I’ve got a relatively delayed ratings report, but I’ve got it now and I made an effort so give me an A for effort at least. These are for the most recent reports, the week ending January 17th. It wasn’t a good week for any game show except Jeopardy!, which doesn’t happen too often. The quizzer actually rose by 2% to a 6.3. It puts it pretty close to Wheel of Fortune which is always nice to see. As far as I’ve been reading they’ve had some exciting relatively-big-money games with some long running contestant streaks so that doesn’t hurt. It’s one of the shows that truly has no end in sight. This thing could go on forever.
The other one that could go on forever is Wheel of Fortune. It was down 8% this week but still ruled over everything else, with a 7.0 rating. The budget definitely took a small dive this season from what I’ve seen, but luckily people really don’t care. Just an aside while I’m on the topic since I don’t get the chance to talk about the show much: is that set barren or is it just me? There’s like nothing on it. Anyway, other ratings were down just as much. Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader shrunk 11% to a 1.6 rating. As we figured a while ago and what’s finally been reported, the current only-syndicated rating, whatever it may be, is not strong enough to get a second season. However, the reruns on CMT and MyNetwork have made the show very profitable, and it’s why we’ll see it coming back. It was a genius move which they could be commended for. It’s companion show Don’t Forget The Lyrics! debuting in September, follows the same model.
Who Wants to be a Millionaire went down by 11% as well, to a 2.5 rating. The removal of Phone A Friend which has made it remarkably hard to even get to the $25,000 milestone hasn’t affected ratings whatsoever which is nice. Family Feud lost 7% and got 1.4. Deal or No Deal, which is nearly officially canceled, fell by 8% to a 1.2. They fixed the show in the first season and had a chance to knock it out of the park in season two, but for some reason decided to let the aged format rest. It benefits GSN who is bound to pick that show up instantly. They need it insanely badly.
59 Responses
Even the most dedicated Deal or No Deal fan – me – has lost interest in the show. Stick a fork in the show; it's done.
Posted on February 1st, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Deal or No Deal is done. I know most station managers are scrambling for a replacement for the show. Hopfully, here, KTBS will replace it with either Don’t Forget the Lyrics or Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader, which airs on its sister station KPXJ. I notice that, since they’ve eliminated the Phone-A-Friend, It has been harder for contestants on Millionaire to get pass the $25,000 mark. I hope it doesn’t hurt the show in the long run.
Posted on February 1st, 2010 at 7:47 pm
Just wanted to throw out there that I taped an episode of "Wheel of Fortune" last week!
It's going to air on April 9th at whatever time the show airs in your local market…
Posted on February 1st, 2010 at 7:59 pm
Just wanted to throw out there that I taped an episode of "Wheel of Fortune" last week!
It's going to air on April 9th at whatever time the show airs in your local market…
Posted on February 1st, 2010 at 7:59 pm
Even the most dedicated Deal or No Deal fan – me – has lost interest in the show. Stick a fork in the show; it's done.
Posted on February 1st, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Even the most dedicated Deal or No Deal fan – me – has lost interest in the show. Stick a fork in the show; it's done.
Posted on February 1st, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Okay, I didn't intend for a rant, but one's here anyway. In the order that Alex discussed them…
1) Jeopardy!…..the ratings are awesome and, unlike in 1975/79, has no chance of death in the foreseeable future.
2) Wheel Of Fortune…..I've stated several (dozen) times that I hate the show as it is now (the format, the sponsorship, the theme weeks, and the whitewashing). Its budget took "a small dive" and introduced to the Prize Puzzle stuff that's NOT TRIPS. I, for one, am grateful. And no, Alex, it's not just you — that set really IS bare. How about a large prop, probably brown and multi-sided, that can move by itself and be loaded with goodies to win? …Oh, wait, I forgot they ousted Shopping 21 years ago.
3) Fifth Grader…..the new format has obviously improved the show. I'm guessing that its syndication-only rating is somewhere between 0.4 and 1.0 — wait, haven't I heard those numbers before…?
4) Millionaire…..its still-high 2.5 is very jarring — I thought removing any chance of getting $25,000 would cause people to leave. It's no longer "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?", it's "Who Wants To Maybe-Perhaps-Possibly Win $25,000?".
5) Family Feud…..if the show and O'Hurley promote the heck out of this being his last season AND GIVE THE DATE OF HIS LAST FIRST-RUN EPISODE (this is NOT the days of "bicycling" syndication, folks! If you know it's the end, TELL US ON-AIR!), expect the ratings to spike. I predict a large sampling in September for Steve Harvey, and probably a bit of a drop from there. If they want to earn some fans, use the Dawson's Return music/theme instead of Crappy Combs Edits. As for the set…..leave it alone, get rid of the audience in the back, or simply adopt the Dawson's Return set. (Oh, and PLEASE start using classic camera shots — look at about three dozen Dawson/Combs episodes if you need to.)
6) Deal Or No Deal…..yeah, they really dropped the ball. The major problem is that the Connecticut set is EXACTLY THE SAME as the California set, so you can't tell which season you're watching! Then there's the not-adapting-the-British-rules-all-the-way thing, which turned me off. I predict its end is nigh, and since they've already shut down production (meaning they've already taped the rest of the season; didn't we learn from The Crosswords/Temptation Hour to tape throughout the season, or else we run the risk of having no interesting stuff attempting to increase ratings?)
