"Reel to Reel" becomes unraveled.
Steve
complex that resolution is taking 4ever.
Anyway, the Tampa Tribune reports today at:
http://tampabayonline.net/feature/tvcolumn.htm
that Bud Paxson's TV game show "Reel to Reel" went bust due to financial
difficulties.
If any of you can't get it, e-mail me, and I will explain in a subsequent
post.
Thanks, and enjoy.
C Alliaume
In article <eu3c2.1002$bj2.2...@newse3.tampabay.rr.com>, "Steve"
<sby...@tampabay.rr.com> writes:
>Thank G-- for DejaNews, since my problems receiving posts thru my ISP are so
>complex that resolution is taking 4ever.
>
>Anyway, the Tampa Tribune reports today at:
>http://tampabayonline.net/feature/tvcolumn.htm
>that Bud Paxson's TV game show "Reel to Reel" went bust due to financial
>difficulties.
>
Here's the whole text:
<<A Pax TV game show, ``Reel to Reel,'' has come unraveled, leaving more than
30 contestants, a dozen celebrity guests and host Peter Marshall without
paychecks or prizes.
Pax officials said this week that TLL Productions, which created the
Orlando-based series, had financial difficulties and shut down production.
The program, based on a movie trivia board game, debuted in September and
ran through November. Taped at Universal Studios Florida, it was one of the
few programs created for the upstart Pax, which debuted in August as the
seventh national network.
Created by a Canadian entrepreneur, Alexander ``Sandy'' Cherry, the show
featured former ``Hollywood Squares'' host Marshall tossing questions to
celebrity guests and contestants. Pax contracted for 200 episodes, but
production stopped after the first 30. Cherry said Thursday that a financial
backer
pulled out, leaving him nearly broke.
``I'm terribly sorry, and I'm working as hard as I can to see that
everyone gets paid and everyone gets the prizes,'' he said in a telephone
interview from
Toronto.
Cherry said he is a show business novice. ``I'm basically an engineer and
movie buff who developed a board game four years ago,'' he said.
The board game is popular in Britain and Canada, he said.
Cherry said he wanted to introduce the board game to Americans via the TV
show he created and managed to sell to Pax.
``It's been a nightmare,'' he said. ``I'm not out to take advantage of
anyone. I've even invested more than $500,000 of my own money.''
He said he is seeking new investors so he can pay the bills and resume
production in January.
Host Marshall said Cherry apparently got in over his head.
``I'm terribly embarrassed by the whole thing, and I really feel bad for
the contestants,'' Marshall said in a telephone interview Wednesday from Los
Angeles. He said TLL still owns him $100,000.
And he added that none of the celebrity guests he recruited - Tom Poston,
Stella Stevens, Robert Hayes, Abe Vigoda and others - has been paid.
``Losing $100,000 is not going to ruin my life, but a lot of good people
worked hard - from the director on down - and they should be paid.''
Pax attorney Anthony Morrison said Wednesday the network also is $100,000
in the hole on the ``Reel'' deal. ``We've lost money on the programs and
we've spend a lot of money on promotion, too,'' he added.
Meanwhile, some contestants have turned to Pax for their prizes.
Ray Buffer, whose wife, Roberta, competed on an episode, said they never
received the $4,000 bedroom set she won; and ygot a $1,500 trip to Arizona
only after he pestered Pax officials for weeks.
Pax officials have since decided not to cover any prizes. ``We understand
how the contestants feel, but we've lost money on this and we're not
responsible,'' Morrison said.
Cherry said he is trying to find out why other items such as furniture and
appliances weren't released.
``There must be some misunderstanding or technicality,'' he said. ``Most
of those prizes were in exchange for promotional exposure.''
The ``Reel'' flap could give a black eye to a network that is supposed to
be the morally straight champion of wholesome family values.
Art Alisiq, of Promotional Considerations Inc., which provides prizes for
game shows, said most networks have strict standards in dealing with game
shows.
``This never would have happened at ABC or CBS,'' he said. ``They require
financial proof that the producers can cover the prizes.''
Cherry said the irony is that the show was a hit with viewers. ``If only
we could have kept going through the holidays so we could be selling the board
game
for Christmas,'' he said.>>
Pity.
-- Curt Alliaume
-----------------------------------------
Game Shows '75
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Bungalow/2827/gameshow.html
We've given away under $0 in cash and prizes!
Randy Amasia
<19981211092854...@ngol02.aol.com>...
