What went wrong with Lingo 2011? (Part 2 of 5)

[Lingofan97]

GSN's Lingo History

In 2002, GSN revived Lingo, a popular game show from the 1980's, which has also been revived around the world since. GSN decided to pick up Chuck Woolery, former game show host of Love Connection and Wheel of Fortune, and others. Starting in 2004, Lingo's third season, GSN picked up Stacey Hayes as Chuck's new co-host. Later in Lingo's fourth season she would be replaced by Shandi Finnessey. There were several rumors before the season 4 premiere that Stacey Hayes would be replaced. During Lingo's fourth season it was official that the new model would be Miss USA's Shandi Finnessey.

With new model Shandi Finnessey, it was obvious that Lingo had become a hit, and very quickly was renewed for a fifth season. For Lingo's sixth season, GSN raised the Lingo jackpot each day by $1,000 starting at $10,000. Lingo in 2007 was cancelled after its sixth season, mainly due to lack of variety.

2011 Revival

It was announced on January 13, 2011 that GSN would renew Lingo for 40 episodes, with comedian Bill Engvall as the host. We knew that the set, gameplay and top prize would be changed. It was later announced that the new Lingo would have a $100,000 top prize, and air in primetime weeknights at 8pm.

Gameplay

In the 40 episodes of the new Lingo, two teams would play against each other solving five letter words. Each word in round one was worth $100, each word in round two was $200, and round three words were worth $500 each.

In the end round, the winning team would go on to play for $100,000. For each word you get, your winnings double from what you won in the main game (which was around $1,500-$2,500). Solving five words in 90 seconds would get you $100,000.

Cancellation or not?

Throughout the Summer of 2011 it became obvious that Lingo was a success, having six slots each weekday, and a total of 41 spots a week on the schedule. On August 29, 2011, it was announced that Lingo would be cut back, along with other failing GSN originals Improv-a-Ganza and Love Triangle. By November, the new Lingo had 10 slots or less per week, and continues to maintain the 2:30pm and 1:30am weekday slots.

Discuss issues of Lingo 2011

Another GSN original will be coming next week

[PurpleParrot319]

I didn't really have a problem with host Bill Engvall. The time slots, that's on GSN hands. The true problem was the game-play. I thought there were a lot of problems with the game-play mechanics of this show. Here's what I found bad about them:

The words. Two problems with this. First, I thought this version didn't have as many word boards as the Woolery version. That was a little disappointing. Second, the words themselves. There were a few instances where vulgar words were used, and one of them I remember being correct! That was the word for a female dog. I thought this was a family friendly network.

The point system. From $100 to $200......to $500?! That didn't seem fair at all. A team could be dominating the game and then get shafted by the $500 round due to bad luck or the other team miraculously not giving up control. I thought this was a bad call.

Bonus Lingo. Only five words to get correct for a grand prize. Three problems with this. One, I felt that five wasn't enough. Maybe an extra correct guess or two, but I thought five was too short. Second, needing to guess correct words for the grand prize! I thought it was a bad move to go away from the Lingo ball part of Bonus Lingo. I felt the element of luck needed to be there. Third, no bonus letters. I don't know why GSN did away with that.

The contestants. I'm not sure if this should be included or not, but I had a big problem with the people who played this game. They were mostly stupid and annoying. I guess GSN wanted to appeal to that demographic, but they did that too much.

Last but certainly not least, clues for the words. This was the biggest problem I had with this version of Lingo. The clues just made the game not so fun to play. It made the answers dead giveaways for the most part and that's not what this game show is about. Also, the humor of the clues were stale.

Yeah, a lot of problems with the game-play of this version.

[Lingofan97]

To touch up on your points, every time slot that Lingo got did well, even though it had 41 slots and only 40 episodes.

The words were a little weird and questionable, but jumping from $200 in round two to $500 in round three was huge, giving a bad team too much of chance to catch up and win.

