August 15, 2006

Joe: More Game Show Man's Sparring Partners now. I'm Mel Peachy. *rimshot* Travis: Ooh. Joe: And Rob's mind is in the gutter. Rob: That is what living next door to a strip club will do. Joe: After four rounds, here's where we stand...
Travis 58 - Rob 57 - Gordon 57

We had a three-way tie after four with Alex Davis, but he threw in the towel to get a shower. And still we can't get one of these guys over here to be a judge. On to Round Five... UK Bullseye! Travis: ...hosted by yours truly at GSCV
Joe: Recently, Burbank, California hosted the 2006 Game Show Congress, where as part of the famous Game Show Tournament, our very own Travis Schario did indeed preside over a recreation of the popular UK darts/quiz show Bullseye...no relation to the Barry-Enright high-tech quizzer of the early 80s. The show was recently revived in the UK after 11 years and has recaptured a good bit of its old following. For Travis and Gordon...
Travis: Boo yah.

What the hell makes this game so damned interesting?

Travis? Gordon Pepper: zzzzzzzzzzzzzz...what was that? Travis: I think it's a case of "Hey, I can do that."... Joe: Oh? Travis: In the UK, you can't walk into a pub without seeing a dartboard. Adding the category board and the prize board makes it more intriguing…not to mention the Big Gamble at the end of the game. Out of the black, and into the red...nothing paid for two in a bed!
Joe: :D Gordon?
Gordon Pepper: The problem is that the game, although fascinating in the UK, will do nothing in the US. If you've seen the World Series of Darts, you see that 15 of the 16 Americans got wiped out in the first round, In addition the repeats of the show, instead of going to ESPN or ESPN 2, are going right to little watched ESPN CLASSIC. Not a good sign if you are trying to foster an audience on repeats.
Joe: You mean the World Series of Darts, right?
Gordon Pepper: Yes, its not the same as the game, but the mechanics work the same way and Darts just doesn't have the same drawing power.
Joe: I see. CLANG
Rob: Did Gordon even attempt to answer the question?
Joe: No. Travis wins.
Travis: YES!!!
Gordon Pepper: I did. The answer is that the game isn't interesting.
Joe: Sounded to me like you danced around the answer, actually.

Travis 10 - Gordon 8
Travis: ...not in the US. In the UK, it's "fascinating."
Gordon Pepper: The problem is the fallacy of the question. I answered it directly
Joe: I see. Travis still wins. :D
Gordon Pepper: You just happen to be the 0.0005% of the people who would actually watch Bullseye UK
Travis: NEXT QUESTION!!
Joe: :D
Gordon Pepper: When the show tanks, I want a bonus 2 points.
Joe: Meanwhile, for Gordon and Rob...we kinda already know what Gordon thinks about this, but let's get into it anyways...

Would this show really work on American TV?

Gordon Pepper: Should I just go into the judges chair now? Joe: Not neccesarily. Play it out. Gordon's first. Gordon Pepper: No. The show won't work. No show has ever worked when the target demographic is drunk middle aged men. It's going to be another Soccer showcase - nice to look at but no clue on why it got the international exposure that it has.
Joe: Rob?
Rob: Duller types of shows have worked, like Home Renovation, Fixing up Motorcycles and Cars, watching untalented hacks strip in front of their favorite music videos for cash have worked. This has a shot as well on a drunken male demographic based network like G4 or Spike or Fox Sports Net.
Gordon Pepper: World Series of Darts doesn't work. Let's add prizes to it. Oooh. Next!
Joe: CLANG It worked well enough to get the show moved from FSN originally to ESPN.

Rob 10 - Gordon 9
Gordon Pepper: It was not getting the ratings and you're just a darts lover that doesn't listen to reason. Rob: ONE HUNDERED AND EEEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIGHHHHHHHHHHHHHTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTYYYYYYYYYYY!
Joe: You never know Gordon. There may be a lot of closet darts lovers out there. Indeed, Bullseye creator Andrew Wood site has begun to pick up American darts links.
Gordon Pepper: What makes you find bald pot-bellied guys throwing sharp pieces of metal from 5 feet away is beyond me.
Travis: It's 8 feet. Rob: Joe, I think you found your Jay Mariotti for this show. Joe: Lastly for Travis and Rob...

Who would you get to host an American version of this show?

