Friday, March 12, 2010

“Game Show in My Head” Gives Me a Headache

Posted by Alex Davis On January - 5 - 2009

Joe Rogan, the host of Game Show in My HeadBack after the very very long break, which was needed.  As always, thanks for hanging in.  But we start with something I’m not overly happy with.  Did you remember that CBS was burning off, I mean airing Game Show in My Head, starting this past Saturday?  I totally forgot.  Did anyone find it just completely void of any fun or comedy?  I did.  It’s become a common trend in today’s game shows.  Nothing was overtly and horrible wrong.  But nothing was really good either.  And it makes for a blah half hour.

Joe Rogan seemed uncomfortable and I’m sure he was overjoyed that he was the 2nd choice of a host since he had to replace Chris Kattan, whose only major notable thing was Mango on Saturday Night Live, from the pilot.  Part of some fun with these hidden camera stunt shows is getting unsuspecting people involved and making them believe it.  An old Spike show, Oblivious, handled this perfectly.  But when you ask people to marry you, a process which doesn’t happen in five minutes except in Vegas, it loses and sense of reality.  I always hate to be an advocate of bigger money, but shows that have a top prize of a GSN show seem really cheap in primetime.  Horribly cheap.  I’m not asking for each show to have a million dollar top prize, but when Game Show in My Head’s big winner took home what a loser on Wheel of Fortune gets, it was pretty sad.

But I can bring up one positive.  I absolutely despise the current trend of stand alone game shows.  It ruins whatever drama of a contestant going all the way because you can clearly see no one will be answering ten more questions in five minutes.  But this show doesn’t need it because it doesn’t have the drama to pump out.  It’s a turn your brain off half hour that realizes what it is.  You have to give that credit.  It’s not like Show Me the Money (which looking shows we’ve had to suffer through like Bingo Night and Set For LifeI really took for granted) where a really cheesy show was played way too dramatically.

But that’s not enough to save it.  Game Show in My Head, which has been in development hell for nearly two years, is a summer burnoff because it’s cheap.  CBS still has six episodes of a game show called Do You Trust Me? which they haven’t aired for over a year because it’s a big money show and they’ll have to pay people hundreds of thousands.  Here they just give away around $30,000.  I’d really like to see some brighter, happier, more comedic, and just plain fun game shows again, but this just doesn’t fit the bill.  And judging by the ratings it didn’t make many happy.

What did you all think?

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13 Responses

  1. Steve Marks Said,

    I agree, it was AWFUL. I TiVo’d the first two episodes and watched them with my wife — and she agreed this needed to come off our TiVo record list. The main gripe? It’s too edited and produced. It all just comes off feeling fake.

    Posted on January 5th, 2009 at 4:08 am

  2. Brian Moore Said,

    My local CBS station in the Duluth/Superior market preempted GSiMH on account of airing a Minnesota Wild hockey game. GSiMH would later air it at 2AM overnight on said station. Maybe whoever is programming at KDLH thought it was an awful show, and I think they’re right.

    Posted on January 5th, 2009 at 9:10 am

  3. DeVares Said,

    Make it 3-for-3 so far. This show is HORRIBLE. I miss the first quarter of the Colts-Chargers game (which was a good game btw) to watch this garbage. CBS should be ashamed of themselves for actually airing it.

    Posted on January 5th, 2009 at 10:58 am

  4. Doug Morris Said,

    Four-for-four from here. I swear, if I were a contestant, the ringing in my ear would worsen from Joe Rogan’s constant yelling.

    The stunts weren’t funny — period.

    Posted on January 5th, 2009 at 1:44 pm

  5. Ryan Said,

    I disagree. I found the show very interesting. I thought that the stunts were very funny and it really shows what Americans will do to win money. I actually can’t wait until the next episode. Also, having it on a Saturday, helps since no new shows usually air on Saturday. You have to give the show a chance. I hate when networks cancel shows before the episode order is up. give it a chance.

    Posted on January 5th, 2009 at 2:21 pm

  6. James D. Said,

    Caught bits and pieces of the second episode during football commercial breaks.

    I think the show has potential, but it’s so drugged up in post-production and editing that it looks fake and flat on-air. Watching the show, it’s clear that Rogan is not speaking to the contestant, and vice-versa (I think someone who posted about attending a taping confirmed this). I can also tell that Rogan looked uncomfortable with the product — he seems more at ease when he’s directly interacting with his subjects (Fear Factor, UFC commentary). He doesn’t sound that great when he’s limited to reading off cue cards.

    Not horrible, but not something I’d watch again.

    Posted on January 5th, 2009 at 2:31 pm

  7. jacob turner Said,

    I watched the show this past Saturday. I thought it was really funny. It’s unfortunate the NFL game was on at the same time, but i’m sure the show will get better as it goes on. Its entertaining to see how Americans react to that stuff.

    Posted on January 5th, 2009 at 5:31 pm

  8. Jordan Hass Said,

    I’m still praying they bring back Street Smarts – that had comedy mixed with an actual game show.

    Posted on January 5th, 2009 at 5:50 pm

  9. MikeSant318 Said,

    CBS wants bright and funny, maybe they can have a semi-clean version of Match Game (they aired the current fromat in the 70s) (and what happened to the TBS version, anyway?) in GSIMH’s place. And who’s to say Street Smarts can’t do well again (unless they had to yank it for its similarities to Jaywalking segments on the Tonight Show)?

    Posted on January 5th, 2009 at 9:31 pm

  10. DeVares Said,

    To MikeSant318: They could get Match Game since TBS passed on it.

    To Ryan: True the time slot helps since the only new shows on Saturdays are Cops and America’s Most Wanted on Fox. However, while you have interest in the show (which you have the right to), I agree with James D. It’s fake and Joe Rogan didn’t look too comfortable doing the show.

    To Jordan Hass: I’m praying for a Street Smarts revival. Perhaps Fox Reality could revive it.

    Posted on January 5th, 2009 at 10:26 pm

  11. Alex Said,

    Yeah, this show made me go “bleah!” too. At first, I thought it would be a neo-Candid Camera or something. But it just seems way…out there.

    Got a clip of “Oblivious” anywhere for comparison purposes?

    Posted on January 7th, 2009 at 10:40 pm

  12. Josh Said,

    I didn’t like it because it was dull; it really was. And if CBS can get rid of this and get Match Game instead, then it will be something that I can look forward to seeing on the weekends.

    Posted on January 15th, 2009 at 9:30 pm

  13. Josh Said,

    I didn’t like it because it was dull; it really was. And if CBS can get rid of this and get Match Game instead, then it will be something that I can look forward to seeing on the weekends. I’m sorry if you’re seeing this 2 times.

    Posted on January 15th, 2009 at 9:30 pm

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