What could have been

New Years Day is a nice time for looking back. Luckily, at least a few disasters have been averted in human history. One of them almost overtook GSN in 2001, before president Michael Fleming was relieved of his duties in favor of the pictured Rich Cronin. From a post of mine on the GSN Classics board...

Just rummaging around the web, I found this gem from March, 2001: Game Show Network Debuts New Development Slate for 2001; Original Programming Continues to Represent a Significant and Growing Portion of GSN's Program Line Up. I won't quote all of the article, but it shows what might have happened if the change in administration hadn't occurred:

"Game Show Network (GSN), cable's only 24-hour programming service devoted exclusively to game shows and interactive game play, continues its commitment to creating new and innovative programming by unveiling a new development slate for 2001. Titles included are Shoot for Love, Hell Yes I'm a Redneck, Billboard Living, E-Match and Grab the Mic. All shows are being developed as half-hour programs with interactive elements and will begin rolling out in late spring.

"'A year ago, we created a mandate to fill the program schedule with 50% original content by 2003 while providing unique and entertaining game shows in the process,' stated Kristin Peace, vice president, programming, GSN. 'This new development slate represents our determination to meet that goal.'"

Fortunately, the new development slate never got off the ground. The description of Hell Yes I'm a Redneck makes Lingo look like a timeless classic (which it is, actually). But the story reveals how long ago the decline in pre-1990 material began. This has been going on for a long, long time.

UPDATE: I can't resist one show description, because it sounds like something out of The Onion: "Billboard Living places teams of contestants on billboards across the country, where they will live and compete against one another for prizes...and toiletries." Yeah, I wanna live on a billboard for toiletries. Reminds me of that old Johnny Carson joke about Bowling for Towels.

Other poster: Hell Yes I'm A Redneck.......... Did they get Jeff Foxworthy to host?

This was pre-Foxworthy. I vaguely remember a GSN guy who used to post on these boards. He mentioned this show as part of the horrible lineup the previous regime was planning. I had never seen this press release before today, but now I understand what that GSN guy was talking about.

Truth to tell, a lot of godawful stuff did get to air back then, like Burt Luddin and Extreme Gong. So I can only imagine what this batch of originals would have looked like. The Boden originals which eventually replaced this development slate weren't all great, but they shined like gold in comparison. Even Friend or Foe looks good compared to Billboard Living.