The US version never had the student angle which I suspect was the reason it was so successful in the UK. None of the rehashes have worked.
The US version didn't flop, really. The original with Bill Cullen lasted two years, which given that it went out five days a week continuously for that time was a decent enough run -- especially as the early 80s was when game shows generally started their decline there, and there were very few successful new formats.
Was Countdown a game show in the US? Here it always felt far more like a quiz show - where the taking part was far, far more important than any (usually low key) prize.
So-called "hard quiz" shows have been rare in the US since the 1950s scandals. Jeopardy is a rare example of one that has endured.
Most people thought WWTBAM would fail over there, being as it is a straightforward rip-off of those very '50s US shows that broke the industry (slow-paced, pressure-cooker type).
Yeah, the only comedy that should be in Blockbusters are mascots and "can I have a P".
I don't especially like people criticising things for not being what they "should be".
At the turn of the century you'd have said Top Gear "should be" serious car news and reviews. Did alright for itself when they completely changed that around, didn't it?
:-(
A former member
There is one of possibility, its been put on Comedy central to test the water? I do think it will go on Ch5 at some point, is there some sort of lower costs thing by doing it via Comedy Central?
Of all the names, please don't give those lights the same name as a politician's child. I'll leave you to guess which politician has a child named Sixtus (or do a quick Google/Bing search if you can't guess).