Author Topic: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?  (Read 19090 times)

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Offline COINBOYNYC

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Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
« Reply #75 on: May 27, 2020, 11:48:27 PM »
There's talk Gene had to do it kicking and screaming, but did host it like a complete pro despite that.

You're talking about Gene having to work with Bauman, right?  Because my understanding is that for later incarnations of Match Game, Gene was willing to do it but was denied the opportunity due to ageism.  So just the idea that Gene had to do MG/HS "kicking and screaming," in and of itself, doesn't jibe with my understanding, but if the kicking and screaming referred to having to work with Bauman, that makes sense.
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Offline PatrickRox80

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Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
« Reply #76 on: May 27, 2020, 11:59:13 PM »
So just the idea that Gene had to do MG/HS "kicking and screaming," in and of itself, doesn't jibe with my understanding, but if the kicking and screaming referred to having to work with Bauman, that makes sense.

The notion that Gene Rayburn was “dragged kicking and screaming” into MG/HSH came from Gene Wood’s own words in a telephone interview. He even laughed at the mention of the show and said that Bauman didn’t fit with the atmosphere.

Offline Alfonzo

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Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
« Reply #77 on: May 28, 2020, 05:05:50 AM »
So much focus often seems to be on Bauman and the HS portion, but the MG portion was painful, even with Rayburn. It was just a poorly executed mishmash (except the theme). Facts of Life reruns might have been the better option.

It's interesting that you mentioned The Facts of Life. That show and Diff'rent Strokes did so well for NBC in weekday morning reruns that boths shows didn't go into syndication until their seventh seasons, which is unusually late for successful shows.

As for John Bauman, I recall watching MGHS as a kid when it originally aired. It wasn't so much that Bauman was a bad host, he was just rough and unpolished. He did have good chemistry with everybody. With some more time and the right format he might have improved.
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Offline Reloaden

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Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
« Reply #78 on: May 28, 2020, 05:23:55 PM »
Why would we need another version of Hollywood Squares when there's already Hiphop and Nashville Squares both shows are pretty bad because they horse around more then anything.

MG/HS was a pretty bad the show wasn't fun. Gene always looked annoyed or bored and Jon Bauman hosting was pretty bad i don't think Hollywood Squares was his type of show.

ABC is carrying the weight with reviving all the classic game shows. I am surprised CBS and Fox isn't doing anything.

I would love to see The Chase back not the crappy Gsn version
« Last Edit: May 28, 2020, 05:32:46 PM by Reloaden »

Offline jude_este

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Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
« Reply #79 on: May 28, 2020, 06:23:47 PM »

ABC is carrying the weight with reviving all the classic game shows. I am surprised CBS and Fox isn't doing anything.

They both did try dipping their toes on game show revivals; FOX had the forgotten Love Connection revival with Andy Cohen that aired during the summer months in 2017 and 2018, while CBS announced a Name That Tune revival in October 2017 with current Press Your Luck host Elizabeth Banks though nothing ever came into fruition from that announcement.

Offline gamesurf

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Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
« Reply #80 on: May 28, 2020, 09:17:38 PM »
The advertising for Millionaire is getting absolutely ridiculous in how much it spoils.

SPOILER Anderson Cooper gets a million-dollar question. They pull out a million-dollar check and everything in the ads. SPOILER

And Game On! is actually doing better than expected? 4.5M viewers, 0.6 among 18-49. (Fox's Ultimate Tag is down to 2.6M viewers, 0.6 among 18-49.)
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Offline goldroadfanatic

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Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
« Reply #81 on: May 28, 2020, 09:36:54 PM »
Tonight was the most excited I've been about the show in a long time. My heart was pounding when Lauren decided to trust her dad and lock in her final answer to win $500,000. She became the first player to win that amount of money since Chip Esten in 2013, and she joined Drew Carey, Rosie O'Donnell, and Norm Macdonald in the Celebrity $500,000 club, which was nice for Jimmy to mention. I don't blame her for not taking a stab at the $1 Million, as she was in a subject area that she was unfamiliar with.

