Is that your final answer?: Entertainment

"The Mole" returns soon!

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 21:13:49 GMT

The popular ABC reality game series The Mole will be returning to the network after a long absence! For those of you who haven't seen the show, The Mole is a show in which ten contestants are challenged to work as a team to complete challenges and add money to a jackpot. The challenges varied from the physical to the cerebral. One of the ten players was secretly hired by the producers to work as a "mole" and try to sabotage the team's efforts to win the money. Each week, players would complete a test in which they would be asked questions about the mole, and at the end of each episode, the lowest-scoring player (the one who knew least about the mole's identity) would be eliminated from the game. The game continues over several weeks and challenges until one winner is left, who wins the entire cash jackpot.

The show, created at the turn of the century, was commissioned for the US by ABC after the show became a major hit in several other countries. In a prescient move, ABC tapped then-little-known ABC News correspondent Anderson Cooper to host the show, which served as his big break. After a great performance as host of the show for two series, Cooper became a household name and got his own show on CNN. I've seen the first season of the show, which was terrific. The second season was interrupted by 9/11 and delayed several months. ABC then did two celebrity editions of the show with Ahmad Rashad as host, but those were not as popular as the original two seasons.

The show will be returning with a new host, as Anderson Cooper is now at CNN, and Ahmad Rashad is apparently not under consideration. Hopefully the new host can match the high standard set by Cooper. The show will premiere on ABC sometime later this year. If you would like to appear on the show, visit molecasting.com for more information.

Personally, I'm very excited about the return of The Mole. I really enjoyed the first season of the show, and own it on DVD. I hope that the renewed interest in the show will spur the producers to release the second season of the show on DVD, which is also supposed to be great.

"Duel" begins next week

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 21:51:32 GMT

With the Writers' Strike in progress, the networks have been stocking up on unscripted shows to air over the next few months. Here's a sampling of what to expect:

ABC's new game show Duel is scheduled to launch next week on the network. The show, hosted by Mike Greenberg of ESPN Radio, looks terrific. Over the week, 24 players will compete in duels, resulting in one ultimate winner. In each duel, contestants will play a game that combines multiple-choice trivia questions with a betting/strategy element -- contestants will place chips on the answer they believe to be correct, lose those placed on wrong answers, and try to hold onto their chips as long as they can so that they can win the duel and collect prize money. The winner will keep the winnings from each duel they won and also win a huge jackpot that consists of the combined value of all of the chips lost on incorrect answers throughout the tournament. The show is premiering as a week-long event, and will air weeknights at 8:00PM/7:00PM CT starting December 17. Following the five episodes during the week, the championship finale will air Sunday, December 23 at 8:00PM/7:00PM CT. Be sure to check it out!

In other news, the quiz show 1 vs. 100 with Bob Saget returns after the New Year. The show will continue to air in its old timeslot of Friday at 8:00PM/7:00PM CT on NBC starting January 4. Based on an ad for the show, it looks like the format has been changed so that players earn a set amount based on how many Mob members they have eliminated, and that the amount does not change based on the question in which they were eliminated like it worked in the first season. Personally, I liked the old arrangement as it was a bit more original, but we'll see how the new format works out.

Also returning is the game show The Power of 10 on CBS. This show premiered this summer, and was notable in that it was the first regularly-scheduled game show to offer a grand prize of $10,000,000. No one won the top prize during the first season, so perhaps it will happen for the first time this winter. It will air Wednesdays at 8:00PM/7:00PM CT on CBS starting January 2.

Office 2008 RTM for January release

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 23:52:00 GMT

Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac has been released to manufacturing! This means that the release version of the software has been completed and the copies that will soon be on store shelves are being produced at this very moment. Furthermore, it was announced that the product launch will occur on January 15, 2008 at Macworld Expo. At that point, the software should be available by mail order and in stores.

Reminder: if you want to get Office 2008 and don't already own a copy of Office for Mac, or if recently bought a copy of Office 2004, you can order a free copy of Office 2008 now that will arrive after the software is released and buy a copy of Office 2004 now if you haven't already. More details here.

X-Files 2!

