Right. And all the shows lasted fewer seasons than the 1972-80 syndie TPiR. Just like I said.
Yes
No
Right. And all the shows lasted fewer seasons than the 1972-80 syndie TPiR. Just like I said.
Personally, I don't think that syndication is a good idea for game shows now or in the future. There just aren't enough slots. The funny thing is, I don't think that the swarm of largely unspectacular judge shows or self-improvement focused talk shows are going to be the big problem. It's off-network sitcoms that could provide the most trouble. Take Big Bang Theory, CBS's surprising success turned Thursday night nerdbomb. Warner Bros. sold it to Fox stations at a whopping $500,000 an episode. You can bet that they'll be putting it in the prime 6 PM-8PM real estate. Look at any promo for a syndie game show during the 70s and 80s. That was when they did their business. Now that's taken up by TBBT, Two and Half Men, and How I Met Your Mother (after being marooned on Lifetime, for some reason). Next year, Rules of Engagement comes in, and the year after that, likely Modern Family. And all those shows are (or will be) double-run right before or after primetime. Add that to the judge shows that refuse to die (Judge Judy, Judge Joe Brown, Judge Mathis, The People's Court and Divorce Court have ALL lasted 12 years or more) and the steady stream of talk shows, that's an atmosphere that's not conducive to a new show.
Strangely, I think that the best place for a new game show would be network daytime. The soaps are dropping like flies. I would not be surprised to hear General Hospital's cancellation notice soon, as it keeps hitting series lows, and I don't see NBC renewing Days of Our Lives in 2013. ABC and NBC will be looking for lower-cost programming choices, and a game show would fit right in
well CBS has TPIR with Drew Carey & LMAD with Wayne Brady so why not!
but ABC & NBC could also add another talk show in the works so you have too be on the lookout for that as well
I'd like to be able to agree with the premise, but I just don't see it. It seems for game shows to survive, they either have to be syndicated or have some big honkin' grand prize in prime time. I sure as hell don't see GSN nurturing game shows any time soon. NBC, as I understand it, is up in the air over Days. ABC, as I said in another post is expected to drop the 3PM block. The only question has been whether to move GH to 2PM, and kill The Revolution, or kill GH.Originally Posted by CarShark
Really? Because I don't know how it can't be seen. Three of the most popular game shows of the modern era (Deal, 5th Grader and Lyrics) all died within 2 years in syndication. In primetime, Deal lasted 3 1/2 years, 5th Grader 2 1/2 and Lyrics 2. All had big honkin' grand prizes, for what good it did. Minute to Win It is in the same boat. Seven-figure target. Two years in. Likely gone. Meanwhile, the two biggest success stories are arguably Drew Carey keeping the Price is Right train a-chuggin' along in his fifth year and Wayne Brady's Let's Make a Deal finishing up its third year drama-free. One more and it'll be the longest-running network newbie since Classic Concentration.
I have no idea what the hell they're doing. Baggage is off to syndieland. Newlywed Game hasn't had a casting call in forever and wasn't mentioned in Sherri Shepherd's blurb for the newest series of Dancing with the Stars. Catch 21 has been in limbo for almost 2 years. Chain Reaction was taken off the schedule despite consistently being one of the highest rated shows. 1 vs. 100...who knows? And they're standing pat until the fall. Unbelievable.I sure as hell don't see GSN nurturing game shows any time soon.
As bad as both are doing in the ratings, I wouldn't be surprised to see them both go. The Chew, on the other hand, has been getting 90-95% of All My Children's ratings for 60% of the cost. Angry soap fans or not, that was a smart choice. With ABC already having two talk shows and Katie Couric's new show on ABC stations in the fall, I wouldn't be surprised to see them go with a game show to get something different in there, like how CBS has two game shows, two soaps and a talk show.NBC, as I understand it, is up in the air over Days. ABC, as I said in another post is expected to drop the 3PM block. The only question has been whether to move GH to 2PM, and kill The Revolution, or kill GH.
I think that there's a 30% chance NBC will find a cheaper show to air at 1 PM, but that there's a 70% chance they'll say "screw it" and punt that time slot to the affiliates.
I do get what you're saying, but there's one significant name you left off the list: Millionaire. Of course, the network version died off for very well-documented reasons, but the fact remains that it's about midway through its tenth season in syndication despite no longer being anything even remotely close to the national craze it used to be.
Unless, of course, you don't consider Millionaire to be part of the "modern era," which I can understand. I personally contend, however, it was the series that launched it.
There's also the very quiet but very continued success of Family Feud in syndication, despite all the creative upheaval (including the revolving door at host) and the clear and present weakness of its earlier seasons. Somehow, this ugly duckling has managed to survive 12+ seasons in a syndication market that is, as you point out, not exactly conducive to game shows; witness the fates of Merv Griffin's Crosswords and Temptation, as well as all the other off-network revivals you name. It and Millionaire have become, in their own way, "evergreens" in the syndie field, delivering solid, consistent numbers to all concerned even if they don't make much noise in the grand scheme of things. That's worthy of mention too.Meanwhile, the two biggest success stories are arguably Drew Carey keeping the Price is Right train a-chuggin' along in his fifth year and Wayne Brady's Let's Make a Deal finishing up its third year drama-free. One more and it'll be the longest-running network newbie since Classic Concentration.
