Top New Show of 2011: Number One
We’ve counted down what you voted as the top five new game shows of 2011. We’ve had an interested group of very deserving shows. Spots two through five were close. However, I don’t really think there was ever a question as to what was going to win number one. Yes, you voted, far and away, ABC’s Million Dollar Mind Game as the best new show of 2011. Not to diminish the other shows but the results weren’t even close. Million Dollar Mind Game had over 50% of the votes, and it deserved it. We’ve never had a show receive so many votes.
Million Dollar Mind Game took the safe ground of the Millionaire format but added something we’ve never seen before. We have a group of six people having to work together as a team without any backstabbing, voting off, or any other cliches. Furthermore we have the tough brain teasers which has never been tried on American television before. Add to that a great looking, completely original set and theming, the great hosting of Vernon Kay, likable contestants, and tense game play and there was never a question that it would be one to remember.
All of that is what made it pretty sad when ABC shoved Mind Game to weekend afternoons opposite NFL, which may be the worst time slot ever given to a series. I don’t think anyone expected much given the slot but the show received nearly universal acclaim, a decent devoted following, and if nothing else the viewers stayed steady and really didn’t go down through six weeks…again opposite the powerhouse of NFL. That’s something most other primetime game shows can’t say. I think what amazed me was the Russian reception. The show comes from a Russian format, and we did add some cash and elements that they don’t have. I figured that there would be some big backlash, but it even got high marks from there. The crew clearly did right.
Million Dollar Mind Game actually makes you hopeful for the genre. We’ve been inundated with, frankly, games that are either pure luck or border on annoyingly easy for a long time. We finally have a show which actually challenges viewers and makes you think. It’s hard, but not impossible. It’s only impossible if you brazenly chose to not bother. It’s unashamedly intelligent and in the current genre world of Deal or No Deal it’s refreshing. We haven’t had a game show this good in an extremely long time. Frankly I can’t even name the last game that was this all-around good. I really can’t pick out anything bad beyond the awkward jump from $600,000 to $1,000,000 for the final question.
Will it come back? Who knows. It performed to expectations, never lost viewers, and has a following. The people behind Mind Game are trying and I, as well as many of you, are crossing our fingers for its return. Alex Reznik, a producer from Million Dollar Mind Game, wanted to send all of you that overwhelmingly voted for the show a message. Thanks to them for a great show, and we hope it can come back somewhere soon.
On behalf of everyone at Million Dollar Mind game, we’re extremely honored and grateful to “Buzzerblog” and of course our fans for this tremendous honor.
We are proud to be part of the Game Show community and hope to bring you more exciting new episode in 2012. Happy New Year from Million Dollar Mind Game.
It shows the state of game shows today…..when contestants don’t want to THINK on game shows, except for Jeopardy and Millionaire…….most of the games, are mostly luck based….for once a game where you REALLY have to think to know the answer…..now if we can get Countdown to the US to help our school systems…….that would be awesome.
I’m more of a fan of trivia-based game shows than physical stunt-based game shows, but I always give each type a chance to grab my attention. Aside from Million Dollar Mind Game, the next newest primetime game show that focuses on trivia is Who’s Still Standing (which I enjoy because of the fast pace of the trivia questions, but it’s confusing since as of late, NBC has been cutting out the Speed Rounds and has been constantly changing the rules of the show — how many passes you start off with, how much money each stranger is worth and how many strangers must be defeated before you can leave with the money).
Clearly, NBC has been fooling around with the structure of Who’s Still Standing to see what’s the best way to give the Hero a chance to stay for a long time, yet at the same time, give out as little money as possible. Tonight’s episode saw one stranger being worth a funny yet cheap $1.00 – you heard me right. One Dollar. Then again, another Stranger had $50,000. This was even though at the start of the episode, Ben stated that the amounts range from $1,000 to $20,000. Go figure. The rules change every episode.
Nonetheless, I still watch Who’s Still Standing, because of the number of trivia questions shown per episode. Not on par with Jeopardy mind you, or the old trivia game shows of the past, but it’s better than when Million Dollar Money Drop first started, showing only 7 questions per hour-long episode. Million Dollar Mind Game had about…err… 10 to 15 questions per episode, I think.
