August 13, 2007

(C-NOTE: This episode of We Love to Interrupt was recorded before the death of Merv Griffin. To view our tribute to him, which was recorded shortly after this episode was finished, go HERE. This episode is lovingly dedicated to his memory and the legacy of excellence he left behind to the game show world and to those who celebrate it.

Merv, we salute you.)

Gordon: This is Gordon Pepper and...how 'bout them Yankees?
Jason: Go Pinstripes!
Don: I need to pay more attention to baseball.
Chico: Were it not for the act (sterisk) of one Giant, we'd be hearing more about that.
Joe: Or the 300 wins of Tom Glavine.
Gordon: How about we hear more about game shows this week?
Chico: It's what we live for. How about from somewhere in America, the This Week in Baseball edition of WLTI.... is... ON!
Gordon: True - also living for this moment is Don 'Donut' Harpwood, Jason Block, Rob Seidelman, Joe Mello, and...a mystery guest.
Joe: Ah ha!
Don: Nice.
Jason: Zoinks!
Joe: Let's split up, gang
Chico: You know how this works. Every time we have a mystery guest, we have a bit of fun first.. And this time... who remembers how to play Camouflage?
Joe: I do
Jason: I do
Jason: even though it's in reruns
Don: I still remember!
Joe: Buzz in when we know it?
Chico: That's right, Joe. Good morning Mr. X.
Jason: Or Ms. X
Chico: Or Ms. Circle. Or something.
Joe: Hello, person
Mystery Guest: Good morning, gang!
Gordon: Here's the puzzle

GETYOURPETSSPLAYEDORNETERED

Jason: splayed?
Gordon: The clue: A Piano is one
Joe: )buzz
Gordon: Joe?
Joe: Grand
Gordon: Nooo (BUZZ)
Joe: :P

GETYOU PETSSPLAYEDORNETERED
GETYOU PETSSPLAYED RNETERED
GETYOU PETSSPLAYED RNE ERED

Chico: BUZZER!
Gordon: Chico?
Chico: ... blank.
Gordon: Thanks for playing (BUZZ)
Don: lol

GETYOU PETSSPLAYE  RNE ERED
GETYOU PETS PLAYE  RNE ERED

Don: *BUZZ
Gordon: Don?
Don: Player?
Gordon: Yes! Do you have a guess?
Don: No guess.
Gordon: Oh that's no fun. Take a guess
Don: Hmm... Ed Toutant, maybe?
Ed: I am bigger than a bread box.
Chico: That would be a yes, Don.
Don: Whoa!
Ed: I'm here, I think.
Gordon: WLTI is proud to present as our mystery guest this episode, Mr. Ed Toutant!
Jason: Wow!
Rob: *applause*
Jason: what a guess :-)
Joe: Well done, Don
Jason: awesome!
Ed: And I'm proud to be presented
Jason: Hey Ed!
Don: Hello, Ed!
Joe: Hi, Ed
Ed: Hi, esteemed journalists and commentators.
Rob: Hello Mr. Toutant.
Chico: I never claimed to be esteemed. =p
Jason: Neither did I.
Chico: But thanks anyways. :-)
Gordon: We will be getting to Ed and his adventures later on in the show, but first we get to talk about someone who was competing for 100 times what Ed and his competitors are playing for - and got 10% of it.
Jason: Ah yes, the Power of 10
Joe: Oh man, that was fun
Chico: Oh yeah.
Gordon: The who is Jamie Sadler. The what is the first person to win a million dollars on the first episode of a show.
Jason: First show, first night...boom 1M. Anybody remember the host?
Don: I was impressed by that.
Jason: He looked familiar. :-)
Gordon: First of all, congratulations to Jamie.
Joe: seconded
Chico: Agreed. It was a great way to begin a show run.
Rob: I tip my proverbial hat.
Joe: Can't do too much better than giving out $1 Million.
Jason: He got on the show...and his girlfriend who wanted to get on the show...didn't. Love that story.
Chico: Darn. Oh well.
Joe: I'd love to know the epilogue to that story
Gordon: What you didn't hear is that during the tapings, Jamie said that he and his girlfriend BROKE UP before we taped the show.
Don: Wha?
Jason: are you serious?
Rob: Man, that's quite the low.
Chico: Whoa.
Gordon: Very. They edited that part out, but they broke up before he taped the episode.
Chico: And now he's a millionaire.
Jason: Oops.
Ed: Sounds like a good strategy!
Gordon: Obviously, they now have a million reasons to get back together.
Chico: You can't write out better irony.
Don: I wonder how the ex-girlfriend felt after that...
Joe: Anyone set the Over/Under for when she sprinted back? Or how fast she was running?
Gordon: I would say...3 hours, maybe.
Ed: Friend or foe!
Gordon: Pretty much. I'm on the side of Ed, wondering if he's going to make her sign a prenup so she doesn't 'Foe' him. But I do know this. She was not shown at the tv taping. Mom? Check. Dad? Check. Ex-Girlfriend? Nope.
Ed: Game shows don't build character. They reveal character.
Gordon: How true that is, Ed.
Chico: That... that'll work. Let's go back to the question that got him the money...