Bonus Lingo for me was fine looking at the contestants on BOTH versions of Lingo, even though on the new version the contestants werent too bright.

I have a feeling if that version of Lingo was brought back for another season the tweaks of the show would have been taken out

[PurpleParrot319]

To add onto that big jump in money before Bonus Lingo, I like to call that the Mario Kart syndrome. Basically give someone that's doing bad in the game a chance to win and punish those that actually have skill in the game. It's unthinkable.

For those who don't know, Mario Kart is a video game racing series. I referred to it in this way because skilled players of the series will get robbed of a win most of the time due to bad players getting a chance. This is mainly due to the game-play system. Curse that blue shell! :P Really though, that jump in money increments is basically the Engvall Lingo's blue shell.

[Melyssa56]

First of all, Happy Birthday, Bill Engvall!

Second, the big problems with his version of Lingo were the, shall we say, possibly NC-17-rated content, along with the clues. The debut episode was the perfect example. Of course, 40 episodes shown over and over again didn't help matters.

[Lingofan97]

The PG13 humor didn't make Lingo as family-friendly show, like it should be. I'm glad GSN is getting out of the "sex-sells" mentality which they shoved into so many shows in 2011, basically all of the originals except Catch 21.

Looks like with American Bible Challenge, Beat the Chefs and The Pyramid will be "Clean originals", and I have a feeling GSN will make Sherriwed a little more appropriate too

[19crash84]

I enjoyed Engvall Lingo but it did have quite a bit of problems.

The rounds and scoring-First it seemed that Lingo's were much harder to get. Part of it had to do with them using less words, the addition of prize balls, and not having the wild card balls as much. Really I had no problem with them making Lingo's harder to get. The problem though was that even though Lingo's were harder they paid the same amount as the words. Also the jump between rounds 2 and 3 was too much. I know game shows always have a habit of increasing values during the later rounds but $500 was way too much.

PG-13/Clue-One thing that made the original Lingo great was that it was family friendly. The Engvall version though was not. First of all quite a few times the words were very R-rated. Also the addition of the clues was for no reason but to try to add risque comedy to the show.

The bonus game format-First I do like the idea of giving a top prize for getting all the words but 5 words in 90 seconds was too easy. The only reason that the $100,000 was not won more often was because many times the contestants were not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Also it gave huge amounts of money away too fast.

So with those problems here is the way Lingo should have worked. There were two rounds with no set amount of words. In round 1 each word would be worth $150 and Lingo's worth $300. For round 2 words would be worth $300 and Lingo's $600. Whoever was ahead after round 2 won and got to play bonus Lingo. In bonus Lingo the contestants would have 2 minutes and 30 seconds to get 10 words. If they did they won $100,000. If they did not then how many words they got they would get to pull Lingo balls for in hopes of getting a Lingo. If they did they won $7,500. Like in season 1 it would take 2 in order to get a Lingo. If a team did not get 2 words they would be given up to two free pulls for $2,500.

[thunderbird6]

I'm going to GSN forum hell for this, but I like Engvall's Lingo. To me, it's more fun to watch than Woolery's version.

[matchgame74fan]

I thought the new set was a really nice addition. I also liked changing the points to dollars. Bill Engvall wasn't a favorite but I think he did the show competently.

The clues didn't really add much to the game, IMHO, just a way to try and force blooper and "off the cuff" moments; and some of the contestants were really annoying, but then again, that's been an issue people have been pointing out since at least Woolery's 4th season. If those two items were taken care of I think it would have been a lot more of a solid revival.

[Lingofan97]

The rounds and scoring-First it seemed that Lingo's were much harder to get. Part of it had to do with them using less words, the addition of prize balls, and not having the wild card balls as much.

