October 9, 2006

Chico: Hey, this is Chico Alexander. Gordon doesn't belong on TV. :-)
Jason: Oh really?
Chico: Or maybe he does, but as a coach. Like John Madden, only with more witticisms.
Jason: Do you have a special whistle?
Gordon: He seemed to do perfectly fine on Thursday, as he coached one of his own through the interviews to get onstage, biotches.
Jason: Plinko Boy himself.
Gordon: That would be him. before we start today's show, a special congratulations to GSNN's Aaron Huertas for getting on The Price is Right and winning over $3,000 in goodies, including $2,000 of it in cash.
Jason: Go Aaron!
Chico: Pick up the phone, got some money coming in. That's how we play the Price is Right in the STREET!
Jason: Or wait on line like everyone else...during GSC week.
Gordon: Yes, and the last remnant orf our adventure there - The Price is Right trip. Now it's never too early to start making plane for GSC 6. Maybe you will be the next person getting called up to play.
Jason: Sponsored by Izze soda :-)
Gordon: And Big Poppa's Pizza
Chico: And even if you aren't, there's nothing wrong with spending a night in LA with us in the middle of the street... in ass-cold weather.
Gordon: Or a week with us, hanging out, going to Japanese Buffets, hitting TV tapings like Wheel of Fortune, TPIR and Deal or No Deal.
Chico: The world now knows what we know. And right now we know this... from somewhere on the benches of the New York Plinko Boys... WLTI... is... ON! Let's talk about this week.
Letters... words... questions. Does GSN have another hit on its hands? That's the Question.
Jason: Didn't see it. I know...bad correspondent.
Chico: Bad. No home game.
Gordon: Boot him out of the room.
Chico: Basically what happens when you combine Wheel and Jeopardy in a fusion dance and it's hosted by Bob Goen.
Jason: Does the dance work? Does it have a good beat?
Gordon: Being a good correspondent, though I did happen to see the show. The premise is ok, and it grew on me, but it's much more a trivia show than a Wheel of Fortune show.
Chico: The premise is alright. Bob is slowly getting back into the quiz vibe after being out of it or, oh, 15 years.
Jason: Is this another one of those good potential like CR?
Chico: Very good potential actually.
Gordon: It's trivia with a little wheel of fortune thrown in, but since it doesn't matter when you solve the puzzle (you get a standard set of points, regardless when), most people will just let the letters fill in and then answer it.
Chico: But obviously, you want to try and score as many letters as possible.  Big point questions are a necessity.
Jason: right.
Gordon: I'm not as high on the show as Chico is. It's ok for what it is. There's also a reason why they stuck it at 6pm ET instead of a prime time slot, It's a very dry show and the contestants, who are clearly picked out of country, don't add much to it. One of the bonus questions was 'What state is due south of Maryland'. The answer the contestant gave...New York. Wha?
Chico: It's all random, of course, but there are some things you can control.
Jason: lol
Chico: I think there's some potential in it... THAT SAID, It's time for a big board.
Gordon: Before we go to the Big Board, I wanted to say the one thing the show lacks...strategy. There's not much to do in this game. You just answer questions. There's no strategic point to do anything. There's no advantage to solving a puzzle early or late. There's nothing up there except 5 points. In Jeopardy, you have the Daily Doubles. In Wheel, you have the temptation of Greed and when to land on a big amount and pick a letter than appears 7 zillion times.
Jason: which will even get even better later this season with the Wild Card option.
Chico: Here, it's all luck and knowledge.
Gordon: Correct, but In That's the Question, you earn more points when you let the question run through, and there's no strategic interaction with the other player. That leaves the game very very dry. And there's not even much luck here, as there's no luck that forces you to lose control. If you know your trivia, you're going to win this in a rout, which is what has been happening. Ok. All done. Continue with the Big Board please.

