Friday, June 30, 2006

Game Show Marathon Report Card

The tape has been snapped, the confetti has been dropped, the trophy has been awarded, and the charity has been paid. Now, it's time for the Final Exam of "Game Show Marathon."

The subjects to be graded:
Ricki Lake
Rich Fields
Game Selection
Set Replication
Celebrity Choice
Individual Games
"History Class"
Editing
Rule Changes
Other

RICKI LAKE = B- (2.67) Ricki had a lot of enthusiasm for the show, and hosting these seven classic formats. I had a problem with that enthusiasm drowning out her ability to successfully host a show. I thought it would wear off at first, but it stuck with her from walking thru the Big Doors all the way to Fast Money.

RICH FIELDS = A (4.00) A masterful job, as always. He had some acoustical trouble, what with a studio that's shaped like a bowl, so a lot of post-production plugs had to be done. Don't fault Rich, fault the acoustics of Stage 46.

GAME SELECTION = A+ (4.33) Combining a show that's in syndication, five highly anticipated recreations of classic formats, and a retooling of a juggernaut, this was perfect.

SET REPLICATION = A (4.00) Oh...my...God. I think I uttered those words every night when the giant TV opened to reveal the classic set (albeit the "Price" set was a reproduction of the current set, not the classic set). Art and Electronics Departments, I salute you.

CELEBRITY CHOICE = C (2.00) While most names were recognizeable, I'm still scratching my head. Who IS Brande Roderick?

INDIVIDUAL GAMES = B (3.28)

THE PRICE IS RIGHT = C+ (2.33) Bad editing, a missing 2nd putt, a confusing (for some) Showcase Showdown, and an overly enthusiastic host made for a not good first night.

LET'S MAKE A DEAL = B+ (3.33) The show, as a whole, was enjoyable, and much like the original. Bringing in civilians for Tim's deal was a classy move. But, not having Rich come out with the trays and Ricki mugging with some of the products brought the grade down.

BEAT THE CLOCK = A (4.00) A wonderful adaptation of the Bud Collyer classic. Keeping the celebrities sequestered during the description of the stunt was a stroke of class. Also, with the show being a clip-fest, the grade was increased.

PRESS YOUR LUCK = A- (3.67) A light explanation of the rules during the game to the players drew away from the show. Also, not to fault the guys at FlashGames, but the cash slides on the board were lacking. The font for the original slides isn't that hard to get. However, this WAS "Press Your Luck," so I kept it in the A range.

CARD SHARKS = B+ (3.33) Good use of the classic theme all the way thru the show, and I loved seeing the dual turntable set. Also, I loved how they even incorporated the classic opening poem along with the four-way split screen. However, the cards should have been turned over a little faster and with more authority.

MATCH GAME = B+ (3.33) Although I didn't see the show all the way thru due to a power outage, I have seen clips and heard reports. That being said; the choice and placement of panelists was wonderful. Good to see Betty White in her old seat on the bottom tier. The REAL Rayburn microphone added brownie points to the show. However, Lance's poor performance took something away.

FAMILY FEUD = B (3.00) The players KNEW what they were doing! Plus points for that. Ricki yelling and pointing at the board CONSTANTLY! Minus points for that.

"HISTORY CLASS" = A+ (4.33) Excellent...all the way around.

EDITING = D (1.00) Editors, take a lesson from the director. Some shows have to have certain things included...LIKE A SECOND PUTT and EVERY PLAYER GETTING A DEAL!!

RULE CHANGES = C+ (2.33) Adjusting the Showdown rules, while it made sense to me, confused the general populous. Adjusting the max values on the Money Cards and the Super Match was cool. Not sure I liked the Audience Poll question in the middle of a Perry "Card Sharks" tribute...especially when played for a car. Increasing the dollar values on the "Press Your Luck" board was a nice touch.

OTHER = B+ (3.33) The home player aspect was good. Bringing in civilians on a couple of things was a nice touch.

OVERALL GRADE = B (3.127)

SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT ON A POSSIBLE GAME SHOW MARATHON 2:
1) Put Todd in studio and Ricki on the truck. The general populous like Ricki from her TALK SHOW days, and honestly isn't ready to be a game show host. Throwing her into 7 different formats with no prior game show experience was a tragic error in judgement.

2) A-List celebrities that actually want to be there. In my opinion, Kathy Najimy and Brande Roderick could have cared less if they were there. Evidence? Kathy was slumped over the Showcase podium, and Brande was "confused" about the trip to Australia. I would suggest, CBS, that you put your top stars in this tournament. My lineup for the next Marathon:

Jeff Probst - Jennifer Love Hewitt - Charlie Sheen
Kathryn Morris - Craig Ferguson - Victoria Rowell

3) Try to adapt the show to tape on Stage 33. It would be better for acoustics, and there is already a camera paddock at the back of the audience.

