By Andrew Wallenstein
 
    Given the controversy that made the 1950s quiz show "Twenty One" famous, NBC may want to consider intentionally committing corruption for its revival (Sundays and Wednesdays, 8-9 p.m. ET, beginning last night). It may take a headline-grabbing scandal to stand out among the glut of game shows now in primetime.
      "Twenty" follows Fox's "Greed" and CBS' "Winning Lines" among the knockoffs of ABC's phenomenal "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?," which repeated its scintillating summer performance in the November sweeps. And it is certainly fair to wonder if the networks will soon exceed the appetite for these programs, cannibalizing each other's game show in the process.
      But just as "Greed" proved there is room for more than "Millionaire" by garnering decent November Nielsens,  "Twenty" may scrap together a solid viewership. With popular daytime personality Maury Povich as host and a built-in curiosity factor, given the program's notorious legacy, "Twenty" could catch on. However, look for NBC to cut down to one episode per week.
     Like the original, "Twenty" features two contestants in soundproof isolation booths answering 21 trivia questions. A winner will reign as champion until a challenger can bump him off--an effective dramatic thread to get viewers to return for the next episode. There will be some changes in the 21st century "Twenty": In addition to multiple-choice answers, there is no cap on how much prize money can be won. 
     NBC wanted the broadcast "Twenty" live like the original, but technical problems didn't permit. If the show continues beyond its initial four-episode order, expect tape to be ditched.
    Povich is an unusual choice as host, given his not-quite sterling reputation overseeing a talk show a few degrees away from "Jerry Springer." However, "The Maury Povich Show" is actually one of the few programs bucking the trend of talk-show ratings heading south.
    The program being displaced on both Sunday and Wednesday is "Dateline NBC," which is telling. The newsmagazine is finally starting to show the wear and tear of airing five nights a week. "Millionaire" and strong hour-long dramas have been beating up on the franchise all season long. Make no mistake: The double dose of "Twenty" has less to do with public demand and more to do with giving "Dateline" a badly needed rest.
     Benching the newsmagazine on Wednesday represents an aggressive move: After an early-season slump, "Dateline" has done a terrific job anchoring a dominant night for NBC, complete with "The West Wing" and "Law & Order." On January 5th, the Peacock won every half hour of the evening ("Dateline" 10.3/15, "West" 10.4/15, "L&O" 13.9/22). Subbing "Twenty" on Wednesday won't last long if it hurts the dramas that follow.
     Sunday will be a challenge as well because there's no beating CBSs' "Touched By an Angel," but second place is respectable. It's highly unlikely NBC will yield winning ratings on both nights, so look for "Twenty" to settle on one night by February.
    ABC is ready for all comers, kicking off the thrice-weekly run of "Millionaire" with an eight-night marathon that began last night. NBC is smartly dodging that bullet by canceling tomorrow night's episode of "Twenty." 
     Still, "Millionaire" will air Sundays one hour after "Twenty," and it remains to be seen whether there is room for two game shows on one night. With the inevitable decline of the entire genre, here's an idea the networks might want to consider: A quadruple crossover pitting champs from each of the game show against each other in one grand battle. That way, everyone is a ratings winner.

-Andrew Wallenstein covers television programming for Media Life.