15Mar2011
News Flashes: “Millionaire”, “Million Dollar Drop”, and “Lingo”
A few quick things to start you off this morning. First, Who Wants to be a Millionaire will be getting its own Facebook app soon. The game will debut Monday, March 21st, on Millionaire's Facebook page. Next, the American version of Million Dollar Money Drop is still in limbo, but our way of doing the game is making its way around the world now. Australia is the first country to jump on the bandwagon. The now-titled The Million Dollar Drop will retain everything from the American version, including the rules, set, and presentation. And finally, Lingo is still casting for contestants. They are especially looking for fans of the show who know how to play the game, which should include a large number of you. Click here to get the full update on all these stories.
Read MoreView Comments (7)03Mar2011
Dutch “Lingo”: This is the Filthiest Game Show Moment I’ve Ever Seen
Usually I like to comment on what you're about to see. I've got nothing to add. This is a moment from the Dutch version of Lingo. It's probably the filthiest game show moment I've ever seen. If you watch it at work with uptight people, headphones may not be the worst idea. Top this, Engvall. Click here to see. You've been warned.
Read MoreView Comments (20)02Mar2011
“Lingo” Now Looking for Contestants
Were you one of the 100+ people who commented on here, Twitter, and Facebook about your excitement for the return of GSN's Lingo? Did you want to be a contestant? You're in luck. Lingo has begun casting for its new season, the first with host Bill Engvall. All you need is a two person team, and both need to be over the age of 18 and able to get to Los Angeles to play. Have a recent picture and tell them why you want to be on the show. Click here to apply, and good luck. We brought them tons of former champions, and I want to do it again. Tell them BuzzerBlog sent you. Click here to discuss the show and meet some potential team mates.
Read MoreView Comments (8)24Jan2011
The Wide World of “Lingo”
As we previously reported, GSN is bringing Lingo back from cancelation for the third time. A new production company, Zoo Productions, is behind it this time. Zoo Productions is behind shows like the wildly popular Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?. It was previously from The Gurin Company. One hope with the new version is that they'll make a few subtle changes. Not sweeping changes, but just something to change it up. Click to read more and see some old and new versions of the show
Read MoreView Comments (18)13Jan2011
GSN Revives “Lingo”, Hosted By Bill Engvall
GSN's highest rated original ever is getting brought back from the grave for a third time. Lingo, the hugely popular word guessing game, is coming back to GSN for a sixth season in June 2011. 40 episodes will be filmed. Lingo will now be from Zoo Productions, who is behind shows like Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?. Lingo was originally done by The Gurin Company. The new host of Lingo will be popular actor and comedian Bill Engvall. Engvall previously hosted the ABC pilot Trust Me, I'm A Game Show Host. Engvall's co-host has not been announced yet. Click here for more information.
Read MoreView Comments (86)09Mar2010
When Things Sucked Less: “Lingo”
Recently we've seen a giant string of originals by the former Game Show Network which, well, haven't been that good. Basically everything but Catch 21 and Newlywed Game, both brought to the network and nurtured by people who were soon let go shortly after, has crashed and burned miserably. So really if we want to get to it this recent crew hasn't really done much of anything new that has stuck around. They do a great job picking up popular shows and maintaining costs. There's no denying that. It's just, for some reason, they cannot develop a good show if their life depended on it. One of the suggestions you can read in a lot of places, and I've been harping on it for a very long time, is to just bring back Lingo, which can be seen dai
Read MoreView Comments (26)10Oct2009
Weekend Replay: New “Lingo” from the Netherlands
We've got a pretty cool Weekend Replay for you this weekend. I constantly get emails asking for new episodes of Lingo on GSN. The show may be done with here, but it's still going nicely in the Netherlands. It's been on the air since 1989 and is a huge inspiration for what you see on the GSN version. Few changes have come over the years, but some of the stuff included would have been fantastic to see on our version. The show is currently hosted by Lucille Werner. There's apparently a Dutch law that says everyone who hosts a Dutch game show must be hot. I can think of two or three reasons I adore the Netherlands to begin with, and this just adds to it. Anyway, instead of five lettered words, their version plays with six letters on Mon
Read MoreView Comments (19)17Dec2008
Best Holiday Gifts for Game Show Fans
It's amazing that Christmas is almost here, isn't it? It doesn't seem that long ago that we were welcoming in 2008, and 2009 is right around the corner. Christmas is only in 8 days and it may be time to get those last minute gifts for your family. If you have game show fans in your family, or just know people who like games, we have a list of our favorites items of the past year which will make anyone on your list happy. Recently released for the iPhone, iPod, and other mobile devices is the new version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? which will make a fantastic gift along with the DVD version. The DVD game is a pretty fun party game, including the multiplayer mode, but it's always a bit disappointing to see they can never include Switch the Question on any game using the old format. But beyond that, it follows the original version of the show very well. Click here to get it from GSNShop. In regards to the iPhone game, the format is exactly as it is on television currently. You have ten Experts available to use for Ask the Expert. Modern graphics and actual show music are used well, as well as a video introduction from host Meredith Vieira. For $4.99, it's definitely worth the purchase. Honestly, the only negative mark is that the categories repeat in one game more than they should, but the questions are different. Check the iPhone app store to get that. (more...)
