Contagion: The Musical!

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Intro Theme

Me: hello everyone and welcome to yet another edition of......





The blog where we all get lit and get involved. As you can tell, I'm not at the studio where normally my announcer voice in your head Madison Brunoehler intros the thing with peppy music and my name to kickstart midweeks, but today.....I'm in the townhouse aka the Rock House in Grimsborough because the city is officially under an emergency and I'll tell you about it in a minute but because we focus solely on game shows and reality TV also means we can help you sprinkle in some joy to uplift your spirits. Broadcasting love from my room, let's get the blog ready with.....


The Double Toasted opening Toss up story.





https://youtu.be/28hKJqYXhHg


The Corona Virus. Aka Covid-19. What started as someone getting touched in the country of China to an outbreak that's a real life zombie apacolypse movie. Many libraries and community centers shut down, restaurant dining areas adjusting to carryout and delivery like pizza places, bars shrink-wrapped patrons down to a few, Movie Theatres, Shopping Malls, and office buildings.... All closed out. Even our offices got evacuated due to the virus too. People work from home, Hollywood studios shuttering temporarily for the time being, many sporting leagues and events including the XFL suspended for obvious reasons at all, even rock concerts and festivals pushed back to summer. But the game Show world was turned upside down on the upfront side.....




A slew of networks canceled their upfront presentations that were set for May's "Upfront Week" amid the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. CBS, NBCUniversal, The CW, Fox, WarnerMedia, Disney and Discovery all scrapped their in-person events on Thursday. The companies will now present their upcoming slates to ad buyers digitally.
NBCU's and Fox's upfront were scheduled for May 11, while Disney and Discovery's were supposed to be held on May 12. CBS and WarnerMedia were each set to go two days later on May 1, with The CW's upfront slatted to close out the week on May 14. Upfronts are a critical event on the industry calendar, when top advertisers get to see the upcoming fall television slates ahead of placing large advertising buys.
The group on Thursday join A+E Networks, AMC Networks and Fox News in canceling its annual presentation to advertisers.
As large swaths of Hollywood and America shut down or become shut-ins, Fox indicated that digital may be their next move too. "While we always look forward to seeing our brand and agency partners at the Beacon Theatre, the health and well-being of our clients, talent and colleagues is our top priority," Fox's Advertising Sales boss Marianne Gambelli stated on Thursday afternoon of the May event.
"We are reimagining our presentation to engage our clients using a new format that will highlight the quality content the industry expects from FOX," the exec added. "As the leading broadcast network this season, we have so much to build on and share, and we look forward to doing that in this new way."
The declaration by the Charlie Collier run net comes less than 20 minutes after the CW took its own live Big Apple Upfront event off the stage and headed digital. "In light of recent developments and the current guidelines being set by health officials regarding COVID-19, The CW Network has decided to forego its traditional live upfront presentation scheduled for Thursday May 14 at City Center Theater in New York, as we join the community's efforts to ensure that everyone's health and safety is our top priority," the ViacomCBS and AT&T co-owned outlet said Thursday. "As a result, we are currently exploring alternative and innovative ways of communicating The CW's overall strategy, showcase our new and returning programming and present our upcoming fall schedule to advertisers, press, the industry and our fans," the network also stated. "We will be sharing additional details as we move forward."
At this point, Disney-owned ABC still has their high wattage NYC gatherings in front of deep pocket advertisers on the calendar.
The CW announcement came not long after its corporate cousin went digital as Broadway begins to shut down and Gov. Andrew Cuomo today banned all gatherings of more than 500 people in the Empire State.
"The health and safety of the advertising community, our employees and production partners is our absolute priority, so we will alter our plans for this year's Upfront presentation," said Gerhard Zeiler, Chief Revenue Officer, WarnerMedia and Kirk McDonald, Chief Business Officer, Xandr. "We have the technological and creative means to showcase our unified WarnerMedia/Xandr message through a unique video experience and will do just that on May 13."
The CW and WarnerMedia moves follow on the heels on the two broadcast networks downsizing themselves, so to speak.
"We'll miss Carnegie Hall and our agency dinners this year, but the health and safety of our clients and the ViacomCBS team comes first," said Jo Ann Ross, President and Chief Advertising Revenue Officer, ViacomCBS Domestic Advertising Sales today. "CBS has a very good story to tell, and this year we need a unique way to tell it," added the network's Entertainment boss Kelly Kahl as the company shifts from its usual Carnegie Hall shindig to a video Upfront special that will be posted to digital platforms on May 13. "We're confident that this alternate format for this year can deliver what we've come to expect from a CBS Upfront – entertainment, stars, strategy and the first look at our new primetime series," Kahl sought to assure advertisers.
Facing up to scientific reality and the bottom line, Comcast-owned NBCUniversal made a similar call almost simultaneously with their broadcast rival. "At this moment in time, we can embrace a new future that puts our audiences and our partners first," declared Linda Yaccarino, NBCUniversal's Chairman of Advertising & Partnerships Thursday too.
"This year's Upfront Presentation will ensure everyone's safety, while allowing us to give fans and marketers a preview of the upcoming season," Yaccarino noted, on what is also close to the scheduled time frame for the July 15 launch of the corporation's Peacock streamer. The broadcast Upfronts are a key forum for networks to showcase their upcoming fall schedules, and the strength of their lineup and their executive team to hundreds of advertising executives. It kicks off the upfront season where broadcasters sell most of their ad inventory. The tradition has been ongoing since the 1960s and became known for bell-and-whistles performance, talent and lavish parties after.





