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Who Wants to be a Millionaire will apparently be receiving a new money chain after the first week of shows.  Nothing’s confirmed and they have not used this chain in actual play yet.  We’re being told that the new chain is as follows:

$1,000,000
$500,000
$250,000
$100,000
$50,000
$25,000*
$15,000
$12,500
$10,000
$7,500
$5,000*
$3,000
$2,000
$1,000
$500

The new chain is fine by me, but tt’s time for my favorite: Random Ass Theory Time.  To all future producers, your job is to make the show as entertaining and exciting as you can while keeping a budget and really trying to save whatever money you can.  The figures are larger, yes.  This should cause a small amount of more walk-aways this season.  But the big picture is $5,000 is now the theoretical benchmark since few don’t make it past that first tier.  $5,000 is a very nice amount of money.  People will be more willing to gamble money if they know they have $5,000 to fall back on.  This will cause a few more higher wins, yes, but most likely it will cause more people losing money and going back down to $5,000, thus saving money.  I’d like to hope people have enough sense to not go for $15,000 if they don’t know it, since they are risking $7,500 for $2,500 more which is an absolutely idiotic gamble, but I’d guess a large amount of people will.

I would just like to say I don’t think it’s that bad of a chain.  The only figure which baffles me is the $12,500 but beyond that, eh, whatever.  It’s the same old show.  It’s just my theory that they are looking for people to walk away earlier and/or make people gamble more with the $5,000 fall back.  The rest of the chain beyond the $12,500 I’m fine with.  There’s just something strange about that figure.

I know it’s a nice and heartwarming feeling to think that they are trying to help people out and give them more money, but I can just about guarantee that’s not the case.  The show hasn’t used this money chain yet.  Want to throw out your suggestions for a money chain for shiggles?  Knock yourself out.  For instance, I think that 2nd tier would be much smarter to just go $6,000; $8,000; $10,000; $15,000; and finally $25,000.  It accomplishes the same goals they are trying to get but doesn’t look at bizarre.  But again, I have no real issue with the new chain.  It’s more money.  I won’t complain about that.  This is not the end of the world and the end of the show like many make it out to be.

Who Wants to be a Millionaire begins its eighth season on September 7th and they’ve got a new gimmick that’s almost assured to give away $1,000,000 for the first time in about seven years.  The syndicated game show, hosted by Meredith Vieira, will begin the “Tournament of Ten” on the first episode.  Every player for the 45 first episodes will be seeded on the leader board based on how much money they won and how quick they were to answer questions.  The preliminary segment will end on November 6th and the actual tournament will take place from November 9th through the 20th.

Each of those days one of the contestants who placed on the top ten will have the chance to answer one $1,000,000 question, starting with seed ten and going up to number one.  No lifelines can be used.  The contestant has the option of walking away and not answering the question, keeping all previous winnings.  However, if the contestant answers and loses, that person loses whatever he or she won previously and goes home with the last milestone achieved.  If the contestant answers correctly he or she is in the running for the $1,000,000 prize but has the chance of being knocked out by the next contestant.  It comes down to the final game on November 20th where the top seed has the chance to answer the $1,000,000 question and win the top prize. So, for instance (and this will probably be many of the situations), if you have $100,000 and are in the tournament you can take your initial winnings and go home or you can guess.  If you miss you lose $75,000 and drop back to $25,000.  But if you get it right you’re in the running for $1,000,000 so long as no one above you answers it correctly.

So what are we thinking?  It is a bit gimmicky but to be perfectly frank I think the show needs a reminder that it is possible to win the top prize, even if it’s like this.  It’s been an unbelievably long time.  It has to be close to 1,000 episodes since the last winner.  It seems just about impossible to win.  I mean they even dumbed down the questions on the ABC version that just finished and they couldn’t have a winner.  I’d rather see someone answer all 15 questions correct and win, but just seeing someone actually get it is unbelievably refreshing.  Just be careful about being too gimmicky.

