I’m the only one left for a week! Cory’s in the Phillippines, Alex is on vacation, so I’m the only submitter left…
Expect a podcast sometime soon, hopefully. I’ll try to be interesting.
no promises, though
Archive for July, 2005
http://www.realitytvworld.com/index/articles/story.php?s=3618
Dancing with the Stars (ABC) was renewed for a second season. A mid-winter release is expected.
ABC casts Badshow +3!
Faith in humanity loses 14 HP!
Hey guys. Guess where I’m going?
If you guess wrong, I’m banning your IP.
Well, maybe I won’t, but I guess empty threats are always good. I’ll be away in the Philippines for two weeks, mostly getting a new cell phone, but I’m pretty sure my family will drag me to meet more family. I’ll probably make some kind of report about cool/weird game shows in Asia, as well as getting a pimp new phone.
In conclusion, Alex and Mike will be watching the shop, and hopefully putting together what I failed to do: another podcast. I’ll buy a phonecard to phonepost my segments, damnit.
21
Jul
Beam me up, Scotty.
James Doohan, who passed away on Wednesday at the age of 85, was probably best known as “Beam me up” Scotty from the original Star Trek. Lesser know, but more relevant to the blog here, Doohan guest-starred on a week of Super Password. GSN will be airing these episodes from July 25-28 at 2:0 PM ET/PT. Doohan’s episodes include “Star Trek: The Next Generation” actor Michael Dorn (”Worf”) as the other celebrity guest. Beam us up one more time, Scotty.
The stadium is absolutely spectacular. It’s in the same studio as before, now it is totally enclosed, like a dodgeball court should be.This means it’s more brutal and quicker. People aren’t in fear of being knocked out because of stepping over the line. I saw some hits today that just made me wince. That’s saying something also since I play ice hockey. There are a few score boards around the stadium also, but there’s the standard sports display on the top/left of the TV screen including city, score, and time. The on-screen display is ESPN-esque, showing kills and catches.
Every change has improved the game. The regeneration rule is now fully optimized: 30 seconds is more than enough time to allow for regeneration, and with one player coming on instead a full team, it’s a more balanced experience. The shift to points means we see faster action. I haven’t seen a suicide throw yet. The reason for that is if you knock out a team, it doesn’t mean you’re safe. Teams with good catchers and teams with good throwers are finally evened out. The league seems almost evenly matched. Tuesday’s game came down to final few minutes which is what made it most exciting. The celebrity captains didn’t harm the show at all because GSN is using them wisely. Dodgeball is the focus, instead of the celebs. This is the first time that celebrities have not been used to annoyance that I can remember. They didn’t use new commissioner Rip Torn to the level of irritation either.
This is what Extreme Dodgeball should have been from the beginning. I’m just happy GSN didn’t cancel the show before they tried something different with it like they and many networks have done in the past. The point system makes the game fast paced, more brutal, and more evenly matched. They changed their staples of the Big Ball and Dead Man Walking to fit perfectly. They fixed the rules that were just strange to make it more fair.
GSN is now a well-rounded network. Millionaire is the top traditional game show on the network and, in all honesty, is the best one currently. BallBreakers is the cool and suave show they seem like they wanted in Poker Royale and the Blackjack shows. Extreme Dodgeball is the fast paced alternative sports show. Poker Royale, while not as good as Blackjack in my opinion, is GSN’s ticket to the card game genre fame. The Amazing Race is their reality show. They have every possible style they need now. They have the classics in the morning for the people who love to bitch all day about them. Extreme Dodgeball has finally filled in every hole I felt in the show. GSN, in my opinion, is complete.
19
Jul
Amazing Race Ratings
The Amazing Race, while not getting unbelievable ratings, is doing very well for the network’s standards. The Amazing Race at 9PM ET-10PM ET is receiving a .40 rating. This number is 11% better than the previous show. Also, for GSN’s overall ratings, this means that 2/3 of the programs in primetime are getting at least a .4.
GSN’s median age has also dropped quite a bit now. The primetime age median has dropped to 50 years old. Ages 18-45, which is the key demographic for advertisers, got a .22, which is 69% better than it use to be. For Adults 25-54, the show is getting a .25, a 67% increase.
Ian Valentine, Senior Vice President of Programming, stated:
We couldn’t be more thrilled with the first week’s ratings performance of The Amazing Race. We had hoped the series would add new younger viewers and it definitely has, with our median age dropping by 12 years.
Thanks to GSN for the information.
The object of the game is simple: play a round of 9-ball pool. Each player puts a set amount on the game as a bet, and the winner of the game gets the money. The interesting part of that aspect comes with side bets. A player can bet on almost anything. Will the shooter run the table? Put some money on it. Do you think he’ll scratch? Put some money on it. The betting element puts some spice into the game, but with the way that it’s currently implemented, it distracts from the gameplay. Not enough to ruin the game, mind you, but just enough for it to be disjarring.
The other cool part is what are called shotgun games. They’re little minigames to determine stuff, like who controls the next break. The one that I paid attention to was something not unlike Lightning Pool, where you have to sink in as many balls as you can in 60 seconds. It adds a bit of spice to the game, although the fast-forward recap they pulled off tonight made it less interesting.
That’s one of the things I really noticed, though. Besides fast-fowarding the mini-games, the fast-forward recap that they did was rather good. It was fast-paced (of course, to save time), but it dropped you straight into drama, which is where you wanted to be in the first place, without missing any of the good shots.
I can’t wait to see the next episode. Sal Masekela did a good job as host, and Ewa Mataya Laurance is very knowledgeable about the game of pool. Adrianne Curry didn’t make a splash in my mind, other than “Get the crap out of the camera shot.” Good job with this show, GSN. Keep it coming. B+!
15
Jul
Shuffle up and dizzeal.
I love poker. I keep a set of chips and cards in my car trunk at all times, just in case. There’s poker books all over my house, and I’ve got I think $5 in my PartyPoker Real Life account. So, when poker news hits the airwaves, I’m all up ons. GSN is planning 2 new Poker Royale series, adding to hits like Comedians and Poker Pros and the Battle of the Sexes.
Poker Royale: The James Woods Gang vs. The Unabombers is slated to begin production on July 25, sadly after I leave for vacation. It puts two poker “gangs” up against each other. James Woods’ Gang will include poker player Kathy Liebert, two time PR winner and WSoP bracelet winner, and actor and professional poker player James Wood (whodathunkit?) The Unabombers will include Phil Laak, who placed first in the 2004 WPT Main Event, actress and winner of the WSoP Ladies Final Table Jennifer Tilly and famed Match Game 90s panelist (and he was some sitcom for CBS, i think… People Like Raymond or something like that?) Brad Garrett. More players will be added to the lineup shortly. It’ll air Fridays at 10 as part of the Casino Night series. It premiers on November 25 at 10 PM ET/PT.
Production will begin on the 27th of July for Poker Royale: Battle of the Ages. This, to me, is far more interesting. Battle of the Ages will put the six top poker players over 60 against the top six poker players under 30. The tournament will shoot for 2 days and unfortunately, I can’t show up. Dear GSN: please tape when I’m available to fly out and watch. Thanks. Showing up to shuffle up and/or deal are TJ Cloutier, who has six WSoP bracelets, “Action” Dan Harrington, Red Sox fan and 1995 WSoP Champion, Gabe Kaplan, who placed 2nd in the 2005 WSoP Limit Hold ‘Em final day (and yes, he’s Mistah Kottttttah from Welcome Back, Kotter, Maureen Feduniak, who placed first in the 2003 WPT Ladies Night Main Event, and Wendeen Eolis, who placed fourth in the 2004 Legends of Poker Ladies Night. The young bloods, with their fancy cars and their non-arthritic legs, are comprised of Michael Gracz, 2005 WSoP bracelet winner, Dutch Boyd, who tied for 11th in the 2003 WSoP Main Event, Erin Ness, who placed 2nd in Poker Royale: Young Bloods, Evelyn Ng, severe poker hottie and 2nd Place in the WPT Ladies night, and Kasey Thompson, who is a respectable skilled pro poker player. Of course, there will be more. I wonder if Phil Ivey is around anywhere. The premier for Oldheads vs. Young Bols (if you’re ghetto, you know what I just said) is set for October 7 at 10 PM ET/PT.
John Ahlers, the golden voice of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, will return as host, and Robert Williamson III will join him as color commentary. Lisa Dergan will be the table-side reporter.
Finally, I get to break a GSN story before Alex does!
In a press release sent out by GSN on Friday, GSN announced that they have stepped up development slates for potential originals in 2006. Seven new shows are in development, and two of those have already had pilots ordered. Senior Vice President of Programming for GSN, Ian Valentine, had this to say about the ramp-up in production:
We’re deepening our commitment to casino game programming while broadening our development slate to include new hybrid genres that merge games with psychological thrillers and stunt shows. We remain the home of America’s greatest game shows, from classics to remakes to other originals, and everything is interactive.
Buzzer had a chance to sit down with Valentine and discuss the various games. The full interview will be in the next Buzzer podcast, but his comments can also be found here.