Chico: The subject: Domestically Challenged. There's the beginning of a good run on GSN with That's the Question. But first, it has to get over some serious production hurdles that stem from shooting out of country. Most of this will sound familiar if you were following the current run of Lingo from the very beginning.
Gordon: Sure does
Jason: Of course.
Chico: If you're taking notes, feel free to throw in. 1) Get a deeper pool. Contestant pool, that is. Sure you can find enough players for 20 shows, but let's be real here. You're shooting in a foreign country where you'd be lucky to find 40 North Americans. College students on foreign exchange, mostly. If and when the show moves production to the US, you have that deeper pool to dip from. That deeper population to base. You don't have the same contestants every other game.
Gordon: 2) Fly people in from the US. I'm sure that they could take 1 little plane and take everyone there. Or even if you don't need that much, a good 10 or 20 - just people who can represent the game well.
Chico: 3) Fact check. "The Mario Brothers first appeared in what game?" 
Answer? anyone?
Jason: lol

(Crickets)

Chico: Come on... Anyone know the answer to this? It's an EASY QUESTION! Mario Bros! Along that same line... 4) Spell Check. "Paul Bunyon?"
Jason: European production, European spelling
Gordon: My favorite was hydrogyn, as in the element that decided to go out on a date and be androgynous.
Chico: Kinda reminds me of what I once said about Lingo during its first season. "It's as if they gave the game board operator an English dictionary of five-letter words and told him to go to town." Again, along that same line...
Gordon: You shouldn't have European spelling for a show that's tailored for an American audience
Chico: 5) Get better writers. Sailor Moon questions are obscure even by trivia standards.
Jason: Unless you are an anime geek
Chico: Guilty. And what about the first show, where we had two questions, and both of them had Garfield as an answer.
Jason: Meow-valous.
Chico: Now, I like Garfield as much as the next guy. I cheered when Jon finally got with Liz. But still... what's up with that mess? Okay, am I missing anything?
Gordon: Nope
Chico: But again, most, if not all, of these problems will be remedied when and if GSN orders a new set of shows to be taped in America.
Jason: It will. They need hits.
Chico: They need hits like a UFC champ needs hits.
Jason: Ground and pound.
Gordon: Barring a complete ratings disaster, you'll see a second round of this show
Chico: I don't doubt that we'll see a second round. GSN needs the content. And reaction seems to be favoring it. So what do you think the reaction will be to... William Shatner!
Jason: One to beam up....huh?
Chico: It's relevant.
Jason: I know it is...I think this is a disaster.
Gordon: You all remember the last game show he helmed?
Chico: Two words to Shatner as a game show host.... actually, two words, and three letters. Iron... Chef... USA.
Gordon: Didn't go over very well, did it?
Chico: BAD JUJU.
Jason: That was a bomb on a nuclear proportion. They got it right on the Food Network.
Chico: Hell to the yeah.
Jason: He rode in on a white horse.
Chico: And now ABC has tapped Captain Denny Hooker to host its new game "Show Me the Money"
Jason: This is going to be another disaster.
Chico: Notice they're still holding out on a release date. I don't think ABC has much faith in the franchise. Not as much as, say, "Set for Life", which is all lined up and ready to go once Dancing ends.
Jason: with Jimmy Kimmel as host.
Gordon: Lets see the value of the hosts. Jimmy Kimmel. William Shatner.
Chico: Mini-VS Battle! BEGIN!
Jason: Kimmel has experience as the host of WBSM. Shatner is just cute and his hosting skills are minimal.
Chico: Mini-VS Battle! END!
Gordon: Do you really want William Shatner to be helming a major game show?
Jason: Hell to the no.
Chico: I've seen Bill helm a major game show. I know the damage he can do. But then again, this was all basically a knee-jerk reaction to the success of Deal or No Deal, so I SHOULDN'T be THAT surprised.
Jason: They are trying anything that sticks.
Chico: Seems like Show That No One Has Heard Of plus Host That No One Expects equals... PROFIT. Seems to be the modus operandi with primetime games for the next year or so.
Jason: and I say...BAD JUJU to that.
Chico: I mean, it has to be REALLY bad if Fox doesn't want it. You know they'll put on anything.
Gordon: True. It's the era of...wait for it...Big Money Clones!
Jason: Which was begat by the era of Millionaire Clones.
Gordon: Of course, instead of Ho Me the Money, ABC could have just as easily snapped the rights so...uhhh..Super Millionaire?
Jason: Programming executives are so unoriginal it's disgusting.
Gordon: Something that is usually good JUJU....Vivica A. Fox. But not this week.
Chico: Awww.
Jason: Chaos Theory time again?
Chico: Yep. Everyone thinks Vivica is safe... plus good performance.... plus oversaturation of one particular demographic... equals... PROFIT.
Jason: Does everything have to equal PROFIT?
Chico: Why not. Profit's fun. =p
