I attended last Wednesday's non-airing pilot taping of the new "Let's Make a Deal." Here are some notes:
- I didn't hear any theme music, just a lady (maybe the accompianist from Whose Line Is It Anyway?) who played a drum set, chimes, keyboard, etc. Was that a fixture from the 60s version? - the Zongks were great: a sumo wrestler, a pile of rocks (with a live outside video feed of staff putting the fake boulders in someone's trunk - they said it was the contestant's) - Wayne Brady was great: was livelier and more energetic than when I went to a taping of TPIR with Drew Carey the previous day - Amazing costumes: far more intricate and ornate than what I remember from reruns of the original. I don't know where all of the weridos in the audience came from. I was visiting friends in LA and stumbled across a blurb about the taping by checking the OTV website the night before. I pieced together a crappy costume at the last minute just so I could get in for the taping (they said you couldn't be in the studio without a costume). This was not the case with the original, correct? I remember only costumed audience members made up the front portion of the studio audience. How do they expect to have 300+ people in costume for a taping every day? -These zealous costumed folks were rightfully ticked off to find out it was a non-airing pilot with no real prizes. They got angry - and were vocal about it. I kept being told we would be dismissed at 2:30, but at 3:00 I finally had to excuse myself (but to the chagrin of production staff) and leave my seat so I could make a 3:30 taping of Craig Ferguson (which forced me to sit all the way in the last seat for that taping - oh well, at least I got to see LMAD). - I didn't care for the announcer. He kept coming into the audience with the boxes Wayne used for deals. Is this how the original worked? If so, they need a campier/wackier guy to assist Wayne - this guy didn't have a lot of stage presence. He also showed up in a few of the Zongks. Makes me yearn for the Johnny Olsons/Rod Roddy's of TV game shows. - The lettering for the show's title is awesome - almost identical to the original (if not the original). The studio is huge and bright (unlike TPIR), which, presumably, is because all of the action takes place in the studio audience - unlike TPIR. They were still laying carpet and building the set right before the pilot started. Way too many stops/starts to make it fun sitting there, though. - I think this show has a lot of potential because most people sitting near me had never heard of nor seen the original (I'm 27, but am very familiar from reruns of the original). It has a special resonance in today's economy with the need for quick cash and "making deals" -- I think today's audience, weaned on Deal or No Deal type shenanigans, would go for this kind of last-minute, nail-biting, trivia-lacking game showery. Think of all of the costume potential. What was the "risque" adult revival like someone posted about on here? On Jul 16, 9:06 am, Ed Dravecky <[email protected]> wrote: > colonial <[email protected]> wrote: > > In regards to the pilot -- keep in mind that CBS is (apparently) > > considering three game shows for (we presume) two slots -- Pyramid, > > LMAD and The Dating Game (the pilot for which tapes today in NYC with > > Paige Davis hosting). > > I'm torn. I (heart) Paige Davis but I don't care for "The Dating Game". > > -- > Ed Dravecky IIIhttp://www.fencon.org/ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
