Gordon: Would you shoot craps with Rich Vos, Chico?
Chico: Word.
Gordon: Anyways, we are back with one of our favorites, Take A Side. In this game, We'll give out a question, and each of the debaters MUST take a side. Jeff Suchard will be one of the debaters. Who will challenge him?
Joe: Gordon!
Jeff: LOL
Jason: Gordon!
Chico: Gordon!
Jeff: It's unanimous.
Gordon: I guess it's me. (Throws specially made questions away)
Jeff: None shall defeat me... Umm... except for Ken.
Joe: Round one....FIGHT!
Jason: heh
Jeff: Rockem Sockem robots ready for action!
Gordon: As usual, Joe, Jason and Chico are the judges, 2 out of three
decisions gets the points.
Chico: Tokyo-WLTI... Are.. you... READY!
Joe: WHOOOOOO.
Gordon: Let's play.
Jason: w00t
Chico: Okay, Joe. Start us off, please.
Jeff: By the way, are there any particular topics that might come up, or
anything goes?
Gordon: Anything goes.
Chico: It's anything-goes and no-holds barred.
Jeff: Good, cause I know how to solve the problem in Darfur.
Joe: First question: Q #1 - This season of Survivor is the most boring one - ever.
Gordon: Since Jeff is the guest, Jeff always answers first, making my job, as the person who has to counter, harder.
Jeff: I disagree with the statement. The casting producer has an obvious
breast-fetish. Since I do too, I do not think this season is so horrible. How do you counter that, Gordon?
Gordon: ZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzOh, I was thinking of this season - sorry. It always gets interesting once it gets to the merge, but the tribes are already divided down the line by age, barring any sort of twist, we know that the young women and men are toast - which means that even when we do merge, all of the attractive people will be gone, and we'll have nothing but shclumpy titties left to look at. Yuck.
Jason: (there's an image.....)
Jeff: Your point about it getting interesting at the merge only supports my
argument. We know that the game gets progressively more interesting as it goes on.
Gordon: But we're not there yet, and so far, it's very boring. We know who's going to be eliminated, and I don't think Scout nor Twila will be making a centerfold pictures and time in the future.
Jeff: We only know for the men's team who is leaving next.
Gordon: Lisa is gone for the women or Julie.
Jeff: The women still don't have as strong a voting block, although I will
admit that they may send the young'uns home.
Gordon: Which means that more youth is leaving.
Jeff: But won't the elders play a more interesting game as things progress? It appears that we are actually arguing slightly different things. I'm looking at the whole season, and you are looking at the shows to date. And don't forget the earthquake and other "elements of danger"(R) to come.
Gordon: I doubt it - these people don't really play the game in terms of
merge. I expect a pagonging of the men vs. the women, or the women vs. the men. Things will get interesting when there are 5 people left - but that's after 10 episodes, which is the bulk of the season. Wake me up in 2 months. Zzzzzzzzz....
Jeff: The season with porn-star Brian was much worse than what we have now. So it doesn't matter if you are bored now. This season is not the most boring.
Gordon: At least we had a primordial scream by Ghandia. What memorable thing can you say about any of the contestants?
Jeff: They've got boobs. One was in Playboy BEFORE the show, not invited
afterwards.
Gordon: Ghandia had boobs. Even Brian's wife had boobs - and she's much more interesting than any of this season's cast. Brian's wife's boobs would be more compelling than this cast
Joe: LMAO
Jeff: Yeah, and Sarge has man-boobs too. If you're into that.
Joe: Vote for Gordon. Judges?
Jason: Vote for.... Jeff. There's been worse.
Jeff: Tie breaker.
Chico: Well, bad news... Your fate rests in my hands now.
Joe: The good news?
Jason: .....did he say there was good news?
Chico: Jeff brought up an interesting point, that Gordon was actually
reinforcing Jeff's arguments, so point to Jeff. The good news...
Jeff: Whoo-Hoo!
Chico: The GOOD news... I just saved a boatload of money by switching car insurance.
Gordon: Hardy har har

Gordon: 0, Jeff: 1.

