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How Would
YOU Like to Shape a Major Game Show Development? |
Posted 06/10/04 |
|
Small story up here, but very
important that you click onward. Steve Beverly and Gordon Pepper
have teamed to bring forth a survey that will help to steer the
direction of an upcoming project, and they want your opinion. All
you have to do is click onto the link below to get started. It
won't take much of your time.
Game Show Survey |
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Jennings
vs. Koss/Mellet |
Posted
07/09/04 |
|
Yesterday,
Ken Jennings snapped his four-game Final slump to take away
$40,000 for a 26-day take of over $820,000. Alex, at this point,
has pretty much given up on the notion that Ken may surpass the
$52,000 one-day record, but maybe a new challenge would befit our
superchamp. What would it be? And would Leonard Koss and Oliver
Mellet snap it before it even begins?
Primes: Snoop Dogg, Shannon Elizabeth, Jason Alexander, Camryn
Manheim, and Kevin Nealon face Hollywood Dave on the blackjack
table, while Jase puts two on the table in the Big Brother 5
Nomination Ceremony.
Full Story: Zap2it TV and
Louisville Courier-Journal
GSNN
Shortshots Thursday
GSNN Prime
Recaps |
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Numbers
Game: Super Tuesday Premieres Score |
Posted 07/07/04 |
|
And they're off! And we're not just
talking about the eleven duos of the Amazing Race or Lori Valenti
here. In the primetime Numbers Game, CBS's Summer of Fun has
gotten off to a rip-roaring start.
According to overnight ratings
posted by Zap2it.com, CBS averaged a 6.3/11 for the night, far
better than the 5.3/9 for second place NBC. ABC was at 4.0/9,
leaving FOX in fourth with a 2.7/5, The WB in fifth with a 1.8/3,
and 1.5/3 for UPN in last. CBS also won among adults 18-49,
earning a 4.0 rating in the important demographic.
The first hour of "Big Brother 5" did a 6.2/11 for CBS while ABC
and NBC tied as a repeat of "Last Comic Standing" and episodes of
"8 Simple Rules" and "I'm With Her" both averaged a 3.8/7 for the
hour. At 9pm, the last half-hour of "Big Brother 5" and the first
half-hour of "Amazing Race" averaged a 6.4/11 for CBS. NBC was
second with the 5.2/9 for a new "Last Comic Standing."
NBC grabbed the night's final hour with a 7.1/12 for "Law & Order:
SVU." The last hour of "Amazing Race" remained solid on CBS,
taking a 6.5/11.
Full story: Zap2It TV
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Interesting
Find: Kevin & Drew Unleashed |
Posted 07/07/04 |
|
First,
they took the hearts of million in the first "Amazing Race". Now
they're taking on the rest of world again, this time in a new
Discovery Channel series.
Kevin O'Connor and Drew Feinberg,
aka "The Chromedomes", have signed for a three-episode deal with
the network for "Kevin and Drew Unleashed." Compared by the
network to Fox's "The Simple Life", this show sends Kevin and Drew
around the country as they try out new things and make new friends
along the way.
The first episode, premiering this Thursday at 10pm ET, sends the
guys to Florida to work on an alligator farm, where they have to
harvest eggs and deal with a full-grown gator. From there, they go
to New England, as work in a cranberry bog.
In episode two, airing on July 15, Kevin and Drew go to a new-age
health spa in upstate New York. What seems to be a relaxing
environment turns competitive. The next stop of their tour dumps
them at a brewery, where they learn to make beer. But can they
keep from drinking their creations?
The final episode, scheduled for July 22, sends the boys to
Oklahoma, where they work as cowboys, doing such things as
branding colts and riding mechanical bulls. Next stop: South
Carolina, where the Frats take part in some deep-water shrimping.
Finally, they head to Drew's home borough of Staten Island, where
they work the field for the Staten Island Yankees.
Photo courtesy BigB TV/CBS
Full story: Reality News Online |
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TLC
Surprisingly Announces Search for New Member |
Posted 07/07/04 |
|
An episode of VH1's "Behind the
Music" series stressed that there would never be another third
member of the R&B group TLC, nor would there ever be another
studio album of original material, all after the death of one of
their own, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes.
This was before the advent of
reality competitions as par for the course on the TV landscape.
But the Boston Globe is arguing that the kindest cut of all may
not even come in a competition.
The announcement of TLC partnering
with Fox to search for a new member surprised many when it was
released last week. At this point, the show has neither a network
commitment nor a premiere date, but a deal has been signed. "Far
more intriguing is exactly how Watkins and Thomas went from the
noble idea of never replacing the woman they've often referred to
as their 'sister' to making their regrettable change of heart into
a prime-time event," reports Renee Graham, who writes the Life in
the Pop Lane column for the Boston Globe.
