TVSquad

Game show titles have a way of telling you exactly what you can expect if you tune in to them. The Price Is Right is about guessing prices, Card Sharks was a game that involved a deck of cards, and Match Game was about matching your word with the word picked by a celebrity. Of course, the whole list of examples breaks down a bit when you consider Jeopardy!, which could be about anything, really.

But add to the list Hurl, the new game show coming this summer to G4. To quote from the network, it's a show that "combines speed-eating with intense physical challenges." Yes, you read that right.

Back in January, I mentioned that actor/writer Adam De La Pena (I'm with Busey, Crank Yankers, Minoriteam) was creating an animated series for G4 called Code Monkeys. Well, the series will debut July 11, and based on the seconds-long promos I've been seeing, it looks pretty cool.

The series is animated in the 8-bit style of retro video games, with blocky backgrounds and characters who move as if being controlled by some unseen entity with a magical joystick. The main characters, Dave and Jerry, are game coders who occupy this bizarre pixel-y world.

I love the idea, but I also played a lot of video games in the '80s and '90s, so I'm excited to see how many of the show's inside jokes I'll comprehend. My only worry is that the series might be too much of a "niche show," much like Minoriteam was, and it won't attract a wide audience.

Note: the theme song is "Code Monkey" by Jonathan Coulton (used with permission). Thanks to our own Annie Wu for telling me 'bout that.

We've been telling you about NBC Universal and News Corp's new YouTube-esque video service for awhile now, and today The Hollywood Reporter has news that the service has added the following channels to its lineup:

• Fuel TV
• Sundance Channel
• Oxygen
• Speed

Adam De La Pena, creator of the Adult Swim series Minoriteam and creator and co-star of the Comedy Central series I'm with Busey has created a new animated series for G4 called Code Monkeys. The series, which was recently picked up for fourteen episodes, takes place in a world that resembles an actual video game from the '80s and will include several allusions to games from that era. De La Pena will direct all the episodes, and will also serve as a writer and the voice of the main character.

Meanwhile, he's also developing another animated series for FOX with the working title Think Tank. The series will spoof office politics and is based on the idea that everything in pop culture is controlled by a single "think tank."

Out of the two projects, I must say Code Monkeys looks the most interesting to me. The idea of a cartoon set in a world resembling the blocky look of old Atari games could be really cool. The series will hit G4 this spring.

[via Toon Zone]

The struggling G4 network has been brought under the E! Networks tent, with plans to continue expanding the network's focus from video games to a more general entertainment destination for young men. As with most acquisitions, the network will most likely see layoffs, but the hope is that it will be able to attract more viewers, something it hasn't been able to do in its current form. While video games have seen a huge resurgence in recent years, the gamer demographic is too narrow, according to Ted Harbert, CEO of Comcast Entertainment Group. Meanwhile, I have yet to find any buyers for my network focusing entirely on the game of mumbletypeg. It seems kids these days just don't play with pocket knives like they used to.

I have a feeling that the following post about a new syndication deal for Arrested Development will sound unusual now, but will become standard fare as the worlds of television and the Internet continue to merge.

A syndication agreement has been reached between three different companies to syndicate the entire 53-episode run of the critically acclaimed comedy Arrested Development. The agreement was made between Internet portal MSN and cable networks HDNet and G4. According to AOL Entertainment News, the deal marks the first time a web portal has grabbed a fairly recent piece of the rerun market in conjunction with two cable networks.

MSN, which will make viewings of the series free to subscribers, will have rights to the show for three years beginning this fall. HDNet will also have a three year deal and will begin airing the show in September. Comcast-owned G4, which is attempting to diversify its programming, will air AD starting in October.

[Thanks to Rick for the tip]

G4 will begin airing reruns of the original Star Trek on April 10, but this time with a twist. Rather than simply showing the episodes, G4 is hoping to make it a more interactive experience by providing an online chat, as well as facts and trivia to be shown onscreen during each episode. Essentially, it sounds like TRL for Trekkies, which could either be kind of cool or kind of annoying. If you're excited about seeing these old episodes but aren't thrilled about seeing what SpockHugger345 in Sheboygan thinks about it, don't worry. Uncut versions without all the interactive woo-wa will be shown during Saturday marathons, starting on April 8. I'm not sure everything old needs to be re-invented for a young audience, or in this case made more obnoxious. What do you guys think?

Previously: http://www.tvsquad.com/2005/12/19/g4-gains-star-trek/

[via Lost Remote]