Joe: Next!
Jason: Me!
Joe: Jason's next. Ask your question.
Chico: Go, Jason!
Jason: Q #2 - Wheel of Fortune may now cause blindness...watch with caution. (ie; excessive graphics)
Jeff: Do I go first again?
Chico: Yep
Jeff: I argue that Wheel does not cause blindness.
Chico: Please explain.
Jeff: Around my house we call it "Wheel of Stupid People", because these were all the people who couldn't get on a "real" quizshow.
Jason: (Hence, why I'd be perfect on it)
Jeff: I have watched WoF maybe three times in the last year, including once this last week. And my eyesight has not been affected.
Gordon: Maybe you haven't been affected because you've only watched it three times in the past year. Are we really that excessive a society that we have to have graphics in EVERY facet of the game? Do we really need a final spin graphic - or an incredibly cheesy fake graphic of people moving around behind the contestants as they are spinning the wheel?
Jeff: The skill level required on this show panders to a least-common-denominator demographic. They need "shiny things that spin" (as my oldest daughter likes to say) to keep them interested.
Gordon: And that bonus round coloring in the bonus wheel - WHY? I am
surprised that no one has had seizures yet from seeing that thing spin.
Joe: LMAO
Gordon: Yes - wheel of Fortune's excessive graphics can cause eye problems and blindness.
Jeff: A more discriminating viewer will watch Jeopardy, or even Millionaire,
and doesn't need all those beads and trinkets.
Gordon: Thanks for supporting my argument, Jeff. Too many trinkets and eye candy - the candy that is rotting out your eyeballs. We need a graphic regulator in there to save us all from the WOF computer animation team.
Jeff: But the question is whether it will actually cause blindness. Of course
not. As a physician, I can tell you that while TV may induce seizures in some (re: Mary Hart's voice) it will not cause blindness, even if you sit too
close.
Gordon: Rapid seizures in the brain could cause neural problems - including blindness. So yes, WOF COULD cause blindness.
Jeff: I am not supporting your argument, Gordon; please don't try that
argument with me. It's been done. Medically speaking, this is not possible.
Gordon: I think we're talking from a figurative sense anyways, not literal.
Jeff: Are you suggesting actual blindness, or just arguing that they don't
need all the new graphics?
Joe: The latter.
Chico: The latter.
Jason: ditto.
Jeff: The question was regarding blindness, and I am taking that literally
for my argument. Sometimes people write poorly worded questions, you know...
Chico: yeah, but Jason did specify excessive graphics.
Jason: (look below that)
Jeff: There it is in black and white...well, blue.
Jason: (ie; excessive graphics)
Gordon: JUDGES!
Joe: Gordon.
Jeff: Yes, but actually causing blindness?! There is nothing indicating
figurative speech in the question.
Chico: Okay, the question was regarding graphics and Gordon knew that, so this one goes to him.
Jeff: Just you wait for my appeal letter in the mail! I will research this
one so deeply your head will spin.
Gordon: We'll hire the WWTBAM team to make a judgement on it =)
Chico: okay, for the record, Jason. Who'd you give it to?
Jason: As much as I want to give the point to Jeff for his "shiny things that
spin" comment..... (because I like shiny things...... and spinny things) But
Gordon also said some bad things about the bonus wheel and I love that thing, at least. So I give the vote to ME!
Jeff: No... me!
Gordon: Sigh.
Chico: Spinny things that shine! ... No, wait.
Jason: You still got the other two votes, Gordon.... stop bellyaching. :)
Gordon: No complaints from me =)

