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The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: alfonzos on March 14, 2007, 05:43:01 PM

Title: Bingo returns to TV
Post by: alfonzos on March 14, 2007, 05:43:01 PM
Daily Variety reports that ABC is jazzed about adding Bingo to its prime time lineup. For some reason I can't add a link. Here is the URL: http://www.variety.com/article/VR111796111...yid=14&cs=1 (http://\"http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117961118.html?categoryid=14&cs=1\")
Title: Bingo returns to TV
Post by: Jimmy Owen on March 14, 2007, 05:54:33 PM
Bingo??? In prime time???  Well, they at least they got a host who is used to watching paint dry.
Title: Bingo returns to TV
Post by: BrandonFG on March 14, 2007, 06:12:13 PM
[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'148202\' date=\'Mar 14 2007, 05:54 PM\']
Bingo??? In prime time???  Well, they at least they got a host who is used to watching paint dry.
[/quote]
Two gold stars.
Title: Bingo returns to TV
Post by: tpirfan28 on March 14, 2007, 06:16:26 PM
Pardon my french...but...what the hell?  Have we seriously run out of good things to put in a Friday slot on a national network?  I'm sure a rerun on "You're in the Picture" would get higer ratings.  Or "The Rich List".

I'm actually saddened that Endumball isn't a part of this.  Some of their stunts would be interesting on this show.... :)

/has that play-on-words been used yet?
Title: Bingo returns to TV
Post by: clemon79 on March 14, 2007, 06:56:32 PM
[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'148202\' date=\'Mar 14 2007, 02:54 PM\']
Bingo??? In prime time???  Well, they at least they got a host who is used to watching paint dry.
[/quote]
No more calls, please, we have a winnar!
Title: Bingo returns to TV
Post by: aaron sica on March 14, 2007, 06:57:16 PM
[quote name=\'tpirfan28\' post=\'148209\' date=\'Mar 14 2007, 06:16 PM\']
Pardon my french...but...what the hell?  Have we seriously run out of good things to put in a Friday slot on a national network?  I'm sure a rerun on "You're in the Picture" would get higer ratings.  Or "The Rich List".

I'm actually saddened that Endumball isn't a part of this.  Some of their stunts would be interesting on this show.... :)

/has that play-on-words been used yet?
[/quote]

My play on words with the company has simply been a change in spelling but not pronunciation..."end 'em all"..
Title: Bingo returns to TV
Post by: Matt Ottinger on March 14, 2007, 07:05:31 PM
[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'148202\' date=\'Mar 14 2007, 05:54 PM\']
Bingo??? In prime time???  Well, they at least they got a host who is used to watching paint dry.[/quote]
Very nice.  Line of at LEAST the month.
Title: Bingo returns to TV
Post by: ChuckNet on March 14, 2007, 10:37:53 PM
I hope it's better than the short-lived 1987 fiasco, Satellite Bingo...though as long as they don't get Desi Arnaz Jr. to appear as a guest caller, it should be fine. :-)

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")
Title: Bingo returns to TV
Post by: Allstar87 on March 14, 2007, 10:40:44 PM
Satellite Bingo, there's a new one on me. How's that one played?
Title: Bingo returns to TV
Post by: brianhenke on March 14, 2007, 11:46:54 PM
Remember when Pittsburgh had TV bingo in the mid-1980s? Or TNN's Money Mania, which I didn't get to see?

  Brian
Title: Bingo returns to TV
Post by: DjohnsonCB on March 15, 2007, 02:05:32 AM
I certainly like the idea of ABC letting PC owners print out the necessary cards.  Too bad there wasn't anything this conveinient back in the mid-1960s when Kansas City had a "TV Bingo" game on M-F and we always had to go to certain grocers or gas stations in Missouri to get the free cards.  We lived on the Kansas side where some stupid law prohibited their distribution, and my father was forever grousing about the "endless miles" he had to drive to get to one of those Missouri places.
Title: Bingo returns to TV
Post by: Joe Mello on March 15, 2007, 12:53:35 PM
If lottery-based game shows that are even moderately interesting (at least the Powerball incarnations were to me) can't stay on the air, how can anyone expect a nearly-straight Bingo game to be any better?

