Merv Griffin's Crosswords
Encyclopedia
Merv Griffin's Crosswords (commonly shortened to Crosswords) is an American
game show
based on crossword puzzle
s. The show was created by its namesake, Merv Griffin
, who died shortly after beginning production on the series. Ty Treadway
was the host, and Edd Hall
was the announcer.
The series ran in daily syndication from September 10, 2007 and aired first-run episodes until May 16, 2008. Reruns continued to air in some markets until September 4, 2009, and can now be seen on FamilyNet
, ALN, and RTV
.
The show was produced by Yani-Brune Entertainment and Merv Griffin Entertainment
, and was distributed by Program Partners. The show also airs nationally in Canada
on Viva and in New Zealand
on Prime Television
.
, with the order they did so denoted on the screens on the front of their podiums. A contestant had to give a correct answer and also spell it correctly to earn the money attached to the clue, while failure to guess the clue correctly, misspelling it, or failing to answer in enough time deducted the value of the clue from the player's score.
For all but one week of episodes in December 2007, Round 3 values were the same as in Round 2; the Round 3 values shown above were later made permanent.
At the beginning of Round 2, three "spoiler" contestants joined the game and stood at podiums behind the two main contestants. Play continued as before, with the difference being that the spoilers could ring in for words with separate ring-in order monitors. The two players in the front row had priority when answering and a spoiler could only give a guess if they were the only contestant to ring in for that clue or if the other two players did not answer correctly. If a spoiler gave a correct solution to the clue they instantly moved to the front row. If both of the main players got the answer wrong or failed to ring in, the spoiler had a choice of which podium to take. However, if only one contestant got the answer wrong the spoiler would have to take that position. If a spoiler got the answer wrong they would be locked out of the game until either one of the other two spoilers gave a correct answer or if they both guessed incorrectly, at which point all three spoilers would return to play.
The player standing at the podium with the highest money total when time ran out at the end of Round 3, regardless of whether their score was positive or negative (the latter occurred once during the show's run), won the game and whatever was in the podium, and advanced to the bonus round. The losing player and spoilers received a Croton watch with the show's logo on it.
In the event of a tie, one final tiebreaker clue was played to determine the winner with all players and spoilers involved; the first to solve it correctly won the game.
, Nevada
, and Arizona
. If a Getaway-designated word went unsolved, the prize was not awarded and gameplay continued without it.
In several episodes (five of which aired in double-run markets in late September 2007), there were alternate "Crossword Extra" rules. The Crossword Extra word was not part of the main puzzle (so it was truly an "extra" word) and announced before certain clues in each round. A correct Crossword Extra answer was worth $300 in Round 1 and $600 in Round 2 with no deduction for a wrong answer or no answer at all. There was no Crossword Extra in Round 3.
For a short time, the Crossword Extra was known as the "Crossword Xbox 360
Extra" as a promotion for the Crosswords video game released on Xbox Live Arcade
, which also added an Xbox 360 console to the bonus prize during episodes with this promotion. Beginning in late December 2007, players were allowed to bet up to $3,000 in Round 3 if they had that amount or less; this was added with the redoubling of the dollar amounts for Round 3.
If the player successfully completed the puzzle, they won a vacation and a cash prize (originally $2,000, later raised to $5,000). For a brief period of time, as part of a promotional deal with Microsoft
, players also won an XBox 360
as part of the bonus round package (the promotional agreement also resulted in Crossword Extras being renamed "Crossword Xbox 360 Extras"). In the "alternate Crossword Extra" episodes, players received $100 for each bonus round word they answered.
The contestant received a Croton watch in the event they won the main game with no money and lost the Bonus Round.
in Chicago, but instead recorded at Sunset Bronson Studios in Hollywood, California. Stock audience sound effects were used instead of a live audience.
The theme song was an updated version of "Buzzword", written by Griffin and arranged by Tim Mosher and Andy "Stoker" Growcott (credited as "Tim Mosher & Stoker"). The original version was used as a prize cue on Wheel of Fortune
in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The bonus round music was an extended version of the theme from Starface
, a GSN game show.
Griffin worked on the pilot, which had contestants building a cash jackpot that would be offered to the eventual winner, and the first week of the series' production, when he died; in addition to his creator credit, he was listed posthumously in the show's credits as executive producer. The clues and puzzles used throughout the run were written by veteran crossword puzzle maker Timothy Parker, who also writes the USA Today
crossword and was hand-picked by Griffin.