Full story: Boston Globe
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Casting
Begins for Third Apprentice |
Posted
07/06/04 |
|
The
Donald wants to fire some more people.
Even as the second season is still in filming, plans are in the
works to begin casting for the third series of "The Apprentice",
as NBC and Mark Burnett Productions hits Universal Hollywood with
Donald Trump in tow. The auditions begin this Friday.
From Los Angeles, the auditions will sweep through the country,
visiting 15 other cities. They'll go from Miami (July 16) to
Boston (July 17) to Honolulu (July 17) to Salt Lake City (July 17)
to Philadelphia (July 23) to San Antonio (July 23). Other stops
include Chicago, Minneapolis and Jacksonville.
The second season, currently
filming, will bow in September.
Full story: Zap2It/TV |
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These 12
Won't Be The Contender... |
Posted
07/06/04 |
|
NBC has Sylvester Stallone and Sugar
Ray Leonard looking for prospective pugilists. Fox has Oscar De La
Hoya... and their prospective pugilists all lined up.
Ranging in age from 20 to 31, the
boxers for Fox's Contender clone "The Next Great Champ" hail from
seven states, with four contestants from Florida and three from
California. They'll study the sweet science in an attempt to win a
professional contract with De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions. The
charismatic eight-time champion will also serve as their friend,
advisor and mentor on the journey, reports Zap2it.com.
"We've found 12 talented, determined, courageous young boxers who
want their chance at stardom," says De La Hoya. "We will push them
to their limits to see which ones have the heart of a champion.
And, for the first time, the audience will get to see the daily
sacrifices and struggles, the joy and pain in the career of a
young fighter. We'll show you how champions are made."
Full story: Zap2It/TV |
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Pax to
Debut New 3-Hour Game Block Come Fall |
Posted
07/05/04 |
|
Mondays through Thursdays are set to
be all about game on Pax's early prime access block this fall. Not
only will we see the return of "On the Cover" to augment new game
"Balderdash", set to launch August 2, but we'll see the returns of
reruns of George Gray's "Weakest Link" and Richard Karn's "Family
Feud", as well as a new season of "Shop 'Til You Drop" and the
addition of reruns of Donny Osmond's "Pyramid" in markets that do
not typically air NBC local news in the 7pm block.
Schedule:
6pm - Weakest Link
6:30pm - Shop 'Til You Drop
7pm - Pyramid (in markets that do not air local news)
7:30pm - Family Feud
8pm - On the Cover
8:30pm - Balderdash |
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WLTI: Four
Angry Men |
Posted 07/05/04 |
|
What
happens when you stick four game show fans in the same IM
chatroom and go off on subjects including, but not limited to,
game show hair, JD Roberto, and the downward spiral that Pax
is expected to take Once Balderdash launches in August?
You get the new episode of WLTI,
that's what!
We Love to
Interrupt - July 4 |
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DiGeorge:
GSN's Major Mistake |
Posted
07/03/04 |
|
For
as long as it has been a source of debate amongst game show fans,
GSN - the former Game Show Network - has always managed to put
itself on a laundry list for bad game show ideas (or at least good
game show decisions with poor execution). But does Lee's latest
observation count as one of them? You may be surprised by his
entry into the pantheon of "worst game ever".
The DiGeorge
Files: Episode 4 - "GSN's Worst Mistake" |
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Big
Brother's New Inmates Are... |
Posted 07/01/04 |
|
We're five days away from a new Big
Brother season, and it's about time to let the dogs... in.
Continuing a trend of young, eager kiddies willing to do anything
for money (the oldest cast mate of BB4 was Jack Owens, and even he
was young at heart), the ages of the new breed range from 21 to
41. Geographically, they come from the Boston to Tupelo, while
their occupations range from model to mortician to web designer.
Each of the thirteen will be
involved in a season that will employ an increase of physical
discomfort and implementing gameplay rules changes unlike any
other. Additionally, the changes as a
whole, whose details still remain a mystery, are meant, at least
according to the video, to favor those who play the game honestly
at the price of those who are more manipulative.
The show premieres with the
90-minute move-in this Tuesday, July 6.
Full Story:
Zap2it.com |
|
Pat Kiernan
Helms Studio 7 |
Posted 07/01/04 |
|
It's
a reality drama. It's a quiz show. It's the WB's primetime quizzer
"Studio 7". And now, it's a face.
The face is that of Pat Kiernan,
an New York 1 anchor who has been tapped to host the series, which
will premiere Thursday, July 22 at 9pm.
