COLUMN: Game shows may save budget crisis
Every now and then I like to sit down and flip through the channels on cable and find some random show to watch. More often than not, I end up on MTV or something very much like it. But I also watch a great deal of the Game Show Network.
I tell you, game shows are the way to go; they are funny, they don’t take themselves too seriously and they are fast paced. That’s what makes them ideal; they are always changing. And as an added bonus, you get to watch people win stuff. And who the hell doesn’t want to win free stuff?
So, the other day I was watching them play a whole bunch of older game shows. It was a lot of fun to see how far we have come in twenty short years of quality television programing. And it was then I had one of the most brilliant ideas I have had in years.
This no ordinary idea, this was Einstein quality here, and it was a win win situation for everyone involved. It was almost like it was inspired.
The university has been looking for ways to bring in new revenue right? Well here was the perfect solution. Games shows. It was that simple. Game shows. How could it go wrong?
Look at the way the whole system works (not the university, but game shows). First the network buys the programing and then sells a lot of promotional stuff to make money. They also get companies to pay them to use their stuff as prizes. They make a killing. It is a simple formula: cheep to produce, makes lots of money and keeps people interested. (Look at what the top shows have been over the last couple of years and tell me it is not true.)
So how does this work for Utah State? Simple really. They come up with a couple of game shows of their own and then get sponsors. But here is the magic thing about it – they don’t have to buy prizes. They have no money to expend. The prize is, well, grades. Simple as that.
I decided to help them and make it an easy transition. I developed a couple of games for them. The first is a spin off of the classic “Let’s make a deal” but we will change the name to “You Bet Your A.”
Here is how it works. The host plays a series of games with the contestants. And if they are smart they get stuff. Free stuff. Just like the parent game, you have to dress up in costume, but it MUST be USU related. And when you play you can take the easy sponsor products or you can try for an improved grade in a class. Will it be behind door number one or door number two or door number three? If you choose right, you get to improve any grade you choose to an A. See everyone wins.
The second game I thought would be great would be to spin off of “The Price is Right” only here we would call it “Your Grade is Right.” Again, people would have to be put through the test of finding the correct answers to standard college level information. See, there would be no need for bidding on products, we are all about the grades here. In the grade showcase showdown, two lucky students vie for the perfect GPA. If they win, their entire GPA will be changed to a 4.0 for that semester.
The final game I thought about was based of “Press Your Luck.” Our version would be called “Grades.”
Here students would answer question to earn chances at the spins on the board. Every square on the board would hold prizes or possibly be the hidden Wammy. As the board would spin, the contestant would push their plunger to stop it and be rewarded or penalized as needed. On the board would be a free class square to help with tuition costs or a one letter grade improvement square. Well you get the picture. Of course there would be a perfect GPA square and stuff like that too. But, hit a Wammy and you loose everything you had won. Grades and all.
See, this plan is borderline brilliant. And who said nothing good comes from watching TV.