(edit)
> ``Losing $100,000 is not going to ruin my life, but a
lot of good people
>worked hard - from the director on down - and they should
be paid.''
Marshall's showing a lot of class. I'm certain he wants his
money, and there's no doubt he kept his part of the bargain.
> Pax attorney Anthony Morrison said Wednesday the
network also is $100,000
>in the hole on the ``Reel'' deal. ``We've lost money on the
programs and
> we've spend a lot of money on promotion, too,'' he
added.
>
> Meanwhile, some contestants have turned to Pax for
their prizes.
>
> Ray Buffer, whose wife, Roberta, competed on an
episode, said they never
>received the $4,000 bedroom set she won; and ygot a $1,500
trip to Arizona
> only after he pestered Pax officials for weeks.
>
> Pax officials have since decided not to cover any
prizes. ``We understand
>how the contestants feel, but we've lost money on this and
we're not
> responsible,'' Morrison said.
(see below)
> The ``Reel'' flap could give a black eye to a network
that is supposed to
>be the morally straight champion of wholesome family
values.
I can not speak to Pax's legal responsibility (Chris?
Steve? Brian?), but Paxson Communications absolutely has a
moral responsibility to make good. <Feigned Shock> Or don't
Bud Paxson's morals extend to his business dealings?
</shock>
Randy Amasia
The limp-wristed overlord of GS-L (and ATGS!)
http://www.geocities.com/~randy_amasia/
---
"Spread goodwill and Christmas cheer -
And don't buy 'Script for a Jester's Tear'"
---
Loser of over $34,000 in cash and prizes
T. Jay
>
> In article <eu3c2.1002$bj2.2...@newse3.tampabay.rr.com>, "Steve"
> <sby...@tampabay.rr.com> writes:
>
> >Thank G-- for DejaNews, since my problems receiving posts thru my ISP are so
> >complex that resolution is taking 4ever.
> >
> >Anyway, the Tampa Tribune reports today at:
> >http://tampabayonline.net/feature/tvcolumn.htm
> >that Bud Paxson's TV game show "Reel to Reel" went bust due to financial
> >difficulties.
> >
>
> Here's the whole text:
>
> <<A Pax TV game show, ``Reel to Reel,'' has come unraveled, leaving more than
> 30 contestants, a dozen celebrity guests and host Peter Marshall without
> paychecks or prizes.
>
> Pax officials said this week that TLL Productions, which created the
> Orlando-based series, had financial difficulties and shut down production.
Can you say....LINGO??? Can you say YAHTZEE??? I knew you could!!!
> Host Marshall said Cherry apparently got in over his head.
>
> ``I'm terribly embarrassed by the whole thing, and I really feel bad for
> the contestants,'' Marshall said in a telephone interview Wednesday from Los
> Angeles. He said TLL still owns him $100,000.
>
> And he added that none of the celebrity guests he recruited - Tom Poston,
> Stella Stevens, Robert Hayes, Abe Vigoda and others - has been paid.
>
> ``Losing $100,000 is not going to ruin my life, but a lot of good people
> worked hard - from the director on down - and they should be paid.''
Sorry to hear that Peter and his guests were screwed out of checks.
>
> Cherry said the irony is that the show was a hit with viewers.
I sorta wonder if the lack of cash could explain the lackluster feel to the show. I
always thought that the show did have potential, once all the bugs were
worked out of it. My guess is that all 30 eps were taped in a 2-week period,
and that Peter never had a chance to get relaxed with the show.
Hey, if they brought back Lingo out of the bankruptcy black hole, perhaps they
can bring back RtR if they can make it more exciting and free-flowing.
T. Jay
Charles Blaquiere
C319Chris
My take is that either these people have never taken Accounting 101 or somebody
absconded with the money.
Game show budgets are divided into three parts: above the line, below the line,
and prizes. It is up to the producer to budget the money he receives from the
buyer (syndicator or network - PAX in this case) to cover his expenses. If the
producer is unable to pay his emcee and celebrities and to cover prizes, it's
either because the producer failed to properly budget those items and in turn
did not negotiate an adequate fee for the show, or because the money wound up
in somebody's Swiss bank account.
Regardless of whether the producer is on the hook for prizes, he is certainly
on the hook for salaries and talent fees. As long as PAX fulfilled its
contractual obligation, sounds like the producer is the one who is liable, not
PAX.
>``This never would have happened at ABC or CBS >
Righty-o.