23Apr2009
Podcast on Break This Week; Returns Next Thursday
The Buzz, our weekly podcast, is taking a small break this week. Both Cory and I are busy, and we're vastly improving some features including the video quality for that portion of it, and I don't want to come out with a half-assed production like what has happened before. But as a special treat, next Thursday's episode will feature Bob Goen and Marianne Curan of GSN Live!
Read MoreLeave a Comment22Apr2009
“Who Wants to be a Millionaire” Returns to ABC in August
The rumors were true and this one was a hard one to keep secret. Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, one of the most if not the most popular quiz show in the world, is coming back to ABC in August for a special event run, much like it originally aired 10 years ago. Michael Davies stays on as executive producer for the series which will start Monday, August 9th, at 8:00PM ET and will run for two weeks as an eleven episode event (It'll take a rest on the final Friday and Saturday night before having the finale on Sunday, August 23rd). Regis Philbin has agreed to return as the host of the show. ABC alternative co-chief John Saade stated to TVWeek, “Anyone who remembers the original remembers how special it was. It really felt like an event.
Read MoreView Comments (30)21Apr2009
“Family Feud” Brings Back Families for Big Money Tournament April 27th
Be sure to check out Family Feud starting on March 27th. Starting up again is the fan-favorite Big Money Tournament. The tournament sees some former families who wish they'd won a bit more last time back to the show to compete for big money. In the single elimination tournament, each Fast Money win adds $20,000 to the jackpot and the championship family, which will be decided on May 5th, wins the entire jackpot. Up to $120,000 can be given away so it's definitely worth checking out. Last tournament the jackpot was up to $60,000. Let's see if more is given away this time. First the Grosso Family of Chino, CA will face off with the Mendoza Family of Santa Ana, CA on Monday, April 27. Next the Bush Family from Van Nuys, CA will battl
Read MoreView Comments (11)20Apr2009
Debut Episode of Australia’s “Millionaire Hot Seat”
We've talked a lot about the new spin-off of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? called Hot Seat. It finally aired today and we've got a video of it. Luckily they changed the money chain at the last second so it's not so unbearably cheap. The top five figures are now $20,000; $50,000; $100,000; $250,000; $1,000,000. It's a huge improvement from the $15,000; $25,000; $50,000; $250,000; $1,000,000 that it was originally. They redid the theme music a bit (with a really annoying bass slide before each cue), there are some set changes like the information tickers on every other show on the planet these days and the logo planted in more places. The most hysterical change is the Hot Seat itself. It's absolutely puny right now. It's amusingly sm
Read MoreView Comments (8)20Apr2009
“The Price is Right” is Going Green for Earth Day
Thanks to Doug M. for this Associated Press article from CBS. The Price is Right has been enjoying the special theme episodes recently, most of which have been extremely enjoyable. This new one for Earth Day is no exception and it's for a great cause. On Wednesday, April 22nd, in observance of Earth Day, all the prizes offered will be environmentally friendly in some way. If they aren't the most environmentally friendly item on earth, the show will make a donation to offset carbon emissions which is an extremely nice touch. I'm one of those people who is really into the whole environmentally friendly lifestyle thing, so seeing this show up is fantastic. Even if you're just one of those really traditional Price is Right fans, it's a
Read MoreView Comments (10)19Apr2009
Embassy Row’s “Honey, Please!” Starts Casting
When there was some upfront information about a three-lettered-network that I enjoy immensely with shows I also enjoy quite a bit like Newlywed Game and Catch 21, I'm pretty sure there was something about a new hidden camera/stunt type show called Honey, Please! from the always terrific people at Embassy Row coming soon. Well anyway, that show has been casting for a bit now, and they are looking for couples. One person convinces the other to do some light hearted and non-hazardous for money. The activities will apparently be taken place in their house and cameras will be placed there for a day. The certain network which isn't FSN or HSN said it was in development, but it may be beyond it at this point for how many notices have gone ou
Read MoreView Comments (3)18Apr2009
It Finally Happened on GSN Live
With a live you, you just expect some blooper involving some obscenities to fly to happen eventually. It took GSN Live quite a while to reach that point, but it finally happened. Take a look. I've been a fan of Fred Roggin from day one. This just made me like him even more. It's been really slow news-wise the past few days, plus it's been beautiful out and my motivation to sit inside and write instead of going outside and enjoying the day has been nonexistent. I'm trying to dig up some stuff for you all, though. Stay tuned.
