Playmania, the interactive televised game show based on the UK’s Quiznation has aired on Game Show Network since April 6, 2006. Unlike Quiznation, The Mint and Quizmania (the big three ITV game shows in the UK), however, Playmania and its ilk haven't become a huge commercial success in the US. 
TV shows imported from the UK demonstrate the potential of Transatlantic marketing; and there is quite a long line of successes (more than you might imagine although very few shows migrate from the US to the UK, as this Wikipedia entry points out). The most successful have benefitted from substantial tailoring to suit the taste of US TV viewers.
Producer Optimistic Entertainment remains, well, optimistic on the participation TV format, and has opened a Los Angeles satellite office headed up by John Gypton to pitch new shows to US TV networks. GSN seems to share the positive view on the show’s and format’s outlook, as it has expanded Playmania to six two-hour episodes a week.
For those not familiar with the format, viewers are invited to call in or text message (for a $.99 fee in the US) to enter a queue to participate in a variety of quiz-format trivia games of varying difficulty. Winners (those correctly guessing one of a handful answers to category question) are rewarded with cash prizes.
In the UK, Quiznation and its cohort are very popular, with viewers queuing up to play and most not getting a chance on-air. In the US, the few shows I’ve watched seem to have had far fewer contestants; the on-air host has to coax the participation of what appears to be only a handful of viewers (although there is some reporting that this dearth of viewers is a come-on to motivate a greater number of callers to vie for what appears to be an open line to win, only to find out that they are in queue and have paid their $.99 for naught).
I like the participation TV concept, especially as implemented by GSN. Its multichannel presence (Web, TV and Phone) place it directly on-trend for how media are being, and will be, consumed in the US. Its downloadable games for mobile phones are a prime example of tapping into the emergence of mobile phones as the next big thing in advertising and revenue generation.
Broadcasting & Cable reported September 25, 2006 on the competing entry from TBS called 
Midnight Money Madness, and elaborates on the format’s appeal to networks. Callers are charged $.99 for a chance to compete. As the games gain traction, thousands do text or call 900-numbers (also at $.99 per call), creating a significant revenue stream. Deal or No Deal reportedly earned NBC as much as $4 million last season, on approximately 15 million text messages sent to compete for prizes touted on-air. American Idol generated 65 million text messages last season, creating a major revenue source for Fox. The danger for the producers of these shows and the networks is that regulators could come to view them as a form of online gambling and shut the whole thing down.
TBS decided not to renew MMM beyond its initial 8-week test (possibly due to GSN expanding Playmania to six nights a week), but the B&C article cited a figure of one million paid entrants on Midnight Money Madness, which should have earned TBS and its producer-partner roughly $400,000 (figures are not available publicly for Playmania, which has no live West Coast feed; MMM aired live nationwide). So maybe the format travels well, but needs to be on a network with enough viewers to create a critical mass – or maybe GSN (and TBS should it revisit the show/format) need to do more promotion to generate awareness of this fun late night distraction.
An issue for the participation TV format is that just like game shows generally, it is easy to over-saturate a market, which is what has happened to this innovative TV format in the UK, where it was invented. An advantage in the US market is that in addition to revenue from the callers, the networks also air commercials throughout the broadcast (which I don’t recall seeing on the UK’s The Mint).
The integration of call- and text-in to top-rated TV shows is the bigger impact of shows like Quiznation on US TV programming for now. But if Playmania and Midnight Money Madness gain traction, we might see this entertaining format move to major US TV networks and closer to prime time. As an anglophile and believer in the prospect of transatlantic marketing of UK brands, products and services here in the US, it’s another British Invasion that I’m happy to see – now all it needs is some good old fashioned American promotion and distribution to become a huge success.
Thanks for Playmania image goes to Brian Peek -- www.brianpeek.com/blog/