Gordon: 1* Jeff: 1

*Jeff's appeal letter is in the mail

Chico: Okay, next question. Spurned by the copycat nature plaguing the genre, there aren't really that many good ideas for new game shows anymore...
Jeff: I believe we are in a copycat phase of gameshows and "reality" shows. The differences between them are subtle, and usually only enough to prevent a successful copyright infringement suit. It has been said (and I will say it here) that there only 12 original stories in the world. Every "new" thing is only a varnishing over the old story. I would like to see a truly innovative gameshow, but it's not out there now.
Jason: ....only 12? *tear*
Chico: I know the feeling, Jay...
Gordon: At the Game Show Congress, there was a showcase on the presentation of new ideas. There were many innovative ideas that were presented, including people inside the industry like Fremantle - and even Joe Van Ginkel had an idea that I thought was sound. I saw at least three of them and played two of them. There are many ideas out there. The problem isn't the ideas - the problem is that there are too many 'old hat' companies that keep pitching the same shows. The industry has the games - they need new voices and the opportunity to give someone else a chance to give ideas.
Jeff: They "said" these ideas were innovative, but where's the proof of this? How do you pitch these ideas? Usually, you say, "Well it's like this other show,...but different." Thus proving that it was derivative of something else. How can you possibly say that any new quiz show is innovative? They are all based on the concept of 1) ask a question, and 2) answer the question, thus 3) winning money or prizes.
Gordon: 2 years ago, the poker world took, over, and last year Extreme
Dodgeball and The Apprentice made huge splashes in the industry. The ideas are definitely out there, its just a matter of giving them the spotlight over the old corporate way of thinking.
Jeff: The Apprentice is a popular show. BUT it is essentially Survivor in the
board-room. It is not itself innovative. Survivor was an innovation in its
time... but we are now talking about the currently available shows. Almost all of these are derivative.
Gordon: The Apprentice isn't Survivor because you are not voting people off - it is a Job Interview in the most cut-throat sense - and that itself is new. Extreme Dodgeball is certainly not derivative of any other TV game show.
Joe: But it still sucks.
Gordon: Whether it sucks or doesn't isn't part of the question - and it
doesn't suck.
Jeff: There is still a "voting" procedure in Apprentice. Trump gets the final
vote (a minor deviation), but the contestants get to choose who is on the
block with them. Extreme Dodgeball is simply the latest incarnation of "Almost Anything Goes".
Gordon: Its a great idea - which doesn't suck. There will always be shows
every few years that come out and surprise you. American Idol., Survivor,
Dodgeball, The Bachelor - they all are trademark shows - and there will always be new ones. ED isn't close to Almost Anything Goes - you kidding me? Just when someone says that all of the ideas are tapped out - there will always be new ones.
Jeff: The Bachelor is just Survivor with more T&A.
Gordon: The Bachelor is a dating show.
Jeff: I did not mean to imply that these shows are identical. I am pointing
out that they are not innovative, since they are closely derived from similar
shows that are already on, or were already on.
Gordon: There will always be new innovative shows and thinking - I remember when WWTBAM came out that everyone said the game show genre is dead now and then Survivor showed up. The Bachelor is defintely not derived from Survivor.
Jeff: While there may be new ideas to come, they are not here now. The
biggest innovation, I maintain, was Survivor, and I have seen nothing since that comes close. That was over 5 years ago, wasn't it.
Gordon: The only thing they have in common is people being eliminated. WPT isn't innovative? ED isn't innovative? Would we be talking about balls flying around? Amazing Race isn't Innovative?
Jeff: Different than their sources, yes; but not innovative.
Gordon: They are all innovative and they have their own sources. Explain to me how the World Poker Tour is spawned from Survivor.
Jeff: Back to the 12 stories idea: Amazing Race = Around the World in 80
Days, by Jules Verne. The only significant difference is our modern technology.
Gordon: But it hasn't been done in the game show format - that's what makes it innovative.
Jeff: You are equating "innovative" with any difference; I see no paradigm
shift. The differences are on the surface, while the underlying story is the
same.
Gordon: The question states new ideas for new game shows - these are all new ideas from new game shows, the questions didn't say anything about reinventing the wheel.
Chico: Okay, before this turns into a one-hour special...
Jeff: Using the term "genre" in the question implies there is a definable
group of items.
Gordon: There has not been anything like Extreme Dodgeball, Amazing Race, The Bachelor, The Apprentice, or American Idol in the American Game Show Market - that's what makes it new and fresh and innovative - and years down the line, new ideas will come that will also make the market fresh - it always happens in the industry with a circular effect. The industry is cyclical.
Jeff: What are the essential differences between them. I say these
differences are small.
Gordon: Dodgeball - an extreme contact sport. AR - Traveling around the world against competing teams, Bachelor - looking for love among 15 people, WPT - Competing in cards for over a million dollars in prize money, using math and bluffing. The Apprentice - The Ultimate Job Interview. American Idol - the Ultimate Audience fueled singing contest. All VERY different ideas - and all released in the last 5 years which makes the market innovative and fresh - and more will come. They are all fresh in the game show market - and that's the theme of the question.
Jeff: You say "to-may-to", and I say "to-mah-to". None of these is a fresh
idea. They are all derivative...so there. *sticking tongue out and blowing
raspberry*
Joe: EVERYTHING is derivative, Jeff. Vote for Gordon.
Chico: Jason?
Jason: *shakes head* Wow.... and I thought this season's WoF made my head spin...but anyhoo.... I have to give the vote to Jeff, because Gordon totally lost my vote when he said American Idol was among the original ideas, and Jeff made his stronger point, I thought.
Jeff: Another nail-biter finish for Jeff Suchard.
Chico: I'm going to recuse myself from voting because no one said jack about presentation... The key was presentation. That's where the innovation lies.
Jason: 9_9
Jeff: So it's a TIE?
Chico: But NO ONE said anything about it!
Gordon: I knew this was coming. We're getting a draw, aren't we?
Chico: We're getting a draw, yes.
Jason: *steps back into saloon*

