SyndieBAM ratings

[MarleysGh0st]

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/s ... ops/139082

In access, game shows were uniformly soft. ... Disney-ABC’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire dropped 11% to a 1.7, down 23% from last year.

Way to make Cedric look good, Terry.

[jaybee]

It's been what? 10+ years since there was a millionaire winner?

Granted, I no longer watch WWTBAM any more but from what I seen / heard / read it's just about impossible to win the whole thing in the syndi-shows format. While there is some entertainment in playing along, the bottom line for WWTBAM is to actually see a top winner every once in a while. As it is, viewers don't believe in that happening, so viewership and ratings are going to continue down.

[SportsFan68]

It's been what? 10+ years since there was a millionaire winner?

Granted, I no longer watch WWTBAM any more but from what I seen / heard / read it's just about impossible to win the whole thing in the syndi-shows format. While there is some entertainment in playing along, the bottom line for WWTBAM is to actually see a top winner every once in a while. As it is, viewers don't believe in that happening, so viewership and ratings are going to continue down.

I agree. If you don't get a WWOQ in the first tier, you'll darn sure get one -- or two or three -- in Classic Millionaire. There aren't enough lifelines to win.

[Kazoo65]

I agree about the WWOQs. They have come up with some real doozies this year-remember the guy who got up to the $500K question and was asked about what occasion members of Parliament drink alcohol? That is just one example of many I could point out-just read the show transcripts. There's at least one in every episode.

As for the ratings, I think they need a host who is likable, but not over-enthusiastic. Terry seems like a fun guy to have at a party, but as a game show host he needs to tone it down just a little. Also, all that promoting of his other show "You might recognize me from Brooklyn Nine-Nine" is annoying.

I really don't care for him a lot.

As I have pointed out before, the Plus One is a terrible lifeline. I think they should get rid of it and bring back either the 50/50 or Double Dip-at least that would give someone a shot at answering the question.

[Bob Juch]

I agree about the WWOQs. They have come up with some real doozies this year-remember the guy who got up to the $500K question and was asked about what occasion members of Parliament drink alcohol? That is just one example of many I could point out-just read the show transcripts. There's at least one in every episode.

I knew that one cold. There are at least two in each episode though.

[TheConfessor]

It's been what? 10+ years since there was a millionaire winner?

Granted, I no longer watch WWTBAM any more but from what I seen / heard / read it's just about impossible to win the whole thing in the syndi-shows format. While there is some entertainment in playing along, the bottom line for WWTBAM is to actually see a top winner every once in a while. As it is, viewers don't believe in that happening, so viewership and ratings are going to continue down.

I agree that the overall difficulty of the question stack is somewhat harder than it was in the Regis years, but back then you actually had to answer 15 questions correctly (or 16 if you include the FF question). Now there are only 14 questions and you can skip one if you don't like it (and for a few years, you could skip two questions, and only answer 12 to win a million). I think the biggest difference is that they don't want any big winners, so they mostly cast mediocre players who are risk averse and have no sense of strategy, who have no intention or expectation of going for big bucks.

I don't think the show will get a chance for ratings to decline much lower. People who study such matters seem to think the show will not be renewed for another season, partly due to anemic ratings, but also because of commitments that have already been announced by important stations to carry other new syndicated shows, and WWTBAM keeps getting squeezed out, or relegated to very undesirable time slots. Sad to see it end like this, if that's what happens.

[ghostjmf]

If all these grim predictions are to come true, it would have been nice if they'd given us long-time auditioners a shot before the ship sails/sinks. At least we would come to play. And I can jump up & down & scream if I really have reason.

[tlynn78]

It's been almost long enough for someone to re-boot, and do a revival of "Classic" Millionaire, phone game and all, no?

[TheConfessor]

For the majority of folks here who no longer watch the show, I'll report that they seem to have added a fourth lifeline this week, called "Cut The Question," which appears to be the same thing as "Jump The Question" except that it is represented by a symbol for a pair of scissors, instead of by an arrow. Maybe this new lifeline just causes the question to be replaced instead of jumped, but it's not clear. This week happens to be "Whiz Kids Week" or some such distraction, so maybe the fourth lifeline is just a temporary thing for the kids. So now when the show gets cancelled, the producers will claim that they tried everything possible, but the show just could not be saved.

[Bob Juch]

For the majority of folks here who no longer watch the show, I'll report that they seem to have added a fourth lifeline this week, called "Cut The Question," which appears to be the same thing as "Jump The Question" except that it is represented by a symbol for a pair of scissors, instead of by an arrow. Maybe this new lifeline just causes the question to be replaced instead of jumped, but it's not clear. This week happens to be "Whiz Kids Week" or some such distraction, so maybe the fourth lifeline is just a temporary thing for the kids. So now when the show gets cancelled, the producers will claim that they tried everything possible, but the show just could not be saved.

This week's shows are repeats and yes, it was just a temporary change.