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wAnatomy of the Game |
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WHAT MAKES A GOOD GAME SHOW?
This question was recently discussed in the alt.tv.game-shows,
a discussion newsgroup dedicated to game shows and it got me thinking?
What makes a game show a "classic"?
First of all, one must look at the term "game show." When you
break the term down, you get two simple words. "Game" and "show."
And those are the two basic factors that make up a game show. Stupid
sounding, eh? Well, let's take a look at each word and its subelements
in this make-shift rubric of what consitutes a good game show...
"GAME"
Obviously, you need some sort of game involved in the show. This may be
the classic standard of the Q-and-A like "The Joker's Wild" or "Jeopardy!,"
games of chance like "High Rollers" and "Card Sharks", or even athletics
like "American Gladiators". There has to be some element of competition
involved.
There are many factors which make a great game:
- STRATEGY - This is key because it puts the player in
control of their destiny. The player must make a decision and figure
out the best one to win the game. One game which is a prime example of
how strategy is a crucial factor is "Whew!" Here, the blocker and
charger have dilemmas. The blocker can rack up money by setting blocks
at the higher-valued questions. However, the charger knowing this
thinking would probably go for the lower values. However, the blocker
can double-think this and go for the lower values to surprise the charger
and so on and so forth. In other, it leads to screwing around with
each other's minds. Great stuff that ups the ante in a good game
show.
Some examples of strategy are evident in modern big money shows. On
"Greed," going for the guy with the biggest share in the Terminator ain't
always the best move since that contestant has probably demonstrated a
quicker hand at the buzzer with a Terminator win. And if you know your
team is strong, going for the "Terminator" might not be always be the best
thing especially going into the $2 million question. "Twenty-One" has
stategy lying in contestants's decisions on whether to "stop the game" or
when to use the "second chance." "Millionaire" even has elements of
strategy with lifelines such as saving the "Ask the Audience" for more
pop culture questions and making sure one doesn't think out a questions
to much aloud before using a "50-50."
- RISK - Another ingredient that helps to make a good game is
having an element of gambling be it the Daily Double in "Jeopardy!" or
spinning the wheel on "Wheel of Fortune." This plays into the
decision-making a contestant must make. Moreover, it adds to the element
of suspense for the viewer. Recent big-money shows like "Greed" and
"Who Wants to be a Millionaire" are the prime examples of this. Should
the contestant risk losing hundreds of thousands for a shot at millions?
In a competitive atmosphere, it lends to the possibility of players having
a chance until the end a la "Final Jeopardy!" when no player has a runaway
lead.
- SIMPLICITY - A good game show is easy to pick up and follow even
if you're just joining in. A great game show has a premise that can be
summed up in a sentence or two at the most. For example, for "Wheel of
Fortune," it would "solve the puzzle." "Jeopardy!" is "give the correct
question for the answer." "Password" is "communicate a word to your
partner using a one-word clue."
- PLAY-ALONG - To me, the game show is the first version of
"interactive" television. What other kinds of television programming
have the viewer trying to participate along with the people on the
screen? This is the particular element of the game in game show that
I like. A game show that can get me to scream out answers or yell out
"pass!" or "play!" gets plus marks from me. It helps in breaking down
that barrier of the screen. And shows like "The Price is Right" or
"Wheel of Fortune," where the material isn't exactly brain surgery,
the play-along factor has the superiority element, one where the viewer
has an "I'm smarter than those fools" mentality while watching the show.
- LINEARITY - While not the most important element, linearity
does help in giving the game a sense of structure. This is especially
true of the relation of the bonus round to the main game. Take "Pyramid"
for instance. The main game has the contestants trying to guess items
in a category while the bonus game has the contestants guess the category
that fits the list of items. "The Price is Right," while having a
myriad of pricing games, keeps to the one theme of guessing prices of
products. Moreover, the showcase round, showcase showdown, and
Item-Up-For-Bids round all follow that key element of "guessing the price
WITHOUT going over." It can be very disorienting to have totally
unrelated elements lumped together in one game. This is one of the
reasons why a game like "Pitfall" (main game: guess #1 vote of audience;
bonus game: answer general knowledge questions) just didn't click with
me.
