TRUST ME, I’M A GAME SHOW HOST: You Don’t Have to Be a Genius!

Uber-television producer Mark Burnett has a new game show experiment project called, “Trust Me, I’m A Game Show Host”. The show will be filming for ABC mid-May. A surprising risk for ABC since Burnett’s game show, “Our Little Genius” fell apart at the seams and never made it to air date on FOX.

“Our Little Genius” was a game show that had children who ranged in ages from nine to thirteen compete for money upon the contingency that they answer certain multiple-tier questions directly related to their field of expertise, or “genius”. It was later exposed that a number of contestants were tipped-off on answers, as well as other suspicious on-set activity observed by HOLLYWOOD JUNKET reporters on numerous tape days.

As a result, FOX pulled the show off the Fall schedule. When we contacted the show’s publicist for comments from producers regarding our findings and questions, their response was “FOX has no comment”.

Since then, we’ve uncovered a more recent finding. A source close to the show told us that there was never any game show “Standards and Practices” present on the set of “Our Little Genius”. Our source said that the show brought-in their own team from FOX and Burnett productions.

Producer Mark Burnett has a new game show coming to ABC!

Basically, it appeared as if a reality show creator/producer, (Mark Burnett) chose to film a “game show” in the similar manner as a reality show by ignoring traditional game show rules, such as you don’t give contestant’s multiple chances to re-start their games. And, you don’t replace missed questions with one’s that the contestants’ know.

“Trust Me, I’m a Game Show Host” will include 100 players who are qualified by the Burnett casting team to be good at “reading” people. Scheduled auditions took place at Mark Burnett production facilities in West Los Angeles. Not much information was given out for fear of “leaks”. But, the show will start filming on May 19th and requires two days from contestants.

Questions that contestants can expect are not just basic trivia, but rare and not widely know facts such as: Was ‘Huckleberry Finn the first novel to be written on a type writer, or is Mark Twain related to baseball player Roger Clemens?

The highest amount a contestant can win on the show is $250,000. To apply to be on the show, send a picture, a brief bio, and tell them why you should be on the show to: chasecastingshows@yahoo.com

MINUTE TO WIN IT: or Two…or Three!

SNEAK-PEEK!
SHOW SPOILERS! SHOW SPOILERS! SHOW SPOILERS!

Studio City, CA – Filming for the NBC import of “The Cube”, called “Minute to Win It” with host from Food Network fame, Guy Fieri began on Friday in Studio City.

NBC introduces food host Guy Fieri to the masses. Possibly another show debacle for the network.

The show introduced a set of challenges for it’s contestants that involve using everyday household objects and making complicated stunts with them. It’s almost like Nickelodeon’s “Double Dare” but without the extreme messiness!

The obvious advantage of using everyday items is the show saves tons in production costs especially when the game play takes place directly on the stage with very few props.

Each contestant must complete a series of ten tasks to be completed in one minute or less to win the grand money prize of $1 million. In pursuant of that, the lower money levels that can be obtained are: $1,000; $2.500; $5,000; $10,000; $50,000; $75,000; $125,000; $250,000; $500,000. If $50,000 is won, the contestant keeps that if they fail at tasks after that. If they lose before earning $50,000, they walk away with nothing.

Some tasks that were given to game competitors on Friday’s show included the following: Pulling tissues out of a box with one hand; hitting three soda cans off of another one with a ball of yarn; sucking M&Ms candy up with a drinking straw and placing them atop other straws; riding a bath rug around an obstacle of bath instruments one of which was a toilette plunger; pulling-up M&Ms candy placed on top of a pencil with two strings; and one contestant’s feat was to move cookies into her mouth using only her face muscles.

Rules of challenges are not clearly stated by Fieri, or the announcer. There is a chance the show will add some narration in post production later.

Players get multiple chances if they fail a task. But, only two and they’re called “lives” which represent doppelgangers of there own selves. An exception was made when one contestant could not complete the first task. After missing it the first time, the director of the show stated that they were going to give her a “mulligan” due to nerves. When the contestant failed it a second time. Guess what? Production stopped the show, cleared the stage. Then re-started the whole show over again from the very beginning with a new first task for the player. Really? Did executive producer Mark Burnett leave the set of “Our Little Genius” and go straight onto this one? No game show Standards & Practices in sight, and a “game show” lets a contestant re-start their game.

“Minute to Win It” openly states that every contestant on the show is given the challenges ahead of time and are allowed to practice them at home. I really lost interest at that point. It’s not fun watching contestants re-do something that they’ve already done a number of times at home, even if they still fail the task on-stage.

During day one of filming, there was no explanation given to why contestants practice at home. One possibility might be due to the fact that contestants are given only two lives compared to nine lives given on “The Cube”. Then, why not just add more lives?

With the NBC Pubic Relations Department on a walk-out due to the Conan O’Brien upheaval, NBC really can’t afford another show controversy.