Gordon: 1** Jeff: 1

**The appeal letter has been dropped

Chico: I have the next question...
Jeff: Is it multiple choice?
Chico: Yes it is.
Jeff: I don't know if I can keep up this level of debate.
Jason: Whyyy? This is fun. :)
Chico: GSN: Smart move ditching reality? a) Yes? b) No? c) Maybe...
Jeff: A qualified A) Yes. I want GAME shows, not pretty people yakking at
each other. More Black and White Overnight please, and during the day if you don't mind.
Chico: So the reality buff gets the reality side. Go, Gordon!
Gordon: Suuuure - give me the reality argument to a bunch of reality haters. Why don't you have me argue the benefits of eating meat in front of a crowd of vegetarians?
Chico: Ahem. Argue. Now.
Gordon: The only chance I have at this is picking C) Maybe. Ditching Kenny
and Spenny and Fake-a-date - good. Ditching the Mole - bad. They did keep Dog Eat Dog and I think they need to find the happy medium...That boils down to this - a good show gets viewers, regardless of the genre, They can't overload on one genre (gambling) and ditch the oethers ( traditional).
Jeff: You are a flip-flopper. Waffler! I should win for having a strong
opinion.
Chico: We'll see. Dissect Gordon's.
Gordon: C was one of the choices. The reality show Celebrity BlackJack is the highest rated show on GSN this past season, but you can't renew a million dollar tournament at the expense of Lingo, a popular classic show. The bottom line is that games are ALL games, reality AND classical. A stong mix gets a strong rating. They shouldn't make it an all reailty channel - but reality should definitely be one of the options for people who like it
Jeff: How can you pick apart an argument that says, "It's part OK, and part
not OK."?
Gordon: Having a station that is all reality doesn't get the ratings - nor is
a station that has all classical - GSN tried both methods and neither of them
got ratings.
Jeff: The name is "GSN", meaning GAMEshow network. I want games, not
melodramas.
Jason: ( *gasp* )
Gordon: The idea is to have a mix of shows that EVERYONE will watch - and that's how you get ratings. Have Lingo on Mondays ED on Tuesdays, Celeb BJ on Wednesdays, have a GOOD reality show on Thursdays and maybe a Millionaire/Greed block on Fridays, it is GAME show network, and casino, reality and classics are ALL games.
Jeff: OK Gordon, I realize some people like different things. But you didn't really even pick a choice when you went with "C". "Maybe" means you don't have an opinion about GSN's programming choice.
Gordon: The questions is a smart move ditching reality - the answer is
maybe - depending on what they bring in. You cant get rid of all of it -balance wins over no balance.
Chico: Judges?
Jeff: How did multiple choice become another debate?
Joe: I have to go with Jeff here. Reality needs to go.
Jason: Okay...Gordon, as usual, made some strong cases about the need for reality...and while I would usually agree with that, let me throw some facts and figures back....GSN has brought in Street Smarts & Win Ben Stein's Money, two strong GAME SHOWS....and you guys remember when the network got their highest ratings? During the classic era!! The Big Bucks documentary and a Whammy! season premiere. Celeb BlackJack got adequate ratings, but nowhere near the numbers that PYL / Big Bucks / Whammy got - therefore, my vote goes to Jeff, especially on his case for more B&W overnight.
Gordon: That's so unfair giving an anti-reality question to an anti-reality
group. Protest. Grumble grumble grumble...
Chico: Just for the record...Okay, one of its highest draws is blackjack,
Lingo and Dog Eat Dog. While people may lump DED in reality programming, at its heart is a simple game show concept. Add that Blackjack formed many a good game show in its own rite...Jeff gets my vote.
Gordon: I blame the judge for giving such a slanted question.
Chico: I wanted to see blood and guts.. and I didn't get it.
Gordon: How can I, since you asked such a slanted question. Well, all to make the guest star happy.
Chico: Oh yeah. Forgot about that...Remember. Presentation is key.
Jeff: Erythrocytes, Leukocytes, Platelets, Jejunum, Sigmoid Colon [There!]
Blood and guts for ya
Jason: LOL