The show has also announced the first few Experts in line for the Ask the Expert lifeline.  The first week is John Carpenter, the first $1,000,000 winner, from September 7th through the 11th.  After that is Alexandra Wentworth (September 14-18), Ashleigh Banfield (September 21-25), Mo Rocca (September 28 — October 2), Robin Meade (October 5-7), Rene Syler (October 8 & 9), Cokie Roberts (October 12-16) and Ken Jennings (October 19-23).

Logo courtesy of Valleycrest Productions Ltd.

Who will take home the Pointless Trophy?

It’s really pointless to say anything here.

Dirty Rotten Cheater meets The Fuse in a new BBC game show called Pointless.  In Pointless, five teams of two players try to figure out the least popular answers to surveys given to 100 people.  The more popular an answer is, the higher you score (Wrong answers score 100 points by default).  The team with the most points after each round is eliminated.  It’s pointless to say any more, because we’ve got video.

The ABC game show Set for Life sucked.  Badly.  I can’t think of a show that sucked as badly.  Host Jimmy Kimmel looked bored and confused as to why he accepted the gig.  The game sucked.  They cut out full rounds of the show.  The only good thing about it was the set, which was beautiful.  For some reason the show has reappeared in England under the title For the Rest of Your Life, burning off episodes left from a year or two ago.  The only thing they beat us with is they kept all the rounds of the show in there.  No editing out rounds.  But amusingly I almost wish they did because I just wanted it to end.  The host is equally boring and depressed to be there.  The game sucks the same over there as it did here.  The only thing we did better is the set.  So we can call it a draw I guess.  If you dare, here’s an episode of For the Rest of Your Life which is ironically how long the show feels like it’ll take.  Shows like this make me almost happy to see this cycle of primetime game shows end because this is the kind of crap we got over and over.  The reviewer who said the format was brilliant is on drugs, by the way.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Fall 2009 television season is right around the corner and basically any show you can think of is looking for audiences.  A lot of cable shows are searching for contestants as well.  We posted it in the MiniBuzz previously, but Catch 21 and The Newlywed Game debut their new seasons on October 12th at the 6:00PM ET block.  Both shows have been very popular for the network so it’s glad to see them back.  Newlywed Game needs an audience for its new season taping in Los Angeles.  Taping starts September 9th.  Click here for tickets. Also Catch 21 will begin taping its third season (only the second GSN game show to ever hit a third season) in mid September as well.  Click here for tickets for this one. We’ve gone over the issues in each show ad nauseam, but I feel we should reiterate the general complaints coming from nearly everyone in case anyone important reads.  For Newlywed Game, I appreciate trying something new with the bonus round but it didn’t work, it made the show anticlimactic, and it rushed the show.  The Carnie Wilson (host of the show) I saw in studio was a bit different than the Carnie Wilson we saw on television.  For Catch 21, the production of the show grew exponentially in season two so thank you for that.  But the contestants downright sucked.  For season three can we please get contestants who can add to 21, which is in the title of your show?  The first time someone screwed up and couldn’t count it may have been funny but when you have three or four contestants do it, it starts to look sad.

The other big one is Let’s Make A Deal.  We announced in our Twitter page a while ago that the show will be taping in the Tropicana in Las Vegas which is an unbelievably smart move.  You open the door for so many tourists and different people who don’t vacation to Los Angeles.  If you want to be in the studio, wear a crazy costume, and take home some cash and/or prizes, click here.  The success of this show is really important to the genre.  There was a large amount of people disappointed The $1,000,000 Pyramid was not picked up, including myself.  There’s word that another soap opera, As The World Turns, may be on its way out.  If Deal succeeds, this can definitely grease the wheels and we may see it after all.  Taping begins September 15h.  And this is the logo that we were provided, yes.

The major show to watch out for this season is Family Feud due to all the exciting changes.  We’ve gone over them a lot the past few weeks and we’ll revisit it before the debut next Monday.  If you want to see the show in person, click here. This show is always one of the most entertaining shows I’ve seen in person no matter how many times I’ve been on set.  I can’t recommend it enough.  The changes to the show are fantastic and I hope you’re excited for it.  Next is Who Wants to be a Millionaire which just finished quite a run on primetime with the unforgettable Ken Basin $1,000,000 question loss.  The syndicated version will be opening with a bang, as the nine remaining contestants in the Ring of Fire will be the first nine contestants on the daytime edition.  These are nine incredibly smart people so we should be seeing some great games to start the season off with.  The season has a big surprise coming in November which we’ll officially reveal on Monday when the information is given out.