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 23:44:50 GMT

This was announced a few weeks back, but I didn't have a chance to post it. Apparently, the long-awaited follow-up to the popular X-Files franchise is finally under way. The new film, X-Files 2, will star David Duchovny as Fox Mulder and Gillian Anderson as Dana Scully. The first film premiered in 1998 as part of a storyline connecting the fifth and sixth seasons of the show. In contrast, this next film will have a standalone storyline, which is probably a good thing since most people don't remember the extensive details of the story arcs, since the show ended several years ago (2002). The new film is already scheduled for a summer release on July 25, 2008. I look forward to seeing it.

Million Dollar Password

Sat, 13 Oct 2007 01:07:05 GMT

It was announced recently that CBS unexpectedly picked up a revival of the classic word game, called Million Dollar Password, for a six episode run sometime later this season. Regis Philbin will be hosting.

I enjoy the classic Password because it's remarkably entertaining and cerebral, so I have high expectations for the revival. Hopefully the producers can work with such a great classic to make it a success again.

This is only one of many uncharacteristic series pickups among the networks lately, presumably in preparation for a possible Writers' Guild strike next month. Other interesting games that have been picked up are Duel (ordered for a 10 episode run on ABC) and The Interrogator (pilot for NBC based on the international Where is the Money? game show format)

"Power of 10" coming to CBS

Sun, 24 Jun 2007 01:35:14 GMT

The game shows just keep coming to the network schedules! It was actually reported back in March that Embassy Row was developing a pilot of the new game show The Power of 10 for CBS. The show was picked up by CBS in May for a summer run. Drew Carey, who hosted the pilot, will be the host of the series. The details of the format are still not particularly clear, likely to keep the format from being copied by other networks, but the basic idea is that contestants try to guess the results of pop culture and politically themed polls of Americans. The top contestant of each match has the opportunity to guess the results of five survey questions, each one rising in value by ten times. The first poll is worth $1,000, and the fifth is worth the grand prize of $10,000,000. I've generally been impressed with Drew Carey's hosting ability, and the clips of the pilot make this look very promising, so I am looking forward to watching it! The show premieres on Tuesday, August 7 at 8:00PM/7:00PM CT, and then settles into its regular time slot of Wednesdays at 8:00PM/7:00PM CT the following evening.

"Grand Slam" is finally coming to the US!

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 20:58:03 GMT

I mentioned this show a while ago, but I figured I'd mention it again now that there is more information available. Grand Slam is a tournament-style quiz show format that challenges a field of some of the the best game and quiz show champions. They are quizzed on general knowledge, word, and number skills, with the eventual champion winning a major cash prize. The original version aired in the UK in 2003 (here's a clip, although note that the format has been slightly updated for the US version). Michael Davies, the executive producer of the US version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, was developing a US version of Grand Slam for ABC back in the spring of 2004. However, a staff shake-up at ABC led to many scheduled projects being abandoned, which apparently included Grand Slam.

Earlier this year, Michael Davies and his new production company, Embassy Row, sold the show to GSN. The show taped earlier in June, and is set to premiere in August. The US version will be hosted by Dennis Miller, and co-hosted by Amanda Byram. Sixteen top game show champions will be participating for a grand prize of $100,000. Four of the notable ones are Brad Rutter (top game show champion from Jeopardy!), Ken Jennings (the second-highest winner from Jeopardy!), Kevin Olmstead, and John Carpenter (both won the top prize on Millionaire). The remaining twelve players will be announced later. Since three of these players (Rutter, Jennings, and Olmstead) were defeated by Larry Zerner in February's 1 vs. 100 "Last Man Standing" special, I hope he's not overlooked. In any case, I'm thrilled the US will finally see this show, and I can't wait to see the top champions compete head-to-head in one place. Michael Davies said "Grand Slam is the best game show format I’ve seen come out of the UK since Millionaire"; I hope he's right!

"Doctor Who" returns in July!

Sun, 13 May 2007 01:50:16 GMT

SciFi recently confirmed that the third season of Doctor Who will air in the US on the network this summer! It's a great show, and I look forward to seeing the new episodes. The third series features David Tennant returning as the Doctor with a new companion. The show premieres Friday. July 6 at 8:00PM/7:00PM CT. The next week, it moves into its regular timeslot an hour later.