Here's hoping we finish big with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen next week. This has been an incredible return for the show. Let's end it with a bang: The first celebrity $1 Million winner ever on an American version of the show, and the first time anyone clears a question stack in an American version in 17 years.
« Last Edit: May 28, 2020, 09:45:03 PM by goldroadfanatic »
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Offline rj2345

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Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
« Reply #82 on: May 28, 2020, 10:27:49 PM »
You're talking about Gene having to work with Bauman, right?  Because my understanding is that for later incarnations of Match Game, Gene was willing to do it but was denied the opportunity due to ageism.  So just the idea that Gene had to do MG/HS "kicking and screaming," in and of itself, doesn't jibe with my understanding, but if the kicking and screaming referred to having to work with Bauman, that makes sense.

I've read where it was AFTER MG/HS when Gene was starting to be subject to ageism.

It's claimed around the time of a planned revival in 1987  that ET did a birthday shoutout, and gave his real age, and it was after that when his work dried up.

Offline jude_este

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Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
« Reply #83 on: May 28, 2020, 11:25:15 PM »
Getting back on topic as this thread has become about The Match Game Hollywood Squares Hour that may need to be merged into a separate thread.

Opening up that I wasn't too keen on a Millionaire revival when this was announced back in January. But over time, I warmed up to the revival as it has been exciting and I have been on the edge of my seat. And given the success it has had in the ratings since the time slot move from Wednesdays after the sitcoms at 10 PM to the time slot normally for a Shondaland drama on Thursdays at 8 PM, it's no wonder why ABC wants to see more Millionaire hopefully next season.

And I can’t wait to see how Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen do in their runs next week and the possibility that one of them might be the first celebrity to win the million dollars on a celebrity edition and the first contestant on the American version to win the million dollars since in 2003.

Offline Roadgeek Adam

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Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
« Reply #84 on: May 28, 2020, 11:54:29 PM »
I've read where it was AFTER MG/HS when Gene was starting to be subject to ageism.

It's claimed around the time of a planned revival in 1987  that ET did a birthday shoutout, and gave his real age, and it was after that when his work dried up.

It's also why we ended up with The Movie Masters being one of the few roles he could get after MGHSH.
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Offline Spmahn

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Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
« Reply #85 on: May 30, 2020, 04:52:01 PM »
I’ve been watching MG/HS as well and it really is as brutal as people always said. In the 70’s the questions on Match Game were largely just a setup to a punchline and it was just a matter of how bright the contestants were. Here, the questions are just random and the best answer is rarely obvious.

It also doesn’t help that it appears their casting department asked all contestant applicants whether or not they had ever seen of heard of Match Game before and if they said yes, they’d get the boot, the contestants on every show I’ve seen so far are totally clueless.

Even worse is the celebrities. Yeah, in the 70’s most of the panelists were “game show celebrities” and comedians, but they were quick witted and entertaining. The celebrities on MG/HS are scraping the bottom of the barrel of the 80’s D List.

Offline urbanpreppie0004

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Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
« Reply #86 on: May 30, 2020, 09:03:12 PM »
I wouldn't call them D list by any stretch- they leaned more into the stable of NBC stars from sitcoms, dramas and soaps though.

Offline blozier2006

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Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
« Reply #87 on: May 30, 2020, 09:10:47 PM »
I wouldn't call them D list by any stretch- they leaned more into the stable of NBC stars from sitcoms, dramas and soaps though.
NBC was pretty much "bottom of the barrel" for 1983.

Offline imhomerjay

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Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
« Reply #88 on: May 30, 2020, 11:35:37 PM »
NBC was pretty much "bottom of the barrel" for 1983.

D list would have been a step up.

Offline Roadgeek Adam

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Re: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
« Reply #89 on: May 31, 2020, 12:48:40 AM »
D list would have been a step up.

Better than MG2, whose panelists were bad minus Rondell Sheridan
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