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Post by caseyabell on Apr 14, 2015 10:27:00 GMT -5
"Ratings. They're so God-awful, that people are trying a new host in an attempt that it will work."
The ratings are down, but they're not godawful. About a 1.9 household average so far this year. Significantly better than Celebrity Name Game, which got a renewal, and better than a lot of non-game-show syndies which also got renewed. Nowadays a 1.9 household rating is pretty respectable for a syndicated show.
"Harrison's not going to save this show. It's a sinking ship without any way of getting it to float reasonably."
We'll see. The show is still a decent quizzer and Harrison is a definite improvement over the previous two hosts, who only got the job in a misguided effort to find another Steve Harvey. Millionaire is an old franchise, no doubt, but it can still live with its current numbers. If Harrison can just stabilize the ratings at their current level, the show could survive for at least a few more seasons. If he actually improves the numbers, the show could last for quite a while.
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Post by phimat37 on Apr 14, 2015 11:34:45 GMT -5
They're doing what Family Feud did in 2005/2006. Only this time, will the 3rd host in the last few years be the charm? Doubtful. The only thing Millionaire got as close to a Steve Harvey as they could get is Cedric. Maybe Millionaire needs dirty sex jokes and youtube poop to be successful? Maybe the old man in Regis Philbin would be able to save the show? We know he wouldn't do it, and I don't know if he likes how the show has screwed around with itself too much. At least with Family Feud they brought on more recognizable names for people who watched Home Improvement (Richard Karn) and people who watched Seinfeld when John O'Hurley was in some episodes. O'Hurley was no stranger to hosting game shows though at the time, remember To Tell The Truth 2000? Screwing with Millionaire's format sure didn't increase ratings. I still watch the show occasionally, but its just not as fun to watch anymore. Maybe they should get George Lopez to host, I hear these days he's pretty horrid. I liked him at one time, and then I saw another side of him that swore a lot, and I mean a lot. Obviously he couldn't do that on a game show, but he could bring some of that sexual innuendo to the show.  |
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Post by caseyabell on Apr 14, 2015 12:10:49 GMT -5
"Maybe the old man in Regis Philbin would be able to save the show?" We get it. You don't like the show. Except Millionaire doesn't need "saving" because it already got renewed. The show can live - and is living - with its current numbers. If Harrison just stabilizes the ratings around 1.9 or 2.0, the show looks pretty good compared to most other syndies. In fact, a number like that might get you onto the top 25 syndie chart at TV by the Numbers. The only thing that would kill the show is continued decline in the numbers. That's what the producers feared with a year or two more of Terry. Even that scenario is iffy, because ratings for just about everything - including syndie shows - continue to fall as the viewing audience keeps fragmenting further. The show is still around after years of declining ratings because it looks okay compared to other syndies. It's the cancellation bear theory from TV by the Numbers. When a hungry bear is chasing you and another guy, you don't have to outrun the bear. You just have to outrun the other guy. Millionaire has been outrunning most other syndies for a while now. UPDATE: Wouldn't you know, Millionaire just hit a new low with a 1.6 household rating for the week of March 30-April 5. Poor Terry. At least he's providing some easy year-to-year comparisons for Chris Harrison. |
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Post by phimat37 on Apr 14, 2015 13:00:27 GMT -5
I never said I didn't like the show. It's just not my cup of tea with the shuffle format, it's not as exciting, and half of the contestants don't even make it to round 2. The show doesn't seem to have any desire to give away the money. The show may not need saving, but maybe the show will run out of money and sponsors one of these days to offer any money. They always put on these people who don't save their lifelines and always crumble before round 2, or in early round 2. I think, in my opinion people want to see more people going for higher amounts. It's not worth watching if the show is in a rut with contestants crumbling in round 1 all the time or early round 2. Making it harder isn't always better, and it's been proven since the shuffle format existed. Contestants have been crumbling since the shuffle format's existence and not very many people have even seen the $1,000,000 question. By the way, FYI Casey, we do have a "Quote" feature here so you don't have to always use the "" to quote people. Just to politely let you know, the quote feature is in the top right corner of the post. |
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Post by Mandoli on Apr 14, 2015 13:18:27 GMT -5
It's just not my cup of tea with the shuffle format... That's kind of why I don't like the show now. Some shows didn't need all of these unneeded tweaks. Millionaire is one of those shows. The timer wasn't that big of a deal. Now we're randomizing dollar values and categories? A little too much. |
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Post by Mario500 on Apr 14, 2015 15:31:39 GMT -5
Why is Terry Crews leaving Who Wants To Be A Millionaire in the first place? Ratings. They're so God-awful, that people are trying a new host in an attempt that it will work. Harrison's not going to save this show. It's a sinking ship without any way of getting it to float reasonably. According to a news article by the Hollywood Reporter, the actual reasons for Terry Crews being replaced involve other TV projects connected to him. |
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Post by wildjackmonroe on Apr 14, 2015 18:11:55 GMT -5
Terry wasn't my favorite on this show, but honestly I can see if eventually Millionaire plus Brooklyn Nine-Nine plus other commitments and family life outside of all that can be a lot.
