Below is the table of predictions for Week 18 of CBS Renew/Cancel, followed by an analysis. There are no prediction changes this week. Let me know what you think by voting in the poll and leaving a comment!
The Price Is Right At Night and Let’s Make A Deal Primetime
The Price Is Right and Let’s Make A Deal are both mainstays on CBS’s daytime schedule. As such, it makes sense why CBS would want to use primetime editions of these game shows to fill out vacant time slots on their schedule. Their ratings are very much dependent on their time slots, with both suffering harsh declines from previous airings. They both have a better chance than not of returning, but don’t have the same value on CBS’s primetime schedule as they do on their daytime schedule.
There’s a few reasons why primetime editions of The Price Is Right and Let’s Make A Deal exist, while primetime editions of The Talk, The Young and the Restless, and The Bold and the Beautiful do not. For one, game shows tend to do well in primetime when aired in the right environment. Even reruns can muster solid ratings given the casual viewing nature of these programs. Secondly, game shows have a broader appeal demographically, and as such are more likely to find an audience in primetime than a daytime talk show or soap opera.
The third reason is both The Price Is Right and Let’s Make A Deal are produced by Fremantle, a production company best known for American Idol and America’s Got Talent that is no stranger to bringing iconic game shows to a modern-day primetime schedule. Among recently aired primetime game shows alone, Fremantle is behind ABC’s To Tell The Truth, Match Game, Supermarket Sweep, Card Sharks, and Celebrity Family Feud, as well as NBC’s Password. While not a game show, Fremantle’s The Great Christmas Light Fight has 11 seasons under its belt as holiday filler.
ABC expanded their roster of game shows rather quickly, and today most of Fremantle’s game shows are no longer on the schedule. Instead, they’ve turned to celebrity editions of even more established series, like Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!. CBS hasn’t completely worn out The Price Is Right At Night and Let’s Make A Deal Primetime yet, but it’d be unwise for the network to air them regularly unless they’re willing to take ABC’s new celebrity-driven approach. Airing for a month or two here and there seems to benefit these shows, and would likely help with their prospects for longevity.
With how many Fremantle series that have already been revived in recent years, there are limited options left if CBS (or another network for that matter) wanted to turn to the production company for their next “new” game show hit. This makes the preservation of The Price Is Right At Night and Let’s Make A Deal Primetime all the more important — that is, if CBS is interested in keeping familiar game shows on their schedule.