*game show crazy*

So, they say a new television war is brewing in Hollywood. It's not the battle over sitcoms. Hell. Sitcoms--as we know it--are dead. In the first half of the Fall season, the sitcoms dropped from left to right with their legs in the air. People are tired of being funny. Instead, avarice has caught their eye. Hmmmmm. Let's see. There's Greed, on FOX. And then, Twenty-one on NBC. And CBS has also unveiled a new game show as well. It is called Winning Lines. And they are all counter-programmed against each other in Mortal Kombat-style.

However, this new breed of game show isn't hell bent on testing people on their knowledge. They are tapping into the "get-rich-quick" craze that has been born from the vigorous and steady rise (and fall) of Internet Stocks. With a secure economy and media mergers, this need to build up wealth has also captured the television audience. And what better way to add to this fervor than in the form of game shows? However, these shows lack the charm that the ones seen in the 1970's possessed. Instead, these game shows are rather blatant in their representation. They appeal to us in a greedy, self-centered way. What is rather sickening about this new wave of game show is that they are rather convenient for the networks. First of all, they are a surefire way to get what they call audiences in the TV Business, demos. Secondly, no one has to worry whether these shows have violent and sexual content. Therefore, there won't be any parents' groups picketing the sets of these programs. Thirdly, they are cheaper to produce than the lavish sets on other television shows.

So, don't overlook the power of the game show. They are coming into your home with a vengeance and a sense of longevity. With the high ratings and press coverage of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, game shows don't have any indication of slowing down. What is thought-provoking about the rise of these shows is the fact that they appeal to us because they constantly grab our attention about who next among the average Joe is going to join the moneyed class as nouveau riche.

The message is clear. Instead of earning money the old fashioned way, you will do anything embarrassing on TV to get a piece of the green. Shame doesn't even apply to it anymore.All you need to do is answer some inane, brain-numbing questions and endure the dry, campy antics of the host. If you get all the answers, you get the gold. And what's so scary is this craze has nothing to do with fame. It has to do with building your nest-egg and winning influence--just like in Internet culture. With the steady commercialization of the Internet, everyone on-line seems to be involved in making money and winning friends. To hell with the information society. Who needs to be educated when you have cash in your pocket? So what comes out of this new boon of programming is that everyone wins from top to bottom. The networks are happy because more revenue is drawn in from advertisers and the audiences who take the time to watch the shows. And the audience is happy because a fan base is developed over the account that they are seeing people like themselves make it. Therefore, audiences don't have to think anymore--unless they can get something monetary out of it. Therefore, viewers never consider anything altruistic out of this enterprise. It seems that this game show craze drives the audience to think that they have to win the money to get ahead of the Joneses. Not to mention showing off while doing it.

Well, thank goodness the dramas survived the slaughter of the first wave of shows not to make it to the mid-season. The saving grace of the 1999-2000 season so far is that there are so many good dramatic shows with a strong storyline that challenge our thinking and buttress our entertainment value. However, creators in the future will have to add a "game show mentality" to keep viewers glued to these programs also. Brrrrrrrrrrrrr.