In other news, the spin-off show Torchwood, starring John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness (who was introduced in the first series of Doctor Who), has also finally been picked up to air in the US. It is set to air later this year on BBC America. Hopefully, like Doctor Who, it will be released on DVD so that people who don't have access to the channel can see the show.

Jeopardy! College Championship starts April 30

Sat, 14 Apr 2007 01:39:00 GMT

Jeopardy!'s annual College Championship begins Monday, April 30, 2007, and airs through Friday, May 11, 2007, beginning only a week after the tournament is taped. The list of contestants has been released. There appears to be a good amount of geographical diversity considering (to my knowledge) that there were only four audition locations. Good luck to everyone participating!

In other news, it looks like Grand Slam has been picked up by GSN for a run starting in June 2007. It is set to have 16 of the top game show winners play off against one another, so it sounds exciting. This show originally was being developed for ABC back in 2004, but it never got a series order. It looks like this time it will finally air.

Star Trek XI coming in late 2008

Sat, 31 Mar 2007 01:52:32 GMT

Star Trek XI, a movie that I have been anticipating for some time, is now coming along at full speed! It was announced that the film will be released (in the U.S., at any rate) on Christmas Day, December 25, 2008. I don't know if I will go see it opening day, but I know that my family are fans of the franchise, so I wouldn't consider it out of the question as a post get-together holiday event. If we don't, I expect to see it very soon afterwards. In addition, J.J. Abrams, who directed the surprisingly impressive Mission:Impossible III will be producing and directing the movie, which makes me even more excited. Be sure to mark your calendar and see it when it's released!

Updates on the entertainment front

Sat, 31 Mar 2007 01:46:18 GMT

I've been busy so I haven't been keeping up on updating the weblog with various news from the world of entertainment. I'll try and recap some of the main points that have interested me over the last few weeks.

1 vs. 100, a quiz show I've mentioned several times on this weblog, aired its season finale on Friday, May 16. They were not clear as to when the show is expected to return, though it looks like it probably will since a reporter stated they will be announcing auditions in the near future, and since its replacement, Identity, hasn't done quite as well in the ratings. 1 vs. 100 is one of the better shows of the new millennium, for sure. The game is also designed such that contestants build their money very quickly during the game, which makes it quite exciting. Hopefully it will be back soon.

Also, the new quiz show Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? launched last month on FOX; it airs Thursdays at 8:00PM/7:00PM CT. Jeff Foxworthy is the host. Contestants have to answer 10 grade-school level questions to win $500,000. After that, they have the opportunity to win $1,000,000 with a final question. They play along with some real (actors) 5th graders, who are the source of three "cheats" to help them along during the game. It's not as good as other shows like 1 vs. 100 for sure, but it seems reasonably popular and is set to run through May.

In addition, Regis Philbin, the former host of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Super Millionaire, and America's Got Talent is off the television for the time being while he recovers from heart surgery. NBC previously announced that Jerry Springer would take over from Regis as host of America's Got Talent, which seemed sudden, but Regis's surgery made the reason for the change more clear. Regis was a good host for all of these shows, so I hope he recovers well. As always, I'm hoping for a return of Super Millionaire (be sure to let ABC know you want to see it), but, with Regis's absence, ABC has another show scheduled. After the failure of Show Me the Money, ABC announced that they are launching the new game show National Bingo Night to run Fridays at 9:00PM/8:00PM CT starting May 18. It sounds like a questionable concept for television (yes, it's the classic game of bingo), but we'll see how it does. I didn't think Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? would do well and now it's a hit. Ed Sanders of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is the host.

Also, Al Roker hosted a week of shows on Who Wants to be a Millionaire earlier this month. This is the first time to my knowledge that they have used a guest host. Also scheduled to host a week of shows is Dancing with the Stars host Tom Bergeron. I expect Tom will do well as guest host. Meredith Vieira is still the permanent host and will be hosting most of the remaining shows this season.

