Gameshow Network gets Lingo discount

LA-based production company the Gurin Company and Dutch outfit IDtv have all but given the US Sony-backed cable channel Gameshow Network 20 episodes of a quizshow for free.

A US version of Lingo, a word-based gameshow format that has been around for 12 years and aired in 18 countries, is being produced out of the Netherlands, financed by the Gurin Company and IDtv through underwriting and deferring fees.

Gurin president Phil Gurin said that as a business model it’s preferable to a pilot as the show is {guaranteed a month of eyeballs{. He is confident that once it is on air it will be a ratings success and Gameshow will order more.

US presenter Chuck Woolery has been flown into the Netherlands for the shows. Meanwhile US contestants have been sourced in the Netherlands and the UK.