Here's the thing about NBC's new game show, Minute To Win It. It's not that I don't like the concept. Heck, it's a tried and true classic idea, hearkening back to the halcyon days of live black and white broadcasts.
But that's also the problem... it's not live. It's recorded. And although the quick pace of the show, with only 60 seconds for each task to either be completed or deemed a failure is spot on perfect for the attention span of today's society, it also is the reason the show is totally unwatchable.
You see, I can get into rooting either for, or against, these contestants to win big bucks by playing with feathers, ping pong balls, and other household items if it weren't for the fact that the results are already in the bag. It's not watching someone try to balance an Oreo on their eye and attempting to move it into their mouth with their facial muscles that's interesting. It's the "drama" of not knowing if they'll do it or not that makes it something you're drawn to...
So when they show scenes from next week's show, with Contestant X jumping around and screaming and hollering after obviously completing the "fishbowl challenge" successfully, and then Mr. Voiceover Guy says, "How will this contestant do as he risks it all for $100,000?" Then I already know he's going to succeed up until that point thus removing all intrigue and tension, and therefore providing no impetus to tune in before the last minute of the show, when presumably they've timed the big $100,000 event to actually air.
But that's also the problem... it's not live. It's recorded. And although the quick pace of the show, with only 60 seconds for each task to either be completed or deemed a failure is spot on perfect for the attention span of today's society, it also is the reason the show is totally unwatchable.
You see, I can get into rooting either for, or against, these contestants to win big bucks by playing with feathers, ping pong balls, and other household items if it weren't for the fact that the results are already in the bag. It's not watching someone try to balance an Oreo on their eye and attempting to move it into their mouth with their facial muscles that's interesting. It's the "drama" of not knowing if they'll do it or not that makes it something you're drawn to...
So when they show scenes from next week's show, with Contestant X jumping around and screaming and hollering after obviously completing the "fishbowl challenge" successfully, and then Mr. Voiceover Guy says, "How will this contestant do as he risks it all for $100,000?" Then I already know he's going to succeed up until that point thus removing all intrigue and tension, and therefore providing no impetus to tune in before the last minute of the show, when presumably they've timed the big $100,000 event to actually air.
If a game show is worth it's salt, then it doesn't need to lure in viewers with anything more than the fact that it is on. All NBC should need do is to show clips from LAST WEEK'S show during the week to drum up excitement and leave some air of mystery about the results of the next episode.
It only took me a minute to figure that out.
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NBC isn't currently known for making good programming decisions.
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