On Jeopardy! two weeks ago, history was made as the first three-way tie in the show's history occurred. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite as exciting as it could have been, since the leader had the opportunity to bet to win the game and chose instead to wager for a tie; a forced tie would have been even more incredible. In other news concerning the show, they will be taping the College Championship at USC in April, but not before they do some last-minute contestant auditions. The top prize will once again be $100,000. The tournament will air from April 30 to May 11, 2007, starting only a little over a week after taping! In addition, there will be a second Teen Tournament this season (the first aired in February), called the Summer Games Teen Tournament to air from July 16 to July 27, 2007. The prizes will be the same as usual, with the winner taking home $75,000. What I saw of the February tournament was excellent, so hopefully this one will be just as exciting.

In other news, the new Doctor Who got renewed for a fourth season. The third season starts airing in the UK this weekend. SciFi initially announced they would air the third season this summer, but they have since taken down that information. Hopefully it will air eventually, though I still have to catch up with the second season!

Also, the entire show Day Break has been posted online for viewing. The show was airing on ABC last fall, but it was cancelled before the series was complete. I haven't had a chance to watch the last episodes, so don't spoil the ending, but I liked what I saw before and I look forward to finishing the show eventually.

Lastly, The 4400 returns to USA this summer. The first episode of the fourth season is scheduled to air on Sunday, June 17 at 10:00PM/9:00PM CT. It's a good show, and I look forward to its return.

"1 vs. 100" Last Man Standing

Sat, 03 Feb 2007 23:48:39 GMT

The NBC quiz show 1 vs. 100 continues with new episodes during February sweeps. Last night's show saw an all-kid Mob including Jeopardy! Kids Week contestant Madeline Suchard. Next week comes the anticipated "Last Man Standing" challenge, in which the player who is remaining after all the rest have been eliminated will win a substantial $250,000 prize. This is no ordinary Mob, however; it will include many of the best players who have been in the Mob so far, including top Jeopardy! winners Brad Rutter & Ken Jennings, as well as top Millionaire winners Kevin Olmstead & Nancy Christy. Also expected to join the Mob are poker champion Annie Duke as well as other formidible players, many of whom are returning to the Mob after having done well on the show already. I look forward to watching it.

ost Hated Mo

"Temptation" is coming to the US

Sat, 13 Jan 2007 02:32:14 GMT

Temptation, the new version of the classic quiz show Sale of the Century, has been picked up for syndication starting in fall 2007. It has already been sold to stations in several top markets. I've seen clips of the Australian version, and it looks like a quality revival of the classic show. In the format, players answer questions to win money, and are tempted during the game to buy prizes at incredible sale prices with their winnings. I'm really looking forward to seeing this game in the US.

In other news, another game I had been looking forward to appears to have gotten new life here in the US. Grand Slam is a game show special event that brings back the top quiz show winners who compete against one another for a huge cash prize. The show was being developed for ABC back in 2004 (when they had several game shows in development like Super Millionaire and the unaired original US version of Deal or No Deal), but Grand Slam did not end up being produced. Today it was announced that GSN has picked up the rights to the show. I don't get GSN, but I hope it airs since it sounds like an exciting format!

More NBC schedule news concerning "1 vs. 100"

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 23:32:18 GMT

I'll begin with a reminder that 1 vs. 100 returns this Friday, December 1 at 8:00PM/7:00PM CT on NBC. The first lucky contestant of the night will be playing for a special $3,000,000 top prize! K-Fed is so desperate for money that he'll be entering the Mob, along with the stars of the TV show Las Vegas. In the same episode, former Tic Tac Dough host Wink Martindale & TV host Bob Eubanks will enter the Mob. There's lots going on in this episode, so it should be good. Again, it will air Fridays at 8:00PM/7:00PM CT on NBC starting December 1.

NBC also announced that Christmas Night, Monday, December 25, will consist of all new game shows. It will begin with a special two-hour Deal or No Deal at 8:00PM/7:00PM CT, followed by a special 1 vs. 100 at 10:00PM/9:00PM CT. This follows an already game show-heavy month as the new show Identity will run five nights in a row the week before Christmas. Apparently they are eager to recapture last year's success of Deal or No Deal at the same time of year.

