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May 11, 2004 Love them or hate them, game shows have had a profound influence on American society. When the novelty of early commercial television programming -- which consisted mostly of men in dark ties with big aviator glasses reading the headlines -- began to fade, game shows again were introduced to revive interest among viewers but also to help promote the belief that every home should have at least one television set. “You Bet Your Life,” “$64,000 Question” and even the infamous “21,” memorialized in the 1994 movie “Quiz Show,” brought viewers back to TV in droves. In the 1970s, game shows continued to grow in popularity -- much as did use of the term "whoopee" as a euphemism for something you make. "Match Game," "Password," "$25,000 Pyramid," and even an early version of "Jeopardy" consumed the American viewer during the afternoon. It’s cheap programming, and seems to provide a lasting viewership. With the "Game Show Network," there is even a cable network dedicated to playing re-runs of old game shows. America loves game shows, and so too do broadcasters. They work. More recently, Regis Philbin -- with his "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?" show, pitting contestants against their own brains in a trivia contest with a million dollar payoff -- saved ABC from utter obscurity. The network had been plagued with bad prime-time ratings for years, and needed a shot in the arm. A game show was exactly what the doctor ordered, and for two glorious years, Philbin was everyone’s favorite quizmaster. In the obsolescence of the Millionaire show, ABC -- still struggling with prime-time -- has upped the ante and has reintroduced Regis Philbin as host of a "Supermillionaire" program, where contestants can win as much as $10 million. Variations on a theme have been de rigeur among game shows for years -- Teen Week, Couples Week, College Week, and so on. This week, however, ABC has officially gone overboard -- "Beltway Jeopardy," in which celebrity newscasters and journalists compete for charity. A reader once asked me "What's a beltway?" to which I responded "About four ounces." My wit was lost on this fellow, who obviously didn't know that the Beltway refers to the loop of highway surrounding Washington, D.C., and is a synonym for being "in the know" about all things political. This Thursday night, on Beltway Jeopardy, newsbabe Ashleigh Banfield will compete against Ari Fleischer, the former press secretary for President Bush. "Meet the Press" host Tim Russert, veteran journalist Bob Woodward and even ridiculously liberal Al Franken join them this week. Watching Woodward miss a question about his Watergate source "Deep Throat" will be hard to beat. ABC officials, so desperate for ratings, they believe that turning the show that has evolved into America’s de factor I.Q. test into a carnival stunt will win points with viewers. It’s not much, as far as sweeps week stunts go, since most shows depend on violence, bikinis or some combination thereof to garner better scores with advertisers. However, in their defense, Banfield is right up my alley and you can bet I’ll be watching. I like her glasses and I like her laugh. It’s sort of a girlish giggle, which is big with me. Also, since both she and host Alex Trebek are Canadians, she’ll probably be given numerous easy questions. Some of the ladies out there in TV land may want to watch MSNBC’s Anderson Cooper or Tucker Carlson, co- host of CNN’s "Crossfire," for the same reason I’m watching Banfield. What bothers me is that I was not chosen to participate on the show. That you’re reading me now is proof that I’m in the media and, better yet, I’m VERY good at Jeopardy. Mostly though, I crave any chance I can get to reveal Franken for the dufus he is. I’d love to beat him on that show, especially with questions from categories like "Endangered Species" or "Taxing and Spending." So, rather than participate directly, I’ll watch the show from my living room chair, rooting for Banfield and making derogatory remarks about Franken. I can only hope you’ll do the same -- if not for me, then for the beleaguered little network we call ABC. ------------ About the author: Doug Hecox is an accomplished stand-up comedian whose work has appeared in everything from Reader's Digest to the Washington Monthly. His latest book, "Graze Expectations," is available widely. For more information, visit Doug at www.dougfun.com. Email: doug@dougfun.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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