Trust Me...I'm Trying Again

Something like three years after first being discussed, Trust Me I'm A Game Show Host has finally premiered...and wasn't really worth the wait.

Where to begin?

The eponymous game show hosts are Michael Ian Black and DL Hughley, which I suppose makes as much sense as anything else (lest we forget, one of the unaired pilots featured Bill Engvall and Mo Rocca). There is a single contestant, who walks onto a set that is brightly lit, but is otherwise your basic 2013 game show set with all the chasing lights and what-have-you. At least there isn't your basic 2013 game show music...instead, there's a voice repeating the show's title over and over.

In each round, a category is revealed, followed by Michael and DL each stating a fact in that category - one is true, one is false. The two banter back and forth for a while, citing evidence to back up their facts and making lame jokes. The contestant then locks in his\her decision, and the correct answer is revealed via your basic 2013 "dramatic game show reveal". If correct, the amount of money the round is worth is added to the contestant's...wait for it...Trust Fund.

You know, ITV just announced the cancellation of the British version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire after fifteen years. Surely that means it's time to move on?

Round one is worth $1,000, round two $2,000, round three $3,000, and so on for five rounds. In the final sixth round, one more category is revealed, followed by five facts in that category - one is true, four are false. The contestant can remove one wrong answer for the price of $1,000 out of his\her Trust Fund, a second wrong answer for an additional $2,000, and a third wrong answer for an additional $3,000. When you finally lock in your answer, getting it right adds an additional $20,000 to your Trust Fund. The end.

Now, I will give the producers credit for one thing: the show is a half hour long. Go ahead and try to imagine the game described above, with a grand total of six categories, being played over an hour...on second thought, don't. As it stands, the show is enjoyable enough, but can we be honest? It won't stick. They never do. After eight episodes or whatever, trust me, nobody's really going to miss Trust Me I'm A Game Show Host.

Too critical? Absolutely. That's what I do. Trust Me...I'm A Game Show Fanatic.

Aaron

Sigh

Do I honestly have to type this?

Cedric The Entertainer is...well, I guess he's better on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire then he was on It's Worth What, but he certainly isn't good.

The show itself is...well, the suspense is gone. It's reached the point where I shout "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" at the TV any time a contestant uses Ask The Audience, because if you have to do that in Round One, you're not going to reach Round Two. You'll end up with about $60,000. They all do.

Like I said last week, why do I still look forward to the Fall Rush? I'm admittedly not sure what I'm going to write about next week (maybe The Million Second Quiz?) but two weeks from today it will be "I really hate Steve Harvey, and Wheel Of Fortune and Jeopardy haven't changed in the least."

Yeah.

Aaron

There's Absolutely Nothing To Write About

At least Monday's Labor Day...

Aaron

It's Kind Of Sad

Every year I look forward to Labor Day and the Fall Rush, and every year, I end up really, really disappointed. The fact is, I already know what I'm going to say about all six shows, because I say it every year.

Let's imagine that the start dates I posted last week are indeed correct (and while I'm not 100% sure, I'm mostly banking on the fact that they are). I will now give you, in brief, what I am most likely going to end up saying each week during the "Fall Rush". We'll see how much of it is correct.

September 5 (Thursday After Labor Day)
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire: Cedric The Entertainer is the most horrific game show host...well, probably ever, and it is incredibly sad that he is who we are getting to host what is supposed to be a hard quiz show.

September 19 (Thursday After September 16)
Wheel Of Fortune: Of course nothing's changed. It's Wheel Of Fortune. The only way something will change is if Pat Sajak retires, and who knows if that will happen.

Jeopardy: Of course nothing's changed. It's Jeopardy. The only way something will change is if Alex Trebek retires, and who knows if that will happen.

Family Feud: Nothing has changed - including that fact Steve Harvey is, in my book, utterly obnoxious. Sigh.

September 26 (Thursday After September 23)
The Price Is Right: Nothing has changed, including the fact that this show needs a rest. It was past its prime long before Bob Barker retired, Drew Carey has failed to reinvigorate it, and now it's time to stop.

