The network upfronts continue this week, and as new shows are being unveiled, some old favorites are falling off the schedules. Some have been flat-out canceled, while others appear to be shelved until further notice. Here's the list of casualties and what we know so far:

• 1 vs 100 - NBC released an ambitious schedule several weeks ago, covering an entire years' worth of programming. 1 vs 100 was nowhere to be found on that list, and a rep at the network confirmed for me that there are "no plans at this time for (it) to return to the schedule."


• Amne$ia - Canceled.


• Duel - Duel does not appear on ABC's schedule for next season, but it's also absent from the cancellation pile. Poor ratings may put it permanently out of commission, however.


• My Dad is Better Than Your Dad - Canceled.


• The Singing Bee - Just like 1 vs 100, there are no plans to bring The Singing Bee back at the moment, but it hasn't been terminated completely.

The only show on that list that surprises me is 1 vs 100. In its first season, the ratings were quite good and many fans were enthusiastic about the second season. Unfortunately, that season was cut short because of the writer's strike - the show uses guild writers for their trivia questions. The short season combined with the new format may have been what led to a drop in ratings, and ultimately the benching of the show. Let's hope it comes back as a mid-season replacement! What do you think? Should any of these shows have been renewed, or were they due for cancellation?

In related news, CBS was expected to include Game Show in My Head in their schedule, but there's still no word on when that one will actually air.

Photo courtesy NBC

Taping is scheduled to begin on Celebrity Family Feud, and if you're in the Hollywood area at the end of May or the first week of June, you can get some free tickets to be in the studio audience.

Available taping dates are May 31st, June 1st, and June 7th. To get your audience tickets, head over to On Camera Audiences, choose your preferred date, and fill out a very brief form. That's it! Tickets will be held for you at the studio.

Celebrity Family Feud, hosted by Al Roker, is scheduled to premiere July 1st at 8pm Eastern, on NBC.

Related: Where to Find Free Game Show Audience Tickets

Logo courtesy GSN

The big television networks are unveiling their new 2008/09 schedules this week during the upfronts, and ABC today announced that Ashton Kutcher's production company, Katalyst, is behind their latest game show offering, Opportunity Knocks. The hour-long game show will air Tuesday nights at 8pm.

Hosted by J.D. Roth, Opportunity Knocks is a mobile game show that is literally played at the contestants' homes. According to ABC's press release:

"We will be showing up on America's doorstep and testing how well they know their family. Our mobile team will arrive at 'Anywhere, America' in a semi-truck that is full of flat screen TVs, new furniture and big cash prizes that the family can win right there. We will take the action of a game show directly into our contestants' homes, setting up shop in a family's front lawn."

The game will be played by asking family members trivia questions about each other, their home, and their lives. 13 episodes are on tap, to air this fall.

Logo courtesy ABC

American Gladiators began its second season last night, and there were lots of great additions and improvements to the game that made the premiere quite enjoyable. Two new events, "Vertigo" and "Rocketball," were added, as well as three new gladiators and an updated and expanded Gladiator Arena. The new arena provided enough space to expand some of the old events, like a huge new Wall and an Eliminator round that was even tougher than last season.

The two-hour premiere featured some strong contenders, who fought for points that seemed much harder to come by than they were last time 'round. One contender, Vanessa Warren, made a brilliant strategic move in the final Eliminator competition that secured her a win. The new Eliminator features a teeter-totter contraption that contestants must walk across before attempting to scale the menacing "Travelator" - a downward moving uphill climb that has spelled disaster for many contenders before. Warren paused in the middle of the teeter-totter as it tilted downwards for her descent, and used her momentum from coming off the teeter-totter to propel herself up the Travelator. It worked like a charm, and I imagine we'll be seeing more contenders using this little trick to their advantage in the weeks to come.

While three new gladiators were welcomed last night, it was returning champion Monica "Jet" Carlson who really impressed. She was featured in a variety of events, including Powerball, Gauntlet, and Pyramid, and she really did a great job keeping the contenders at bay. She's obviously been pumping some iron in the off-season, and looked terrific in her Gladiator garb.

