ABC axes Match Game, Card Sharks, Dating Game

[gamesurf]

The big hook (for the 1978-1986 era), an era where Jeopardy! either wasn't on the air, or else limited its champions to a maximum of five wins, was that Tic Tac Dough had a "sky's the limit" rule, when pretty much no other show (save its sister show, The Joker's Wild) did.

Okay, but is that why I should watch in 2022? To see the big number onscreen go up?

If I’m not already a hardened, committed Tic Tac Dough fan, is that really a big enough hook to a) hold my interest for 60 minutes and b) keep me coming back over and over again?

[blozier2006]

If I’m not already a hardened, committed Tic Tac Dough fan, is that really a big enough hook to a) hold my interest for 60 minutes and b) keep me coming back over and over again?

I never said it was. I just said, that was the hook in the 1970s. I don't honestly think there's a way for a show like TTD to not be a one-season flop in the 2020s.

[FieldsFan336]

Season 4 of Press Your Luck will begin on July 7

[Ccook]

Followed by the debut of Generation Gap. It is unrelated to the Generation Gap that aired on prime time on ABC in 1969 which was general knowledge. This version will be pop culture related.

[shell_game]

Not surprised honestly.

CardSharks dragged and Joel Mchale looked like he didn't want to be there.

Doesn't Joel look like he doesn't want to be there in any show he does? Even when he acted in community, his character didn't want to be there.

[NewsDirector3287]

Although it got out of hand at times, I enjoyed this run of Match Game.  I've seen people say over the years that MG was a show that you couldn't bring back because of how good the 70s run was, so the fact they were able to get about 5 seasons out of it was great.  When it comes to Card Sharks, I don't think that show can be updated to hold people's attention for a whole hour like most of the others have.  I agree with others that it should be a fast paced game, and a lot of the "primetime game show" tropes ended up dragging it down.

I didn't watch Celebrity Dating Game so I can't speak on it.  I did enjoy The Hustler and was hoping it would be around for a while.  Nevertheless, I'm excited for more Pyramid and PYL, plus Generation Gap looks interesting.  In regards to Tic Tac Dough coming back, I think gamesurf's idea of bringing back the bank risking element from the 50s would be interesting, and I hope it gets picked up here locally.  With all the talk shows leaving syndication this year, there's bound to be a place for it.

[Ccook]

Keke Palmer has been named the host of the upcoming NBC reboot of Password. The show will follow the format of the original 1961-67 series.

[Reloaden]

Doesn't Joel look like he doesn't want to be there in any show he does? Even when he acted in community, his character didn't want to be there.

His "Character" killed Card Sharks and made it boring imo. He would've been better suited for Weakest Link if it was the old format with the host being rude to the contestants.

[pannoni1]

Match Game at least made a good effort and I watched a fair number of episodes, and the celebrity panelists were decent. It really did a great job recapturing the set from the classic versions. But there's enough slots on BUZZR (including MGHS) that it's still going be around for awhile, though I wouldn't mind the Ross Schafer version popping up again over there (no Michael Burger please). Like a TTTT, it's probably coming back again in about a decade.

Too bad with Card Sharks; Season 2 fixed some of the flaws like having so many cards to reach the goal to the point where that nobody successfully completed a run. There was a nice mixture of successful/unsuccessful runs that time, and even with its rules and stretching, the Money Cards wasn't too bad, and mixed changing one card anywhere on the 1986 versions with the one card only rule from the early days of the Perry version. The push rule was a nice addition as well, and the set/theme were nicely reimagined from the NBC run. Its still in the select company of game shows that have appeared on the "Big 3" networks as well as syndication. It's unlikely it will ever return, but I'm hinging that we'll see a lucky break.

Celebrity Dating Game was by far the least interesting of the bunch. I prefer the simpler formats of the classic versions, and although there were plenty of celebs on the classic version, they were always surprises, which was part of what made the original great.

Followed by the debut of Generation Gap. It is unrelated to the Generation Gap that aired on prime time on ABC in 1969 which was general knowledge. This version will be pop culture related.

Actually, the original version featured subjects like The Brooklyn Bridge, a bubblegum pop group of the time, as well as things like early TV and movies, along with general knowledge/events-type questions. It was Boomers vs. their parents back then, now the older end of the gap could be geriatric Millennials like myself.

But I'm glad we're FINALLY getting hopefully a version of Password that will stay truer to its roots. NBC teaming it up with TTD or even Concentration would be a nice companion.

[Ccook]

Oh, I remember Brooklyn Bridge ("The Worst That Can Happen") as I'm a bit long in the tooth myself. This Generation Gap should be interesting at the very least. And a nice gesture in that Keke Palmer is dedicating the Password reboot to Betty White.

[Briguy]

Too bad with Card Sharks; Season 2 fixed some of the flaws like having so many cards to reach the goal to the point where that nobody successfully completed a run. There was a nice mixture of successful/unsuccessful runs that time, and even with its rules and stretching, the Money Cards wasn't too bad, and mixed changing one card anywhere on the 1986 versions with the one card only rule from the early days of the Perry version. The push rule was a nice addition as well, and the set/theme were nicely reimagined from the NBC run. Its still in the select company of game shows that have appeared on the "Big 3" networks as well as syndication. It's unlikely it will ever return, but I'm hinging that we'll see a lucky break.

The only way I'll ever accept a Card Sharks comeback is if it's true to it's 1978/1986 roots. Keep it fast-paced ... to hell with the suspense. (Even if it means a $14,400 (NBC)/$16,000 (CBS) bet on the last card in Money Cards ... Jim or Bob might milk a little but they keep it within reason and quick enough to keep the show moving, rather than – a la ABC with virtually every game show nowadays (save for "Family Feud") using "suspense" to grind the show to a halt.

Brian

[Ccook]

Password has a premiere date on NBC. August 9 at 10 PM.

[Ccook]

Word now is that ABC is shelving Supermarket Sweep. It may be back somewhere down the line but not anytime soon.

[jude_este]

Deadline reports that Janelle James from ABC's breakout freshman comedy series Abbott Elementary is the host of The Final Straw.

And on a side note, is it just me, or does anyone else feel like this thread needs to be renamed to Primetime Broadcast Network Game Shows discussion? I feel like we have diverted from the topic of the cancelations of four of ABC's game shows from early April and into posts about other broadcast networks' primetime game shows.