Game Show Day
Hey, did you hear the news? June 1 is National Game Show Day!
I really wanted to figure out something to celebrate the day created by Fremantle to acknowledge game shows on the first day of Pride Month.
Unfortunately, I really hit a road block. My usual “top 5 game shows” is annually on my birthday.
I can't really do new episodes of game shows, I suppose at the moment, except in special occasions like the Monday Archive and every so often, a new episode of “mini discussions” (which we're currently looking at GSN originals). I can't guarantee new weekly episodes. But that's just how it goes sometimes (I honestly would do this every day if I knew it would be financially viable and not just a mere hobby)
Then I went through my big aspirations - “The 100 Greatest Game Shows of All Time (up to now)” and a book that just goes into different various game shows and comedic and analytical interpretations, which I guess, is what The Game Show Show became.
I have covered so many game shows in the past, everything from Truth or Consequences to Survivor to the new content over at Dropout. And I really wanted to do something to contribute to this day. But, I can't really figure out what else to do other than a listicle (do people still call it a listicle?)
The subject matter for this list?
Top 5 “Failed” Game Shows.
When I mean a “failed” game show, I mean a show that lasted just one season. Maybe they had a good format, but not really enough to push it, something interesting attached, but just never got the attention.
I don't mean “Let's chat about You're in the Picture” a celebrity panel game show based off boardwalk “face in the painting”, that flopped so bad after one episode.
Because truthfully, that kind of game got adapted into that green screen game on Whose Line, the guessing what's going on while blindfolded, has been adapted into everything from Total Blackout to even YouTube Challenge Videos.
No, no no, I think that game was just a boring to watch, boring cast, kind of challenge.
This is the ones that were like “wait, why didn't they bring that show back?” Kind of ideas.
Of course, the format is simple - all game shows apply, that means international. Game Shows are shows with a format and some form of “game” (a competition to determine a winner) - reality shows are game shows, dating shows, are game shows, cooking comps are game shows, singing shows, etc.
It's not always quiz.
5) First and Last
The Premise: Contestants attempt challenges by being the most middling. In each round, two contestants are eliminated, leaving one left to win the cash prize.
The Format: Each episode was slightly different, but the most famous “opening” challenge involved putting contestants in a box and opening them up whenever, but the first to open and the last to open, are out. One last one involving calling somebody, and having them call a number to the studio in exactly a minute. Another infamous challenge involves checking the search results that meet a criteria, with the most searched and least searched out, the final round had 3 contestants one at a time secretly enter an amount between £0-£10,000 with, again the greediest player (highest value) and timid player (lowest amount) being eliminated. Leaving the middle amount given to the last player.
What Went Wrong: Jason Manford tried his hardest to make a “Saturday Night” game show, a common practice in the UK with a multitude of shows, from the original Generation Game with Bruce Forsyth to Saturday Night Takeaway with Ant and Dec. But the problem is right there - Saturday Nights on Prestigious BBC. There are sophisticated documentaries, topical news shows, Doctor Who, or how about a challenge where we compare the weight of an onion that a contestant brought from home. It wasn't really playing into the stupid enough. And many times the game was put at a standstill, as we wait for somebody to call, or get out of a box. The tension isn't there.
What Went Right: The simple core mechanic - have an odd number of players and elimination two at a time is very smart, obviously it's not the first time. One off the top of my head was Estate of Panic (last to leave or leave with the least), but this is of quantitative ideas.
What Could've Been Fixed: I love this show, but in an ideal world, I think it would be more akin to Taskmaster. You have 15 contestants and have a mix of off-set challenges (“put a ball in a hoop”/”put water from a sponge in this bucket”) it's rare to say this - but this is one game show that would be better without an audience. You could have interesting numerical questions, like “number of gold medals won by the UK in Tokyo” versus “number of seasons of the Simpsons” and get that very close range of numbers in stuff that wouldn't really pass on Limitless Win or Pointless. As the game is meant to be silly and light, make the contest happen less on the set and more in video, or even away from the set altogether. Break the budget on a fake bank set for the finale.
4) Cha$e
The Premise: An adaptation of the Japanese format “Run for Money”, contestants have to run across “a life size game board” in “a real life video game” by out running runners and being the first to leave with the money.
