Episode 18.9
August 4

Jason: Yay Chinese factories!
Chico: Too... much... smog...Lungs.. closing...
Gordon: Whatever genius decided that China would change hundreds of years worth of tradition for a 2 week event should be fed to Augustus.
Chico: Dessert, anyone?
Jason: (chomp)
Chico: Heh. Welcome back. It's been a heck of a summer, and we're about to make some sweeping generalizations in... the 6 Things We Think You Should Know... about the summer.
Jason: Lets do it.
Chico: First thing...

1) If it was on Tuesday, it was a hit.

Chico: Celeb Feud... Hit. Japanese Game Show... Hit.. Wipeout... Big Hit. AGT... HUGE hit. Big Brother... hit on the wane.
Gordon: Still a hit - and still winning time slots. The second thing you should know...

2) Most shows that debut during the Summer are shows that the executives have ZERO faith in and expect to crash and burn. Because if they had any faith in them, they would be in the Winter, where there are more sweeps periods and they can get a higher advertising rate.

Jason: Greatest American Dog
Chico: Wanna Bet much?
Jason: Exactly.
Gordon: Burn off of Duel.
Chico: Makes perfect sense.
Jason: Yes.
Gordon: Even I Survived a Japanese Game Show and The Mole.
Chico: Not too much faith in Japanese Game Show.. WAY too much faith in HSM.
Jason: There you go!
Chico: Think about it.
Gordon: Next one?
Chico: Next thing...

3) Reports of the death of televised poker have been greatly exaggerated.

Jason: WSOP ratings huge?
Chico: Pretty much, but I was referring to the pickups of WPT and HSP, not to mention format changes in Poker After Dark.
Jason: Took a while for both pickups though.
Chico: Yeah, but still.
Gordon: I would say its also because there's bee a pick up in entries this year for the World Series of Poker.
Chico: You've never seen coverage unless you've seen it in HD. It's been pretty fierce up to this point.
Gordon: And if you've been on Full Tilt Poker, the clamor to play in Satellites to get into the WSOP is huge.
Chico: (And we haven't even gotten to the Main Event coverage yet!)
Gordon: So people want to play - they just don't want to pay $10,000 for it.
Chico: Unless, of course, they had the $10,000... Chris Ferguson.
Gordon: Last time I checked, I didnt have the $10,000.
Jason: Me neither.
Chico: ... I've got $712. That's a start.
Gordon: Whoo hoo.
Chico: Next?
Gordon: Next one...

4) At least one of these hit shows will be a classic Summer Staple.

Jason: My guess: Wipeout.
Gordon: I don't think Wipeout fits there. I think that Japanese Game show and Celebrity Family Feud may go here. I think it goes to #6, which you'll see later.
Chico: It's been a great summer, though, and I'd like to see 60% of what we've seen this year back next year.
Gordon: Most of the shows this yea have been very good. That being said, there are 60+ game shows that have premiered so far this summer. So the production doesn't show any signs of slowing down.
Chico: nope.
Gordon: And we could match or break the mark of 138 game shows set last season.
Chico: And if the SAG follows through on its many... MANY threats... expect more
Jason: Yipe!
Gordon: Many more. Next one?
Chico: Next...

5) Everything old is new again. And at least watchable.

Chico: We all enjoyed Password when we eventually caught up to it. The Feud is the Feud, and no amount of Al Roker can change it...Wipeout, of course, from the MXCs of old...The Gong Show... which has gotten better thanks to an influx of dancers and their many... errmm. Props.
Gordon: I thought you said watchable.
Chico: Hey, I was able to watch through it.
Gordon: So you're the one.
Chico: Which is more than what I could say about, say, "High School Musical". Yes, it's my second dig on the show in this act. Get used to it.
Gordon: So basically, Exit, Stage Left.
Chico: Yah.
Gordon: Last one...

6). One of these shows will be brought back during the Winter as some poor executive thinks that it's good enough to be on prime time - which it won't be and will Crash and Burn instead.

Chico: I beg of CBS to learn from the lesson of Power of 10 and The Singing Bee and hold off on Password for a bit. I beg of ABC to do the same with Wipeout.
Gordon: One of those two networks will not listen. I'm guessing it could be both, since they both have holes to fill.
Jason: Exactly. Please don't do it. But they will.
Chico: We can hope, right?
Jason: yeah.
Gordon: Hope? Yes. Fear? That too. And if the SAG doesn't get a contract going, expect that fear to happen sooner than later.
Chico: And we all hope that won't happen. We all know how bad LAST season was.
Gordon: And that's 6 things you should know about Summer programming.
Jason: There they are.
Gordon: When we come back, things we think we may know... or not.
Chico: Seeyousoon!

