This one will be slightly different, with more generations than just Boomers vs. 9 year olds represented. But the concept is essentially the same. 

The worst part of the U.S. version, which in itself was a remake of an ancient gameshow, was how they awarded the prize. (I also watched it once and once only.) Whichever family won, it was up to the little kid, sometimes no older than 6 or 7, to choose between prizes. One was an expensive brand-new car. The other was a toy tricycle or something similar. The family wasn't allowed to tell the kid which one to pick, and very often the kid did what kids do - go for the toy, cheating the family out of a prize worth thousands and thousands of dollars. 

I hated that, although you could tell the producers thought it was cute. I think it might eventually scar the kid for life when they get older and realize what they did. Anyway, just my reaction. I hope the Canadian version does not repeat that mistake.

Canada has had a strange relationship with TV game shows. For years, whether out of legal restrictions on how much they could give away or just plain cheapness (or more likely both) terrible prizes were the main feature of all of them. 

They were made with a minimum of dollars spent, looked cheap and had prizes that were chintzy in comparison to their U.S. counterparts. I seem to recall a government edict that wouldn't allow game shows to give away anything above a certain dollar threshold. So while Canadians were watching Monty Hall reveal cars and trips behind Door #2 on "Let's Make A Deal" down south, Canucks were watching their home grown shows handing out grand prizes like a new mattress. 

As a kid, I once went to a taping of an obscure Canadian TV show called "All About Faces." The premise of the game was that crews went out to film ordinary people put in strange situations (like Candid Camera) and they'd then freeze the face of the person, asking contestants to guess by their expressions what they would do next. They'd then play the rest of the tape, revealing what happened. 

I still remember to this day a floor director trying to whip up excitement in the audience, attempting to get people to go "Oooh!" and "Ahhh!" when they revealed the big prize of a mattress to the winner. It was absurd then and it's downright laughable now. 

But that's nothing compared to what CHCH was turning out in nearby Hamilton. Their budgets were almost non-existent. They did a show called "It's A Match" that I used to watch on my lunch break from school. It was hosted by Jack Barry, a well-known U.S. host who was fleeing from the game show scandals down south and was looking to make a living when he was blacklisted for a time down there. 

It was a memory game and I still recall their all-time champ, a local school teacher named Rocky Sankoff who had a photographic memory. He was on the show for months on end, and no one could defeat him. One day, Barry asked him the same question he had at the end of every show - "are you coming back tomorrow?" 

He stunned the host and viewers by saying, "No Jack, I think I'll retire undefeated and give someone else a chance."  And how much did he walk away with after so many months of winning? A grand total of $64. Yes, Sixty-four bucks. Now THAT'S cheap!

Fortunately, things have improved over the years and the new show CTV is planning will give away a share of $25,000, which is at least respectable. But it wasn't always that way. 

Typical, spinning negative on a new Canadian program before it even airs.  Oh, and the inaccurate post headline was from our moderator, who hates Canadian programming and most things from this country. What a surprise!!  

By the way, Generation Gap with Kelly Ripa did not bomb on ABC.  Generation Gap was on ABC for 9 weeks during the summer. Four of the 9 programs rated with over 3 million viewers and all of the rest at over 2.5 million. The show has neither been renewed or cancelled for a second season so far.  Have you seen ABC's prime time ratings?

Last night for example, Home Economics had 2 million viewers, Abbott Elementary 2.6 million (supposedly a hit show for ABC)  and Big Sky 2.2 million.  The only show that approached Generation Gaps best rating of 3.85 million was the Connors last night with 3.7 million.  So in fact Generation Gap did not "bomb" this past summer.  Imagine.. summer programming getting better numbers than the big fall season, who knew? 

CTV's show has different rules and a different name by the way.  But hey, please don't the facts get into a good anti-Canadian rant. 

Well according to TV Series Finale as of today Generation Gap has neither been cancelled or renewed by ABC. It coming back next summer is irrelevant, they could bring it back in the spring or, summer or next fall.  

I never said anything about the show being good or not, but it did not bomb as you say.  And it is a different show than CTV's so that's why I took you to task about your typically negative spin of anything Canadian. CTV's Battle of the Generations show might turn out to be dreadful, but let's give it a chance before passing judgement, and typically negative spin.

If summer ratings are meaningless as you say, then that holds true for the fall?  Like it or not Generation Gap had better ratings than ABC's Wednesday fall programming last night.  All shows last evening were also new, no repeats. 

 

ABC so far this fall has had terrible prime time ratings. The new season thus far is not really attracting more eyeballs.  Last Thursday evening at 9pm (same timeslot as Generation Gap) final numbers for Greys Anatomy came in at 3.48 million and this was for a new show.  Generation Gap over the nine weeks in the summer had 3.05 million viewers, with the highest week at 3.85 million. 

But you didn't address my main concern why you always opt to go with negative comments with any Canadian programming or many things Canadian?  Being the moderator I would think you would be more balanced and not automatically try to give the impression that a show is inferior or poor before it is even produced or gets to air.
, 
And of course we need to read another rant about how terrible and cheap Canadian game shows from 50 years ago were. Many of them were, some even laughable, but some were popular regardless of the cheap prizes.  If the audience liked and watched shows like Definition, Party Game, Cash Cab, Front Page Challenge, Flashback, Amazing Race Canada, or Test Pattern their cheapness or the fact they were Canadian produced doesn't really matter. 

"I have no problem with Canadian shows..."  Hahaha....yeah sure.  Your many posts over the years, even above prove otherwise. 

It usually seems to be beyond your opinion but rather a genuine dislike of domestic programming or any of the companies that produce them.  Doesn't matter if it is Bell or Rogers or CBC even independent you normally seem to have already decided that the show or the idea of the show is pointless. 

The gist of this post at the beginning seemed to be why would CTV copy a show that already bombed in the US?  So right from the get go the heading is wrong and misleading, and you do this all the time. 
 
The ABC program and the CTV offering might be similar but the rules and formats are different, the name of the program is different.  And the US Generation Gap actually didn't bomb as you said.  Shows like this have been done for decades.  

Who said you should apologize?   However it would be nice for a change if you were actually more sensible in your initial comments, rather than the usual predictable biased remarks.

 

Last edited by paterson1 (November 3, 2022 10:22 pm)

Someone did an interesting history of Canadian game shows. Apparently two producers who were basically unemployable in the US due to the 1950s quiz show scandal came up to Canada to produce game shows in the 60s.

https://youtu.be/D1wS8l_ztE8

Last edited by Hansa (November 4, 2022 8:22 am)

Many many moons ago (mid 80's), during our yearly trip from NW Ontario to Toronto, somehow convinced my Mom to take me all the way out to CFTO (which seemed like a 2 hour subway ride and then transfers to 13 different busses from downtown) to see a taping of a game show. Wish I could remember which one.  It was March but wouldn't air until that October - so when it came to revealing what the contestant won - it was silence because they didn't know what they'd be giving away until later in the year!
Same thing, floor director had us acting like they had just won a gazillion dollars when they came back from the insert.  If I recall correctly, when it finally aired, it was a set of cookbooks!   
But I did get to see myself in the audience for 2 seconds, and was "famous" at school for a day.    LOL