History Trivia / MervGriffinsCrosswords

* NoBudget: The stakes were usually low; many contestants walked away with less than $1,000 (the minimum guaranteed by Merv's other two games). One champion finished the main game with a negative score and lost the BonusRound, leaving the studio with the ConsolationPrize watch.

* NoBudget: The stakes were usually low; many contestants walked away with less than $1,000 (the minimum guaranteed by Merv's other two games). One champion finished with the main game a negative score and lost the BonusRound, leaving the studio with the ConsolationPrize watch.

* NoBudget: The stakes were usually low; many contestants walked away with less than $1,000 (the minimum guaranteed by Merv's other two games). One champion finished with a negative score and lost the BonusRound, leaving the studio with the ConsolationPrize watch.

* NoBudget: The stakes were usually low; many contestants walked away with less than $1,000 (the minimum guaranteed by Merv's other two games).

** The syndicator offered a repeat package and two Canadian shows [[note]](''Series/InsideTheBox'', a ''20 Questions''-esque quiz centered around television, and ''Style By Jury'', a fashion-based reality series)[[/note]] as options until Season 2 began, but ''Crosswords'' never got back up off the ground.

* [[ScrewedByTheNetwork Screwed by the Syndicator]]: Following a renewal for Season 2 and getting a firm "go" in 75% of the country, production was halted by the syndicator, Program Partners, due to "high production costs". Given the payouts (about $3,500 in earlier episodes, about $7,000-$13,000 later {the biggest winner being just over $17,000}) and overall NoBudget feel, everyone was confused at how they were even able to come up with such an excuse! A few people at [[http://web.archive.org/web/20110930133715/http://buzzerblog.flashgameshows.com/crosswords-on-hiatus-2/ BuzzerBlog]] tried to make sense of it:

** The NBC O&Os chose this show over a revival of ''Series/TheJokersWild'' and a new series called ''Combination Lock'' from King World and Sony. (Ironically, Ty Treadway hosted the second pilot for the latter- the first was hosted by [[Series/DoubleDare Marc Summers]].)

* OutOfOrder: Why a lot of this page and its other tabs are a bit vague, and the most likely reason for the show's ratings (hovering around a 1.0). ''Crosswords'' eschewed returning champions, and the airings basically played "format hopscotch" beginning in mid-December 2007. Repeats were seen in both single- and double-run markets, to the point where [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment a particular episode was shown twice in a double-run slot]]. The kicker? A staggering '''225''' episodes had been recorded, which ''should'' have prevented something like this from coming anywhere near close to happening. The double kicker? It was ''the entire point'' of doing so many in the first place!

** [[https://www.nexttv.com/amp/news/natpe-program-partners-merv-griffin-play-crosswords-30004 This January 2007 article]] from ''Broadcasting & Cable'' states that the show was, at that stage of development, going to use returning champs. Even [[https://web.archive.org/web/20070324011951/http://www.programpartners.com/program_sub.php?thisType=Overview&thisProgramID=19 the show's synopsis on Program Partners' official website]] claims to use returning champs!

* FanNickname: ''Crosswords'', mainly since Merv had little to do with it.

* DiedDuringProduction: Merv Griffin, who was in the middle of tweaking the format from the pilot and first two tapings (and ''hopefully'' into a good format), died five weeks before the premiere. Whether this led to the hoopla you see on this page and its YMMV tab is unknown — yes, the resulting format ''may'' have been Merv's intention, but based on said hoopla it appears that the staff ran with a half-finished concept.

* NoBudget: Boy, it certainly felt that way sometimes, didn't it?

* [[ScrewedByTheNetwork Screwed by the Syndicator]]: Following a renewal for Season 2 and getting a firm "go" in 75% of the country, production was halted by the syndicator, Program Partners, due to "high production costs". Given the payouts (about $3,500 in earlier episodes, about $7,000-$13,000 later {the biggest winner being just over $17,000}) and overall NoBudget feel, everyone was confused at how they were even able to come up with such an excuse! A few people at [[http://buzzerblog.flashgameshows.com/crosswords-on-hiatus-2/ BuzzerBlog]] tried to make sense of it:

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The NBC O&Os chose this show over a revival of ''Series/TheJokersWild'' and a new series called ''Combination Lock'' from King World and Sony. (Ironically, Ty Treadway hosted the second pilot for the latter- the first was hosted by [[Series/DoubleDare Marc Summers]].)

* AuthorExistenceFailure: Merv Griffin, who was in the middle of tweaking the format from the pilot and first two tapings (and ''hopefully'' into a good format), died five weeks before the premiere. Whether this led to the hoopla you see on this page and its YMMV tab is unknown — yes, the resulting format ''may'' have been Merv's intention, but based on said hoopla it appears that the staff ran with a half-finished concept.

* [[ScrewedByTheNetwork Screwed by the Syndicate]]: Following a renewal for Season 2 and getting a firm "go" in 75% of the country, production was halted by the syndicator, Program Partners, due to "high production costs". Given the payouts (about $3,500 in earlier episodes, about $7,000-$13,000 later {the biggest winner being just over $17,000}) and overall NoBudget feel, everyone was confused at how they were even able to come up with such an excuse! A few people at [[http://buzzerblog.flashgameshows.com/crosswords-on-hiatus-2/ BuzzerBlog]] tried to make sense of it:

* AuthorExistenceFailure: Merv Griffin, who was in the middle of tweaking the format from the pilot (and ''hopefully'' into a good format), died five weeks before the premiere. Whether this led to the hoopla you see on this page and its YMMV tab is unknown — yes, the resulting format ''may'' have been Merv's intention, but based on said hoopla it appears that the staff ran with a half-finished concept.