Read MoreView Comments (6)31Oct2008
Chuck Woolery Talks About “Lingo” and New Radio Show
I was involved in a conference call with Mr. Chuck Woolery, host of Lingo and GSN's new game show Think Like A Cat, AKA Freaking Million Dollar Cat Game Show. I did ask a bit about Think Like A Cat but I know there were a few questions people wanted to know first about his other projects. So before the interview is published, here's two pieces of information. *Yes, Lingo is canceled. Chuck confirmed its cancelation. He was sure to make fun of GSN about it, actually. He commented about how funny it was that Lingo is GSN's highest rated game show and they got rid of it. We all had a laugh about that. However, he said it's the second time it's been canceled. It was first canceled after season five. However, they un-canceled it and brought it back for season six before getting rid of it again. So don't blame new GSN CEO David Goldhill for it being gone; former CEO Rich Cronin apparently wanted it gone too. Chuck said he wouldn't be shocked to see it come back, though. *Chuck was talking about how all his shows, including the dating shows like Love Connection, are on GSN (or what he jokingly called The Chuck Woolery Network). Chuck let slip out that he has a new relationship radio talk show coming out in January. He'll be in Detroit recording some stuff for it very soon. It's going to happen, reception is good, and they are shopping it around under the title The Chuck Woolery Show. Be sure to look out for it in January 2009.
Read MoreView Comments (2)12Aug2008
Casino Programming Moved to Sundays on GSN
Edit: I fixed the Sunday casino block schedule; sorry about the confusion, I overlooked that part in the original schedule excel file I was sent. World Poker Tour airs at 9:00PM ET and 1:00AM ET on Sundays. The other time slots that evening are High Stakes Poker. GSN's been doing a lot of rearranging recently. First off, just a minor note that the Sunday decades specials called Laugh Out Loud have been newly titled Play It Back. Those schedules remain the same. However, starting on September 22nd, all casino programming will be gone from weekday time slots. Casino programming will only been seen on Sundays from 7:00PM to 3:00AM ET and that's just a mishmash of High Stakes Poker and World Poker Tour. WPT is on Sundays at 1AM ET and stretches to 3AM ET, so no Body Language/Beat the Clock. With that, there are a few tweaks to the weekday schedule. Again, starting September 22nd, every Monday through Friday you will see Millionaire at 8:00PM ET. GSN really needs to be begging for syndicated Millionaire reruns because I don't know who can stand to watch the same ABC era reruns for this long. At 9:00pm ET is Richard Karn's Family Feud, with John O'Hurley's edition at 9:30PM ET. Catch 21 is at 10:00PM ET, Pyramid (the screwed up Osmond version) at 10:30PM ET, Lingo at 11:00PM ET, and Whammy! at 11:30PM ET. Millionaire is again at 12:00AM ET. At 1AM ET, we see the return of the very fun That's The Question, and Camouflage will be seen at 1:30AM ET. Trivia Trap will be seen at 2:00AM ET, and now you see Now You See It at 2:30AM ET. Saturdays are changing as well. Millionaire, again, is at 8:00PM ET. Anne Robinson's NBC primetime Weakest Link is at 9:00PM ET. Chain Reaction replaces Catch 21 at 10:00P
Read MoreView Comments (10)07Mar2008
No New “Lingo” in 2008
Just adding more fuel to the Lingo cancellation fire, the New York Times is reporting a GSN representative has stated no new episodes of the network's longest running show will air in 2008. The spokeswoman said that they have six seasons and will continue to rerun those for the time being. Yes, continue to run them until either the episodes get so boring to watch it's not worth it or until people want to tear their eyes out with a fork, spoon, or any other implement laying around them at the present moment. This news does come after the network lost the rights to have the online game, so really the only slight trace of Lingo on GSN's website is the show's page, and that isn't that much at this point. The Gurin Company was called but no response was made. So there we have it. Of course this doesn't necessarily mean cancellation. Wasn't there a huge gap between seasons three and four, which was right around the rebranding of the network? It just seems like every negative thing that could happen to Lingo that points to a cancellation has happened. We'll keep you posted.
