Often considered an opportune time to head for the refrigerator or the bathroom, commercial breaks can be fun, especially if there`s the possibility of an enticing viewer payoff.
”Quizits,” a former fill-in program that became so popular it now has a regular time slot on Continental-Ch. 3, is one commercial ”interruption”
that many cable viewers try not to miss.
”A major promotional tool is what `Quizits` is. The show is a major hard-sell program,” producer David Anderson said. ”It`s also fun to watch.”
Continental occasionally pre-empted local origination programming on Channel 3 with movies from such services as Cinemax and the Disney Channel, as a way of enticing basic cable-service viewers to subscribe to the premium channels.
”Quizits,” a live quiz show inviting viewer call-in answers to questions about cable programs, began as a practical way to fill awkward moments between feature movies.
It is now broadcast live at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, with rebroadcasts at 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. ”We`ve really developed a following,”
Anderson noted.
Airing since last October, ”Quizits” is the only ”live interactive game show in Chicagoland where viewers can play along at home,” Anderson said. He likens it to a cable version of ”Jeopardy.”
”The major difference is the audience members are the contestants.”
Host Rick Dianovsky asks viewers six trivia questions throughout each half-hour segment. Each question is preceded by the screening of a related 30- to 60-second clip, usually promoting an upcoming cable premiere. Then, the phone lines light up. In radio call-in tradition, Dianovsky announces that the 6th or 15th or 20th caller with the correct answer wins.
Prizes, donated by the cable service and local sponsors, are described in a detailed voice-over by Jeanne Dooley, characterized by Anderson as a ”female Don Pardo.” Dooley also coproduced the show until recently, when Terry Cantwell took over.
The questions, written by Anderson, are relatively easy, he said. For example, a recent audience was asked, ”What is the name of the character wearing the hockey mask in this clip?” while viewing a scene showing Jason from the ”Friday the 13th” movies.
”The hardest part of the game is to get through” on the phone lines, Anderson said. The winning prize is usually a getaway weekend or a restaurant dinner for two.