Read MoreView Comments (11)15Apr2009
GSN’s First “Game Show Awards” Debut June 6th
GSN officially announced today news that we've known for some time due to their upfront announcement leaking out in the most obvious website name humanly possible. GSN will be paying tribute to the best of game shows, and their minutiae, in the 2009 Game Show Awards hosted by who knows! It's a two and a half hour "star studded event" which will debut June 6th at 8:00PM ET. Various game shows will be awarded, including some filler categories screaming, "We just need to make up some crap since we're running short." In addition, Bob Barker, television producer Mark Goodson, and Let's Make A Deal host Monty Hall will be given special tribute. It all looks to be pretty exciting for game show fans, doesn't it? “This will be a different kind of awards show—and the first-ever awards show dedicated exclusively to the world of game shows,” said Kelly Goode, GSN’s Senior Vice President of Programming. “THE GAME SHOW AWARDS will be a lighthearted, humorous homage to the talented people who make game shows a perennial favorite. We will also include exciting participatory elements that offer our at-home fans and in-studio audience the chance to play a role in the show.” Categories and nominations are listed after the jump. Again, it runs from the gammot of, "We knew this had to be there," to, "You really couldn't think of anything else so we're stuck with this?" which seems to make up around 40% of the nominations. It looks to be interesting, but there are some people and shows left off which just amaze me as to how a network devoted to game shows could completely overlook them. Some that just bewilder me completely. I'll explain, again, after the break. (more...)
Read MoreView Comments (23)14Apr2009
Rumor Control: “1 VS 100″ Coming Back?
We've got an interesting scoop from our news feed in a message we received; some very big news which will probably excite a lot of people around here. Apparently 1 VS 100 is being poised for a return. We were asked to keep the source anonymous for now, but the source has absolutely no reason to lie. We actually have 20Q to thank for this, amazingly. That new GSN show is from Endemol, who makes Deal or No Deal and 1 VS 100. When casting for 20Q, apparently some casting people let it slip that 1 VS 100 is coming back with the same team as last time and casting will begin for that show whenever they get the word to start. We've got some people commenting on here about the 20Q run-throughs which sound dreadful, so this is redemption. Let's just see how they handle the show and what version of the rules they go to. But we may be getting ahead of ourselves also. Nothing's official until the final say. As with all our stories that are from people casting shows in a company, that's a revolving door and we can never be completely sure until we're given the word. Again, all the names are edited out to make sure nothing bad happens to anyone, but I was told it's fine to post the story. I don't 100% believe it yet, but I want to. I want to very badly. Plus NBC could really use anything, and 1 VS 100 was an honest hit for them before they shuffled it away for treasures such as Howie Do It. I'll be calling NBC and Endemol all day tomorrow to figure out what's going on and any truth they can give us. Knowing how this stuff works we'll keep getting, "No comment," but at least there's some positive news here.
Read MoreView Comments (26)14Apr2009
Ratings Ratings Ratings!
Excitement over ratings! March sweeps is over, as well as GSN's two premieres of The Newlywed Game and Catch 21 are in the system, so ratings are coming in like crazy. Basically it was pretty normal everywhere. Deal or No Deal is still the one to watch, though, since that official second season greenlight hasn't been given just yet. The show stayed at its same 1.7 it last had, but hey, steady is better than dropping. The rest of the shows were, as Deal is, just about at the normal level. Wheel of Fortune stuck at a 7.2 and Jeopardy! went up a bit to a 5.8. Who Wants to be a Millionaire? is still lower than it was last year but far from out. It's went up to a 2.4. Just be happy we haven't had Millionaire: Hot Seat infiltrate our country yet. We'll see how that new abuse of the format does next week in Australia. The country Australia, not the Newlywed Game sex position Australia. Family Feud stuck at a 1.5. The show has another Big Money Tournament coming up shortly so maybe that'll boost things up. For GSN's shows, the network hasn't confirmed them for us yet but our usual inside sources are telling us the numbers and they've yet to be wrong. We're hearing The Newlywed Game and Catch 21 started higher than anything the network has had in a long long time, at a .6 and a .54, respectively. On GSN Live it was said that it's the highest ratings GSN has ever had. This is false, Russian Roulette, Lingo, and Whammy! all had initial higher ratings. We even heard that ratings went up on the second day, with The Newlywed Game reaching as far as .7. However, they have dropped back down to GSN's earth and at normal levels around .4. But still, great showing for the two shows.