Crosswords was sold to approximately 100+ markets and aired during the 2007-2008 season, usually placed in mid-morning or early-afternoon slots. In addition, the series was either packaged with other game shows such as Temptation
(a one-season revival of Sale of the Century
) in some markets while others aired an hour-long block (two episodes).
earlier original programs (through 2002) – although these increased to a more respectable $10,000 range by the end of the run; despite the low clue amounts, some contestants won five-figure sums in the main game alone (for example, contestant Bruce Haights, an executive assistant from Indiana, won $11,550 and two trips in his podium). Further, Crosswords did not provide a "house minimum" for winning contestants, causing some to walk away with little to show for their efforts and at least one contestant with a negative total score who didn't complete the puzzle and didn't win any money.
magazine, with official confirmation coming on January 28, 2008.
Because of the format's lack of returning champions, the series was not shown in taping order (i.e., the first taped episode on September 10, the second on September 11, and so on – lacking repeats – through the 225th episode on July 18); this made it impossible for casual viewers to date rerun episodes (much like most original programs broadcast by Game Show Network
) and were thus not able to determine whether one episode from a particular format was taped before or after another episode using the same format – indeed, the first episode ever aired was in fact the 27th one taped, with no discernible rhyme or reason as to why certain episodes aired when they did.
The lack of returning champions also caused some odd scheduling in double-run markets – some affiliates aired an episode with the later format, followed by one using the "original" or "alternate" formats. Occasionally, stations aired an episode several times in a two-week span, while other episodes were reran in the second half-hour after already being shown in the first.
and Program Partners announced that production of the series would be halted until at least early 2009, with the cited reason being high production costs (although the general response to this statement was that nothing done or given away on the show could have caused such a thing). Three-quarters of carrying affiliates had been ready to pick up Season 2.
In the markets that aired Crosswords (plus some that did not carry the series, including West Palm Beach, Florida
CBS affiliate WPEC
; sister station WFLX
had carried Season 1), those stations were given a choice of three programs to air as part of a Program Partners "Daytime Plus" package. One was a package of reruns from the first season titled The Best of Crosswords. The other two choices were reruns of Style By Jury
, a Canadian makeover series, and Inside the Box
, a pop-culture based game show that had run for one season in 2006.
Most of the stations carrying Crosswords immediately dropped the series after the hiatus was announced, including in the two largest markets of New York and Los Angeles. Neither of those two markets picked up the rerun package, and most of the rest did not opt for either of the other "Daytime Plus" options (although WNBC in New York, which had aired Crosswords, added both) and instead opted for other new syndicated programming. – either game shows such as Trivial Pursuit: America Plays
, or talk shows such as The Bonnie Hunt Show
. Stations that chose to air the "Best Of" package began with an episode from the "alternate" format, although viewers quickly noticed that nothing was added ("Best Of" logo, production slate, episode number, recording date, original airdate, etc.) to distinguish this set of repeats from Season 1; this had the side effect of causing stations that aired Season 1 to show continuous repeats since the first-run episodes ended. Crosswords was officially considered cancelled in February 2009, and around the same time the "Daytime Plus" experiment ended when Program Partners pulled Inside the Box from its affiliates.
On August 2, 2009, FamilyNet
, a Christian-based family network, began airing Crosswords repeats on a daily basis in a two-hour afternoon block, plus an additional one-hour block in late-night. The reruns continue to air on FamilyNet and sister network American Life Network to this day.
Syndicated repeats under the "Best Of" label ceased on September 4, 2009.
These puzzle books were edited by Timothy Parker, who supplied all the puzzles for the TV show and is puzzle editor for USA Today
. It is unknown whether any of the puzzles used in the books were used in the series, but if this is the case then this would not hold true for at least 75 of the puzzles.
Advertisements during 2008 shows announced that a Crosswords game was available through the Xbox Live Arcade
. The Xbox 360 console was featured as part of the grand prize package and as a sponsor for the Crossword Extras, which for a time became known as "Crossword Xbox 360 Extras".
A board game of the show was released by Hasbro
in Fall 2008, with a DVD version also in the works. Oberon Games released a downloadable PC game of Crosswords on February 11, 2008 and began selling it in retail chains later that year.