- DURABILITY - You may have all of the elements above, but in the
long run, will people continue to watch the game? For a game to truly
succeed, it must be able to withstand the test of time and not get boring
after a while. You have to make sure the show is fresh. Now, this doesn't
mean you have to change the game rules every single season. The original
"Password" lasted for almost a decade without a rule change. In fact, too
many changes can throw off a viewer as proven by the ABC version.
"SHOW"
The other half of game show is the "show" element. A show could have a
perfectly solid game, but because of poor production and misguided execution,
it could still fall flat. "Face the Music" is an example of this. It was a
simple game that could be described in one high-concept phrase: "Name That Tune"
meets "Password Plus," but it was cheap looking.
Here are some elements which are important to the "show" in a game show:
- SET/VISUALS - This is television, boys and girls. Make use
of the visuals! Visuals are especially important in the 500-channel
age of television. You gotta have something that catches the eye
and stops the viewers remote. The 90s have been particularly rough
set-wise as early attempts are giving shows a modern look led to cold,
bland sets. The 1994-95 season of the "Family Feud" comes to mind.
However, as the decade closes, set designers have found a happy medium
in which modern technology is used but the sets retain a flashiness
reminiscent of the best sets of the 70s. (The new versions "Family Feud"
and "Hollywood Squares," along with the recent big-money shows like
"Greed," "Weakest Link," and "Millionaire," come to mind.)
As the age-old debate of whether "flip cards v. video walls": If
you ask me personally, I have a soft spot for flip cards. However,
using a video wall over a flip-card does NOT make or break a show.
Video walls can be used effectively as with the new Louie Anderson
version of "Feud," "Jeopardy!" or the German version of "Pyramid."
My thing about modernizing a set for an old show, is that it less of a
risk to do it for a show that's been off the air for years like "Family
Feud." If you do it in the middle of a show's run, it could be jarring
to the viewer. This is probably one thing that killed the 1994 nighttime
version of "The Price is Right." It breaks one's familiarity with
the show. In essence, the nighttime version was competing the established
and beloved daytime version. A friend of school who rarely watches
game shows said that one reason he loves "The Price is Right," is that
it's pretty much stayed the same in the way it looks. I showed him
an episode of the nighttime version from '94 and he did not like it one
bit. To use his words, "they changed too much."
- MUSIC/SOUND EFFECTS - This can be a particularly subjective
issue based on people's music tastes. The one undoubtable element of good
game show music is that it's energetic. You don't want a slow (although
beautiful) piece of music like Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" kicking off
"Wheel of Fortune." Now, in my opinion, what makes a piece of game
show music even better is a distinct melody, one that you can hum after
hearing for a while. More importantly with a distinct melodic theme, a
game show can set itself apart from other shows. The best example is
"Jeopardy!" Whenever you hear that infamous theme, you automatically link
it with "Jeopardy!"
Sound effects are key too. I believe it was Lin Bolen who mentioned
that sound effects make it easy for somebody to other things while watching
and keep track of the show. SFX are especially important with the
advent of video-games, which game shows are...in a sense. Again,
the sound effects build into the energy and drama of a game show.
- DRAMA/SUSPENSE - A great game show is one that not only grabs
somebody's attention, but one that can hold it for an entire half-hour.
Often this is through suspense much of it lying in question of whether
or not the contestant is going to win. The element of risk usually
builds up suspense. However, other things be it the visuals or the
music can add tension to the show. A scoring/rules system where a
game could be blown on one decision (a la "Press Your Luck" and
"High Rollers") again can contribute to drama. Remember, most of the
time the contestants are average Americans. Because of this, the viewer
can relate more with the contestant than with a fictional character played
by a superstar. By putting average Joes in precarious situation a la
"Greed" and "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?," you have a greater bond
between the viewer and person on the screen versus putting somebody like
Superman in a dilemma.
- COMEDY/FUN - Every game show has to have some element of fun
and/or comedy in it. Let's face it, game shows are viewed as light fare.
They're not supposed to be grand Greek tragedies where somebody can die
at the end. It's escapist entertainment where the average citizen
gets to shine as a star. Why put that citizen in real "jeopardy?"
