Ratings Report: “Wipeout” Sees Series High; “Million Dollar Money Drop” Doesn’t
THURSDAY UPDATE: Million Dollar Money Drop and Wipeout both aired episodes on Thursday at 8:00PM ET. One did great and the other didn’t. I’m sure you can guess which one did what. Wipeout was far and away the top performer. Actually it wasn’t that far from being the top performer of the entire night in general. The winter edition of ABC’s popular stunt game show scored a 6.5/10. That’s Wipeout‘s most watched telecast ever. It got an average of 11.6 million viewers. Phenomenal for them. Wipeout continues to be one of the most entertaining shows on American television.
If Million Dollar Money Drop is getting people to talk as much as they want people to think, execs must be saying it a few million times a day to make up for everyone else. Yet again last night the show underperformed, getting a 3.4/6 rating and averaging 4.24 million viewers. That’s just about a third of what Wipeout got. Time to give up on this. It’s not meant to be for America
This is a pretty good week for game shows on broadcast television. Million Dollar Money Drop on Fox, Minute to Win It on NBC, and Wipeout on ABC are all active. Some look alive and some…not so much. We’ve got ratings for Tuesday’s Money Drop and last night’s Minute to Win It.
NBC’s Minute to Win It continues to be a pretty solid performer for the network. It never gets great ratings, but it does well enough that a show with its small budget can easily survive. Last night’s 8:00PM ET episode scored a 4.0/7 rating. Should make for a bit over six million viewers. It was fourth place in its time slot which isn’t the best thing in the world, but again it’s cheap and frankly would do better than most other things NBC has on its schedule so it’s a success for them.
It gets pretty ugly for Fox’s Million Dollar Money Drop, though. Tuesday’s 9:00PM ET episode got a fourth place 2.8/4. It lost viewers from a rerun of Glee which wasn’t exactly highly rated, so that’s not good. It averaged roughly 3.8 million viewers. The beginning of the episode was pretty funny, though, as the announcer dramatically discussed how it’s the most talked about game show on TV and on the internet. It’s not really being talked about the way they want, but it makes for a good PR line. If anyone thought the whole wrong-question controversy would bring in more viewers, they were crazy. The show’s just about dead.
Syndication wasn’t looking too good except for Family Feud which is having a season to remember. Feud was the only show to increase; up 6% to a 1.8. This is one of those rare times when a host/tone change in a show really did help out a lot. The rest were flat or down. Wheel of Fortune lost 7% to a 6.7, Jeopardy! was down 10% to a 5.5, Millionaire lost 4% to a 2.2, and both Don’t Forget The Lyrics! and Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? were flat at a 1.0.
Tonight is the debut of Winter Wipeout on ABC and Million Dollar Money Drop will be on Fox again, both at 8:00PM ET.
Shameful for “Money Drop”. I actually like the show despite its surrounding controversy. Oh well, fun while it lasted, I suppose.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I hate the Americanized version of Money Drop. I’m starting to see more and more that “The British ARE Better Than Us” especially when it comes to new game shows. The classics not so much, but that’s getting off topic. It seems like many new shows have this high energy feel to them thinking that that’s going to bring in viewers and quite frankly, it’s annoying. Especially with Tuesday’s couple. I wanted to throw a brick through the TV watching that guy scream every 2 seconds. Give me the British version any day.
FOX has dug its own grave by stretching out 7 questions to an hour. They failed by doubling down on it without the first six eps ever going to air. If the show were live, or they had just waited to make run two, they probably would have done things differently.
Next week, when I get back to school (and therefore my desktop computer where I can record and edit TV) I’m going to make a video to prove that “Windows Movie Maker is better than FOX”. I’ll take an episode, chop it down (I’m thinking probably to 30 minutes, maybe even less) and prove that I can make this show more enjoyable with MOVIE MAKER.
More power to you!
One could check the archives of This Here Blog, and see that somebody did the same thing to another slower-than-molasses game show; “101 Ways To Leave A Game Show”. whoever did it managed to boil it down to seventeen minutes. However, he did make one mistake quite consistently. In editing it down, he forgot to include the questions.
Perhaps we are fortunate that Fox did not pick up on either “The Cube” or “The Perfect Ten” (which became “Minute To Win It”).
I’ve used my TiVO to take this show down to under 10 minutes…
You don’t even have to do that. Fox effing this show up big time. Why not let the show straddle? It’s hard enough to stretch 7 question to an hour long show.
