Greenberg Game Show Takes Nation By Storm

Some of you may have liked Duel, the new Mike Greenberg-hosted game show on ABC. I'll admit to being confused by the entire enterprise; for the first 10 minutes I thought I was watching the first episode of the new season of Lost. Answer the question, Hurley, and The Others will release Sawyer! For more detailed analysis, let's go to The Washington Post's Tom Shales, who was a little more pointed in his criticism.

Mike Greenberg, who hosts "Duel," appears to have been born without a sense of humor (even though he is half of "Mike and Mike in the Morning," a sports-chat show on ESPN), but with an obvious contempt for all game show contestants. Among his witticisms: "Discretion is the better part of valor." He so mercilessly drags out the proceedings, repeating contestants' options ad nauseam, that a player named Denise at one point snaps, "Oh, just get on with it!" Thus the most honest and enjoyable moment of the show.

But Shales goes further, suggesting, essentially, that shows such as Duel could be the ruin of television as we know it. Hmm. I might agree with him if I could figure out what the heck was going on. The blue chips are worth how much again?

Well, at least the show is getting support on its own message board:

• Mediocre at best! — Donkobes

• Too slowwwww, sticking with Jeopardy — bnbsmom

• MY GOSH!!! I can't take it!!! Is this show the most boring show in the world?? — mssusan1999

• While the premise is excellent, something must have gotten lost in the translation when it arrived from France. — Stubby55

ABC's 'Duel' Personality? Dull And Dumb [Washington Post] The Reviews Are In, 'Duel' And Greenberg Get Destroyed [Awful Announcing]