I can think of about 75 changes to television I'd like to see before this, but apparently they're thinking of bringing 3D technology to game shows. Last Friday, the producers of 'Wheel of Fortune' showed a 3D clip of the show at Sony's 3D Technology Center. Executive producer Harry Friedman says he's "interested in keeping [the show] fresh...without changing the game." One of the ways to do that is to change the way the show is filmed, the set, and the technology used. It's a tricky thing though. Even if you don't change the game at all, 'Wheel of Fortune' has been around for a very long time and dedicated fans like things the way they are.
Is 3D television something you'd actually watch on a regular basis, or is it something you'd want to use rarely, maybe for movies or playing video games? While there are now 3D television sets being sold, I'm still not sold on the technology. I certainly don't want to wear any special glasses or change the way I watch TV in any way just to see someone buy a vowel.
First, to all of you younger people out there, yes there is someone with the awesome name "Wink Martindale" in the world (he also has a site with the equally awesome name Wink's World). He's hosted a bunch of game shows over the years and now he's going to host another one. The new GSN show 'Instant Recall' starts on March 4.
'Instant Recall' is a hidden camera game show. The contestant has to go through a series of tasks (which we'll see via that hidden camera) and when they are done they have to answer a bunch of questions about what they did to see how good their memories are. I just hope it doesn't have all of that so-called suspenseful lighting and lame commercial breaks like a lot of game shows seem to have now.
Martindale hasn't hosted a game show in over twelve years, so it's going to be good to see him back. If you're not familiar with his work, check out the videos after the jump.
Do you watch The Price is Right, either because you're sick, unemployed or both, and wonder why what happens to games like "On the Nose," "Poker Game" and "The Phone Home Game"?Ever wonder why some of The Price is Right's pricing games go to that big "Showcase Showdown" in the sky?
Do not question the mighty awesomeness of daytime game show gods! Their reasoning for taking some games before their time are sound and righteous in ways not meant for us mere mortals to understand. Also, some of them had the potential to critically injure or even kill someone on the show. Check out this dangerous attempt to play a game of "Super Ball!".
Is there anything Neil Patrick Harris can't do? The other night he was positively stellar on American Idol as a guest judge, stealing the spotlight from Simon by being a fair but stern discerner of the talented and the talentless. You could really see him as a permanent replacement for Simon Cowell and doing a damn, good job. Then there was Dr. Horrible, Emmy host, Tony host and, naturally, Barney on How I Met Your Mother. Neil is a jack of all trade and a master of most!
It seems like there's something wild happening on The Price is Right every day. Last week we had the guy who just missed out on winning a new Porsche, and yesterday a woman fainted during the showcase. Why did she faint? Take a look. (By the way, she won the showcase.)
When you go on The Price is Right and make it all the way to the Showcase, you don't expect to be bidding on a Porsche Boxster. So, when Jeffery, a contestant on yesterday's episode, got a chance to make his bid, he went for it, giving an amazingly knowledgeable-sounding bid of $58,500.
As you can see in the clip below, the results didn't exactly go in his favor. But it's not like he lost the Porsche by wildly over- or under-bidding; he was right about the price. He just wasn't right enough:
So, are you in the "love John O'Hurley as Family Feud host" camp or "hate John O'Hurley as Family Feud host" camp? I guess it doesn't really matter now. The show has hired a new host.
Steve Harvey will replace O'Hurley as host of the long-running syndicated game show. Officially, O'Hurley says that he is leaving the show to focus on the musical Chicago and other things.
Not sure how I feel about this. Actually, that's not true. I know how I feel about: ambivalent. I don't really watch Family Feud. I think the only time I watch it anymore is if I'm surfing around and happen to land on it and there's nothing else on.
Fox has pulled one of its reality game shows from its lineup. Is it because they felt the show was exploiting families and their gifted children by publicly humiliating them in front of a national audience for profit? Hell no, this is Fox, a network that would pit a bear against a roided bald eagle in international waters and call it "educational programming."
Producer Mark Burnett has temporarily pulled the plug on his newest venture called Our Little Genius because of the possibility that some of the contestants were coached before competing.
