GSN Giveth, and GSN Taketh Away

Well, Beginning April 21st, we have some interesting daytime changes. It hasn't been confirmed by PDF schedules or online schedules yet, but Directv has them. Here they are.

9:00am - Password Plus (Replaces Blockbusters)
9:30am - Whammy! (Replaces Press Your Luck) (This hurts)
10:00am - The $25,000 Pyramid (Replaces $ale of the Century)
10:30am - $ale of the Century (Replaces The $25,000 Pyramid)
11:30am - Lingo (Woolery) (Replaces The $100,000 Pyramid)
2:30pm - Chain Reaction (Replaces The Pyramid)

Well, there you have it. I don't know what the Weekend schedule has quite yet. But it looks like Blockbusters, Press Your Luck and The $100,000 Pyramid depart the schedule. Shame. I like Blockbusters and was thrilled when GSN brought it back last December. One of my favorites, and Bill was a great emcee. Was fun to see it back. Fun while it lasted. Same with Press Your Luck. I love Whammy! don't get me wrong, but not in the place of the original. Then again, the same 57 episodes have been repeated a lot in the last year. And $100,000 Pyramid goes away once again. That'll probably be back before we know it. Then again, we haven't seen weekends yet.

Glad to see Chain Reaction back. As for Woolery, please be just Woolery, no co-hosts. I'd definetley watch.

Starts April 21st. There may be more. Maybe Blockbusters and Press Your Luck on weekends at 9:00am.

Goodies

Well, Wink Martindale has a YouTube Channel, Facebook, and Twitter. Wink has uploaded a playing of the pricing game, Shower Game!

The concept is you step into a shower. If you get showered with confetti you try again, if you get showered in cash you win cash. If you get showered with a key, you win the car.

Simple right? Well, this game is offensive. It looks like something you'd find in a concentration camp. I normally hate people who get offended easily, but this is a pretty tasteless setup. Luckily it was retired quickly. And the format was stupid anyway. At least we've now seen it. Just a few more to go.

I wonder what else Wink will have for us? Maybe those other lost games we've never seen before.

Greatly Unfinished

Wow. Wow! WOW!! Went to see the Port Angeles Symphony last night. I of course was impressed. Adam Stern is a marvelous conductor. These were great selections from last night.

First was presented an Overture of Hebrew Themes. Great piece, really good. The second piece really caught my mind. This is a song I haven't heard. Schubert's Unfinished symphony. Wow, I enjoyed both movements, however, the bass line in the first movement was really cool. I have it stuck in my head. I love the strings sixteenth note pattern. Really good. I thought the Symphony performed it really well. Good work.

The second half though had Alexander Tutunov, a Russian pianist as the soloist. Wow, this guy was AMAZING! He played really well and it really added to the piece. What a joy to watch. Of course we were treated to 2 encores at the end of the concert. Wow I wish I could even dream about being that good. Really a great night.

Remembering a Legend - Geoff Edwards

Didn't I just do one of these? Unfortunately I did, and I'm doing it again. Shortly after the passing of Jim Lange, I read that Game Show Great Geoff Edwards passed away yesterday after complications of pneumonia at the age of 83.

As a game show fan, this is a really sad week. I remember when Richard Dawson died just a few weeks after Dick Clark. This is even more difficult, week by week is simply sad.

Geoff was one of my favorite hosts. He could handle each and every game well. He had a great sense of humor with each show, and was geniunley nice with each contestant. He knew each game, how to play it, and well.... he was just amazing. He had several fun moments, whether humorous, or just big money wins. I especially liked the work he did on Treasure Hunt presenting the prizes (or the klunks). He is very underrated in my opinion. He's done shows such as Jackpot!, Treasure Hunt, Play the Percentages, The Big Spin, and Chain Reaction.

 Although I dind't care for the 1986-1991 version of Chain Reaction, the only good thing about it was Geoff. It was very cheap, low-budget, and could be dull, but Geoff was the only good part. He did sub for Bill Cullen in 1980 while Bill was on Password Plus. 

R.I.P. Geoff. We'll miss you

Predict That Future

Well, the month of March is upon us. And soon, April will be here. With GSN's track record over the past few years, they usually make changes, whether it be adding adding new shows, or switching episodes, they do stuff. So, why not make predictions just for fun?

Here are mine with each show. Keep note these are only my predictions.

• Match Game - Will keep the same 1975-1977 episodes. 

• Blockbusters - Will end up leaving. My guess it will be replaced with Jim Perry's Card Sharks with the last set of 1981 shows.
• Press Your Luck - Will get a different set of episodes. My guess, more 1984 shows.