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 12:12 am
Okay, I didn't intend for a rant, but one's here anyway. In the order that Alex discussed them…
1) Jeopardy!…..the ratings are awesome and, unlike in 1975/79, has no chance of death in the foreseeable future.
2) Wheel Of Fortune…..I've stated several (dozen) times that I hate the show as it is now (the format, the sponsorship, the theme weeks, and the whitewashing). Its budget took "a small dive" and introduced to the Prize Puzzle stuff that's NOT TRIPS. I, for one, am grateful. And no, Alex, it's not just you — that set really IS bare. How about a large prop, probably brown and multi-sided, that can move by itself and be loaded with goodies to win? …Oh, wait, I forgot they ousted Shopping 21 years ago.
3) Fifth Grader…..the new format has obviously improved the show. I'm guessing that its syndication-only rating is somewhere between 0.4 and 1.0 — wait, haven't I heard those numbers before…?
4) Millionaire…..its still-high 2.5 is very jarring — I thought removing any chance of getting $25,000 would cause people to leave. It's no longer "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?", it's "Who Wants To Maybe-Perhaps-Possibly Win $25,000?".
5) Family Feud…..if the show and O'Hurley promote the heck out of this being his last season AND GIVE THE DATE OF HIS LAST FIRST-RUN EPISODE (this is NOT the days of "bicycling" syndication, folks! If you know it's the end, TELL US ON-AIR!), expect the ratings to spike. I predict a large sampling in September for Steve Harvey, and probably a bit of a drop from there. If they want to earn some fans, use the Dawson's Return music/theme instead of Crappy Combs Edits. As for the set…..leave it alone, get rid of the audience in the back, or simply adopt the Dawson's Return set. (Oh, and PLEASE start using classic camera shots — look at about three dozen Dawson/Combs episodes if you need to.)
6) Deal Or No Deal…..yeah, they really dropped the ball. The major problem is that the Connecticut set is EXACTLY THE SAME as the California set, so you can't tell which season you're watching! Then there's the not-adapting-the-British-rules-all-the-way thing, which turned me off. I predict its end is nigh, and since they've already shut down production (meaning they've already taped the rest of the season; didn't we learn from The Crosswords/Temptation Hour to tape throughout the season, or else we run the risk of having no interesting stuff attempting to increase ratings?)
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 12:12 am
Sorry, apparently I didn't finish my sentence…
6) Deal Or No Deal ….. since they've already shut down production (meaning they've already taped the rest of the season; didn't we learn from The Crosswords/Temptation Hour to tape throughout the season, or else we run the risk of having no interesting stuff attempting to increase ratings?), they have no chance of saying a proper farewell.
Again, it's okay to say…..
* "This is our last show of this season. You'll be seeing repeats for the next weeks and we'll be back with fresh ones in September."
* "This is our last show of this season, but we don't know if we'll be renewed. If we are, we'll see you in September; if not, I just want to thank the staff for a great season."
* "This is my last show as host. Yes, I realize it's hard to leave this great show, but [reason]. I don't know who will replace me in September, but I wish him/her all the best of luck. I also ask you at home and in our audience to please support the new host, okay?"
* "This is my last show as host. Yes, I realize it's hard to leave this great show, but [reason]. [person] will become host in September, and I wish him/her all the best of luck. I also ask you at home and in our audience to please support [person] for [reason]."
* "We, sadly, have been cancelled and this is our last show. *nods* But we're going to try and go out with a big winner!"
Again, this isn't the era of "bicycling" syndication — we CAN say farewell, or that the show's got an uncertain future.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 12:25 am
Sorry, apparently I didn't finish my sentence…
6) Deal Or No Deal ….. since they've already shut down production (meaning they've already taped the rest of the season; didn't we learn from The Crosswords/Temptation Hour to tape throughout the season, or else we run the risk of having no interesting stuff attempting to increase ratings?), they have no chance of saying a proper farewell.
Again, it's okay to say…..
* "This is our last show of this season. You'll be seeing repeats for the next weeks and we'll be back with fresh ones in September."
* "This is our last show of this season, but we don't know if we'll be renewed. If we are, we'll see you in September; if not, I just want to thank the staff for a great season."
* "This is my last show as host. Yes, I realize it's hard to leave this great show, but [reason]. I don't know who will replace me in September, but I wish him/her all the best of luck. I also ask you at home and in our audience to please support the new host, okay?"
* "This is my last show as host. Yes, I realize it's hard to leave this great show, but [reason]. [person] will become host in September, and I wish him/her all the best of luck. I also ask you at home and in our audience to please support [person] for [reason]."
* "We, sadly, have been cancelled and this is our last show. *nods* But we're going to try and go out with a big winner!"
Again, this isn't the era of "bicycling" syndication — we CAN say farewell, or that the show's got an uncertain future.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 12:25 am
What you're saying is making me sad. It would be terrible to think that somebody is leaving. I mean, I don't really watch the Feud so I'm not so concerned about O'Hurley, but I'd hate to see somebody like Alex or Pat leave.
