Posted by Doug Casse on Fraternal News:
PR Newswire
December 1, 2003
Game Show Network and National Lampoon Team Up to Produce 'Greek Games';
Fraternity/Sorority Competition to Air in July 2004 on GSN; Preliminary
Events Begin on National Lampoon Network in May
(SANTA MONICA, Calif.) With the 2004 Summer Games being hosted in Athens,
Greece -- Game Show Network (GSN) and National Lampoon are teaming up to
produce the first-ever Greek-flavored spoof, featuring fraternities and
sororities competing in a variety of absurd sports.
Preliminary televised competition of National Lampoon's Greek Games is
slated to debut in May on National Lampoon Network, which is carried on
U.S. cable and satellite systems in more than 600 college and university
communities. National Lampoon's Greek Games culminates in early July with a
two-hour special on Game Show Network. The GSN special will feature two
fraternities and two sororities battling it out for the title of Greek
Games Champion. The special will also feature a variety of
up-close-and-personal glimpses of the "Greek" athletes training for their
events.
National Lampoon's Greek Games is expected to include such events as the
Pita Bread Discus Toss, the Souvlaki High Hurdles and Greek Olive Oil
Wrestling.
Fraternities and sororities across the nation are being encouraged to apply
for the competition by recording and sending in videotapes that demonstrate
their National Lampoon style of sportsmanship. Complete application
information is available on
www.nationallampoon.com and gsn.com .
In honor of the Games, GSN President Rich Cronin may temporarily change his
last name to Croninopoulos.
"With all of the hype around the Summer Games and the fact there's a Greek
angle, we're excited to be partnering with National Lampoon on this,"
Croninopoulos noted. "Ours promises to be the funniest Greek spectacle ever."
Croninopoulos added that he hoped to completely exhaust the available
supply of Greek terms and puns between now and next summer and had every
hope that it was not only possible but indeed probable.
"Greece really is the word in this case," he said. "We're calling on Greek
organizations at colleges and universities to take this seriously, even if
we don't, because we're looking at the Greek Games to become an annual
event, not just every four years. And I'd also like to add that competitors
need not actually be of Greek heritage to enter, though it probably
wouldn't hurt."
Doug Bennett, executive vice president of National Lampoon, said, "The
torch has already been lit at National Lampoon. We're busy inventing sports
like the Lamb Lift, Toga Trot and Stuffed Grape-Leaf Baseball. Whichever
college athletes out there become National Lampoon-GSN stars, we know the
audience will cheering and laughing right along with us."
To show his Greek Games spirit, Bennett will now be known as Zorba.
National Lampoon's Greek Games is the second partnering between National
Lampoon and GSN. Previously, National Lampoon and GSN teamed to produce
GSN's hybrid stand-up comedy game series National Lampoon's Funny Money
which airs weekends at 8:00 PM PT/11:00 PM ET.
About National Lampoon
National Lampoon Network is the home of several TV shows that have become
campus cult favorites, such as Bridget the Midget, a reality show which
follows the exploits of a self-proclaimed sexy, 3'10" tall actress; Gamers,
which features video game junkies reviewing newly released computer games;
The Gleib Show, a comedic talk show hosted by comedian Ben Gleiberman and
featuring celebrity guests and comic sketches; College Town USA, which
tours college campuses across the United States showing what makes each
school unique by interviewing members of the student body and examining the
school's clubs and activities, nightlife, sporting events, and other
rituals exclusive to that campus; and AV Squad, a music interview , live
performance, and music video show.
National Lampoon is one of the leading comedy brands in the world. National
Lampoon produces entertainment in all media, including film, TV, radio,
publishing, audio CDs and Internet. National Lampoon also owns and operates
the country's leading college cable television network, reaching 4.6
million students in 603 college communities across the United States. The
Web site,
www.nationallampoon.com , is one of the most popular humor sites
on the Internet. The company also owns interests in all major National
Lampoon properties including National Lampoon's Animal House, the National
Lampoon Vacation series, and National Lampoon's Van Wilder.
For More Information Contact: Sally Stewart, 310.828.5414,
sstewart@nationallampoon.com or visit the National Lampoon web site at
www.nationallampoon.com
About Game Show Network (GSN)
GSN is the only U.S. television network dedicated to game-related
programming and interactive game playing. The network received attention
this past year by telecasting its first documentary, first reality show,
and first video game series. As the industry leader in interactivity, GSN
features 84 hours per week of original interactive programming including
enhanced classics. This interactivity allows viewers to win prizes by
playing along with GSN's televised games via gsn.com. Reaching 53 million
Nielsen homes, GSN is distributed in the U.S. through all major cable
systems and satellite providers. The network is jointly owned by Sony
Pictures Entertainment and Liberty Media Corporation.
Me too!
Linear Mode