The person who really stole the show, however, was contender John Siciliano (pictured, with host Hulk Hogan). 15 years ago, Siciliano lost his leg in a car accident and now wears a prosthetic. He went on to become a Paralympic sprinter, and last night he faced the Gladiators in an impressive show of both strength and courage. Even though he looked a little frightened at times, Siciliano seemed to enjoy the competition and faced every event with little reservation. He completed the Eliminator round to a standing ovation from the audience, providing a truly inspirational moment in an otherwise over-the-top program. Kudos to John Siciliano!

Photo courtesy NBC

Justin Timberlake is on board with MTV to produce a new "reality game show" called The Phone. Based on a Dutch game show, the premise is that two cell phones will be hidden at different ends of a major city. The people who answer these phones are the potential contestants, and will hear their instructions via the phones. They'll have five seconds to decide whether or not to play the game, which will require them to complete a mission together in order to win a cash prize.

The show is being touted as a "real life Bourne Identity." It does sound like a fresh idea that has a lot of potential for good gaming; it's just different enough that it could be quite exciting to watch. The concept of unsuspecting contestants works well for Discovery's Cash Cab after all.

My main concern is that the network might overproduce the show and make it too cheesy, with the usual MTV sound effects and canned laughter. If The Phone takes off, it will be because of the lack of bright neon lights and studio effects - the raw feel of real people on the streets of a major U.S. city participating in a game show with no idea of what to expect is the draw here, and I hope the final package reflects this.

Photo by Bryan Bedder, courtesy Getty Images

In our last poll, Howie Mandel reigned supreme as your favorite current game show host, with Alex Trebek taking second place. These results aren't really surprising - Deal or No Deal has an enormous following and that's partly due to Mandel's presence on the show. Trebek has become the face of Jeopardy!, and it's difficult to imagine the show without him. Let's switch things up a little bit this time, and take a look back at the classics.

With only ten available spots to fill in the poll, it was tough to narrow down the choices. There are so many hosts who are considered "classic," which is a term that was hard to define. Do you include someone like Bob Barker, who is and was a game show legend but only recently retired, or do you stick to those who have been absent much longer? Is Chuck Woolery a contender, since he's hosted Lingo quite recently and could go on to host another? I included both of these men, because their names will be forever connected to game show history and lore.

So who is the favorite classic game show host? Do you love the smile and charm of Bob Eubanks, or the off-the-wall comedy of Chuck Barris? There's a wide variety to choose from, and I'm looking forward to seeing the results! If your favorite isn't on the list, please let me know who they are in the comments.

American Gladiators is back for season two, and there are a few surprises in store.

According to NBC, there will be a total of seven new events that will be introduced as the season progresses. Two of these events have been revealed already: Vertigo, which is a race across sway poles that looks insanely difficult, and Rocketball, which requires contenders to launch themselves into the air and slam balls into baskets. American Gladiators: The Events takes a closer look at all of the events we know of so far, along with photos.

Season one winners Monica Carlson (pictured) and Evan Dollard are back as Gladiators this season, and their monikers are "Jet" and "Rocket," respectively. One other Gladiator has been added to the cast, and she goes by the name "Phoenix." Previous Gladiators Mayhem, Fury, and Stealth do not appear in any of the press photography, so they are likely not returning - at least not for the premiere. We've got new cast and host photos for you in the American Gladiators Season Two Photo Gallery.

On top of these new additions, the Gladiator Arena has been expanded and upgraded, and some of the old familiar events have also been updated. The Wall is bigger, the pool holds more water, and the final Eliminator challenge has been made even more difficult. Says co-host Hulk Hogan, "Season two of American Gladiators is going to be bigger and badder than before! We have new gladiators, new events and a new gladiator arena. All those gladiator maniacs out there are going to be blown away." (source: NBC press release)

American Gladiators returns on Monday May 12th at 8pm Eastern.