Read MoreView Comments (2)14Apr2009
Yes, Primetime “Deal or No Deal” is Coming Back
I mentioned on the last podcast that I really thought I heard the NBC primetime edition of Deal or No Deal was supposed to come back sometime soon. I didn't hear anything about it for some time so I figured they canned it for such wonderful programs as Kings and Chopping Block. But apparently it is coming back. You can see the first episode in what is essentially a "burn off our episode" series starting on May 4th at 8:00PM ET. This game will feature contestants single mother Denise Kinard and Kim Jones from Florida going for a top prize of $1,000,000. Two have won it. Can we get three? It's also the first time the 26 models have been seen together in quite some time so you get all that visual fun as well. I know we badmouth Deal or No Deal, the network version, quite a bit. I understand why we do. It became a circus near the end. The shows started to get back to be how they used to towards the end of the run this year so we'll see how they pick up after this. However, is anyone absolutely stunned NBC hasn't brought this back in a larger scale? I know it burned out and the ratings dropped, but they have so much more deadweight which doesn't get half the ratings Deal does, and yet they air that stuff instead because it's more critically popular. I know having a critically popular show or two is good, but when your network is a joke, like NBC is at this point, just getting any eyeballs in that you can, plus extra money from the Beat the Banker home game, can't hurt at all. Deal on Mondays, its old popular time slot, won't do any worse than something like Chuck which has had a chance and can't cut it.
Read MoreView Comments (14)12Apr2009
Newlywed Game: 4-8-09
This is the moment that Alex and I were alluding to aired Wednesday on GSN, and I haven't been able to post it until now: one of the husbands (pictured) gives one of the most epic Newlywed Game answers of all time (definitely in the top five). I think Alex would agree that we need more like this on the show, simply because of how Carnie responds. [stream flv=x:/www.flashgameshows.com/wordpress/videos/Australia.flv width=630 height=343 bandwidth=med /]
Read MoreView Comments (10)11Apr2009
“20Q” Now Casting for GSN
I don't know how more fake-sly I could have been in the post about 20Q yesterday. The show is now casting for its, as of now, 10 episode run on GSN which begins taping in May. If you need money and Catch 21's just a bit too tricky for you, do I have a show for you or what? All you need is the reasoning skills of a 10 year old and you can be on the show and win somewhere between 1/5th to 1/10th the top prize of the NBC version. Click here to get involved. I'm guessing they found their executive producer finally. I'm guessing Joey Lawrence may still be the host. It's not like he's doing much of anything else. Ken Jennings is supposedly still off the project, but whatever. I'm getting a bit sick of him as it is. Is there seriously absolutely no one else they could have gotten? His ass is popping up in everything and it's just become incredibly annoying by this point. Plus I hear things.
Read MoreView Comments (9)11Apr2009
“The Singing Bee” is Coming Back
NBC's The Singing Bee really didn't last long. It was an original concept that didn't really steal from Who Wants to be a Millionaire? like the more successful Deal or No Deal so of course it didn't last long because viewers weren't that interested. Amazingly the show will be coming back soon, though. Some casting notices went out and the show's website had some messages about it coming back. We talked to our sources connected to the show and it is indeed returning with a new country flare which should be...entertaining? All that I was told is that the format is going to be tweaked and it'll be a country music edition taped for CMT. CMT's been trying to get a game show for some time. They tried Name That Tune, as did MTV and VH1, but it never took off beyond pilot stage. If you think you know your country music, click here to apply. Am I the only one who just really didn't enjoy the show? I understand it's an interesting format and I totally understand why people enjoy it. It never did much of anything for me, though. Mostly because, and it's completely my own fault, I enjoy for lack of a better term a more "eclectic" style of music and it has absolutely no chance of showing up. You aren't getting Pixies or Throwing Muses on those shows. I can't remotely stand country music so I'm totally out of this one. But it's on a network whose audience enjoys the genre. It was a fun format and they are really going after the right crowd with it. I don't see how it won't work out for them.
Read MoreView Comments (8)10Apr2009
Having a Few Issues with the Audio Podcast…
Hey, there may be a delay in the audio for the podcast. For some reason ustream.tv isn't showing the recorded entry yet, and they are working on a few updates which may caused things to be really delayed. We'll try to get it ASAP. Just a heads up if you don't see it. Thanks again!
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