The Format: 10 contestants have 60 minutes to survive Universal Studios, the Botanical Gardens, the shipyard and others, however, like in a human-size pacman. There are ghosts, called “The Hunters” out to catch them. The game is essentially hide and seek, tag, and geocaching, as along the way, contestants can “bail out” with money, and get clues to the finish line (a flag a la Double Dare). The grand prize was $25,000 plus a bonus $1,000 for every flag found on the field during the game. (To encourage moving)
What Went Wrong: SyFy was probably the only American channel at the time to try this format, G4 was still in it's Dudebro Alphafuck stage, and given the game itself (again, hide and seek and tag) makes the show very rough. They tried to incorporate ECW with “Guest Runners”, but felt tacked on. Additionally, the budget of the show was cheap, like, REALLY cheap, lifelines in the game come in the form of tools, that are meant to be like a video game, a broken air horn is a “freeze gun” and a wiimote is used to make runners go the opposite direction, and sunglasses are used as “invincibility” for a few seconds. Camera is also an issue, as it is a chase show, as the runner camera was nauseating (pre-gopro) and sometimes the hide and seek would be awkward because, hey, maybe they are hiding where the camera guy with a giant camera is pointing downward at.
What Went Right: The show was actually able to capture the “thrill of the hunt” better than many shows before and after (Manhunt, Capture, The Runner) through it's presentation of “locked-in” when a player is found by a hunter, and the music changes, and while the game is very skimp with the tools, the challenges that were incorporated to earn the tool, or the game itself would harm the player by triggering a siren on the backpack. To make things worse. Lots of incentives in this interesting format.
What Could've Been Fixed: Recently, Netflix has rebooted the popular Run for Money as “Run For Money: Battle Royale” which got me interested in the series again. Obviously, you can't really replicate Run for Money, in Japan, it's a celebrity variety show. Here, it was a straightforward challenge show. However, what I loved about that version was the variety in the games, from the “do this challenge to limit the number of runners” to a vote-off in the game. Given modern tech of drones and better “hidden cameras” for better shots. It makes it possible to keep the gameplay in-tact, while expanding on the game.
While the “money every second you run” is moot (at the $25,000 prize), I do think there should be somewhat consistently different twists and challenges in the run. Make the grand prize $30,000 (as $500 a minute), but include a money clock in an episode that will tick up and serve as a “bail out” for a player (at a rate of $5 a second or $300 a minute) but keeping it known to the other players. Have a bigger cash prize, but it's only going to be if players bring bags of money, or gold bars, or various trinkets that beep beep, making it risky. Would a player add $10,000 to the group pot bringing a balloon with a sensor on it to the extraction point/finish line? Can a player “get back in the game” being a zombie and if they catch a contestant, they return in their place? Lots of ways to make it better, plus, I heard World Tag Tournaments are now going more viral with it's parkour.
3) Whew!
The Premise: Contestants must correct the bloopers in a high speed game, to go up all 6 levels in 60 seconds to try and go to the bonus round for $25,000.
The Format: Each Game has two contestants, in each round, one will serve as the “charger” and the other, the “blocker”. The Charger has to hide backstage while the blocker gets to stop the charger from making it to the top, much like a tower defense game, the way they do that is by placing “blocks” on levels and dollar amounts (Ex. Level 2 $30). Once they've been placed, the Charger returns to the set and goes to the podium. They then have 60 seconds to (essentially) get 6 correct answers, however, finding the reverse-daily-double, will cost players 5 seconds of time, before they are live and back in play. The questions are all “bloopers” in which contestants have to “um actually” easy trivia (Ex. The Scientists on The Muppet Show are Beaker and (Bazinga)) If time is running short, and the contestant is scared if losing, they can call “long shot” and go straight to level 6, at the cost of a block being placed there (possibly including one more prior in the game), if they find the block, they lose, but if it's a blooper, if they correct it, they win the round. BEST TWO OUT OF THREE WINS
What Went Wrong: I know there are faster, better ways to describe it, but the game was confusing, most likely to audiences, is the questions more difficult with the levels, or just money amounts? The bonus round, was “get 10 bloopers in 60+ seconds” which was simple enough, but most likely, daytime was getting cramped with game shows, and this one, just feel prey to a few other shows. It had a few “Carry Overs” (when the game can't finish in the “day” - so contestants start in the middle of a game, something that continues to this day with the likes of Millionaire, and even classics like Card Sharks and Match Game. But I think the simplest of answers is - the audience doesn't know who to root for, the charger to go up the ladder or the blocker from being good at reading minds at where it goes.
What Went Right: Tom Kennedy, is one of the best hosts, even if the show was slightly confusing, he offered this magnificent hosting ability, with his calming behavior before the round begins, where he reminds you, “give the level…and then give us the money amount… AND CHARGE!!!” and suddenly it becomes very intense. The show works very well in it's chaos, a block happens, a foghorn blares and suddenly the audience is in unison “5…4…” with more of Tom yelling CHARGE!!! with every correct blooper. The gauntlet of villains, plus the set dressing was one of the most unique things about the show, giving this appearance of a live action cartoon or comic book. It really was a game show where wins and losses could happen in seconds
What Could've Been Fixed: personally, I love the idea of “blocks and charges” but the game being about cash (and what blockers get) got confusing, as it's more about wins and losses instead of cash.
Instead, I think technology has improved so much that we can actually modernize the game.
