I'm definitely not watching all six. I might watch six episodes of Family Feud in one day, but maybe one with Steve Harvey, and then the other 5 with Combs and Dawson
Like Trevor said upthread, I don’t have an issue with Steve either. The show may have become stale, and I often criticize the Harvey era, probably a tad too much, from the host to the structure (and the staff to the cast/audience), but the fact is that the show turned around upon his arrival. Really, Family Feud may have been better off staying in the past but the company thought it was a great idea to revive it again about 4 years following Dawson’s sign-off. It really should’ve been cancelled, and probably would have been in a past era within the game-show world. When he arrived 11 years later, interest built up overall. Obviously people bolted but a ton more arrived.
That being said, the ratings may be great, but it’s not that impressive that it’s beating Jeopardy and WOF (given its double run).
Steve’s act is definitely old. He’s also very slow. He is a very good comedian, and the questions help with his routine. I think if it was toned down a little then that would be a start. If there were more normal questions, I don’t think people would stop watching. Some would, but his personality and his status would be enough to keep the show “strong”. Moreover, it might actually bring in more people with 1-2 inappropriate questions and the rest “family-friendly”.
The thing I hate the most is how the show sabotages the game so that it’s impossible to win the game before the point values triple. There must be a “staff rule” that there must be four questions (and that big triple point with 4 answers only). I understand that people want to see a competitive game, but maybe add another question and then double the point values for Question 4.
The cue card thing is definitely surprising. There’s no need for that at this stage of his FF tenure. Harvey’s the longest-tenured host (in terms of years & seasons; the episode count and their hours might take at least a little longer) and a two-time Emmy winner for the show. Someone mentioned elsewhere about his management during the face-off. For example, someone gets a correct response that’s not number one, and his or her opponent could gain control with a better response. He doesn’t say 1 or 2 answers will beat that, or I need an answer in 3 seconds (face off is 1 second). That leads to confusion and the player is buzzed.
It's fair for Steve to do it his way, but there are certain circumstances where he could emulate what's worked in the past. He should be saying, "Two answers might beat it" whenever Number 3 is revealed in "Face Off" instead of standing there to do nothing. Though it is the contestants’ responsibility to know the rules; this actually occurs in the Main part of the game. Harvey does give players time, but they do get buzzed out for not responding in 3 seconds. It's odd; he did use the 3-second line early in his tenure.
With all of the restrictions, we'll see how good of a host Steve can really be when the show returns, and how the staff manages everything. I think they went back to Atlanta for their tapings, as LA has massive restrictions whereas Atlanta, I don't think, is that strict