We asked women "Do you consider yourself feminists?" What percentage of American women consider themselves feminists?

The range: 10%

Gordon: Attending the taping with me was GSNN's Eric Pierce. We both thought that the question was tricky, because as it's a national poll, it really depends on what part of the nation you are asking. If the question is more of a city area, the number will be much higher than if the same question was asked in the suburbs.
Joe: According to interviews, the polls are supposed to emulate the demographics of America, so the US in a microcosm form.
Gordon: I sort of buy that, Joe. You can't possibly expect me to believe though that in all of the nation, 50% of all women have changed a tire.
Ed: I was surprised that he took the risk. I don't think the answer was very predictable. Anyone other than a 19 year old kid with no financial obligations probably would have walked.
Gordon: I agree with Ed.
Jason: Right on, Ed.
Don: Yeah, that was a gutsy move to go for it.
Joe: Well, they never say what demographics are being emulated. There are way too many variables to consider
Gordon: As you saw in the graphic, there were two lumps in the group. One lump was 25-35, but the other was 55-65, and that group was chanting 'Walk Away'
Chico: Oh yeah. All of this is documented on CBS's website. But in the end, Jamie did the right thing, walking away with a million.
Ed: Do we know how the poll was administered? Was it a private, confidential poll, or did they just send someone with a clipboard to catch people as they left a movie theater or a mall?
Jason: You know, that's a very good question.
Rob: I honestly don't know but that would be interesting.
Joe: It was a national survey group and apparently expensive
Jason: Supposedly its done by Rasmussen.
Chico: Again, this is all documented on CBS's website. The way they ... yeah, what Joe and Jason said.
Gordon: You know there was a national survey group. You don't know HOW they got that survey group
Ed: Because if you're with a wife or girlfriend, that might influence your answer on a question like "have you ever had sex in the back seat of a car?"
Jason: Whoa! :-) But true.
Chico: But whatever it is, it must very scientific. Can't not be scientific if they said that it was scientific on TV. I think you'd lose your head as a network exec if you fumble something like that.
Ed: I was surprised they would ask a question about shooting Dick Cheney. I wonder if the Secret Service had a chat with the show after that.
Chico: It's public opinion. Nothing's wrong with public opinion.
Joe: I thought that question was too wordy, but I digress.
Chico: They would've gone after Carlos Mencia a long time ago if that was the case.
Joe: They would've gone after EVERYONE if that was the case.
Rob: Exactly.
Joe: Well, my father during show #2 suggested that surveys could be swayed with the option of a "right" answer.
Chico: Actually, very true, Joe.
Gordon: I think that's also why some of the ratings are higher or lower than you think. Its one thing to answer a poll. It's another to TRUTHFULLY answer a poll.
Jason: Bingo again, Mr. Pepper.
Joe: And a 19-year-old is probably thinking none of this
Jason: He just wants the Million.
Rob: And he got said million.
Chico: So how do you play the Power of 10?
Ed: Same way you play craps. Roll the dice and hope for the best. Though the audience graphics seem pretty helpful.
Gordon: True, but expandable. Can I have a Big Board, please?