So with those problems here is the way Lingo should have worked. There were two rounds with no set amount of words. In round 1 each word would be worth $150 and Lingo's worth $300. For round 2 words would be worth $300 and Lingo's $600. Whoever was ahead after round 2 won and got to play bonus Lingo. In bonus Lingo the contestants would have 2 minutes and 30 seconds to get 10 words. If they did they won $100,000. If they did not then how many words they got they would get to pull Lingo balls for in hopes of getting a Lingo. If they did they won $7,500. Like in season 1 it would take 2 in order to get a Lingo. If a team did not get 2 words they would be given up to two free pulls for $2,500.

I don't believe Engvall's Lingo used less words per episode (regular rounds) than Woolery's did. It may seem that way since Bill's version was always limited at 10, no more, no less, but I've counted a few of Woolery's episodes, and in his episodes there were as long as 8 words used at times, a only a few times 10 words.

And I get doubling the money for a Lingo, like they did with the Woolery version. But that might get people too much ahead, and giving away a lot of money too fast like you said.

I thought the new set was a really nice addition. I also liked changing the points to dollars. Bill Engvall wasn't a favorite but I think he did the show competently.

Engvall's set was my favorite set from a GSN original, I think ever. The Newlywed Game seasons 1-4 come close, Catch 21 and Baggage were also good sets, as with 1 vs 100. Love Triangle stunk, Bingo America stunk. Chain Reaction was also a good set

[phimat37]

I'm going to GSN forum hell for this, but I like Engvall's Lingo. To me, it's more fun to watch than Woolery's version.

It's your opinion and I respect it.

Woolery will always be the best to me. I feel they shouldn't have to rerun abuse Engvall's episodes when we have Woolery. Heck, whenever I watch Engvall's version, I can remember some of the words and contestants. On Woolery's, Rarely can I remember contestants or words on the show.

I think GSN should just bring Engvall's version back instead of rerun abusing it all the time. GSN knows they want to do it.

[Lingofan97]

Woolery will always be the best to me. I feel they shouldn't have to rerun abuse Engvall's episodes when we have Woolery. Heck, whenever I watch Engvall's version, I can remember some of the words and contestants. On Woolery's, Rarely can I remember contestants or words on the show.

Both versions of Lingo have been run through the schedule too much in the past couple years, and the numbers for Woolery show it. A couple months ago they put him back at 3:30pm and did poorly so GSN aired Chain Reaction again.

Right now, Engvall is the better performer. Maybe its the timeslot, or maybe its because his version still seems fresh to some people

[Chameleonwhammy]

I loved Engvall Lingo. They didn't need to have a ***** joke every single show though (too much dirty humor isn't that funny IMO).

Also, GSN scheduled him like nuts. 6 slots a day with not even 40 episodes completely aired. Just a little nuts. But one memory of last summer was watching him on Saturday afternoons.

[Lingofan97]

Also, GSN scheduled him like nuts. 6 slots a day with not even 40 episodes completely aired. Just a little nuts. But one memory of last summer was watching him on Saturday afternoons.

The dirty humor was the downfall of the show to me, where some Woolery Lingo fans turned off the show.

Then I remember the slots well. Weekdays Engvall took the 3pm, 5:30pm, 8, 8:30 and 11pm slots. He also took the 2am slot which I recall did poorly, but the other five slots he did great no matter where they aired him.

Then weekends he took the 2pm hour Saturday, the 2:30pm slot Sunday, and had two hours Saturday from 6-8pm and two more hours Sunday night 9-11pm

[SpeedAndStrategy]

I really think the clues, and especially the dirty ones, were not good additions to the show. I'm no prude, but a simple word game like this really doesn't need to resort to that. And while the Woolery version didn't always have the best contestants, I feel like the ones here were more obnoxious and even less capable of playing well. The show also felt a bit too hyped up at times. And I think the $100,000 top prize might have been a bit much - perhaps if the show's budget were lower, it might have been profitable enough for them to renew it.

On the positive side, I liked that they played for dollars in the main game, the set looked nice, the music was decent, and Engvall was an above-average host.