Why do these people feel like they have to "bicycle" shows?
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 1:27 am
What you're saying is making me sad. It would be terrible to think that somebody is leaving. I mean, I don't really watch the Feud so I'm not so concerned about O'Hurley, but I'd hate to see somebody like Alex or Pat leave.
Why do these people feel like they have to "bicycle" shows?
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 1:27 am
In WoF this year, not once this year has a single contestant won $100,000 let alone lost it. How bizarre is it?
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 2:34 am
I agree that WoF and J! may live on for a long time to come…they'll outlive Pat and Alex. That is, as long as they don't mess with the games themselves more than the minor tweaks they do to WoF every year.
I think the WoF set is a stroke of genius. It's brilliant in its simplicity. You have the three staples (The Wheel, Puzzle Board and projection screen behind the contestants.) Then the rest changes every week to reflect the theme of the week. What more do you need? Chuck just used to have a curtain behind him. THAT was boring!
Who cares that the DoND set looks the same in CT as it did in CA? What's the difference? Do you enjoy it more or less because its taped in CT? It's the game that matters.
I predict an overhaul of the Feud set next year to herald the arrival of a new host, much like when Karn and O'Hurley began their runs. But I agree, the theme needs to be updated, not just cut and pasted from the GSN Game Show Theme CD. Same song…new arrangement. I suspect that fiddle music just won't fit anymore.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 3:39 am
I agree that WoF and J! may live on for a long time to come…they'll outlive Pat and Alex. That is, as long as they don't mess with the games themselves more than the minor tweaks they do to WoF every year.
I think the WoF set is a stroke of genius. It's brilliant in its simplicity. You have the three staples (The Wheel, Puzzle Board and projection screen behind the contestants.) Then the rest changes every week to reflect the theme of the week. What more do you need? Chuck just used to have a curtain behind him. THAT was boring!
Who cares that the DoND set looks the same in CT as it did in CA? What's the difference? Do you enjoy it more or less because its taped in CT? It's the game that matters.
I predict an overhaul of the Feud set next year to herald the arrival of a new host, much like when Karn and O'Hurley began their runs. But I agree, the theme needs to be updated, not just cut and pasted from the GSN Game Show Theme CD. Same song…new arrangement. I suspect that fiddle music just won't fit anymore.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 3:39 am
As far as Millionaire goes, if they have smarter contestants who know trivia well, they could have more $25,000+ winners. The problem isn't necessary PAF (although I agree it doesn't help contestants by removing it), but it's the contestants they choose. With Primetime Millionaire, the Fastest Finger round helped the show get smarter contestants in the hot seat and thus caused more big winners.
The money tree change was bad in my opinion. Yes, it gives contestants more money (except for question 9; why did they drop it $1,000?). However, Millionaire used the money change for a reason to make each question level harder. Yes, I know syndicated game shows can't afford as many big winners as primetime game shows, but Millionaire has given out so few $25,000+ checks since the Tournament of 10.
If there is one thing Millionaire should do, they should bring back the 50:50, and get rid of the Ask the Expert; it's a stupid lifeline. Half of the time or more, the "Experts" don't know the answer. Most of the Experts they pick for the show are qualified to be experts.
Millionaire needs to get its act together, or its going down within the next 2 years.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 4:31 am
As far as Millionaire goes, if they have smarter contestants who know trivia well, they could have more $25,000+ winners. The problem isn't necessary PAF (although I agree it doesn't help contestants by removing it), but it's the contestants they choose. With Primetime Millionaire, the Fastest Finger round helped the show get smarter contestants in the hot seat and thus caused more big winners.
The money tree change was bad in my opinion. Yes, it gives contestants more money (except for question 9; why did they drop it $1,000?). However, Millionaire used the money change for a reason to make each question level harder. Yes, I know syndicated game shows can't afford as many big winners as primetime game shows, but Millionaire has given out so few $25,000+ checks since the Tournament of 10.
If there is one thing Millionaire should do, they should bring back the 50:50, and get rid of the Ask the Expert; it's a stupid lifeline. Half of the time or more, the "Experts" don't know the answer. Most of the Experts they pick for the show are qualified to be experts.
Millionaire needs to get its act together, or its going down within the next 2 years.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 4:31 am
1) Jeopardy! i don't really care for the show its pretty boring imo.