You know what would be good on Friday nights?  That one game show they used to have a few years ago.  You know, the one with that guy from that talk show that had a girl on it with the guy.  I hear it was really good.
Title: Bingo returns to TV
Post by: PYLdude on March 15, 2007, 12:58:22 PM
[quote name=\'Joe Mello\' post=\'148295\' date=\'Mar 15 2007, 12:53 PM\']
If lottery-based game shows that are even moderately interesting (at least the Powerball incarnations were to me) can't stay on the air, how can anyone expect a nearly-straight Bingo game to be any better?[/quote]

Lottery is one thing, bingo another. You need to have some sort of hook for a bingo game show to work (Lingo, where it's a combination of words and bingo). Otherwise, it's nothing you can't go to your local church/boys and girls club/wherever and see for free without a host or other elements.


Quote
You know what would be good on Friday nights?  That one game show they used to have a few years ago.  You know, the one with that guy from that talk show that had a girl on it with the guy.  I hear it was really good.

Huh?
Title: Bingo returns to TV
Post by: Yogi007 on March 15, 2007, 01:12:12 PM
[quote name=\'PYLdude\' post=\'148296\' date=\'Mar 15 2007, 12:58 PM\']

Quote
You know what would be good on Friday nights?  That one game show they used to have a few years ago.  You know, the one with that guy from that talk show that had a girl on it with the guy.  I hear it was really good.

Huh?
[/quote]

I think he was "attempting" to be funny.  If that was the case, I don't think it worked.
Title: Bingo returns to TV
Post by: clemon79 on March 15, 2007, 02:23:57 PM
[quote name=\'PYLdude\' post=\'148296\' date=\'Mar 15 2007, 09:58 AM\']
Lottery is one thing, bingo another. You need to have some sort of hook for a bingo game show to work (Lingo, where it's a combination of words and bingo). Otherwise, it's nothing you can't go to your local church/boys and girls club/wherever and see for free without a host or other elements.
[/quote]
Yeah, but people don't like leaving the house, or sitting in what could be a smoky bingo hall (depending on what state you live in).

Mind you, I think it's a lousy concept for a host of other reasons, but this isn't one of them.
Title: Bingo returns to TV
Post by: BrandonFG on March 15, 2007, 03:42:07 PM
[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'148304\' date=\'Mar 15 2007, 02:23 PM\']
Yeah, but people don't like leaving the house, or sitting in what could be a smoky bingo hall (depending on what state you live in).
[/quote]
Having worked in a Bingo hall, it's quite hellish on the wardrobe. ;-) It's also quite funny seeing blue-haired biddies get upset because they didn't win the $100 jackpot. It's even funnier seeing 12 people get happy about  a Bingo, until they realize they have to share one Benjamin. :-)

I know Wink Martindale tried this c. 1986, but didn't get past the pilot stages. This is the type of thing that could work on a Playmania level, or in a local, late-night concept. This being a national, primetime show makes me wonder.

If they want to make it truly interactive, why not have folks go to ABC.com, and give them an online bingo card. And that's another thing, when I worked in bingo, mostly everyone had full sheets with about 9 grids per sheet. Obviously, ABC can't limit how many a person gets.

I think they need to rethink this.
Title: Bingo returns to TV
Post by: alfonzos on March 15, 2007, 04:30:49 PM
Which reminds me of an old joke: How do you get seventy-five little old ladies to curse like sailors? Have the seventy-sixth one yell, "Bingo!"
Title: Bingo returns to TV
Post by: TimK2003 on March 15, 2007, 06:33:05 PM
[quote name=\'alfonzos\' post=\'148310\' date=\'Mar 15 2007, 04:30 PM\']
Which reminds me of an old joke: How do you get seventy-five little old ladies to curse like sailors? Have the seventy-sixth one yell, "Bingo!"
[/quote]

I'm curious to find out how many states will prohibit their residents from winning any prizes from "Bingo".  Most of these current game show contests exclude Alaska & Hawaii right off the bat (mostly due to the times they air), so there's two to start off with.

