Who's Still Standing?

[AddEmUp]

I didn't see a thread about this show, but I was curious to get everybody's thoughts on it.

I for one, have to say I was really disappointed. I've liked a lot of the "Christmas Week" debuts we've had in the past (DoND in '05, Identity in '06, Duel in '07, and Million Dollar Money Drop in '10), but WSS just seems kinda sloppy. First off, we've seen the "fall through the floor" schtick before on Russian Roulette, which IMO was 10 times better than this. The show is kind of an oddball mix of Russian Roulette, Wheel of Fortune, and Grand Slam. Ben Bailey looks like he's embarassed to be there (probably rightfully so), and having Santa Claus as the announcer has to be the corniest thing to hit the game show world since the rapping dragon on TTD '90. I don't know how it's doing ratings-wise, but I don't see this show hanging around too long.

[CaseyAbell]

Disagree. I posted a generally favorable review on the blog...

I can stand it

If there are two things I like in a game show, it's a fast pace and a lot of one-on-one competition. Who's Still Standing offers both.

So when I watched the show's debut, I could overlook some of its cheesier aspects, especially the post-production Christmas bits. The announcer with the ho-ho-hos got old immediately, but the rest of the show came through pretty well. Even the yelping audience and laughably melodramatic music had a certain low-rent charm.

If you've been reading this blog, you know the format features a (literally) central contestant who takes on ten competitors ringed around him. The one-on-one trivia contests flash by under extreme time pressure, and I found myself hollering answers at the screen.

Miss a question and you disappear through the floor. Except for that exit gimmick the show really has little in common with my long-lost love, Russian Roulette. And Who's Still Standing sure beats the old GSN effort for sheer pace.

Host Ben Bailey gets in a quip or three as the rounds speed by. He hardly has as much time for ad-lib hijinks as on Cash Cab, but he's not completely washed out by the format. The contestants on the debut were generally competent, though the guy with two masters degrees went down the hatch in a hurry. I don't know if the show will last, but I can see why it did pretty well in its native Israel. It's a quick and painless way to pass an hour.

[patnvanna83]

well CaseyAbell i can best describe the show/format like this:
Imagine if Wheel Of Fortune and Russian Roulette both took steroids and had unprotective "nookie" with each other (minus using a condom i might add)
then their newborn baby would be Who's Still Standing

i just like the fast and challenging gameplay as much as you CaseyAbell heck i think it's probably better than GSN's (2006-2007) Dutch imported game show That's The Question with Bob Goen.

[tattooed]

I watched a little bit last night. It was okay. Not great, but okay. IMO, Russian Roulette was/is better.

[doug7019]

Hey patnvanna83, yeah i agree that Who's Still Standing is most definitely a remake of Russian Roulette (or sort of a remake LOL) and i heard somewhere that the early 2000's Russian Roulette was a remake.

[CaseyAbell]

Imagine if Wheel Of Fortune and Russian Roulette both took steriods and had unprotective "nookie" with each other (minus using a condom i might add) then their newborn baby would be Who's Still Standing.

Hm, sounds interesting. But as Kara Spak might say, you'd have to make it a threesome with Cash Cab joining in. After all, there's trivia and Ben involved, too.

i just like the fast and challenging gameplay as much as you CaseyAbell heck i think it's probably better than GSN's (2006-2007) Dutch imported game show That's The Question with Bob Goen.

I liked That's the Question, but I thought the show was a little too quiet and cerebral for its own good.

[patnvanna83]

Dear CaseyAbell,

1: sorry about the Cash Cab thing i was thinking it was basically Wheel of Fortune with clue like Trvia Questions
2: well diffrent strokes for diffrent folks i guess

[BarkerisEvil]

RR was getting good ratings during its original run, and was in the process of filming a third season, but then Rich Cronin had other plans (cancelling all GSN originals in favor of, IMNSHO, Reality garbage and also, IMNSHO, a pointless and stupid name change)

[patnvanna83]

hey right back at ya doug7019 i didn't know thier was an early 2000's remake of Russian Roulette
was it a pilot or something?

[patnvanna83]

i agree with you BarkerisEvil Rich Cronin turn to "Ebenzer Scrooge" when changing this network from Game Show Network to GSN in 2004 i mean those were awful and painful times that no game show fan would ever forget.

[doug7019]

hey right back at ya doug7019 i didn't know thier was an early 2000's remake of Russian Roulette
was it a pilot or something?

Hey patnvanna83, yeah Mark L. Wahlberg was the host of GSN's Russian Roulette, and i think it was on for a couple seasons.

[gameshowmaniac27330]

I'm going to laugh my *** off if one of the contestants is a cab driver. I didn't see it Monday and Wed.

The clock shouldn't start until Ben has finished reading the question.

[phimat37]

I actually enjoy Who's Still Standing?. It's great, I think. Maybe even better than Russian Roulette, IMHO and I don't say that about a show too often. But I liked Russian Roulette.

[patnvanna83]

well doug7019 i already know that Mark L. Walberg was the Host of Russian Roulette on GSN from (2002-2003) no offense of course
i wated to know who hosted the original pilot in the early 2000's that's all.

[doug7019]

No offense taken patnvanna83, yeah i'm not sure about the original pilot of Russian Roulette, sorry i wish i did know.