Gordon: You took my line. But remember when I even said last week that there would not be 2 black women in the finals?
Jason: I know you did.
Gordon: Whelp...there you go.
Jason: So it's going to be the High School Musical black girl... teenagers watch TV.
Gordon: That also means that Monique and Emmitt are safe for the next few weeks, while Sara and Willa need to be concerned - they have both been in the bottom.
Chico: And of the two, Sara seems to be the most left-footed.
Jason: Reading the message boards...Sara is not well liked.
Gordon: You could make cases for any of them leaving. Sara is the lowest scorer left, while Willa has the lowest fan base.
Chico: Jerry, meanwhile, scores big points for his power social with his daughter. He's going to stick around for a while.
Jason: You called the Jerry phenomenon, didn't you, Gordon?
Gordon: Gee, I think I did, didn't I? Power of the audience. Jerry could very well make it to the final 3 - PLUS he's actually improving and getting better.
Jason: George Hamilton took it seriously, but his level was the same.
Chico: Ah, right.
Gordon: You have the powerhouses in Joey, Mario and Monique, the fan favorites in Jerry and Emmitt, and trouble for Willa and Sara. On paper, it does look like Sara is in the biggest danger of leaving.
Jason: Sara looks in trouble.
Chico: There's a but in here somewhere.
Jason: But :-) Willa has no fan base either.
Gordon: I think it depends on the judges and not who's in last, but who's in second to last. Sara will probably be in the basement again. The question is who joins her. If it's someone like Jerry or Emmitt, she's done. If Willa has a bad night, then Willa is goingt o be in big trouble because Sara's fan base can make her leapfrog over Willa.
Jason: Country beats washed up pop star any day.
Gordon: Yep, Sara needs to perform well, or hope that she is joined by Willa. But if she can survive next week and Willa gets thrown out, then things can get VERY interesting, because let's go back to the demographics for a second.
Chico: Going back for a second...
Gordon: Should Sara or Willa leave next week, that leaves 4 guys and 2 girls. You know that you will not have an all male final 4, and you're not going to have 5 left with only 1 female. That could set up a very nasty upset for a front runner.
Jason: Joey Lawrence being my upset pick.
Chico: I'm going to second that.
Gordon: Could very well be.
Jason: He will be the "Chris Daughtry" elimination of this year.
Gordon: Well, they are both bald.
Chico: Everyone's going to call bull... And I'm going to sit here saying... "Well, did you VOTE?"
Gordon: Pretty much. Save this and be ready to replay it in a few weeks.
Jason: And I am going to say the same. Bitch, moan, but don't vote=kiss my....
Chico: NEXT!
Jason: :P
Chico: Who saw the Jeopardy! this week...
Jason: This is one of my favorite times of the year. Smart kids rule.
Gordon: asking about Back to School Week on Jeopardy?
Chico: Smart, yes. Trivial Pursuit smart... YES. Monopoly smart... GOD NO.
Jason: They didn't know how to bet.
Chico: And I could hear Gordon wincing from the pain of a $250 bet on a Daily Double. Mr. Strategy, break it down.
Gordon: Well, they are kids, so they aren't going to have as much strategy formulated as the adults, so I'll give them the pass there. Actually, I was VERY impressed by some of the betting.
Chico: Yeah, but still, if you're going into the Jeopardy!, do your research first. The first two champs... They did the research. They're probably the "marquee matches" that they like to put on first. Just to get everyone hooked.
Jason: Yeah they did...over $20K in cash and the laptops.
Chico: Remember last year?
Jason: (cough) Maddie Suchard (cough)
Gordon: One of the contestants in Final Jeopardy actually used my strategy - a category she did not know a lot about, even though she had a narrow margin of lead, she bet little enough to force her second placed opponent to get the question right - now why don't the adults use that strategy more often?
Jason: I have no idea.
Chico: Me neither. But it would make for a good win now and then. And it just might win you some hardware. Not to mention some serious cheddar.
Jason: Nice laptop and cash.
Chico: Speaking of cheddar... We have a new game to gush about.
Jason: What's that?
Chico: We'll get to that. First, Gordon, anything else worth throwing into the Opening Round?... Other than we look good on TV and we should get our own mockumentary on CBS? Or at least innertube? Give me innertube, man!
Jason: We'll take anything.
Gordon: Well, doing a quick recap...
Chico: *quick recap music*
Jason: (plays Yakety Sax)
Gordon: Monique is eliminated in ANTM, Lauren and her dad show us that Lesbians are not going to be winning the Amazing Race this season, and the Project Runway reunion got...ugly.
Chico: And New York started yet another catfight she wasn't a part of on Flavor of Love 2.
Jason: And the Prince on the Bachelor may not be royalty.
Chico: All that and... Choppler ready! Jackets ready!
Jason: Cats, Mice and Cheese at the ready! Brainvision Do-rag ready :-)
Chico:  It's a big news week. I have to look pimped out. Okay, Gordon, now!
Gordon: Roll that Beautiful Brain Footage