Instead of just calling the level and dollar amount, players go up a step (or just a visual floor) to try and ascend. Instead of one category per round, the category is what is selected on the game floor, and location is changed with every round. (so if nobody picks Chemistry, that category and question will just pop up every game)
Just like before, players must go up and try and run the board. Saying a category, stepping on the step and solving the blooper.
Contestants have to get 5 correct, no “level six” with the high values, no money is won in this so far.
Player 1 sets the benchmark, but Player 2 is the Blocker and places 6 of them in any categories (so then it's not just hunch, it's to get them to avoid categories they might enjoy)
And then we play the game, the player steps up, keeps going, and game doesn't end until he makes it to level 5 with a correct answer. (If a player ever passes or is incorrect on all 5 questions in a row, they go up another level, but suffer a time penalty, with a bigger penalty at the end at level 5, because it ends the round. (And to stop pass spam)
After Player 1 goes, Player 2 then takes the turn, but they are now on a countdown clock, the goal is to complete the five steps in a faster time. If time runs out, Player 1 wins the game, If they are able to complete the round with time remaining, Player 2 goes to the final.
In the final, players have a chance to win $100,000 by playing one final round of Whew called “Long Shot”
Players answer 5 questions in 60 seconds, just like the main game. However, each step up, the villains get more and more prevalent. (0/5; 1/5; 2/5; 3/5; 4/5) if the player hits the villain, just like in the front game, they lose 5 seconds. The more they go up, the more money they can win, but if time is out while they run, the game is over and they lose everything. HOWEVER, if they call “long shot” they bank the money they've won, and advance up one level, to try and get one free shot at more money. Values are 5,000/10,000/25,000/50,000/100,000.
Of course, that's if I was armchair producer, and as we ALL KNOW, if we went with benchmark/run/long shot, it would be PRIME for GSN ORIGINAL where the winner of the game gets $1,000 and needs to get 5 in 60 seconds to win $10,000.
With the 10 blockers randomly added 2 per level. Giving the contestant a fair chance at trying to complete the game, plus, continue following GSN Standard!
2) Take It All
The Premise: Howie Mandel's White Elephant Game, with bonus Prisoner's Dilemma at the end
The Format: Five contestants start the show, one by one they pick a “virtual box” that contains a prize and a prop pops up to identify as it. The next contestant decides rather to “take” a current prize or try the luck on the board. Once per game, a player can “lock” their gift and freeze out the round, however, the player with the lowest valued prize is eliminated. After 3 rounds of this, 2 players are left to enter “the prize fight” where they each have 3 prizes, and now a cash bonus. They can either “Keep Mine” and keep their prizes or “take it all” taking their prizes, the opponents prizes, and the cash value, literally “taking it all”, or if they both pick take it all, both leave empty handed. Y'know, like on Shafted, Friend or Foe, Bachelor in Paradise, Golden Balls, Season 1 of The Bank Job and many more.
What Went Wrong: The set was ugly, virtual screen didn't look good with the screen, the prizes “went up” each round, making the game less about “what could be” but rather a mini Price is Right where you're guessing which of the prizes is $77,000 - the audi or the custom glamp van. The only highlight from it's limited run was a “take it all” where a contestant who looks like Santa Claus lost everything from a TIA.
What Went Right: Howie Mandel, the guy is possibly the greatest game show host we have in America. He is able to build the stakes when necessary, he is absolutely aware of drama in what could happen, and still very charming enough to continue his comedy career and do great jokes to ease tension and make contestants feel welcome. The format itself, is actually pretty good, “get a gift, don't find the lowest priced item, you're out”. And the Prize Fight, even though it's just another prisoner's dilemma did have cash as the ending, it's easier when you're talking cash because of that half or nothing versus all or nothing quandary that shows up - with items, it's really just “do you want to steal again from this player?”
What Could've Been Fixed: A much better set, for starters. While I love the elevator, I think the game would look so much better, if the theming was “Prize Warehouse” and to build into that dynamic, the game was “even more random” - instead of choosing between five pre-determined prizes, they take a page from “Treasure Hunt” and have possibly a hundred different prizes (yes, I know, promotional consideration to pay for prizes, but again, Armchair Producer)
With 100 boxes around the set, you have a big focal point, there are small boxes, big boxes, colorful boxes, cardboard boxes. Some items are just “gag” items - a frozen dinner worth $5, others could be keys to a brand new car, or a check for $100,000. Just like the main game, take somebody's prize or grab a box from the warehouse. Once everybody gets a prize, lowest is out. This creates stakes as somebody might have a $800 Irobot, which is very low, compared to the Hawaiian vacation, but they don't know if they want to take the prize or go for a warehouse.
When it comes to the final round, two players pick up a mystery cash envelope, (no 2 are alike, they value between $1 to $100,000 in weird amounts like $32,889)
This time, the cash is unknown until the last minute.
