American Dream Derby??? New Horse Racing REALITY show???

[fouroneone]

I was unaware that GSN was creating a Horse Racing Reality Show? Top prize is 15 horses and $250,000.


Game Show Network Readying American Dream Derby Show


Twelve contestants competing for $250,000 and a stable of 15 Thoroughbreds have concluded most of the competition
for the Game Show Network’s inaugural “American Dream Derby,” the first television reality show set in the racing
The unscripted series will premiere on January 10 with back-to-back episodes at 9 and 10 p.m. EST on GSN with regularly
scheduled episodes at 9 p.m. every Monday leading up to the finale, a live broadcast on February 21 at Santa Anita Park.
The contestants experienced the highs and lows of the Thoroughbred racing world with some living in racetrack
dormitories and others at a nearby Los Angeles-area mansion to simulate "the high life" of racehorse owners, producers
said. They also partook in daily stable chores and care of the horses.
Recording artist LeAnn Rimes sings the show’s theme song, "You Take Me Home." She will appear in the premiere and
will perform live as a part of the two-hour season finale.
Steve Santagati, the host of "Looking for Love: Bachelorettes in Alaska," will host the racing series for GSN. Santagati
was also a guest judge on "America’s Next Top Model" in June 2003.
Stone & Co. Entertainment, a division of Stone Stanley Entertainment, produced "American Dream Derby" for GSN. It
previously had produced "The Mole" on ABC and currently produces the "Joe Schmo" franchise on Spike TV, "The Man
Show" on Comedy Central, and "Oblivious" on Turner Network Television, among other shows. Source: Thoroughbred
Times

[sjk]

If you own 15 horses you're going to need the $250k.

[Dancer's Image]

The unscripted series will premiere on January 10 with back-to-back episodes at 9 and 10 p.m. EST on GSN with regularly
scheduled episodes at 9 p.m. every Monday leading up to the finale, a live broadcast on February 21 at Santa Anita Park.

I'm only writing this to remind myself to watch this series...it sounds like fun. It's scheduled to fill the hole where MNF usually is...now if I can just find the Game Show Network on my TV! LOL

[Tom]

I see a GAME on channle 116 on the Dish Network....it is called Game Show Network, but not GSN. It is on the Top 100 and Top 150 packages, not Top60.

[Pace Cap'n]

Originally posted by Tom
I see a GAME on channle 116 on the Dish Network....it is called Game Show Network, but not GSN. It is on the Top 100 and Top 150 packages, not Top60.

That's it.

[Rookie]

I tried out for this show. If you want to call spendng 2 hours on the application, 250 word letter, and video trying out. I sent them all in without a response.

I'll be interested to see what characters show up on the program come January.

I know a horse was claimed towards the end of the Bay Meadows meet for the show.

Hopefully it's popular enough where they have another season.

[Observer]

I remember reading about this show .. and was just wondering the other day when it was going to start airing!

Thanks!

[PaceAdvantage]

It premiers tonight at 9pm eastern on GAME SHOW NETWORK....just a reminder!

[kingfin66]

I had almost forgot about this show until somebody asked me about it the other day. Sure hope it's good.

[The Hawk]

Thanks for the heads up guys, I didn't know this was even coming on. I've just watched most of the 1st show and am a little disappointed, in that it's a little fluffy for me, but perhaps it's the kind of thing that will encourage non-fans to to get into the game some. I like the idea of the live race as the finale but the "Survivor Meets Horse Racing" theme is a little goofy, I think. I don't know if you guys remember a show called "Thoroughbred" on Animal Planet but I thought that was a great show on racing. That one appealed to me as well as my wife, who isn't a fan by any means. All in all, the fact that "American Dream" gets the game some exposure is great.

[witchdoctor]

The past performance for the horses can be found at the following site


http://www.gsn.com/win/derby/horses.php

[PaceAdvantage]

I agree Hawk. I enjoyed Thoroughbred on Animal Planet very much. It somehow fell by the wayside (and for Animal Planet, that's HARSH! LOL)

Dream Derby is a little painful at times, but watchable. Why in the world couldn't they get Trevor Denman to call the races (the racing takes place at Santa Anita?) I'll bet Trevor cringes just like the rest of us while watching the show, and either flat out refused to do the show because the silly factor is high, or GSN didn't want to pay him enough to be on the show.

American Dream Derby is only watchable because it's about horse racing.

[BillW]

Funniest part of show: ditzy model admits to not knowing how to "work a wheelbarrow". :eek:

Best part of the show - a re-run of Win Ben Stein's Money followed as an antidote. :p

[andicap]

PA,
The Animal Planet show just ran its course, that's all. Lots of shows on cable have abbreviated runs. Of course if the ratings had been phenomenal I'm sure they would have sought to keep it going somehow.
I'm sure it was tough for the producers to find a trainer like Bill Boniface and his sons to give them the sort of close access that they enjoyed. You know what racing people are like. Secrecy, paranoia and damn the publicity.