Last, NBC published their midseason schedule, indicating that a second weekly episode of Deal or No Deal will now air on Wednesdays at 9:00PM/8:00PM CT starting January 3, which comes not long after it got pulled from the Thursday schedule at the same time in favor of two comedies. Crossing Jordan, which had been announced as the permanent show in the Friday 8:00PM/7:00PM CT following the autumn runs of Deal or No Deal & 1 vs. 100, has been moved to Sundays, so 1 vs. 100 has officially been given the Friday timeslot for the midseason schedule. I'm glad, because in my opinion, it's the best of the new shows. I hope it lasts a while longer so that more people get a chance to play. In addition, the second season of America's Got Talent, which had earlier been announced for Sundays, appears to be delayed indefinitely in that it is not on the schedule. I'm in no rush to see that though.

[picture courtesy of NBC]

"1 vs. 100" returns in December

Sat, 11 Nov 2006 18:11:10 GMT

The five episode run of 1 vs. 100 finished yesterday. All and all, I think it's one of the better game shows of the new millennium. The quiz element is pretty easy, yet fun. Bob Saget does a decent job as host. The premiere episode brought in great ratings, exceeding those of the premiere of Deal or No Deal, so NBC was quick to order 10 more episodes. In any case, reruns will continue to air the next two Thursdays at 8:00PM/7:00PM CT on CNBC.

New episodes of 1 vs. 100 return to NBC on Friday, December 1, in the same timeslot of 8:00PM/7:00PM CT. I'm glad NBC is confident in the show and hope the show generates some more big winners.

"Show Me the Money" premieres November 14

Fri, 03 Nov 2006 22:30:06 GMT

The anticipated Endemol quiz show Show Me the Money will launch in the U.S. on ABC this month. The show, from the creator of Deal or No Deal, was sold to FOX last spring after Deal or No Deal became a hit. FOX dropped the show from development during the summer, but ABC picked it up quickly thereafter, which is interesting considering that they dropped Deal or No Deal back in 2004. William Shatner is hosting this show. The game looks similar to the other show, with several dancers revealing scrolls to determine the player's winnings. The difference is that winning at this game involves trivia questions, which is hopefully the defining element of this show. The show premieres with a special 90-minute episode on Tuesday, November 14 at 9:30PM/8:30PM CT, and the regular hour-long series will air Wednesdays at 8:00PM/7:00PM CT starting November 22 on ABC.

"The Rich List" to premiere in November

Fri, 06 Oct 2006 15:39:22 GMT

FOX's new entry into the quiz show genre, The Rich List, has made it onto the fall schedule. It will air Wednesdays at 9:00PM/8:00PM CT starting November 1. The show is being hosted by Eamonn Holmes, a British TV presenter who had originally been contracted to host the UK version of the show that hasn't yet materialized. It looks like a solid concept, in which two teams of two challenge each other to name as many items fitting a particular list as they can (with bidding similar to Name that Tune, only in reverse). The team that wins the best out of three lists wins the game, has a shot at $250,000 by completing a bonus list, and comes back to play again.

In other news, Show Me the Money, the Endemol quiz show that FOX dropped in favor of The Rich List, has been picked up by ABC. Star Trek legend William Shatner will be hosting. This should be interesting. The show is set to begin taping on October 14, so it could start airing very soon. We'll see how ABC handles scheduling the show.

Celebrity Jeopardy! starts November 8

Fri, 06 Oct 2006 15:38:49 GMT

As mentioned earlier, Jeopardy! is holding a Celebrity Edition to celebrate the 5000th episode. In total, charities will receive $1,000,000 from the two-week event. The list of celebrities has been posted, and it's a quite impressive lineup since I've actually heard of a lot of these people, unlike many of the obscure "celebrities" you often see on reality & game shows these days. I look forward to seeing some of these people play, even though these Celebrity games tend not to be played as seriously as the regular games.

"1 vs. 100" to premiere in October

Thu, 28 Sep 2006 13:28:47 GMT

According to an NBC press release, the new quiz show 1 vs. 100 will premiere on NBC in October. Bob Saget is the host of the new show from the creators & production team of Deal or No Deal. Contestants play against 100 studio opponents and win cash based on the number of players they eliminate as well as their timing. There is a top prize of $1,000,000 if they can eliminate all 100 of their competitors. Remaining competitors split the contestant's earned winnings if a contestant ever answers a question incorrectly. I look forward to checking out this show as soon as it airs. The show will premiere on Friday, October 13 at 9:00PM/8:00PM CT immediately following a special Friday episode of Deal or No Deal. The following week, it moves into its regular time slot of Fridays at 8:00PM/7:00PM CT, where it will air for four weeks. That's right against Doctor Who, which upsets me somewhat, but I'm sure I'll find a way to catch both shows sooner or later.