Gordon: Subject - How to play Power of 10. 1. Realize that if you're playing against someone, that you are better off not guessing an extremely high or low number. Don't go for 5 or 4 - go for 10 or 11, because chances are that the number isn't that extreme and it will give you an edge over someone who would be thinking that way.
Joe: I was going to say that if the question lends itself to an extreme number, go that way. But you corrected the issue.
Gordon: I agree, but if you say 3 and I say 5, that's a huge advantage to me.
Rob: Can you see the opponents monitor?
Chico: No
Jason: Nope.
Rob: And what they lock in?
Joe: Very no
Gordon: You can only see what they did after both people have locked in their answer.
Ed: Those are some good strategic points. From a practical standpoint, I'd say make your decision fast so you have time to dial it in. Some contestants got stuck with an answer they didn't want because their time ran out.
Gordon: Agreed. Make that #2. It's always easier to switch an answer with 3 seconds left than move it wildly and scrambling to get a right answer.
Ed: We're really talking about two separate games. The elimination round and the bonus round.
Gordon: Correct
Chico: But let's say you do make it to the bonus round... #3: When you do get to play for the big money, realize that the first 2 questions will be easy and you need to play it like such.
Jason: Use that forty and thirty point range to your advantage
Chico: #4... LISTEN! You have an audience... you have some help... and Drew will maybe give you a hint or two. Take it all in and process from that. All else failing... Go with your gut, and pray.
Gordon: The question itself will give you clues.
Rob: More often than not, going with your gut is the best thing.
Gordon: I would say 95% of the time, the answer to the first question will be 0-40%, as they just want to make it silly and guarantee that you win SOMEthing.
Joe: Yeah
Ed: Drew doesn't know the answers. I'm surprised that he tries to influence people. He mostly brings up different ways of looking at the question.
Jason: Like the Vin Diesel/Rudolf Diesel question
Rob: Exactly.
Jason: Or the Drew Carey - Comedian/Presidential Candidate...it's the $100-$1000 questions in Millionaire.
Gordon: I think he tries to influence them in the first 2 questions. The next question after that he doesn't say much.
Rob: That's because $1,000 and $10,000 are pretty much not serious questions.
Joe: Is the 2nd question all or nothing?
Gordon: No. Win = $10,000. Lose = $100
Joe: Ok
Gordon: You should breeze to $10,000. You actually have to start thinking once you're at that plateau.
Ed: Does anyone know how big the audience is? I was surprised to see such smooth, continuous curves on the audience bar chart, for such a small sample size.
Gordon: The audience is around 150 people.
Ed: There's no way you could get such perfect curve shapes with a sample of only 150 people. They must have done some interpolation of the data.
Gordon: I would agree with you on that, Ed. It wouldn't surprise me if they used averages or medians to create that graph. #5 - Realize that the question is a NATIONAL one and not a regional one.
Joe: Again attempted to emulate America.
Gordon: For example - What would you rather watch - the Hot Dog Eating Contest or the National Debate
Chico: You have to expand your preexisting prejudices for such things....
Joe: #5a You have to play Without Prejudice? The Hot Dog question also fell under the "right/wrong answer" type of question
Ed: I watch the hot dog contest every year on ESPN. I went to Nathan's on Coney Island in June when I was in town for Grand Slam. So I thought the answer would be much higher than it was.
Gordon: I would think that 6 out of 7 of us would rather watch Nathan's. I would also think that a ton of older women would want nothing to do with watching it.
Joe: Plus, there's nothing really to see in a Hot Dog contest. Debates sometimes have good one-liners at least
Gordon: And it also comes down to something we talked about earlier that tripped everyone in the audience up. Most of the audience was 20-40 in median age, but you would have to think that the older crowd would want nothing to do with a hot dog eating contest.
Jason: Men and women gorging themselves.
Rob: And you can see that at a local McDonalds.
Don: Heh.
Ed: I saw the question as would you rather watch something that's fun and unique or something that's stodgy, boring and predictable. Shows what I know!
Gordon: I would also think that if I had no interest in either thing, I would go with the Political Event. If the hot dog contests was THAT popular, it would be on ABC, not ESPN.
Joe: Drew brought that up
Gordon: And he's absolutely right.
Ed: Would you rather watch Grand Slam or a political debate?
Gordon: Grand Slam, of course.
Jason: Of course.
Gordon: Then again, I'd rather be watching people tearing wings off butterflies than a political debate.
Chico: That's just cruel now...
Rob: I'd rather watch Last nights Playmania than a political debate.
Don: Ouch.
Jason: Now that's cruel.
Gordon: #6. Think about not how many people would ACTUALLY answer the poll, but how many people would HONESTLY answer the poll that way.
Don: Yeah, the fact that some people may have lied could certainly affect the result.
Chico: It helps to realize that most public opinion polls... are crap. :-)
Gordon: But seriously, I believe that if people don't have an opinion on something, they'll go the indirect rout.
Chico: Something like that, yeah. Okay, time to grade.
Gordon: Plusses for Power of 10 - The format is cool.
Chico: Another plus, curiosity factor. We all want to know what our fellow man thinks.
Gordon: Minuses - I think they need to reveal the sources of the polls. I also wonder if the questioning is TOO quick and maybe TOO easy to get to a million dollars. I also don't like the 1 out of 11 crap shoot to win the ten million, but someone WILL win the ten million, because you will get someone who doesn't need to win the million or will be happy with $100,000 if they guess incorrectly. I know I WOULD take the chance.