And this time, there can be only one winner.
This is “Take The Win”
The first person to press the button wins the game and keeps their prizes.
The lowest valued prize is shown, with a 5 seconds to decide.
Then immediately, their second tier prizes are shown, again, 5 more seconds.
Then the third tier, prizes, about now somebody might press the button. 5 more seconds
we throw in the cash amounts as well, one final 5 seconds.
Now, if nobody presses, the game ends, the totals of the prizes are shown, but not the cash amounts. It's revealed dramatically, obviously, and whoever has “the biggest prize package” takes their prizes, takes both cash amounts, and, you guessed it - takes it all. You have to RISK IT ALL to TAKE IT ALL
1) Million Dollar Mind Game
The Premise: Based on the Russian game show “What? Where? When?”, a team of six friends are tested not on what they know, but how they think as they are given riddles that must be answered with lateral thinking.
The Format: 10 questions stand between a team and $1,000,000. To get that money they have to go around the circle. Starting at $6,000 and then going up to 12k, 24k, 48k, 72k, 120k, 210k, 360k, 600k, 1,000,000) but this game isn't one and done, if you're wrong, you move the incorrect wheel, and 4 wrong is game over, and they lose everything, if a question is wrong, they must continue and get a correct answer to advance. But once correct, they must decide if they want to walk away or keep playing, but the vote must be unanimous if they want to quit, just one carries on, the team carries on and risks everything. Also, there is 3 helps, :30, which gives the team an extra 30 seconds to confer, switch, which let's the team switch the question into something else, or change, which if a team captain gives an answer somebody is confident is wrong, can overrule the captain and take the answer, but could cost them the round if they took away the right answer
What Went Wrong: WHY DOES THIS GAME NEED SO MANY RULES, IT'S A LATERAL THINKING QUIZ GAME. Additionally, the show when broadcast had no support by ABC, and was burned off on Saturday Afternoons. The casting was very boring, and some riddles felt a bit more open ended, especially with a million dollars up for grabs, hardly was there a “pin” like on Only Connect to get the answer. Did I mention the ADR was terrible?
What Went Right: The Black Box questions are perfect. One of the best moments in the game are “what's in this black box”, the scenery was also marvelous, going for more of a Casino Royale Black Tie event than a standard Blue Shirt and Tie From Kohls. The music in the game was also great, using a cross between stanzas and violins to illustrate the tension of a clock and a team unable to figure out what “they are hidden in easter, but not made by chickens” to try and find out, Plastic Eggs. It's one of the very few game shows in my tenure, that I have actually had to think about the clues correctly to get the right answer, when it would've just been easier to just do basic wordplay or “Jan is born on the 1st, May is born in the 5th, when is June born? To get to the 6th” style questions. These were heavy duty brilliant “problems” (as the Russians called them)
What Could've Been Fixed: Reduce the number from 6 friends to 5 strangers. The game has 13 “problems” with the goal just surviving, as incorrect solves mean the next round will mean sudden death, as the team loses a member on an incorrect answer, but as an upside, they don't leave empty handed, they take the bank from the episode along with them. So, a small consolation.
Afterwards, a new stranger joins the team and continues the game, where they left off, with a reset of $0 (and is safe from elimination in the next round of play, meaning another “tenure” chair is out)
Each question is worth $5,000, but if the team of 5 strangers can run the board and get all 13 right, they win $100,000, and yes, whoever is there at the end of the night, takes home the bank, and splits it evenly, and returns the next episode. This means contestants become minor celebrities in the hopes of being stumped by audience members (who if they stump the panel, win the $5,000 themselves). So it is a battle of brains, not just trivia, but lateral thinking, continuing what the Russian version had right, having contestants be long-standing for multiple weeks, maybe seasons, adapting it to have a voting out mechanic, to get somebody else on board, and retiring a brain, and making it all about endurance. Most likely it'll be $20,000 at the end of the night and one switch, other times it could be all five players getting $60,000 and only missing one. And other times, that 13th question could be the sudden death question, making a team lose everything, but also somebody else as well.
WHAT DID I MISS?
Obviously, the list does go on and on and on, from “Double Dare” with Trebek and it's clue finding for people, places and things, Million. Second Quiz for it's attempt at event television, and not even including those shows like “Boom” or “How Much Is Enough?” that was interesting in it's premise, but just was somehow forgettable - maybe nobody wants to watch macaroni and cheese spill on contestants on prime time, or maybe a staring-eye contest isn't gripping television. I really wanted to bring up Five Minutes to a Fortune, NBC's Small Fortune and so much more, but if you check out the podcast, you'll see. There are HUNDREDS of formats that have just sat by, but they all deserve some appreciation, sometimes.
Even Who's Still Standing.