Someone chopped down an epsiode of primetime Deal or No Deal, and it came out to be about 2 minutes and 45 seconds. That proves how slow and bloated network Deal or No Deal is.
I’d love to see you do something similar to that for Money Drop. Maybe your video will be shorter than three minutes.
Someone chopped down an episode of primetime Deal or No Deal, and it came out to be about 2 minutes and 45 seconds. That proves how slow and bloated network Deal or No Deal is.
I’d love to see you do something similar to that for Money Drop. Maybe your video will be shorter than three minutes.
The way MDMD is going, I expect cancellation this week if Thursday’s episode bombs.
Why can’t Fox use real, normal everyday contestants, like the ones on Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune and The Price Is Right rather than these Endemol type of contestants (obnoxious, low-intelligence, overexcited) and actors?
All the contestants I’ve seen have made me actually cheer for the American Idol judges who make $1M extra every time these dumb couples bomb on MDMD.
If they did that, they would have to pay out some prize money–question answered.
Who is willing to bet MDMD will be axed before the original UK version return for a new series in less than three weeks time?
I think you’ll find actually Travis it actually rates very well and has a massive online buzz.
So I’m told.
Tuesday 1/4′s ep. of MD2 was the first one that had a couple what were civil to each other for the entire game. The others were annoying as watching the sharing round of “Divided”.
I imagine Fifth Grader and Lyrics are on the bubble for renewal at best. I wouldn’t wager high ratings for syndicated reruns of Cash Cab. Although cashcabmgm.com shows Cash Cab has cleared quite a few cities, syndicated reruns of Debt, SUpermarket Sweep(Lifetime), and SHop TIl You Drop(LIfetime), were tried in a few cities in the 90s(Spring 1998 for Debt and Fall 1995 for Sweep and Shop) and the ratings weren’t good enough for them to go to first-run syndication.
MDMD is complete horses**t. I’m sorry, but there’s no better way to say it. The UK version presents a far superior product. I’m not a fan of the UK version either, but everything about it is so much better. Yet another example of how international formats sometimes fail when they are Americanized. I give it another week before the trap door opens under this show, dropping it down the chute to cancellation.
Regarding M2WI, this show is an absolute pleasure to watch. I’ve been watching it since the beginning, and they just always seem to be getting better. The show never gets old because they’re always adding new games; they must have around 100 or so now. Guy Fieri has gotten better, and there have been some big winners. This has become appointment television for me, and most likely some other people as well.
Million Dollar Money Drop is a lot of fun. Watching the dynamic between the partners as they lose an ever larger amount of the $1 million over the course of an hour is great — especially when they’re married. The show’s buzz is great on Twitter, where it has reached trending topics a few times and people love the tension. I hope that Fox gives it more time to find an audience. They could put it on Fridays when they throw in the towel on Human Target.
I’m surprised Buzzerblog is still talking about the Post-It controversy. If anything, it proves that each question on MDMD is a big deal, unlike some other primetime shows.
For everyone’s information, Minute to Win It seems to have just as many commercial breaks as Million Dollar Money Drop.
Have you ever watched Minute to Win It during real time? At times, they’ll only play 1 game, then drop to a commercial right away. Or, NBC will drag it out by talking about some sad story regarding the contestants and how they so-desperately need the money.
Now, don’t get me wrong, FOX’s idea of displaying 7 questions in an hour is slow-paced to say the least, but all that I’m saying is that BOTH SHOWS have TONS of COMMERCIALS and drag out 1 couple throughout AN ENTIRE HOUR. In my opinion, there should be at least 2 different sets of contestants in order to speed up gameplay.
FOX has a great show here, and even if they did tape X number of episodes with the slow 7-question format, there’s always opportunity to revise it, should FOX decide to bring it back for another season.
Can’t we all just get along and watch some great TV already?
Have you ever watched Minute to Win It during real time? At times, they’ll only play 1 game, then drop to a commercial right away. Or, NBC will drag it out by talking about some sad story regarding the contestants and how they so-desperately need the money….Does that reminds you of a former NBC show that GSN is airing damn near 20x a day?
Ya know, this is all proof that FOX should have just given us The Cube instead of this. This is nothing against MDMD, as it is a good show, but The Cube probably would have done much better than Money Drop has so far.