(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... and Chico Alexander)

Chico: That never gets old. Okay, first up...

Mark your calendars for November 1, because as the World Series ends, Fox will roll out its "Rich List" with UK personality Eamonn Holmes presen.... err, hosting.

Jason: Fox attempt to gain...what Chico?
Chico: PROFIT.
Jason: Bingo.
Chico: To reiterate, teams compete to complete lists of items, then compete for big money, and they stay until they lose. It's the big money version of Outburst.
Jason: pretty much.
Gordon: You ready for more shows?

The Major League Gaming Pro Circuit debuts on November 11th, and Who Wants to be a Superhero has been renewed for a season 2. Also coming up.. The Singing Office, where two offices compete against each other in a sing-off, after being flown to LA and given singing and dancing lessons. Real World Road Rules Challenge shows up October 12, and the taping for William Shatner's masterpiece is October 14-16, so if you want tickets, and live in the LA area, well, go get'em.

Chico: Woo-hoo! The renewal is very much deserved, as we saw what SciFi could do with the first season. Props to Feedback, by the way. He knew how to sell it. As for the others, we should dispatch our agents. I'll activate the G-Signal. *activates the G-signal*
Gordon: Ok. Next article...

Speaking of Tapings, High Stakes Poker is setting up to be taped this week. Hot Rumor - one of the people scheduled to play is WSOP 2006 Champion Jamie Gold, and the rumor on the set is that everyone is going to gang up to take him out.

Jason: Jamie Gold was a freaking monster this year in the main event. The man had it all this year.
Chico: Which gave GSN the idea to invite him to the table for season 3.
Jason: Too bad he didn't endear himself to too many people.
Gordon: No he didn't. It will be VERY interesting so see if he does show up - and what happens if he gets into a pot with mentor Johnny Chan.
Chico: While we're on poker...

The Professional Poker Tour is picking up its stake and shopping elsewhere after Travel Channel dropped plans for a second season. Travel will still air WPT next year, though.

Chico: I'm guessing that viewers saw through the thin veil. Anyone who saw PPT could tell that it's pretty much cut from the same cloth as the WPT... literally. Come on, Mr. Lipscomb, have some sense of creativity here. Don't try and reinvent the horse, here.
Gordon: It was a very boring behind the scenes look at a poker tournament. The WSOP did it a lot better.
Chico: Yep. One of the prospectives on their list... GSN. I doubt it. They have their own cash card to play... And they play it rather well.
Gordon: True, but GSN certainly does have holes to fill in their schedule
Chico: "We have holes! Quick! More PlayMania!"
Gordon: However, none of that has to do with Haterade this week. And this week, we have...Co-Haters
Jason: Two bottles of haterade....
Chico: Haterade Doublesize.