"Millionaire" EP Michael Davies,
who will also oversee the hybrid reality/game show, says he's been
a fan of Kiernan's for several years. "I have watched Pat Kiernan
on 'NY1 News' almost every morning since I moved to New York in
1999," Davies says to Zap2it.com. "He is an utterly unique news
anchor who is able to play it completely straight and
simultaneously convey his startlingly dry sense of humor."
Mixing elements of "The Real
World" and your typical quizzer, seven players live in a Manhattan
apartment for seven days before competing for $77,000. Seven
champions later, the winner of the season finale takes home
$777,000.
Photo courtesy NY1
Full Story: Zap2it.com/TV |
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"Believe"
This: Fantasia's #1 |
Posted 07/01/04 |
|
Even as "American Idol's" third
season was rife with a little je ne sais quoi missing, the winner
still finds time to put herself into the top spot on the charts.
One week after the release of Fantasia Barrino's "I Believe"
single (which also contains "Summertime" and "Chain of Fools"), it
knocks off another Idol product, Clay Aiken's "The
Way"/"Solitaire". Fantasia,
who has since dropped the last name, joins the ranks of series one
winner Kelly Clarkson, whose "A Moment Like This"/"Before Your
Love" single still holds the record for biggest jump, from #52 in
the first week to #1 (which was actually a subject of a Final
Jeopardy! from last season), and Ruben Studdard, whose "Flying
Without Wings"/"Superstar", premiered at #2, behind Aiken's "This
is the Night"/"Bridge Over Troubled Water".
However, a decline in viewership
has translated into a decline in sales, as Fantasia's single is
the lowest-selling single for an Idol winner, only about 36
percent of Clay's debut single and 50 percent of Ruben Studdard's
debut single in their week of release.
Full story: RealityTVWorld.com |
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Apprentice's Katrina and Fiancee Involved in Tow
Beating |
Posted 06/30/04 |
|
"The
Apprentice's" Katrina Campins charged yesterday that she and
her fiancé were beaten by a gang of tow-truck drivers who
swiped their car while they were in Donald Trump's Miami hotel
planning their wedding, per a New York Post report.
The 24-year-old Floridian, who was eliminated from the contest
in March, said the assault wrecked the day she and her
high-school sweetheart had spent arranging their September
nuptials at the city's Trump Sonesta Resort on Sunday.
When they arrived at Seay Towing in North Miami Beach, Campins
said, "a gang was waiting for us," and she and her betrothed
were repeatedly hit. "After a few minutes of being kicked and
beaten on the ground, [we] were able to crawl to the front
door and escape," she said.
Miami-Dade police is currently
investigating the incident.
GSNN File Photo
Full story: New York Post |
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Fox Reality
Specialist: "What is Original?" |
Posted
06/30/04 |
|
"Who Wants to Be a Millionaire"
begat "Greed". "The Chair" begat "The Chamber". "Extreme Makeover"
begat "The Swan". "The Apprentice" begat "The Billionaire". "The
Contender" begat "The Next Great Champ". And Mike Darnell of Fox
is the man responsible.
Reality TV development on Fox has
always been suspect (with possibly the exception of American Idol)
because of its lack of proper taste, but that's not what has
Darnell in a state of heightened defense nowadays. What really has
Darnell stirring these days, according to a New York Times report,
is over his penchant for coming up with reality shows that have at
least a passing resemblance to shows owned by other networks.
Imitation has always been a part of television, but what is
different now is that ideas are being copied before they even get
on the air.
The following story from the New
York Times comes after charges that two of Fox's upcoming
projects, "Trading Spouses" and "The Next Great Champ", were
stolen from other networks' "Wife Swap" (ABC) and "The Contender"
(NBC).
Full story: New York Times Arts
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Action
Moves as Comics Laugh to Tuesday Double |
Posted 06/30/04 |
|
Adjust
your TiVos accordingly folks.
NBC's breakout hit "Last Comic
Standing" is aiming to put new meaning to the term "Daily Double"
as they pair encores of the series with new episodes on Tuesdays,
in effect moving the fledgling "Next Action Star" to Wednesdays,
effective TONIGHT.
According to Mediaweek's Marc Berman,
Next Action Star debuted in the Tuesday 8 pm hour with a
third-place finish in the overnights (3.8/ 6), viewers (5.58
million) and adults 18-49 (2.3/7). behind reruns of "Navy NCIS"
and "8 Simple Rules". Ratings have been steadily
declining ever since, while Last Comic Standing remains a positive
summer force with a second-place finish in the overnights
(6.9/10), viewers (10.18 million) and adults 18-49 (4.6/13).