This also brings up a good topic:  

On other game shows of the past where there were occasional sweepstakes drawings (i.e. "Press Your Luck's" Home Viewer Spin, "Price Is Right's" Phone Home Game, "Let's Make A Deal's" Celebrity Deal Game,...) or lucky phone number games (i.e. "Winning Lines", "Your Number's Up",...), what state(s) regularly prohibited these contests?
Title: Bingo returns to TV
Post by: ChuckNet on March 15, 2007, 09:21:03 PM
Quote
Satellite Bingo, there's a new one on me. How's that one played?

Pretty much the same as all your typical "home bingo" shows of an earlier era...numbers were called off, and the first home viewer to call in a bingo on their card (each card had a 5-digit number for verification purposes) won a prize (on the ep I have, they were all exotic vacations to such locales as Amsterdam, Sydney, etc.). Later in the show, there was also a rebus puzzle, for which the corresponding square was revealed w/each call...if a winning home solved the puzzle when calling, they won a new car.

The show was produced by Ralph Andrews' former partner, Bill Yagermann...in all probability, it may have only lasted about 2 mos.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")
Title: Bingo returns to TV
Post by: mcsittel on March 15, 2007, 10:39:47 PM
Assuming the show won't air live and across the country, one would assume there won't be any 'real time' winning going on here (e.g., "the first person to call in nationwide with a Bingo wins $1,000,000!")

Now, assuming there won't be the ability to design-your-own-Bingo-card through some online entry, ABC  could 'create', let's say, 25 cards on line, and you'll register on their web site to participate, at which time you'll select one of the 25 cards to be your own.  Numbers will be drawn until at least one of the 25 cards has a Bingo on it ("Caesar says STOP!"), and then all those who picked that card are now entered into a drawing.

Perhaps they could sweeten the pot by allowing the registrant to select a card for each of the 3 rounds, and if he/she gets Bingo on that round's card all 3 times, is entered into a drawing for the grand prize.

With 25*25*25 = 15,625 different ways to pick 3 cards, one would expect hundreds of entries for the grand prize.  Even if you don't restrict the number of times a home viewer can enter and play, that number is prohibitive enough to prevent someone from trying to enter every possible combination.

You can still offer nice prizes to winners in game 1 or 2, but getting more than one Bingo during the night ought to be worth something.  Give away a quarter million in prizes and make a nice profit off the ads, esp. if you keep production costs low (maybe they can borrow the Lingo set and have a model draw the numbers).

I look forward to seeing how ABC will attempt this...

Matt
Title: Bingo returns to TV
Post by: Allstar87 on March 15, 2007, 10:40:38 PM
[quote name=\'ChuckNet\' post=\'148354\' date=\'Mar 15 2007, 09:21 PM\']
Pretty much the same as all your typical "home bingo" shows of an earlier era...numbers were called off, and the first home viewer to call in a bingo on their card (each card had a 5-digit number for verification purposes) won a prize (on the ep I have, they were all exotic vacations to such locales as Amsterdam, Sydney, etc.). Later in the show, there was also a rebus puzzle, for which the corresponding square was revealed w/each call...if a winning home solved the puzzle when calling, they won a new car.

The show was produced by Ralph Andrews' former partner, Bill Yagermann...in all probability, it may have only lasted about 2 mos.
[/quote]

Ah, thanks a bunch. Sounds like it'd get a bit tedious, but at least they gave away some nice prizes.
Title: Bingo returns to TV
Post by: scottua1 on March 15, 2007, 11:30:10 PM
According to the network's press release for the show, the contestant will be competing against a studio audience, who can "win cash and send the contestant home empty-handed." Viewers will be able to print Bingo cards off of abc.com and play for prizes (separate from the game airing, I would imagine).

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20070314abc01 (http://\"http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20070314abc01\")