In 2008, Electronic Arts
released a mobile version of Crosswords which was available for download at the show's website.
On November 19, 2008, THQ
released a console version of Crosswords for the Wii
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
based on crossword puzzle
Crossword
A crossword is a word puzzle that normally takes the form of a square or rectangular grid of white and shaded squares. The goal is to fill the white squares with letters, forming words or phrases, by solving clues which lead to the answers. In languages that are written left-to-right, the answer...
s. The show was created by its namesake, Merv Griffin
Merv Griffin
Mervyn Edward "Merv" Griffin, Jr. was an American television host, musician, actor, and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer who went on to appear in movies and on Broadway. From 1965 to 1986 Griffin hosted his own talk show, The Merv Griffin Show on Group W Broadcasting...
, who died shortly after beginning production on the series. Ty Treadway
Ty Treadway
Tyrus Richard "Ty" Treadway is a game show host, actor and talk show host. Treadway had co-hosted Soap Talk with Lisa Rinna.-Biography:Ty was born and raised in Trenton, New Jersey to Richard and Mary Lou Treadway...
was the host, and Edd Hall
Edd Hall
Edd Hall is an American celebrity, television personality, and announcer. Most famous for his work on television as Jay Leno's announcer on The Tonight Show from 1992 to 2004, Hall replaced famed Tonight Show announcer Ed McMahon after Johnny Carson's retirement...
was the announcer.
The series ran in daily syndication from September 10, 2007 and aired first-run episodes until May 16, 2008. Reruns continued to air in some markets until September 4, 2009, and can now be seen on FamilyNet
FamilyNet
FamilyNet is a broadcast television network owned by ComStar Media Fund and based in Atlanta, Georgia. The network was founded in 1979 as the National Christian Network, and took the name FamilyNet in 1988 under the ownership of Jerry Falwell. The channel was acquired by InTouch Ministries in...
, ALN, and RTV
Retro Television Network
The Retro Television Network is a system of television stations that airs classic television shows as well as more recently produced programs...
.
The show was produced by Yani-Brune Entertainment and Merv Griffin Entertainment
Merv Griffin Entertainment
Merv Griffin Entertainment is a production company founded by entertainer Merv Griffin in December 1995. Its productions include revivals of recent franchises . Griffin's company is part of The Griffin Group...
, and was distributed by Program Partners. The show also airs nationally in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on Viva and in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
on Prime Television
Prime Television New Zealand
Prime is the seventh national free-to-air television station in New Zealand. The station airs a mixed group of programmes, largely imported from Australia, the UK and the United States, as well as free-to-air rugby union, cricket and rugby league matches....
.
Gameplay
Crosswords initially pitted two contestants in direct competition, filling in answers in the day's crossword puzzle one at a time in random order. The answer boxes denoting the number of letters (and any already-solved letters) in a word was shown with a crossword clue and a dollar value. After the clue was read, the contestants could ring inLock-out device
A lock-out device is a system used on game shows, particularly trivia shows, to determine in real time which contestant has activated their signal first. The system is designed to detect the first signal it receives and ignore subsequent signals...
, with the order they did so denoted on the screens on the front of their podiums. A contestant had to give a correct answer and also spell it correctly to earn the money attached to the clue, while failure to guess the clue correctly, misspelling it, or failing to answer in enough time deducted the value of the clue from the player's score.
| Word Length | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 letters | $50 | $100 | $200 |
| 4–6 letters | $100 | $200 | $400 |
| 7+ letters | $150 | $300 | $600 |
For all but one week of episodes in December 2007, Round 3 values were the same as in Round 2; the Round 3 values shown above were later made permanent.
At the beginning of Round 2, three "spoiler" contestants joined the game and stood at podiums behind the two main contestants. Play continued as before, with the difference being that the spoilers could ring in for words with separate ring-in order monitors. The two players in the front row had priority when answering and a spoiler could only give a guess if they were the only contestant to ring in for that clue or if the other two players did not answer correctly. If a spoiler gave a correct solution to the clue they instantly moved to the front row. If both of the main players got the answer wrong or failed to ring in, the spoiler had a choice of which podium to take. However, if only one contestant got the answer wrong the spoiler would have to take that position. If a spoiler got the answer wrong they would be locked out of the game until either one of the other two spoilers gave a correct answer or if they both guessed incorrectly, at which point all three spoilers would return to play.
