"Big Deal"
Dave Mackey
Game shows are back in primetime, thank goodness.
Points for effort, but I think besides Monty Hall, Ralph Edwards should
get a big check from these people. The format seems like a rehash of
"Truth Or Consequences" as well as LMAD (Stone Stanley does give
Hatos-Hall credit for originating the format, and didn't Stone Stanley
exec Heidi Cayn work for Hatos-Hall waybackwhen?)
Obviously this is the biggest production Stone Stanley's ever attempted.
Besides the host (Mark DeCarlo) and announcer (John Cramer), they also
have to salary four model/dancers and an eight piece house band, and
maintain a large set with three video walls. That's a big plus considering
Stone Stanley's penchant for cheapness on past shows.
What didn't I like? The obvious post production and dizzying direction. I
like my TV stodgy.
--
dma...@raven.cybercomm.net Dave Mackey
Visit my Home Page! http://raven.cybercomm.net/~dmackey
T. Jay
Dave Mackey wrote:
>
> Game shows are back in primetime, thank goodness.
>
> Points for effort, but I think besides Monty Hall, Ralph Edwards should
> get a big check from these people. The format seems like a rehash of
> "Truth Or Consequences"
Agreed...Might as well throw in some of the Marc Summers/Nickelodeon shows
(What Would You Do was the first thing that popped into my mind), with a hint of
MTV bizarreness (If MTV ever brought back Remote Conto back, my choice for
host is DeCarlo!!)...
> Obviously this is the biggest production Stone Stanley's ever attempted.
> Besides the host (Mark DeCarlo) and announcer (John Cramer), they also
> have to salary four model/dancers and an eight piece house band, and
> maintain a large set with three video walls. That's a big plus considering
> Stone Stanley's penchant for cheapness on past shows.
Hold on...Before we give credit to S/S for their possible generosity towards
funding for a game show...Remember that New World Television also had a stake
in this show...And I'm sure that with their sucess with shows of the past (The
Wonder Years, as an example), they probably paid for much of the tab.
As far as the 'models', I think that they looked like the girls who didnt get picked
for dates on DeCarlo's Studs show...
I have to say that I was impressed with the band!!!
Where was this show taped?? The set sorta reminded me of Arsenio Hall's old
Paramount set.
>
THE DEXTER NETWORK'S REPORT CARD ON -- The Big Deal:
Concept/Play of the game -- C (Too confusing at times -- liked the Big Deal
part of the show, though...Disappointed in the use of the celebrity judges -- they
bring them in but DeCarlo does all the talking for them...:-Q )
Host -- A (I cant picture anyone else who could fill DeCarlo's Shoes)
Music -- A- (Hey, It was LIVE and only partially synthesized)
Set -- C (Again, too confusing)
Use of Cameras -- C+ (Sometimes a little too sloppy)
Announcer -- B (At least it's not the Debt lady, thank goodness)
Potential Ratings/Staying Power -- C (They're trying for the Generation X
populous -- those that watch both Simpsons & Married... Could have a shot to
last a full season, but it'll be close!!)
OVERALL GRADE -- Right on the C+/B- border...
Randy Amasia
Dave Mackey wrote:
>
> and didn't Stone Stanley
> exec Heidi Cayn work for Hatos-Hall waybackwhen?)
Doubtful -- she's too young. She graduated California State University
Northridge in May 1982 w/ a degree in Radio-TV-Film. Last I ran into
her (mid - late 80s), she was working w/ Don Reid.
--
Randy Amasia
------------
St. Italicus of Helveticus/DNRC O-
Claiming in-DUH-viduals now!
http://www.unitedmedia.com/comics/dilbert
Jake Tanner
dma...@cybercomm.net (Dave Mackey) wrote:
>Game shows are back in primetime, thank goodness.
>Points for effort, but I think besides Monty Hall, Ralph Edwards should
>get a big check from these people. The format seems like a rehash of
>"Truth Or Consequences" as well as LMAD (Stone Stanley does give
>Hatos-Hall credit for originating the format, and didn't Stone Stanley
>exec Heidi Cayn work for Hatos-Hall waybackwhen?)
I agree that the show is definitely an amalgamation of LMaD and
TorC...it's too far into the stunt realm to be just based on LMaD...I
must admit that I am quite impressed on how it turned out, considering
that it's a Stone-Stanley production...
>Obviously this is the biggest production Stone Stanley's ever attempted.
>Besides the host (Mark DeCarlo) and announcer (John Cramer), they also
>have to salary four model/dancers and an eight piece house band, and
>maintain a large set with three video walls. That's a big plus considering
>Stone Stanley's penchant for cheapness on past shows.
I think my biggest complaint is that they take a lot of cheap shots
and are pandering to the lowest common denominator...from the bimbo
models (and these girls are definitely of the bimbo variety) to the
off-the-wall announcer (would Johnny Olson ever have said "hairy
monkey's butt"?)...
BUT, this may well be what it takes to help game shows get their
toe-hold back on the American public..."Big Deal" isn't a great
show...but it isn't bad either...and it's just quick moving enough and
entertaining enough that it just might catch on...
>What didn't I like? The obvious post production and dizzying direction. I
>like my TV stodgy.
