Not many people outside Atlanta realized that TBS is actually a local affiliate in Atlanta, aka WTBS. Well now WTBS is becoming WPCH...Peachtree TV.

Despite the forgettable name, the newly-branded network will be showing a double run of Temptation, which fills in one of the big gaps in that show's clearance list.

 

posted by Brad @ 11:48 AM   5 comment(s)

I have indeed been watching something other than Temptation this new Fall season. Wheel is back of course and still looks great in HD. They have gone totally nuts (in a good way) with the 25th syndication season stuff, including the "25" tag and the creepy ever-changing Big Money wedge.

But being the classic show fan that I am, my favorite part is the occasional vintage clips they've been airing once or twice a week. One gem they found in their library was a Clue puzzle from 1993 that makes little to no sense. I won't steal their thunder though, check it out at their website (free registration required).

 

posted by Brad @ 1:36 AM   5 comment(s)

Another Temptation post (sorry).

Are they drugging these contestants before the show starts to whip them into a shopping frenzy? Everyone is buying every instant bargain. There's like a 90% buy rate. On the old $ale I'd say it was closer to 30-40%. Alice Conkright would have never allowed this!

 

posted by Brad @ 12:45 PM   5 comment(s)

Seriously, Temptation should have just premiered on the Lifetime network. 90% of the contestants are women, 90% of the prizes are for women. Who thought of this? With so much competition for ratings, why would you intentionally turn off half the audience? I realize that game shows skew female, but there's no reason to completely give up on the male demographic.

 

posted by Brad @ 10:23 PM   11 comment(s)

2007 continued to be a cruel year to game show fans with the passing of yet another legend -- Brett Somers died today at 83. It is a tragic albeit someone poetic point that she passes just a few months after Charles Nelson Reilly, her frequent sparring partner on Match Game. Outside of Match Game Brett made few game show appearances, but she did appear on a few weeks of Match Game '90 on ABC as well as a hilarious week on Game Show Hosts week on Hollywood Squares a few years back. Known more for her ability to generate laughs than accurately match, Brett was a frequent (but willing) punch line for Charles and to a lesser extent Betty White. She will be missed.

 

posted by Brad @ 11:46 AM   7 comment(s)

When is an "A" not an "A"? Just ask the guy in the 3rd position on Friday's Wheel of Fortune. He had the shame of mis-solving not one but two puzzles. The second was particularly embarrassing, when he added a leading "A" to the puzzle LIVELY CALYPSO BAND. He lost out on the money in front of him and a Prize Puzzle, and ultimately left the show with just the minimum $1,000.

 

posted by Brad @ 4:06 PM   3 comment(s)

It took Mark five days to win the Prius on Temptation. Of course, back in 2004 people were waiting 5 months to get one, so I guess it's not all that bad. Still you could tell this was coming. The producers wanted the first week to include a winner and it did. Mark had zero competition the whole week and, oddly, never faced another male contestant. Most of his female competitors preferred to shake their head in awe at his buzzer speed rather than make a concerted effort to actually beat him.

All in all, still on my Tivo and fun to watch. Rossi grates on me sometimes, but he'll have to do. Not sure why he seems to only have one stock expression, which is to stick his arms way out in front of him, as if to say, "The fish I caught was THIS big!"

 

posted by Brad @ 8:32 PM   5 comment(s)

Will they last a full season? Crosswords and Temptation stumbled out of the starting gate yesterday according to this ratings report. I won't be too bummed about Crosswords, but I hope Temptation stays on the air long enough to see someone win the car.

 

posted by Brad @ 1:21 PM   4 comment(s)

I'll start with Temptation, because that's a little less painful than Crosswords. My enthusiasm gained during last week's preview episodes dipped slightly. Some observations:

*Rossi still seems to be pounding the coffee pre-taping because he is just too high strung for my tastes in these episodes.

*The prizes (instant bargains and end game) are too feminine. If this is going to be a unisex show, how about toning down the number of pink "Juicy Couture" gym bags and purses?

*There's a bizarre gap between the "Temptation Dollars" price of the car and the next best prize, like $350 or so. That leads me to believe champions playing for the car will have to win a dead game prior to qualifying for the car, basically just to boost their totals. (In the double run episode, this difference was only $200).

*No one is going to buy a curling iron sold on a game show, even if it does have free shipping.

*I realize this isn't supposed to be Jeopardy!, but in the "Meat or Cheese" speed round, who would think "hard salami" is a cheese?

*Knock Off is still fun and probably the best part of the show.

*Did anyone else find themselves noticing that the announcer for Temptation is Rolonda Watts, host of her own talk show in the '90s?

*The double run was as odd as I thought it would be. Rossi went from clean-shaven to stubbly and instant cash went from $1000 to $3500 in the span of 30 minutes.

*Instant Cash has been played for every time in all 4 episodes that have aired. Given the low stakes, that surprises me.

All in all, it's still worth watching. It's far from perfect, but it's fun to play along with.

In my next post, sigh, Merv Griffin's Crosswords.

