Published: January 02, 2009 07:15 am      

TV: Tonawanda native featured in so-so 'Game Show'

In watching an advance DVD of this week’s debut episodes of “Game Show in My Head,” I couldn’t help but be reminded of a particularly sinister episode of “The Simpsons.”

In “Homer vs. Dignity,” Homer’s boss Mr. Burns gets amusement out of paying Homer to perform increasingly stunts on an unsuspecting public. Burns has his “prank monkey” throw pudding at other people, destroy valuable collectibles and ask strangers to change his oversized diaper.

Just as Burns cackled throughout that episode, I could envision “Game Show” producer Ashton Kutcher (of “Punk’d” fame) falling on the floor laughing as he waved five-figure checks in front of the show’s contestants, who have to put themselves into similarly awkward circumstances.

Does that make for bad television? Not exactly. But it is kind of uncomfortable to watch.

“Game Show” puts a person on the street with an earpiece, through which host Joe Rogan (”Fear Factor”) barks out oddball tasks to be completed within a certain timeframe. Each task that’s fulfilled nets the contestant a cash prize, with a particularly challenging final stunt resulting in the contestant’s prize pool to that point being doubled.

The second of Saturday’s two debut episodes sees Town of Tonawanda native Craig Scime (pronounced “shu-MAY”) at Rogan’s whim. Among his tasks are to get a man to come to his apartment to hang out, find two strangers to lie in front of a camera during his “news report” about alien visitors and convince someone to stand in for a foreign diplomat from a fictitious country.

The toughest task of the night belonged to Shalisse Pekarcik, who in the first episode of the night had to con a man — any man — into marrying her.

There is some entertainment value to this show. I won’t give away which tasks were completed, but it’s shocking to see what some people will do for a stranger on the street — even as they protest what they’re getting talked into doing.

And seeing the contestants forced to think on their feet is good for a few laughs, as some of the tasks required them to concoct crazy stories to get people to play along.

The idea is one that will get old quickly, though. What’s funny at first soon becomes something that you can no longer look at. A potential top prize of $50,000 is far from chump change, but as you watch “Game Show” it soon comes into question whether that money is worth the dignity that the contestants lose by taking part.

As for the program itself, “Game Show” feels awfully rushed. You’re quickly whisked from task to task without any time to contemplate what just happened. And aside from a very quick introduction to open the show, no time is devoted to interviewing the contestants; even a 30-second snippet such as you see on “Jeopardy!” would suffice, but you really don’t learn anything about them.

If I had to guess, I’d say that “Game Show” can expect a rather short shelf life. The show is not altogether horrid, but it’s a long way from being excellent.

Contact editor Paul Laneat 693-1000, ext. 116.



IF YOU WATCH

WHAT: “Game Show in My Head”

WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday

CHANNEL: CBS (Channel 4)

GRADE: C+