Chico: Oh yeah. Game theory says to take the risk.
Don: Risking $900,000 to go for another $9,000,000...
Ed: I give it a B. It's not fast paced enough to hold my full attention, but I'd turn it on and watch while I'm multitasking on my computer. Drew was pretty good, but he giggles too much. With these rules no one will ever win $10 million. It's just a bad bet to make.
Jason: I give the show a B-. I like Drew and I like the set. The questions are too subjective. And the 1 in 11 crapshoot is just that --a crapshoot.
Gordon: I think it will be a hit and I like the format, but it needs to be tighter. B- for me as well.
Joe: I'm more concerned with the amount of Drew on the show. This isn't You Bet Your Life with the host doing his shtick and then some game on the side. B for me.
Rob: I liked it. It's fun entertainment. Drew's quite good, the set is nice, albeit very generic for my tastes. Questions could be a bit better, but they are fun. There was real emotion in the premiere. I give it a solid B.
Don: It's not perfect, but it'll keep my eyes glued to the TV. B.
Chico: It's going to be tighter. You always have this sort of issue with the first set of shows.
Joe: The lack of games per show is unsurprising to me for a Davies show
Rob: Or for any current Primetime game. I.E. 5th Grader, Deal or No Deal, Identity, DFTL.
Chico: But yeah, Drew's on par... It's player driver, but the questions need to be more varied. I'll give it a B.
Chico: We move from the power of 10 to the power of taxis. Discovery, not content with having a taxi drive up and down Manhattan in the day time, sends one out at night.
Don: I still don't get to see Cash Cab up here... :-(
Jason: Cash Cab After Dark...do you we get see the steamier side of NYC?
Chico: Well, you get a lot of people heading to bars, eateries, night clubs, etc. Night life places.. Game's the same as in the day time version, but the money's doubled.
Joe: More money in the nighttime version. What a shock
Rob: And the show's been expanded to 1 hour.
Jason: That's cool.
Chico: Other than that, it's the same game. So yeah, quick grade here. The good: it's the same game...
Jason: If its the same--it must be cool.
Rob: Still same great host in Ben Bailey.
Chico: The bad... it's the same game. That's really it, though.
Gordon: Its Cash Cab at night. I didn't see much of a difference - except maybe the people were a little tipsier.
Rob: Hooray for that.
Chico: But yeah, it's essentially Double Cash Cab..  Like Super Password was to Password Plus. Or Super Millionaire was to Millionaire...
Joe: Or J! 200some was to J! 198some
Rob: Or WOF Daytime in 1989-1992 was to WOF Nighttime.
Chico: Don't remind me.
Ed: But Super Cash Cab will have Three Wise Squeegee-guys
Chico: And a Hummer.
Rob: Nice.
Joe: Oh man, Humvee Limo
Rob: Yeah, I give it a B-. Just watched bits and pieces, but from what I can tell, still the same as the daytime game but still very solid.
Jason: Same here. If its just the same with more cash...still good.
Chico: Agreed. B here.
Joe: I give it No Grade, because it's essentially Double Cash Cab,
Gordon: Its Cash Cab at night. They didn't screw around with it - nor did they need to. B for me.
Chico: Okay, next up... Gordon, one of your favorite subgenres.. Celebrities doing stuff they don't need to be doing.
Gordon: You mean like riding on bulls.
Chico: Oh yeah
Jason: Yee haw!
Rob: GORE! GORE! GORE!
Don: Where's that cowboy hat...
Chico: Remember Cowboy U? Remember all those people riding bulls for $25,000? Remember how much fun that was? Add celebs to that and you get Ty Murray's Celebrity Bull Riding Challenge.
Gordon: We are talking about Ty Murray's Rodeo Challenge, where we spend time watching people like Coolio and Stephen Baldwin ride on El Toro.
Don: Any injuries yet?
Chico: Not yet. But I'm hoping a bull rips Jonny Fairplay a new one.
Jason: Me too.
Don: That would be some good TV.
Rob: I'll take that action.
Gordon: Chico, what's the lineup?
Chico: Speaking of which, the celebs... If I can get my magic interbox working...
Jason: Hold on, I got it. Vanilla Ice, actor Stephen Baldwin, actor/musician Leif Garrett, actor Dan "Nitro" Clark, actor Francesco Quinn,  former football star "Rocket" Ismail, Ultimate Fighter Josh Haynes, X-Games motorcycle legend "Cowboy" Kenny Bartram and Survivor reality star Jon "Jonny Fairplay" Dalton. There you go.
Chico: Thanks J.
Jason: Np
Rob: Where's Corbin Bernsen when you need him? The comedy between him and Stephen Baldwin would be fantastic.
Ed: I guess they couldn't afford the reality show "celebrities" who are currently featured in the Girls Gone Wild infomercials.
Rob: Well, they are simple folks, Ed. They can't afford all of that good stuff.
Gordon: Stephen Baldwin, Vanilla Ice and Johnny Fairplay are all repeat Game Show Ho Offenders. So is Ty Murray, who was in the Gilette Young Gun Auto Racing competition
Chico: Now he's a host.
Ed: Ty's married to Jewel, I think.
Jason: Not yet.
Ed: You mean I still have a shot?
Jason: Yes, you do.
Ed: She never calls.
Jason: Sorry to hear that.
Chico: We can set up the love connection later. Now we grade. The pluses... It's harmless fluff. The minuses... Jonny Fairplay. That's worth a C-.
Jason: And Robert Van Winkle. C.
Rob: Anything that sees Jonny Fairplay get his hindquarters handed to him by a 1/2 ton bull is worth watching. C.
Joe: C. At least it's fun Schadenfreude
Gordon: It's never good when you're rooting for the bull. D.
Ed: Incomplete for me. I haven't seen it.
Gordon: Someone else that should be feeling incomplete right about now is America's Player this season.
Jason: Mr. Eric Stein.
Chico: Persona non grata in the BB house?
Gordon: It looked like Eric was heading out the door. Then Eric spent a lot of time in the Diary Room....then all of the guests spent some time in the diary room...and Eric is suddenly safe
Chico: .. WHA!?
Joe: This'll be good, I bet