Gordon: 1 Jeff: 2*

*Question under protest

Gordon: You want blood and guts, make the next question a mutual studio
question one and give us equal footing.
Chico: Okay...Okay...Baby. Final Question - Millionaire has what it takes to
survive the long haul. Go. Quick answer, Jeff?
Jeff: WWTBAM, unfortunately, does not have what it takes to survive the long haul, by which I mean that I do not think it will become a classic like WoF or Jeopardy.
Chico: We're running short here.
Jeff: I love the game, but it is on it's last legs.
Chico: Okay, Gordon.
Gordon: Ratings have increased every single year, Meredith is coming into her own. The game has cleared into more stations and better time slots -what's not to like? Millionaire is staying for awhile And SUper WWTBAM will be sparking it up again in November, as it's the second highest ranked show on ABC last year.
Jeff: They are adding gimmicks, which is same kind of thing we were
criticizing WoF for earlier. the gimmicks are causing the show to Jump the Shark. It is no longer a gameshow, but a reality program with a few questions thrown in.
Chico: Okay, Judges call?
Joe: Gordon wins this one.
Jason: ......you are both wrong..... the correct answer is "100 Mexicanos
Dijeron". Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! *gives thumbs up*
Chico: Word! *gives Jason the pound*
Gordon: Quien deseo un dolares million? Do I get your point now?
Jason: No. :p
Gordon: Nuts to you.
Jason: Jeff now gets the point coz you tried to suck up. :)
Chico: HA! Should've just left well enough alone..
Gordon: You haven't voted for me ONCE today Jason - I would expect this vote to not be any different. So I can tease you a little, since your vote was
going to be inconsequential to me anyways.
Jason: :p
Chico: Jeff said that this was basically not going to be a classic, while
Gordon gave reasoning as to why it could be. Point to him.
Jeff: I was really tempted on Final Jeopardy to write, "Who are two poets who have never been in my kitchen?"
Chico: There. Tie ball game. Now man-hug or something...
Gordon: *man-hugs Jeff*
Jeff: Aww. Felt nice.

Gordon: 2 Jeff: 2**

**Protest Withdrawn

Chico: Big Finish time when we return.
Jeff: Is that a box of Clorets in your pocket?
Jason: ROFL.
Gordon: *Checks pocket* yep. Want one?

(Brought to you by America's Next Top Model... Builder. Now with Gundams!)

