This Won't End Well

"I usually point to Million Dollar Password as the ultimate proof that Millionaire clones have taken over the genre...well, here's an even bigger example. In March 2009, it was announced that NBC was producing a pilot for an American version of the British topical panel game show Have I Got News For You. The article contained the following sentence: 'NBC declined comment on its plans for "News," but it seems likely the network will make some changes to the show’s format in order to make it fit with the big 'event' feel seen in most primetime reality shows.'

There's your thought for the day." - From my post on October 28, 2010.

Unfortunately, it appears that said pilot is not quite dead.

It just came out that another American pilot of Have I Got News For You is being taped - indeed, if this page is anything to go by, it is being taped TOMORROW (November 9) in New York. According to that same page, the host will be Sam Seder, the team captains will Michael Ian Black and Sherrod Small, and the whole thing is being done with TBS in mind. Sam and Michael filled the same roles on the NBC pilot in 2009, while Sherrod is "replacing" the late Greg Giraldo.

I'll admit at this point that I actually wish the 2009 pilot had reached television - not because I thought it would be good, but because I just wanted to see how big a disaster it would inevitably be. I may soon learn to be careful what I wish for.

One more piece of news - according to the show's Twitter feed, the third season of Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge, with the show expanding to an hour and new host Andy Akinwolere replacing Geno Segers, will premiere on CITV in Britain on December 8. Whether it will reach TV in America, on Disney XD or any other channel, remains to be seen.

If you're wondering, the pilot I wish had reached television because I thought it would be good is the CBS pilot for The Cube from the same time period, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. This isn't because I'm a major fan of The Cube - I find it only decent. I just want to see Neil Patrick Harris host any game show.

Aaron