You do realize that going against Wipeout, MDMD did rise 8% from it’s Tuesday episode and that ratings for MTWI were about the same when it first premiered. You also have to realize that it hasn’t aired after a NEW episode of Glee yet. Once that happens, things could change. MDMD appears to be knocking on the door, but hasn’t broke through yet. If Wipeout continues to be a success during the normal broadcast season, maybe it will remove itself from the summer, and FOX could put MDMD in the summer instead!!!
Also, all one hour shows usually have 5 commercials totally 13-15 minutes. This is true for both MTWI and MDMD. It is just the timing of the commericals that is bad!
I am scared to see what an Americanized Cube would look like i think its better in England
I like Money Drop but i wish they would speed the show up the suspenseful pauses are annoying. And the guys from yesterday were annoying and it was hard stomaching them for an hour. They need to have two couples per episode.
They will have two couples in an hour on Tuesday. It’s very likely that one couple busts on a fairly early question, but regardless I bet this episode will be at a decent pace.
If care is not taken, an “Americanized” version of “The Cube” would feature a host who is nothing but a blow-dried pretty-boy, with more white teeth than personality. He would show the detachment that is expected of an American game show host. He wouldn’t agonize along with the contestant, as Phillip Schofield sometimes does.
The “voice of the Cube” would probably take snide and snark several steps farther than Colin MacFarlane does on the UK show. MacFarlane takes it only as far as it has to go, and no farther.
The contestants would be the usual Central Casting suspects, with nobody displaying a New England accent, or the soft cadences of Rome, Georgia, or a Hoosier twang. They would all be telling sob stories about how they are trying to raise money so that Mama can have a brain transplant, or how they are being threatened with eviction into the cold and cru-ell street, or some other such tale. And Mr. Blow-Dry referred to above wold be instructed to milk this sob story for more than it is worth!
“Americanized” version of “The Cube”
Don;t forget the audience will laugh and applaud at everything the host says
Having useless models to give the contestant a ball
One contestant per show they will be deal or no deal like constants yelling and jumping around.
Ways to tanker with the format
Annoying announcer telling us whats going on before and after every commercial
Million Dollar Missions
Show being put in syndication
And the primetime version being killed off with celebrities specials with celebrities from 70s and 80s shows and unknowns
ITV’s version has already had two shows that had one contestant apiece. One was in the first series, and one in the most recent one. Both were excellent shows, with personable, natural contestants, ingenious games, and lots of the usual suspense. And both contestants walked away with a hundred thousand quid apiece, after seeing that the jackpot game was the one that gave them the most headaches in their run up to that level.
And neither of those useless models would look anything like The Body!
They might have Americanized it. Just tune in to NBC and look for Guy Fieri.
Any update on the Wipeout lawsuit?
Why do American versions always need to be “Americanized”? Why can’t they stay the same as in countries overseas? Is IT F-IN’ NECESSARY TO TAMPER WITH THE FORMULA? G-D They’re so arrogant >(
Dunno. I like the American version of Deal or No Deal best. And The Office too. I guess that makes me “arrogant”?
Let’s not forget the Americanized version of the classic TV shows, “Till Death Do Us Part” and “Steptoe and Son”
Known here in the states as “All in the Family” and “Sanford and Son” respectively…
Hey now, don’t forget about TV shows across the other pond (the Pacific Ocean)!
Indeed, I sometimes wish this were an animé blog and not a game show blog.
For one thing, 4Kids Entertainment is so much like Fremantle Media that they’re practically two halves of the same company. Both take chances on formats to make them appeal to other audiences, and both are brutally and unfairly criticized by fans. For another, I can’t stand to watch an animé in Japanese. I can only enjoy it dubbed into English.
So, tell me, Adam S., do you think I’m “arrogant” too?
I would be surprised if FOX axes MDMD now. It was up, what 10% from Tuesday? And it’s so cheap to produce probably (and it’s not like they’re giving away a lot of prize money) why not see if it grows!!
Maybe I have too much of a positive attitude, but I hope FOX doesn’t cancel Million Dollar Money Drop just yet. This show has got great potential. Plus, FOX hasn’t had a great quiz-type game show since GREED premiered over 10 years ago (yes, I’m not counting ‘Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?’ as a good quiz-type game show).
I agree with you Nemwan. Ratings are up since the previous episode, so I’m hopeful. =D
FOX been out of the game show loop for so long now that it seems like without Million Dollar Money Drop, we might be waiting until 2020 before they think up another type of game show based on trivia questions. And who knows? Maybe they’ll bring back GREED at this rate. Chuck Woolery’s still alive and kicking! ^_^