The Game Show Thread

[Neil Jones]

TBH I don't think the social distancing is as notable on The Chase as it is on Tipping Point. Yes they've got screens but they do blend into the background nicely.

I also think it's just something viewers will accept moving forward. There is no disguising what we've all been through and ITV aren't going to wipe a years worth of episodes from the repeat runs due to social distancing so they'll still be airing for years to come. I strongly suspect to that even if it does end by law in the next few weeks in England that many productions involving members of the public will still be cautious in their approach - probably see a set up similar to the celeb version with no screens but still a bit of distance initially before returning to them basically being sat on each others knees, as most things pre-2020 seem to look like now.

I do wonder if shows will eventually allow people who don't live together to be pairs of contestants as I get why they've done that but it does limit the number of people who can go on. I know that when I applied for Pointless last year, I couldn't progress further at my phone audition as the person I applied with doesn't live with me.

I'm sure it will all return to normal at some point and you can buddy up with anybody you like to go on and to try and win a Pointless trophy.

[This is UTV]

TBH I don't think the social distancing is as notable on The Chase as it is on Tipping Point. Yes they've got screens but they do blend into the background nicely.

I also think it's just something viewers will accept moving forward. There is no disguising what we've all been through and ITV aren't going to wipe a years worth of episodes from the repeat runs due to social distancing so they'll still be airing for years to come. I strongly suspect to that even if it does end by law in the next few weeks in England that many productions involving members of the public will still be cautious in their approach - probably see a set up similar to the celeb version with no screens but still a bit of distance initially before returning to them basically being sat on each others knees, as most things pre-2020 seem to look like now.

I couldn't progress further at my phone audition as the person I applied with doesn't live with me.

Phew. What a relief. A decision I fully agree with to keep you safe. 8-)

I really think Pointless could do with a shake up in the format. Solo players would be the way forward. How about 6 solo players and more eliminations, and ways to get booted off. Get two wrong answers and your off? Maybe a vote off to get a fellow player off?
The format really needs a shake up and soon. Or maybe Richard/Zander will both at some point call it a day and the Beeb will axe it and bring back The Weakest Link with a new host?

[Brekkie]

Talking of Pointless notice they've now stopped reading the answer board twice.

[Neil Jones]

I really think Pointless could do with a shake up in the format. Solo players would be the way forward. How about 6 solo players and more eliminations, and ways to get booted off. Get two wrong answers and your off? Maybe a vote off to get a fellow player off?
The format really needs a shake up and soon. Or maybe Richard/Zander will both at some point call it a day and the Beeb will axe it and bring back The Weakest Link with a new host?

Pointless used to have five pairs and an entirely different third round compared to what they have now, and it was a lot more "serious" when the banter was chopped out.

[XIII]

Pointless used to have five pairs and an entirely different third round compared to what they have now, and it was a lot more "serious" when the banter was chopped out.

I've watched the first episode on YouTube and it's interesting how Xander is more serious compared to how he is now

[Brekkie]

You'll probably find that with the first episode of anything where the host is more concerned with getting through the logistics of the show and the rules need lengthier explanations to the viewers.

[Neil Jones]

You'll probably find that with the first episode of anything where the host is more concerned with getting through the logistics of the show and the rules need lengthier explanations to the viewers.

You only notice this years later when said first episode turns up somewhere. Its has its own trope on TV Tropes.

We all remember/saw early episodes of Blockbusters where Bob Holness ran us all through "this is the game, that's the board, that's the Gold Run..." multiple times over for most of the first series, and then it just dispenses with all that crap, and we just get on with it. You end up picking the game up as you go along.

Of course some shows went into major detail, Big Break summed the first round up in one sentence: Pot as many balls as you can

[Brekkie]

And kind of on that theme the second season of The Chase on ABC debuted on Sunday and they have fixed most of the problems with the show by speeding up the questions and reducing the cash builder to $10k a question, meaning the offers are at least worth consideration.

Buzzerblog has an interview with the EP - I do think credit to them for listening to feedback and fixing the obvious gameplay mechanic issues, though I don't think his justification of a "primetime audience" needing greater clarity, hence the slower speed, or the idea that Jeopardy living America doesn't really do trivia particularly stands up. Interesting to the comment about "standards and practices" and how the host wasn't allowed the time she wanted to practice reading the questions in order I guess to ensure they couldn't be leaked to contestants beforehand.

buzzerblog.com/2021/05/28/ep-vin-rubino-talks-about-the-chase-s2-changes/

[Johnr]

Rather amusing that the first ever answer given to a question on Pointless was...pointless!

Also social distancing is a bit weird to flip between on The Chase I noticed, on the repeat this evening the contestant desk is almost like a group hug they're that close together compared to the new wider desk! Always weird going back when they go back to the Tipping Point repeats too without the coloured counters in the machine

[Neil Jones]

Rather amusing that the first ever answer given to a question on Pointless was...pointless!

Also social distancing is a bit weird to flip between on The Chase I noticed, on the repeat this evening the contestant desk is almost like a group hug they're that close together compared to the new wider desk! Always weird going back when they go back to the Tipping Point repeats too without the coloured counters in the machine

The mystery prize and the double weren't there from the off either. The first series of the show which turns up on W on occasion has no mystery prizes (introduced in series 2), no doubles (series 5 onwards) and the counters don't do much in the way of the spinning/flipping/bouncing we saw in later series, they seem a bit heavier in the first series. Series 8 i think it was was the first to offer £20k if the double falls with the jackpot counter, but it didn't happen for quite some time.

[Steve in Pudsey]

Talking of ABC, I'm a little surprised that Spicks and Specks, the comedy panel show Adam Hills hosts hasn't been picked up over here. From the clips I've seen I could see it working in the Catsdown/Last Leg slot when those shows are off.

[Brekkie]

Trouble is those shows are rarely off. On a similar theme surprised C4 have never picked up the ABC format You Can't Ask That, which is basically "Is it OK?" on different topics each week.

[channelbox]

Somewhat related, but Spicks & Specks has aired every night as far as I know on ABC TV Plus for many years going back to it's time as ABC2, and is almost always the first show of the night after ABC Kids concludes.

[This is UTV]

Channel 5 running a promo for Gino's Win Your Wish List starting Monday at 4pm!

Is this a new series or burning off eps unaired from the last series?
In any case, what a awful slot for what should be a prime time family show.

[Ghost]

Channel 5 running a promo for Gino's Win Your Wish List starting Monday at 4pm!

Is this a new series or burning off eps unaired from the last series?
In any case, what a awful slot for what should be a prime time family show.

Not only that, it’s also the same time as World Cup and Royal Ascot coverage on ITV.
And it’s a new series.