When "The Gong Show" went off the air 28 years ago, no one expected to ever see it again. Viewers thought they had heard their last gong. However, that is not the case because the talent show returns on ABC on Thursday, June 22, 2017, at 10 p.m. The original version of "The Gong Show" aired on NBC with 501 episodes from June 14, 1976, to September 15, 1989. It was an NBC daytime show produced and hosted by Chuck Barris. At that time, it was only a half-hour show.
New version
“The Gong Show” makes its return to television on a different network than it was on before.
The talent show is airing on ABC instead of NBC. The new version has new acts, but the acts will still be funny, unusual and weird. Like the original version, there will be rotating celebrity judges including Ken Jeong, Jack Black, Will Forte, Jennifer Aniston, Zach Galifianakis, and Will Arnett who is also producing the show and was instrumental in its return. British comedic legend Tommy Maitland hosts the show that is taped in front of a live studio audience.
First episode
If you have missed "The Gong Show" all those years, you can tune in to watch the crazy acts scheduled on its first episode. Don't expect to see any serious talent like is seen on ABC's "America's Got Talent." One of the highlights of the premiere episode includes a married couple who spits chunks of bananas into each other's mouth.
The judges get in on the act and they do the same. Another act includes a woman playing the harmonica with a tarantula in her mouth.
The hour is filled with similar acts while each performer hopes not to hear the gong sound before the act is completed. Unlike most game shows and other shows that give a trophy and a monetary prize, there is a winner at the end of each episode based on the highest judges' scores.
The winner will receive "The Gong Show" trophy and a check in the amount of $2,017 that represents the year of the performance. More than likely, the check will be a penny higher next year. The monetary prize has always been an odd amount. Former winners have received checks in the amounts of $516.32, $712.05 and $996.83.
Other reboots
It is so amazing how many shows are returning to television these days. The reboots include comedies, dramas, and game shows. Some game shows returning to ABC include "The Match Game," "The $100,000 Pyramid," and "To Tell the Truth."
Not only are viewers seeing reboots of game shows, there are several revivals of other television shows and movies including "Dirty Dancing," "Baywatch" and "Wonder Woman." "American Idol," Roseanne" and "Sister, Sister" are in the works to air again. Since this seems to be the trend, don't be surprised if some of your favorite shows come out of retirement.