(Brought to you by the Always Right Card, endorsed by the Internet's Gordon Pepper. There are some things you just can't explain. For everything else, there's the Always Right Card... don't go online without it)

Jason: Works for Gordon.
Gordon: It does.
Chico: (BTW: Check out the full-length commercial on my Facebook... PLUG)
Gordon: Heh. What also works for me is some good old Accuracy or Idiocy
Chico: Let's do it!
Gordon: First one...

The moving of Big Brother to Thursdays and Greatest American Dog to Wednesdays will help at least one, if not both shows.
ACCURACY

Chico: Accuracy. The Big Brother belongs on Thursdays.
Jason: Accuracy. Big Brother needs to move.
Chico: It was on Wednesdays before, and it did horribly.
Gordon: I actually think that CBS did a good thing here. Big Brother has always been on Thursdays, while GAD did see a ratings jump when it moved to a less crowded time slot. Accuracy.
Chico: See? Everyone wins! Here's one for you...

"1 vs 100" will be the impetus for many a game show fan to jump on the Xbox bandwagon. (or at least to the few remaining holdouts like Gordon and Chico).
IDIOCY

Gordon: Idiocy. Final Fantasy 13 will.
Chico: Correct. :-)
Jason: To the Xbox per se...IDIOCY.
Gordon: Besides, I don't think a game based on a cancelled show will do much.
Chico: But seriously, my curiosity is peaked with that title. Let's see what happens.
Gordon: Ill play it on your machine then, when you bring it to AC next time. But that won't move me to spend $450 on that Hardware.
Chico: $150 for me. I live with two other gamers. :-)
Gordon: Would they spend $150 each for 1 vs. 100?
Chico: They almost did.
Gordon: Almost doesn't walk the dog.
Chico: I'm so serious.
Gordon: Next one...

Lower ratings for Project Runway 5 means that they have seen HanShark jumping over them.
IDIOCY

Chico: Idiocy. It's still one of Bravo's top draws. And naturally, shows like this have a use-by date.
Jason: Idiocy. They are just being stubborn not promoting it. Lawsuits will do that to you.
Chico: (that and Bravo seems hellbent on not promoting a show that they won't have in a couple of months anyway)
Gordon: I'm going to say...idiocy. but it could be accurate of they don't do a better casting job next season. No fashion designer there wants to be daring and nothing so far has blown me out.
Chico: I'm not at liberty to judge, but I've heard things.
Jason: What have you heard?
Chico: Basically that the contestants aren't doing this show any favors. The challenges aren't doing this show any favors. And the 9p show time isn't doing this show any favors.
Gordon: I'll disagree. The challenges are actually pretty cool. But I will agree on both the timeslots and the characters, who are more caricatures than people to root for.
Jason: And one contestant trying to force a catch phrase isn't good either.
Chico: All earmarks of a show that a network wants to wash its hands of. They were cool the last time we saw them. =p
Gordon: I think the contestants are more worried about trying to market themselves than actually play the game.
Chico: Wouldn't surprise me.
Gordon: And that makes a lousy, spiritless game. Next one?
Chico: Next...

Wipeout = family entertainment.
ACCURACY

Jason: ACCURACY. When this is the #1 show among Kids 2-11....it has to be.
Gordon: Accuracy. Who doesn't like to see people go flying as a tilt-a-whirl? But it's Cotton Candy entertainment. Tastes good, but no nutritional value.
Chico: Accuracy. It's good clean fun... until it gets all muddy.
Gordon: And I know the parents can't wait to hear kids talk about the big balls.
Chico: And even then, it's still good clean fun.
Gordon: Next one...

If Drew Carey falters again as host of The Price is Right, the producers should consider current golden boy Mario Lopez.
IDIOCY

