Burgo slams Tim

[**Julie**]

Here's the article -

Baby John Burgess bags Wheel of Fortune flop

Sunday Telegraph

June 08, 2008

FORMER TV game show host "Baby" John Burgess has delivered a scathingly blunt assessment of Nine's revamped version of his old show, Wheel Of Fortune.

Burgess says the born-again Million Dollar Wheel Of Fortune is outdated and that Tim Campbell is "no game show host''.

"I don't want to sound like some miserable old bloke, but I do think the whole thing lacks warmth,'' Burgess said. "(New host) Tim Campbell's a talented fella, I liked him a lot in Shout, but he's no game show host.''

Burgess said his former Wheel colleague, Adriana Xenides, agreed with him.

"I had a call from Adriana the other day and she said the same thing. She also thought it was a bit flat,'' he said.

Burgess's criticisms come as the game show struggles to win over viewers.

Only two weeks after its launch, the new Wheel has already dipped below the ratings achieved by the previous show in its 5.30pm timeslot, Antiques Roadshow.

Last Tuesday's result highlighted the program's woes, with Wheel attracting a national audience of 577,000 compared to 958,000 on Seven's Deal Or No Deal.

Wheel was launched to help boost the ratings for Channel Nine News at 6pm.

Seven News regularly beats Nine because Deal Or No Deal has a high number of viewers.

Burgess said the new Wheel needs to be "dragged, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century''.

"They've lost sight of the fact that people want to be entertained, as well. You can't just throw big lumps of money at them and expect them to switch,'' he said.

"In America, they give away, like, five cars and whatever and I think that's what Nine is trying to do here - they're trying to buy the audience.''

[emmasi]

Well, I hate to say it, but I kind of agree with that. I've just now realised that I forgot to watch Wheel because I was watching the 5 o'clock news on Ten... So I guess I won't be adding to the ratings tonight. I just don't watch channel 9 if I can help it, although interestingly I did have their 4.30 news on because there was nothing on (sport as far as the eye could see). I wasn't paying attention though... And I wouldn't watch the news at 6 on any channel. Unless Ten decides to switch time slots for some reason but I think they're above that.

There is a coldness to the new Wheel, and I think it's almost down to the wheel itself - it's like hollow and plastic with fluorescent lighting... and everyone knows that fluorescent lighting is depressing... The old one was made of warm wood or cardboard or something lol. Whatever it was, it was a warm material... or at least it looked like it was. I also think that having a flat wheel is outdated - you want to be able to see what prize money is coming up. Sure there's the overhead camera, but that creates a sense of distance and of being removed from the action. I think if it was more like one of those chocolate wheel type things it could appear more entertaining and exciting - it's weird, but I think that it's a visual thing that works.

In this day and age, a three contestant format is dangerous as well. The magic of Deal is that Andrew O'Keefe manages to make it a human drama where you care about the contestant and you care about whether they win or not. With three people all at once, jumping from one to the next as fast as choosing the wrong letter, there's not much of a chance to make a connection. I don't think that's Tim's fault though, and I don't think it's fair to say that it is. The game itself is more interesting and challenging than picking random numbers on suitcases and seeing what's inside them, there are actually puzzles to solve. But no one really cares anymore. If you want to solve a puzzle you get a crossword or something. If you want to be told a story of how someone else solved a puzzle... you watch Wheel. But at the moment we're not getting much of a story, so that's something they might be able to work on.

[**Julie**]

Xenides doesn't hate new Wheel show

June 13 2008

Former letter spinner Adriana Xenides says she loves the new version of Wheel of Fortune and is thrilled the show has expanded the co-host role.

Xenides on Friday set the record straight on how she feels about Nine's reinvention of the iconic TV show she co-hosted for 18 years, following a report that she and former co-host John Burgess didn't like it.

Xenides described the program as "refreshing" and "nicely brought up into the 21st century".

"I love the very cool colours, love them to bits, and the opportunity of winning a million dollars, that's excellent," Xenides told AAP.

Xenides also heaped praise on new hosts Tim Campbell and Kelly Landry.

"Watching Tim work I feel he is very warm and natural," she said.

"As far as Kelly is concerned, she is one of the most beautiful girls on TV today. She is absolutely stunning."

"And I'm so thrilled and proud that the big boys have allowed her (Landry) to expand the role of co-host," Xenides said.

"Rather than in our day where we talked for a few minutes at the beginning and the end."

A report recently quoted former host John Burgess saying the program was outdated, Campbell was no game show host and that Xenides felt the same way.

But Xenides said she believed Burgess had probably been "misrepresented badly".

Xenides said she spoke to Burgess earlier this month and he didn't say anything bad about the show.

"We were talking, reminiscing about the tricks we used to get up to and we said, 'hey the show's back isn't it great'," she said.

"I can't remember him saying anything bad about the show. I've known him for 27 years so I know him inside out and he's not vindictive at all.

"John's such a pro, and such a gentleman, it's hard for me to believe that he would say anything scathing about the show that we did for nearly two decades and brought such a joy and had such a following."

Xenides, 52, who has been keeping busy with charity work, said it was up to the public to judge the show.

"Obviously I was on the show nearly 20 years but I am no one to judge," she said.

Source

[emmasi]

Like I said before, I don't watch Nine if I can help it, but... did they advertise that this is a "celebrity" edition of Wheel of Fortune today? I'm looking at Andrew Gaze, Kerry-Anne Kennerly, and some guy on the end that I'm yet to recognise. And my thoughts are only... isn't it a bit soon for this kind of thing?

EDIT: Eee the other guy's Stuart from Neighbours I couldn't tell from far away but he finally got a spin. Blair McDoughnut - I remember him now. It's all coming back to me. Does this mean that Nine has hijacked him for their own evil purposes? Come back to Neighbours Stu, you know you want to...

Oooh he just said "I got doughnuts," which is a very random synonym for "nothing" I presume. It's a sign of some kind

(Sorry for getting side-tracked but I haven't seen him in ages - this is exciting!)

EDIT AGAIN: lol, that was hilarious. Trying to solve a puzzle...

Blair: "As bad as a..." *BUZZER*

Kerry-Anne: "As mad as a snake!" *BUZZER* "Oh, as mad as a CUT snake!"

Andrew: "As mad as a ... something snake!" *BUZZER*

Blair: "I want another go! AS MAD AS A CUT SNAKE!"

Tim: "YES! That's the first time it's taken four goes to solve a puzzle... When does the news start?"

[~Lynd~]

I was rather excited to see Blair to,lol.I didn't think he was in the country atm.

I have to say i don't think Wheel has the same ''homey'' feel to it that it once did, tonight was only the 2nd or 3rd time i've seen it since the relaunch.I don't think it has much to do with Tim though.As Jem said,i think it's much easier to feel a connection to the contestants on DEAL because there's only one of them and Andrew asks them about themselves and gets their stories.You can't really do that effectively with 3 people.

[emmasi]

Yay, Rachael Beck's on today!

Along with Ronda Birchmore and that guy who was in Underbelly and also played Kit's stoner boyfriend on H&A I think... I don't understand what Tim is calling him. I think he's saying Gaden ?

lol, Rachael... "Can I buy a zero?"

[Luc]

It's Gyton Grantley, who played James in H&A and Carl Williams in Underbelly.

I missed it! I was going to watch, but didn't - yesterday's episode was good though - John Wood and Ding-Dong !