November Article about GSN Programming
Edwin M. Walker III
An interview of sorts with Ryan Tredinnick, VP Programming:
interesting to note: by 2000 he figures half of the programming on GSN will
be original.
....
New block crafted to attract younger viewers; a scorecard for soccer
By Mike Reynolds
The Game Show Network is making a big play to expand its position among
younger viewers.
The Sony Pictures Entertainment Co. network, which uses the tagline "All
Play, All Day!," has launched kids blocks on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
and soon will premiere another original show aimed at building its appeal
among youngsters.
"You can argue that all of our programming is youth/family-oriented," says
Ryan Tredinnick, the network's VP-current programming. "What we're bringing
is an ABC 'TGIF' concept to Friday nights and weekend mornings.''
To that end, GSN currently tips its Friday evening lineup at 8 (ET) with
Wheel 2000, an adaptation of the hit show Wheel of Fortune. Designed for
youngsters, it spins in first-run episodes on CBS a month before airing on
the cable channel. Host David Sidoni is joined by "Cyber Lucy," a real-time
animated cartoon character.
In turn, GSN's "Kid Zone" runs Junior Pyramid, culled from the weeks of the
$20,000 Pyramid that featured verbally proficient youngsters; Juvenile Jury,
in which a panel of youngsters dispenses advice; and Quiz Kids Challenge, in
which teams of youngsters square off against adults. Next comes another
Wheel 2000.
On Saturday and Sunday mornings beginning at 6, the network runs Joker!
Joker! Joker!, a kid's version of the Joker's Wild; The Parent Game, in
which married couples match ideas about raising kids with those of a child
psychologist; and The Dating Game - Youth, part of the original series
featuring then-young talents like Michael Jackson and Desi Arnaz Jr. looking
for love. That roster, which supplants Wheel 2000, repeats through noon.
Looking to brand itself in the minds of the younger set, GSN has hired
11-year-old Kimberly Aaburg to introduce and host the interstitials on "Kids
Zone."
"We want to establish a feel, an identity for all our programming blocks,"
Tredinnick says.
On Dec. 26, the GSN original show Jep!, a younger version of Jeopardy! in
which contestants tackle questions on a set that explodes with movement and
hidden surprises, will begin to follow Wheel 2000 at 8:30 p.m. on Fridays.
Other new GSN originals include:
* The weeknight strip Faux Pause, a look at some of the more interesting
game show formats that never made it, which debuts Nov. 24 at 11 p.m.
* Just For Laughs, a Q&A show featuring comedians giving their takes on game
show formats that'll premiere in January.
* The Newlywed Game - A Silver Anniversary of Love and Laughter, a pair of
one-hour specials that'll give viewers a then-and-now look at contestants
who first appeared on the show during the 1960s and 1970s.
By 2000, Tredinnick anticipates that half of GSN's programming will be
original. He also notes that the network is looking into interactive game
shows in which kids can become contestants.
All told, GSN, which is available in some 9.6 million cable and satellite
homes, has given away some $2.5 million in prizes to participants in its
various interactive games played over telephones.
(November 17, 1997)
Stephan Mynarkiewicz
Edwin M. Walker III wrote in message
<69b79p$1vg0$1...@newssvr04-int.news.prodigy.com>...
>An interview of sorts with Ryan Tredinnick, VP Programming:
>interesting to note: by 2000 he figures half of the programming on GSN will
>be original.
>
>....
>"You can argue that all of our programming is youth/family-oriented," says
>Ryan Tredinnick, the network's VP-current programming. "What we're bringing
>is an ABC 'TGIF' concept to Friday nights and weekend mornings.''
>To that end, GSN currently tips its Friday evening lineup at 8 (ET) with
>Wheel 2000, an adaptation of the hit show Wheel of Fortune. Designed for
>youngsters, it spins in first-run episodes on CBS a month before airing on
>the cable channel. Host David Sidoni is joined by "Cyber Lucy," a real-time
>animated cartoon character.
Strike one (unless Sony decides to continue production on W2000)...
>In turn, GSN's "Kid Zone" runs Junior Pyramid, culled from the weeks of the
>$20,000 Pyramid that featured verbally proficient youngsters;
Wow "Culled from week*s* of Pyramids"? And they found five whole eps!
>"We want to establish a feel, an identity for all our programming blocks,"
>Tredinnick says.
Anyone wanna guess what GSN's rating share would be on weekend mornings?
(assuming it was actually measured)
>On Dec. 26, the GSN original show Jep!, a younger version of Jeopardy! in
>which contestants tackle questions on a set that explodes with movement and
>hidden surprises, will begin to follow Wheel 2000 at 8:30 p.m. on Fridays.
Still waiting...
>Other new GSN originals include:
>* The weeknight strip Faux Pause, a look at some of the more interesting
>game show formats that never made it, which debuts Nov. 24 at 11 p.m.
Still waiting...
>* Just For Laughs, a Q&A show featuring comedians giving their takes on
game
>show formats that'll premiere in January.
Means we *might* see it by summer.
>By 2000, Tredinnick anticipates that half of GSN's programming will be
>original. He also notes that the network is looking into interactive game
>shows in which kids can become contestants.
Again, anyone wanna guess how many "kids" actually watch GSN?
C Alliaume
This shows what has (or hasn't) happened in three months. (And I'm sorry if I
repeat Stephan Mynarkiewicz's points.)
>The Sony Pictures Entertainment Co. network, which uses the tagline "All
>Play, All Day!,"
No longer applicable with five hours of infomercials a day. BTW, I don't mind
this -- they're entitled to turn a profit, and informercials are a known
(albeit odious) way of doing that.
>"What we're bringing is an ABC 'TGIF' concept to Friday nights and weekend
>mornings.''
Which has failed at CBS, who imported two TGIF shows only to see them fail.
