BuzzerBlog

After reading some comments here, some IMs and emails I got, and postings on other boards I feel like I sort of have to sell some of you on to GSN’s revival of The Newlywed Game.  The source of the worry has, ironically, come from the Entertainment Tonight video I posted hoping to excite people about the new version.  It actually seemed to throw off a few people because, admittedly, Bob Eubanks really talked and acted like he wanted to host this new version badly.  Who can blame him, but I digress.  I feel I need to make it up to you by bringing up all the positives and negatives of The Newlywed Game, from the many shows I saw, just in case there were doubters that Embassy Row and GSN revived the show masterfully.

First off, I always rant and rave that Embassy Row is one of the very very few production companies I fully trust to do any show, and it stands true with this.  The crew, specifically pointing out Michael Davies and Tracey Bowen, has always treated this site, specifically me, better than they should probably treat a niche blog.  Without them a lot of stuff you read probably wouldn’t make it here.  They’re always so nice and friendly and willing to help me out with this stuff that it staggers me.  It’s always unbelievably flattering to have people like the director come up to me and say how much they enjoy the site and what we (including you commenters) do.  I’ve known them for a long time, like three or four years now, and it was fantastic seeing some old friends from that show and from Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

The big element to be happy with is that the core of the game stayed the same.  Instead of four couples playing, there are three because of time constraints.  There are three 5 point questions in round one; in round two there are two 10 pointers and one final 20 point question.  If there’s a tie, they do a short tie breaker to see who won the game.  The winning couple wins a second honeymoon and plays the bonus round against a couple from the original version called the Goldyweds.  The couple can be from the 60s, 70s, or 80s versions.  I saw all decades. The bonus round is five questions in the same Newlywed Game format as always.  Whoever has the most points wins a bonus prize.
So they got the first part of the show down; they kept it essentially the same.  Whenever people have tried to make it more of a game show I get a laugh, because The Newlywed Game’s scoring system is a shell for the comedy game that encompasses the rest.  Once you throw in the heated competition, you forget that the main purpose of the show is to laugh, and do they ever succeed at making you laugh.  I’ve never had to walk away from the stage because I was laughing so hard during a game show taping before.  I don’t think I’m allowed to give specific answers yet, but we’ll definitely have clips which show this.  It’s unbelievably funny in the vein that the older version is.

Another worry point was the sleaze factor.  Can the show be revived in 2009, where the 70s version of innuendo is obsolete, and be funny for all without being offensive?  Sure it can.  It’s on the same level of dirtiness as the old version.  Again, it’s a natural update.  There’s nothing overtly dirty and pornographic, but there is bedroom talk just like the older version.  I love filthy humor; it’s my favorite.  The show made me entertained with it, but it didn’t exclude anyone else because of being too “out there”.  If you could handle the classic version’s dirtiness of things like, “In the butt, Bob,” then you can handle some choice answers about Australia.

I’ve been praising new host Carnie Wilson left and right because she truly deserves it.  I’ll repeat myself: when I initially heard she was going to be the host I was a bit worried.  However, even after the first day on the set that worry was erased.  When I went back a week later to see another week of shows tape, she was even better.  Carnie’s the perfect mix of sass and charm.  She’s not afraid to prod at contestants to reveal their most intimate secrets, but she also knows when to be more supportive and uplifting to rile up some enthusiasm from the contestants and audience.  I honestly really don’t have any flat out negative things to say about Carnie.

We’ll hopefully get pictures of the set for you soon.  They taped in an incredibly small studio in Manhattan in New York City, but what they did with the space was fantastic.  The setup is the same as always; the three couples are lined up behind the desks facing the host.  The set is sort of retro-modern, like how GSN’s I’ve Got A Secret was and I think nearly everyone agreed that that looked beautiful. The backdrop for contestants is pictures taken from a “photo booth” placed on monitors behind them.  It looks incredibly nice.  The coolest part and the biggest space saver is the set rotates to reveal the bonus round set which is a really nice velvety looking thing.

There’s only one major glaring negative I saw: the end game which seems haphazardly thrown in there.  The main game is brightly lit, fun, and funny and played for a very nice second honeymoon.  The end game gets darker, more dramatic, and less laughs and was played, in the shows I went to, for a sofa or a digital camera and printer.  Does anything seem off with that to anyone else?  Chain Reaction and Crosswords made a very fatal flaw of putting a lighthearted fun word game on a dark, depressing, dramatic set.  I was overjoyed The Newlywed Game avoided that for 28 minutes.  But when the end game started, the lights went down and I had to let out a bit of  sigh.  I don’t think I would have had the end game been played for more than a digital camera, but dimming lights for something worth around $500 when you already won a nice vacation was almost a self-parody of the current genre.

Beyond that, there were no glaring mistakes or problems with the show that I saw.  That’s probably because I know what I am getting myself into.  It’s barely a game show, it’s a comedy show.  The game play works so there’s no reason to harp on about that.  Watch the show to laugh.  If you’re analyzing it any deeper than for comedy, I think you’re placing way too much into it.  While Bob Eubanks would have been nice and I still think they best host for the show, Carnie Wilson stunned me at how quickly and well she picked up the format.  Carnie was ready for the laughs and ready to play the game whenever needed.  Don’t expect or hope for a Bob Eubanks clone, because she isn’t and that’s probably a good thing.  It’s incredibly entertaining funny that I’m sure you will all enjoy.  Hopefully this may have put a few of you at ease.

The Newlywed Game premieres Monday, April 6th, at 6:00PM ET on GSN, followed by the season premiere of Catch 21 at 6:30PM ET.

• Rumor Control: GSN’s “Newlywed Game” Renewed for Second Season, Moves to LA
• FAQ: “The Newlywed Game”
• Bob Eubanks Returns to “The Newlywed Game” Tonight on GSN
• Bob Eubanks to Host Final “Newlywed Game” of Season on GSN
• “Dating Game” and “Newlywed Game” for GSN