We'll have part 2 of our Corona Virus special in just a moment.

(Fade to break)







Welcome back kids and kidettes. I know a lot of you are social distancing but one thing does keep you entertained.....Pluto TV. It's my Netflix, my Hulu, my Disney Plus. Those streaming services cost you some money, but Pluto TV......nada. You can pay 10 bucks to binge watch The Handmaid's Tale or Black Mirror but I prefer to use my freemium on Crank Yankers, Tosh.0, MST3K, The Addams Family, American Gladiators and much much more. So stop whipping out your credit card to pay for some Jessica Jones and watch a lot of Buzzr. ..with Pluto TV.





What the Corona Virus did when it started to spread across the USA was that it affected talk shows. Here, have a look.








Interesting. Originally Wheel and Jeopardy!, The two shows Merv Griffin will always be associated with wanted to continue, but then this happened.....


The coronavirus has created a nightmare for film studios and television productions alike. The outbreak has caused yet another issue for syndication's two flagship game shows, Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune.
On Monday night, the two shows notified their social media followers that both shows would be taking a hiatus with the growing threat.
"With the increasing concern surrounding COVID-19, we have decided to temporarily suspend production on @Jeopardy! and @WheelofFortune", the tweet read. "The health and well-being of our contestants, staff, and crew are our top priority, and we will continue to monitor the situation as it develops."
Less than a week ago, both shows announced that they would be removing the live audiences from their filming due to the coronavirus.
Both of the shows' hosts have also had health issues recently. Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek is currently battling Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, while Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak went into emergency surgery this past November for an intestinal blockage. Current understanding and data has found that older people, men, and those with immunocompromised systems have higher risks for COVID-19.
This news comes after a statement on Monday from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which warned U.S. citizens that "many will become sick" as the outbreak continues to spread domestically.
"It's fair to say that as the trajectory of the outbreak continues, many people in the United States will at some point—either this year or next—be exposed to this virus. And there's a good chance that many will become sick," said Nancy Messonnier, director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
The game show tapings are attended by many people from out of town, especially an older demographic -- those considered most vulnerable to the virus.

As if that wasn't enough......

