Home Theater Forum › Home Theater Forum › Entertainment › TV Programming › Duel game show on ABC
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Duel game show on ABC

post #1 of 15
12/19/07 at 11:02am
Thread Starter 
It's always a bad sign for a network show when there's no thread about it at HTF.

Is anyone else watching this one?

I find the tournament aspect interesting but am not a fan of the host, Mike Greenberg. He's not doing a bad job, just doesn't interest me as much as other hosts... I guess there's more to hosting a game show than it looks.

Of course, this show is plagued by the 21st century game show trend of stretching things out way beyond the limit needed to be able to tolerate the show live.
Reply
post #2 of 15
12/19/07 at 3:49pm

Re: Duel game show on ABC

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Lockwood
Of course, this show is plagued by the 21st century game show trend of stretching things out way beyond the limit needed to be able to tolerate the show live.
Exactly the point I was going to make when I clicked on this thread, which you can say for most of the current prime-time game shows.. There's a good game in there, just not at the snail's pace the show has. If this was a half-hour syndicated show, I think it would work much better.

Now that the show is 60 minutes tonight, as opposed to 90 minutes the last two nights, maybe it won't seem as bad.
Reply
post #3 of 15
12/19/07 at 5:33pm
Thread Starter 

Re: Duel game show on ABC

Can you imagine if Jeopardy moved at that pace? A 30-min episode would take about 10 hours.
Reply
post #4 of 15
12/19/07 at 6:47pm

Re: Duel game show on ABC

I watched this Tuesday, and while I like the concept of the game I'm bothered by three things

1. the stretching out
2. the host
3. the way the contestants choose to react or stylish poses to be in when they get chosen and being referred by their job title
Reply
post #5 of 15
12/20/07 at 10:53am

Re: Duel game show on ABC

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Lockwood
Can you imagine if Jeopardy moved at that pace? A 30-min episode would take about 10 hours.

"This..."

- commercial break -

"...is Jeopardy!"
Reply
post #6 of 15
12/20/07 at 11:34am

Re: Duel game show on ABC

The game concept is neat, but I can't really handle these new game shows for more than a couple of days -- I always realize there's something far more worthwhile I could be doing.

I watch Mike Greenberg every morning on ESPN2, and he's fine as a sports commentator. When I watch The Duel, it reminds me that there are no writers feeding him clever lines to fill time.
Reply
post #7 of 15
12/20/07 at 11:36am

Re: Duel game show on ABC

Was it "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" that started this annoying trend in game shows? (taking 5 minutes per question, or for a contestant to make a decision (i.e. in "Deal or No Deal")
I prefer normal or fast-paced shows like Jeopardy.
Reply
post #8 of 15
12/20/07 at 11:41am

Re: Duel game show on ABC

Yes, this is all due to Millionare. I guess there are people who like to watch the contestants and the hosts drag out their answers, but I'm not one of them. It's my biggest pet peeve in regards to modern game shows. I find the whole thing unwatchable. Being a Jeopardy fan, going through 6 questions in a 30 minute time span is a glacial pace.
Reply
post #9 of 15
12/20/07 at 12:17pm

Re: Duel game show on ABC

Quote:
I watch Mike Greenberg every morning on ESPN2, and he's fine as a sports commentator. When I watch The Duel, it reminds me that there are no writers feeding him clever lines to fill time.

I tuned in part way through and didn't stick around long, so I never heard the host's name mentioned. I watched it knowing I knew the guy from somewhere but I couldn't place him. I just knew that in this setting I viscerally disliked him. Actually, I find him pretty annoying on Mike & Mike, too, but that's more a matter of style than making me feel personally hostile towards the guy. (I even felt a little bit sorry for him when he disgraced himself during that "Skills every man should have segment" ) But on Duel I wanted to smack him.

