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Prospects on "Crosswords" and "Temptation"

R

RALfan

I'm interested to know some predictions on how well the two new syndicated game shows "Merv Griffin's Crosswords" and "Temptation" are going to fare. At this point I'm looking more forward to Crosswords because it looks like Merv's last great creation judging from the early previews. Temptation, however, troubles me because it seems that in the effort to bring it back to the old "shopping format" of Sale of the Century they have deviated from the gameplay of the current Australian original by introducing a new round called "KnockOut." That and the new host, a refugee from Temptation Island, make me less excited about the show. I think both shows with their generally low costs to produce will somehow succeed.

Both shows have prime time network previews:

Temptation: Wednesday, September 5 at 8:00/7:00 Central on My Network TV
Crosswords: Saturday, September 8 at 8:30/7:30 Central on NBC

What's your call?
 
Sale of the Century was never a big hit, most certainly not in syndication. Tweaking the format and making it a shopping/game hybrid probably won’t help; shopping fanatics will still be in front of QVC, HSN and the others. If they can craft a compelling pop culture quiz element, they may have something, but that’s the only part that will make it work. The shopping is a cost-reduction tool.

Crosswords has the Merv pedigree, but so did Monopoly, and that was awful. It sounds promising, but then again, I was a big fan of the first version of Cross Wits, so I’m predisposed to that kind of quizzer.

It’s the clearances that will make the difference. Millionaire has secured a solid following in the second tier of available clearances, and having the 12:30 slot on a couple of big ABC stations helped. If either show is buried in the middle of the night or in no-hope slots (like being on the CW affiliate up against Oprah, for example), forget it. Family Feud seems to be waning, so there may be some chances to scoop up those slots if stations don’t see progress with O’Hurley’s second season, but even those clearances aren’t that impressive.

For whatever reason, talk and court shows, no matter how derivative, are the post potent syndicated product for daytime and that likely won’t change anytime soon.
 
imhomerjay said:
Sale of the Century was never a big hit, most certainly not in syndication.  Tweaking the format and making it a shopping/game hybrid probably won’t help; shopping fanatics will still be in front of QVC, HSN and the others.  If they can craft a compelling pop culture quiz element, they may have something, but that’s the only part that will make it work.  The shopping is a cost-reduction tool.
Click to expand...

You're right, it didn't last long in syndication but it did last for several years as a network show and obviously internationally as Temptation is essentially a remake of the Australian version of Sale. It might have a chance, but with the program being picked up by mostly MNTV, CW and Fox stations it will most likely sink.

What's really sad is that no station here in Albuquerque has picked up either show.

BTW, does anyone know where there is a full station list for both shows?
 
This must be an encouraging sign for Temptation...distributed by 20th Century Fox, the coproate cousin Fox O&O in Philadelphia has buried it at 3 a.m.

At least Crosswords got a better treatment from its cousin: KYW will air it at 9 a.m., before Family Feud, which gets rescued from the dismal treatment it got on WPHL.
 
Temptation will be on the local Fox (XETV) station at 1 and 1:30 according to my Tivo guide data. But I cant find Crosswords at all down here.
 
Having watched the preview of Temptation tonight on My Network TV....my chances of getting a date with Faith Hill are better than Temptation seeing a second season. After seeing this, I've taken the regular premiere off my DVR.

Maybe I'm overestimating the viewing public, but Temptation doesn't even make for good brain candy viewing.
 
So since my previous post I learned that KOAT is showing Crosswords here in Albuquerque, appearantly they have cancelled their noon newscast and did a schedule move for All My Children, and will air Crosswords at 11AM up against The Price is Right on KRQE.
 
"Crosswords" has the unenviable task of
going against Oprah at 4 PM in New York
and 3 PM in Los Angeles. In New York it's
being carried on WNBC, the same station
which had no success with "Jeopardy!" back
in '84; that show didn't catch on in the Big
Apple until WABC put it on at 7. Makes me
wonder if this time next year, if "Crosswords"
is still around, it'll be on Channel 7 in both
markets.
 
philosofy said:
Temptation will be on the local Fox (XETV) station at 1 and 1:30 according to my Tivo guide data. But I cant find Crosswords at all down here.
Click to expand...

Crosswords--4:30pm, KGTV Channel 10 (ABC)
 
Merv Griffin's heritage or no, my bet is Crosswords won't be seeing a second season either. For starters, airng an episode with no game explanation as your first show won't help entice the curious to come back.

That aisde, the "spoilers" element is uninspiring, the music and set are boring, Ty Treadway is flat and the show is seriously low budget.