• $ale of the Century - Will get a different set of Syndie shows, from where they left off

• Super Password - Will get a different set of episodes, from where they left off.
• Password Plus - Will get a different set, somewhere from the Ludden run.

Well, these are my predictions. What are yours?

Scheduling History

Most times they change some things up in April. In fact, because I can, here's what they've done in regards to the oldies in April.

2009: Shows such as Child's Play, Blockbusters, Press Your Luck, Card Sharks (Both Perry and Eubanks) To Tell The Truth (O'Hurley and Collyer), & What's My Line? are removed from the schedule. In addition to Sony shows such asPyramid with Dick Clark and Hollywood Squares, Match Game PM, Dawson Nighttime Feud, and original recipe Passwordare added to what other versions of those shows are already there. Oddly enough, Let's Make a Deal stayed but was removed in June 2009. 

2010: Match Game (PM and SYN), Family Feud (Dawson SYN and Combs) and Password are removed from the schedule. Match Game goes from 1978 to 1974, Dawson Feud goes from 1983 to 1980, and 200 episodes of Perry and Eubanks Card Sharks are added to the schedule.

2011: Nothing happens. In April they were focusing on the originals. 2 of which bombed. 1 of those still has a weekend slot?!?!

2012: Both Eubanks and Perry Card Sharks leave the schedule. Password Plus and Super Password are added. 

October 2012: Jim Perry's Card Sharks and Press Your Luck are added to the schedule. Both Password revivals remain on the schedule as well. Usually things like this hadn't happened in October.

2013: New leases on Match Game, Press Your Luck, Password Plus and Super Password and $ale of the Century added to the schedule.

December 2013: New $ale of the Century lease and Blockbusters with Bill Cullen added. 

So who knows what's going to happen. It could be another 2011 where nothing happens.

Remembering a Legend - Jim Lange

I hate doing these kind of posts. I really do. I learned yesterday that game show host Jim Lange passed away Tuesday at the age of 81.

Jim was one of my favorites in general. Every show he hosted he handled well. He has hosted shows such as Name That Tune, Spin Off, The One Million Dollar Chance of a Lifetime, The New Newlywed Game, Bullseye, and most notably The Dating Game. 

In my view every show Jim hosted, whether I liked it or not, he did amazing. He knew the game well, interacted well with the contestants. Overall those who worked with Jim didn't seem to have a bad thing to say about him.

My personal favorite Lange show would be Bullseye. He did the show well, and he hit the Bullseye in that regard. He also hosted a special week of Newlywed Game shows in February 1984. Even though that was a short time, he's my favorite Newlywed Game host out of all those who hosted. Sorry Bob.

R.I.P Jim. We'll miss you.

If you wish to watch some of Jim Lange's work, check out various YouTube clips. Also, GSN on Wednesday March 5th will pay tribute to Jim by airing 8 episodes of The Dating Game from 8:00am-12:00pm eastern time.

Old Tyme Gossip

Today marks the 40th anniversary since Tattletales debuted on television. It debuted February 18, 1974 on CBS. Bert Convy hosted this Newlywed Game clone. It ran from 1974-1978. Several celebrities and their spouses competed, answering various questions. Correct answers earned money. The studio audience was divided into 3 sections. Those people split whatever was won. Various celebrities appeared on this show, including several game show hosts. In fact, in 1974, Gene Rayburn hosted a week while Bert Convy played the game. They did a few more emcee weeks where hosts such as Gene, Bob Barker, Richard Dawson, and Jack Narz, and a few others hosted while Bert played the game.

The show was cancelled in 1978, but returned in 1982, with the same set, and a new theme. Unfortunately some of the 70's regulars did not appear on this version. However, several new celebrities appeared on this version. It ran until 1984.

I loved this show. It gave me several laughs. Too bad I didn't have GSN when they aired it. I thought Bert was the perfect fit for this. He made mistakes, but not ones that screwed up the game (yeah I'm talking about Super Password). Happy 40th Tattletales.

January Changes - Deal Reaction

Well, GSN shakes up the schedule on Monday.

First, at noon, Shop Til You Drop goes bye-bye. Lingo with Chuck Woolery takes that spot. It will be season 5. With it being a double run, dare I hope to see the Season 2 episodes with just Chuck?

At 3:00pm, Chain Reaction drops off the schedule completely. Replacing it is Deal or No Deal with Howie Mandel, the NBC version.

Karn Feud disappears from weekdays. Shop Til You Drop gains another hour at 5:00pm.

My thoughts. Interesting to see Shop Til You Drop expand in the afternoon. 2 hours seems a little much though. Then again it does lose the noon slot. Good to see Lingo and Deal or No Deal back. Both good shows. Sad to see Chain Reaction go. It's been doing good numbers for the network. Oh well, it's be back soon. Starts Monday January 20th