Let's Make A Deal: Nothing has changed, which is a very good thing as this is easily the best game show on television right now.

So there you go. We'll see how much of that stays the same. The sad fact is, I'm looking forward to some upcoming  kids game shows (Win Lose Or Draw on Disney Channel, Japanizi on Disney XD, and Junior Just A Minute on BBC Radio 4 Extra) a lot more then I'm looking forward to any of the above.

I don't know when those kids game shows will premiere. Sorry.

Aaron

I Really Hope This Is Right

I'm only going to post one thing today: what I believe to be the season start dates for September 2013. Emphasis on "believe". I could easily be wrong.

September 2: Who Wants To Be A Millionaire

September 16: Wheel Of Fortune
Jeopardy
Family Feud

September 23: The Price Is Right
Let's Make A Deal

Like I said, I really hope I'm right.

Aaron

It's Not Worth It To Review The YouTube Episode Of Knightmare

As for The Chase, let's make two things clear:

• This show is going to flop. They all do.
• Game Show Network is not producing this show because they think it will be a hit. Game Show Network is producing this show as an attempt to say to serious game show fans "See? We're just like you!"

That having been said, let's give credit where credit is due.

Congratulations, Game Show Network.

You didn't screw up The Chase.

I don't think you did, anyway.

I'm not explaining The Chase from the ground up - it makes no sense in written description anyway. Suffice to say the game is completely unchanged from the British version save for the switch from four to three team members, which honestly is an improvement in my book - four team members seemed to me to go on too long. Yes, referring to Mark Labbett almost exclusively as "Beast" got old, but it was no worse then the British version's having the Chaser enter dramatically with lots of smoke and stuff before EVERY SINGLE ROUND.

Is Brooke Burns awful? Of course she is. Are the commercial breaks in the middle of rounds? Of course they are. Does it really matter? As I said, this show is going to flop. Let's enjoy it while we can.

Congratulations, Game Show Network.

You didn't screw up The Chase.

I don't think they did, anyway.

Look at it this way - Brooke Burns may be awful, but starting in September, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire is going to be hosted by Cedric The Entertainer.

Aaron

Trying Again

I have this pipe dream that I'll get back to regular postings here...

The big news: the Game Show Network version of The Chase premieres on August 6 (five days from today), hosted by...gulp...Brooke Burns. Who knows, maybe they won't screw this one up - though as I've said before, it will be declared the best new game show in years even if they do.

Moving on from that, how about some kids game show news?

• The legendary British kids game show Knightmare is soon going to have a new episode exclusively on YouTube. This isn't a fan project, mind you: it's officially licensed, professionally produced, and features the return of Hugo Myatt as Treguard the dungeon master. Now, the problem with any reiteration of Knightmare, as more then one person has pointed out, as that it's really easy to fall into the trap of making lots of little nods to the show's past and thus rendering it impossible to take it seriously as a game show. Well, that and the fact that one episode means no rollover and thus no suspense - if there's five minutes left in the show and the team is on Level Two, you immediately realize they're not getting any further. Still, who knows, maybe they'll get this right - it will supposedly be up on YouTube by August 10 at the latest.
• Remember I Survived A Japanese Game Show on ABC? Yeah, I never watched it either, and by all accounts it was more reality-competition show then game show - but it is nonetheless being reformatted into a five-day-a-week kids game show on Disney XD, set to premiere later in the year. 
• Finally, I love British radio comedy panel game shows, but this is ridiculous - the BBC has announced that 2014 will see the premiere of Junior Just A Minute as a segment on The Four O'Clock Show (the kids show on BBC Radio 4 Extra - it's hosted by Mel Giedroyc, but the Just A Minute segment will of course feature Nicholas Parsons). The idea is apparently to team kids up with adult comedians - Jenny Eclair and Josie Lawrence have been mentioned as team captains.
• Moving away from kids game show, the third 24 Hour Game Show Marathon will apparently be on August 31. Really - here's the link. Go donate, OK? They've made less then $100 so far. 

The Chase next week...assuming I actually post next week.

Aaron