Jason: Are you going to call....shenanignas?
Gordon: Keep in mind that Eric is CBS's choice for 'America's Player' and if you are CBS, you don't want him leaving the game this early.
Chico: So what ended up happening?
Gordon: Two very interesting things happened... 1. Eric spent a LOT of time in the diary room, and a few sites have mentioned that CBS discussed with Eric ways to keep him in.
Don: Really?
Gordon: #2 - and more damning - Kail, Danielle, Dick and Jen in live feeds both said that the Diary Room WANTED them to vote Kail out. This, according to many sites, including Jokersupdates.com and themoviespoiler.com
Rob: So, the network is trying to influence the game. Now that is pathetic for the game. Especially since this game is about interaction between everyone in the house.
Jason: You mean reality isn't ...well reality?
Joe: I remember the last time a network tried to heavily influence a game. We ended up with the movie Quiz Show.
Rob: What about Manhunt?
Chico: Muy interesante.
Don: Oh, boy... If that is true, I get the feeling that this could be the show's last season.
Gordon: I have no problem with reality not being reality. I have a MAJOR problem with ANYONE trying to influence a game, especially if the anyone is the network running the show.
Jason: So do I Gordon...this could be bad.
Chico: Oh yeah.
Rob: It's about time the show gets put out to pasture.
Jason: Robert---it's not just that show...EVERY show could get the hairy eyeball.
Chico: Especially when there are bodies looking to put the kibosh on such things. Although I can see how CBS and/or Endemol would try to squirm their way out of this.
Gordon: Now it could be people talking just to talk - BUT if this is actually true and if the slighted contestants talk a little when the show is over, this could spell massive problems for Allison Grodner and company.
Chico: I can see something like that coming to light, and I can see a massive overhaul with BS&P if that were the case.
Joe: So what was the end result of all these shenanigans?
Gordon: As of right now, Kail got voted out and Jessica, who is Eric's alliance mate, is Head of Household. The person who put Eric on the Block, Danielle, is up for nomination, as well as her dad Dick.
Rob: Well, the family will get broken up for sure, unless we get a veto out of this.
Gordon: But at what cost? I don't even know if I want to keep watching the show if these allegations are true that CBS kept Eric in the game for their own ends.
Chico: Sorry. We could have a problem if evidence starts to show up.
Rob: If it does, Then I smell T-R-O-U-B-L-E. It could get much worse later on.
Don: Yeah, BIG trouble.
Rob: Just imagine if Eric wins. Then we got major problems.
Gordon: CBS better hope that Jen and Amber said what they said just to play the game, and not because it actually happened. But we did see and end of a season - Don't Forget the Lyrics
Rob: That show was still on?
Chico: Yeah. Aired for an hour on Wednesday
Rob: I must have been doing something better with my life.
Don: I didn't notice that.
Chico: I don't think anyone did. And that could be bad if they're thinking of playing that in the fall.
Gordon: The ratings, however, dictated differently. DFTL has been a very good show during its run. That being said, let me ask you all something. We have Don't Forget the Lyrics, Singing Bee, Power of 10 and Set For Life (Ugh). Do you see any of these shows making a dent in the Winter?
Jason: No
Rob: Power of 10 maybe. But the rest are good summer fare.
Don: I'm with Rob on that one.
Ed: I guess of those four shows, I'm most inclined to give Power Of 10 another viewing.
Chico: It all depends on what's airing on the other networks at the time. I see Power of 10 taking its own shots, but the others are good only in small doses. Singing Bee, maybe, has a shot because it's something different.
Gordon: I think Singing Bee, paired with Biggest Loser, is a good choice.
Rob: Yeah, those two would work together.
Chico: Oh yeah
Gordon: Power of 10, on Wednesdays at 8, will hold up well until January. I think sticking Don't Forget The Lyrics in the Winter could be a mistake.
Ed: What about "Set For Life"? Does that survive past the summer? I just saw it for the first time last night.
Chico: If ABC gives it a second look, I won't be surprised.
Gordon: I will be surprised. It hasn't broken a 5 yet.
Chico: Sure viewership is flat, but hell, they got a second season to National Bingo Night
Rob: Yeah, but at least that brought in money and was actually interesting as a game.
Gordon: For Bingo Night, the biggest payout you could technically have is $150,000 an episode, with most of it subsidized by KMart, etc. Thanks to the web hits, the show could run a 0.5 on TV and still make a profit.
Ed: You've probably already reviewed Set For Life, but I was surprised that a big part of the game is played off screen, before the show, with no explanation.
Gordon:  We reviewed it and promptly torched it as a mindless leave your brain at home Deal or No Deal clone who should be hitting the showers in an episode or 2. Suck For Life hasn't broken a 5 in the ratings and is giving out way too much money with neither sponsors nor ratings to justify staying on the air.
Don: I saw "Set For Life" as just pulling lights out of tubes, and I found it quite boring. :/
Jason: Yeah, that too.
Rob: I found 5th Grader better.
Ed: Agreed. Is it better for the overall health of game shows to have lots of lame shows on the air, or just a few good ones?
Chico: That's a good question... We'll make it this week's You Love To Interrupt.. But right now, Gordon, what do you got?
Gordon: Well Chico, we have the Honey-Hamsters.
Jason: Aw, how cute.
Gordon: I'm trying to get them a contract as backup singers to Alvin and the Chipmunks. Chairman, Gordon Jr. and J. Fat.
Chico: Thanks. Now I have them in my head singing the Bee theme.
Rob: Oh god, not that Bee theme.
Chico: Gordon...you know how we do...
Gordon: Roll that Beautiful Honeybee Footage!
Chico: BEE!