Jeopardy! events

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 17:10:32 GMT

With the 23rd season of Jeopardy! now in progress (and in HDTV no less), there are already several special events scheduled! According to an e-mail I received, Back to School week featuring 10-12 year olds will air during the week of October 2. November brings two weeks of special Celebrity shows to celebrate the show's 5000th episode; in these two weeks, Jeopardy! will award a total of at least $1,000,000 to charity. The event should be fun. Several big stars are scheduled to participate.

Because of the two week Celebrity Edition airing in November, it appears that the College Championship, which usually airs during November, will be delayed. Fortunately, the show has announced online testing for the next College Championship and Teen Tournament, confirming they will be returning later this season. Be sure to sign up soon as the test will be given this week. Good luck to all test-takers!

Second season of Doctor Who to air in USA

Thu, 10 Aug 2006 18:59:59 GMT

I just read that the second season of the BBC's new version of Doctor Who will indeed air in the USA following the successful run of the first season this spring. Season 2 will premiere on SCIFI on Friday, September 29, 2006 at its new time of 8:00PM/7:00PM CT. I look forward to seeing the next season of the show as soon as I have a chance, because the first season was very exciting and well-produced.

[Edit: SCI-FI has moved the show to an earlier time, and the post above has been changed to reflect that.]

Jeopardy! Brain Bus on the road

Wed, 02 Aug 2006 19:57:24 GMT

With summer here and the 22nd season of Jeopardy! now complete, the Jeopardy! Brain Bus is back on the road for fun across the country! Adults 18 and older have a chance to audition for the show, but the events provide fun for all with appearances from the Clue Crew. Be sure to check the Brain Bus Events page on the website for information about when they might be coming to a town near you!

The future of "Deal or No Deal" & other shows

Sat, 20 May 2006 22:23:22 GMT

Deal or No Deal, NBC's surprise hit for the season, has two more episodes to go until the season finale. The show will air the next three Mondays at 8:00PM/7:00PM CT. The final episode scheduled to air June 5 will be 90 minutes and have a fantastic $5,000,000 top prize!

The show will then go on break until next season, when it will be seen twice a week Mondays at 8:00PM/7:00PM CT, and Thursdays at 9:00PM/8:00PM CT. I'm glad NBC has decided to go with two nights a week, since that is probably more sustainable in the long term than three nights a week. It also leaves some room open for another game show like 1 vs. 100 to launch.

Also announced is the launch of the new game show from the same creator as Deal or No Deal, called Set for the Rest of Your Life and scheduled to launch on ABC next season Tuesdays at 8:00PM/7:00PM CT after the next series of Dancing with the Stars concludes. That should be interesting.

Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions starts today

Mon, 08 May 2006 20:45:00 GMT

The official site for the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions is now online. There you can find the quarterfinal matches for the rest of the week and some more information about the tournament. You'll also see the semifinal lineups after the quarterfinals have finished at the end of the week.

I'm really excited about the tournament! I remember all of these champions and am sure that we'll see lots of great gameplay.

Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions starts May 8

Thu, 27 Apr 2006 02:07:56 GMT

Jeopardy!'s 2006 Tournament of Champions begins May 8, less than two weeks away! Ken Jennings will not be participating, but it appears that all of the other top contenders since his run will be participating. The top prize is $250,000, with increased minimum guarantees for second place ($100,000) and third place ($50,000). I can't wait to see these talented players face off for such a big prize!

Check out a list of contestants on the Jeopardy! website.

"1 vs. 100" coming to the USA!

Thu, 27 Apr 2006 02:03:41 GMT

I'm thrilled to see that NBC is bringing 1 vs. 100 to the US, as stated in a press release. This is another quiz show I'd been hoping we'd see here in the US at some point. Like Deal or No Deal, this show is also from Endemol, and will evidently be produced by the same team here. In this quiz show, players answer trivia questions to eliminate 100 studio opponents. It's expected that this show will have a huge ($1,000,000+) top prize, as is now common in primetime game shows.

