Busy, Busy Embassy Row
Variety put out a nice little article about our friends at Embassy Row. It looks like they’ve got a ton of projects lined up on all sides of the coast on a multitude of different networks. Let’s start with the obvious one first. As anyone who actually watches the show knows by now, GSN’s Newlywed Game has been renewed for a second season after some good ratings for the network. 65 episodes are being produced this season and the show will move from New York to Glendale, California, for what we’re being told from insiders is a wide variety of different reasons.
Variety also says that Embassy Row is still waiting on the word from CBS if The ($1,000,000) Pyramid has been picked up for a series in daytime, replacing Guiding Light. The truth of the matter is that while they are sending out applications and that’s great, nothing is set in stone. I’d place money on Pyramid being picked up but I’ve been really wrong before. The show would have to go out at the end of September, when Guiding Light ends, and they just had to start the casting process in order to cover their bases. So again, it’s a great development but don’t start clearing your afternoons to watch it. Let’s Make A Deal is a major major contender for that slot as well. Embassy Row also shot a pilot for The Dating Game for the afternoon but to be frank I’d be amazed if that makes it there. I really don’t enjoy that style of show at all either so I’m really biased.
Elsewhere, Embassy Row is working with CMT on the National Bible Quiz, pitting teams of different faiths against each other in, you guessed it, a religion quiz. Yeah, you can have fun with that one. Michael Davies of Embassy Row is personally helping out on the new TV Land pilot Celebrity Mr. and Mrs. which we previously discussed. They’ve also got stuff with ABC, Bravo, YouTube, and many other places. Basically if you turn on TV and watch an unscripted show and it’s not from Mark Burnett, it’s from Embassy Row.
It's really awesome that Embassy Row is doing all of this stuff in the entertainment world, and for that, I really hope (as well as mostly everyone on this board) that $1,000,000 Pyramid does get picked up by CBS. And to think, this company started with "Who Wants to be a Millionaire", which is turning 10 in August…
Do you think that calling Embasy Row and Michael Davies this generation's Mark Goodson is a fair comparison?
In terms of quantity: Possibly.
In terms of quality: Not quite.
In terms of quantity of quality: Not even close.
Absolutely NOT! Michael Davies can ruin a show, just look at his password revival. I have to agree with Ryan on this one.
As much as almost every entertainment website (including the beloved Buzzerblog) talked about it, I would be surprised if CBS made the announcement and $1,000,000 Pyramid didn't make the lineup. And as for Mike Davies being this generation's Mark Goodson, I don't see it, but that's not to say that he is, look at the shows that were greenlit under Davies: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Winning Lines, 2 Minute Drill, Power of 10, revivals of Chain Reaction and The Newlywed Game.
Actually, Anonymous, Fremantle, which owns the rights to the Goodson-Todman library, produced Million Dollar Password, not Michael Davies.
That's a testament as to how far he's gone along since his days at Millionaire. Whether he's the G-T of our times os rather insufficient. Sure he may've had good shows like Millionaire & Winning Lines. But he's also had a few klunkers along the way. So, Davies is right up there, but not the best producer(s) of ALL time, which is Goodson-Todman.
I believe Winning Lines was produced by Stone-Stanley Productions, not Michael Davies.
Maybe more like Bob Stewart (see Pyramid, Chain Reaction remakes), but not nearly enough hits to be Mark Goodson's heir.
Not even close. Name one good game that was CREATED by Michael Davies. Millionaire? Nope. Pyramid.? Nope. Newlywed Game? No. Chain Reaction? No. Smush? Yeah, that was a real winner. You could even say that Michael Davies' contributions to these games have been negatives. The blindfold at the end of Chain Reaction? The end game on Newlywed Game? Davies gets credit for getting these shows on the air, but to compare him to Mark Goodson is a joke
I think at best you could compare him to someone like Bud Selig, the current Commissioner of Major League Baseball. He still owns the Milwaukee Brewers, but he no longer runs the franchise, to minimize the conflict of interest. While some of his decisions have been terrible, I think the sport as a whole is better off because of him. You could say the same about Michael Davies.
At best, I see Michael Davies being compared to, say, Monty Hall (whom he reputedly once worked for), which is by no means, anything to sneeze at. But, Davies, nor Mark Burnett, nor anyone of this current generation of prodcer/packagers will likely ever hold a candle to Mark Goodson, Merv Griffin, or the great Ralph Edwards (who REALLY started it all.
<Basically if you turn on TV and watch an unscripted show and it’s not from Mark Burnett, it’s from Embassy Row.>
So what happens if I turn on the TV and watch The Amazing Race? ;)
You're right, Bill. It was produced by Stone-Stanley, not Davies.