(Doug: Live, local, and latebreaking... From the four corners of the globe to your frontal lobe, this is WLTI Brainvision News, and now here's Gordon Pepper, Chico Alexander, and the award-winning Brainvision News Team)

Rob: Just be happy it isn't the $1,000 Bee music.
Don: lol
Chico: Speaking of which, what's the buzz, this week, Gordon?
Gordon: First story - News on Merv Griffin - and it's not good.

One of the best in the business has seen his prostate cancer return, and he is now 'gravely ill'

Rob: Now that news sucks.
Jason: Thats not good at all.
Chico: He's at the ICU in Cedars-Sinai...
Jason: Let us hope we do not lose one of the giants of TV
Chico: We're all hoping for the best, but doctors have said that the prognosis is "not good".
Jason: Oh boy.
Ed: Doesn't his new crosswords show have his name in the title? Let's hope he's just doing a little extra promotion and will be good as new after the ratings come out! I wish him a full recovery and hope for the best.
Chico: That we all do, Ed... That we all do. Okay, next story...

Mike Darnell, the reality head of Fox responsible for American Idol and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? has reupped with the network on an executive level...

Chico: Which basically gives him the power to a) wear his hair like Sideshow Bob all the time, and 2) fire anyone who thinks that he should probably come up with something original.
Jason: There you go. And get paid a boatload of money to boot.
Rob: I weep for the future of Fox. 5th grader is bad, DFTL is much worse.
Gordon: Who's up for Man Vs. beast 3? What about Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire 2? Married by America 2?
Rob: I'd rather watch paint dry.
Jason: My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiancé 2
Gordon: MBFOF was a decent hit for FOX, so I cant complain about that one
Chico: How about Mr. Personality 2.. hosted by some British nobody with giant tatas.
Don: Yipes...
Rob: Well, time to "Elvis" the TV then.
Gordon: This all being said, when you bring in the one show that has made FOX the number 1 network for 18-49's, you can afford to make a dozen or so errors in judgement.
Jason: 1 American Idol excuses Unanimous? :-)
Gordon: Very true
Rob: Or 5th Grader and DFTL?
Chico: All things considered, 5th Grader is a lot better than some of the games out there.
Gordon: 5th Grader and DFTL are certified hits. That's definitely plusses in his portfolio
Rob: Even if they suck boatloads of barnacles.
Gordon: That's not what the public says.
Chico: So good for you, Mike... Still, I'd get a haircut. Sideshow Bob look... not sexy :-) (sing-songish) all in good fun... Okay, where to next?
Gordon: Next we'll get to something worth hating on...like losing 30% of your profits in a year.
Chico: That's a lot of money
Rob: Very much so.
Jason: Who lost that?
Rob: My guess: GSN.
Chico: Close, though, Rob. WPT.
Don: Wow.

The World Poker Tour lost 30% of their profit on a year to year basis. This can't be sounding too good to a GSN company which just spent a lot of money to put them on their network.