No word on when the show will start, but I suspect we'll see it in good time, perhaps even as soon as this summer. NBC has also not announced whether the show will be launched as a multi-night event like Deal or No Deal. Stay tuned for more news on this exciting show!

"Deal or No Deal" gets a summer vacation

Sat, 22 Apr 2006 21:55:59 GMT

After Deal or No Deal became a hit as a special series in December, NBC was quick to place it on the permanent schedule on Mondays at 8:00PM/7C. After good performance there, it was expanded to Fridays at the same time, and then also to Wednesdays at the same time; all in the scope of a month! It's gotten great ratings on all three days.

Despite the good performance, NBC & Endemol (format owner/producer) have jointly decided to give the show a break over the summer. The season finale will air on June 5, confirming that the show is, unsurprisingly, scheduled to continue next season! I suspect the wait will help generate a big opening for the show's return next season. An Endemol executive is quoted in Broadcasting & Cable as saying that three times a week is too much on the regular schedule, with which I agree. It's expected that the show will go down to once or twice a week on the schedule next season.

Also mentioned is that two other US versions of Deal or No Deal are in development: a Spanish-language version for Telemundo, and a second English-language version for syndication. No word yet on when to see those, although it's not expected too soon.

In any case, it appears that there is plenty of Deal or No Deal scheduled up until that point, so enjoy!

"Deal or No Deal" expanded to two nights a week

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 01:43:06 GMT

NBC has announced that its hit game show Deal or No Deal will be airing twice a week for the foreseeable future. The show will now air Mondays & Fridays 9:00/8:00 CT. This is a good vote of confidence for the show, which isn't surprising given the ratings. As long as NBC refrains from making Celebrity Edition (the mistake that killed the two-night-a-week version of Weakest Link), I think Deal or No Deal should do well in this arrangement.

And, for the next two weeks, there will also be new shows on Wednesdays at 7:00PM. These are two specially-scheduled episodes, as it appears that there are no plans to expand the show to three-nights-a-week permanently (which is probably a good thing). Be sure to check it out!

"Deal or No Deal" gets bigger for its return

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 02:05:31 GMT

Anxious to see a jackpot winner and to build viewer excitement for a successful run, NBC is raising the stakes on Deal or No Deal. The series is going to have an escalating jackpot for its return week of February 27 - March 3, during which the top prize will increase by $500,000 nightly! That means that someone could walk away with up to $3,000,000 on Friday! It'll be interesting to see how these big changes for that all-important case affect bank offers for the next run. There isn't any indication that the escalating jackpot will continue for the permanent run beginning March 6. Remember to watch Deal or No Deal every night February 27 - March 3 at 8:00PM/7:00PM CT on NBC and then Mondays at 8:00PM/7:00PM CT on NBC starting March 6.

In other news, The Price is Right Million Dollar Spectacular airs Tuesday, February 14 (Valentine's Day) at 8:00PM/7:00PM CT on CBS. This episode was taped about a year ago and was scheduled to air last May, but ended up being delayed until now. Someone could win $1,000,000, but it seems odd that CBS would save a million dollar win to go up against American Idol and the Olympics. In any case, it'll be fun to see Bob Barker.

I also noticed that NBC has announced the 18 candidates for the next season of The Apprentice, premiering immediately after Deal or No Deal on February 27 (where, by no coincidence, Donald Trump will be making a guest appearance!). I wouldn't have commented on it except to mention that Donald Trump is publicizing the fact that the show will for the first time have a MENSA member among the candidates. I just had to shake my head on reading that; after all, David Korotkin, the very first contestant on the US version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire was a MENSA member, and many of the contestants who followed him on the first series were as well. I hope the series gains some traction this season, but I'm not holding my breath based on this admission and the fact that Donald's adult children will be substituting for George & Carolyn on occasion this season.

Last of all, be sure to check out the conclusion of the Jeopardy! Teen Tournament, which began last week. A strong field of players is being narrowed down this week during the semifinals and finals to determine the $75,000 winner.