[PaceAdvantage]

I agree andi. For some reason though, I just remember the show dying out in what I thought was the middle of its season. Maybe I was just so yearning for more episodes, I hadn't realized it was officially over....LOL

[BillW]

PA,

It was more of a multi-part documentary (Boniface farm in Md.) than a 13 week production. They did re-run it at some point after the original run. I really enjoyed it too.

Bill

[Storm Cadet]

That show was about as good as the horse _ hit they were hauling into the wheelbarrows

[Observer]

I didn't think it was all that bad. Maybe the presentation isn't as best it could be .. but there is definitely some creativity behind this show.

What I do like, is how clearly even the people who knew nothing at all about racing seemed to be really getting into the action .. and for me .. that's big! Maybe it will entice others into finding out what all the excitement is about.

Of course, I loved how they kept throwing the "breeder" lady into the win-or-be-scratched challenge races .. and of course she has now won both races with the horses she has chosen. Boy, did the plan for getting her out backfire big-time!
:D :rolleyes: :D

[ThoroughbredPhotos]

I actually thought it was a decent show...At least it was a little closer to reality than "reality" shows...

It will help the sport attract fans and that can't hurt at all and for those new fans it takes a little bit of the fear of the sport away...

What I think will be the best is the "live" running at Santa Anita of the final race...That should be one to watch....

[PaceAdvantage]

Things would probably be better all around (production, fan enticement/excitement, etc) if it were on a more popular network than GSN.

I would guess a majority of the audience is comprised of people ALREADY interested in racing. That's not going to do much for the sport...it needs wider exposure, but I guess the major networks passed on the show, and it wound up on GSN.

[Observer]

Alright .. with all the reality shows out there .. and with so many other idea possibilities (and let's admit, they have been very, very creative with ideas) .. it's amazing that someone somewhere decided to throw this idea together for a horse racing reality show, and get it on the air at all.

Maybe the audience base is limited, and maybe bigger networks turned it down for more "racy" :rolleyes: reality shows .. but you never know what effect a show like this could have on someone somewhere .. if they're able to actually stumble across it on GSN.

[ThoroughbredPhotos]

This is very true.

The show could pick up good ratings and make it into syndication on another network, return for another season etc...

I have also heard some of the participants doing radio promos for the show.(which non GSN viewers can hear and many local papers did some type of coverage in the entertainment section)

So it can't be a bad thing, could be a good thing, and provides entertainment for those of us who really enjoy the sport...You can't ask for much more than that....

Mike
www.thoroughbredphotos.net

[Buddy Love]

We watched both episodes last night and were disappointed.

It seems to me that the contestants are more like out of work actors. Did you notice everyone's bright and straight teeth? That's a give away. Also, my wife noticed the main announcer's hair plugs are showing.

I don't think this is unscripted. Did you notice that in the match races you really don't know which horse was who because of the yellow and blue colors. So, they just manipulated in the studio with voice-overs who the winning horse would be and which contestant would be gone.

I did think the foot race with added weights was pretty funny but the digging through the horse crap was very lame. Also, the so called conflict of owners to stable people. Then adding the conflict between the contestants. It is like anyone with a brain is sitting there watching this saying, "We know what you are doing."

Another typical 'phony' reality series. That's too bad because if they stuck with the concept from the first episode of betting and handicapping races like that first race - which I thought they were going to do - I think it would be a good show. It probably could have promoted horse racing.

:)

[Buddy Love]

Another mistake they made in the first episode was the one guy who was supposedly in the 'Hood', from the streets, and needed money. In the next episode they had listed him as a 'Record Producer'.

:)

[Pace Cap'n]

For a humorous, albeit lenghty, review, go here (http://www.equidaily.com/bestbet/extras/misc/amderby/ep1.html).

[Buddy Love]

For a humorous, albeit lenghty, review, go here (http://www.equidaily.com/bestbet/extras/misc/amderby/ep1.html).

That was a great review. Glad someone else was able to catch the Hollywood BS and errors that are in the show.

It is still a shame because they could have made a great show around this.

:)

[Observer]

Wow .. that review is just way to intense for me. Honestly, it's just a show .. does it really need to be that dissected??? Generally when I watch some show on TV it's to give my mind a break.

And as for not knowing which horse was which "because of yellow and blue colors" .. I'm not sure I understand that .. but they did have the contestant's names on the back of the silks for the match races.

I was not paying close enough attention to pull apart all sorts of details .. but why couldn't that one guy be a record producer "from the hood" who needs money??

[dogkatcher]

I won't miss it this week, or next week, or next

P UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU