Network: GSN
Airings: Weekdays at 6:00PM ET, Tuesdays through Sundays at 10:00PM ET
Vote for how many stars you think the show deserves to the right, and then leave a comment!
Russian Roulette is the ultimate game of chance. Four contestants stand on “The Revolver” and on their own “Drop Zone”. A question is stated and the player in control chooses who to pass the question to (or they can answer it themselves in the final round). A right answer awards the challenged money while a wrong answer bankrupts a player and forces them to play “Russian Roulette” with however many drop zones are active for the question. When the handle is pulled, lights circle the set, and if a red light stops under the player’s feet, that person literally drops from the stage and is eliminated from the game. The sole survivor plays the Killer Questions and, potentially, one final game of “Russian Roulette” to win $100,000.
This is and was GSN’s quintessential game show and their only remote answer to the big money game show craze. It had it all: big money, amazing set, amazing soundtrack, fantastic host, tough trivia, and one of the best and most exciting end games on television. Honestly, there’s little to fault the show with other than a few production errors, especially in season two. The producers seemed to be very keen on making sure that players who chose not to gamble for $100,000 could have potentially won. It seems they often edited out the first hypothetical spin and threw in a second one to make sure they seemed like they made the right choice instead of losing out on six figures. The sound effects for the spin were completely screwed up for that season as well.
The only other larger issue was the questioning on the end game. They could just never seem to get it right. The five Killer Questions in 60 seconds seemed too easy, but the ten Killer Questions seemed too difficult to some. I really think six questions in the season one brainteaser format would have kept it a bit more original while making sure no one gets a three drop zone $100,000 spin. But that was a minor issue that barely made an impact in my eyes. Why’d the show disappear? Network politics and more. Hopefully with game shows fully back in the public eye some smart production company and network will bring this gem out and let it shine while there’s still a demand to see people fall through holes in the floor.
Rating: 
Links
Clips and episodes of the show courtesy of creator Gunnar Wetterberg
If you’re a long time reader you might know that, truthfully, I’m not really a big fan of the oldies. However, there are four that I can always watch and they always entertain me: Password, Family Feud, Pyramid (Dick Clark version), and my favorite of the bunch: Match Game. That’s why it worries me a little bit when it has been reported that Fremantle is currently developing a Match Game revival.
They are currently in discussions with cable networks and should lock up a deal soon. GSN made a numerous amount of attempts at a revival under former CEO Rich Cronin’s watch, but never came to fruition. Maybe they finally made it work? I’d be a bit worried if GSN didn’t handle the I’ve Got A Secret revival so masterfully. If this is for GSN, please bring back Bil Dwyer, he’s made for this format.
I’m still under the mind frame that Match Game can’t be properly revived in today’s times, or at least it’ll be very very hard. You can’t really give naughty answers without being dirty now, and while I’m a big fan of dirty humor it just doesn’t work on Match Game. Most of the fun of the 70s version is just thinking “I can’t believe they’re saying that in the 70s.” If you watched Match Game for the game play, you are a bit off, you watched for the humor. If the new version can find a nice balance between dirty and fun, great. I’d just really rather not see a game that’s so dirty it makes my eyes bleed or that’s excessively watered down to appease the people who can’t take a dirty or naughty joke.
Heads up for tonight: game show host Geoff Edwards, known for oldies such as Treasure Hunt and Jackpot!, is the guest this week on Stu’s Show, played on Shokus Internet Radio. The show is tonight (January 30th) at 4:00PM PT to 6:00PM PT. Click the page break at the end of the post for the full posting from host Stuart Shostak.
Continue reading ‘Geoff Edwards Visits Shokus Internet Radio’
Don’t ask me why, but off the success of the revival of American Gladiators, MGM is repackaging the kids version, Gladiators 2000, for syndication. Yes, we are running Gladiators 2000, a show that aired in the mid 90s, in 2008. Doesn’t the whole aspect of “Ooooh, 2000 means futuristic!” get a bit lost? Thanks to reader Keith for this.
GSN’s bouncing into interactive television again big time with Bingo America, which is essentially a 40-episode retooling of ABC’s National Bingo Night. The new version, which involves players “earning” letters by answering questions, will debut on March 31st at 7:00PM ET every weekday, and repeating on weekends at 4:30PM ET.
Obviously money will be given away to people in the studio. However, as was ABC’s version, people at home can win cash, too. At-home players can download up to ten cards a day on GSN’s Bingo America website. People will also be able to play along with the bonus game. No more details are known yet, but they are taping extremely soon so we’ll be sure to find out. I believe we have a few contestants on this site, don’t we?
Yet again, GSN scores a big name to host the show: Patrick Duffy. For our older readers, you may know him from Dallas. For our younger readers (which is a majority), you’ll remember him as the father from Step By Step.
Remember, ABC’s version was rather low rated but the online hits the show got were astronomical. I can see this working a lot better on a network like GSN, especially in a daily format. The show just did not feel like a primetime network show. The combination of a bingo game and 1 VS 100 with the total luck of Deal or No Deal without making any decisions just really did not work out. A retooling was needed, and they realized it, so I’ll definitely be giving this one a chance, and it looks to be rather good. This seems to be better for GSN always. They’ve always been a big player in terms of interactivity. You aren’t getting much more interactive than this. What do you all think? As optimistic as I?
A good struggling show just got another life. Program Partner’s Crosswords has been renewed for a second season according to TV Week. The show has been averaging a 0.8, but got a 1.0 recently. However, the market might be a bit tougher next year having the inclusion of sure-to-be-a-hit Deal or No Deal and potentially Trivial Pursuit into syndication. “‘Crosswords’ ratings are building continuously and now hitting season-to-date highs,” said Ritch Colbert of Program Partners. “This renewal is a testament to our amazing production team and to the power of Merv Griffin’s original vision.”
The show has been renewed in 40 of the top 50 markets including NBC O&Os, Belo, Four Points, Gannett, Gray, Guardian, Hubbard, McGraw-Hill, New Age, Raycom, Sarkes Tarzian and SagamoreHill groups. Show representatives said they are planning to bring more excitement into the show next season. How about giving away a tiny bit more money?
I’m not really one to bitch about a budget, but my god is this show’s absolutely tiny. The spoiler system could use a bit of work too. I like it, but it just comes off extremely unfair in some situations. What would you change for a second season? And be relatively realistic?
Number one on my list? New theme song. The thing they have right now is a bit annoying.
Also, no word on Temptation’s renewal, but I wouldn’t count on it. NATPE is this week, so be expecting a lot of news.
A bit ago we posted that NBC skipped episode 204 of 1 VS 100, airing only seven of the eight taped episodes. They informed us that they will now be airing that episode on February 22nd at 8:00PM ET. After that will be the series debut of Amne$ia.
I would pay a huge sum of money to see how uncomfortable this situation would turn out. Former Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens, who is in the middle of the entire steroid situation for the Mitchell Report though he firmly denies he took any, has been given an invitation to appear on the hit (thanks to coming after American Idol) FOX game show The Moment of Truth. The show sent a letter to Clemens’s management to appear on the show and answer a few questions, clear his name for the whole steroid situation if he is really truthful, and pick up $500,000 for charity.
Howard Schultz, the creator and executive producer, wrote to Clemens, “People have stood in awe at your incredible accomplishments in baseball. This show could let the world know that you are an incredibly courageous person, as well as to clear your name in front of a nationwide audience, all in the name of charity.”
No response was made as of now, but I think it would be rather interesting to do this. I mean, you know he’s not going to, but if he’s truly innocent it would be perfectly fine being strapped to a lie detector (which I know is not always truthful) and win money for charity. Hell, this is a format basically made for celebrity contestants. Get a few more with some shady pasts and make them admit. I wish I was kidding, but I could only think it would bump up the ratings. Would the show be too exploitative at that point? Definitely. Would it be more entertaining if the ratings start to slip? As a person who relatively enjoys the new FOX show, definitely again.
The well of famous stand up comics that can be a decent game show host has apparently run dry. We’re looking to former MTV personalities. Dan Cortese, of MTV Sports notoriety, will be hosting NBC’s new game where fathers and other members of the family compete in a stunt-driven competition. In other words it’s wimpy American Gladiators.
I’m often amazed at how Deal or No Deal, through NBC’s extreme over exposure, can remain extremely strong and popular. However, do you think it’ll keep it up for a two hour weekly episode? This is part of NBC’s midseason of midseason shake-up. First off, once 1 VS 100’s season finale is over on Friday, February 22nd, NBC’s new game show, Amne$ia, sees its debut at 9:00PM ET. If you note, the show has seven letters, with the “e” in the middle. There’s place to zoom through the “e” in the logo, so I think we’re safe. You can calm down, everyone.
Amne$ia can basically be described as a light-hearted Moment of Truth with a worse host, Dennis Miller. I like him, but he just doesn’t hold a candle to Mark L. Walberg of FOX’s lie detector show. Amne$ia just sees contestants recalling past events from their life for money. This is going to probably make me sound like a horrible person, but I can’t see this working especially since FOX’s version is on the air and really popular so far. It might just seem too tame and boring now, especially with the novelty off the lie detector already somewhere. I can just see something like The Chair/The Chamber fight occurring, though with The Moment of Truth lasting a while because of the post-American Idol slot.
A little 1 VS 100 note: for some reason only seven of the eight episodes are going to air. They are skipping the fourth taped episode and going straight to 205. Might have had an issue with it, or might have had the stereotypical Endemol “Your game sucked so we aren’t going to air it but pay you off.” situation. There will be a pop culture episode the week before the season finale. Also with interesting scheduling moves, Deal or No Deal will be staying on Mondays, but moving to 9:00PM ET on March 31st to make room for what will surely be a “fun(?)” “show(?)” (My Dad is Better Than Your Dad) at 8:00PM ET. Deal will have two hour episodes every Wednesday at 8:00PM ET starting on March 26th.
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