The player standing at the podium with the highest money total when time ran out at the end of Round 3, regardless of whether their score was positive or negative (the latter occurred once during the show's run), won the game and whatever was in the podium, and advanced to the bonus round. The losing player and spoilers received a Croton watch with the show's logo on it.
In the event of a tie, one final tiebreaker clue was played to determine the winner with all players and spoilers involved; the first to solve it correctly won the game.
Crossword Getaway
In the original format, one word in each of the first two rounds was designated the "Crossword Getaway", with the contestant who solved that particular word having a trip placed in their bank. Trips were usually to resort destinations in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. If a Getaway-designated word went unsolved, the prize was not awarded and gameplay continued without it.
Crossword Extra
The Crossword Extra was a bonus word played once in Round 1 and twice in subsequent rounds (originally once in each round, with the second word added following the removal of the Getaways). The player who correctly guessed the word the Extra was attached to was the only player who could answer and wagered all or part of their score on the word (up to $500, $1,000, or $2,000 (depending on the round) if they had less than those amounts). A correct answer added the wager, while an incorrect answer deducted it.In several episodes (five of which aired in double-run markets in late September 2007), there were alternate "Crossword Extra" rules. The Crossword Extra word was not part of the main puzzle (so it was truly an "extra" word) and announced before certain clues in each round. A correct Crossword Extra answer was worth $300 in Round 1 and $600 in Round 2 with no deduction for a wrong answer or no answer at all. There was no Crossword Extra in Round 3.
Changes
Beginning with the episode aired November 1, 2007 there were changes to the special items. The Getaways were eliminated, with additional Extras being added (based on the original format). One Extra appeared in Round 1, but two Extras appeared in Round 2, and one or two appeared in Round 3. The Round 3 wagering maximum was also increased to the higher of $2,000 or the player's total score.For a short time, the Crossword Extra was known as the "Crossword Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
Extra" as a promotion for the Crosswords video game released on Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
, which also added an Xbox 360 console to the bonus prize during episodes with this promotion. Beginning in late December 2007, players were allowed to bet up to $3,000 in Round 3 if they had that amount or less; this was added with the redoubling of the dollar amounts for Round 3.
Bonus round
The winning contestant attempted to fill in the remaining spaces of the show's crossword puzzle. The player had 90 seconds to fill all the spaces up by choosing words using the number and either down or across, and then answering and spelling the word. The round was played rapid-fire, with the contestant choosing the words in any order they wanted. There was no penalty for wrong answers, other than having to choose the word again or fill in the spaces using words in the other direction.If the player successfully completed the puzzle, they won a vacation and a cash prize (originally $2,000, later raised to $5,000). For a brief period of time, as part of a promotional deal with Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, players also won an XBox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
as part of the bonus round package (the promotional agreement also resulted in Crossword Extras being renamed "Crossword Xbox 360 Extras"). In the "alternate Crossword Extra" episodes, players received $100 for each bonus round word they answered.
The contestant received a Croton watch in the event they won the main game with no money and lost the Bonus Round.
Production
Crosswords was originally planned to be recorded at the NBC TowerNBC Tower
The NBC Tower is an office tower on the Near north side of Chicago, Illinois, United States located at 454 North Columbus Drive in downtown Chicago's Magnificent Mile area. Completed in 1989, the 37-story building reaches a height of 627 feet...
in Chicago, but instead recorded at Sunset Bronson Studios in Hollywood, California. Stock audience sound effects were used instead of a live audience.
The theme song was an updated version of "Buzzword", written by Griffin and arranged by Tim Mosher and Andy "Stoker" Growcott (credited as "Tim Mosher & Stoker"). The original version was used as a prize cue on Wheel of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune (U.S. game show)
Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin, which premiered in 1975. Contestants compete to solve word puzzles, similar to those used in Hangman, to win cash and prizes determined by spinning a large wheel. The title refers to the show's giant carnival wheel that...
in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The bonus round music was an extended version of the theme from Starface
Starface
Starface is an American television game show which ran on GSN on August 1, 2006 to November 4, 2006. Reruns aired until January 2007.-Format:...
, a GSN game show.
