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Anyone else remember when PBS tried to do a game show?


Back about 1999 when Who Wants to Be a Millionaire was getting Super Bowl like ratings with Regis Philbin as the host PBS decided to give it a try.

I don't remember much about the show except that the host was some cool black guy and all the contestants were just the kind of people you'd expect on PBS, liberal snobs.

Except for one. A good natured guy from Minnesota, and he looked and acted like someone from Minnesota (or Canada), he looked like a guy who'd normally wear a hunting cap all the time. Harlan Williams is the closest person I can say he looked like. And you could tell that the host was not a bit impressed with him.

Half way thru the show the cool black guy moves the show from one part of the stage to another and he tells the contestants to follow him and he's doing a cool black guy dance to some cool jazz. And all the contestants do the same and they're all doing just fine. But the goofy guy wasn't interested in showing off his dance moves on national TV so he just dances like a caveman. He just wanted to get across the stage.

The cool black guy turns around and sees him and just about falls over laughing. Points at him laughing uproariously.

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I believe it never aired again after that premiere episode.

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Was the host Tavis Smiley?

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Maybe. Can't say for sure.

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No, but I remember when it tried getting into the trashy reality TV genre, with disastrous results.

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No I don't, but knowing PBS I would be willing to bet it was an unmitigated disaster!

😎

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