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Post by caseyabell on Apr 14, 2015 21:58:12 GMT -5
"By the way, FYI Casey, we do have a Quote feature here so you don't have to always use the "" to quote people."
I know, but the feature takes up a lot of room. Quotation marks are a lot more economical.
As for Terry's other projects, if he had revived Millionaire as Steve Harvey has done with Feud, the producers would have made it plenty worth his while to stay. Steve Harvey's got a lot of other projects, too.
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Post by ladykelsey on Apr 15, 2015 0:13:43 GMT -5
Wasn't Chris Harrison also the star of the short-lived game show You Deserve It too? That game show that also starred Brooke Burns from The Chase too? So Millionaire will be Chris Harrison's second game show in his history books,
Kelsey
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Post by WarioSajak on Apr 15, 2015 2:06:18 GMT -5
I will say one thing in favor of the Super Mix format (yes, that's the official title): it was devised by Jay Wolpert, who was brought on as a creative consultant following the mess that was the Clock era. The hourlong Family Feud Challenge counts as "screwing with the format" to me, as did dropping the team size from five to four in 1994. Both were disastrous. Agreed on the latter (especially the whole "cartoon caricature" intros), but I thought the Challenge format was a case of evolution, and I really like it. The problem was slapping Bullseye on the half-hour syndicated show, which crunched the rest of the game down, and it was even worse during John O'Hurley's last season. And to phimat: Challenge wasn't a reincarnation of the show, but rather the last year of the CBS era. This was probably one of the reasons they instituted the much-reviled clock; to hurry the game along, so they could get in as many questions as they could (by reducing the amount of time a player had to make deliberations) and still allow them to run the required amount of ads per show without being forced to chop each episode to pieces. Obviously, it didn't work and the fans almost universally hated it, but (assuming this was indeed a consideration) the theory wasn't a bad one. I'm pretty sure the main reason they added the Clock was to cut down on the amount of winning that was happening and drop the studio time they were using. 45 seconds isn't really enough time on the third tier to consider the question and its answers, because you're frazzled just worrying about the damn Clock ticking down. (This was also the period that had the insipid Tournament of Ten, which was neither a Tournament nor Not A Ratings Stunt.) In other words, the Clock format was less about getting more material in and more about the show's bottom line. It's obvious that the producers have given up on the quest for another Steve Harvey, and are just trying to find a competent host. So...why completely ignore all the very competent people who filled in for Meredith? Maybe the old man in Regis Philbin would be able to save the show? We know he wouldn't do it, and I don't know if he likes how the show has screwed around with itself too much. I seem to recall him talking about the Shuffle format on Live once, and basically saying it sucked. By all indication, he wasn't a big fan of the Clock format either. Wasn't Chris Harrison also the star of the short-lived game show You Deserve It too? Yeah...and boy, that show was bad, pretty much being the most raw example of what casting coordinators (good lord, I hate that term) look for in potential players: namely, a reason to deserve the money on offer. Chris also hosted GSN's Mall Masters back around 2000, too. |
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Post by caseyabell on Apr 15, 2015 6:53:04 GMT -5
"So...why completely ignore all the very competent people who filled in for Meredith?"