Don't forget Fre(your shows suck so bad I'll hang you over my)mantle
Don't forget Fre(your shows suck so bad I'll hang you over my)mantle
With the only real loser of the lot, DeVares, being Chain Reaction (aka: lets give a job to some schlub named Dylan Lane who thinks he can host a game show)…
Firstly, thanks for the shout out, Alex, but I would never compare myself to Mark Goodson. Secondly, as there seem to be some misconceptions, here is a complete list of the airing game shows I've either created, produced or adapted and overseen for American television – Debt, Win Ben Stein's Money, Make Me Laugh (Comedy Central version), Whose Line, The Big Moment, Millionaire, 2 Minute Drill, Smush, Stump The Schwab, Super Millionaire, Play For A Billion, Studio 7, Chain Reaction, World Series of Pop Culture, Grand Slam, Power of 10 and the Newlywed Game (GSN). For many of these, others deserve way more or all of the credit, for some of these, I deserve all of the blame. Keep up the good work, Alex, and thank you to all the commenters for caring so much about the genre and your (mostly) intelligent posts.
lol, That's hilarious, A.G.S.N. Fre(your show suck so bad I'll hang you over my)mantle, I would've never thought of that.
Yeah, it was. The endgame really killed it. They should've went with the USA endgame instead. And, as you put it, a better host would've helped.
See there? He created the two best game shows of all time, 'Wen Ben Stein's Money' and 'Stump the Schwab!' While I'm joking, I'm not so negative, I'm realistic: you aren't perfect, but the genre overall is way better off for you.
Mista Davies — don't be discouraged by the fools. Goodson was a different era and was a legend in his own time, but the 1990s brought a whole different scene to game shows, and we cannot kid ourselves of your own legendary status. Hell, even Goodson had a few clunkers.
Since you're here though, I'd like to say — I know it wasn't huge in the ratings (that may have partially because of the WB) but, honestly, Studio 7 was such a brilliant game, as it was a throwback to the times when shows featured much more intelligent material than a lot of the slop out there now, (re: Alex's famous "The Brits are Better Than Us" series) .. Pat Kiernan was an excellent choice as host, and the final was so thrilling it literally had me at the edge of my seat for the first time in a long time.. (To watch a teenage girl rattle off about 200 elements about the *world-recordholders in competitive eating* all from memory was beyond impressive). I wish there were some clips online, but they seem not to exist. Anyway, it was a great concept and was severely under-rated. Current events are mostly lost on people, especially teenagers, and it was good to see such material being offered as a challenge on a game show.
I wasn't being negative when I said that I don't see Mister Davies as this generation's Mark Goodson. I think that he could put a stamp on his own legacy. Sure some of his game shows weren't successful (like the adformentioned Studio 7, which, like lobster, I thought was a pretty good show, though it probably would've succeeded on another network), but even the greatest producers had a few failures, that didn't put a dent on their legacy. So, Mr. Davies, just keep entertaining us with exciting game shows and here's to the success of Million Dollar Pyramid (should it get greenlit, and I predict it will).
Don't let the haters get to you, sir. You are, without question, one of this genre's current masters, and every show that has your name on it, good or bad, is sure to at worst a decent effort and at best, something always worth watching. And GOOD ON YA for responding personally!
If The new Pyramid does get picked up, that's fine. However, may I suggest something different than LMaD. How about Supermarket Sweep?
Supermarket Sweep would never work in that time slot because of TPIR. From what I've heard of the new LMAD version, it looks pretty good to me.
4 replies and no one has asked him a question?! Ok, then…
So, Michael…
How good do YOU think Pyramid is looking for a pick-up? You liking your odds?
Who'll be the host?
Any major changes from the pilot?
And the most pressing question to many on this board…Trilons or Monitors?
OK, I just really have to ask. Are you being sarcastic on the trilon thing or serious?
Because I seriously am getting confused and semi irritated about this whole trilon or monitor thing. Who really gives a damn? I mean there comes a point where people overanalyze things, and we're crossing it here. It's just a game show, nothing more. It's just television which matters incredibly little in the grand scheme of things. I don't understand what bearing it has. Just throw the crap on there. They can write it with crayons on cardboard for all I care. I really just flat out don't understand why people care so much.
If you were being sarcastic than I apologize and this is just a general statement and challenge to everyone who feels this way. But if you were being serious, I'd really appreciate to know why this matters so much. I'm dumbfounded that people care about this so much. As I've said before, there's enjoying the the past TV practices and being stuck back then so badly that people become obsessed with something so insignificant.
Just as a side note, I've noticed that a vast majority of the people who want to cling to every single item of a show from the past, and if any chance occurs it automatically sucks, are teenagers or people too young to have been around when that happened.
I think he was at least serious about it being a concern for a lot of people here. I don't care personally… and in fact I kind of liked the graphics from Donny's Pyramid.
And only teens care about TV that much, that's why. It's GSN's fault for existing, some people still know of no Family Feud before Louie Anderson.
Personally, there are things I like and things I don't.
Hi Alex.
Yeah, I was being sarcastic about the trilons. Shoulda put a Smiley face after it. (I always forget that!)
But, I figured since I was asking questions, I'd also ask the one that seemed to generate the most passionate debate. It would be cool for the head guy to answer that…assuming it was, indeed, Michael Davies that posted and not some bonehead pretending to be him. The posting sounded genuine enough.
Didn't mean to upset you.
Personally, I'm with you. If I'm the producer, it's monitors…just more cost-effective! But at the end of the day, as long as the show is picked up, who cares? Though the debate has been amusing! ;-)