 

posted by Brad @ 9:51 PM   7 comment(s)

My friend David and I are L.A. transplants from Atlanta. David laments (and I can concur) that we "never got (insert game show) in Atlanta". It was true. Daytime game shows in Atlanta were notoriously pre-empted for any talk show you can imagine. Living in LA spoils you, because basically no show makes syndication without clearing LA.

Well David pointed out that the Atlanta trend has continued into the new millennium. Temptation has no clearance in Atlanta as of its premiere date today, probably one of the biggest markets it's not in.

Checking the Zap2It schedule, I discovered the following daytime television horrors:

*There are 12 different court shows in syndication right now. 12. WAGA alone is airing 5 hours worth a day.

*With the addition of new entry TMZ, we have 5 tabloid/celebrity obsession shows (TMZ, Inside Edition, The Insider, Extra, Access Hollywood). Entertainment Tonight is a 6th, but I'm considering them to be more high-brow (I'm probably mistaken).

*The former security guard for Jerry Springer has his own hour long show in syndication.

I was going to post about how excited I was to have 2 new syndicated games premiere this fall, but the above revelations sapped any sort of enthusiasm from me. What on earth does this say about our society? People always used to say that game shows were throw away programming, but I can't fathom how the above shows are more redeeming.

The explosion of court shows seems to mirror our own obsessively litigious nature. People sue each other in the U.S. for the stupidest reasons. And the people on these shows sue each other for even stupider reasons.

I can't seem to grasp the recent (it's been this decade) increased obsession over every move a celebrity makes. Obviously publications such as National Enquirer have existed for ages, but we never had this many TV shows dissecting every word a celebrity speaks or pound they gain.

Obviously I'm biased, but I think a solid, non-trash game show easily trumps either of these formats in terms of redeeming value. And I also know that redeeming value does not keep a show on the air. God Bless America.

 

posted by Brad @ 3:55 PM   7 comment(s)

If you're looking for variety, this latest Giveaway set is for you. Lots of series that were short lived (some better than others) to boost your collection. Enjoy!

 

posted by Brad @ 4:09 PM   3 comment(s)

Kudos to my friend Tony for finding this Youtube link. It cropped up on the net about 10 years ago but I couldn't find it for the life of me.

It's basically Alex Trebek filming J! promos in the late '80s and cursing and drinking like a sailor.

WARNING! A lot of people seem to be put off by profanity. If you are one of them, don't click the link. If you aren't, you're going to laugh your behind off.

Click here to check it out.

 

posted by Brad @ 12:53 AM   5 comment(s)

For those of you who hate credit crunches and love studio master quality, set your phasers to fun. Hmm.

Anyways, more Match Game is coming on DVD, as well as two sets (celeb and non-celeb) of Family Feud, and Price is Right (!!). All by the middle of next year. Click here and here for details.

 

posted by Brad @ 2:51 PM   9 comment(s)

Temptation has landed. A special preview episode (reminding us of the preview episode for The Challengers back in 1990) aired tonight and overall I'm modestly impressed with the show.

PROS:
--Sale of the Century. It's little but I'm glad they kept the old title around, at least as a parenthetical. I'm surprised to be honest, seeing as the brand is 18 years old at this point.
--Set. Very classy looking and the gift shop especially is nice, with the opening doors. Plus, I know it's a small detail, but Sale always had the neatest buzzers, and Temptation doesn't disappoint here either.
--Instant Bargains. Unchanged whatsoever from the old show, down to the dropping prices and extra incentives. Even Instant Cash made the cut!
--Knock Out. It's really a Knock Off, of Wipeout that is, but that was a good show so...imitation is sincere I guess. Interesting way to earn money. The random nature of the money allotment actually reminds me more of the '80s Fame Game than does the actual Fame Game employed on this version.
--Bonus Round. They kept the best of the three end game formats from the '80s version.

CONS:
--Slow Down. Rossi seems talented enough but he was talking a mile a minute in this episode. In the speed rounds it's okay but for the rest of the show...take a breath every once in a while.
--2nd Speed Round. No problem with the 1st and 3rd speed rounds, but the 2nd speed round is just too dull with a 50/50 shot at every question. The "Dead or Canadian" format doesn't really work for me here.
--Home Shopping. It's really not a big detractor, but it does give me horrible flashbacks to Bargain Hunters.

It's an 8 out of 10 for me for now, which is a lot better than I expected. I'm excited to see the show with civilian contestants, which I think will be a lot more entertaining.

Oh, I realize this is mean to say, but how funny was it that Justin finished a close second in BOTH games?

 

posted by Brad @ 11:05 PM   6 comment(s)

Merv Griffin's Crosswords and Temptation premiere in a week, but you'd never know it from their websites, or lack thereof. This site for Crosswords references the show's old title and provides little to no info about the show. Temptation doesn't even have a website as of yet.

Also, I saw a billboard for Crosswords in LA yesterday and I swear it said "from the creator of 'Monopoly'" on it. Is that really something you want to advertise (cue Michael Reilly: "Turn 'em ALL green!")

 

posted by Brad @ 8:22 PM   4 comment(s)