The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => Game Show Channels & Networks => Topic started by: CaseyAbell on April 26, 2004, 02:05:17 PM
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A couple of p.r.'s from the wonderful world of the web:
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories....02159795&EDATE= (http://\"http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/04-26-2004/0002159795&EDATE=\")
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories....02159781&EDATE= (http://\"http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/04-26-2004/0002159781&EDATE=\")
This wipes out Spy TV's current slots, so it may be bye-bye to spy-spy. Or maybe the show will limp on somewhere in the crooks and nannies of the schedule. Rumors are that the show is bombing like a B-1.
I can't believe they'll let Darva actually talk much, except from a heavily rehearsed script. She seemed, well, not the most eloquent guest on various talk shows. Street Smarts is getting stripped at what looks like the right time to me.
Once again, it's nice to see the reference to a new series of blackjack. Maybe the Prof was right about its relatively good numbers. Now that I mention it, I'm really looking forward to the finale tonight.
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I haven't had a chance to see Spy TV yet, so I guess I should roll tape. Surprised GSN hasn't entered the home improvement show sweepstakes yet.
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[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Apr 26 2004, 02:19 PM\'] I haven't had a chance to see Spy TV yet, so I guess I should roll tape. [/quote]
For curiosity value, possibly, but remember there's zero game to it.
As for Vegas Weddings, now even I'm motivated to bash GSN. As far as I'm concerned, Darva Conger is the lowest of the bottom-dwelling reality wannabes. My favorite moment on Today in a long time was when Matt Lauer dismissively told her to "have a nice life" after interviewing her for the third time and having to hear her say over and over how she just wished all this attention would go away so she could concentrate on her nursing career.
Radio comics Bob & Tom also have a very funny routine where Darva is talking about how she doesn't want all this notoriety -- while on the set of her Playboy shoot madly fielding other offers and answering her cell phone "Darva Conger Enterprises".
Add to that the fact that, as Casey adroitly points out, she has zero personality on-camera, and this looks like an even-more-disappointing-than-usual GSN offering.
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Well, I don't prejudge. But my guess is that Darva will be used in pretty small doses. Maybe not quite as tiny as the jobs Melana gets on blackjack.
Truth to tell, this sounds like what could be a very guilty pleasure. It can't be less entertaining than Spy TV, which lumbered through what I thought were excruciatingly dull stunts. The one bit I honestly got interested in was the Clinton impersonator luring girls in a bar. But it was impossible to believe that the way-too-heavy actor could really fool anybody.
EDIT: In what could be further confirmation of the Prof's comments - and other notes on MediaLifeMagazine and the GSN boards - the non-trad stuff doesn't seem to be expanding yet into the rest of the prime time schedule. Also, the latest pickup is a traditional studio gamer (albeit with tape from the outside planet).
Guess we'll have to see where they put Average Joe, Dog Eat Dog, the Greek Games thingie, Dodgeball, etc. It wouldn't amaze me to see the 10:00 slots on Wednesday and Thursday get new occupants, because the current incumbents allegedly are doing less than boffo business.
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[quote name=\'CaseyAbell\' date=\'Apr 26 2004, 11:05 AM\'] Once again, it's nice to see the reference to a new series of blackjack. Maybe the Prof was right about its relatively good numbers. Now that I mention it, I'm really looking forward to the finale tonight. [/quote]
Alas, the finale runs opposite the Sharks game for me, but fortunately it's rerun about five times in the next couple days, so finding an airing that did not conflict with hockey (unless we have overtime tonight, I guess, but even then it would have to go two full OT and into a third) was a pleasantly trivial task.
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On a side note , does anyone have info regarding "Celebrity Blackjack" ? Since the first series was shot at Mohegan Sun in CT, I'd love to pay a visit to the set if and when the return engagement is taped...
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Regarding the pickup of 640 episodes of Street Smarts. does this mean that they aren't gonna get the entire season 4 run?
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Assuming there were 32 weeks of shows per season:
32 * 5 = 160 shows per season
160 * 4 = 640 total episodes...
If the show was 39 weeks per season, then who knows what they got :-)
Rob
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I wouldn't be surprised if GSN just moves Spy TV back a half hour (to 10:30 on Friday).
Don't get your hopes (or Spy TV effigy doll) up quite yet.
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Isn't it interesting that to get a gig hosting these days you have to be notori....I mean have some notoriety (Monica L., Evan M, Darva...)
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[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Apr 26 2004, 06:34 PM\'] Isn't it interesting that to get a gig hosting these days you have to be notori....I mean have some notoriety (Monica L., Evan M, Darva...) [/quote]
Not so much interesting, but yet bound to happen...