* WorkingTitle: The show was piloted under ''Merv Griffin's Let's Play Crosswords'', then ''Merv Griffin's Let's Do Crosswords''. Both ended up being used as Treadway's CatchPhrase to start the game.

* WorkingTitle: The show was piloted under ''Let's Play Crosswords'', then ''Let's Do Crosswords''. Both ended up being used as Treadway's "let's start the game" CatchPhrase.

* [[ScrewedByTheNetwork Screwed By The Syndicate]]: Following a renewal for Season 2 and getting a firm "go" in 75% of the country, production was halted by the syndicator, Program Partners, due to "high production costs". Given the payouts (about $3,500 in earlier episodes, about $7,000-$13,000 later {the biggest winner being just over $17,000}) and overall NoBudget feel, everyone was confused at how they were even able to come up with such an excuse! A few people at [[http://buzzerblog.flashgameshows.com/crosswords-on-hiatus-2/ BuzzerBlog]] tried to make sense of it:

* HeyItsThatGuy: Several big- and/or multi-time game show contestants appeared during the run, including Scott Hostetler, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMkVGtVQuSA Joe Van Ginkel]], Robert Wargo, and several former ''Jeopardy!'' players.

** The syndicator offered a repeat package and two Canadian shows [[note]](''InsideTheBox'', a ''20 Questions''-esque quiz centered around television, and ''Style By Jury'', a fashion-based reality series)[[/note]] as options until Season 2 began, but ''Crosswords'' never got back up off the ground.

* WorkingTitle: The show was piloted under ''Let's Play Crosswords'', then ''Let's Do Crosswords''. Both ended up being used as Treadway's signal to begin each game.

* [[ScrewedByTheNetwork Screwed By The Distributor]]: Following a renewal for Season 2 and getting a firm "go" in 75% of the country, production was halted by the syndicator, Program Partners, due to "high production costs". Given the payouts (about $3,500 in earlier episodes, about $7,000-$13,000 later {the biggest winner being just over $17,000}) and overall NoBudget feel, everyone was confused at how they were even able to come up with such an excuse! A few people at [[http://buzzerblog.flashgameshows.com/crosswords-on-hiatus-2/ BuzzerBlog]] tried to make sense of it:

-->'''Devares''': [Y]ou have two powerhouse production companies (Sony and NBC Universal), and they have budget problems? Come on! There's more to this than they tell you...\\
'''B-W''': High production costs? ''This'' show? Who are they kidding?\\
'''[=HomerJay=]''': Hiatus in this case means cancelled. No-one is going to run repeats of ''Crosswords'' in the Fall. It's done, over, finished.
** The syndicator offered a repeat package and two Canadian shows[[note]]''InsideTheBox'', a ''20 Questions''-esque quiz centered around television, and ''Style By Jury'', a fashion-based reality series[[/note]] as options until Season 2 began, but ''Crosswords'' never got back up off the ground.

----

** The syndicator offered a repeat package and two Canadian shows [[hottip:*:(''InsideTheBox'' {a ''20 Questions''-esque quiz centered around television} and ''Style By Jury'' {a fashion-based reality series})]] as options until Season 2 began, but ''Crosswords'' never got back up off the ground.

* FanNickname: The show's title is commonly shortened to ''Crosswords'', mainly since Merv had little to do with it.
* [[ScrewedByTheNetwork Screwed By The Distributor]]: Following a renewal for Season 2 and getting a firm "go" in 75% of the country, production was halted by the syndicator, Program Partners, due to "high production costs". Considering the show's payouts (about $3,500 in earlier episodes, about $7,000-$13,000 later {the biggest winner being just over $17,000}) and overall NoBudget feel, everyone was confused at how they were even able to come up with such an excuse! A few people at [[http://buzzerblog.flashgameshows.com/crosswords-on-hiatus-2/ BuzzerBlog]] tried to make sense of it:

** The syndicator offered a repeat package and two Canadian shows [[hottip:*:(''InsideTheBox'' {a ''20 Questions''-esque quiz centered around television}, and ''Style By Jury'' {a fashion-based reality series})]] as options until Season 2 began, but ''Crosswords'' never got back up off the ground.
* WorkingTitle: The show was piloted under various titles, including ''Let's Do Crosswords'' and ''Let's Play Crosswords''. Both of them ended up being used as Ty Treadway's signal to begin each game.

* WorkingTitle: The show was piloted under various titles, including ''Let's Do Crosswords'' and ''Let's Play Crosswords''. Both of them ended up being used as Ty Treadway's signal to begin a game.

** The syndicator offered a repeat package and two Canadian shows [[hottip:*:(''InsideTheBox''; a ''20 Questions''-esque quiz show centered around television, and ''Style By Jury''; a fashion-based reality series)]] as options until Season 2 began, but it never ended up being produced.

** The syndicator offered a repeat package and two Canadian shows [[hottip:*:(''InsideTheBox'' {a ''20 Questions''-esque quiz show centered around television} and ''Style By Jury'' {a fashion-based reality series})]] as options until Season 2 began, but it never ended up being produced.
* WorkingTitle: The show was piloted under various titles, including ''Let's Do Crosswords'' and ''Let's Play Crosswords''. Both were used on the series as Ty's "let's start the game" phrase.