Broadcast history
During the program's development, the series was originally known as Let's Play Crosswords and later changed to Let's Do Crosswords. On each episode, host Treadway used either phrase to begin the day's game. The Play title also appeared on some on-screen VCR displays and pre-programmed television listings.Griffin worked on the pilot, which had contestants building a cash jackpot that would be offered to the eventual winner, and the first week of the series' production, when he died; in addition to his creator credit, he was listed posthumously in the show's credits as executive producer. The clues and puzzles used throughout the run were written by veteran crossword puzzle maker Timothy Parker, who also writes the USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
crossword and was hand-picked by Griffin.
Crosswords was sold to approximately 100+ markets and aired during the 2007-2008 season, usually placed in mid-morning or early-afternoon slots. In addition, the series was either packaged with other game shows such as Temptation
Temptation (2007 US game show)
Temptation: The New Sale of the Century was a television game show loosely based on both the original Australian and American Sale of the Century versions, plus the 2005 Australian version, also titled Temptation. The show began airing in syndication on September 10, 2007, with the last first-run...
(a one-season revival of Sale of the Century
Sale of the Century
Sale of the Century is a television game show format that has been screened in several countries in various incarnations since 1969. The show found its biggest success in Australia, where it aired weeknights from 1980 to 2001...
) in some markets while others aired an hour-long block (two episodes).
Critical reviews
The show's earlier episodes, with a top payout of just over $4,000, were on par with Game Show Network'sGame Show Network
The Game Show Network is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and casino game shows. The channel was launched on December 1, 1994. Its current slogan is "The World Needs More Winners"...
earlier original programs (through 2002) – although these increased to a more respectable $10,000 range by the end of the run; despite the low clue amounts, some contestants won five-figure sums in the main game alone (for example, contestant Bruce Haights, an executive assistant from Indiana, won $11,550 and two trips in his podium). Further, Crosswords did not provide a "house minimum" for winning contestants, causing some to walk away with little to show for their efforts and at least one contestant with a negative total score who didn't complete the puzzle and didn't win any money.
Ratings
Initial ratings for Crosswords were a 0.8 share, significantly less than the more-established games which have garnered at least 1.5 shares. In November 2007, Crosswords hit the 1.0 mark and was reported to have been picked up for a second season in the November 26, 2007 issue of Broadcasting & CableBroadcasting & Cable
Broadcasting & Cable magazine is a television industry trade magazine published by NewBay Media. Previous names included Broadcasting/Telecasting, Broadcasting and Broadcast Advertising, and Broadcasting...
magazine, with official confirmation coming on January 28, 2008.
Airings and reruns
Since Crosswords aired two episodes in some markets, the series taped "extras" (most all of which were of the original format) for the purpose of reducing repeats; this resulted in 45 weeks of shows being taped, however not all double-run (or even single-run) markets aired all 225 episodes.Because of the format's lack of returning champions, the series was not shown in taping order (i.e., the first taped episode on September 10, the second on September 11, and so on – lacking repeats – through the 225th episode on July 18); this made it impossible for casual viewers to date rerun episodes (much like most original programs broadcast by Game Show Network
Game Show Network
The Game Show Network is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and casino game shows. The channel was launched on December 1, 1994. Its current slogan is "The World Needs More Winners"...
) and were thus not able to determine whether one episode from a particular format was taped before or after another episode using the same format – indeed, the first episode ever aired was in fact the 27th one taped, with no discernible rhyme or reason as to why certain episodes aired when they did.
The lack of returning champions also caused some odd scheduling in double-run markets – some affiliates aired an episode with the later format, followed by one using the "original" or "alternate" formats. Occasionally, stations aired an episode several times in a two-week span, while other episodes were reran in the second half-hour after already being shown in the first.
Aborted renewal
Before production was slated to resume, however, in June 2008 Merv Griffin EntertainmentMerv Griffin Entertainment
Merv Griffin Entertainment is a production company founded by entertainer Merv Griffin in December 1995. Its productions include revivals of recent franchises . Griffin's company is part of The Griffin Group...
and Program Partners announced that production of the series would be halted until at least early 2009, with the cited reason being high production costs (although the general response to this statement was that nothing done or given away on the show could have caused such a thing). Three-quarters of carrying affiliates had been ready to pick up Season 2.
In the markets that aired Crosswords (plus some that did not carry the series, including West Palm Beach, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
CBS affiliate WPEC
WPEC
WPEC is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Gold and Treasure Coasts of South Florida. Licensed to West Palm Beach, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter in Lake Worth along U.S. 441/SR 7. The station is the flagship of Freedom Communications...