Gordon: We're back - and it's time to wrap this puppy up in a bow with The Big Finish. Will we be seeing a finale of LCS 3?
Chico: I won't.
Jeff: If it's not on my TiVo, I'm not going to be watching it.
Joe: lol
Gordon: You're not going to watch a Father of the Pride Marathon to see the results?
Chico: I don't know.. I don't think I'd even watch Father of the Pride to see
Donkey.
Jason: I'll be too busy praying to the altar of Tomarken. :p
Jeff: What are two shows that don't interest me much, Alex? I'll be watching "Lost" to see when the Sleestaks appear.
Chico: That's what I'm talking about.
Jeff: Cuz they are in the Land of the Lost, right?
Jason: LOL, oooooh *does stink face*
Chico: We'll have to see once the claymation dinosaurs appear... Because we can't afford CGI =p
Joe: Are you forgetting Wesley Eure?
Chico: After watching him on Finders Keepers I'd like to. :-)
Jeff: They can't afford anything on that show. C'mon, the monster is
invisible! give me a break. That's a cheap out for the specialFX guys.
Gordon: I was thinking of crappy cgi dinos , but claymation would work - is
there a twist that would actually shake things around in Survivor?
Chico: Probably... not.
Jason: Then forget "Lost" and "Survivor"..... I've got some more Spanish
game show goodness.... "Mega Match Sensational" !!!
Gordon: Will Mega Match Sensational ever be Americanized?
Chico: Keep in mind my local Univision station doesn't carry that.
Jason: The bonus round rules all.
Joe: lol
Jeff: What about a "ghost" third tribe that the others don't know about and
not the people already voted out. That wouldn't be innovative. ;-) Karaoke
competition on Survivor? Crosses Survivor and American Idol. Call it Vanuatu Idol.
Jason: *shakes head*
Chico: More than likely it'll give something to talk about during Tribal
Council, and speaking of something to talk about... Guess what? We have mail!
Jeff: "We've got mail, it never fails, it makes me want to wag my tail, when it comes I want to wail, 'MAIL'!"
Jason: LOL *gets my Blue plushie*
Chico: This one came from Keith Williams, you remember him right? College champ, J! Tourney player...
Gordon: He reads the column? Nice.
Chico: Very. Anyway, he says...
Jason: *Blue barks!*

"Tom's wager on Oct. 1 was inconsequential. The most he could make was
$37,300: $8,800 + $8,800 + $19,700. Russ' $37,450 beats him by $150. Players can't re-wager on what they had at the end of day 1. Even if Tom had wagered everything and both of them had gotten it wrong, Russ' $16,950 comes up short and Tom wins. The closest thing to a mistake was his $1500 wager on the $800 African Capitals DD on Day 1 – he could have made a killing."

Chico: Your thoughts?
Gordon: This is why I don't go on Jeopardy - for fear of puling a Cliff -
though I still think he should have bet more at the end of the first day of the
finals with a subject that it seemed like he was comfortable with. YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!
Jason: ROFL
Joe: lol
Jason: "What are three men who have never been in my kitchen?"
Jeff: It's too easy to armchair quarterback this game. I don't easily freak
out or choke under pressure, but making my FJ wager was very tough at the time. I say "Good Job" to everyone in the TOC.
Gordon: I agree - just a good job to everyone who appears on Jeopardy in
general - it's very tough to get in and get on TV.
Chico: Well met. Just a friendly reminder that you can send your own opinion on anything from Jeopardy! To Survivor to three men who have never been in Jason's kitchen to us here at WLTI... The address, one more time, Gordon?
Gordon: That would be wlti@gameshownewsnet.com. Thanks again to Joe, Jason and our VERY SPECIAL master debater Jeff Suchard.
Chico: Woo!
Joe: WHOO.
Jeff: Thanks for inviting me. It was very special.
Joe: Indeed.
Gordon: Have you fed Ken in your basement yet?
Jeff: Fed him to what?
Chico: We're back next week with more... stuff... And hey, happy birthday to us, by the way. It's our second birthday!
Gordon: We'll have a very special second anniversary party on the next episode
Joe: WHOO!
Chico: We were supposed to have one this week, but with Jeff showing up... You know, these things happen!
Gordon: So for everyone here, this is Gordon saying Game Over
Chico: For Gordon, Jason, Joe, and everyone here at GSNN, I'm Chico, and
until next time... game.... yeah, what he said.
Joe: Too slow, Chico.
Chico: I know. Take us home, Jeff...
Jeff: (singing) We're so glad to have this time together... Just to have a
laugh and sing a song...
Jason: "Mega Match" on Telefutura at noon today!
Jeff: We've hardly started but then before you know it... Its time for us to
say, SO LONG...