The other shows are currently looking for audiences as well.  The Price is Right is going through a few more visual changes this season which is sure to make the creepy fanboys cry and me laugh as a result, so click here for tickets.  It should be a lot of fun; Drew Carey is fantastic in person.  Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! are of course going, and you can go to their respective websites to find out info there.  Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader is taking a little break right now as Catch 21 tapes in the same studio, but we’ll say when that’s up.  Does anyone know of a Fifth Grader website, by the way?  I still haven’t seen much marketing for the show, or at least as much as Deal or No Deal, which you can get tickets for here.  If Daytime Deal used as much marketing as it did and only gets around a 1.6 on average, Fifth Grader may want to step up their game.

If we missed anything let us know.  But this looks to be an incredibly great season for the genre.  With the return of a network daytime game show, we could see that market open up a lot more depending on what happens.  Be sure to watch.

I wanted to pass along this casting notice from Ryan Secrest Productions and their new game show called Chance.  It looks to be some sort of show where you ask for whatever money you need and I’m guessing there’s some luck involved that you may get it.  There are open casting locations around the country, so if you need some quick cash this looks to be a great way to go.

Everybody’s Got A Dream..What’s Yours?!!

A Major Cable Network and Executive producer Ryan Seacrest are teaming up to bring you..CHANCE!

Do you need CASH to fulfill your dreams? No Matter how extraordinary, selfless or off the wall your dream might be, a new reality game show needs you! Whether you’re asking for $50.00 or $250,000 – if you’ve got passion and the gift of gab the money could be yours!!

You can literally ask for anything!!!

Is there something you’ve always wanted but could never quite afford? Do you have a lifelong ambition that you aredesperate to fulfill? We’re looking for people of ALL AGES to come up with unique and exciting ideas!

How to Apply:

If you need money and want your dreams to come true, come plea your case at one of our open calls. We will be holding open casting calls in LA, NY, Austin, St. Louis or Miami. All ages may apply – no DREAM is too BIG or too SMALL!! If you want to apply for the show GO TO WWW.CASTINGDUO.COM/CHANCE

or email us the following information!!

NAME
AGE
OCCUPATION
HOMETOWN
2 NON PROFESSIONAL PHOTOS
BRIEF BIO
WHAT’S YOUR DREAM?
HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU NEED TO FULFILL YOUR DREAM?

SEND IT ASAP TO JODICASTING@GMAIL.COM

Here’s part 3.  Did I mention these are the best graphics for a game show I’ve ever seen?

Here’s part two of the new UK show “The Cube.”  Am I the only one that finds “The Body” sexy?

Here’s video of the new British game show “The Cube.”  You could basically call this a cross between “Beat the Clock” and an 80s video game, which kinda works.

Contestants are given a seemingly simple task to do (demonstrated by “The Body”) and they win money if they can successfully complete it.  However, if they fail, they lose a life (nine are given to start).  Use up all your lives, it’s game over, no money.  And where there’s a money chain, lifelines can’t be too far behind.  Here, there are two: “Simplify,” which obviously makes the game easier, but you don’t know how, and “Trial Run,” which basically gives you a free run at the task.  If you fail, you don’t lose a life, and if you succeed, you don’t win money (So, you’d have to complete it again to go to the next task).

Other two parts of this show will be up some time tomorrow.

We’ve got it confirmed that the second season of The Newlywed Game and the third season of GSN’s Catch 21, its highest rated original, will debut on October 12th at 6:00PM ET and 6:30PM ET, the same slots as last season.  Newlywed Game moves from New York to Los Angeles this season.