Jason: IDIOCY!
Chico: Idiocy. From what I understand, they didn't just "not like" his audition.. they hated it. And besides... It's not Drew's fault.
Jason: Never has been.
Gordon: Actually, I'm going to beg to differ there. Accuracy
Chico: Say wha?
Gordon: I think we gave Drew a pass on season #1. I've been watching the repeats. There are 2 things Drew needs to work on. 1. The feel and flow of the games.
Jason: Agreed.
Chico: Well, he literally fell into the gig, so there's some bumps he has to get over. I have faith in him, though.
Gordon: 2. The emotional delivery. If you go back and look with an honest eye, a number of times in his run, it almost felt like he didn't care if the contestant won or loss. Again, first season, he gets a pass. BUT. If we get more of the same this season, and if a change is needed, then Lopez, who would have 2 years more seasoning and a few more game shows under his wing (America's Best Dance Crew, etc.) would, in my mind, not be a bad option.
Jason: If Drew Carey falls I have two names....Rich Fields and Todd Newton.
Gordon: Rich is a great announcer. I really feel they lose something if they took him off the podium.
Chico: Yeah, like one good announcer. Anyone who took the legendary Johnny O to school...
Gordon: I think he'd be a great host, but he's not the star power they need. So Rich needs to stay there. Todd Newton, who is a very good host and who is continually getting better, has the same problems Drew has, and he doesn't have the star power, so Todd's not the answer.
Jason: I disagree. And this talk shouldn't even happen. It's disrespectful to Drew.
Chico: I agree. Let's wait until we see him in year 2.
Gordon: I want Drew to succeed. I'm not trying to be disrespectful at all. But the ratings dropped 18% and I think if it continues, then you have to start gauging.
Chico: I've said this before, and I'll say it again. That ratings drop is spurious at best. People tuned in to see Bob's last hurrah, yada yada... we've been here before...
Jason: I agree. There was going to be SOME drop. Combine that with the writer's strike and there yo ugo.
Gordon: We'll see what happens. I think a lot of people are not happy with what's going on at Studio 33. Only time will tell.
Chico: Finally...

Carol Vorderman made the right decision in leaving Countdown over taking a 90% pay cut.
ACCURACY

Jason: ACCURACY. You don't tell someone who has been the face of the show for 26 years to do that.
Gordon: Accuracy. And I hope that whoever did that gets canned.
Chico: I think Marcel Stellman, the Belgian format holder, is going to step in and put his foot down. He said it himself, "Without the format, there's no show."
Jason: And Maybe we can write him and hopefully bring it here.
Gordon: It can't be worse than Wanna Bet.
Chico: Sounds like a challenge :-)
Gordon: And it's accurate that this segment is over. We go to The Speed Round - Next!
Chico: You'd be an idiot to miss it.

(Brought to you by the WhammyLympics! We have the Pole Vault! We have the Marathon! We have the Money Grab...that is, if you're a network executive. Fun for everyone!)

Chico: I'd watch!
Gordon: Seriously, when you're favorite game show isn't on, watch the Olympics. Support your country.
Jason: Whichever one it is.
Chico: Meanwhile, we're going to go to the 100-meter dash... Speed Round starts... NOW. Japanese Game Show. Who wins?
Gordon: I'll say Justin - the only person who hasn't been in an Elimination Challenge yet.
Chico: Oh, here's a bit of Chico's Trivia for you. Rome Kanda plays "Kei Kato" on the US rebroadcasts of Unbeatable Banzuke.
Jason: There you go!
Chico: And he's rather good at both shows. Okay, AG. Who wins?
Gordon: I'll say Tim Oliphant and Tiffany Florentine
Chico: I'll go with Ally Davidson for the women's and Tim Oliphant for the dudes.
Gordon: Who is The Mole? And who wins?
Chico: Craig and Nicole respectively.
Jason: Craig and Nicole
Gordon: Craig is The Mole. Mark wins.
Chico: The strategy to the Mole seems to be a) find the Mole, and b) play the Mole.
Gordon: Sure does. Do we have any e-mole?
Chico: We go now to Daniel Benfield and his continuation of... the Daniel Benfield Letter.

Today's episode...MATCH GAME.

Gordon: Umm...(DING), (X) and (DING).
Jason: Two out of three.
Gordon: I want nothing from Game Show Marathon coming anywhere near the new version of Match Game. Make Dick the head writer and have him hire his staff.
Chico: Hire out of the fandom...Aaron Solomon...Mandel Ilagan...
Jason: Ben Tritle
Chico: David Hammett
Gordon: I think Mandel would be a good choice. He's been on the show and won $5,000 and he does know his game shows. He also created Half Off for The Price is Right.
Chico: And he did recreate Whammy, after all.
Gordon: (X)
Chico: Ok, That was for all the crap you give me about Mike Fleiss =p
Gordon: I'll overlook Whammy.
Jason: ROFL
Gordon: Before we conclude with the email, let me say this. We love you guys. We love email. We also love email with a point or a question instead of saying things we've heard you say before (and less rambling). Daniel's letter is long, but it asks questions and gets to points, which makes it a good letter. We want to post your letter. Just remember that when you're writing it.
Jason: Agreed.
Chico: Heh. Okay, wlti@gameshownewsnet.com OR www.myspace.com/wltiongsnn if you want to get in touch with us. Please get in touch with us. We can't do this show without. Well... we can, but how fun would that be? Not really, I say. Big thanks to Jason once again...
Jason: And thank you for allowing to be here as always.
Chico: Next week, we've got finale fever...For Gordon and everyone at GSNN, I'm Chico. Until then, support your local Olympic teams... and game over... and spread the love.