A very brief Super Millionaire update

Sun, 29 Jan 2006 16:57:43 GMT

In an interview with TVgameshows.net, interviewer Steve Beverly repeated his readers' most frequently asked question to Super Millionaire's executive producer, Michael Davies: When will it be back? Davies responded that ABC has not contacted him about doing another run in the immediate future. However, he has a gut feeling that we will see the show back on network primetime television at some point in the future. He confirms that more Super Millionaire remains on his slate for the next three years at his production company, Embassy Row.

Even though it looks like Super Millionaire won't be coming back for Februrary, that doesn't mean that ABC can't bring it back before the syndicated show starts taping again in August. I encourage you to contact ABC to register your interest in having the show return soon.

I'm still hoping that we'll see more Super Millionaire soon, but the fact we haven't seen it yet means that it might be a while yet. I'll be looking at auditioning for regular Millionaire in the meantime, even though the audition process is very selective.

"Deal or No Deal" is coming back as a permanent series

Mon, 23 Jan 2006 00:21:36 GMT

An official press release reports that NBC plans to bring back the hit game show Deal or No Deal in February! There will be another five-night consecutive run at 8:00PM/7C before the show moves into its permanent weekly home at 8:00PM/7C Mondays. This strategy is similar to how ABC introduced the permanent run of Millionaire, although a bit more reasonable in intensity.

The show will air back-to-back with Donald Trump's faltering The Apprentice on Mondays. I must say that the show has gone downhill to some degree despite two outstanding finalists last series, and the product placement is really getting annoying. Hopefully being next to TV's current sensation will bring viewers back to the show, since they've already been renewed for at least one more series next season.

The fact that there's so much Deal or No Deal coming in February is hardly surprising given its success in December, but it's still quite refreshing to see the network schedule a primetime game show so confidently. If it's successful, which I expect it will be to some extent, it just might inspire ABC to bring back their game show Who Wants to be a Super Millionaire, which I would just love to see back because it's the perfect game. I encourage you to contact ABC and let them know you want to see the show back!

Again, Deal or No Deal airs Monday, Februrary 27 - Friday, March 3 at 8:00PM/7C followed by the permanent weekly run on Mondays at 8:00PM/7C starting March 6.

My take on the latest game show news

Sat, 24 Dec 2005 03:15:50 GMT

Deal or No Deal

Deal or No Deal, which I've mentioned on and off since I started this weblog, finally launched on Monday. It's compelling and fun, though the concept isn't quite as strong as other shows like Millionaire. I think it works well for a special event though. Howie Mandel does a nice job as host, though he does seem a bit scripted, which is forgiveable since it's his first game show hosting gig. I liked the talking banker from the ABC pilot, but aside from minor stylistic issues, I think the show is good overall. It definitely has lasting potential as a special event show.

The ratings for every show this week have been quite impressive. The show has ranked near the top nightly, outperforming NBC's regular programming in the time slot. NBC announced yesterday that they have ordered additional episodes of Deal or No Deal for next year, which is excellent news for the primetime game show genre. You can now apply to be a contestant. I look forward to watching the return of the show next year.

Millionaire

In other news, the Millionaire Million Dollar Buddy contest wrapped up earlier this month. The Million Dollar Buddy contest sparked excitement among many fans, and hopefully the producers will bring back and expand the promotion (perhaps schedule a week with the top performers?) next year. I think it would be a nice touch, since I haven't been watching much lately, and I hear I haven't been missing much (no $250,000+ winners since February 2005!). The show could use some excitement right about now, and it might just require some more innovation by the show producers teamed with Celador.

Even though auditions for this season are done (I want to audition next season!), you still have one more chance to get on the show this season! Walk in & Win Week tapes Saturday, January 14 at Walt Disney World in Orlando, so, if you want to be on the show, head on over. No word on Super Millionaire lately, but I hope that ABC considers scheduling it given the success of NBC's Deal or No Deal. Otherwise, we can hope for a speedy return, but realistically we probably won't see it for a while!

Cash Cab

I checked out the Discovery Channel's new game show Cash Cab and it's not bad. People enter Ben Bailey's "Cash Cab", and have to answer general knowledge questions to win money on the way to their destinations. Some elements of the game are "borrowed", but it's an interesting twist on the classic quiz show.