Read MoreView Comments (11)01Mar2008
GSN Dumps “Lingo” Online Games
Word has been buzzing around for a bit that Lingo might not come back. Some more confirmation of this may have been just released as GSN removed all Lingo online games from their website. The games (and show) and the news really caused a bit of a commotion among fans. A GSN representative issued a short statement regarding it: "They had to pull the games because they don't have the rights anymore." They also said "We understand how important Lingo Plus in particular is to many people and regret the short notice and inconvenience this will cause fans. We will update you as soon as we know more." It'll be really amazing if Lingo gets canceled. I don't really blame the network at all, I more place blame on Phil Gurin and the production crew. They haven't done anything new on the show since season two (beyond a short tournament of champions which barely counts). The only way you could tell a season from another from season two and on is by the set. Even now, the past three or so seasons have had the same exact set so that idea's shot. The show really became boring, mundane, and stale. The sad thing is they could have tweaked the show a lot; there's tons of potential. Throw some cash balls in, prize balls, update the end game, bring in something new to the front game; just something. It became robotic to watch which is a huge shame. It wasn't the greatest show ever, but it was a fantastic little play-at-home show. I mean was it just me, or did the show become really really boring and stereotypical by the end of the run? Just something new and fresh would have helped immensely.
Read MoreView Comments (28)26Mar2007
Reminder: New Season of “Lingo” Debuts Next Monday
This is just a quick reminder to be sure to check out the sixth season of Lingo which debuts next Monday, April 2nd, at 7:30PM ET. No big changes are being made this season except for the fact that we're hearing there are two stoppers in each hopper, not three. This season will yet again feature the online Lingo tournament winners facing off against some of the best teams the show has had, including our good friend Robert McKee. The newest online tournament will begin April 2nd as well, where you can play Lingo online for a chance to win a trip to Los Angeles and appear on the show. Also, GSN will be starting a Lingo podcast in May, so be on the lookout for that. Lingo is hosted by Chuck Woolery and Shandi Finnessey.
Read MoreView Comments (2)21Mar2007
GSN Schedules Win With Words Week on April 10th
GSN today announced a special "Win With Words Week" to compliment their award winning "National Vocabulary Championship" special. Starting April 10th, special student and teacher teams will compete on the originals "Lingo" and "Chain Reaction". "Quiznation" and "100 Winners" will also feature vocabulary-related puzzles and NVC prizes. Then, on Sunday, April 15th at 8PM ET, GSN will premiere the documentary-style special of the championship round of the "National Vocabulary Championship" final. It will look at the competition, sideline interviews with contestants, competition footage, and hometown visits with the contestants. The winner of the final receives $40,000 for his or her college education. GSN has stated they plan on making this an annual event. Again, Win With Words Week starts April 10th, and the special is on April 15th at 8PM ET on GSN.
Read MoreView Comments (3)22Feb2007
Tiny Rule Change for Next Season of “Lingo”
We'd like to preface this report by saying good luck to former "Lingo" champion Robert McKee, who is currently back playing the game in the new season during the online tournament champions week, where he has a shot to win a huge sum of cash as those episodes are close to the last ones being taped. We were informed of a tiny tiny rule change to the newest season of "Lingo" which debuts in a few weeks I do believe. We've been hearing they've limited the number of red balls, AKA stoppers, in the hopper from three to two for this next batch, meaning people, as long as they answer correctly, should be keeping control longer. If we can get some set photos or anything, we'll fire them up here.
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