Fading fortunes
for syndie game shows

Lackluster 'Millionaire,' so onto the next big thing

By Kevin Downey

    If things worked out the way media people and TV station owners were thinking they would this time last year, “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” would be a giant hit in syndication right about now.
   Not only that, if the program were a hit it would almost certainly be spawning a slew of copy- cat shows, as happened with its predecessor on ABC and as is happening now with any number of reality shows.
   As things are actually working out, though, “Millionaire” is only pulling modest ratings at the midpoint of its first season and is failing to re-ignite a foundering genre.
   With game shows struggling for years, outside of a few encouraging seasons for “Hollywood Squares,” the lackluster ratings for “Millionaire” mean more than just the failure of that show to live up to expectations.
   If the lack of any new game shows coming to syndication next season is any indication, it also means the one show that could have revived the genre is serving as a warning to station owners that it’s time to move onto the next big thing.
   “If people were seeing decent numbers and there was demand from advertisers, who have so much influence in programming, we would be seeing a lot of development,” says Chris Allen, national broadcast supervisor at GSD&M.
   “If they are not pulling the numbers, people are going to jump onto whatever is working. A couple of years ago it was court shows, and then when ‘Millionaire’ was such a big hit for ABC, everybody was developing a game show.”
   The lack of new show development is coming as good news for several sub-par shows.
   If anything was set to take their place, it’s very likely at least a few game shows now on the air would be facing cancellation.
   Among the longer- running shows, household ratings through Feb. 2, which include the first few days of the February sweeps, are down 7 percent for “Hollywood Squares” and “Street Smarts,” 6 percent for “Weakest Link” and 23 percent for “Family Feud.”
   While no decision has been made on the fate of “Weakest Link” or “Street Smarts,” “Hollywood Squares” and “Family Feud” have been renewed for next season.
   Regarding the two new shows, “Millionaire,” which ranks a distant No. 3 among game shows with a 2.9 rating, will be back for a second year.
   “In the case of ‘Millionaire,’ the expectations were very high,” says Bill Carroll, vice president and director of programming at the Katz Television Group.
   “The performance has been good, but not great. But most stations made a two-year commitment to the show, so realistically they are looking at another season.”
   “Pyramid,” which has a 1.9, will also be back.
   “’Pyramid’ is a different situation,” says Carroll.
   “Where it was not cleared in markets with ‘Millionaire,’ it’s mostly running in daytime. For daytime, it is doing well. The fact that it was renewed in New York and Los Angeles is a good indication that it will go forward with a second season.”
   Meanwhile, the No. 1- and No. 2- ranked “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy” aren’t going anywhere anytime soon and there is a chance that one more game show will be on the air next year.
   NBC is giving a new version of “Let’s Make a Deal” a five-week tryout this March. If primetime ratings are good, it’s assumed the show will pop up in syndication this fall.
   “There is always going to be a place for game shows,” says Allen.
   “But like everything else, things get over-saturated for viewers and advertisers. But I think there will be a resurgence at some point.”