For Philadelphia area viewers with cable or satellite, you can get also Crosswords in the afternoon on WFMZ out of Allentown (4-5), Temptation from 8-9 and Family Feud from 9-10. I wouldn't count on any of them being here a year from now.
 
I have to agree. I'm not at all impressed with
"Crosswords." The prizes are chintzy (the first
show, the winner got a whopping $3450 and a
trip), there was--maybe--a cursory explanation
of the game, and who is Ty Treadway anyway?
But what kills it for me is the "spoilers." I don't
get the point of their being there; all they do is
complicate the game.

Right now I'll be surprised if "Crosswords" even
makes it all the way through its first season.
 
Well, I for one love Crosswords. Very fast-paced and challenging, like a good game show should be. The pacing and structure of the show is very much like Jeopardy! which is not a bad thing, and the writing is excellent. The spoilers add that extra degree of challenge an suspense to the game, and it's just refreshing to see contestants who know what they're doing and are not obnoxious. Ty Treadway is a solid host, and keep in mind that Pat Sajak and Vanna White were virtually unknown before they were hired on Wheel (and for that matter, that's probably all they will be remembered for). I'm not saying the show is perfect: the scoring system could use a few minor tweaks, the music (a recycled late '80s Wheel music bed) is too light, and the prize budget is very low. But the gameplay is so engaging that those factors can easily be overlooked.

Temptation on the other hand, I'm not impressed with. I loved the '80s Sale of the Century, but this version just feels like a bunch of mini-games thrown at you with no coherence, and Rossi Morreale is an annoying host.

That all said, yes, Crosswords is going to have a very hard time going against Oprah and Judge Judy at 4 PM in NYC. I have a bad feeling that WNBC and other NBC O&O's are going to end up burying the show in overnights. I think it would stand a better chance on MNTV or CW affiliates, which is why I think Temptation may have a better chance of getting a second season even though it's gotten lower ratings so far.
 
Ty Treadway??? The soap opera actor who did Soap Talk? LOL!!!
 
First-day ratings do not a season make, but I read that overall Crosswords was down on average from its lead-in shows by almost 20 percent, and more than 20 percent below the shows in the time period a year before. In the killer 4 p.m. slot in New York, it was in seventh place. That’s a bad, bad opening performance for one of the big three network affiliates.

Temptation didn’t do any better, down more than 10% from its lead-in programming and it had a horrific 36 percent drop from year-ago programming. The best time slot it had was 1:30 a.m. (AM!) in Dayton, winning its time slot (against what, a test pattern?). In New York it was an anemic sixth in its time slot.

The pre-season promotional pushes seem to have had zero impact. It’s unlikely a huge influx of additional curious viewers are forthcoming. Temptation’s model of being cheaper to produce because of the product placements won’t really work when nobody’s watching.

It’s a sad day for syndicated game shows, but don’t expect either to make it a full year let alone more.
 
There is something in common with BOTH game shows: 2 inexperienced hosts, NO live studio audience-the applause is canned, though. Cheap music package-especially "Crosswords", where it uses some shoppers' music from "Wheel of Fortune"-sounded like that old jingle from the nytol commercial, and the bonus round package: A trip + $2,000 in spending money. Very Cheapskate. My prediction: Catch it while you can. Here today, gone tommorrow. I'd like to see $10,000 as the bonus round money.
 
It takes a lot to make Match Game 98 look like the epitome of production values and generosity in the prize department.....they're coming close here.

I've tried to find something in either show that makes them "pop," something that will hook enough of the audience to make them viable, and I'm just not seeing it. Even To Tell The Truth's last incarnation had some good laughs with John O'Hurley (no game show hosting experience before that but he did a good job).
 
I liked Crosswords, what I saw of it anyway. I forgot it was on and caught the last 13 mins of it. I started watching Temptation, but because I wasn't feeling well I fell asleep, so I don't even remember what it was about. I'm also ticked off that cheap Tribune in Hartford isn't double running these shows. Most markets are airing 2 episodes. It's trash talk tv 9AM-12PM, game shows 12PM-3PM, and trash talk tv 3PM-5PM.
 
Here in Boston, Crosswords is airing on WHDH (7 NBC) during the 2:00 hour, replacing Passions. But it's a little ironic they decided to air it, because they carried Wheel and Jeopardy! for many, many years. I believe from their debut, until 2001. I still don't know why they dropped it. And why would they decide to carry Crosswords if not Wheel and J?
 
I don't know what is is, but I have a few theories.

1. Station managers that have aversions to game shows period
2. Cheap, low budget prizes (then again they're at GSN-level)
3. Inexperienced hosts (whoever heard of Rossi Morreale?)
4. Formats that audiences found lame

I, for one, like Crosswords better because of the good play along format.
 
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