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His mass media students have heard all about the "Twenty-One" scandal of the 1960's. The web site he hosts gives ratings information and daily updates to every game show currently on the air as well as provides links to more than twenty others that have been on television in the last fifty years. And now a publishing company has approached Beverly about writing a book on the history of game shows. Why him? "They said from the looks of my web site that if anyone was to write a book on game shows, it should be me," says Beverly, laughing at the thought. Beverly concedes that he knows a lot on the subject. "My mother likes to tell the story of when I was 4. Most of the kids my age were in the backyard building forts and running around with swords made out of sticks," remembers Beverly. "I was in the back yard using a stick, only I was pretending it was a microphone and I was Monty Hall." Ever since he was a kid, Beverly has loved game shows. Growing up, he thought he'd like to be the host of one, but news broadcasting overtook his fancy for games. A thirty-year veteran of broadcasting, Beverly still asserts that the game show host is the premier television communicator. "I've always felt the game show host has been the purest broadcaster and the best communicator in the history of the medium," says Beverly. "There's a fine art in hosting a game show - you have to know that the contestants are the ultimate stars." It was because of his love for game shows and the arrival and the ultimate obsession of America with "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" during the summer of 1999 that Beverly decided to put all of his vast information and knowledge online. Started in July, Beverly created The Game Show Convention Center () primarily, Beverly asserts, "to fill a niche for game show junkies like myself." He had no idea where it would lead. "Right now I'm averaging about 10,000 hits a night," says Beverly, "and the nights when the game shows are on, it's higher." Beverly's site is unique because he features interviews with actual contestants of the current hit shows such as "Millionaire", and Twenty-One, and also keeps track of ratings and developments in what is currently the hottest trend in television. "After the third or fourth show of Millionaire, I told a friend this was going to be the biggest thing to hit television in years," says Beverly, leaning forward for emphasis. "I saw how infectious the game was. It's so simple! And that's really the key, simplicity," Beverly points out. Beverly points out that same simplicity is the key to several of the longest-running game show hits, such as Wheel of Fortune, The Price is Right, and Jeopardy. "When people go over to someone's house for a party, they like to play games. But they like to play simple games, nothing extraordinarily complex. You want something like Pictionary or Monopoly. And that's exactly what's happened with shows like Millionaire," says Beverly. Another important factor Beverly believes is responsible for the overwhelming success of the quiz show is the host. "Look at Regis Philbin. In this show, the wrong host may not have made it work. Regis was almost an inspired choice," says Beverly. "I've said all along that a good or great emcee can't help a bad show, but a great emcee can be the cement that makes a show like Millionaire connect with everyone."
Beverly also says that scheduling is another big factor that can make or break a show. Referring to Millionaire, Beverly says, "it's the most inspired bit of scheduling that I've ever seen in network television. It's how the British do it. After the 3rd or 4th show, I began to look at the ratings and saw how they were consistently building every week." The popular ABC show did meet with skepticism in the beginning. "A lot of people said, it's just the timing of it, summer shows always do well in the summer but wait until the fall." Beverly shakes his head, "But look at the margin of rating points that this show has had in beating out the competition. We're talking 2 and 3 to 1!" What's the reason for the sudden interest in game shows? According to Beverly, society as a whole is looking for something different in their entertainment choices. "The 1990's were the decade of the 'sex-com.' Every comedy shown on the air had some measure or element of sex, which when you think about it, is really a symbol of the breakdown of values in America," says Beverly. "I think the audience has seen enough. The shock value is wearing down and even the news magazines are starting to lose speed." As proof Beverly points to the eroding ratings of such shows as ABC's 20/20 and NBC's Dateline. Times are changing, however, and Beverly says the ratings reflect that reality. "Look at Millionaire. For the last two weeks it's been new programming showing three times a week, and it has been the number one show on the air, beating out every network, hands down," says Beverly. "And it's a G-rated show." So what does this mean for the future of game shows? Will the craze continue? Beverly believes it will though he acknowledges that there are a few skeptics. "When I interviewed Monty Hall last week, he was one of the few hosts that I've talked to who was extremely skeptical that there won't be a scandal (like Twenty-One) again," explains Beverly. "Contributing factors could include the great amount of money that's involved and the pressure for the ratings." However, Beverly is optimistic. Referring to Millionaire, Beverly says, "I think the producers run a tremendous risk in not keeping it an event. And as any show will, it'll lose a little luster, but I think the show has at least 3 to 4 years of life before it will start to fade," Beverly offers. "People like to have an experience that doesn't involve diluting their value system." |
