In article <eu3c2.1002$bj2.239...@newse3.tampabay.rr.com>, "Steve"

<<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.

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.

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>

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.