4) Perhaps a new game lineup, with some remaining the same. GSM2 Lineup:
The Price is Right
Let's Make A Deal
The $100,000 Pyramid
Sale of the Century
Tic Tac Dough
The Joker's Wild
Family Feud

with the necessary rule changes:

TPIR = Eliminate Bidder's Row. Have all 6 celebrities come right up to the stage to play a pricing game (a la Doug Davidson). Also, bring out pricing games that are easy to comprehend. Race Game and Hole In One may have been a little to advanced.

Pyramid = Since the contestants are celebrities, celebrity partners may not be needed. Simply pick people directly from the studio audience to partner with the celebrity contestants. Should they make it to the Winner's Circle, the civilian would win the cash.

TTD and TJW = Best of three match with "Dragon" and "Devil" for home players.

5) Timing, timing.........timing. Seriously, game shows are supposed to be faster paced. Don't drag on talking about who cares what. Play the game.

6) Don't spread the shows out. Game shows, in the traditional sense, as a rule, are stripped. Start it on a Monday night, and run it for a full week, ending on the following Sunday night. Ratings will increase. Look at the premiere week of "Deal or No Deal."

That's the end of my rant. Hopefully either GSM will be back, or PYL will be its own show again.

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Game Show Congress Pre & Post Itinerary

Looks like my first week in L.A. will be mighty fun...

--July 12: The Price is Right and What's My Line? LIVE
--July 13: Wheel of Fortune, then the start of GSCV
--July 13-16: Game Show Congress 5
--July 17: The Price is Right...again
--July 18: Moving into my new digs and trip to Disneyland
--July 19: Deal or No Deal

Fun stuff. Stay tuned...

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

3 weeks to go...

June 19 has come and gone. I'm now officially old enough to run for Congress and rent a car. I got my Price is Right tickets yesterday for July 12, 13, and 17. That was the first sign that I'm ready to leave town!

What's been going on recently:
--Dropped $173 on a new wardrobe, including khakis and conservative Hawaiian shirts, for work.
--Got confirmation about the dress code at CBS from Roger D. Casual is OK, except for shorts. What's that mean? Every article in my wardrobe has been pre-approved!
--Finished up the software for Game Show Congress V. Took me long enough.

Game Show Marathon is now in the home stretch, with one semifinal down. Brande is in for Family Feud, and Kathy and Lance play Match Game on Thursday. My report card for the Marathon will be up after Feud on the 29th.

Saturday, June 10, 2006

Early June Musings...

My last night in Bromley Hall. I'm one of four people in this entire building. It's kinda cool, but kinda creepy at the same time. I'm going to be leaving here at 10 AM tomorrow, and won't be back to Athens for at least six months.

To all my Bromley Hall staff members: Thanks for making this whole year my favorite in the department. I wish you all well for next year, whether you return to Cathy's staff, moving to a different staff, or moving on altogether.

To the Ohio University Game Show Appreciation Society: Although I will not be there during Fall Quarter, the team is in confident hands, and a piece of me will stay behind. I've left my game bag and banner with Dave, and they will be prevelant during Fall's meetings. Also, Ben, I'm sending you all my software so you can use it during the meetings.

To EVERYONE: I'll keep in contact with you all during my tenure at CBS, although it may not be very often, as I will only have internet access at Television City. I'll try to keep my Facebook profile updated with the newest pictures from inside the studio and all around Los Angeles. Stay tuned to this blog for constant updates about my internship, as I will use this as my journal.

Now, some news about my job and apartment. My apartment is official! Once I move in on July 18, I will send you my mailing address. Also, I have received a definite start date and time for the internship. I am to report to CBS Television City at 11 AM on Tuesday, August 22. WOO HOO!!

More to come later...

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Game Show Marathon Thoughts

After watching the first episode of the US "Game Show Marathon," I decided to surf thru the message boards and blogs to see what other people thought, and I couldn't have been more appalled. So, I'm going to use this time and this column to allay concerns about the show, one issue at a time.

Issue #1: Ricki Lake
Granted, Ricki is no Bob Barker. But, honestly, who is? I was hearing complaints of her being "too excited." That, sir, makes no sense. If you had grown up watching these games all of your life, then you finally get a shot to M.C. the show that is so near and dear to your heart, you WOULDN'T be excited?? Personally, I would be giddy! Also, I heard mention of Ricki mentioning Rich "too many times" during the course of the show. Question: how many is too many? Bob either mentions or talks directly to Rich at least 6 times during the course of the show. Ricki may have gone 10 or 11 times. That's fine! There's nothing wrong with that! It shows a personal connection between host and announcer...much like Gene and Johnny or Richard and Gene.

Issue #2: Rich Fields
OK, we all know (if our ears were trained properly) that Rich did a lot of post-production announcing. With the kind of noise level that 400 people give off, combined with a bowl of a studio, it makes sense that some prize plugs had to be redone. I don't fault Rich for that. I believe he did a masterful job, just like every morning on TPiR.

Issue #3: The Celebrities
For a choice of celebrities, I'd say the producers made a mostly good effort...4.5/6.

