). Perhaps broadcasters outside the U.S. don't have to pander quite so much to the 18 to 25 demographic and are thus in a better position to run game shows with their traditionally older demographics?[/quote]
Well, the demographic targeting is becoming just as prominent in Britain. The commercial channels go after young demos with the same gusto as U.S. commercial braodcasters and even the BBC has been accused by some of pandering to young demos in their programming decisions. (They've also started a satellite/digital channel called BBC3 which is out-and-out aimed at the 18-to-34s and in some cases has been pulling worse numbers than BBC4, the cultural programming sat/digital channel that was not expected to set the world on fire.)
And in some ways the doors are starting to close. There seems to be fewer game shows in the midday time slot BBC1 used to give to them, with various how-to and makeover shows taking their place. A game show may get the 6 p.m. slot on BBC2 that "The Simpsons" reruns have vacated (they're going to Channel 4 this fall, probably in the same slot). ITV has held back on game shows in the 5 p.m. slot that they counterprogrammed "Neighbours" on BBC1. "Countdown" got moved back to earlier in the afternoon on C4 and is saddled with "Test the Nation," which seems to be a weaker companion piece than "Fifteen-to-One."
But on the other hand, Channel 5 found enough success with "Brainteaser," a live show with an interactive element, that they now have a similar show called "Memory Bank" on the daytime lineup. And since there is the seeming gentleman's agreement not to put big guns against ITV's prime time soaps "Emmerdale" and "Coronation Street," so more modest programming gets put into those slots on BBC1, like the long-running panel quiz "A Question of Sport" (over 30 years and counting).
Still, on Saturday nights, which is still a big deal in the UK, "WWTBAM" is showing signs of wear and any other non-lottery game show doesn't seem to be popular unless it has more of the feel of a variety show, like Ant and Dec's "Saturday Night Takeaway," but that's been pretty much true as far back as when Brucie was doing "The Generation Game."
-
[quote name=\'JasonA1\' date=\'Jun 6 2004, 09:12 PM\'] I find it baffling at times myself. You could have a show in Brtain called "Chap, Do You Want to Buzz In" where 27 players try to ring-in on 50 questions in a half hour, each worth a pound, with the winner getting a coffee mug with their face on it. And it'd be on for 5 years and have seven different hosts! :)
All kidding aside, I only wish we had the same thing here in America. But I believe it's because reality shows now fit the description of "cheap to produce with great revenue" that game shows used to. The thing about reality shows is, every one (save for a handful maybe) has a dedicated audience who'll remember the cast by name and personality.
I think the answer is just they have different tastes. Notice that on the UK GS Page or Aussie GS page, that entries for stuff like "Jeopardy" go something like "show imported from U.S....had some rounds with questions...it was just bad." Can any of our friends from across the pond weigh in?
-Jason [/quote]
I heard CBS taped a pilot for an American version of "Chap, Do You Want To Buzz In" in 1992 with Jim Perry as host. : )
I think the reason why American shows typically don't work in other countries is diffrences in Ethics. While we enjoy throwing around cash and prizes with little effort, other countries believe people should work long and hard for their money, so rules are modified to make the game more difficult. Also, budget is also a concern as well.
How often is the Aussie TPIR's Showcase won ?
-
[quote name=\'JRaygor\' date=\'Jun 8 2004, 09:28 PM\'] How often is the Aussie TPIR's Showcase won ? [/quote]
Well, to some degree, it's also that their budgets may not be as large as American ones.
Brandon Brooks
-
[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Jun 8 2004, 07:02 PM\'] C4 and is saddled with "Test the Nation," which seems to be a weaker companion piece than "Fifteen-to-One." [/quote]
"Beat the Nation" you mean!
Also, I wouldn't say that ITV have held back with gameshows in the 5pm slot at all. Recently we've had 24 Hour Quiz (which was rubbish), repeats of Catchphrase seem to be a staple, Classic Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Building the Dream and so on.
I think they're currently filling the time slot with a Building the Dream (a property building game show) and I Want That House! (a lifestyle programme). ITV comes a distant third (possibly fourth, against RIchard and Judy) in the ratings against Neibours and Weakest Link at that time so they just bung cheap programmes in.
-
[quote name=\'Brig Bother\' date=\'Jun 9 2004, 09:16 AM\'][quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Jun 8 2004, 07:02 PM\'] C4 and is saddled with "Test the Nation," which seems to be a weaker companion piece than "Fifteen-to-One." [/quote]
"Beat the Nation" you mean![/quote]
Yeah, that's right--"Test the Nation"'s that other show--you have Annie and Philip Schofield hosting it in your country while we have Leeza and Marky Mark L., IIRC.
I also notice that "Beat the Nation"'s being repeated in the morning, in between "Bewitched" reruns and instructional programming.
(For those who don't get around the UK sites, "Beat the Nation"'s sort-of-like "Play the Percentages," in that all of the general-knowledge questions are rated in difficulty based on how correctly an audience survey answered them. Former Goodies and anchor players of "I'm Sorry, I Haven't a Clue..." Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie are the hosts.)
-
[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Jun 9 2004, 11:35 AM\']
(For those who don't get around the UK sites, "Beat the Nation"'s sort-of-like "Play the Percentages," in that all of the general-knowledge questions are rated in difficulty based on how correctly an audience survey answered them. Former Goodies and anchor players of "I'm Sorry, I Haven't a Clue..." Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie are the hosts.) [/quote]
Not a bad show, but not terribly interesting, either. That's Tim Brooke-Taylor, not Bill Oddie, by the way (minutae, I know).
It's actually a genius system - the gym I was at the other day had individualized tv screens with all the equipment, and I saw this show for the first time - running on the treadmill watching BtN and Countdown ... now THAT's the way to keep in shape ;-)
-
[quote name=\'tommycharles\' date=\'Jun 9 2004, 02:01 PM\'][quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Jun 9 2004, 11:35 AM\']
(For those who don't get around the UK sites, "Beat the Nation"'s sort-of-like "Play the Percentages," in that all of the general-knowledge questions are rated in difficulty based on how correctly an audience survey answered them. Former Goodies and anchor players of "I'm Sorry, I Haven't a Clue..." Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie are the hosts.) [/quote]
Not a bad show, but not terribly interesting, either. That's Tim Brooke-Taylor, not Bill Oddie, by the way (minutae, I know).
[/quote]
One of those guys. "The Goodies" didn't have a long run on public TV over here, anyway--not like Mrs. Bucket and "Are You Being Served?"