“Rich List” Revival Information: Going to GSN
We really need one of those “We Called It!” signs that The Colbert Report has. One of our good friends from England, David Howell, recently got back from a taping of the revival of the The Rich List. This new edition was taping on the English version set so we thank him greatly for going. A lot of really big shocking information was given about the show too. GSN’s really trying some new things.
First off, it’s looking like it’s going to be an hour long show with two full games an hour. Works just fine for me. Wondering why Fred Roggin’s still been gone from GSN Live? He’s the host of the new show which has been changed from The Rich List to The Money List. If you don’t watch GSN Live, he also works with NBC Sports and was just away for the Olympics. The format is the same as any version. Just wager how many items from a list you can name. Whichever team is challenged has to name the number of items they listed. Whichever team finishes two lists wins the game and plays for $50,000 in the end game. And for a first in GSN game shows: there are returning champions. If you win, you can come back and potentially win a boatload of money. About time GSN does this.
And there you have it. One thing I’ve always wanted GSN to do is an hour long big money primetime game show, and they chose a decent one here. It seemed to split the game show crowd, but it never got a real fair chance here. It’s also been a success to some degree in every country it’s been on except here so it’s not like the show was a bust everywhere like Power of 10 sadly was. We’ll get official information in the upcoming weeks, but for now, GSN may have something interesting on their hands.
Where in the world are the new Russian Roulette episodes? Replaced by the million dollar cat game show, probably.
But this looks like it could work. But then again, so did Bingo America and Catch 21.
This is perfect for GSN and its about time they thought outside the box doing an hour long show AND the whole returning champions thing. I really enjoyed this the one time it was on before Fox decided to pull it surprisingly. But I can definitely see GSN backing off of the returning champions part if someone comes in and runs the table for awhile. But all in all, this should be exciting.
I always thought The Rich List deserved a better chance than it got. Honestly, Fox could have at least AIRED the rest of the episodes before pulling the plug. This could be real good for GSN, and if it works, they should bring RR back and continue building momentum for Bingo America and Catch 21( which had it’s THIRD $25,000 winner on Thursday).
Bravo to GSN. This is great news, indeed, and I hope the result is overwhelmingly positive in their favor…
I loved the format, the budget looks fine for GSN, and Fred Roggin will likely do well with this kind of format.
Given their streak of news lately, maybe should we now implore GSN to look back and try to revive other shows? LOL. Maybe we should get them to dig up their Scrabble pilot from *I think* 2003 or 2004ish, a personal revival dream, or start chomping at their bits for Russian Roulette and a more classically styled PYL…
They couldn’t have gone with Bob Goen or Bil Dwyer why?
Still, I’m glad to see GSN is finally taking a chance with a $50,000 bonus round. And, might I add, the returning champions concept is something that hasn’t been seen in a new game show since Wipeout ’88(?) (not counting any revivals and Temptation USA, which should be buried in the same landfill where all those E.T. Atari 2600 cartridges reside). I know I’m wrong, so someone please correct me on the last time the returning champions concept was introduced.
Ben:
NBC 2001 era 21…
That is all.
For the first time in a while I’m applauding for GSN. They finally seem like they are going back on track.
The thing that some of you might not know is Fred Roggin has hosted a local game show here called “The Challenge” for a couple years now. All the questions are sports related and he does a decent job. Here are some youtube clips of his show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzv6s0VjbTQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3hQRVZuj48
He also hosted a syndicated show in the mid ‘90s called “Roggin’s Heros” and it was a Funniest Home Videos/Sports Blooper show. The set was museum like and in the back of the museum was a security guard named Officer Feldman. The show was really cheesy but it stayed around for a couple of years.
Here’s a promo of the show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4nLz544GFA
and here’s a couple of clips from the show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShTMjI1mxyg (no audio)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCI_N6VNdus
Long story short I think Roggin will do a great job.
Wheelloon:
You’re right!
How could I forget that one?! (Then again, I said not counting revivals, so that one does and doesn’t count.)
Still, how long has it been since the “Returning Champions” concept has been used in a non-millionaire game show?
Returning champions in a non-million dollar game show? The only syndie or cable game show that does returning champions right now is Jeopardy, so some time before 1998. The first returning champion format show that comes to mind is The Challengers (which I would love to see make a comeback, it was a great show!) back in 1990.