The trickle down theory of reality show contestants as D list celebs began with Survivor...once it became an immediate hit, talent agencies started scooping them up....
First it was movie and tv acting careers...remember Colleen Haskell costarring with Rob Schnieder in "The Animal" ?
Then it was guest star/cameos..... like Big Brother winners occupying squares on "Hollywood Squares"
Now, they've realized what a vast cable universe they have to play with, and so they're finding niche shows for them to guest star/host on....GSN, Lifetime... Hell, Rachel Campos , formerly of "Real World" almost got the co=host gig on "The View"...and Kit Hoover of "Road Rules" is fumbling her way through ESPN's "Cold Pizza" and that anchor reality show who's name i've already forgotten...
It's the wave of the future, and the fast forwarding of the dumbing down of America.
Matt
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If you really miss SpyTV should GSN cancel it, you can always watch its equivalent, Scare Tactics (http://\"http://www.scifi.com/scaretactics/theshow/\"), on the Scifi Channel.
Does this mean that GSN is becoming the Scifi channel, or that Scifi is becoming GSN?
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[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Apr 26 2004, 02:14 PM\']
Alas, the finale runs opposite the Sharks game for me, but fortunately it's rerun about five times in the next couple days, so finding an airing that did not conflict with hockey (unless we have overtime tonight, I guess, but even then it would have to go two full OT and into a third) was a pleasantly trivial task. [/quote]
Well, no overtime. And on behalf of Colorado, you suck :-p
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[quote name=\'tvwxman\' date=\'Apr 26 2004, 07:46 PM\'] Hell, Rachel Campos , formerly of "Real World" almost got the co=host gig on "The View"... [/quote]
and she would've been miles better than my former sweetheart, Bessie Hasselbeck, has proven to be. She's wretched.
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Darva Conger aside, doesn't anybody find it funny that Rich Cronin can't even stick to his network's new, expanded brand?
Maybe someone can convince him that the Magic 8 Ball he uses to run the network ran out of batteries.
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...finding an airing [of the blackjack finale] that did not conflict with hockey (unless we have overtime tonight, I guess, but even then it would have to go two full OT and into a third) was a pleasantly trivial task.
Without giving away too much, nobody should be disappointed by the finale. Real suspense endures right down to the final card of the thirtieth hand.
EDIT: The network put out a press release on the finale. Again, don't click on the link if you haven't seen the show and don't want the outcome spoiled:
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories....02160226&EDATE= (http://\"http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/04-27-2004/0002160226&EDATE=\")
The release confirms what was already widely hinted: the blackjack show is getting the best numbers of any of the non-trad offerings. That's not surprising because it's a well-produced effort that's practically a traditional game show. So it probably retains GSN's core audience better than any of the other new shows, and maybe adds some new viewers.
FWIW, the rumors on the GSN board have the five new shows running this way in the ratings derby:
1. Blackjack
2. Mole
3. Kenny vs. Spenny
4. Spy TV
5. Fake-a-Date
Have no idea if this is accurate. But new series of blackjack are on the way, while Spy TV is getting pushed out of its timeslot (and maybe off the network altogether).
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Sorry to keep stringing along this thread. (Metaphor alert!) But the Google news cache coughed up a cute story about Regina Guzior, the blind lady in GSN's blackjack tournament. The story contains spoilers, so don't click if you don't want to know:
http://www.mlive.com/news/sanews/index.ssf...77426298600.xml (http://\"http://www.mlive.com/news/sanews/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1083077426298600.xml\")
It is an interesting story, and a bit of anecdotal evidence that the blackjack show reached a respectably sizeable audience. And when the story promises that GSN will "replay the series throughout the year," I can believe it.
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[quote name=\'tvwxman\' date=\'Apr 26 2004, 07:46 PM\']Now, they've realized what a vast cable universe they have to play with, and so they're finding niche shows for them to guest star/host on....GSN, Lifetime... Hell, Rachel Campos , formerly of "Real World" almost got the co=host gig on "The View"...and Kit Hoover of "Road Rules" is fumbling her way through ESPN's "Cold Pizza" and that anchor reality show who's name i've already forgotten...[/quote]
"Dream Job." At least she was tolerable as a judge, which hints that her "CP" persona's an act. Or doesn't.
As I drift OT, I know that "Dream Job" did OK for ESPN, but I'm curious how "CP" has done in the ratings. Jay Crawford is at least tolerable and Thea Andrews is the most professional of the bunch (along with being drop dead gorgeous), but Hoover consistently annoys and Leslie Maxie only seems to be around for her brief daily appearances because of fears of a discrimination suit. ESPN must be showing a lot of patience to keep this turkey going.