Ratings for that show, despite a controversy with the judges, have
climbed.
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PAX Wants
Talented Kids, Balderdash Players, and More Shoppers... |
Posted 06/30/04 |
|
Pax TV is putting out an APB on contestants for three of its
properties. This fall will see the network's relaunch of
"America's Most Talented Kids" as a series Win $1,000 and get
discovered on PAX Network's new show "The Search for America's
Most Talented Kids!" The show, which, like its predecessor,
will feature talented kids from 4 to 14, will give away $1000
each episode. Prospective talent can call 323-960-4529
for auditions or e-mail pictures to
talentedkids9@hotmail.com with contact information.
Also, Pax is looking for
contestants on two of its game shows, "Balderdash" (which will
premiere in July with the return of "On the Cover") and "Shop
'Til You Drop". Prospectives for "Balderdash" who plan to be
in the Los Angeles area can call 323-762-7126.
Contestants who want to "Shop 'til You Drop" can find info on
the Pax TV website:
http://www.paxtv.com/shows/shoptil. |
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Kallen
Joins the Fight in The Contender |
Posted 06/29/04 |
|
"The Contender"'s dream team
keeps mounting against a challenge from Fox's "The Next Big
Champ" this fall.
Mark Burnett signed on boxing
manager Jackie Kallen, whose life provided the inspiration for
the film "Against the Ropes," as den mother for the 16
pugilists in waiting, providing support and advice during her
stay.
"Once again, we've landed
another great addition to our all-star team," Burnett says in
a report to Zap2it.com. "Jackie has established herself as a
well-respected force in the world of boxing and will bring the
perfect touch to this show as a mentor, den mother and
caretaker to our contestants."
Kallen joins the team of
Burnett, Sylvester Stallone, and Sugar Ray Leonard in making
"The Contender" a reality. The show is set to launch in
January on NBC show.
Full story: Zap2it.com TV |
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Bob Barker,
Other Heavyweights to Be at GSC |
Posted 06/28/04 |
|
Bob
Barker, come on down! To the Game Show Congress, that is.
The fifteen-time Emmy-winning
host of "The Price is Right" will appear at August 15's awards
luncheon at Game Show Congress 3, per information at the GSC
website and a report from TVgameshows.net's Steve Beverly.
Barker, who'll be at the mike
when season 33 transmits September 20, will also offer
testimonials to industry legends Bill Cullen (who hoisted the
original Price is Right to hit status in the 1950s) and Ralph
Edwards (who "discovered" Bob Barker in his own "Truth or
Consequences"). He joins retired legends Tom Kennedy & Jack
Narz, "Blockbusters" announcer Bob Hilton, Bill's widow Ann
Cullen -- who will accept the first Bill Cullen Lifetime
Achievement Award on behalf of her late husband -- and
producer Gary Edwards -- who will accept the Game Show
Congress Service to Broadcasting Award on behalf of his
father.
"Barker's publicist Henri
Poulsson confirmed the Price executive producer's acceptance,"
Beverly reports. The luncheon is scheduled from 12:15-1:30
p.m. (PDT) at the Hilton Burbank Hotel.
GSNN File Photo
Full Story:
TVgameshows.net
On the Web: Game
Show Congress |
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Rock
Star: Who's Vrooming Who? |
Posted 06/28/04 |
|
Is
there a double-theft charge for Fox and Mark Burnett looming
before "Rock Star" ever gets to air? Sydney's Daily Telegraph
seems to think so.
In the first idea-theft charge, the Daily Telegraph, owned by Fox
parent News Corp., charged that the original idea of "Rock Star",
which will utilize an international talent search to find the new
lead singer of INXS, was pitched to the band by Michael Dalton, a
producer at Australian broadcaster Nine Network, last year. Per
the Telegraph, Dalton proposed a reality show called "New
Sensation", focused on the band's search for a lead singer, to
INXS's manager Dave Edwards. However, Edwards turned him down flat
... then misappropriated the idea and pitched it to Mark Burnett.
An anonymous source "close to the band" said that "the only reason
INXS is even doing the show is because Mark Burnett came on
board."
For its part, INXS claimed that they came up with the idea for the
show five years ago, even before reality TV became an
international sensation. Mark Burnett admitted right from the
beginning, before news of the Nine Network pitch had leaked, that
INXS brought the idea to him in April. Burnett noted that "I am a
long-time fan of INXS and feel very fortunate that INXS approached
us with this idea and have entrusted us with their future."
Photo courtesy NBC
Full story: Reality TV World
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|
Spike Sets
Up Ultimate Fighter |
Posted 06/28/04 |
|
The reality competition spreads to
even more genres. First, there was music. Then business. Now...