>To that end, GSN currently tips its Friday evening lineup at 8 (ET) with
>Wheel 2000, an adaptation of the hit show Wheel of Fortune. Designed for
>youngsters, it spins in first-run episodes on CBS a month before airing on
>the cable channel.
Canned by CBS, but we can't blame GSN for that -- I agree with the idea that
first-run syndication on Saturday and Sunday mornings may work. I think local
stations are starved for kid-informative programming.
>In turn, GSN's "Kid Zone" runs Junior Pyramid, culled from the weeks of the
>$20,000 Pyramid that featured verbally proficient youngsters.
And a verbally inept Jimmy Baio -- I can't believe he even allows these
episodes to be rerun.
>On Saturday and Sunday mornings beginning at 6, the network runs Joker!
>Joker! Joker!, a kid's version of the Joker's Wild; The Parent Game, in
>which married couples match ideas about raising kids with those of a child
>psychologist; and The Dating Game - Youth, part of the original series
>featuring then-young talents like Michael Jackson and Desi Arnaz Jr. looking
>for love.
With the exception of J! J!! J!!!, I can't see kids interested in these shows.
The Parent Game isn't aimed at children at all, and really -- do you want your
children to see Michael Jackson looking for love?
>On Dec. 26, the GSN original show Jep!, a younger version of Jeopardy! in
>which contestants tackle questions on a set that explodes with movement and
>hidden surprises, will begin to follow Wheel 2000 at 8:30 p.m. on Fridays.
Not yet, anyway.
>* The weeknight strip Faux Pause, a look at some of the more interesting
>game show formats that never made it, which debuts Nov. 24 at 11 p.m.
Ditto.
>* Just For Laughs, a Q&A show featuring comedians giving their takes on game
>show formats that'll premiere in January.
Likewise.
>* The Newlywed Game - A Silver Anniversary of Love and Laughter, a pair of
>one-hour specials that'll give viewers a then-and-now look at contestants
>who first appeared on the show during the 1960s and 1970s.
Maybe someday.
>By 2000, Tredinnick anticipates that half of GSN's programming will be
>original. He also notes that the network is looking into interactive game
>shows in which kids can become contestants.
And based on what we've seen, I'd still rather see the reruns (although WoF 2K
could be an exception).
The frustrating thing is GSN doesn't *have* to invent new products -- they have
plenty of properties Sony owns that they could air. Go!, Jackpot, Eye Guess,
TTD, Camouflage, even Word for Word... lots of possibilities. They should feel
they have to reinvent the wheel every time they want to air a new property.
They have lots of shows under contract that probably wouldn't work on a network
or first-run syndication at this point, but could work just fine in a kids or
adults version on lil' ol GSN.
-- Curt Alliaume
CyberJohns
>>On Dec. 26, the GSN original show Jep!, a younger version of Jeopardy! in
>>which contestants tackle questions on a set that explodes with movement and
>>hidden surprises, will begin to follow Wheel 2000 at 8:30 p.m. on Fridays.
JEP! actually has an exploding set? Egad; why can't the real JEOPARDY game
pass for educational TV? Does JEOPARDY have to have Ryan Seacrest, lasers,
beeps (oops, sounds like CLICK) to pass for something a kid can benefit from?
Tomarkfan1
>On Saturday and Sunday mornings beginning at 6, the network runs Joker!
>>Joker! Joker!, a kid's version of the Joker's Wild; The Parent Game, in
>>which married couples match ideas about raising kids with those of a child
>>psychologist; and The Dating Game - Youth, part of the original series
>>featuring then-young talents like Michael Jackson and Desi Arnaz Jr. looking
>>for love.
>
>
I duun on that stuff, but my nine year old niece really liked "Ruckus". Maybe
something along those lines would work.
Pat
Jamie Locklin
In article <19980112012...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
call...@aol.com (C Alliaume) wrote:
>
> No longer applicable with five hours of infomercials a day. BTW, I don't mind
> this
GSN says "All Play, All Day". The DID NOT say "All Play, All Day &
Night"....
>
> And based on what we've seen, I'd still rather see the reruns (although WoF 2K
> could be an exception).
There is no chance that it will ever happen. HALF of the programming? GSN
probably doesn't even have that much money to do so!
>
> The frustrating thing is GSN doesn't *have* to invent new products -- they have
> plenty of properties Sony owns that they could air. Go!, Jackpot, Eye Guess,
> TTD, Camouflage, even Word for Word... lots of possibilities.
There are some shows in GSN's library that they have little of. They have
only 1 episode of Winning Streak, Face is Familiar, Personality, 3
episodes of Art Fleming's Jeopardy etc. etc. Some shows wouldn't be able
to be seen on a regular basis...
-------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====-----------------------
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C Alliaume
>> The frustrating thing is GSN doesn't *have* to invent new products -- they
>have
>> plenty of properties Sony owns that they could air. Go!, Jackpot, Eye
>Guess,
>> TTD, Camouflage, even Word for Word... lots of possibilities.
>
>There are some shows in GSN's library that they have little of. They have
>only 1 episode of Winning Streak, Face is Familiar, Personality, 3
>episodes of Art Fleming's Jeopardy etc. etc. Some shows wouldn't be able
>to be seen on a regular basis...
This was awkward phrasing on my part. What I *meant* to say is GSN could
produce new episodes of children's games (or adult games) using these games as
a launch point (i.e., a new version of Jackpot with sixteen 10-to-13-year-olds,
as contestants, for example). Sony has such a wealth of game idea in their
inventory, they would be remiss in looking at all of them if they're serious
about creating programming especially for children.
-- Curt Alliaume
NICKHUD
GSN will Go off the air I tell you
Unless they swich to Game Gallery
look for my lineup coming soon
NICKHUD