One show that had a pilot ordered is Annie Duke Takes On The World, featuring poker’s best femme, Annie Duke. It is described as a “hybrid poker series.” The game initially features 4 amateurs playing against each other, all while Annie Duke critiques their play. At the end, the winner of the show will compete one-on-one against Annie Duke for a chance at a cash prize, “no less than $10,000.” When asked if the show will portray Duke as mean-spirited, Valentine said, “I don’t think this is a show that’s mean spirited in the way she talks to people. She will, in a sense, and I will certainly not say that this is a teaching show, but she will certainly give viewers and the players an opportunity to learn how to play poker from a poker pro.”
The other show that had a pilot ordered is a remake of the ever-popular panel show, I’ve Got a Secret. The twist to this show is that the entire panel is gay. A host has not been announced, and the panel cannot be revealed, but the gay twist is at the least intrieguing, but will most likely be controversial. “I think there’s a sensibility that has emerged — Queer Eye for the Straight Guy being a classic example of that.” There will be a female presense on the panel. “I think that it is a hook, but once you start watching the show, you’ll appreciate the panelists on their own without being concerned about what their sexuality is.”
24 Hours in Vegas is a new reality show that will put contestants in the Sin City to work menial jobs: bus boy, valet, dancer. They will use their earnings to play casino games to win more money. At the end of 24 hours, whoever has the most money wins. It doesn’t seem like there is going to be a continuity in the show, so the question was posed: Is that too much to focus on, even for an hour show? “I think the key of this show is… It is possible to lose track of time in those cities, and suddenly you realize that you’ve been up for 36 or 48 hours… This is an attempt to put contestants in that place where sleep is for sissies and you need to keep going and sort of documenting that intensity of both play and work.”
Chokers is a weekly documentary series that focuses on the chokes in life: who fell apart at the worst possible moment. The idea brings up thoughts like Bill Buckner in the 1986 World Series, but companies, teams, and individuals are all fair game in this series. The show will go behind the scenes “in the courtroom, the boardroom, and the locker room” to find out where exactly the goat was released. GSN’s history with documentaries is hit and miss. The hit would be Big Bucks: The Press Your Luck Scandal, which garnered GSN’s highest ratings to date, while Video Game Invasion, a well-produced documentary about video games, failed to make an impact. When asked about how a documentary series currently fits in GSN’s lineup, Valentine said this: “The issue with the past work that we’ve done is that the Video Game Invasion, while a marvelous documentary, just did not speak to GSN’s core viewers. And it’s not a matter of whether or not they’re games or not games, but are they subjects which our core viewers, or the demographic we wish to appeal to, which is people 25-54, will find interesting.”
What’s your worst nightmare? Mine is running out of ketchup and barbeque sauce at a cookout. GSN’s hoping that other people’s nightmares are far more terrifying to watch. Your Worst Nightmare is one of those “stick-people-in-a-haunted-building” kind of shows, not unlike World’s Scariest Places from Fox Family or Fear from MTV (which makes me wonder if they should’ve have spelled it ‘Ph33r’ or something trendy like that, but I digress). GSN’s adding a twist of competition to it, putting two people in a haunted place and rewarding the first one to come out, hopefully alive. The hope with GSN is that it is successful outside of the Halloween season, with the need to be scared silly running year-long. No locations have been specifically named, although your humble reporter dropped the name of Byberry Mansion here in Philadelphia. Now reading that the place is filled with asbestos, they’re probably not going to film here. But hey, you never know.
Phil Hellmuth, the essential crybaby of the poker circuit, has signed on with producer R. J. Cutler to come up with an origial idea in terms of poker games, which I essentialy looked over before I gave it a chance. The basis of this new show is to teach amateurs the fundamentals of poker by utilizing physical (yes, physical) and mental challenges. Hellmuth will be teaching his young padawans how to play poker by not playing poker. “The show is not per se a straight poker show. The show was not pitched by R. J. and Phil as a poker show. If you look at poker, there is a variety of skills that are involved in the play of the game.” He goes on to demonstrate skills like reading bluffs, courage to bet big, and the assessment of risk involved in a play of poker. The show will physicalize the skills of poker to help the players strengthen themselves. Courage might be involved in a physical stunt, or assessing risk might involve a choice of mental or physical challenges. It’s shaping into something that will be a strong format, and will be interesting to watch. It is a fresh look at the poker genre.
The final game, which I did not get to speak with Valentine with, is a show called Wet, which is being pitched as a competition featuring contestants waging water-based battles against other humans as well as dolphins. Contestants will perform in head-to-bottlenose challenges, games and obstacle courses. Top marine trainers will ensure the safety of the landlubbing and seafaring competitors. I didn’t get information about it, but hey, who doesn’t love dolphins?
Of course, none of these are final and some may be going into revisions as the pilots get shot and tweaked, but overall, they look good, and we’ll be eager to report on more information as it comes along.
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