Photo courtesy NBC

Last night was the first of three Deal or No Deal Around the World episodes, filmed on location in The Philippines. The idea of these episodes is to take the game on the road, with American contestants and host Howie Mandel, but play according to the host country's customs and rules. Contestants play for American cash, and the prize board is the same as it is in the U.S. version.

The first stop on the tour was The Philippines, where the show is hosted by Kris Aquino. Aquino is an accomplished actress and host in her own right, and the daughter of former President Corazon Aquino and Benigno Aquino, Jr., whose face is on the local currency. She was on hand for the entire show, telling Mandel the names of the models and giving us a taste of how the show plays out in The Philippines.

While the game itself was almost identical to the American version, there were some really fun differences too. The briefcase models, who are dubbed "The 26 K", come out and dance instead of just walking down the stairs. As this is going on, the studio audience goes nuts, dancing along and cheering. When a contestant picks a case with a very low amount inside, an on-hand DJ launches a clip of dance music and once again everyone is up and moving. Aquino says that it's "party time," and really, it brings a lot of energy into the show.

The Filipino Banker can be seen pacing around in his booth, and he actually dances when a contestant knocks out a larger amount. One poor model, who holds case number 17, is considered the "unlucky" one as she's usually holding a high dollar amount that gets taken from the board. Another very minor thing that I noticed was that they don't bunch the case models together during every commercial break. The podiums are removed, but the models stay in their original spots as the game progresses. The show was sprinkled with funny clips of Howie Mandel exploring the country, from the supermarkets to the airport.

Overall, it seems Deal or No Deal is much more energetic and light-hearted in The Philippines than it is here in North America. There was very little drama, even as both contestants battled their way to their eventual deals. Aquino is upbeat and enthusiastic, and the audience is very responsive. The show was well worth the two-hour time investment!

Deal or No Deal Around the World continues this Wednesday night with a stop in Estonia. The final destination is South Africa, and that episode airs Monday May 14th.

Logo courtesy NBC

Get your casting calls here! Lots of shows, mostly new or updated classics, are searching for contestants for their new or inaugural seasons. I found some interesting tidbits while doing this week's casting call search!

The Moment of Truth, for example, is casting for season two in New York, and this time they're looking for some specific types of contestants. From the ad: "Specialty Categories we are looking for are Doctors, Lawyers, Business Owners, Librarians, Twins, and Ex-Priests!" So I guess that just confirms that we're in for another season of water cooler fodder.

Interestingly enough, a few classic shows are being dusted off and remade, joining the ranks of Million Dollar Password and Celebrity Family Feud. Comedy Central is planning a new series of The Gong Show, while Embassy row is casting for The Newlywed Game and The Dating Game. Mark my words: it's only a matter of time before we get a new, prime time edition of Win, Lose, or Draw.

Check out the complete list of Game Show Casting Calls, and get those applications out!

Photo courtesy FOX Broadcasting

GSN is celebrating Mother's Day for the entire week leading up to May 11th, and fans of Bingo America will be playing the home game for a chance at double the viewer prizes. Normally the show gives away $50 for every verified Bingo or Bonus Number match, but from May 5th to 9th, that prize will go up to $100.

If you haven't been taking advantage of the play-at-home aspect of Bingo America, now might be a good time to start! Check out the Bingo America Guide to get started, and then tune in to GSN at 7pm Eastern each weeknight to play along.

Whammy! is also getting on board the Mother's Day celebration train, starting with host Todd Newton's appearance on GSN Live on Friday, May 9th. The show airs from 12-3pm Eastern, and the topic, of course, will be moms. On Mother's Day, beginning at 9am, you can catch a 7-hour Whammy! marathon which features a special Mother's Day edition at noon. This particular episode stars TV moms Karen Grassle (Little House on the Prairie), Estelle Harris (Seinfeld), and Mimi Kennedy (Dharma & Greg) battling it out for charity.

If Mom is a game show enthusiast, I've put together the Top Ten Gifts for Game Show Fans to help you choose a terrific, fun gift. Don't leave your shopping 'til the last minute! Oh, who am I kidding - I'll be out in the malls with the rest of you on Saturday the 10th. Happy Mother's Day!

Logo courtesy GSN