From both sides

Our little game show network can't get any respect. Rodney Dangerfield, you're always remembered.

A reality TV site has finally tumbled to the obvious: GSN has gone all traditional game shows for a long time now. The site is kind of bummed about this. In 2017, GSN didn’t air any original reality competitions, though it debuted three new game shows. That's true, and the site blames the departure of Amy Davis, one of the more venturesome programming veeps in the network's history.

But it's not like GSN gets any credit from the game show Interwebs for going all traditional all the time. A poster on one of the oldies boards sums up the general attitude. Just when you couldn't think gsn couldn't go in the crapper more. There's a weird double negative in there, but you get the idea.

The real issue is whether GSN can go in the penthouse more with the Nielsen Company. The network has been flying high in the ratings for many weeks now. Like all cable networks GSN has felt the sting of cord-cutting and OTT alternatives. The network now claims to be available in only about 75 million households, down from a peak of 79 million.

Game shows do tend to develop strong fan loyalty, though, so GSN has prospered relative to its cable peers. That's why it now lands regularly in the top 30 cable nets. Right now network execs don't seem inclined to upset the apple cart. No big changes look imminent.

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