ObGameShow: The (Celebrity) Sports Challenge segment, although they've dropped the quiz part from that segment, perhaps because it was too close to a bit of a former "SportsCenter" anchor for comfort--and I don't mean Yambo.
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[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Apr 27 2004, 05:29 PM\'] [quote name=\'tvwxman\' date=\'Apr 26 2004, 07:46 PM\']Now, they've realized what a vast cable universe they have to play with, and so they're finding niche shows for them to guest star/host on....GSN, Lifetime... Hell, Rachel Campos , formerly of "Real World" almost got the co=host gig on "The View"...and Kit Hoover of "Road Rules" is fumbling her way through ESPN's "Cold Pizza" and that anchor reality show who's name i've already forgotten...[/quote]
"Dream Job." At least she was tolerable as a judge, which hints that her "CP" persona's an act. Or doesn't.
As I drift OT, I know that "Dream Job" did OK for ESPN, but I'm curious how "CP" has done in the ratings. Jay Crawford is at least tolerable and Thea Andrews is the most professional of the bunch (along with being drop dead gorgeous), but Hoover consistently annoys and Leslie Maxie only seems to be around for her brief daily appearances because of fears of a discrimination suit. ESPN must be showing a lot of patience to keep this turkey going.
ObGameShow: The (Celebrity) Sports Challenge segment, although they've dropped the quiz part from that segment, perhaps because it was too close to a bit of a former "SportsCenter" anchor for comfort--and I don't mean Yambo. [/quote]
Last I heard, Cold Pizza was pulling a .2 in the ratings (about 180,000 viewers). And that's an improvement over the .1 it was geting in its first couple of months. For GSN in the daytime, that's tolerable. For ESPN (or 2), not so much. But ESPN invested so much money into the show, it's not going away anytime soon.
Tyshaun
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[quote name=\'SplitSecond\' date=\'Apr 27 2004, 01:48 AM\'] Darva Conger aside, doesn't anybody find it funny that Rich Cronin can't even stick to his network's new, expanded brand?
Maybe someone can convince him that the Magic 8 Ball he uses to run the network ran out of batteries. [/quote]
I was also thinking about that. They got rid of the "Game Show" moniker to focus on a general "Games" outlook but they are scheduling some shows that have no game.
I like the variety but the focus is definitely blurry over there.
Tim :-)
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I like the variety but the focus is definitely blurry over there.
Well, four of the five non-trad shows definitely have elements of competition and gameplay. Frankly, Blackjack and Mole might as well be traditional gamers except they aren't staged in a studio. At one point they even unleashed a math quiz on the Hawaii Mole. Thought I was back on It's Academic for a minute.
Fake-a-Date and KvS are a little further afield but still feature gameplay. The only show that really pushes through the envelope is Spy TV, and you could argue that the unsuspecting civvies get "gamed" by the producers.
Okay, it's a stretch. Anyway, I'm not arguing that all of these shows are worthwhile. Joe Millionaire's dating snoozer, the two overaged adolescents from Canada, and the hidden-camera nonsense could disappear tomorrow, and I'd be a most happy camper. Darva's wedding show sounds like it could be awful, or so bad it's good, or just a dull misfire. But the p.r. seems to indicate some gameplaying with the unsuspecting "contestants."
So it's not like the focus on gameplay is getting hopelessly blurred. The overwhelming majority of GSN's programming - even the non-traditional stuff - continues to concentrate on the silly games people play.
If GSN starts running NYPD Blue and the Cosby show in prime time, then there will be a whole lotta blurrin' goin' on.
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and Thea Andrews is the most professional of the bunch (along with being drop dead gorgeous),
Is this the infamous Thea that was on "Cooking for Love" up here in Canada?
Cheers,
Ryan :)
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[quote name=\'vtown7\' date=\'Apr 28 2004, 01:28 PM\']
and Thea Andrews is the most professional of the bunch (along with being drop dead gorgeous),
Is this the infamous Thea that was on "Cooking for Love" up here in Canada?
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Same one--it's mentioned in her bio on the "CP" web site (http://\"http://www.coldpizza.tv/bios.html\").
And here's a canoe.ca chat transcript (http://\"http://www.canoe.ca/LifewiseHeartLove00/1005_thea_chat.html\") where she talks about "Cooking for Love," which I assume is now in perpetual reruns.
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There was a guy from my university theatre program that was on... oh, how we howled... more bizarrely was apparently someone that I acted with in high school was on as well however I never saw the episode.
As you said... there's always perpetual reruns.
Cheers,
Ryan :)