So now we have a shiny new, 21st century edition of Let's Make A Deal. How does it stack up to the Monty Hall classic?
For the most part, the show hasn't changed a bit. Sure, some of the prizes are different now: satellite televisions and HDTVs. But there are still three doors and small boxes and big boxes and trading cash or prizes for what's behind or under those doors and boxes (and most of the prizes are the same: furniture and appliances and trips). We still have people dressed as cowboys and bananas and clowns and chefs so that hasn't changed.
But what about the hour-long format? The old show was 30 minutes. Does expanding it to an hour ruin things?
I guess if there's one good thing about Guiding Light being canceled is that CBS replaced it with a game show. I'm not sure if Let's Make A Deal is the game I would have chosen to remake, but it's better than having another Dr. Phil-ish show on the schedule. Here Price is Right host Drew Carey welcomes LMAD host Wayne Brady to the network. It starts Monday.
At first I thought that a new Let's Make A Deal wouldn't go over well in these oh-so-hip, ironic times. Who wants to go on television in front of millions of people dressed like a hot dog or a robot and embarrass themselves? And then I remembered that people go on TV nowadays to eat bugs, frolic naked in hot tubs, and showcase their children to the world, so dressing up like food products and fire hydrants will probably seem quaint now.
Once the panel for the new Let's Make a Deal was announced, you knew that at some point someone was going to ask Wayne Brady if he was going to have to choke a bitch.
That line, from the hilarious Chappelle's Show bit where Brady made fun of his squeaky-clean image, came up halfway through, when a critic asked Brady the question, "submitted from one of our readers on Twitter." I wonder if that reader was one of us critics, who all burned up the Twitterverse with the line as soon as we heard Brady would be here today.
Brady, who can improvise a song on the spot, just sat there in semi-silence. "That was a great choice of question," he said sarcastically. He isn't running from the bit, he said, and he's heard ten-year-olds try to say the line back at him at airports. But he's promoting a daytime, family-oriented show and just wanted people to talk about that.
CBS programming chief Nina Tassler held court this morning in the CBS executive session. Her network is in an extremely strong position, so there wasn't much in the way of controversy to report, but here are some interesting tidbits from the session:
Laurence Fishburne's character of Dr. Langston on CSI will assume a more take-charge position this year, he'll also be given a "wardrobe makeover" so he seems, as Tassler put it "more comfortable in his own clothes."
Jorja Fox will be back for the first five episodes. And one of the main characters will get promoted. I won't spoil it for you, but you can probably figure out who it might be.
A new Let's Make A Deal with Wayne Brady as host, will be taking the place of Guiding Light. Tassler wouldn't go so far as saying this is a trend towards the return of daytime network game shows, but she did say she wanted to get a new LMAD on the air for a while.
No plans to bring back Flashpoint right now, though they can. More Canadian cross-production deals on the way, including The Bridge.
On NBC's late-night / Leno strategies: "Whatever numbers they get, they'll declare victory anyway, so it doesn't matter."
On the departure of Ben Silverman of NBC: "I'm really just a D-girl, so I wouldn't comment."
Game show fanatics will be pleased to learn that network game shows are returning to daytime television. Finally, people who take actual sick days will have something else to look forward to other than another mind-bending dose of NyQuil.
CBS has confirmed they are replacing the outgoing Guiding Light with a remake of the classic Let's Make a Deal.
The ex-Tiffany network has already shot a test pilot of the updated show with smiling crooner Wayne Brady in the host's chair. Brady hasn't officially won the job, but he's the front-running favorite. CBS executives are expected to make Brady's deal official later today at the Television Critics Association hoedown, unless, of course, he chooses to go for what's behind Door Number Two. Don't do it Wayne! It's just a lifetime supply of goat feed!
Probably in preparation for a long strike and also because this type of show is easy programming that not only brings in fair enough ratings but also does rather well in reruns, FOX announced earlier this week that it was ordering 13 extra episodes of it's music-contest hit Don't Forget the Lyrics.
(S03E10) I am so happy to know that gyms become passé by the year 2030. I agree with Old Ted / Bob Saget's voice: They are silly things. Silly, silly things that make you sweat indoors in a boring environment for extremely high amounts of money. After all, a pair of walking or jogging shoes are cheap and the outdoors are free, and more interesting...
Anyway, do I dare say that this episode was funnier than "Slapsgiving?" Yes, I do dare. I think the reason this episode was so good could be summarized in one word: Barney. Whenever we delve into Barn's life, we always find gold. Tonight, given Barney's yips at the Victoria's Secret after-party, I think we skipped past gold and struck uranium.
Well, the Emmys have come and gone and for the most part, I enjoyed the telecast. The non-threatening hosting style of Ryan Seacrest infected the whole telecast with a feeling of safety that only served to make the routines of comedians like Ray Romano and Jon Stewart look more edgy.
