[mr1303]

My better half is currently watching a program on TV called strictly come dancing. The idea is that a dozen or so top dancers pair up with a dozen or so celebrities (who don't know how to dance) and teach them, and perform live each Saturday, with one couple leaving each week, with a final at the end.

What do people think about a bridge version of this, whereby 10 top bridge players pair up with 10 celebrities and teach them bridge, then play a duplicate live on vugraph each week?

[hrothgar]

I should preface by noting that I haven't watched "Dancing with the Stars" or Iceskating with Imbeciles" or any of the other celebrity based reality programs. Quite honestly, in the entire world of reality TV, the only show that I ever watched was Hell's Kitchen (and I feel guilty about that). Accordingly, take everything that I say with a grain of salt.

I don't think that this idea would fly. I think that its easier for folks to appreciate physical rather than mental gymnastics. I think that the game of bridge is much too complex for a mass market system like conventional television. I think that watching anyone learn how to play bridge is about as interesting as watching paint dry.

There might be some way to make something like this interesting, however, I've never seen anything similar succeed. (There have been plenty of attempts to create televised version of bridge using either "real" celebrities or "bridge" celebrities. None had any real success and most attempts failed when during a time period bridge was much more of a mass market form of entertainment. Given modern attention spans, I'd wager that the chances of success have fallen significantly)

Personally, I'd prefer to see resources used to promote online Vugraph. (Did we ever get any statistics about the number of spectators for the Buffett Cup).

If anyone were to try to launch this type of endeveour, I'd recommend YouTube rather than television as a distribution system.

[Walddk]

I think it's a splendid idea. Can I have Julia Roberts as my partner, please? Then I'll teach her bridge while she teaches me acting

On a serious note, it'll have to be f2f if this is going to work out. I don't mind one bit, but I doubt that Julia has time for that. I can't act and I'm not half as handsome as Hugh Grant, but I believe I'm a better bridge player.

Roland

[inquiry]

Walddk, on Oct 17 2006, 01:31 PM, said:

I think it's a splendid idea. Can I have Julia Roberts as my partner, please? Then I'll teach her bridge while she teaches me acting 

Gee Roland, I thought you been acting like you were a bridge player for years...

:-)

It would never make it on TV, but combined video cast and vugraph to drag new visitors to the gaming sites would be cool.

[kenrexford]

I'm thinking more like Survivor. We get together a group of bridge players. Perhaps pros, perhaps not. Then, a round of bridge is played. After the round, the winners have immunity. The losers get together and vote someone, or some pair, or some team, out. The vote could be to remove top players.

Perhaps even better is a parallel to "The Apprentice." Some big wig (perhaps Bocchi -- good TV hair) has a panel of two more pros. A group of up-and-comings play bridge, head-to-head as mega-teams (like the Warren Buffet Cup). At the end of each round, a team wins and is free. The other team votes for the worst bridge errors, the bridge idiot of the round. That would be quite humorous. I'd love to see the post-mortems on Vugraph or TV.

[Al_U_Card]

How about "Save your Grandchild". Biddies play bridge and the loser's son gets shipped off to Iran......(by the time it would be in production you'll be there too....)
Or "Cutthroat Bridge" with actual psychos (who would, of course, be allowed to psych...) the loser having to submit to whatever the others want to do to him.
Or "Late nite Honeymoon Bridge" where the term strip squeeze would get new meaning...

[Walddk]

kenrexford, on Oct 17 2006, 08:41 PM, said:

I'd love to see the post-mortems on Vugraph or TV.

I agree that web cam(s) and sound are a must if this is going ahead as a vugraph broadcast. I think we can get enough bridge players to participate, but can we also get the celebrities?

And finally, who is going to pay for this? Not that I am going to charge anything for teaching Julia bridge, but I do expect to get my expenses covered when I am to pick her up at Kastrup Airport, Copenhagen.

Roland