Two New Game Shows: “Opportunity Knocks” and “The Phone”
Instead of making two different posts about shows we don’t know a lot about, why not make one large post putting them together? Two new game shows were recently announced, one for ABC who never seems to give up and one for MTV.
The ABC game show is called Opportunity Knocks which is from both Katalyst and 3 Ball Productions. The show, as Cynopsis tells us, is very similar to the old after show audience game from Let’s Make A Deal. Hosts on the show travel from house to house asking people questions for cash if they give a right answer. ABC ordered 13 episodes which will probably debut in the Fall. We’ve really fully come to an age where two-minute segments on shows are the entire program, haven’t we?
The other show, for MTV, is called The Phone which is being produced by Justin Timberlake and Fremantle who everyone seems to love so much. They are really making sure to call the show “genre-busting”, but it’s basically a stereotypical competition show. Two people pick up phones at different ends of a busy city. They have five seconds to decide to take the challenge, which could net them a large cash prize, or back down. If they accept, the guide on the phone gives them a mission to complete before time runs out. If they do, they win the cash.
Any early thoughts on these? Opportunity Knocks sounds kind of lame, but The Phone sounds interesting, almost The Mole- like to a certain degree.
Opportunity Knocks looks like another “man on the street” show…the only time this ever worked was Street Smarts and that was only because it was better than the sleeze dating shows that was available for late night Syndie (Change of Heart, Ship Mates, Blind Date…thank GOD the 90s are over!) I always thought the Lets Make A Deal mini game should have been made into something more than it was but as a contestant selector or something like that. This just sounds silly.
The Phone sounds interesting…but MTV will find a way to F it up. And well..given that random challenges by phone were a radio staple that often ended up in major disasters (Sex for Sam, Hold your Wee for a WII) I am not feeling this at all. IF a mainstream network was doing it, it could be interesting with various factors not seen since the mole and given the prisoner’s dillemma aspect, possibly even Friend or Foe (which has grown on me, even if kennedy is ANNOYING) It’s an interesting concept but…there is NO way MTV will get it right…if they do they probs axe it in 2 weeks because of bad demos :rolleyes:
I agree…neither show seems too interesting…and yes, the old dating shows were not that great. Live on the street shows never work (I agree with that), and The Phone seems no better. However, let’s not forget…MTV did have a popular game show (once) called “Remote Control”. True, their dating show (“Singled Out”) was OK…but let’s face it…more people watched it for Jenny McCarthy & (later) Carmen Electra.
“Opportunity Knocks” sounds like “Cash Cab,” only the show is set at a house rather than a taxi. Looks and sounds VERY basic cable, but may work as throwaway summer fare.
“The Phone” sounds intriguing but, as someone else mentioned, MTV has a habit of taking a promising concept and screwing it up. Also, I could see the show doing well at its premiere, than plunging ratings-wise due to the fact that typical MTV viewers will expect Justin Timberlake to be on the show, when it appears he’ll only be involved off-camera.
Sadly MTV viewers CAN be shallow enough to expect Timberlake to helm his own production…what can I say about people like that except NO DIVING!
The Phone is the stronger show…But the other thing that worries me is MTVs knack for throwing the towel in early and burning off shows or throwing them in horrid time slots and expecting the same results as when they were on good time slots (MY GENERATION!!!!), In concept something like the Phone would be good fodder for other networks that the stunts can be zany…but not sleezy…I really DREAD what may come out of this, one ep of Real World should explain my fear!
Opportunity Knocks could work as a string of specials…but it will grow old faster than a supermodel taking off her makeup. If it were TBS I may give it more of a shake, but network…Pass.
The Phone is more interesting than you’ve made it sound. I described the original Dutch show last autumn thus:
Two phones, just left randomly, ring in a city in Holland. Hopefully they’ll get picked up or there’s not much of a show. They’re told it’s from Arvo and if they want to win €25,000 they should press 1, or put the phone down. The two people meet and perform challenges ands tasks against the clock to find memory sticks – each one sent to them by a mysterious man on a phone, but each time they’re too slow they’re fined €2,500. After the last task, they stick the memory sticks they’ve got into a case and are asked questions on the places they’ve been to. Each correct answer reveals a clue about the location of the host who’s holding the money. Then they’ve got to find him before he drives off with the cash, which is rather rude. It’s on a spy theme and it’s really nicely shot (on covert-esque cameras), it’s sports great graphics and has a theme that sounds as though it’s come straight from ace Sean Connery action film The Rock, as does every Dutch adventure show. The only real problem is that for a show where everything’s against the clock, they really don’t seem too fussed about making it look as though they’re not fiddling with the time. Really this could have done with being around five years ago for Glenn Hugill to host when The Mole finished.
Yes, that’s a stronger format than thought but it still relies on what the challenges are and I think this is where MTV is going to mess up. They will find some way to inject their brand of trailer trash sex and gratutious sleaze into the challenges. Dog Gone It Brig Brother, now you REALLY are making me wish that this show was on a network…that just sounds AWESOME.
Yes, while The Phone sounds good to me, Opportunity Knocks feels like a watered down version of Discovery’s Cash Cab or TNN’s Oblivious. I like both of those, but this sounds like it was a Writer’s Strike idea that never got off the ground. Why it’s back now, I can’t begin to guess.
I pretty much hate everything that airs on mtv since they stage all there shows.
Opportunity Knocks sounds stupid it reminds me of that mtv game show they had during spring break the 4 hosts will try to dare the people out on the streets to do stupid stunts for money.
The Phone sounds stupid also I honestly don’t care for both shows.
The best game show of this year is Duel
Abc is going to need Regis to save there network again
A preview of Opportunity Knocks can be seen here – http://buzzsugar.com/1626756
I think it looks much better in the video than it does in the text description, and it’s hosted by children’s game show veteran JD Roth, so my guess is that it will have a bit more of a family feel to it.
Sorry, not a JD Roth fan…this just sounds like it’s gonna be goofy on the lines of I bet you Will :o