Lingo hit bingo with Game Show Network Tuesday, racking up a production
order for 65 more episodes.
After three weeks as GSN's 7:30 p.m. strip, Lingo is averaging a 0.8
rating and about 425,000 households per cablecast, according to Nielsen Media
Research data. That's well above the channel's average 0.5 nighttime rating.
A total of 20 episodes of the combo word/bingo game, hosted by Chuck Woolery,
were produced in the first go-round. That set of episodes ends its first play on
GSN Friday.
Woolery is expected to continue as host, but the show will now be produced in
Los Angeles with a live audience. The first set of segments was shot in Holland,
where Lingo has been running on national TV for several years. The shows
were produced without an audience, and an applause track was added later.
In other GSN developments:
\u0007 Russian Roulette and Friend or Foe, two of GSN's three
original primetime/late-night series, have set premiere dates for their second
set of episodes. Friend goes first Sept. 30, followed by Roulette
Oct. 14. Both shows premiered two months ago.
Roulette, which runs at 11 p.m., will get its own three-hour marathon run
Sept. 7, sponsored by Burger King Corp. Five episodes will be featured, the last
one a new celebrity competition with Gary Coleman, Kato Kaelin, Jerri Manthey
and Leif Garrett.
\u0007 Marc Summers (Double Dare, History IQ) will become a channel
personality as host of Wintuition, the Henry Winkler-produced game with a
$50,000 college scholarship as top prize. The show is expected to debut later
this year.
After that comes Cram, a knowledge contest where the players exercise
their study habits to the limit. A January debut is planned for the series,
hosted by Graham Ellwood, late of USA Network's Strip Poker.
\u0007 Still no word on more episodes of Whammy! The All-New Press Your
Luck, GSN's other current primetime game. The new segment go/no-go call is
expected in the next few weeks.