2) Wheel Of Fortune I prefer the old shows with Chuck Susan and Bob Goen and Rolf and early Pat the newer eps Seems like one endless Advertisements and Tossups. I don't really care for the theme weeks and the video walls changing every day to another city.And Pat looks like hes bored I prefer the Australian Season with Larry Emdur if its played like that then i would watch it
3) Fifth Grader i also don't like Our version of 5th grader why only 3 kids? And i don't like the new format with the banking thing. I prefer the primetime version and British Version
4) Millionaire really jump the shark over the last few years i prefer Regis version thats another story.I hate the clock format the topic menu it kills the suspense. and the Celebrity question i think its stupid a celebrity comes on to read one question how exciting makes me want to run to the tv and see who reads one question!. They should change the $25 thousand to $50 thousand i'll watch a foreign version to get my Millionaire at least its true to the original format. I have a feeling Millionaire is going to use that crappy hot seat format
5) Family Feud has run its course it been using the badly Edit Combs Theme and Anderson Theme for a while. I would like to see a new set and theme this show is always holding on to the past if Family Fortunes can do it why not Family Feud?. I think Steve Harvey will boost ratings up if they put the show on a better time slot i think hes going to be an amazing host i will be tuning in. Im glad they went with Steve Harvey then Al Roker he would be another Richard Karn
6) Deal Or No Deal thanks to nbc they killed the show overexposing it i hope they don't do this to perfect 10. Nbc had more enthusiasm about deal or no deal then 1 vs 100 and Weakest Link which started out very well during the first 2 seasons. Howie hosting gets old after a while i can watch the show but i can't really get into his hosting. The Daytime Version should of had a different set music cues and even suitcases from the primetime version it would of separate both versions and kept it fresh and maybe it would have better ratings.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 7:00 am
1) Jeopardy! i don't really care for the show its pretty boring imo.
2) Wheel Of Fortune I prefer the old shows with Chuck Susan and Bob Goen and Rolf and early Pat the newer eps Seems like one endless Advertisements and Tossups. I don't really care for the theme weeks and the video walls changing every day to another city.And Pat looks like hes bored I prefer the Australian Season with Larry Emdur if its played like that then i would watch it
3) Fifth Grader i also don't like Our version of 5th grader why only 3 kids? And i don't like the new format with the banking thing. I prefer the primetime version and British Version
4) Millionaire really jump the shark over the last few years i prefer Regis version thats another story.I hate the clock format the topic menu it kills the suspense. and the Celebrity question i think its stupid a celebrity comes on to read one question how exciting makes me want to run to the tv and see who reads one question!. They should change the $25 thousand to $50 thousand i'll watch a foreign version to get my Millionaire at least its true to the original format. I have a feeling Millionaire is going to use that crappy hot seat format
5) Family Feud has run its course it been using the badly Edit Combs Theme and Anderson Theme for a while. I would like to see a new set and theme this show is always holding on to the past if Family Fortunes can do it why not Family Feud?. I think Steve Harvey will boost ratings up if they put the show on a better time slot i think hes going to be an amazing host i will be tuning in. Im glad they went with Steve Harvey then Al Roker he would be another Richard Karn
6) Deal Or No Deal thanks to nbc they killed the show overexposing it i hope they don't do this to perfect 10. Nbc had more enthusiasm about deal or no deal then 1 vs 100 and Weakest Link which started out very well during the first 2 seasons. Howie hosting gets old after a while i can watch the show but i can't really get into his hosting. The Daytime Version should of had a different set music cues and even suitcases from the primetime version it would of separate both versions and kept it fresh and maybe it would have better ratings.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 7:00 am
I don't watch DOND or 5th Grader regularly. Having said that…
Good to see that Jeopardy! isn't in jeopardy at the moment (excuse the pun). Love the show, you learn something new from it every day.
Wheel's still very popular, and I'll watch every now and again, but the advertisements during the show drive me crazy. I wonder how much more time they'd have during the show if they didn't throw in all those ads all the time…
Millionaire…I kinda stopped caring about it after the clock came along. To me, Millionaire with the clock is like playing multiple-choice Jeopardy. It sucks the fun right out of it. And these celebrity questions add nothing to the show. Doesn't help matters that contestants are struggling to get to the $25,000 level…when was the last time someone actually won six figures on the show?
And finally, Feud…still about as constant as ever. Sorry to hear Mr. O'Hurley's leaving, thought he did a wonderful job with the show. Curious about Steve Harvey, though…people thought Ray Combs couldn't fill Dawson's shoes, and look what happened there.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 7:46 am
I don't watch DOND or 5th Grader regularly. Having said that…
Good to see that Jeopardy! isn't in jeopardy at the moment (excuse the pun). Love the show, you learn something new from it every day.
Wheel's still very popular, and I'll watch every now and again, but the advertisements during the show drive me crazy. I wonder how much more time they'd have during the show if they didn't throw in all those ads all the time…
Millionaire…I kinda stopped caring about it after the clock came along. To me, Millionaire with the clock is like playing multiple-choice Jeopardy. It sucks the fun right out of it. And these celebrity questions add nothing to the show. Doesn't help matters that contestants are struggling to get to the $25,000 level…when was the last time someone actually won six figures on the show?
And finally, Feud…still about as constant as ever. Sorry to hear Mr. O'Hurley's leaving, thought he did a wonderful job with the show. Curious about Steve Harvey, though…people thought Ray Combs couldn't fill Dawson's shoes, and look what happened there.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 7:46 am
I don't watch DOND or 5th Grader regularly. Having said that…
Good to see that Jeopardy! isn't in jeopardy at the moment (excuse the pun). Love the show, you learn something new from it every day.
Wheel's still very popular, and I'll watch every now and again, but the advertisements during the show drive me crazy. I wonder how much more time they'd have during the show if they didn't throw in all those ads all the time…
Millionaire…I kinda stopped caring about it after the clock came along. To me, Millionaire with the clock is like playing multiple-choice Jeopardy. It sucks the fun right out of it. And these celebrity questions add nothing to the show. Doesn't help matters that contestants are struggling to get to the $25,000 level…when was the last time someone actually won six figures on the show?