Well, Steve Harvey probably wasn't available, to begin with (wink). Harrison is pretty high profile at ABC and he certainly can host a show. So why not?
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Post by phimat37 on Apr 15, 2015 10:28:24 GMT -5
It's just not my cup of tea with the shuffle format... That's kind of why I don't like the show now. Some shows didn't need all of these unneeded tweaks. Millionaire is one of those shows. The timer wasn't that big of a deal. Now we're randomizing dollar values and categories? A little too much. I agree, and I've voiced my displeasure for the shuffle format, but if I want something to watch, I'll watch it on occasion. Other game show nerds seem so offended when I've voiced my displeasure countless times, like their opinion counts more than the next guy. You don't have to be an older-is-better guy to not like the format. Jeopardy hasn't exactly changed their format at all, Wheel of Fortune hasn't too much, Family Feud is still the same as it was 10 years ago and they never changed a thing as far as the main game goes and they were battling ratings issues for a long time until Steve came along. |
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Post by WarioSajak on Apr 16, 2015 3:36:06 GMT -5
"So...why completely ignore all the very competent people who filled in for Meredith?" Well, Steve Harvey probably wasn't available, to begin with (wink). Harrison is pretty high profile at ABC and he certainly can host a show. So why not? I'm guessing Tom Bergeron's lower on the totem pole, then. Also, yay, thanks for reminding me of Steve's "performance" on the show.  Other game show nerds seem so offended when I've voiced my displeasure countless times, like their opinion counts more than the next guy. I say ignore 'em. Learned that one the hard way, as I've been on both sides of that. Jeopardy hasn't exactly changed their format at all, Wheel of Fortune hasn't too much, Agreed on the former, but boy does Wheel feel very different than it did (for example) a decade ago. Family Feud is still the same as it was 10 years ago and they never changed a thing as far as the main game goes and they were battling ratings issues for a long time until Steve came along. Not quite -- the current version did try bringing back Bullseye for the 2009-10 season...and proceeded to make the pacing in Ray Combs' last two seasons look leisurely by comparison. You don't have to be an older-is-better guy to not like the format. This, this, and, oh, a bit of this.  |
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Post by phimat37 on Apr 16, 2015 11:35:35 GMT -5
Well, I'm not counting the Bullseye. I thought of it, but I meant as far as the "main game" goes. Bullseye was just a "cash builder" for the fast money. I hated the Bullseye.
I'll give you that though, since the show did feel different with the Bullseye format when they brought it back, and it sucked, IMO.
I will agree that Wheel does feel different than a decade or two ago, but it's still the same game.
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Post by caseyabell on Apr 18, 2015 12:28:20 GMT -5
"I'm guessing Tom Bergeron's lower on the totem pole, then."
There's always been a rumor that Bergeron never wanted to host another game show after Hollywood Squares. it's probably an urban legend, I dunno.
By the way, Cory Anotado has posted a lot of entries at BuzzerBlog based on stolen, er, leaked e-mails. Most of the posts are pretty obvious. Steve Harvey is considered a hot property, in case you were wondering, and studio execs get nervous when the on-air talent spouts off about politics. And God help us, there's yet another post about Alex's likeliest successor. Anderson Cooper is Cory's choice, which is not very surprising.
But one of the posts goes through a long argument about how Millionaire had to stay on the air for some financial reason or other. If the ratings get bad enough, nothing "has" to stay on the air because the finances just get too hopeless. But Millionaire's numbers are still acceptable compared to other syndicated shows getting renewals. As the guys at TV by the Numbers would say, the show has stayed ahead of other syndies which have been munched by the cancellation bear.
In fact, the only current syndie game show which won't make it to another season is Let's Ask America, which is a special case because it never got truly national syndication exposure. Even the low-rent Game Plane got a renewal.
On another topic, Wheel has changed enormously over the years. Check a few of the old Woolery videos on YouTube to see just how drastically the format has evolved. Certainly the changes are as significant as anything that's happened to Millionaire over time. Jeopardy, on the famous other hand, has been remarkably consistent over the decades, though there was a brief experiment with fairly important gameplay changes in the short-lived 1978-79 All-New Jeopardy.
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