So, if the show will hypothetically not be in production until October or November or whenever a host is finally chosen, what happens to the people on the production crew? When I was in production, we got paid by the hour. When a production was cancelled we only got paid for four hours if notice was given less than 24 hours in advance. I hope the production staff is salaried because it would suck to go without pay for so long.

Some people who work on the show are considered Fremantle or CBS. (and sometimes neither, if that makes sense)

I had a discussion several years ago with someone and was told that they (Fremantle) did get paid when they were not taping (ie: non-taping week/unexpected Barker cancellation). Not sure about CBS, but would make sense that they could work on other projects (some already do during downtime)

Maybe they could move FF or some of the new game shows to the Barker studio and keep everyone busy.

Some of the people who work for CBS are staff, some are per diem. The staff people will probably be given other assignments. The per diems (which includes most if not all of the stagehands) will have to find work elsewhere.

The models, who all work for Fremantle, are all per diems now. They will have to find other work as well.

Well, Feud's new syndicator is looking for new taping venues for the show (since the current location is owned by Tribune). One of the possibilities being looked into is old #33.

Barker's departure will be a boon for CBS, not only in terms of savings on his salary (in a departure from standard practice, Barker negotiated his salary with CBS, not Fremantle), but it will release 33 on Thursdays like in the old days.

I'm curious where you heard this. Not that I'm questioning you, I'm just wondering if this was in a trade magazine or something similar.

I had heard the same thing last month from someone who is associated with Feud. I also heard they would more than likely have to reconfigure the set if it moves to 33.


I wouldn't be shocked to see them try taping 2 shows a day Monday-Thursday.

Well, yeah. They certainly wouldn't be able to do the "in the round" thing, right?

Well then, how would we be able to see the audience fans of the families who brought posters to the show to support their friends playing on stage?

Well?????

Do they really do that? If so, oh my GAWD.

/watched one single episode this season
//an early one

Yes, they do that. Annoying as hell. Set looks good, but with all the signs and extra stuff, it really deters from the show.

Are they friends of the family? I thought they were just random audience members given signs.

When I asked someone on the show why they did this, I was told they wanted to "try something different"

Fairly certain it's random audience members...unless the family-supporters have handwriting styles that are identical to regular cue-card writing.

...or the family supporters tell the cue-card writers what they'd like to have written on their signs, instead of bringing their own signs that might be even more obnoxious.

If they do make that move, and they still want to show audience members with signs and whatnot, there's nothing stopping them. They could even keep them in the side areas behind the board; they just can't put them in a hole in the middle of the stage.

Which doesn't look all that great anyway, even if the rest of the set *is* a vast improvement over the last several years.

That must really thrill the people sitting behind them.
"It works on Idol. It's gotta be good".