And finally, Feud…still about as constant as ever. Sorry to hear Mr. O'Hurley's leaving, thought he did a wonderful job with the show. Curious about Steve Harvey, though…people thought Ray Combs couldn't fill Dawson's shoes, and look what happened there.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 7:46 am
Right now, I have mixed feelings about these shows, so here it goes:
1). Untill there's a prolonged champ, I'll continue to watch the first few minutes & FJ!, that's it.
2). WoF's still kicking after all these years. The set does look bare unless you count the car they have in there. And is it THAT HARD to land on $100K?(And don't get me started on "rigging those things for sweeps" because that's pretty much the case recently anymore. SHEESH!).
3). I like the current 5th Grader format. It's good to know it's comming back for a second season. What to do about a time slor in Philly depends on where they'll put DFTL.
4). Once the clock came along, I suddenly stopped watching Millionaore. I'm with Gene in that unless they adapt the Hot Seat format from Austraillia, that show's pretty much dead for me.
5). Why can't Philly find a "good" home for FF? I HATE resorting to WFMZ-TV 69 in Allentown, SHEESH!!!
6). As I said before on another entry, I'm beyond the point of no return on DoND.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 9:18 am
Right now, I have mixed feelings about these shows, so here it goes:
1). Untill there's a prolonged champ, I'll continue to watch the first few minutes & FJ!, that's it.
2). WoF's still kicking after all these years. The set does look bare unless you count the car they have in there. And is it THAT HARD to land on $100K?(And don't get me started on "rigging those things for sweeps" because that's pretty much the case recently anymore. SHEESH!).
3). I like the current 5th Grader format. It's good to know it's comming back for a second season. What to do about a time slor in Philly depends on where they'll put DFTL.
4). Once the clock came along, I suddenly stopped watching Millionaore. I'm with Gene in that unless they adapt the Hot Seat format from Austraillia, that show's pretty much dead for me.
5). Why can't Philly find a "good" home for FF? I HATE resorting to WFMZ-TV 69 in Allentown, SHEESH!!!
6). As I said before on another entry, I'm beyond the point of no return on DoND.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 9:18 am
Right now, I have mixed feelings about these shows, so here it goes:
1). Untill there's a prolonged champ, I'll continue to watch the first few minutes & FJ!, that's it.
2). WoF's still kicking after all these years. The set does look bare unless you count the car they have in there. And is it THAT HARD to land on $100K?(And don't get me started on "rigging those things for sweeps" because that's pretty much the case recently anymore. SHEESH!).
3). I like the current 5th Grader format. It's good to know it's comming back for a second season. What to do about a time slor in Philly depends on where they'll put DFTL.
4). Once the clock came along, I suddenly stopped watching Millionaore. I'm with Gene in that unless they adapt the Hot Seat format from Austraillia, that show's pretty much dead for me.
5). Why can't Philly find a "good" home for FF? I HATE resorting to WFMZ-TV 69 in Allentown, SHEESH!!!
6). As I said before on another entry, I'm beyond the point of no return on DoND.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 9:18 am
It’s safe to say that Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. I agree with Myke 25, they will outlive Pat and Alex, heck they might even outlive all of us.
As for Deal or No Deal, I blame NBC for moving the show to Connecticut (which pretty much scared the stations off not to mention advertisers). Sure you moved Maury, Jerry Springer, and Steve Wilkos to Connecticut (which isn’t far to travel for the former since it was already based in New York prior to the move) to save money, but what’s the point in moving Deal there? You lost money because your former EP, Mr. Ben Silverman, greenlit shows that would’ve failed even on cable.
I’m with you, Craig. Why is Family Feud on My 45 here? All they show during the daytime are shows from RTN. Move it to a more respectable channel.
gene, the reason for only 3 kids on Daytime 5th Grader is because it’s only a 30 minute show and it’s almost impossible to use 6 unless you use each of them for just one question (which I don’t see the point in that).
Daniel B. You have a good point. Why can’t they say either “See you next season” or “It’s been a great xx years, and now we have to say goodbye”? They use to do the former whenever a game show on daytime network TV ends and the former they (still) do on Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune and The Price Is Right.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 10:11 am
"Bicycling" was an old practice in which they would produce a week's worth of shows at a time, then "bicycle" them to different affiliates across the country (for example, different episodes would air in New York and Los Angeles on the same day.)
The best example of this is the syndicated version of Match Game; they always had it so that there were two new contestants on Monday and wouldn't start a new game on Friday unless they were sure they could finish it on the same show. That's why sometimes Gene went out into the audience and had them try to match celebs for $50.
There's a clip of that here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPE2_8ozcgo
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 4:04 pm
"Bicycling" was an old practice in which they would produce a week's worth of shows at a time, then "bicycle" them to different affiliates across the country (for example, different episodes would air in New York and Los Angeles on the same day.)
The best example of this is the syndicated version of Match Game; they always had it so that there were two new contestants on Monday and wouldn't start a new game on Friday unless they were sure they could finish it on the same show. That's why sometimes Gene went out into the audience and had them try to match celebs for $50.