Ah! Of course! The Singing Bee had returning champions for a short while before it got cancelled. So, it’s been a few months, Ben.
And on the topic of revivals, Family Feud is the only other recent one to have them (Hollywood Squares was canceled in 2004, but that’s the only more recent example I can think of).
Thanks for pointing that out, Cosmic Jester. I never saw that show, but now that it’s been put out to pasture, maybe GSN will air reruns of it (in place of The Weakest Link, Dog Eat Dog or Poker, I hope).
Interesting that The Rich List is being revived. I liked it when it was airing and I’m glad it’s being given another chance. GSN is really trying new things and that makes this game show fan happy.
As for the version Fox aired. I’m still kinda curious to see their unaired episodes to see whether there was a better reason to not give it a decent slot. I’m still speculating that Bill May and Ray Barnhart who won both games in the only aired Fox episode lasted into what would’ve been the 4th episode. Mind you, I’m still speculating.
Hi,
I was at the 11am taping Saturday morning (6th show in the run when it airs) and I have to say, I really enjoyed it. There is something weird though, hearing 5 American accents, all answering questions about America – whilst sitting in a studio in London!
As I’ve also attended a recording of the UK version – I was interested to compare the two versions, and apart from the GSN one using a far smaller studio that the BBC one (Studio 1 at BBC Television Centre is around twice the size of Studio 2 at ITV London where the GSN version has been taped) and the closeness helped the non-American audience get more wrapped up in the atmosphere, which could have been damaged if they had been sitting further away from the action.
It was a good move by the production team to bus in a group of ex-pats into the audience who were placed in front of the stage, who clapped and cheered and helped us normally silent Brits get behind the show participants.
The set is identical to the UK version (right down to the tape put up on the left hand side staircase, which must have suffered some damage along the way) and the format is identical to the UK version as well.
Fred was a rather good host for the show, the contestants warmed to him and so did the non-Americans in the audience (which could have wrecked the point of taping it in the UK because most of course, didn’t have a clue who he was until the warm-up guy gave a US to UK conversion example) and Fred kept things ticking along nicely during the breaks in recording out of the normal scheduled ones (one where the hinge to the soundproof booth fell off – and one where an answer needed to be verified in the control gallery via the internet). A foot-sure performance, he is a safe pair of hands for the show.
All in all the whole hour episode took 2hrs 10 to record (which was actually around 15 mins quicker than it took for the UK one I saw to record – and ours runs 10 mins shorter) and hopefully, it’ll be a hit for GSN. It really deserves it, second time around!
Cheers
Mart.
Any chance GSN picks up the rights to air the unaired Fox Rich List shows as a lead-in to The Money List?
Are you kidding me, Rob? Do you really think that GSN would want to pick up unaired episodes of a show that most people won’t remember just so they can compare the GSN revival to the big money broadcast network version that only aired one episode?
Seriously…That would ruin the network’s attempts to revive the show.
I’m guessing that’s a “no”?
Am glad that GSN is reviving The Rich List. That was an awesome show. I wish that Fox would have aired it in a better time slot and gave it a chance.
Great to hear from someone else at a taping. And yes, mine must therefore be episode 4. They must have done two on Thursday and three on Friday, I saw the second of the Friday ones.
Yes, ours is 50 minutes. But then the only advert breaks we have is for the Lottery draws, as it’s on BBC One. I’d imagine that the actual episode length by time is almost the same. I’m pretty sure my episode took a bit longer than 2:15 to record, but then I think I was counting time in the studio rather than taping time. We, too, had an answer that went to the control room, and a solitary technical break (right at the start with the lighting).
Here are two reasons GSN will not show the unaired Rich List episodes–the name change and the money ladder change. If you want to confuse the viewers, show the same show but with a different name, different payouts, and a different host.
Oh, and Jeopardy! still has returning champions when I last checked…
The Rich Li$t was number 2 on my list of shows that needed to be revived! I’ve recently had my dreams come true with the revival of The Mole, which was exactly what I had been waiting 4 years to see! I’d also like to see more episodes of 21, Russian Roulette, and Where In The World is Carmen Sandiego! But The Money List looks promising! I liked the concept of How Much is Enough, but that failed miserably! The Money List, I pray, will do better than The Rich Li$t did on Fox!