One of the things James and I are in the habit of doing, when there's nothing else on television around 9 p.m., is to switch to Game Show Network and play along with the contestants on Lingo. Chuck Woolery hosts this Scrabble-like/Bingo-like crossover in which two sets of contestants take turns guessing a five letter word, having been given the first letter of the word. (As they guess incorrect words, letters that are correct are either filled in or marked to show that they're in the word, but in the wrong place.) Each word guessed gives the contestants a chance to choose a numbered rubber ball that will complete their "Lingo" board horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

Contestants with the most points go on to a final round where they again guess a five letter word, but with two letters supplied. The "Lingo" stripe here wins them $5000.

It gets our minds going and it is alternately frustrating to not be able to tell the contestant the very obvious answer--"Why are you guessing words with 'a' in them, you nitwit; you already know there is no 'a' in the word!!!!" "It's 'vague,' stupid! 'Vague!'"--or annoying when you can't guess a perfectly obvious word yourself--"Well, of course it was 'guess,' dammit!"

This show was apparently enough of a winner that people were discussing it online and it went on to a new season. The new season, however, brought Chuck Woolery an assistant, a comely blonde in usually low-cut attire who "sets" the new board and gives the ruling on what are proper words. She doesn't do a darn thing that Woolery didn't do previously, so she's obviously just there as eye candy. We still occasionally grumble, "What's with the bimbo? Is Woolery sleeping with her?"

What's next? Alex Trebek gets a sexy brunette to read the different categories and sum up the scores at the end of the rounds? A good game like Lingo doesn't need any T&A pretensions, but evidently GSN thinks it does. Gah.

----------------------------------------------------------------
. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 9:19:00 PM

Comments: Post a Comment