There's a clip of that here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPE2_8ozcgo
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 4:04 pm
"Bicycling" was an old practice in which they would produce a week's worth of shows at a time, then "bicycle" them to different affiliates across the country (for example, different episodes would air in New York and Los Angeles on the same day.)
The best example of this is the syndicated version of Match Game; they always had it so that there were two new contestants on Monday and wouldn't start a new game on Friday unless they were sure they could finish it on the same show. That's why sometimes Gene went out into the audience and had them try to match celebs for $50.
There's a clip of that here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPE2_8ozcgo
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 4:04 pm
I didn't ask what bicycling was. I was asking why they had to do it these days.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 4:37 pm
I didn't ask what bicycling was. I was asking why they had to do it these days.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 4:37 pm
In general, I agree on the contestants — get intelligent people, not "I can curl into a ball!".
I disagree on the money tree change — $1,000 just isn't much money anymore. The fact that the show hasn't given away $25,000+ that often since the STUPID Tournament (that's another rant entirely) — although apparently people are watching it because they want to see a show destroy itself………which would explain why "Wheel" is doing so well.
And no, PLEASE DON'T BRING BACK 50:50 — it was just some guy in the back going "Which two should I remove?" Too many times, a contestant mentioned two answers out loud — both of which were left after using 50:50. Essentially, it boiled down to "If we want you to move on, we'll eliminate one you mentioned. If we don't, we leave the two you spoke out loud because we encouraged you to. If both answers you're torn between are wrong, we'll only eliminate one of them."
(And if I'm wrong, I'm wrong.)
As for Ask The Expert…..most are not qualified in a wide range of fields, or are only meant to be used for one specific question (if at all).
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 9:58 pm
I think the problem with DOND is that the move really surprised all of us, they made no announcements about it, but I can tell the differences in the first and second seasons.
The first season has the split screen with the contestant and the case # and at the end credits, it's blackened. The 2nd season has somewhat of that, but the split screen is gone and the end credits are simple camera shots of the studio with a A.C.T.F.E. sign at the near end.
The Feud's gonna be weird because Steve Harvey is going to be really showing his own style and I hope his sidekick buddy Cedric the Entertainer be his announcer.
Millionaire, not too much for me to comment, but it's kinda heading very steady especially it's at 4 PM where I am.
5th grader, it's not really much for me, but I do like the format of banking the money and getting a pre-paid card whenever you lose, but I think it's a fair game for me. DFTL is gonna be great with Mark McGrath who was an Extra host (2004-2007) but I think he'll do great on the show.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 10:17 pm
I agree that the "Wheel" set is kinda empty most weeks. I was mad at the beginning of the season when there were not any cars having the chance to be given away. I wish they would still have 2 cars available. The set really stands out when they have the all black starry night background that I love so much.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 6:24 pm
DOND is doomed, it just doesn't have the magic and appeal primetime had. And who is making these recent decisions for Millionaire? It's killing the show.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 8:07 pm
DOND is doomed, it just doesn't have the magic and appeal primetime had. And who is making these recent decisions for Millionaire? It's killing the show.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 8:07 pm
They don't, as far as I know.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 8:15 pm
They don't, as far as I know.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 8:15 pm
Actually, Taylor, I was referring to the mid-70s weekly games — "Match Game PM", "Jeopardy!", "High Rollers", and "The $25,000 Pyramid" all had self-contained games. "Bicycling" essentially means that it was sent to certain affiliates, who would then send the tapes to another affiliate, etc.
Essentially, the show would not be seen in taping order in most, if not all, markets. Do they do it nowadays? It certainly seemed like it when "Crosswords" and "Trivial Pursuit" were airing, and every week of "Deal Or No Deal" is self-contained for no apparent reason (let contestants stay until they're picked!), but otherwise no.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 9:41 pm
Actually, Taylor, I was referring to the mid-70s weekly games — "Match Game PM", "Jeopardy!", "High Rollers", and "The $25,000 Pyramid" all had self-contained games. "Bicycling" essentially means that it was sent to certain affiliates, who would then send the tapes to another affiliate, etc.
Essentially, the show would not be seen in taping order in most, if not all, markets. Do they do it nowadays? It certainly seemed like it when "Crosswords" and "Trivial Pursuit" were airing, and every week of "Deal Or No Deal" is self-contained for no apparent reason (let contestants stay until they're picked!), but otherwise no.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 9:41 pm
* "Who cares that the DoND set looks the same in CT as it did in CA? What's the difference? Do you enjoy it more or less because its taped in CT? It's the game that matters."
Where it tapes doesn't matter — the fact that they made no on-air announcement that they were in a different city, plus the fact that the set made no changes whatsoever, made it very hard to tell which season it was (and I suspect this was on purpose). As for the game, they've been doing pointless gimmicks here, too. I can't enjoy a game that feels like it has to do a crappy and constant stream of gimmicks to keep my attention ("Wheel Of Fortune", I'm looking at you).
* "I think the WoF set is a stroke of genius. It's brilliant in its simplicity. You have the three staples (The Wheel, Puzzle Board and projection screen behind the contestants.) Then the rest changes every week to reflect the theme of the week. What more do you need? Chuck just used to have a curtain behind him. THAT was boring!"
