Friday, June 21, 2019

Always Freeze on an 8

ABC has made a thing of doing old game show revivals during the summer, and for the most part, they've been OK.

Pyramid is true to the original, fortunately.  To Tell the Truth isn't, unfortunately.  I have yet to see Press Your Luck, but I have caught Card Sharks.

It's nice to hear the old theme, which actually started with a short lived Alex Trebek hosted show called Double Dare.

Back to Card Sharks, contestants play one game.  Ten cards rather than the old five.  The game is flawed.  There is a maximum of five survey questions.  If there is no winner by the fifth, it's sudden death-- play or pass, just like the old days.  It's hard to get all the way across the ten card board in five questions, so it all comes down to that one last question, and that's not right.

The bonus round is similar to the old one, but with a lot more money.  The display needs work.  It's tough to follow bets and accumulated money.

The audience is too noisy.  The contestants are too hyper.

The guy with the pretentious scruff, host Joel McHale isn't bad, but I don't think he brings much to the table either.

My big problem is the pacing.  It's just too darn slow. 

There were two daytime versions of Card Sharks, one from 78 to 81 and another from 86 to 89.  Jim Perry did the original with a great deal of energy, and he really moved the show along.  Bob Eubanks was a little slower and the show was filled with gimmicks.  It still wasn't bad.

The new Card Sharks really needs to pick up the pace.