; sister station WFLX
WFLX
WFLX is the Fox-affiliated television station for the Gold and Treasure Coasts of South Florida. Licensed to West Palm Beach, the station broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 28 from a transmitter in Lake Worth west of US 441/SR 7. The station can also be seen on Comcast...
had carried Season 1), those stations were given a choice of three programs to air as part of a Program Partners "Daytime Plus" package. One was a package of reruns from the first season titled The Best of Crosswords. The other two choices were reruns of Style By Jury
Style By Jury
Style By Jury is a Canadian makeover show which was shown on the W Network since 2007.-Plot:Contestants of the show are told that they are doing an audition for a makeover show, but what they do not know is that they've been already selected for the show...
, a Canadian makeover series, and Inside the Box
Inside the Box
Inside the Box is a Canadian game show which debuted in 2006 on the cable network TVtropolis, and was syndicated in the United States by Program Partners in the 2008 television season...
, a pop-culture based game show that had run for one season in 2006.
Most of the stations carrying Crosswords immediately dropped the series after the hiatus was announced, including in the two largest markets of New York and Los Angeles. Neither of those two markets picked up the rerun package, and most of the rest did not opt for either of the other "Daytime Plus" options (although WNBC in New York, which had aired Crosswords, added both) and instead opted for other new syndicated programming. – either game shows such as Trivial Pursuit: America Plays
Trivial Pursuit: America Plays
Trivial Pursuit: America Plays was a syndicated game show loosely based on the board game of the same name. It premiered on September 22, 2008 and aired first-run episodes through May 22, 2009 . The host was Christopher Knight Trivial Pursuit: America Plays was a syndicated game show loosely based...
, or talk shows such as The Bonnie Hunt Show
The Bonnie Hunt Show
The Bonnie Hunt Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted by Bonnie Hunt. It premiered on September 8, 2008. It is the second show featuring Bonnie Hunt to have that title. The first was a sitcom that ran for one season in 1995 and was retitled Bonnie when it returned after a mid-season hiatus...
. Stations that chose to air the "Best Of" package began with an episode from the "alternate" format, although viewers quickly noticed that nothing was added ("Best Of" logo, production slate, episode number, recording date, original airdate, etc.) to distinguish this set of repeats from Season 1; this had the side effect of causing stations that aired Season 1 to show continuous repeats since the first-run episodes ended. Crosswords was officially considered cancelled in February 2009, and around the same time the "Daytime Plus" experiment ended when Program Partners pulled Inside the Box from its affiliates.
On August 2, 2009, FamilyNet
FamilyNet
FamilyNet is a broadcast television network owned by ComStar Media Fund and based in Atlanta, Georgia. The network was founded in 1979 as the National Christian Network, and took the name FamilyNet in 1988 under the ownership of Jerry Falwell. The channel was acquired by InTouch Ministries in...
, a Christian-based family network, began airing Crosswords repeats on a daily basis in a two-hour afternoon block, plus an additional one-hour block in late-night. The reruns continue to air on FamilyNet and sister network American Life Network to this day.
Syndicated repeats under the "Best Of" label ceased on September 4, 2009.
Merchandising
Three official tie-in books were released in paperback on October 16, 2007:- Merv Griffin's Crosswords Volume 1: 100 Easiest Puzzles
- Merv Griffin's Crosswords Volume 2: 100 Easy Puzzles
- Merv Griffin's Crosswords Volume 3: 100 Easy-to-Hard Puzzles
These puzzle books were edited by Timothy Parker, who supplied all the puzzles for the TV show and is puzzle editor for USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
. It is unknown whether any of the puzzles used in the books were used in the series, but if this is the case then this would not hold true for at least 75 of the puzzles.
Advertisements during 2008 shows announced that a Crosswords game was available through the Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
. The Xbox 360 console was featured as part of the grand prize package and as a sponsor for the Crossword Extras, which for a time became known as "Crossword Xbox 360 Extras".
A board game of the show was released by Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
in Fall 2008, with a DVD version also in the works. Oberon Games released a downloadable PC game of Crosswords on February 11, 2008 and began selling it in retail chains later that year.
In 2008, Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
released a mobile version of Crosswords which was available for download at the show's website.
On November 19, 2008, THQ
THQ
THQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
released a console version of Crosswords for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
.