Jason: That's a lot of chips.
Chico: On the plus side, they did sign an agreement to play with China, so there's some money coming in.
Rob: Horray!
Gordon: More good news is that they are also one of the highest rated shows on the Travel Channel, scoring over a 1.0 on a frequent bases. GSN would kill right now for a 1.0.
Jason: They would kill for anything over a .5
Chico: 0.5 is I believe the rating for High Stakes Poker.
Gordon: HSP from 8-9, WPT from 9-11 would be a lethal monday for GSN
Chico: And Blackjack at 11. Don't forget Blackjack.
Gordon: Keep blackjack there or slide it over to another night.
Jason: That would be the Casino night they want.
Don: Definitely.
Chico: That's your dream Casino Night.
Gordon: Now...do they make an effort to get Poker After Dark or Poker Superstars Invitational?
Chico: Well, I'm going to wager a guess that Fox won't give up Poker Superstars for nothing, so going to PAD. Just to complete the triple crown as it were.
Gordon: True. And then after Poker Night, you're probably going to go out and get fully loaded?
Jason: Hic. Ed you hang out in bars for trivia nights?
Ed: Yes, pretty often. Some people didn't like seeing me on Grand Slam. They felt they were playing against a "professional."
Chico: Do your bars have Wiis hooked into the wall?
Ed: Nope, I've never seen that. Is that common?
Chico: No, It's just a link to this story.
Gordon: lol
Chico: It's also a Global story... in more ways than one.

Global has enlisted Nintendo to help out with its casting for Canadian 5th Graders. The network is using "Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree" to fill the spots.

Chico: Talk about creative.
Don: No kidding.
Jason: I like that a lot.
Rob: Quite intuitive.
Chico: If you've played the Big Brain Academy games, they rely heavily on math, logic, and verbal skills.
Gordon: Do they give out majors in Media hoing?
Chico: No. You'd have to go to Pepper-Dine. :-)
Rob: BOOOOO!
Gordon: Hardy har har. Play my music, biotch!
Chico: Fine... (plays "Pimpin' All Over the World"). First, I've got a casting call!
Gordon: I've got a bunch of casting calls. Whats yours?
Rob: Hurrah.
Chico: From our friends at RealityWanted.com...

Apparently Mark Burnett is working on a new game for NBC in which family and friends help you win big money. More info here: http://www.realitywanted.com/index.php/latest/1520?PHPSESSID=52b11d84b4f30c71a5fa45c98869dc7f

Gordon: Does it require using your brain?
Chico: Let's see... "Are you living a fun, full, and exciting life?... seeing outgoing men & women... Send picture."... Oh boy....
Gordon: In other words...no.
Jason: Nope.
Don: Oh, geez...
Ed: That sounds like discrimination against people with no friends.
Rob: Now I feel discriminated.
Jason: Too funny.
Rob: Thanks, Ed.
Gordon: I've got a good lawyer, Rob. You can sue NBC with his help.
Rob: I could use the dinero.
Gordon: Here's a show that Ed wouldn't want to go on - nor would I think anyone else here...

Bravo will launch a national search for model wannabes for its upcoming competition reality series Make Me A Supermodel produced by Tiger Aspect Productions. Men and women can compete to win $100,000 and a chance to ignite their modeling careers. Bravo is also partnering with Yahoo! to drive entries. Auditions will be held in Dallas September 14-15; Chicago September 19-20; Miami September 24-25; New York City September 30 and October 1; and Los Angeles October 6 and 8. All information on how to enter can be found through Go to Yahoo! and search for Supermodel or visit www.BravoTV.com/casting .

Jason: Nope...but there are people who would.
Rob: Ah, the glorified meat parade.
Ed: That gives me a month to get in shape.
Chico: Or if modeling isn't your thing, but dancing is... Got something for that, too.

Remember a while ago, we were talking about Carrie-Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli partnering for a spinoff series to Dancing with the Stars?

Jason: Yes...are they casting for it?
Chico: Yep.
Gordon: Blah.

http://www.realitywanted.com/index.php/latest/1516

Jason: "Making the Dance Troupe"
Ed: I guess they'll be making the troupe dance.
Chico: I guess so. Would make the most sense...
Gordon: Now lets say that you think you have more sense than a 5th grader - and you're Canadian.

Good News! You can audition on August 13th in Canada if you're a grown up and August 20th if you're a child. http://thechronicleherald.ca/Entertainment/85 2217.html

Gordon: Finally...we got singing to go with dancing too, don't we, Chico?
Chico: Of course!
Rob: Things that I can't do.
Gordon: You don't have to sing it well, Rob - just sing it right.

Singing Bee's casting for upcoming shows. You don't have to sing well, just sing correctly. Go to NBC.com/casting for that.

Gordon: But I dont think they will have any Dresden Doll music, Rob. Sorry.
Chico: Maybe "Sing". MAYBE. On that note, it's time for the Ho Roll call. Gordon?
Gordon: And its a big roll this week.