As the novel COVID-19 coronavirus spreads, and states issue mandates to try to contain the pandemic, individual film and television productions — which can be the size of villages — are shutting down across the globe. These shutdowns will have untold financial and cultural impact, and may reshape popular culture and its economic model for years to come.
The shows that have been affected as of Monday:
- THE BACHELORETTE (ABC): "The Bachelor" may have just ended, but fans could have to wait a little longer than usual to see the next season of "The Bachelorette," given that the competition series has suspended production.
- CARD SHARKS (ABC): Production has halted on the hit primetime game show reboot, Fremantle announced, because the company is taking measures to minimize the risk of exposure. "Card Sharks" was originally supposed to return to ABC's lineup this summer.
- AMERICA'S GOT TALENT (NBC): Fremantle's America's Got Talent, which also went audience-less Thursday, has been taping auditions with judges in Los Angeles since March 2. Filming was supposed to continue through March 20 but will be cut short as of March 14. The show is wrapping up a few things today, utilizing minimal staff who are working a very abbreviated schedule before going on hiatus for the time being. If conditions improve, there is an option for some or all of the remaining auditions to be taped in April.
- FAMILY FEUD (Syndication): Fremantle's syndicated game show Family Feud has become the latest entertainment TV program to suspend production in response to the fast growing coronavirus pandemic. The Fremantle series had switched to tapings without an audience Thursday.
- AMERICAN IDOL (ABC): American Idol is still a few weeks away from working on live episodes, but its future is reportedly uncertain due to the coronavirus outbreak. Pre-taped episodes will continue to air until the end of March, giving ABC and producers Fremantle enough time to make a decision.
- LOVE ISLAND FRANCE (Prime Video): Amazon has wrapped Love Island France weeks early after South Africa declared a national disaster as a result of the coronavirus crisis. South Africa has imposed travel bans, barred public gatherings of more than 100 people and shut some schools as a result of the disease. An ITV Studios France spokeswoman said: "Following the announcement by the South African president that the country is now in a 'state of disaster,' Amazon Studios' production of Love Island France will end early."
- AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR (NBC): As announced last night on Instagram, and confirmed this morning with NBC, the Washington D.C. taping of American Ninja Warrior has been postponed. This comes just a few days after the news that the Los Angeles taping, scheduled for March 13 and 14, was also postponed. That location was intended to be the start of season 12.
- ANT & DEC'S SATURDAY NIGHT TAKEAWAY (ITV): Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway is still going to continue, but without an audience. Some 'adaptations' will be made to the show this weekend, but staff will aim to air the entire 90-minute episode live. The episode set to air on 28 March will be a shorter, hour-long instalment. An ITV spokesperson told Variety: 'Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway will go ahead this weekend without a studio audience. Our priority is safeguarding the well-being of everyone involved.
The shows join "The Price Is Right", "Jeopardy!", "Wheel of Fortune", "Survivor", and "The Amazing Race" in being called off while the world addresses the pandemic.


Meanwhile......

The Big Brother format has been isolating people for decades, and seasons are in the midst of filming in numerous countries.
In Germany, contestants entered the house on February 6, when COVID-19 was still largely contained in China and for most people in the West was a distant news headline rather than an impactful reality. To date the group remains entirely unaware of its spread. Four extra housemates entered the show on March 6, after the virus began to break out, but were given strict instructions not to mention it once inside.
Germany is one of the worst hit Euro nations, with 7,588 confirmed cases and 17 deaths. After the escalation of the outbreak, broadcaster Sat.1 has now decided to inform the contestants today (March 17) about the current situation. The network posted a note on its website confirming that a doctor will get the housemates up to date in a live episode tonight at 7 PM local time (2p ET), and they will also receive video messages of reassurance from relatives.
In Australia, where Big Brother began three weeks ago in Sydney, housemates have recently been updated of the coronavirus situation. The Aussie show is atypical in that it is not broadcast live, but 7News reported that producer Edemol Shine Australia has now informed participants of the situation.
Big Brother Canada is another iteration currently running and housemates have now also been told about the virus. The Toronto-shot show typically has a live audience, which was stopped last week, leaving housemates questioning why they couldn't hear an audience reaction when one contestant was evicted at the weekend. According to Canada's Global News, they have now been filled in by production co Insight Productions. Broadcaster Corus said it had no confirmed cases of the virus to date on any of its productions, but was monitoring the situation as filming continues. Canada has had fairly minimal COVID-19 spread to date, with 441 confirmed cases and four deaths.
One of the longest-running Big Brother shoots on which contestants remain unaware of coronavirus is in Brazil, where the housemates have been in isolation since January. According to local news sources including GZH, network Globo has confirmed it will now employ an expert to get the participants up to date, and will also reassure them that their families are all unaffected. Globo, like Corus, has suspended audiences on elimination days. The Brazilian broadcaster has also increased the limit on daily water consumption in the house 20-fold, so that contestants can wash their hands frequently.
Enhanced sanitation measures are being taken across Big Brother productions, though arguably the contestants could hardly be in a safer spot to wait out the pandemic.


Across.....the pond somewhere.....