Burnett said he learned that some of the producers told the contestants the topics on which they would be quizzed and even some of the questions they would be asked. This doesn't mean the show is gone forever, just for the moment. Again, hello, it's Fox.
Well, who's laughing now? Technically, still some of us since it's pretty funny.
Nevertheless, the contestant, Lolita McAuley, has become an Internet meme of her own thanks to that memorable clip. She talked to the New York Times about how she scored a spot on the show, her reaction to the momentary loss of her cognitive abilities and the wave of funny it has created on the Internet.
Wheel of Fortune has been on over a quarter of a century, so there have been a lot of mess-ups and weird moments on the show. But there are few as weird as last night, when none of the contestants could get "Regis Philbin & Kelly Ripa," even AFTER the entire puzzle had been revealed!
So I'm watching Wheel of Fortune last night, the first new episode after Christmas. I was actually surprised that there was a new episode of the show (and Jeopardy). I thought they'd go into repeats like other game shows like ThePrice is Right and Let's Make A Deal this week.
Anyway, the show opens and Pat Sajak and Vanna White come out and greet the audience and the game is played. Then the duo come back for their banter before the show ends and they talk about Christmas and Pat asks Vanna how her Christmas went. She says it was good. And I sigh heavily and want to bash my head against my coffee table.
I'm watching the Price is Right Christmas episode right now and thought to myself, I wonder if there's any old Christmas episodes of the show online. OF COURSE THERE IS! Here's Part 1 of the Christmas episode in 1983 (you can watch the other parts here). The show really hasn't changed all that much.
The annals of the Game Show Hall of Fame has very few names inscribed on its walls: Press Your Luck's Michael Larson, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire's John Carpenter, Jeopardy's Ken Jennings. Now you can add Frank Zappa to that list. Yes, THAT Frank Zappa.
The man, the myth, the musical legend made a special celebrity appearance on the very short-lived '70s game show Make Me Laugh, a show that rewarded people for not laughing at comedians like Gallagher the way God intended. He never even cracked a smile, but you will when you watch it.
2009 was a good year for television. It offered the resurgence of the comedy on network television, and the continuing growth of original programming on cable. In all honesty, I don't think I could just do a list of what was great and what was horrible on television because I would need pages and pages.
Instead, I'm going to focus on the things that really stood out this year. Sorry, Mad Men fans, but even though this was a great third season and an amazing finale, I expect it at this point. It's the only way I could come up with to keep my list manageable.
Also, as a point of protest I did not include Jon, Kate or the balloon boy hoax. These events got more attention than they deserved already this year, and I feel bad I even mentioned them.
I can think of about 75 changes to television I'd like to see before this, but apparently they're thinking of bringing 3D technology to game shows. Last Friday, the producers of 'Wheel of Fortune' showed a 3D clip of the show at Sony's 3D Technology Center. Executive producer Harry Friedman says he's "interested in keeping [the show] fresh...without changing the game." One of the ways to do that is to change the way the show is filmed, the set, and the technology used. It's a tricky thing though. Even if you don't change the game at all, 'Wheel of Fortune' has been around for a very long time and dedicated fans like things the way they are. 
First, to all of you younger people out there, yes there is someone with the awesome name "Wink Martindale" in the world (he also has a site with the equally awesome name 
Is there anything Neil Patrick Harris can't do? The other night he was positively stellar on 
So, are you in the "love John O'Hurley as Family Feud host" camp or "hate John O'Hurley as Family Feud host" camp? I guess it doesn't really matter now. The show has hired a new host.
Fox has pulled one of its reality game shows from its lineup. Is it because they felt the show was exploiting families and their gifted children by publicly humiliating them in front of a national audience for profit? Hell no, this is Fox, a network that would pit a bear against a roided bald eagle in international waters and call it "educational programming." 
Remember that 
So I'm watching 
2009 was a good year for television. It offered the resurgence of the comedy on network television, and the continuing growth of original programming on cable. In all honesty, I don't think I could just do a list of what was great and what was horrible on television because I would need pages and pages.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on 'Faces of America' and the Beer Summit
Six Reasons Why '24' Has Jumped the You-Know-What
The Super Bowl Commercials: The Best
