Greed (game show)
The Richest, Most Dangerous Game in America.
Greed is an American television game show that aired on Fox for one season, hosted by Chuck Woolery with Mark Thompson as announcer. Created by Dick Clark and Bob Boden of Dick Clark Productions, it was developed in response to the success of ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. The series premiered on November 4, 1999, and was canceled after its first season, with the top prize of $2,000,000 never awarded.
Quick Facts
- Runtime
- 42–44 minutes
- Genre
- Game show
- Creator
- Dick Clark; Bob Boden
- Editor
- Floyd Ingram
- Composer
- Edgar Struble
- Writer
- Eric Peterkofsky
- Joseph Kaufmann III
- Hilary Schacter
- Mandel Ilagan
- Bob Boden
- Jeffrey Mirkin
- Director
- Bob Levy; Chris Donovan
- Presenter
- Chuck Woolery
Facts from the source article.
Production
Greed was created by Dick Clark and Bob Boden of Dick Clark Productions. Boden had previously pitched a similar format called All for One to NBC, which passed. Clark wanted a more provocative title; when Boden said the core of the show was greed, Clark suggested calling it Greed. The show was pitched to Fox in September, and six episodes were ordered, with taping beginning less than three weeks later. The series had about a month of preparation before its November 4, 1999 premiere, set three days before Who Wants to Be a Millionaire returned to ABC. Potential hosts considered included Chuck Woolery, Bob Eubanks, Keith Olbermann, and Gordon Elliott; Phil Donahue was Fox's first choice but proved too expensive. Woolery was selected for his game show experience. No pilot was taped, allowing the series to premiere on time. Mark Thompson served as announcer, Bob Levy and Chris Donovan directed, and Edgar Struble composed the soundtrack. The series was initially subtitled Greed: The Multi-Million Dollar Challenge. In January 2000, Fox aired Greed three nights in a row before moving it to Fridays to avoid competing with Millionaire on Thursdays.
Reception
Critical reception of Greed was mixed. Some critics dismissed it as a rip-off of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire; Scott D. Pierce of Deseret News called it a rip-off, and Dana Gee of The Province wrote that it failed to entertain. Joyce Millman of Salon described a stench of desperation, and David Bianculli of the New York Daily News argued the show lacked heart and that Woolery lacked warmth compared to Regis Philbin. Joanne Weintraub of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel called it a glum affair, and Alan Pergament of The Buffalo News considered it a rip-off but noted its Nielsen ratings were good by Fox standards. Other critics were more favorable, particularly praising its dramatic elements. Caryn James of The New York Times found Greed more dramatic than Millionaire, comparing it to blood sport. James Poniewozik of Time argued that Greed trumped Millionaire due to its lack of lifelines and the ability to pit teammates against each other. Kevin McDonough of United Media also preferred Greed, and Bill Carter of The New York Times wrote that the series fared passably well.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes of Greed (game show) are there?
Greed has 44 episodes across 1 season.
When did Greed (game show) end?
Greed last aired on 14 July 2000.
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