(Excuse the pun.) Obviously, certain levels of humor are appropriate
for certain kinds of shows. For a show like "Match Game," it's
the most important thing. You've gotta make sure that show is fun-filled
for the entire 22 minutes. The panel and writing have to be sharp
and witty or you've got a dull episode on your hands. For other shows,
only a hint is necessary and appropriate. The Trebek "Jeopardy!"
was good at doing this in its first few seasons with categories like
"Stupid Answers" and "Those Darn Etruscans." There was an element of
cuteness and humor, but it didn't distract from the hard-quiz nature of
the show. "Winning Lines" does this effectively by putting creative
spins on basic math word problems. Multiple-choice quizzes have also
demonstrated this by slipping in a humorous wrong answer (a la the Hootie and
Blowfish question on "Greed"). Having a little fun is especially
beneficial to the contestant in a "serious" game show because it helps to
relax the contestant allowing s/he to warm up for the tougher, more meaty
material.
- PERSONALITIES/TALENT (a.k.a the host, announcer, and, if
applicable, models) - To top things off, you need to have good
personalities with your show with the host, being one of the most important
ones. It's not unusual for a great game show to falter with a wrong choice
for host. Perfect case...Rolf Benirschke on "Wheel of Fortune." Nothing
else changed about the show except the host. And unfortunately, he
made the show almost unwatchable. The host gels the mood for the show
and is the viewer's guide through the day or evening's session of gaming.
One important thing is that the host has to be appropriate for the kind of
show. Bob Barker with his audience-participation experience on "Truth or
Consequences" made him a great choice to host "The Price is Right." Jim
Perry with his staccato delivery was great for the fast-paced "$ale of the
Century." Gene Rayburn's ad-lib skills and lack of hesitance to mock fit
with the party-nature of "Match Game."
In addition to the actual personality of the host fitting with the show,
you need a host that has a good sense of game. You may have somebody
who has quick wit, has dashing good looks, but if they don't know how to
run a game and set-up the game for the audience, you really don't have
a host. The host has to be adept at the rules such that it's second
nature to him/her. Also, the host must be able to explain situations
clearly to the audience such as whether a win is possible or a loss is
eminent. This falls into the idea of having a viewer joining in the
middle of the game easily. And on a psychological bent, it adds to
the trust between the contestant and the host again putting the contestant
at ease in an otherwise nerve-wracking situation.
The announcer is also an important role in the show. Often, his/her
voice is the first one you hear on the show. If you have a lousy
announcer, it may cause a person to quickly change the channel at the
beginning of your show thereby losing you a potential viewer. Again, the
personality/tone of the voice must fit the show. Johnny Olson with his
enthusiastic voice was (in my opinion) the quintessential announcer for
"The Price is Right." His takes on "Come on Down" and "A new car!" added
even more energy to the high-octane "Price." Don Pardo had a dramatic,
booming voice that was appropriate for the more serious "Jeopardy!"
And last, but not least, the lovely models...The big draw for men watching
game shows. Back when "Wheel" was a super-hit in the 80s, I'd hear
of how men watched the show for Vanna. But to me, a good model is
one that's more than "eye candy." I, for one, would like to see a
throwback to the days when models would do more than fling their hands
at prizes. Perfect examples of this are Susan Stafford and her mannerisms
on the early years of "Wheel of Fortune" or Summer Bartholomew on "$ale
of the Century." More recently, it's been seen with Tami Anderson on
"Card Sharks." I also thought that it was cool when Bob Barker would take
some time to chat with the Beauties after Most Expensive or Danger Price.
What this does is it creates a sense of family on the show. It breeds a
familiarity which leads to loyalty and a good viewer base for the show.
As to the question over whether there should be a bit more equal opportunity
by having male models. Hell, it didn't hurt "$ale of the Century" or the
Australian and British versions of "The Price is Right!" So, why not?
I think though that models are only appropriate for certain types of shows.
My take is that if it's a light game show with lots of prizes, then yeah,
a model is appropriate. Otherwise, if it's a show like "Jeopardy!" or
"Password," then obviously no.
Granted, this list is not complete and by no means binding. There are certainly
exceptions to every rule. I think the most important thing about a game show
is what Wink Martindale says in many interviews and that it's got to be "compelling."
If it doesn't hook the viewer in and hold a viewer's attention, it's not worth it.
If it doesn't 'cause the viewer to go "Oh no!" when the player loses or even crack
a smile when the player wins, it's not worth it. So there you have it, a look into
what I think are the ingredients to a good game show. See if you can spot these
elements the next time you watch a game show...
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