News Flashes: “Downfall” Debut, “Wheel” and “Jeopardy!” Renewed
I’ve got a few pieces of news for you today.
*ABC’s got some games for you this summer. The annual summer hit Wipeout, one of my favorites, returns soon. The new season begins June 1st with a special two-hour sneak preview show starting at 8:00PM ET. That episode is a special Wipeout Blind Date edition. Twelve single guys and ladies will be put together, and their first date will be on the wet and muddy (and painful) obstacle course. The winners get $100,000. New obstacles are being added this season, including things like Overdrive, Bruise Ball and Spin Cycle. Other themed episodes like “Ladies Night” and “Family Edition” will be featured. This new season expands greatly upon the previous ones with bigger, badder challenges. The official start of the season is Tuesday, June 22nd at 8:00PM ET.
*We discussed ABC’s new quiz show Downfall such a short time ago and it’s already got a debut date. The skyscraper quiz show (that’s a phrase I never expect to use after this summer again) debuts June 29nd at 9:00PM ET. It’s right after Wipeout so it should fit well. ABC’s being pretty vague with the description still. All we know is that a million dollars and cash and prizes are on a skyscraper, where the quiz show is held. Contestants have to answer questions against a clock. Playing perfect can win it all, but miss and your items fall over the edge. Fremantle is behind the show. We should probably wait until we find some concrete rules before any generalizations are made, but the notion of fake money falling off the edge of a building isn’t really that suspenseful.
*The Wrap and TVMoJoe are saying that the two top rated syndicated shows, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!, will be around for a few more years at least. ABC owned stations have renewed the show through 2014. The previous deal expires in 2012. In addition, they are saying that hosts Pat Sajak and Alex Trebek have renewed their contracts for the shows but representatives declined to comment. Both shows still get very high ratings – higher than a majority of broadcast shows, so a renewal isn’t a surprise at all. Congratulations to both. They seem like shows that could very well stay on the air practically forever.
*One small casting notice. This alert came up on Craigslist. It’s from the people behind Big Brother, which is Endemol, and Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!, which is Sony Pictures. So while I’m trying to connect the dots be sure to click the link if you want in.
EDIT: Made a mistake to the date of Downfall. That’s June 29th. Sorry. It’s now corrected.
I'm no expert, but that just might be a new record for lowest maximum purse on a TV game show… EVER.
Sounds like the Endemol-Sony project is one of those cattle-call, 10-second auditions typical of the Deal Or No Deal casting.
It would seem if you are doing a trivia show, you would want to see if your players have some depth, not just bags of excitement. When I auditioned for Pyramid last summer, I at least played a mock game and did a quick interview — and I was out on the street in 15 minutes (including signing release forms and waiting in the lobby).
Sorry, but I'm already skeptical.
…Compete for $150? Must be for GSN…
I'm no expert, but that just might be a new record for lowest maximum purse on a TV game show… EVER.
I'm no expert, but that just might be a new record for lowest maximum purse on a TV game show… EVER.
Sounds like the Endemol-Sony project is one of those cattle-call, 10-second auditions typical of the Deal Or No Deal casting.
It would seem if you are doing a trivia show, you would want to see if your players have some depth, not just bags of excitement. When I auditioned for Pyramid last summer, I at least played a mock game and did a quick interview — and I was out on the street in 15 minutes (including signing release forms and waiting in the lobby).
Sorry, but I'm already skeptical.
Sounds like the Endemol-Sony project is one of those cattle-call, 10-second auditions typical of the Deal Or No Deal casting.
It would seem if you are doing a trivia show, you would want to see if your players have some depth, not just bags of excitement. When I auditioned for Pyramid last summer, I at least played a mock game and did a quick interview — and I was out on the street in 15 minutes (including signing release forms and waiting in the lobby).
Sorry, but I'm already skeptical.
Highly unlikely yet overly-optimistic post following:
I KNOW, I KNOW! GSN'S RESURRECTING 1VS100! YAY! :D
or…
CBS TV DISTRIBUTION IS SYNDICATING NEW 1VS100'S! YAY! :D
/Sarcasm very much included.
//Still would love to see it happen.
Highly unlikely yet overly-optimistic post following:
I KNOW, I KNOW! GSN'S RESURRECTING 1VS100! YAY! :D
or…
CBS TV DISTRIBUTION IS SYNDICATING NEW 1VS100'S! YAY! :D
/Sarcasm very much included.
//Still would love to see it happen.
To Wheeloon: We all do, buddy.
And that was quick, we were just talking about Downfall, and now it has a premiere date. Makes me wonder whether ABC just greenlit it because it needs another summer show or the fact that it doesn’t have a show produced by Fremantle in its lineup.
When I read this, I figured it was a pilot. I was surprised that the contestants were even competing for an actual prize (even if a paltry sum).
Funnily enough, I had lunch with Andy Selig who brought this point about Goodson's fetish (maybe too strong a word) about mirrored backdrops on his smaller-scale productions. When we first met about the syndicated Concentration in the spring of 1973, mark was worried about what he called a "low-rent" look to the set. He wanted his bonus prize, usually a compact car..I think a Chevette..to appear more majestic during the opening run…hence Andy's idea for a mirrored set. The problems were obvious and plentiful…the biggest being that the set, when properly lit, never looked the same twice due to the vageries of the reflection. Goodson couldn't care less, so long as the car looked bigger. Good times..thanks Andy (and Carol, a great G/T fan) for bringing it up…
Funnily enough, I had lunch with Andy Selig who brought this point about Goodson's fetish (maybe too strong a word) about mirrored backdrops on his smaller-scale productions. When we first met about the syndicated Concentration in the spring of 1973, mark was worried about what he called a "low-rent" look to the set. He wanted his bonus prize, usually a compact car..I think a Chevette..to appear more majestic during the opening run…hence Andy's idea for a mirrored set. The problems were obvious and plentiful…the biggest being that the set, when properly lit, never looked the same twice due to the vageries of the reflection. Goodson couldn't care less, so long as the car looked bigger. Good times..thanks Andy (and Carol, a great G/T fan) for bringing it up…