In a bid to build appointment viewing, Game Show Network has teamed with National Lampoon
to create a new comedy game show that will highlight the service's new Sunday-night lineup of original programming.
National Lampoon's Funny Money
will test a contestant's ability to gauge what the studio audience will find funniest, said GSN senior vice president of programming Bob Boden. The show will feature live stand-up comedians, providing a unique mix of comedy and game show qualities that Boden believes will attract fans of both genres.
The show will premiere June 15 as part of GSN's original Sunday-night lineup that will also feature the bow of reality series Naturally Stoned, which tracks the life of game show host Chuck Woolery, as well as new episodes of the recently renewed Cram
and Lingo.
"We'll never be 100 percent original programming, but we're hoping that our new shows will take hold and build our audience," he said.
Vintage interactivity
Continuing its move toward enhanced programming, GSN will add interactive elements to vintage game shows Match Game
and Family Feud
beginning March 17.
Match Game Interactive
will enhance the viewing experience by allowing participants to play along with the classic game show in real time, creating the same sense of tension and anticipation experienced by on-air contestants.
Family Feud Interactive will enable the modern-day audience to answer the same "survey says" questions asked of the on-air families.
With the revitalized series, GSN will air an unprecedented 84 hours of interactive programming per week, said network executives.
As the network focuses on new programming with an interactive bent, executives are also contemplating a possible name change. Executives said the rebranding effort would better reflect the network's positioning, although no decisions are imminent.