I would be, actually. It's been twenty-one years since the last time ABC aired a game show during its daytime hours (the Ross Schafer Match Game), and even before that their game show lineup was pretty much anemic throughout the '80s, Family Feud aside. They rarely had more than one or two series at once, and their lineup included such "classics" as All-Star Blitz, Trivia Trap, Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak, Double Talk, and the virtually-irredeemable Bargain Hunters. (Which is not to say they were necessarily bad shows; I think Hot Streak was criminally underrated, for example, and Double Talk was hindered only by a terrible host in Henry Polic II. But compared to what NBC and CBS had at the time, it just can't hold a candle.) It was a half-hearted commitment to the genre at best, and this was during the biggest boom period game shows had seen since the quizzers of the '50s (before scandal brought them all down, of course). I don't really get the impression ABC's changed their tune in this regard.As bad as both are doing in the ratings, I wouldn't be surprised to see them both go. The Chew, on the other hand, has been getting 90-95% of All My Children's ratings for 60% of the cost. Angry soap fans or not, that was a smart choice. With ABC already having two talk shows and Katie Couric's new show on ABC stations in the fall, I wouldn't be surprised to see them go with a game show to get something different in there, like how CBS has two game shows, two soaps and a talk show.
Yeah, but Millionaire debuted at a much different time with less competition. The judge shows were just starting to take off. The big 90s talk shows (Sally, Geraldo, Montel, Ricki) were on the downturn, with only Dr. Phil as a replacement. Now it's a proven commodity like Wheel or Jeopardy, although diminished. The same with Family Feud, although its lower ratings pre-Harvey led to it surviving on marginal stations and independents. I don't think a brand new show would fare as well affiliate-wise, unless, like DOND, there's a lot of hype around it or a familiar name.
Eh. It launched the first wave of big money quiz shows, but they were all gone by 2003. Deal or No Deal started the second wave of...more contestant personality-driven shows.Unless, of course, you don't consider Millionaire to be part of the "modern era," which I can understand. I personally contend, however, it was the series that launched it.
It was over 15 years since CBS commissioned a new one, but LMAD appears to be here to stay.I would be, actually. It's been twenty-one years since the last time ABC aired a game show during its daytime hours
That's one way of looking at it. Here's another. The 1980s wasn't a boom time only for game shows, TheKid. Soap operas were still livin' large. Here's a snapshot of soap opera ratings of the 1980s from Wikipedia. All usual caveats apply....It was a half-hearted commitment to the genre at best, and this was during the biggest boom period game shows had seen since the quizzers of the '50s (before scandal brought them all down, of course).
Look at ABC monopolizing the podium. With them having the three highest rated soaps it shouldn't be a surprise that when they decided to replace primetime reruns (which NBC and CBS also had), they went with a soap (Loving) and a drama (New Love, American Style) while CBS piggybacked on the surging TPIR with $25K Pyramid and Child's Play and NBC tried to build on Wheel and Days with Texas and Santa Barbara and what seems like a never-ending string of short-runners like Blockbusters, GO, Battlestars, Hit Man and Just Men! before hitting upon the beloved Reg Grundy duo $ale of the Century and Scrabble and later Super Password. All three networks went with their strengths.1980–1981 Season
1. General Hospital (ABC) 11.4 (14 million viewers)
2. All My Children (ABC) 9.1
2. One Life to Live (ABC) 9.1
4. Guiding Light (CBS) 8.2
5. As the World Turns (CBS) 7.9
6. The Young and the Restless (CBS) 7.8
7. Ryan's Hope (ABC)6.7
8. Search for Tomorrow (CBS) 6.3
9. Days of our Lives (NBC) 5.6
10. Another World (NBC) 5.1
11. The Edge of Night (ABC) 5.0
12. The Doctors (NBC) 3.8
12. Texas (a spin-off of Another World) (NBC) 3.8 (Debut)
Well, I have. ABC's strength during the 80s was their soap operas, but now they only have one. I could have seen them going with a talk show, but with The Revolution tanking and Katie Couric coming in the fall, I don't know. Will they really want to go all talk in daytime?I don't really get the impression ABC's changed their tune in this regard.
When I first read this poll, I thought it said Half-Hour format. I guess I am not good at reading anymore.
As far as syndicated game shows go. I think they can be successful if they air on the 4,5,or7o'clock hour. Wheel and Jeopardy own the 7o'clock hour, so that leaves the 4 and 5o'clock hours for the rest. I think there is an opening for a support game show for Family Feud, such as Match Game.
Man, that Travis Stork must have been an amazing young fellow to have that big of a following in 1980.12. The Doctors (NBC) 3.8
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