I agree with ya, Dave...give me Garry Moore and TTTT anyday! :)
Jake
John Himpe
Jake Tanner wrote:
>
> dma...@cybercomm.net (Dave Mackey) wrote:
> >What didn't I like? The obvious post production and dizzying direction. I
> >like my TV stodgy.
>
> I agree with ya, Dave...give me Garry Moore and TTTT anyday! :)
>
> Jake
What about Joe Garicigola, Jake??? :) And we won't even mention Robin
Ward...
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John Himpe John....@hmtnet.com
Editor - HMTnet.guide
http://www.hmtnet.com/e-zine
Webmaster - The Game Show Web
http://www.hmtnet.com/users/jhimpe/gsw/index.html
-------------------------------------------------
Jake Tanner
John Himpe <John....@hmtnet.com> wrote:
>Jake Tanner wrote:
>> dma...@cybercomm.net (Dave Mackey) wrote:
>> >What didn't I like? The obvious post production and dizzying direction. I
>> >like my TV stodgy.
>>
>> I agree with ya, Dave...give me Garry Moore and TTTT anyday! :)
>>
>> Jake
>What about Joe Garicigola, Jake??? :) And we won't even mention Robin
>Ward...
Oh, I guess Joe Garagiola is okay...but ain't no way I wanna see Robin
Ward again! :)
Jake
Dave Mackey
Randy Amasia (ran...@loop.com) wrote:
: Dave Mackey wrote:
: >
: > and didn't Stone Stanley
: > exec Heidi Cayn work for Hatos-Hall waybackwhen?)
: Doubtful -- she's too young. She graduated California State University
: Northridge in May 1982 w/ a degree in Radio-TV-Film. Last I ran into
: her (mid - late 80s), she was working w/ Don Reid.
Here's how I got her mixed up w/Hatos Hall. She worked with the late Bob
Synes on "Dream House" (possibly also "Fun House") and Synes produced
"Split Second" waybackwhen. So I guess I translated her onto Synes'
earlier career.
C Alliaume
In article <50dih4$p...@library.airnews.net>, desp...@airmail.net (Jake
Tanner) writes:
>dma...@cybercomm.net (Dave Mackey) wrote:
<various snippage here and there>
>
>>Points for effort, but I think besides Monty Hall, Ralph Edwards should
>>get a big check from these people. The format seems like a rehash of
>>"Truth Or Consequences" as well as LMAD.
>I agree that the show is definitely an amalgamation of LMaD and
>TorC...it's too far into the stunt realm to be just based on LMaD...I
>must admit that I am quite impressed on how it turned out, considering
>that it's a Stone-Stanley production...
When I saw the promos for this, my stomach turned (a woman pours glue
[turned out to be honey] on his body then shoots money at it?). At about
five of seven, I finally told myself, "This is going to be more ToC than
LMaD...and regard it as such." On that level, the show worked well.
>>Obviously this is the biggest production Stone Stanley's ever attempted.
>>Besides the host (Mark DeCarlo) and announcer (John Cramer), they also
>>have to salary four model/dancers and an eight piece house band, and
>>maintain a large set with three video walls. That's a big plus
considering
>>Stone Stanley's penchant for cheapness on past shows.
>
>BUT, this may well be what it takes to help game shows get their
>toe-hold back on the American public..."Big Deal" isn't a great
>show...but it isn't bad either...and it's just quick moving enough and
>entertaining enough that it just might catch on...
It's not cheaply done at all. The "Big Deal of the Day" (practically the
only recognizable element) was worth $22,500, and the prize the family got
for destroying their windows was worth $19,500. The set is cool, and the
video walls make it easier to display prizes.
Other points:
1) Why have celebrities on if you're not going to let them say anything?
(A better job of IDing them would help...most people would have recognized
Yvonne Craig better had they known she was Batgirl opposite Adam West and
Burt Ward.)
2) Mark DeCarlo did a good job. He didn't seem to be reading cue cards
(which is good, because you can't on that show), and kept the front end
moving without appearing to talk down to the contestants.
3) "America's Funniest Home Videos" is now entering its eighth season, and
is rerunning away on local stations and TBS. Perhaps people are looking
for something different. We'll see.
4) Credit notes: all animals were overseen by the American Humane
Association, whatever that is. And contestants who destroy their
pre-owned property get compensated, so the family that broke their windows
would have had them replaced anyway.
We'll see what the ratings are like nationwide -- in New York, the Fox
football game was in the 1 p.m. slot, and the NBC late game was a snoozer
(Broncos 31, Jets 6), so the turnout factor probably was high. We'll see
what happens.
In the meantime, Deal me in next week!
-- Curt Alliaume
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"I wish I was the man in the soundproof booth
I wish I had the chance to stump the panel
Or maybe tell the truth
And maybe I could win a color television..."
"TV Is King," The Tubes, 1979.
thaddeu...@iconbbs.org
Dave,
yes, Stone-Stanley exec Heidi Cayn used to work for Hatos-Hall waybackwhen
as a production assistant (or was it staff?)
I forget, but I DID see her name in the closing credits to LMad
Sincerely,
Thad Dixon
a big fan of LMaD who may not be a big fan of BD because IT airs opposite
"Kirk" and "Brotherly Love" on the WB