Issue #3A: Lance Bass
Lance wore a "COLEGE" shirt on the show, as did several people he was seated next to in studio. Ladies and gentlemen, that was not "making fun" of "Price." That was a TRIBUTE to how "Price" truly goes. What day have you watched the show and NOT seen a group of college students in the audience (mainly the UC-Santa Barbara campus)?

Issue #3B: Leslie Nielsen
Personally, I'm a huge Leslie Nielsen fan, and it was good to see him doing this. I wasn't too thrilled about seeing him called last, but I look forward to seeing him in other episodes of the Marathon. On the boards, I heard people say that he looked "out of it" when bidding on the bubble chair. That was probably the 2nd or 3rd hour of a 4-hour taping session. Wouldn't you be out of it, too?

Issue #3C: Tim Meadows
I love the Ladies' Man! Granted, he didn't get a lot of "playing" time, being stuck in the Row, but he'll be around for more games later. I predict big things for Tim and the Chris Farley Foundation.

Issue #3D: Paige Davis
Ah, our Plinko player. I thought she played the game well, and her antics at the top of the board were funny...not guffaw-on-the-floor funny, but chuckle-because-no-one-has-ever-thought-of-doing-the-staircase-gag-behind-the-board funny. I thought it was awesome that they gave a Dell DJ Diddy MP3 player to everyone in the audience when Paige won her chip for that. Dude, I want a Dell (DJ Diddy MP3 Player)! I was sorry to see her spin double nickels (literally) and get knocked out of the Showdown.

Issue #3E: Kathy Najimy
Here's where my half-point comes in. Kathy played The Row well, but when it came to Hole In One, I thought she could have taken it a little more seriously. Also, her slumping over the Showcase podium was a tad dramatic...as was the $81,000 bid.

Issue #3F: Brande Roderick
Where do I start? First off, I feel she was the token hottie of the sextet. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, though. I think she could have been a little smarter about game play, however. Saying that, I've seen daytime contestants play Race Game worse than her, so I can't fault her for that. Also, being "confused" on whether she had to take the boat to Australia...that showed her true self.

Issue #4: The Edits
Any first episode of a new show is going to have a lot of edits. Just look at the first week of "Deal or No Deal." Edit City, right? Right. That's to be expected.

Issue #4A: The Hole In One Debacle
I know that it's supposed to be "...or Two." I know Kathy got the second putt. I know they edited it out. But, she MISSED the 2nd putt. Had she made the 2nd putt and it had been edited out, I would have been livid. However, if you "Price" students out there remember...Hole in One used to be ONLY ONE PUTT! So, editing out the 2nd putt, although a crass mistake in editing and directing, is somewhat justified.

Issue #5: The Games
I fully expected Plinko to come out. However, for the other two, I would have picked less-complex games. I'm going to stop the fanboys now before you say, "Well, those games are in the road show." I know that. However, the road show doesn't take place on the same lot as all the original game props! Had I been in charge of the games, I would have picked Let 'Em Roll, Plinko, and Danger Price. "But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong."

Issue #5A: Race Game
"$6495? They'd never do that in an MDS." This isn't a Million Dollar Spectacular. Stow it.

Issue #5B: Plinko
"$99? Not likely in daytime." This isn't daytime. Stow it.

Issue #5C: Hole in One
(see Issue #4A for this one) Stow it.

Issue #6: The Showcase Showdown "Fiasco"
Unlike many of my constituents out there, I was not confused by the outcome of the Showdown. If you consult the rulebook of the Endless Games 2nd Edition Price is Right home game, you'll notice that the rules for 3-player Showdown are almost IDENTICAL to those they played last night! I saw that on the show and thought, "That's how I wrote it in the home game!" Now, let me elaborate a little further. Kathy had 55¢ and stayed. Paige got a dime total, which couldn't beat Kathy and knocked her out of contention. At that point, for Brande, it was the "one-spin-to-try-to-get-a-dollar" situation. The top two scorers advanced to the Showcase, and with Brande tying 55¢, she didn't have to spin again.

Issue #7: The Showcases
A 1966 Mustang Convertible? Frickin' Random, but I LOVED it!! Overall, the Showcases were good. The "Time Machine" theme was fitting, seeing as how "Marathon" is its own time machine.

Issue #8: The Post-Mortem
As I stated earlier, I was appalled at the reactions I was seeing for this. People, you have to understand that this *WAS NOT* "The Price is Right." This was an HOMAGE to what Barker and his crew do on a daily basis in Studio 33. Do not discredit the entire Marathon because you didn't think that $6495 should have been played in Race Game.

In conclusion, here are my personal thoughts. They're doing Marathon for a reason...to get game shows back into the mainstream. Also, we the fanboys are not the target market for this. What we can do is help the ratings by watching EVERY EPISODE and messaging Fremantle, thanking them for putting the 5 shows in the middle BACK ON THE AIR! If you like these shows, contact Fremantle and let them know! Also, for those of you that don't know, I have built my college major around game shows. I have also founded and presided over a student organization here on campus celebrating game shows. If these shows get back on the air, that would open up an entire career field for me, and others like me.