Ultimate Fighting?
Spike TV is co-opping with Ultimate
Fighting Championship for a series about the martial arts sport.
The male-oriented cable network has ordered 13 hour-long episodes
of "Ultimate Fighter" to begin airing in January, according to a
report from Yahoo! TV.
Set to start shooting in September in Las Vegas , "Fighter" will
chronicle a competition among 20 athletes to earn a shot at a spot
in the UFC league. Mixed martial arts involves fighters of
different weight classes battling each other using techniques from
karate, judo and kickboxing.
The Spike deal could represent a turnabout for UFC, which cable
operators dropped from pay-per-view during the late 1990s because
of controversy over its violent action. Since coming under new
ownership in 2001, the sport has remade itself in a bid for
mainstream viewers.
Full story: Yahoo! TV |
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Dream
Job Winner Premieres Next Week, Second and Third
Seasons Casting |
Posted 06/23/04 |
|
Mike Hall, the winner of season
one of ESPN's "Dream Job," has his first on-camera appearance
next Monday on Sportscenter. Meanwhile, ESPN is busy plotting
on who will take his place in the pantheon of reality TV
winners.
Reality TV World's Steve
Rogers reports that ESPN, pleased with "Dream Job's"
performance over its first season, has moved up season 2 to
September, while the original winter 2005 date will kick off
season three. Stuart Scott returns to host both seasons. Open
casting calls for both editions will begin June 29 in New
York.
The second season will debut Tuesday, September 21 at 7PM
ET/PT, with hourlong installments Tuesdays thereafter for nine
weeks with the winner being named the newest SportsCenter
anchor. The third season will search for a play-by-play
announcer and will be aired beginning February 2005. Both
elimination-style shows will consist of a panel of judges with
viewers voting on contestants aptitudes in various
sports-related tasks.
The initial casting tour will visit 14 major U.S. cities,
beginning June 29 in New York and concluding in Orlando,
Florida on July 30. After that, the finals will be held August
9-11 in New York. Contestant hopefuls can visit ESPN.com for
eligibility rules and city-specific audition details.
This is the third and fourth
chance to pick a new employee of ESPN out of the general
public. Researcher Howie Schwab
will host "Stump the Schwab" starting July 16, with
the sports trivia game show winner joining Schwab as an ESPN
researcher.
Full story: RealityTVWorld.com |
|
Extra: H2
and Canadian Idol |
Posted 06/10/04 |
|
We've
got two GSNN Extras for the price of one...
In the first, we revisit a story done
on site two years ago about Hollywood Squares. Here at the finale,
we go back to what was said and analyze the validity of those
statements.
In the second, our own Ryan
Vickers hopes to follow the trail made by another Ryan as the next
Canadian Idol. How did he do? And who knew he could sing?
GSNN EXTRA: Hollywood to H2 - The Final Chapter
GSNN EXTRA: I Was a Canadian Idol Hopeful... |
|
We're
looking for a few good writers... |
Posted 05/28/04 |
|
Hey!
If you're reading this, and you can write, and you're a game show
fan (even if you're a casual fan), then we want to talk to you!
It may be the end of the regular
season, but the new offerings continue all over the place. We will
be needing writers to not only cover new shows but to be adding
their opinions to this site as we keep getting bigger and better.
If you would like to contribute, please e-mail
recaps@gameshownewsnet.com.
We look forward to hearing from
you!
PS: No, we didn't get Betty to beg
for us. The picture is merely a comedic device. But we could still
use some help. |
|
|
GSNN
News Archive |
|
Complete
Game Show Lineup
In Primetime Tonight:
(All
times ET)
6pm - Weakest Link (R/Pax)
6:30pm - Shop 'Til You Drop (R/Pax)
7pm - Weakest Link (R/Pax)
7:30pm - Family Feud (R/Pax)
11pm - Fake Out (Court TV)
11pm - Next Action Star (R/GSN)
In Daytime Next Week:
New episodes: Jeopardy!, Your Face or Mine?, Who Wants to Be
a Millionaire?It's Happy Happy Time!
Happy Birthday...
"Deutschland such den
Superstar" (the German version of the Idols franchise) judge
Shona Fraser turns 29
Happy
Anniversary...
1955 saw the premiere of
Musical Chairs on NBC, starring a relatively younger Gene
Rayburn.
Happy
Trails...
... to good ideas... or
at least execution of them. When twists involve family
members, they can either go right or go wrong. In the case of
BB5, one goes wrong and one, if it plays out, will go
unnoticed.
Scene and Heard...
Fake Out classic lie #9:
You do not look fat in those
jeans.
|