And yes, the format is maddening. All the artificial drama of withholding the next answer until after the commercial break. Howie Mandel manages to wink at the artifice even while he's sticking to the formula. Greenberg makes an annoying gimmick seem somehow worse by his mere presence. Hosting a game show is not as easy as it looks.

Regards,

Joe
Reply
post #10 of 15
12/20/07 at 1:49pm

Re: Duel game show on ABC

You think the slow is painful to watch now...it could get much worse once someone figures this out...Due to this stupid rule:

There is no time limit to answer the questions.


So, I could put down my chip(s) - and just wait for the entire show - or force the person I was dueling to "Press the time" - but you only have 2 presses available. After those are used up, I could wait for the entire show before I pushed the green "In In" Button.....you could even wait for several shows before locking in....

If someone is down to 1 chip, and does not know the answer - and their opponent does not have any presses left.....that could be the end of it. Greenberg would just be sitting there saying "Are you going to lock in your answer?"....you could just say something stupid like "I'm still thinking about it...." the show would never end...
Reply
post #11 of 15
12/20/07 at 2:01pm

Re: Duel game show on ABC

Things I would fix with the game:

Once 1 person locks in, the other only has 1 minute to lock in...keep the 7 second press also....

Once someone is pressed - they can only use 2 chips (cannot cover all 4 of the answers) - makes the press a little more effective.

Only allow for a maximum of 3 chips to be played at once....none of this cover all of the answers crud. At least make it a possibility that you could go home on every round. As it is now, once both players cover all 4 anwsers, it is a just a wash....

With the press rule mentioned above - if you don't know the answer, you would only have a 50/50 shot at getting it correct on a press...
Reply
post #12 of 15
12/24/07 at 9:53am

Re: Duel game show on ABC

Quote:
Originally Posted by Martino
If someone is down to 1 chip, and does not know the answer - and their opponent does not have any presses left.....that could be the end of it. Greenberg would just be sitting there saying "Are you going to lock in your answer?"....you could just say something stupid like "I'm still thinking about it...." the show would never end...

They would just edit it down. It's not live. (If you watch closely, you'll notice that they already do.)

On the other hand. . .fastest game-show finale EVAH!
Reply
post #13 of 15
12/27/07 at 7:43am
Thread Starter 

Re: Duel game show on ABC

Martino, I can only approve your first idea. But with the ability to edit the show it isn't necessary.

> Once someone is pressed - they can only use 2 chips (cannot cover all 4 of the answers) - makes the press a little more effective.

Huh? One point of the press is to get the opponent to use up their chips, so limiting them to 2 makes no sense.


> Only allow for a maximum of 3 chips to be played at once.

Huh? The point is to get your opponent to run out of chips first, so how would limiting the chips help?

It sounds like you're just trying to get the duels over faster, so why not just limit it to one chip per question?
Reply
post #14 of 15
12/28/07 at 2:16pm

Re: Duel game show on ABC

"Huh? The point is to get your opponent to run out of chips first, so how would limiting the chips help?"

I think the point is to win the duel - no one runs out of chips. At the worst, they are each left with 1, and they have to answer the correct question. If they both use their 1 chip correctly, it goes to the next question until someone gets it wrong.

As I stated, it should be possible to loose on every round.

Playing 4 chips does reduce your number, and then you eventually end up with less then 4 so you can't cover all - then the game gets interesting...

I just want to eliminate the "push" rounds - where both or one cover all 4 answers on a hard question - it is just boring...

At least make it a possibility that you could go home on every round. For the "I have no idea what the answer is...you have to guess, and hope the one you didn't cover is not the answer.

As it is now, once both players cover all 4 answers, it is a just a wash....and a waist of time.
Reply
post #15 of 15
12/29/07 at 10:27pm

Re: Duel game show on ABC

The rules of "Duel" are more difficult than the hardest question given by Mike. I kept thinking you could double up on your chips if you knew the answer.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: TV Programming
Home Theater Forum › Home Theater Forum › Entertainment › TV Programming › Duel game show on ABC