No, the curtain was awesome because it was a constant thing that — no crappy neon tubing or see-through Million-Dollar Wedge — and the fact that a bunch of awesome prizes were behind the curtain.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 9:48 pm
* "Who cares that the DoND set looks the same in CT as it did in CA? What's the difference? Do you enjoy it more or less because its taped in CT? It's the game that matters."
Where it tapes doesn't matter — the fact that they made no on-air announcement that they were in a different city, plus the fact that the set made no changes whatsoever, made it very hard to tell which season it was (and I suspect this was on purpose). As for the game, they've been doing pointless gimmicks here, too. I can't enjoy a game that feels like it has to do a crappy and constant stream of gimmicks to keep my attention ("Wheel Of Fortune", I'm looking at you).
* "I think the WoF set is a stroke of genius. It's brilliant in its simplicity. You have the three staples (The Wheel, Puzzle Board and projection screen behind the contestants.) Then the rest changes every week to reflect the theme of the week. What more do you need? Chuck just used to have a curtain behind him. THAT was boring!"
No, the curtain was awesome because it was a constant thing that — no crappy neon tubing or see-through Million-Dollar Wedge — and the fact that a bunch of awesome prizes were behind the curtain.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 9:48 pm
In general, I agree on the contestants — get intelligent people, not "I can curl into a ball!".
I disagree on the money tree change — $1,000 just isn't much money anymore. The fact that the show hasn't given away $25,000+ that often since the STUPID Tournament (that's another rant entirely) — although apparently people are watching it because they want to see a show destroy itself………which would explain why "Wheel" is doing so well.
And no, PLEASE DON'T BRING BACK 50:50 — it was just some guy in the back going "Which two should I remove?" Too many times, a contestant mentioned two answers out loud — both of which were left after using 50:50. Essentially, it boiled down to "If we want you to move on, we'll eliminate one you mentioned. If we don't, we leave the two you spoke out loud because we encouraged you to. If both answers you're torn between are wrong, we'll only eliminate one of them."
(And if I'm wrong, I'm wrong.)
As for Ask The Expert…..most are not qualified in a wide range of fields, or are only meant to be used for one specific question (if at all).
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 9:58 pm
In general, I agree on the contestants — get intelligent people, not "I can curl into a ball!".
I disagree on the money tree change — $1,000 just isn't much money anymore. The fact that the show hasn't given away $25,000+ that often since the STUPID Tournament (that's another rant entirely) — although apparently people are watching it because they want to see a show destroy itself………which would explain why "Wheel" is doing so well.
And no, PLEASE DON'T BRING BACK 50:50 — it was just some guy in the back going "Which two should I remove?" Too many times, a contestant mentioned two answers out loud — both of which were left after using 50:50. Essentially, it boiled down to "If we want you to move on, we'll eliminate one you mentioned. If we don't, we leave the two you spoke out loud because we encouraged you to. If both answers you're torn between are wrong, we'll only eliminate one of them."
(And if I'm wrong, I'm wrong.)
As for Ask The Expert…..most are not qualified in a wide range of fields, or are only meant to be used for one specific question (if at all).
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 9:58 pm
I've never heard "Wheel" say "See you next season." I know "Jeopardy!" does, and "Price" is iffy (Seasons 33-35 did not mention that it was the Season Finale).
As for "Now we have to say goodbye", it was very popular in the 1960s-1980s and possibly a bit sooner/later than that. If you know it's the end, or your future is uncertain, say it! If it's the last taped episode of the season (even in the weekly syndication era), say it's the last of the season (and if you know it's the end, again, say it is! "To Tell The Truth" hinted to its end in 1978!)
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 10:05 pm
I've never heard "Wheel" say "See you next season." I know "Jeopardy!" does, and "Price" is iffy (Seasons 33-35 did not mention that it was the Season Finale).
As for "Now we have to say goodbye", it was very popular in the 1960s-1980s and possibly a bit sooner/later than that. If you know it's the end, or your future is uncertain, say it! If it's the last taped episode of the season (even in the weekly syndication era), say it's the last of the season (and if you know it's the end, again, say it is! "To Tell The Truth" hinted to its end in 1978!)
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 10:05 pm
I think the problem with DOND is that the move really surprised all of us, they made no announcements about it, but I can tell the differences in the first and second seasons.
The first season has the split screen with the contestant and the case # and at the end credits, it's blackened. The 2nd season has somewhat of that, but the split screen is gone and the end credits are simple camera shots of the studio with a A.C.T.F.E. sign at the near end.
The Feud's gonna be weird because Steve Harvey is going to be really showing his own style and I hope his sidekick buddy Cedric the Entertainer be his announcer.
Millionaire, not too much for me to comment, but it's kinda heading very steady especially it's at 4 PM where I am.
5th grader, it's not really much for me, but I do like the format of banking the money and getting a pre-paid card whenever you lose, but I think it's a fair game for me. DFTL is gonna be great with Mark McGrath who was an Extra host (2004-2007) but I think he'll do great on the show.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 10:17 pm
I think the problem with DOND is that the move really surprised all of us, they made no announcements about it, but I can tell the differences in the first and second seasons.