The first one goes to...Des Lynam, who quit Countdown because he didn't like the commute. Uhhh...shouldn't you have thought of that BEFORE taking the job? The second one goes to Shanna Moakler. It's bad enough that she got booted from Dancing With the Stars. Now she has to go get into a fight with...of all people...Paris Hilton in a nightclub.

Jason: Duh. Screw up the biggest game of all time.
Chico: At least he proved one thing... Anyone can sit in "Richard Whiteley's chair"... but not anyone can be Richard Whiteley. But Shanna Moakler... Media Ho Smackdown.
Jason: I hope she kicked her ass :-)
Chico: Anything to get Paris out of the limelight... for once. I need to
forget about Paris. Let's get Fully Loaded.
Jason: (sings "How Dry I Am")
Chico: This week, we're going to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong TV channel TIC is bringing interactive game show "You Are History!" to MIPCOM. Now I know what you're thinking... Interactive game. Whoopee... Not much else going for it, eh?

Chico: BUT LISTEN. This game not only blends your regular interactive game format with trivia, but it has studio players teaming up with home players via webcam... AND a studio player has the opportunity to "fire" their online help! I say... someone pick this thing up! This could be golden right here.
Jason: Awesome. Playmania on steroids.
Chico: Hell, I'd even host it. Yes, we have another "Host for hire" moment on WLTI.
Jason: We all would...I would wear my Armani suit and look styling. you know how I roll.
Chico: How many times can you say "Call now!" in a minute?
Gordon: How many times can you say Media Ho in a minute?
Jason: (plays Area Codes)
Gordon: In this week's Hodometer...

Jefferey Sebelia and Laura Bennett still get into the cheating allegations, Martha Stewart celebrates a magazine anniversary, Bob Barker speaks at the Drury Commencement and Dylan Lane goes out to host with words, courtesy of GSN. Lorenzo Borghese, meanwhile, is Pimping out...but now reports say that he's from the VERY loose arms of the Borghese family, and not remotely close to being as princely as claimed. Jeopardy Champ Rich Courdray runs for office, trying to convey a Jeopardy win to a election win.

Jason: At least the most positive thing I have seen in this campaign.
Chico: Politics is dirty.
Gordon: And we once again have a ho, and a pimp sharing the cup. The Ho is Noel Edmonds, who will be hosting the UK's version of America's Got Talent. The Pimp? Simon Cowell, who will be judging it and who handpicked Edmonds to host it.
Jason: I think Simon is a pimp and a ho at the same time. But I respect his game.
Chico: On the panel: Simon, Piers, and... the Hoff.
Jason: The Hoff goes to the UK version. Smart.
Chico: Does this make Simon Brandy? Because that would just be scary and wrong.

(extended pause)

Gordon: uhh....ew.
Jason: Way ew...
Gordon: And with that disturbing thought in our head, that ends Brainvision. Shut it down.

(Tom Gauer enters)

Jason: Hi Uncle Tom!
Chico: COUSIN TOM!
Tom: Cousin Chico!
Chico: Sitting next to Bald'n'Sexy at the Price tapin'.
Tom: (and watch that "Uncle Tom" stuff.)
Chico: Heh.
Jason: LOL
Gordon: When we come back, we unleash unspeakable horrors on Jason Block and Tom Gauer. Don't miss it.
Tom: lol
Jason: Nothing unusual.
Chico: This is WLTI... the show that does to game shows what three record execs and an image coach from hell did... to Avril Lavigne.
Jason: Suck its soul out of it?
Tom: Why can't she take a picture with her mouth closed?
Chico: It's an empty tagline, Jason..

(Brainvision News has been brought to you by PSN. Its no longer GSN, the 24 hour network for games. It's now Playmania Show Network, the 24 Hour Show for Playmania! All Playmania. All the time.)

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