The network has greenlit a remake of “The Gong Show,” Variety has learned.
Sony Pictures Television, which franchised the original talent competition that ran from 1976 to 1989, is producing the revival. ABC has ordered 10 episodes.
Source and more: Variety
HA! says
Isn’t this already airing under other names — Dancing with the [Stars], America’s Got Talent, American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance… aren’t ALL of these essentially the Gong Show??? They are all equally BAD.
Barry Pountney says
Finally they are bringing back some decent shows. Now they need to bring back Laugh In and all will be good with the world.
Scott Simon says
I’m hoping that the Gong Show is renewed for another season, if only a summer season. I don’t think that viewers understand that it is both a homage to the genius of Chuck Barris, but also sort of a self-deprecating dig at Network TV Executives. I’m not sure that Fred Silverman –the original NBC executive who OK’d the Barris show fully understood that he was being poked for not being sharp enough to recognize that he was being made fun of. I especially like the way that both Barris and the current producers/writers create many of the acts out of think air in hopes of proving their point that anyone can get on national TV. I guess you could say that the current producers are poking fun at the Simon Cowell and other (mostly Brit and foreigner judges) who obviously think that Americans will watch anything because without a limit on networks and channels, there are endless opportunities to get your idea on the air. I like the judges on the other shows pretending to care about the talent presented when in fact they could care less. Gong Show takes this a step further by in effect adopting the Groucho Marx attitude that he would NOT want to belong to a club that would actually allow him to be a member. That is the Gong Show message loud and clear, yet I’m not sure the average Joe viewer gets it. Sort of “Who the hell would consider pursuing a career in show bizness? And Mike Myers as the British character “World Famous” (yet widely unknown) Tommy Maitland is fabulous with all his moves, gestures and pantomimes and strutting and overall chaotic confusion. He is channeling the memory of Barris and doing a great job of it. The one thing I would like to see is a few more genuine professional acts in the mix. And of course the more outlandish they are visually, the better. The puns keep coming and the “We Really Don’t Give A Shit” attitude is preciously funny.