The first season has the split screen with the contestant and the case # and at the end credits, it's blackened. The 2nd season has somewhat of that, but the split screen is gone and the end credits are simple camera shots of the studio with a A.C.T.F.E. sign at the near end.
The Feud's gonna be weird because Steve Harvey is going to be really showing his own style and I hope his sidekick buddy Cedric the Entertainer be his announcer.
Millionaire, not too much for me to comment, but it's kinda heading very steady especially it's at 4 PM where I am.
5th grader, it's not really much for me, but I do like the format of banking the money and getting a pre-paid card whenever you lose, but I think it's a fair game for me. DFTL is gonna be great with Mark McGrath who was an Extra host (2004-2007) but I think he'll do great on the show.
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 10:17 pm
For what it's worth, Sajak made some kind of joke about the new season when the premiere came along…
Posted on February 3rd, 2010 at 3:54 am
For what it's worth, Sajak made some kind of joke about the new season when the premiere came along…
Posted on February 3rd, 2010 at 3:54 am
To @JackBauer112: Yeah, I think Steve and Ced would work out better on Feud, either him or (Steve’s) Nephew Tommy.
Posted on February 3rd, 2010 at 10:17 am
Do you like any game shows? Or, did you just comment for the sake of commenting?
A little grammar goes a long way as well…
Posted on February 4th, 2010 at 3:24 am
OMG someone just won $50,000. You don't see that everyday.
Posted on February 5th, 2010 at 5:04 am
OMG someone just won $50,000. You don't see that everyday.
Posted on February 5th, 2010 at 5:04 am
To see Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! outlive all of us, Devares, would be amazing. Alex, you're definitely right when you say that both shows have no end in sight. I just can't see either show going, unless they find a really crappy host after Pat and Alex.
Wheel, I'm not too concerned about the gimmicks. The show is genius, and to me the little things don't detract from it too much. I still don't watch it as often as I did, say, a year ago, but that's not due to the little things for each show.
Fifth Grader has gotten pretty good. I like the new format, and the current show is much better than the old version. I can see it being renewed for another season at least, which is good. ^^
Millionaire is still one of my all-time favorites. I've been obsessed with it since I was four. I'm still not sure which format I prefer, however it's still fun to watch. At least, that is when people actually get above $15,000. I wish they still had Phone a Friend; I mean, now we only have a third of the original lifelines. Perhaps they should consider – *shudders* – dumbing down the questions a bit? I don't mean immensely, but…enough so that they are actually answerable. Figures that I'm saying this two months after I'm complaining because reaching $25,000 just marked the level of not miserably failing. Meh.
I am totally excited for Feud's new season! It's sad to see O'Hurley go, but I'm sure Steve Harvey will be great here. I have to be sure to catch it when it premieres after the summer =D
Now, Deal or No Deal. I'd say no deal on that one; just get it out, and get it out quickly.
Posted on February 6th, 2010 at 4:31 am
To see Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! outlive all of us, Devares, would be amazing. Alex, you're definitely right when you say that both shows have no end in sight. I just can't see either show going, unless they find a really crappy host after Pat and Alex.
Wheel, I'm not too concerned about the gimmicks. The show is genius, and to me the little things don't detract from it too much. I still don't watch it as often as I did, say, a year ago, but that's not due to the little things for each show.
Fifth Grader has gotten pretty good. I like the new format, and the current show is much better than the old version. I can see it being renewed for another season at least, which is good. ^^
Millionaire is still one of my all-time favorites. I've been obsessed with it since I was four. I'm still not sure which format I prefer, however it's still fun to watch. At least, that is when people actually get above $15,000. I wish they still had Phone a Friend; I mean, now we only have a third of the original lifelines. Perhaps they should consider – *shudders* – dumbing down the questions a bit? I don't mean immensely, but…enough so that they are actually answerable. Figures that I'm saying this two months after I'm complaining because reaching $25,000 just marked the level of not miserably failing. Meh.
I am totally excited for Feud's new season! It's sad to see O'Hurley go, but I'm sure Steve Harvey will be great here. I have to be sure to catch it when it premieres after the summer =D
Now, Deal or No Deal. I'd say no deal on that one; just get it out, and get it out quickly.
Posted on February 6th, 2010 at 4:31 am
That Jeopardy! rating intrigues me, because that particular week precedes the week that had Pat Sajak's turn at the Celebrity Invitational. I loved that episode. I have absolutely no idea how well stations have been advertising this. Has there been any indication that the 5 celebrity rounds so far have provided ratings boosts?
Posted on February 6th, 2010 at 10:19 am
That Jeopardy! rating intrigues me, because that particular week precedes the week that had Pat Sajak's turn at the Celebrity Invitational. I loved that episode. I have absolutely no idea how well stations have been advertising this. Has there been any indication that the 5 celebrity rounds so far have provided ratings boosts?
Posted on February 6th, 2010 at 10:19 am
That Jeopardy! rating intrigues me, because that particular week precedes the week that had Pat Sajak's turn at the Celebrity Invitational. I loved that episode. I have absolutely no idea how well stations have been advertising this. Has there been any indication that the 5 celebrity rounds so far have provided ratings boosts?
Posted on February 6th, 2010 at 10:19 am
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