We've seen changes to The Price is Right, Wheel of Fortune and a big change to the Jeopardy set. Now Family Feud has changed things too.The show no longer has a set-in-stone jackpot in the final "Fast Money" game that the winning family plays. Instead, at the start of the show, each family starts with $15,000 in their "Jackpot" and then there are five quick "Bullseye" rounds where the familes have to guess the number one answer to a question. Question one gives you $1000, question two gives you $2000, and so on. Whatever you win is added to the bank and that's the amount you play for. It's great if you get a few questions right, but not so great if you don't (this is actually something they had on the show in the 90s and have brought back).
The other change is that we now get to know the families more than we ever did before. John O'Hurley doesn't just talk to each family member, we now get to see behind the scenes videos each family has made to introduce each family member and explain how/why they came to apply to the show. Ugh. Remember the days when we didn't find out everything about game show contestants?
I'm sure most of them are very nice people, but get on with the game already.
However, I wouldn't put Family Feud on my ten favorite game shows of all-time list, so I'm probably not the person to know what's best for the show. I'll ask this of big fans: what do you think of these changes?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
9-25-2009 @ 8:25AM
JPN said...
I never watched this show, but no I will for sure not watch it - I hated the bullseye round in the 90's and I hate getting to know contestants on a 22 minute show.
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9-25-2009 @ 9:28AM
pnaw10 said...
Horrible. I can live with the Bullseye round if need be. But home videos to intro each contestant? How long is THAT going to take? This is still just on for 1/2 hour, right? Most of the families on the Feud anymore are so incredibly fake to begin with. What made them think viewers would really care to know more about the contestants' personal lives? Less filler crap, more gameplay!!
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9-25-2009 @ 10:27AM
RobynM said...
Introductory videos? Really?
As someone who's complained about sob-story intros for reality TV, I've gotta say this is a really bad idea.
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9-25-2009 @ 11:06AM
Elizabeth II said...
I've never cared much about the show either. I wonder why. Hmmm.
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9-25-2009 @ 12:31PM
James said...
I've grown up watching the show and have been a fan except for when Louie Anderson was hosting it.
Personally, I like the changes. The family video shots take about 30 seconds for both families - big deal. They are a bit goofy, but some what more entertaining than the host introducing the family members.
The new bulls eye round adds something to the game play for the families. It adds a bit of pressure and shows what they're made of.
You forgot to mention one big change - if a family makes it to the bonus round five days in a row they win a car. This makes the host tell you how long the family has been there and adds a bit of excitement where there wasn't any before.
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9-25-2009 @ 3:10PM
Cathy said...
It's bad enough we have to sit through the commercials. Why the heck do we need to know ANYTHING about the contestants? GET ON WITH THE GAME!!!!!!!!!!!
P.S. If this goes into effect, I will not be watching anymore.
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9-25-2009 @ 4:55PM
Michael said...
Clearly you're not watching now, as this has been in effect for at least a couple of weeks.
9-25-2009 @ 6:22PM
Cathy said...
Michael
I have been watching but not every day. Actually, today we saw the wife and son of O'Hurley. I haven't seen anything about the lives of the contestants yet. As soon as I feel it takes away from the game, I will be gone.
9-25-2009 @ 3:12PM
the wizard said...
BZAAAT 3 strikes for family videos
John, quit the hands-on, arms-around, hand-kissing, and
"My Darling" crap.
makes me wanna' VOMIT
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9-25-2009 @ 3:15PM
na21107 said...
I'm not a huge fan of the show, but I watch it every once in a while. I'm not a fan at all of John O'Hurley. I find him quite arrogant and just creepy. Showing video of the contestants' personal lives is a bad idea. Who cares? What a waste of game time.
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9-25-2009 @ 3:17PM
Richard Ott said...
Frankly, I wish Wheel Of Fortune would change the way
the $10,000 space is used in Round 2 and beyond.
When is Pat Sajak going to either use it as a full space
for an additional round in case there's extra time, or
just plain make it a perminant full space, instead of using
it as a mini-space sandwiched between 2 small Bankrupt
spaces? You'd think with the economy being the way it
is today, inflation would've caught up with Wheel so he
can give away more money. Maybe by either 2011, the
20'th Anniversary of Pat Sajak's official debut on the
Daytime Wheel Of Fortune, or 2013, marking the 30'th
year of Pat Sajak's Nighttime Wheel Of Fortune, perhaps
he'll realise how long that mini-space has been there,
and either flip it over, or print a full $10,000 space on
the revearse side to use as a perminant space. What's
wrong with $10,000 for every considant called, anyway?
We KNOW what's on the other side of that cheap space.
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9-25-2009 @ 3:45PM
Barbara said...
Pat Sajak may have some say in how the games is played but I doubt that he tells the people in charge how the spaces on the board should be set up. This is a great show and I have always liked it even with its many changes.
9-25-2009 @ 3:33PM
Hussein said...
I don't think family fueds should be exploitived...nor should they get paid for their fued
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9-25-2009 @ 3:39PM
d said...
I'm watching it right now. There is maybe 30 seconds between the 2 families for the video introduction. It's pretty much the same. I don't watch it often, but I will continue watching it.
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9-25-2009 @ 3:39PM
carol said...
The major change this show needs is the host. Get rid of ego John and it might have a chance. He's even worse than Richard Dawson.
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9-25-2009 @ 3:47PM
John F.C. Taylor said...
I watch the show on occasion. Also watch Jeopardy too in about the same amount. Anything that takes away from actually playing the game, I'm against. A brief intro at the start is fine, but who really cares about the lives of the contestants off camera? Play the game!
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9-26-2009 @ 9:41PM
steve said...
This society has become so video-crazy, camera-crazy and phone-crazy I wonder if anyone can have a substantial conversation anymore. Snap it, film it, text it, google it, facebook it, e-mail it - talk on your cell phone while driving, drive with your knees and text your friends, cash cab, should I continue? Do you get the point? Go visit someone and have a CONVERSATION with them. Do something creative. (I think you get my point).
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9-25-2009 @ 4:51PM
Susannah said...
I love family feud. I see no need to change it, I like Richard Karn better than John O'Hurley.
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9-25-2009 @ 5:16PM
Samantha said...
I like the Feud, I don't like O'Hurley. I like the bullseye - I don't care about the family intros.
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9-25-2009 @ 5:18PM
wrl said...
Get rid of that creepy self loving ass host. what a putz. he is so in love with himself it's gross. haven't watched it since he started. Dump him!! pompus ass
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