Joe: Travis? Travis: Two hosts, or just one? Joe: Assuming Tony Green (the scorer) came over with it. Unless you want to replace him. Travis: Maybe...Here's my thought...Main host = Ken Ober or Pat Finn. Co-host (for eye candy and scoring) = Brandi Sherwood.
Joe: Interesting. Rob?
Rob: I say get either Ken Ober or Jimmy Carr (a fellow Brit) to do the hosting. You have to keep Tony Green as the scorekeeper, if you have to replace him, get Amy Jo Johnson to replace him. I would tune in for the banter between Carr and Johnson. <Jimmy Carr> So, you were a Power Ranger, tell me this. Why did Zordon just float around in that tube? </JC>
Joe: ROFL CLANG
Travis: (*Cheap plea for style points!!*)
Joe: I don't give style points. But Ober would be a perfect choice. Travis thought of it first, so he wins. :D
Travis: YES!!
Joe: Besides, AJJ is too short, sad to say.
Rob: Well, she could have a little staircase to see the board.
Joe: Good point. Travis still wins.


Travis 10 - Rob 9

Joe: At the end of five...
Travis 78 - Rob 77 - Gordon 74
And that brings us to Round Six...Pat Sajak's Lucky Letters Travis: Just played it last night, since I downloaded and paid for it. Joe: Last year, Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak introduced his own line of computer game show games, starting with Pat Sajak's Lucky Letters, a game show-styled version of a newspaper crossword puzzle. Recently it was announced the game would be spreading from online downloads to a CD-Rom version and even a cellphone version. For Gordon and Rob...
What makes this game so popular?
Gordon? Gordon Pepper: Let me start by saying that Pat Sajak and I have the same birthday. Joe: Really... Gordon Pepper: October 26, baby Joe: Twenty days after AJJ. :D
Gordon Pepper: So we think of the same mind. America loved crosswords. They love Wheel of Fortune (duh), and they love slot machines and games of chance. Add them up altogether and you have a very compelling game.
Joe: Rob?
Rob: The premise is a really simple one. Plus it's got one of the most likeable hosts out there endorsing the hell out of it. The game itself combines dumb luck and crosswords and Wheel of Fortune, The Highest Rated syndicated game.
Rob: And to be honest, I've never played the game, but after hearing about it, I'll play it.
Joe: CLANG! Gordon wins. Rob just reiterated what Gordon said. And yes, Rob, you should give a shot.

Gordon 10 - Rob 8
For Gordon and Travis... Travis: Damn Bengals...yes?
Would this game actually make a good game show?

Joe: Travis? Travis: I have yet to play the multi-player option, but the way the solo game is structured, yes I could see it as another Harry Friedman gold mine. Probably one of the better word games I've played. Joe: I see. Gordon?
Gordon Pepper: Not only would this make a great game show, I am wondering why in the world THAT show isn't being paired up with Combination Lock. I'd rather watch Lucky Letters than a TJW show that is not only being reformatted, but not even the producers know what the final format of the show is going to be. Go with a show that already has a proven Internet audience than something that isn't fully created yet.
Travis: Really, they're just waiting for me to come back out there to be a TJW consultant.
Joe: CLANG! Gordon's winning this one. Much as I love TJW, we need more original formats.

Gordon 10 - Travis 9
And finally...
Are there any other formats this game should (or could) be translated to?
Joe: This one's for Travis and Rob. Rob? Rob: This type of format can be used for newspapers all across the country, get 1 puzzle everyday and certain letters and clues and try to solve it. Not only that this would make for one killer DVD game and handheld game. The possibilities for this are endless.
Joe: Travis?
Travis: (*slowly tinkering with board game equipment*)
Joe: ROFLMAO
Travis: I could see this working out as a possible board game...dry erase puzzle board with complete guide. Although, with the complexity, DVD or even Console would be the way to go.
Joe: CLANG! This one's a draw. I for one would love to see a board game or a handheld game made out of this.

Travis 10 - Rob 10
Travis: Give me a few months. Rob: We're giving you until GSC 6 Joe: :D Travis: ...crap...
Joe: At the end of six...

Travis 97 - Rob 95 - Gordon 94
Travis: Bullseye killed Pepper. Joe: And Gordon is BARELY the low man, which makes him the judge for the rest of the game. Get over here. Gordon Pepper: Next time I play, I want a judge that knows that darts is a game that's obscene and not heard.
Joe: ROFL
Rob: Much like Pants Off Dance Off.
Gordon Pepper: Oh I have to go. Bye everyone!
Rob: Bye Gordon.
Travis: AGAIN, no assistant judge
Gordon Pepper: No no no. Just kidding. I'll be here and judge.
Travis: Way to go, slick.
Joe: :D
Gordon Pepper: And since you're both dart lovers, I'll be unbiased and hate both of you equally.
Joe: Travis and Rob slug it out for the title after this.
Travis: It's nice to be made an equal.

(Brought to you by: World Series of Farts. Yes, THAT would be more interesting than a dopey dart show. The guest judge - Flava of Love's Somethin, who can do much more than fart.)

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