Anyways, point being, we went from an era 1999-2006 of trivia-based game shows, to an era 2007-2011 of physical stunt-based game shows. Now it seems like we’re heading back into an era of trivia-based game shows again, which is good. We just need networks to take the trivia-based game show seriously again. Million Dollar Mind Game was great, but ABC thought it would fail, so it got a bad timeslot. Who’s Still Standing could’ve been, and can still be, great, but cutting to commercial in the middle of a question is irritating, along with taking up filler time repeating what just happened before the commercial break.
It also seems like today, networks don’t take trivia-based game shows as seriously as they once did 10 years ago. Almost to the point of saying that they don’t have confidence in such a show succeeding ratings-wise, so they go ahead and make unnecessary modifications as to how the show works, what time it airs, or they intentionally add in parts which seem gimmicky or corny, just to have an excuse. That way, if the show doesn’t get the ratings they want (and more often than not, it doesn’t, because they intentionally messed up the formula), then they can brag “See, primetime trivia-based game shows always get lower ratings in comparison to physical stunt-based game shows.” When in reality, it’s not the actual show that’s bad; it’s the modifications made to the show which are bad, which then causes viewers to tune out.
The reason “Who’s Still Standing?” is changing its rules so much is because it’s airing out of taping order, and some individual episodes combine games from very different tapings.
Couldn’t agree more. Million Dollar Mind Game was the only decent game show premiering this year, in my opinion. Other network game shows had actors instead of contestants babbling out idiotic answers and/or a terrible format. This could have restored my faith in game shows, but ABC had to make it fail.
To Alex Reznik and any other Million Dollar Mind Game crew members who may be reading this, congratulations on a well-deserved #1, and PLEASE try to keep this show on the air! Don’t give up just because ABC wouldn’t know a good show if it smacked them upside the head. (Hey ABC, remember passing on The Cosby Show? :P) I for one think it’d go great with CBS’s lineup.
OK…They relegate gold like Million Dollar Mind Game to Sunday afternoons against the NFL…and they gave a prime time slot to You Deserve It, which was a painful, agonizing failure.
ABC is apparently run by idiots.
Right up there with Fox cancelling The Rich List after one episode and giving Hole in the Wall a full season.
Well, ABC is owned by Disney. So there you go. But I am, in this instance, gonna give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they figure there would be no NFL season this year, so they put it in that time slot to lure viewers in, or, maybe, they figured that it’s not gonna get the viewers we want. So it’s six eggs in one basket, a half dozen in another.
No, ABC isn’t *apparently* run by idiots, they ARE run by idiots. Keep in mind this is the same network that relegated Duel to Friday nights against The Price Is Right Million Dollar Spectacular, didn’t give The Mole any advertising and then cancelled it for low ratings when many die-hard fans didn’t even know it was back until midway through the season, and well before that, passed on The Cosby Show because the executives didn’t think anybody would want to watch black people who aren’t poor.
(No, ABC, there is no statute of limitations on passing on The Cosby Show. I’ll still be mocking you for that one even if you go out of business.)
Networks love when people act like buffoons for a litany of (God knows why) reasons. That’s why I don’t watch much network television; they cater to a low-IQ clientele. I wish this show would be given a legit chance to succeed, rather than be treated like crap, but I won’t hold my breath.
The Best Show on Television That (Practically) Nobody (outside of Buzzerblog regulars) Knew Of, and One That Deserves Revival Sooner Rather Than Later. MDMG and Secret Fortune would make a great 1-2 combo for some wise network exec…CBS? TNT? TBS? USA? Hello? Bueller? Bueller?
CBS has enough success with scripted shows that there isn’t much room outside of Saturdays.
TNT only does scripted dramas and sports
TBS only does scripted comedies and sports
USA only does scripted dramas and whatever the hell wrestling is supposed to be
CBS never really got on the second wave of prime time game shows. Million Dollar Password was schedule spackle between series of Amazing Race. They threw Power of 10 in the summer, then brought it back only to throw it to the wolves called Idol and Deal. The Million Dollar Spectaculars themselves were only done to help get CBS through the strike. They haven’t come back since. And I hate to keep reminding people, but The Cube died there with Neil Patrick Harris at the helm.
I hate scripted dramas with a passion. I hate any dramas, actually. Which is why I never watch CBS past 7:30, when Feud is on. As soon as 8 pm hits, I switch the channel.