The BBC is drawing up plans to persevere with some of its most famous studio shows during the coronavirus crisis — even though it will have to sacrifice a live audience to make them happen.
Deadline reports that QI, the Fremantle-produced panel show, will record this week at BBC Television Centre without an audience, while similar ambitions are in place for Hat Trick Productions show Have I Got News For You — which goes back into production next month — and Endemol Shine Group's Would I Lie To You?.


So much of this getting sidelined as a way to subside the virus away. But we need some positivity to give the fans what they want. So it's time for a.....



With The Q's own Audrey Reid Couch. Hit it!








Audrey on TikTok

Audrey(@audreyreidcouch) has created a short video on TikTok with music Boss Bitch. This counts as my workout for the day 😅#greenscreen #smallgestures #selfcare #aftermycoffee #safehands #piday #shykids #dance


Audrey on TikTok

Audrey(@audreyreidcouch) has created a short video on TikTok with music Funky Town. went to funky town today and got a haircut 🎸#aftermycoffee #safehands #piday #shykids #ultrasmoothmoves


Audrey on TikTok

Audrey(@audreyreidcouch) has created a short video on TikTok with music Different Varieties. Peep my Nintendo switch and Zelda carrying case on the floor 😎 #BeatTheZombieFunk #rosa #SnickersFixTheWorld #dayattheoffice #fyp #foryoupage #foryou




http://tpirepguide.com/qwizx/gssfx/misc/bne-buzz.wav

Ok, that's enough.





Now we go to a Mistplay Game Break. Test your knowledge with this extra credit question. Why? Because it's more fun that being quarantined in a bunker. That's why. The question is....


https://youtu.be/SR3WGKf4IEM




Give it some thought for a second because.....


https://youtu.be/p1IrIQtZbBo

Dedicated to the unofficial president of the #madisquad Fan Club Brandon Allen and her fans everywhere, it's................................


Madi2TheMax-imum March Madness!!!!!!


Yes, TikTok is her destination, but on YouTube, she did great moments like this one.....





Now I will give you the answer: If Sam gave 15 to Amy, it'd be 1/3 of 45, so give 12 to Billy....you end up with.......18. soon 3 will end up for a dental appointment for cavities.


*Public Service Announcement from the Baroness!!* * * * #baronessvladka #bwayhandwashingchallenge #soprano #soap #foolingaround #killvirus #nothinglikesinging #operasingers #fun #operasingerofinstagram

40 Likes, 3 Comments - Opera Fusion, Inc. (@operafusion) on Instagram: "*Public Service Announcement from the Baroness!!* * * * #baronessvladka #bwayhandwashingchallenge..."


With the Corona Virus growing like a fungus, the president told America that the least you can stay at home is 15 days. That's great. Right? Well, I have some safety tips to help you beat the virus and flatten the curve so that it could pass early.


If you go to any social gathering of no more than 10 people, you are safe. Over 10 and guess what? It's sitting on the couch cranking up some Whitesnake while cooking up French Onion Soup.

Touching your face, nose or mouth with an unwashed hand is not going to do you any good. That could spend the virus out and end up positive. Look at Kevin Durant, 4 of the Brooklyn Nets and Rudy Gobert.

By the time you go out somewhere, please stay away six feet from a stranger. Six feet away or else you end up sneezing and coughing of you're less than the limit.



Clean and disinfect doorknobs, toilets, faucets and everything else. It's the right thing to do.


And the most important rule of all: Wash your hands. I don't care of you've touched a plate of food, I don't care if you started to play Candy crush on a smartphone or tablet, I don't care of you washed the dishes, I don't care if you took a shower or not, please wash your hands for 20 seconds. Because we can all be well and healthy. For more tips and updates on how we can fight the virus, please go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Because we're all in the same gang.


Closing Theme

That's it for this week. Today's consolation prize is a box of hand sanitizers I got from Walgreens a month ago before Amazon price gouged it. Anybody want one?


Don't forget to email me at kellypierre8@gmail.comcoppockonsports@yahoo.com, Pierre Jason Kelly on FB and @Johnny_Arcade on twitter. Also I'm on Snapchat as MisterGSN and Instagram as MrJackbox. We will return next Wednesday, and until we return, Play on playas.

Madison: Game Show Live! is a presenation of Jackbox Media Services, Spy Fox Entertainment and Pluto TV Networks which may or may not be responsible for the mess we made. I'm not joking. Really.


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