Top 10 Moments of 2008: Number 9

Our number nine moment of 2008 comes from GSN.  It’s pretty well recorded that I’m a big fan of the network.  I’ve enjoyed most of their recent original shows and programming decisions.  Also, the entire staff is unbelievably welcoming and nice.  But the network did something on June 10th which confuses many, and still does.  On that day, it was revealed that GSN and Meow Mix were planning to air a million dollar cat game show.  A game show where cats and owners compete to win $1,000,000.  It still confuses the world’s top scientists and religious experts as to why they picked it up.

Once you started watching, though (if you were one of the crazy people who did), you clearly saw why GSN picked up Freaking Million Dollar Cat Game Show.  It was an informercial; a time buy.  GSN got some decent money for suffering for a half hour and airing this.  But to what damage?  After the New York Times calls your show, “one of the most embarrassing half-hours in the history of television,” it does a bit of damage to your brand that needs fixing.  But so far it looks like GSN has successfully shifted away from it and it’s almost like they never aired it; completely ignoring it by this point.  Host Chuck Woolery was obviously in this for the money and unless someone brings him away from his radio show debuting in early 2009, it’s a shame that the last game show he did will be a Freaking Million Dollar Cat Game Show.