Ashly DelGrosso gets a dancing baby, Lewis Flinn is credited with the Power of 10 Music, Mark and Amanda from The Age of Love now want some alone time...

Chico: bom-chicka-wah-wah.
Jason: I havent sprayed Axe yet, thank you.
Don: lol

Sherri Shepherd talks from the Wanna Bet set, while Constantine Maroulis talks album and Gina Glocksen gets engaged at her own concert...

Jason: Congrats to Gina.

Meanwhile, we get the hoes from UFC 6 (September 19) and Last One Standing (October 4)

Gordon: But none of them are your ho of the week.
Rob: Shocker.
Jason: Its Ed. It has to be Ed.
Gordon: Now Ed, where in Texas are you?
Ed: In my bedroom.
Jason: LOL
Ed: Just about two miles south of the capitol dome.
Jason: In Austin.
Gordon: Do you ever go to any bars in Austin?
Ed: They showed me drinking a beer in a bar as part of my Grand Slam video bio.
Gordon: The Media Ho of the Week is a bar owner from Austin Texas - he is Brad Womack, who is 34 years old. And Chico, I have a special treat for you. Can you guess what it is?
Don: I think I see where this is going...
Chico: He's the new McBachelor.
Gordon: Why yes, Chico. Yes he is!
Ed: Oh, wow! How did I miss hearing about that?
Jason: Because you are smart and actually have a life, Ed.
Chico: You were lucky.
Gordon: Brad Womack is the new Bachelor on Chico's FAVORITE show ever. Chico, tell Ed how much you LOVE that show.
Chico: Die die stabbity death.
Ed: Wednesday, ABC confirmed that Brad Womack, who co-owns several downtown bars — the Chuggin' Monkey, the Marq, Uncle Flirty's... and the Dizzy Rooster — will be the next beau to choose from a bevy of bachelorettes when the show returns in September.
Jason: Been to any of those?
Ed: I've mostly walked past them. Not my usual hangouts. I think the Chuggin' Monkey got a lot of free publicity a few years ago when it was often seen in MTV's The Real World.
Gordon: Jason, would you ever go to a bar called 'Uncle Flirtys'?
Jason: Hell no. I have been to a bar called "The Wicked Monk"
Gordon: BTW, That would be Bachelor #11, for those who are keeping track. And those...are your hoes.
Chico: Final story takes us to Colombia.
Jason: Ah Colombia.

Apparently the newest thing in game shows is "Nothing But the Truth", in which a contestant must answer more salacious questions while in a lie detector in order to win a giant cash prize..

Jason: Reminds me of the 1980's show "Lie Detector"
Ed: Oooh, with F. Lee Bailey!
Jason: High Five, ed. You do remember that one.
Don: Basically, just tell the truth, and you win.
Gordon: The detector buzzes, you lose. I cant say I like the idea. It's been proven that Lie Detectors are not 100% reliable, and I would hate to see someone telling the truth but get nailed by a faulty piece of machinery.
Chico: And execs in the US have taken notice, as a pilot is commissioned by... come on, who else is the purveyor of crap?
Jason: Fox?
Gordon: Fox.
Chico: Fox.
Jason: Who else.
Don: Of course.
Rob: If not Fox then MyNetworkTV.
Gordon: I can easily see this going to MyNetwork TV
Jason: They need anything...
Chico: and we mean ANYTHING.
Rob: At least this is better than those crappy novellas they tried for.
Gordon: Not by much, Rob
Ed: I'd go on the show, since I don't know how to lie in Spanish. Except I know the word mentiras.
Chico: Okay, we're back home. That's Brainvision.
Jason: Shutting down.
Chico: Moving from that to last week's question on You Love... We asked what you gave Drew Carey on Power of 10... 77% gave him a 10. And that... would be an accurate assessment. This week's question is one that Ed posed...

Is it better for the game show genre to have few good shows on the air or more crappy ones? Few good ones More crappy ones Can't have one without the other

Gordon: Answers Next Week.
Ed: I could argue either way. If the goal is to have at least a few good shows, the best chance of that happening is to have lots of shows and hope some of them are good.
Chico: Which is pretty much what they're going at right now... Stick whatever you can on the wall and hope it sticks for at least six weeks.
Ed: On the other hand, if the overexposure of crappy shows causes the whole genre to become unwelcome, the good may be thrown out with the bad.
Gordon: I agree. that's why it's going to be very interesting to see what our audience thinks. When we come back - 20 Question with our Special Guest, Ed Toutant. You're reading WLTI - the show approved by 3 out of 4 Grand Slam contestants.
Jason: The 4th one wouldn't give their name :-)
Don: Heh.
Rob: Good point.

(Brainvision has been sponsored by Big Brother Airlines. We'll take you anywhere you want to go...as long as you don't mind us taking you to where we want to go. No banners, please.)

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