Well, we’ve gone through a pretty big year for GSN. Whether it came to new originals like Catch 21 and Bingo America, classic acquisitions like Tic Tac Dough, or the logo change… there was a lot in store for game show fans.
This network has had some real positives this year, or at least I thought so. As much as I dislike the amount of skipped episodes it can cause, I do like GSN Live. There have been some great guests as result of this show… Geoff Edwards, Bob Eubanks, Tom Kennedy, Bill Rafferty; it’s really helped the network go back to its old roots. There’s also been some good acquisitions. I love that Meredith’s version of Millionaire is on the schedule. I have my issues with Donny’s version of Pyramid, but I am glad to see it. I was so happy to see Russian Roulette come back to the line-up, as well as seeing To Tell The Truth with Bud Collyer and Wheel of Fortune returning. It's nice seeing Wheel before it became gimmick city. The special marathons were a real treat as well. The Play it Back marathons featured now rarely aired classics like The $25,000 Pyramid and The Dating Game. The Christmas marathons were really nice. I loved seeing Combs Feud get a marathon of its own. And I can’t wait for the $100,000 Pyramid New Year’s Eve marathon. The logo change I think was for the best as well. The new logo looks more game-like, and the slogan as well. Another sign of the network going back to its roots.
With the positives there have been some negatives. Removing Body Language and Double Dare from the weekend overnights being one thing. That awful summer campaign “Catch a Game.” It really wouldn’t have been so bad if they had more going for it than the same three promos played over and over during every commercial break. Some of the original stuff really wasn’t much to write home about. How Much Is Enough I found to be a huge disappointment. And Think Like A Cat? For that I have seven words: What. In. The. Hell. Was. That. Crap. Cancelling Lingo I don’t think was such a good idea either. And Alfonso Ribiero… I’m sorry, I’m sure you’re a nice guy, but I’m really not a fan of your hosting. PLEASE tone it down and use your indoor voice! It’s like watching Todd Newton on Whammy!.
Here’s hoping that 2009 is a great year for GSN, for game show lovers of all kinds!
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