So last year Fremantle in the US thought it might be an interesting idea to go through their large back catalogue of formats and redo some of them to appeal to a youth audience. The result of that is Buzzr on Youtube. After an apparent successful go at Family Feud and Password earlier this year, this week sees the launch of its first “season” with FF, Password and Body Language (which is basically charades).
What this means in essence is a) shouting, b) “Youtube personalities”, c) shouting, d) short formats for short attention spans, e) shouting and f) at 33 I’m too old for this shit. And g) shouting. And h) single entendres. Not forgetting i) shouting.
AND SPEAKING OF “YOUTUBE” “PERSONALITIES”, if you had March 21st booked for Schlag den Brig 3, we’re having to postpone it (although we still fully intend to do it at some point). Soz.
The original Body Language, for those not in the know:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwmll3JA6C0
Fremantle says this was its way of catering to the younger demographic, but what I find mind-boggling are these contradictory quotes from this article: http://variety.com/2015/digital/news/fremantlemedia-hits-on-buzzr-youtube-channel-with-classic-game-show-reboots-1201429965/
“What we found through the research was, these shows have a great resonance with younger audiences.”
And then, lower down in the same article…said by the same guy…
“These old-format game shows are really, really hard to watch.”
“I wasn’t going to watch it, but there’s a Play symbol in the D of Feud and that’s modern so now I will.”
Hah, I didn’t even notice that until you pointed it out. Screams “tacky.”
I’m 24 and feel too old for this shit.
I mean look, I don’t hate all telly aimed at my demographic – I’ll happily watch Celebrity Juice and Bit On The Side (over Big Brother itself actually) and even Take Me Out, but it does feel like those shows have content which isn’t just made up of shouting, there is some craft there even if it’s hidden behind a chaotic ethos.
Also, it’s a lot easier to have a social conversation regarding ‘Don’t Show Keith Your Teeth’ than ‘did you see that blogger play Family Feud on Youtube?’
Yesterday’s episode of Two Tribes has been permanently revoked from iPlayer due to a factual inaccuracy. Did anyone spot it?
Didn’t watch it, but I have publicised your question on Twitter, as it must have been a bit of a howler to pull the entire episode.
OK, well apparently if you press play it still shows anyway!
Edit: Here’s the link for anyone who wants to have a go themselves, it sounds like it’s playing fine on other devices after a warning as well:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0551nkr/two-tribes-series-2-episode-12
Pfff! It’s gone! WHAT A THRILLER THIS IS TURNING OUT TO BE!
And Scott Rux, @sensei256 comes up with:
“Head-to-head: “From 1732 until 1918, which city was the capital of Russia?” Rejected answer: Petrograd”
As most likely reason. So there we might have it.
What’s likely happened is that the expected answer was St. Petersburg, but it was called Petrograd from 1914 to 1924, thus making Petrograd the capital of Russia and an acceptable answer. Petrograd was probably not in the ‘accepted alternative answers’ bit, and under the pressure of the clock was ruled incorrect. Shame, that.
Leningrad would not have been acceptable, as St. Petersburg was called Leningrad from 1924-1991, at which point Moscow was the capital of Russia.
Only Connect did a sequence on it at one point early on, too.
I managed to watch about 5 minutes of this before turning it off.
I do like a lot of youtube things but watching this was like watching a bad parody of a gameshow.
For a good youtube gameshow/Reality TV Show – Tabletop Deathmatch – It is almost literally Dragon’s Den with Tabletop Games:
I think I’m part of the target demographic? I know none of these people. This is horrible. I have a headache.
Why.