One of my favorite parts of every Emmy telecast is the presentation of the writers nominated for best variety or comedy show. The Daily Show's use of Alberto Gonzalez and Conan's collection of laborers in his pick up truck made me laugh out loud. By the way, did anyone else notice the look of shock on the face of Conan's wife? Priceless.
Fox has ordered up a second season of its summer game show, Don't Forget the Lyrics! The network has reportedly ordered 13 more episodes but has not given them any air dates. They could resurface next summer or as a mid-season replacement if and when one of its new shows tanks.
Don't Forget the Lyrics! is a karaoke-themed game show that is similar to one on NBC called The Singing Bee. Both premiered to decent ratings and fellow TV Squadder, Isabelle, prefers The Singing Bee over Fox's version. I only saw the premiere of Don't Forget the Lyrics! and I found it very entertaining, but that had to do with the entomologist contestant who knew all the words to the Jackson 5's A-B-C and wanted to buy a microscope with her winnings.
Um, no, these two weren't married recently in either Massachusetts or New Jersey. What's actually happening here is that "irreconcilable differences" is being cited as the reason for divorce from their significant others. But, you knew that already, didn't you?
In Wayne Brady's case it's his wife, Mandie Brady, that is filing for divorce under these circumstances. The former star of The Wayne Brady Show and Whose Line is it Anyway? (and current host of FOX's new show Don't Forget the Lyrics) and his wife married in 1999. The couple separated in April of 2006, according to papers filed with the Los Angeles Superior Court. Mandie is seeking joint legal and physical custody of the couple's 4-year-old daughter, Maile.
In April, I told you about NBC's The Great American Singing Bee, a new competition series in which contestants are challenged to sing the correct lyrics to a song. Then, recently, I told you about Don't Forget the Lyrics, a show on FOX with pretty much the exact same concept.
The Great American Singing Bee was supposed to air this fall, but NBC isn't about to let FOX steal its thunder by releasing Don't Forget the Lyrics next month. What does that mean for you, the home viewer? It means that this summer, with The Great American Spelling Bee's debut bumped up to July 10 at 9:30 (and Lyrics debuting the next day), you'll have two chances to catch a premise no one really found that interesting in the first place.
Forgive me, that was presumptuous, but I maintain a show centering on strangers butchering songs is a concept that will get old rather quickly.
Wayne Brady will host Don't Forget the Lyrics, a new game show in which contestants must not forget the lyrics (in case the unoriginal title didn't make that clear).
The series debuts on FOX July 11 at 9:30 p.m. and July 12 at 8:30 p.m., and features contestants singing along with a studio band, the words in front of them karaoke-style. When the music stops and the words disappear, the contestant must continue to sing the correct lyrics. If the contestant correctly guesses nine lyrics in a row, they have one final chance to try for a tenth lyrics and the chance to win one million dollars.
If this sounds familiar, that's because NBC's Great American Singing Bee is pretty much the exact same concept. I don't quite understand how two networks became infatuated with this idea, but I blame the popularity of karaoke. And like karaoke, I assume these shows will be much tolerable if you've had a few drinks beforehand.
Once the panel for the new Let's Make a Deal was announced, you knew that at some point someone was going to ask Wayne Brady if he was going to have to choke a bitch.
CBS programming chief Nina Tassler held court this morning in the CBS executive session. Her network is in an extremely strong position, so there wasn't much in the way of controversy to report, but here are some interesting tidbits from the session:
Game show fanatics will be pleased to learn that network game shows are returning to daytime television. Finally, people who take actual sick days will have something else to look forward to other than another mind-bending dose of NyQuil. 
Probably in preparation for a long strike and also because this type of show is easy programming that not only brings in fair enough ratings but also does rather well in reruns, FOX announced earlier this week that it was ordering 13 extra episodes of it's music-contest hit Don't Forget the Lyrics.
Well, the Emmys have come and gone and for the most part, I enjoyed the telecast. The non-threatening hosting style of Ryan Seacrest infected the whole telecast with a feeling of safety that only served to make the routines of comedians like Ray Romano and Jon Stewart look more edgy.
Fox has ordered up a second season of its summer game show, Don't Forget the Lyrics! The network has reportedly ordered 13 more episodes but has not given them any air dates. They could resurface next summer or as a mid-season replacement if and when one of its new shows tanks.
Charlie Rose: Zbigniew Brzezinski, Henry Kissinger, and Brent Scowcroft 
Um, no, these two weren't married recently in either Massachusetts or New Jersey. What's actually happening here is that "irreconcilable differences" is being cited as the reason for divorce from their significant others. But, you knew that already, didn't you?
In April, I told you about NBC's The Great American Singing Bee, a new competition series in which contestants are challenged to sing the correct lyrics to a song. Then, recently, I told you about Don't Forget the Lyrics, a show on FOX with pretty much the exact same concept. 
Wayne Brady will host Don't Forget the Lyrics, a new game show in which contestants must not forget the lyrics (in case the unoriginal title didn't make that clear).
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