We’ve seen just about everything on Who Wants to be a Millionaire.  Lots of winners, people going all the way with no lifelines to use, lots of $0 winners, and people even walking away with $300.  I really never thought I’d see someone go for the $1,000,000 question on Millionaire and lose.  ABC lucked out and had easily the most exciting Millionaire moment in a long time.  Ken Basin lucked out and got a stack that he could breeze through (apparently so could most other people, including myself), and made it to the $1,000,000 question with Ask the Audience left.  The now-infamous question:

For ordering his favorite beverages on demand, LBJ had four buttons installed in the Oval Office labeled “coffee,” “tea,” “Coke,” and what?
• A: Fresca                    • B: V8
• C: Yoo-hoo                • D: A&W

I know I’ve said it over and over, and sorry to anyone in the audience, but I’d rather walk away without using it than being tempted since odds are they know no more than I do.  He went with them and a 40% went with C, Yoo-hoo.  Next highest was A&W.  I don’t exactly know what went through his head but he believed in Yoo-hoo enough to lock it in as his final answer.  Sadly instead of confetti Regis Philbin uttered what has to be the 2nd most memorable line (beyond the whole, “You’re going to Paris,” thing from the John Carpenter run) in the show’s history:

“No, it’s not the final answer, and you just lost a lot of money.”

So there we have it. I never thought it would happen but we had the first million dollar question loss in America ever, and an astounding $475,000 tumble.  It was just chilling and unbelievably depressing to watch.  It’s right up there with Raul’s $263,000 loss on 1 VS 100.  I feel especially bad for him because you can’t be a Deal or No Deal grade moron and win on this show.  I feel nothing for people that throw away $400,000 on Deal.  He was clearly smart and played the game beautifully.  He just messed up on that last moment.  It’s truly an amazing game show moment, a flat-out amazing television moment, and something no Millionaire fan will forget.  I’m just stunned (and truly happy) that I wasn’t spoiled about this and I had absolutely no clue this was going to happen.  I usually hear about all these huge moments beforehand so being like everyone else in this instance was great, so thank you to all those who kept me in the dark.  Never do it again or else I’ll have Michael Davies come and hunt you down.

I’ve never been happier for the celebrity segment, though.  If the series ended like that it would just be heartbreaking, but Meredith Vieira and Regis really lightened the mood.  First off, daytime Millionaire host Meredith Vieira invited the nine Ring of Fire contestants left to have the first guaranteed spots on the syndicated edition, so you can see each of them in September.  Also she turned the tables on Regis and asked him a question for $50,000.  Fantastic way to end a show.

Well it was without a doubt one of the most memorable Millionaire moments ever and one of the most memorable game show episodes in an unbelievably long time.  What did you all think?

ABC really (accidentally) saved the best for last in this season finale of the primetime revival of Who Wants to be a Millionaire hosted by Regis Philbin.  Most people seem to agree that the first two or three episodes of the series were really rough, but by Monday last week the show was at the basic comfort level that we know and like.  I’ve been really digging the show the past week, so I’m crossing my fingers.  The ratings have been relatively stable around the seven million viewer mark which for summer isn’t bad.  Hell, it’s not that bad looking at the ratings for a lot of Fall shows.  As many have said before, if Big Brother can survive at this ratings level each summer I don’t see a reason why Who Wants to be a Millionaire can’t return next summer for some new shows.

Tonight includes a lot of special and surprising moments.  First off, Meredith Vieira, host of the daytime version of Millionaire, will be the special celebrity guest at the end of the show.  She’s got a big surprise for Regis, too.  She’ll be asking Regis a question for his favorite charity.  She previously appeared on the show and won $250,000 a while ago.  She’s got a big surprise for players in the studio.  It’s great and you’ll have to watch tonight to find out what it is.

The most exciting is that it’s confirmed that tonight will feature the first $1,000,000 question since Lyn Payne in November 2007.  ABC has said this million dollar moment is, “like we’ve NEVER seen before,” which has me really wondering.  We’ve seen someone go all the way with all lifelines left and basically burning all lifelines really early.  Could we have the first person to miss the $1,000,000 question?  But maybe we have the first million dollar winner in seven years and the first under the new format.  It’s the most anticipated Millionaire episode of the year and it’s definitely something not to miss.  The season finale of Millionaire is tonight at 8:00PM ET on ABC.

We plugged it yesterday, but CBS has uploaded a video of Wayne Brady promoting his revival of Let’s Make A Deal, starting October in daytime.  Enjoy.

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